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In Your Traveller Universe, What Changes Have You Made?

I have run the same weekly TNE campaign since 1994 (with the same group and only 1 character has died). In my campaign the players founded "the Library" an organization whose goal was to bootstrap all RC worlds with enough knowledge to put them first at TL 11, then 12 and now in the year of 1209 TL 13.

The "Library" is also a underground Psionic reseach base, though no institute but only the players and three NPCs know that.

So because their fascination with Psionics I have expaneded and altered the psionic powers from the TNE book which I think were a bit few and boring and the players know of registered psionic powers (from the first imperium and forward) and have seen theories and rumours of another 10-20.

Also, I grew tired of mr Maggart and had his shuttle dissapear in mid jump, leaving open for conspiracy theories and accusations. He was too perfect, too goody-to-shoes.

And the Hivers have been the bad guys, the players found a world that had been popualted by humans once, and after some research they discovered that the Hivers understood that they could not manipulate humans that easy and nuked the world. This news managed to come out to the Coalition and to the Ithklur who began a conflict back in the federation...so Hivers are no more in RC space.

I repaced those with the sandman virus, as well as uplifted dolphins, the droynes from Tiyanyd and some ithklur who have sught membership as fugatives from the conflict in the hive federation.

But humans are the major people in the RC.

It seems to be the way that the players want it :)
And if they are happy - so am I
 
I thought that was canon already.

It's canonical that there is an extrality zone, but not that that extrality zone is imperial territory. It is also canonical that the Imperium gets lands ceded, but not that those are the starport. It is also not established in canon that the starports are fiefs, but it is a logical extrapolation.
 
I believe I've already posted this information in another thread, but:
-Grandfather, Ancients, and their war: out. In: uplifters (know to Terrans as the First Ones) and destroyers (Hunters of the Dawn). We Terrans have been uplifted twice.
-The Third Imperium: out (as we know it). In: locally, the United Nations/Earth Union (UNEU). Coreward, the Anunaki Commonwealth. Rimward, Vargr territory (see below).
-Aliens. Aslan, Hiver, Zhodani: if around, a minor race. Cealyen: generation-ship riders, and friends to the UNEU. Anunaki (aka Anu and Vegan): think Heinlein's Vegans from "Have Spacesuit...," their forte is using organic solutions to technology. Vargr: not the nice doggies; carnivores that developed a taste for long pig, and their written language uses smell and colors.
-Earth: uninhabitable due to several circumstances. The new "homeworld" is a slightly terraformed Mars. Colonies on Luna (Selene), the Jovian moons, Titan, and the Inner Asteroid Belt. We started to expand until we contacted the Commonwealth and the Vargr.
-Conflicts: past war between UNEU and Commonwealth (we lost). We pushed the Vargr back.
-The AO: a 12 parsec sphere around Sol, known as the Primary Known Volume (or just "the Volume"). Highest common TL is 12-13.

There's more, but I won't bore anyone with details. Oh, and the basic rule set I use is TNE, heavily modified ("If you put sugar in this {champagne} it tastes like ginger ale!" - Fozzie Bear).
 
Well, for my Pharos IV setting this might look like this:

- Out: Third Imperium; In: "Honorverse" of David Weber's Honor Harrington no-
vels (the background universe only, not the events of the novels);
- Out: Jump Drive; In: Hyperdrive and Wormholes (strangely, it did not make
much of a difference);
- Out: Traveller D6 system; In: BRP D100 system (I just like it ...);
- Out: Traveller trade rules; In: Trade as part of the setting, not of the rules;
- Out: Traveller shipbuilding costs; In: Starships are mostly built by robots,
which lowers the costs and makes the ships somewhat more affordable;

- to mention just the most important changes. :)
 
IN: Mass Precipitation (takes planetary mass though, allows graininess in expansion)
IN: More cybernetics and "cyberpunk" but not too far
OUT: 20 ton bridges (I use 10 ton minimum instead)
OUT: 10% fuel per jump. (The % goes down slowly as TL increases)
OUT: Spinal Mounts (I stop at 100 ton bays)
OUT: 6g limit (I use a table for % based on TL and acceleration, at TL 15: 25g max)
IN: Robots as optional crew (% of crew that can be robots is based on TL of ship).
OUT: Trade costs based on Jump, I use Parsecs and it seems to work OK.
OUT: Ship Costs. All ship costs are 10% of published values.

OUT: Imperium (I have a setting in the Plieades Cluster).
IN: Droyne (the bad guys) and Aslan (barely)
OUT: Vargr, Hiver, K'Kree
 
My universe

My Traveller universe has a few minor changes. I have been following a linear path with my campaigns the past 12 years. I started the first one with MgT, then used New Era, then T4, and presently using a t-20. If T5 is good I will do that for the next one. Each campaign has lasted 2-5 years of consistent play. I am blessed with a great group of old sci-fi loving friends.

My changes.
1. I have had to explain some science in the canon to prevent some abuse from my more scientific friends. Mainly just explaining that nano-tech and bio-tech are already there just not mentioned. Its like a light bulb. You don't need to know how its made to use it. So at certain tech levels they just become part of the background technology. That little thing has helped a ton!
I also come up with a reason why computers are so big (changing stats there throws the designs off, so I just explain why to keep balance).

2. I made the Vagr make more sense. Hard to explain here in a short note.

3. In the viral era I made a split off pocket empire that grew up as the Imperium reformed. Its now used as a back drop for intrigue only.

4. The T4 campaign I did in the post viral era instead of Mil-0. I always move forward for some reason. I reformed the Imperium as a 4th Imperium. (I see that others have done so now..but no one did then so I had to make my own which I like). My 4th Imperium is a bit smaller due to some territory taken by the Reformation, Norrian space (old Duke Norris...but joins as a vassal later in 4th), Solomoni expansion (has Terra back), and some small piece of Zarkian space (pre menionted pocket...mostly from old non imperial areas). I also reformed some space from Reavers deep to add an old slaver bad guy back. My 4th is also a bit paranoid over mass destruction issues, naturally. Its smaller size and temporary less tech has caused them to be more efficient than in the past making them a whole new beast. Leaner, meaner, and more professional (noble craziness is subdued a bit...due to post viral paranoia).
That is just a summary naturally.

5. I adjust some of the weapons vs armor stats. It seems in every edition (except t20) the weapons and armor seem to be too be out of whack. Specifics depend on the rule set. T20 seems to have it a bit more logical and only minor tweaks have been needed.

6. Other wise I use much of the pre-made materials. I will often change some of the planetary data to fit my picture some.

Those little changes make a big difference to me and my group. I have always loved the flexibility of the Traveller canon. Players and refs can make their own variants. Its just specific enough to give a template and just vague enough to give room for personal tweaks.

Mondo
 
Tech Changes I use.

I have used some home rules for specific tech as well.

I make jump engines a bit more efficient at certain tech levels by certain empires. It varies depending on the rule set and campaign. The High eff engines are a well kept thing and getting one becomes a long term goal for players with beloved ships.

I make missiles a bit cheaper and give a few different types of warheads. Again specifics vary from rule sets.

I make use of more computers as well. Half my group are computer experts so I need to include it. Not into cyberspace though. Post viral computers are a bit different. So less automation gives more hands on computer use.

I add rules for charged weapons pods to make fighters a bit more scary (some 1-2 shot things with plasma, fusion, pa, meson etc..) Sometimes even small ship captains and pirates get some...

I add a few weapons like vibro, monofiliment, and shock hand weapons. No light sabers...

I make some assault laser weapons. Some rule sets have them..some don't.

I add some high tech grenades (plasma, flash-bang, shaped...etc) to the picture if the campaign is more military.

The rest I mentioned in the above.

Mondo
 
Apparently Traveller ships cannot jump diagonally...who knew?

Also, the Ancients refers to a whole raft of alien species that were dominant around the time of Antiquity.

Misjumps can happen more frequently.

Biotech commonplace.

Camouflage suits are standard Marine issue.

Marines do not all carry cutlasses.

Hivers by 1248 have developed the capacity to speak (modification of their gene pool).

Imperium is much more a presence in the lives of the worlds affiliated with it (akin to today's European Union).

Jack & Chain armours are essentially on low tech worlds.

Limited nanotech (mostly micro tools).

Nobles are rarely noble but are corrupt & ruthless above the level of a knight.

Knights have squires.
 
Traveller-Science Fiction Adventure on the Edge of Tomorrow

After years of Travelling throughout the Spinward Marches, I'm re-booting and starting from the ground up. A Terra-Centric government that has suffered through a few wars, the breakthrough of Jump Drive tech and Man's first extra-Solar Colonies.
I'm limiting the hand-wavium to Jump Drive only, no Contra-Grav. Players will have to contend with g-forces in transit ala Mote in God's Eye. Players will be part of the Vanguard Patrols, safeguarding the Pioneer Fleets and Colonies.

And somewhere, watching our progress with cold, alien detachment, something is waiting.
 
Nothing from GT makes it to MTU. It is an ATU anyway... NOT the OTU... so nothing GT holds weight outside GT...

I use the Gurps Timeline. No Rebellion, but I luvs me some Solomani Civil War. I kept everything that was decannonised (Even the Theta Borelias Sector). My Judges Guild Gateway sectors are a separate Globular Cluster at right angels to the Galactic elliptic plane (But reachable via a J4 route.).

Biggest Difference:
My 3I is rational & it is very, very militarized (as is everyone else). The Armed Forces are built up based on the information in TCS. Any citizen that joins the Imperial (Not sector or below) Armed Forces or Scouts gets Anathegics while on active service.

All PCs are members of the Armed Forces Reserve. This gives me a convenient hook if I want them to go somewhere. ("Shit, we're broke. Let's slide into a local Reserve office & see if any short tours are available.)

Trade is quite heavy.

In addition to the Ancients, I also have the Old Ones. (None of my players have ever read H.P. Lovecraft & I can steal from him effortlessly.)

Robot use was extensive before the Long Night. Now, not so much. This is because the Robots up and left. I haven't decided how far away they are & if they would come back. I'd like to bring them back, but then it would smell too much like Battlestar Galactica and I do not want that.

Planetary, Sub-sector & Sector Leadership (after the Civil War) figured out that building up both the population base & the Tech base would boost their power & have started to do so. If a planet is below Tech 11, it is because they chose to limit themselves.
 
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MTU is very much the TU of the early books and adventures - often referred to as proto-Traveller.

No HG big ships, the Imperium is a much darker entity, Regina has a TL of 10 etc.
 
I never really used the House Universe. When I started playing all we had were the 3 LBB's and the whole appeal to me was getting to do create whatever I wanted. Any references to "The Imperium" as supplements and rules came out only confused things.

I use what ever equipment that came in JTAS, plus would adapt adventures (mainly the short ones) to the game if they sounded fun and usable. I never included the races - I always thought it very amusing that GDW came up with the Vargr and Aslan because my first alien race Man encountered was a bunch of hyena marsupial types called the Prox. They weren't very easy to get along with. Later I indulged a player who thought if there were dogs then there ought to be cats to chase them with and the Felinians were born.

Otherwise I tried to absorb anything that would work while keeping my own
"canon" straight.

I added powerguns and variable blades ("blasters & lightsabres") to please the Star Wars fans.

Vibroblades and crystal knives.

Stun batons, riotguns (bullpup mag-fed, low velocity shotguns), and partial combat armor for the cops.

Disintigrators, personal force shields, tractor/pressors for the high tech aliens.

Autodocs for easily damaged players. Organlegging and transplant trade for ones w/out autodocs. Rules for vat-grown biologic androids for fun and profit.

Dogfighting rules cobbled from an old wargame that let players play at becoming aces of the spaceways.

Space Vikings (ala' H. Beam Piper) to terrorize the above terrors of the spaceways.

Wormholes, space-tunneling drives for high tech aliens, ramships for the low tech ones, torpedoes, magnetic grapnels for the sword n' blaster boarding actions.

Extensive rules for medics to help keep players alive till they could afford an autodoc or find a hospital.

Turret-slave and Autopilot programs (to name a few) for those who might not have enough crew on board to run some ships in emergencies (Turret Slave allowed turrets to be slaved to the one that is manned).

Pages and pages of rules to fill in all the gaps left when you only had the original LBBs, Mercenary, and High Guard to work with. The list is 20 years (on and off) worth of exhaustive. Sometime soon I gotta run another campaign. It was a blast.
 
They may not be the greatest, but they worked for creating tension and drama to small craft engagements. as well as gave the players some chance for a little tactical planning.

They applied only to small craft of 49 tons or less.

1) Both roll for Advantaging Position: 2d6 + Agility & Pilot/Ship’s Boat Skill
2) Advantaging pilot rolls to hit Disadvantaged craft
3) Repeat Steps 1 & 2 till someone gets shot down or Advantaging pilot disengages.

> BEFORE rolling to hit, the Advantaging player must declare if he is adding his skills into the To Hit roll or Damage roll. This gives him the choice of hitting more often (but with less chance of destroying the target in a single hit) or hitting less often but with more single damaging hits. Only the pilot's skills can be used this way, the computer just tries it’s best to hit.

> TO HIT 8+ DM's = +1 per 2 lvls of Gunnery (if separate gunner is used then 1 per level)
+1 per 2 lvls of Ship’s Boat (if separate gunner not used)
+ Computer Type (bis is counted as one level up)

- Opponent’s skill (as above)
- Opponent’s Computer Type

 Damage : 2d6 -1 per 2 Lvls of Gunnery (if separate gunner is used then 1 per level)
-1 per 2 Lvls of Ships Boat (if separate gunner not used)

3 - Destroyed (no ejection)
4-6 Disabled (eject or crash land)
7-8 One weapon destroyed
9-10 Reduce Agility by 1 point
11+ No effect


To eject 9+ on 2d6 DM = ½ Ship’s Boat skill
To crash land w/out injury 10+ on 2d6 DM’s= +1 Vacc Suit
+2 Pilot Armor
+1/2 Ship’s Boat or Pilot
Injury = 2D6 for Pilot Armor
3D6 for Vacc Suit

*Pilot Armor is a gee suit/lightly armored vacc suit designed to plug into the fighter and help the pilot link to systems access and stay alive and conscious during maneuvers. It’ll also help keep him alive in case of hull breach prior to ejection in his encapsulated crash couch.
 
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