Just finished running SoTA *possible spoilers*

[Boojum]

Hi, long time Traveller here, started with CT back in the 80's playing in a multi-year campaign that left a permanent impression on me. I found the Mongoose Traveller books recently and have started grabbing them all.

My gaming group is mostly Pathfinder & WoD types, with one other veteran of that long-ago campaign, so I wasn't sure how they'd take to Mongoose Traveller. One session of simple free trading and wheeling and dealing had them hooked, so I segued into Secrets of The Ancients without them noticing things were getting deep until they were well into it.

Some general notes for everyone's amusement from the campaign:

Everything went pretty much along the rails until the prison ship. With one character being a robot, and another with a truly disgusting Persuade, they were able to provide Imperial Intelligence enough hard facts that they were given the Scout Ship and the Imperial Warrant and sent to stop Seven. Which is when this conversation began.
Group - "There's a Naval Base here, right?"
Me - "Well, yes"
G - "What's the largest ship they have? Any dreadnoughts?"
M - "Um, no" *quick search through several sources* "They have a Lightning-class Cruiser" *quick brainstorm* "The Thunderchild"
G - "Ok, flying to the base and comming the captain. New orders, they need to take us into Vargr space ASAP and find this system"
M - "They don't want to possibly trigger a border war"
G - "Imperial Warrant, remember?"
M - "D'oh!"

Suffice it to say, Part 9 did not go as written.

Following the whole campaign, after agreeing to secretly help both Grandfather and the Imperium (and turning over the Dart), the player of Thena Backett (former Dilettante/Agent, Inheritor and Host) had this to say:
"After using my body, I think Grandfather owes me a favor"
Other player - "No he doesn't, he owes you dinner and a movie"

Hope you got a smirk at least from all this, and I appreciate all the info in the various threads, I've had many good ideas sparked by the good people here!

 

[Hyphen]

Congrats on a successful campaign!

I've always wanted to play SotA, but it always felt a little too... pedestrian. (I mean, the ending. This is supposed to be about Grandfather, right? Where's the bells and whistles - and the bling??)

The uprated, upgunned and generally enhanced Mongoose version is much more... EPIC.

>:-D

 

[Boojum]

Yeah, the epic feel really made it, and the players reacted with all due shock and awe. It definitely has a lot more "Holy cr@p!" moments than the original.

I'm playing with some of the repercussions from the whole event, even as the players are heading to Cordillon to see what they may be able to salvage, as they built vaults there in the past-life section that should have stood the ravages of time. It's entirely possible that 174 repurposed one of their vaults for his own Family Archive, and they may be unleashing another Son.

Meanwhile, the Fifth Frontier War approaches, this time with the trigger of Zhodani intelligence receiving the players reports (due to the spy on board the prison ship), and I decided that collapsing a pocket universe that, apparently, was still having gravitational effects on the systems around it (inference from the Ancient maps accounting for stellar drift while still showing three systems that aren't there, and being accurate), should also have interesting results, ones Grandfather had somewhat planned for.

Keeping with the classic feel, but at the same time the players are going to wind up feeling like the crew of the Serenity caught up in the events of Mass Effect. Should be fun!

 

[oldgamergeek]

Hi, long time Traveller here, started with CT back in the 80's playing in a multi-year campaign that left a permanent impression on me. I found the Mongoose Traveller books recently and have started grabbing them all.

My gaming group is mostly Pathfinder & WoD types, with one other veteran of that long-ago campaign, so I wasn't sure how they'd take to Mongoose Traveller. One session of simple free trading and wheeling and dealing had them hooked, so I segued into Secrets of The Ancients without them noticing things were getting deep until they were well into it.

Some general notes for everyone's amusement from the campaign:

Everything went pretty much along the rails until the prison ship. With one character being a robot, and another with a truly disgusting Persuade, they were able to provide Imperial Intelligence enough hard facts that they were given the Scout Ship and the Imperial Warrant and sent to stop Seven. Which is when this conversation began.
Group - "There's a Naval Base here, right?"
Me - "Well, yes"
G - "What's the largest ship they have? Any dreadnoughts?"
M - "Um, no" *quick search through several sources* "They have a Lightning-class Cruiser" *quick brainstorm* "The Thunderchild"
G - "Ok, flying to the base and comming the captain. New orders, they need to take us into Vargr space ASAP and find this system"
M - "They don't want to possibly trigger a border war"
G - "Imperial Warrant, remember?"
M - "D'oh!"

Suffice it to say, Part 9 did not go as written.

Following the whole campaign, after agreeing to secretly help both Grandfather and the Imperium (and turning over the Dart), the player of Thena Backett (former Dilettante/Agent, Inheritor and Host) had this to say:
"After using my body, I think Grandfather owes me a favor"
Other player - "No he doesn't, he owes you dinner and a movie"

Hope you got a smirk at least from all this, and I appreciate all the info in the various threads, I've had many good ideas sparked by the good people here!

I have found The adventure as written never survives contact with players ability to not follow the plot. I have never had a plan go by the book.

 

[JBRocky]

Always did love SotA fun adventure. But did you know poeple can refuse the order from an imperial Warrent? Was flipping through some GURPS Traveller and it talked about it. Seems that if you have a good reason like not starting a War if you are a High enough Noble or Military Officer you can refuse to do it. Just be prepared to back it up with a DAMN good reason.

 

[Boojum]

Always did love SotA fun adventure. But did you know poeple can refuse the order from an imperial Warrent? Was flipping through some GURPS Traveller and it talked about it. Seems that if you have a good reason like not starting a War if you are a High enough Noble or Military Officer you can refuse to do it. Just be prepared to back it up with a DAMN good reason.

I had considered that, but this is shortly before the Fifth Frontier War, and the expectation now is as uneasy peace. The Naval contingent at Pixie is primarily to discourage Vargr corsairs, and while there would certainly be some hesitation to opening fire, the effect on Vargr morale of the demonstrated abilities of an Imperial cruiser had to have been a debating point among the Naval command there. The Warrant just gave them an excuse.

The Vargr are far more likely to take advantage of the confusion of 5FW now though, they had their pride hurt pretty badly and will definitely be adding to the chaos.

From the raid into Uthe:
"Shoot the first Vargr warship to start transmitting. With the spinal particle beam, please."

 

[Boojum]

Just be prepared to back it up with a DAMN good reason.

Also, SEVEN. Imperial Intelligence now had confirmed data, a destroyed scout cruiser, and its apparent capability to become an existential threat to Charted Space. A Jump-5 capable cruiser is a reasonable response. I just wondered why the campaign writer didn't consider it.

So there were logical in-universe reasons to allow them to catch a ride on Thunderchild, and game-wise I was prepared to run The Dark Gate but not really happy about it, as it would have likely had the characters overwhelmed and possibly captured for the umpteenth time in a row. I made them sweat though when the deep-ocean gate in Part 10 had similar, though larger, defenses to Backett's cabin and practically Stargate-style Ancient drones swarmed up and after the Thunderchild as the characters were preparing for the deep dive. The ship survived, though it didn't appear that way to them, as it was last seen leaving a fiery streak through the upper atmosphere and disappearing over the horizon.

 

[Murphy]

Congrats on a finished campaign!

I do want to ask a couple questions if you don't mind.

they were able to provide Imperial Intelligence enough hard facts that they were given the Scout Ship and the Imperial Warrant and sent to stop Seven

Unless I'm mistaken, noone but the Emperor himself has the power to issue Imperial Warrants. Is that a YTU thing? I don't suppose Strephon just happened to be on that naval base

as the players are heading to Cordillon to see what they may be able to salvage, as they built vaults there in the past-life section that should have stood the ravages of time

But are you going to let them have that? It's basically trying to trick the universe itself, he he he.
I mean, the whole past-life section is supposed to be imaginary. Grandfather didn't actually transfer their minds into the past.

At best they could be allowed to use some clues as to where to look for surviving Ancient bases, but not for stashes they themselves "made", because those certainly never existed in the "real" universe.

Regardless, this campaign is something I'm truly amazed of as a concept. Too bad I can't run it yet - I want its full potential for stunning revelations and my players aren't ready yet.

Among other cases, the players (though not necessarily characters) should first be familiar with contemporary Droyne. Otherwise they won't see the contrast between them and those living on Grandfather's and Seven's worlds!

 

[Boojum]

Congrats on a finished campaign!

I do want to ask a couple questions if you don't mind.


Unless I'm mistaken, noone but the Emperor himself has the power to issue Imperial Warrants. Is that a YTU thing? I don't suppose Strephon just happened to be on that naval base


But are you going to let them have that? It's basically trying to trick the universe itself, he he he.
I mean, the whole past-life section is supposed to be imaginary. Grandfather didn't actually transfer their minds into the past.

At best they could be allowed to use some clues as to where to look for surviving Ancient bases, but not for stashes they themselves "made", because those certainly never existed in the "real" universe.

Regardless, this campaign is something I'm truly amazed of as a concept. Too bad I can't run it yet - I want its full potential for stunning revelations and my players aren't ready yet.

Among other cases, the players (though not necessarily characters) should first be familiar with contemporary Droyne. Otherwise they won't see the contrast between them and those living on Grandfather's and Seven's worlds!

The Warrant is in the possession of an Imperial Intelligence agency in the scenario, and one option for pretty good success in dealing with him is that he gives you the use of it. IMU Imperial Warrants are a combination of the fancy words and extremely advanced smart paper. They can be transferred, but only willingly and directly.

 

[Mytholder]

That sounds rather awesome.