Low Berth - Dare You?
- Thread starter Mithras
- Start date
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Are you crazy! PCs never travel low. Gamble on the popsicles surviving sure, but get in one of those ice coffins, NEVER! Got a few lowberth travel tickets during muster out? Sold for Cr900 each without a second thought 
Most PCs know the ref wouldn't kill them though. It'd be something worse :devil:
Most PCs know the ref wouldn't kill them though. It'd be something worse :devil:
Jeff M. Hopper
SOC-14 1K
Are you crazy! PCs never travel low. Gamble on the popsicles surviving sure, but get in one of those ice coffins, NEVER! Got a few lowberth travel tickets during muster out? Sold for Cr900 each without a second thought
Most PCs know the ref wouldn't kill them though. It'd be something worse :devil:
Speak for yourself. I've lost two PCs due to failed Low Berth survival rolls over the years. One was just a deader, end of mini-campaign. The second was a fugitive on the run and his corpse ended up being a mystery for the next group of Traveller players to solve.
I guess the risks of low berth travel vary with the edition, it's damn near impossible to lose someone in gurps traveller IF a competent medic oversees the revival.
As to players never travelling low berth, that surprises me as I'd gathered it was not uncommon to begin an adventure with "You awaken from low berth to find a dead crewman near your berth controls. He apparently died while activating your wakeup sequence. There doesn't seem to be anyone else in the area...."
As to players never travelling low berth, that surprises me as I'd gathered it was not uncommon to begin an adventure with "You awaken from low berth to find a dead crewman near your berth controls. He apparently died while activating your wakeup sequence. There doesn't seem to be anyone else in the area...."
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Yep, that's a common meme, but usually only used to begin game, not in the middle of a campaign where the players have a choice, in my experience.
And you're correct it would depend on the rules. Even in CT it's not that bad with a decent medic. But our group started with CT, found decent medics to be scarce, and never overcame the fear If they could be convinced that it was safe, and that they wouldn't miss anything during jump, they'd probably do it. They'd live longer and save money.
Of course if I told them this and explained it all rationally, they'd immediately shift their suspicion to the Captain and imagine she is going to sell them into slavery and they'll wake up deep in Vargr space aboard some mining outpost :devil:
I wouldn't do that, really
And you're correct it would depend on the rules. Even in CT it's not that bad with a decent medic. But our group started with CT, found decent medics to be scarce, and never overcame the fear
If they could be convinced that it was safe, and that they wouldn't miss anything during jump, they'd probably do it. They'd live longer and save money.Of course if I told them this and explained it all rationally, they'd immediately shift their suspicion to the Captain and imagine she is going to sell them into slavery and they'll wake up deep in Vargr space aboard some mining outpost :devil:
I wouldn't do that, really
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Yep, that's a common meme, but usually only used to begin game, not in the middle of a campaign where the players have a choice, in my experience.
And you're correct it would depend on the rules. Even in CT it's not that bad with a decent medic. But our group started with CT, found decent medics to be scarce, and never overcame the fear
Of course if I told them this and explained it all rationally, they'd immediately shift their suspicion to the Captain and imagine she is going to sell them into slavery and they'll wake up deep in Vargr space aboard some mining outpost :devil:
I wouldn't do that, really
Subjectively the players wouldn't live longer due to low berthing, they'd still experience about the same lifespan.
An advantage to normal travel is you can spend the week in jump reading up to improve a skill by a point or at least get some study time in to build up points towards a higher or new skill,or healing a wound. Would you rather arrive at your next adventure with a fresh gunshot wound or one that'd been healing for a week?
Likewise you could practice your fast draw technique if you have a room with a full length mirror.
Scott Martin
SOC-13
Just don't use a laser pistol...
As for low berth travel, just don't do it in one of Dan's (Far Trader's) games... it tends to complicate your life
Scott Martin
At least one of the versions (can't remember which offhand) wanted you to keep track of being 'in-berth' just because it did effect your apparent age. If you jump every other week or once a month, that's a good percentage of your life.
Is it required to do Robert DeNiro quotes when you do, tho?
Bob Weaver
SOC-12
I mostly ignored that rule in my games. That's a very plot-defeating trick to pull on the PC's: "Oh by the way, you're dead" is hardly conducive to great adventure. As to NPC's, I'd never had an adventure plot where that occurred to me as a helpful plot device. I put it with a few other rules, like mis-jump; it should be included when the Ref wants to use it, not randomly inflicted on the players.
Best Regards,
Bob W.
Sifu Blackirish
SOC-14 1K
"As to NPC's, I'd never had an adventure plot where that occurred to me as a helpful plot device."
I would say that it depends on circumstances.
IMTU nobody would travel via low berth unless it was a last resort. Indentured servants (contract laborers) are sent that way, and still have to pay costs of transport while working.
In one novel I read a long time ago, a soldier was evacuated from a planet and was stuck in a debriefing loop. Low berths have brain scanners that stimulate the last memories, so he relived that last week of time for seventeen years while his ship drifted!
I would say that it depends on circumstances.
IMTU nobody would travel via low berth unless it was a last resort. Indentured servants (contract laborers) are sent that way, and still have to pay costs of transport while working.
In one novel I read a long time ago, a soldier was evacuated from a planet and was stuck in a debriefing loop. Low berths have brain scanners that stimulate the last memories, so he relived that last week of time for seventeen years while his ship drifted!
My PC's never travel by low berth anymore. I've got them too scared of waking up a slave, an indentured servant, in someone's private army, harem, laboratory, etc.
N.I.C.E. Labs
SOC-12
My players haven't used the low berths yet... at least not for their intended purposes 
They read in the description of the far trader that their low berths were sometimes used to transport livestock, so they have one berth full of frozen chickens (or Traveller equivalent). One is fake which is where they hide all the small smuggling items. They've also got a ship captain who crossed them in there that they're wanting to interrogate.... eventually
They read in the description of the far trader that their low berths were sometimes used to transport livestock, so they have one berth full of frozen chickens (or Traveller equivalent). One is fake which is where they hide all the small smuggling items
. They've also got a ship captain who crossed them in there that they're wanting to interrogate.... eventually BlackBat242
SOC-14 1K
Cherwell Convention!
BlackBat242
SOC-14 1K
And I still have a problem with the title of this thread...
I keep seeing "Low Berth - How Dare You?" :smirk:
I keep seeing "Low Berth - How Dare You?" :smirk:
