Vir was fantastic, but I liked that guy even on the otherwise-forgettable Delta House. RIPI'm including this clip as a point of reference ... nothing more.
New Campaign Ideas
- Thread starter AlHazred
- Start date
I first saw Stephen Furst in St Elsewhere.
Sure, In your better supported Scout bases further coreward-trailing. Like, in Rhylanor subsector I wouldn't be surprised if it's an even higher number. But Flammarion is primarily an intelligence base, keeping an eye on the Darian-Sword Worlds situation and watching for new threats emerging from the Outrim Void. They definitely have assets left over from the Second Survey, as they're at the "end of the line," as it were, hence the Donosev. They might, MIGHT have 1 or 2 free traders. I'll let the dice decide on non-Sout assets when the time comes.
Spinward Flow
SOC-14 5K
I agree.
Double the tonnage (200 vs 100) and only slightly over double the construction cost (MCr70 vs MCr30, basically).
Far Traders are also TL=9 construction and thus "easily" maintainable in the field.
J2 Far Traders are NOT RARE, by any stretch of the imagination. They also can be converted, relatively easily, into exploration/survey vessels that require a larger complement of personnel. The cargo hold can be loaded with research expedition supplies (unlike a Type-S) or other mission specific packages.
After that, it's not a stretch to assume that scout bases have some that get surplus assigned into Detached Duty ... and just like with the Type-S Scout/Couriers that get assigned to Detached Duty are basically "low key intelligence assets" for the IISS.
Spinward Flow
SOC-14 5K
Here's a ... preview ... for you, of where the math is pointing for a TL=9
J3/3G/PP3 starship winds up landing, when you "push the engineering to the extremes" using LBB2.81 D/D/D standard drives.250 tons starship hull
45 tons for LBB2.81 standard D/D/D drives (codes: 3/3/3, TL=9)
105 tons of total fuel: 250 tons @ J3 = 75 tons jump fuel + 30 tons power plant fuel
9 tons for TL=9 fuel purification plant (200 ton capacity is minimum)
20 tons for bridge
2 ton for model/2bis computer
64 tons for hangar berths capacity
1. Stateroom Box = 16 tons
2. Stateroom Box = 16 tons
3. Cargo Box = 16 tons
4. Cargo Box = 16 tons
External Docking Capacity: 550 tons capacity
1. Escort Fighter = 16 tons
5 tons Cargo Hold
1. 4 tons for Air/Raft
2. 0.36 tons for 54 person/weeks Life Support Reserves (@ 150 person/weeks per ton)
3. 0.64 tons for 64 tons capacity Collapsible Fuel Tank
= 45+105+9+20+2+64+5 = 250 tons
4 Crew: Pilot/Navigator, Ship's Boat/Gunner, Engineer/Engineer, Steward/Medic
4 high passengers, 32 tons standard cargo internal
Escort Fighter external
Which looks "pretty crappy" for a commercial merchant ship ... until you realize:
- D/D/D drives = code: 3 @ 266 tons
- 250 ton starship + 16 ton fighter (external docking) = 266 tons
- D/D/D drives = code: 2 @ 400 tons
- 250 ton starship + 16 ton fighter + 8x 16 ton boxes = 394 tons
) to expand your transport capacity at the expense of drive performance and you can start moving 8 high passengers and 144 tons of cargo @ J2/2G performance.You would need to use the starship's hangar bay to shuttle those 16 ton Boxes down through atmosphere, but even with 4 internal plus 8 external Boxes, that's a mere "three trips" between surface to orbit in order to get everything marshaled. And the Escort Fighter can "shepherd" Boxes left in orbit between relays, so they aren't left unguarded.
The collapsible fuel tank is designed to "occupy" the internal hangar bay when used, so the 4 boxes loaded internally have to be moved out to the exterior while the collapsible fuel tank is filled. This means:
- J2+3
- 250 ton starship, 16 ton fighter, 4x 16 ton boxes external, 64 tons fuel internal = 330 tons combined displacement
- @ J2 = 66 tons of jump fuel consumed
- 250 ton starship, 16 ton fighter, 4x 16 ton boxes internal = 266 tons combined displacement
- @ J3 = 79.8 tons of jump fuel consumed
- 105 tons main fuel tanks + 64 tons collapsible fuel tanks - 66 tons @ J2 - 79.8 tons @ J3 = 23.2 tons fuel remaining for power plant endurance during J2+3 transit
- J2+2
- 250 ton starship, 16 ton fighter, 8x 16 ton boxes external, 64 tons fuel internal = 394 tons combined displacement
- @ J2 = 78.8 tons of jump fuel consumed
- 250 ton starship, 16 ton fighter, 4x 16 ton boxes internal, 4x 16 ton boxes internal = 330 tons combined displacement
- @ J2 = 66 tons of jump fuel consumed
- 105 tons main fuel tanks + 64 tons collapsible fuel tanks - 78.8 tons @ J2 - 66 tons @ J2 = 24.2 tons fuel remaining for power plant endurance during J2+2 transit
Practical upshot is that the ship "basically" needs to be operating as a J2/2G ship in order to make profits, but there's always the OPTION to "load up or trim down" as needed, depending on where you're going (and what you need to be carrying).
However, if you REALLY want to be "bringing home the bacon" ... you want to "load 'er up" with as many as 33x 16 ton Boxes external so as to operate the ship as a J1/1G microjumper within a single star system, making deliveries to outer orbits and Far Companion stars. You can even use the internal collapsible fuel tank to enable "round trip" microjumping, in case wilderness refueling is not available (or not economical) at one of the two ends of the round trip ... so you have enough fuel for "there and back again" maneuvering. Can you say "charter service liner connection" at the microjump scale ...?
Definitely NOT something detailed in CT, but rather the results of my own homebrew extrapolation of the CT starship design rules.
The TL=10 version advances to F/F/F drives in a 400 ton hull, but otherwise follows the same patterning and thought process. The more powerful drives and larger hull means that the starship becomes "more efficient" with a greater fraction of internal tonnage available for a hangar bay that can carry a higher quantity of 16 ton Boxes.
Anyway, point being that this line of thinking for a Modular Container Merchant that is "backwards compatible" to TL=9 which also has an impressively decent (for TL=9) organic fighter escort that can provide both protection and "maneuver marshaling" assistance feels like an extremely good value for money proposition to me.
Need to work out what the 16 ton Boxes "look like" in terms of deck plans in order to be able to draw the whole thing and write up build posts for both designs (TL=9 and TL=10).
For ease of use, go with the stock version of the A2.
Ideally, you'd want something that's basically the same as an A2, but different -- it's the way the Scouts would do it, not a commercial ship.
It's built around the drives typically used by the IISS, for easier logistic support (this does not affect performance or cost, it's just stuff that'll make the deck plans look more weird than you might expect:
- The Jump Drive+Power Plant unit is explicitly one also used in XBoats. Hull is tailsitter prolate spheroid (US Football) to accommodate it. (Use HG "flattened sphere" configuration for cost, if this is a concern.)
- Maneuver Drive is explicitly 2 Size A drives (from the Type S), with a 1Td power adapter since the power plant was not originally designed to support a maneuver drive at all. This makes the maneuver drives 3Td, as they would be if they were a single Size B unit.
Also, some optional quirks (use as many as you want):
- Extra 20Td fuel, for 3 parsec range (J2+J1, as you can do with a Type S if you throttle down as per the TCS/JTAS#14 power-down rule). It's in hard tanks, not modular or collapsible, to annoyingly and arbitrarily reduce the ship's revenue generation capability.
- There are two air/rafts, not one. Or a single 8Td air/raft that costs like two standard ones...
- The ship is 199Td, not 200Td. This allows it to be flown single-handedly (the lone turret is automated, laser & sandcasters, laser can only be used in antimissile role due to constraints on the gunnery-bot). It cannot mount a second turret.
I think I wrote it up as a brief outline (as I did here) a while ago. Might get around to deck plans for it at some point if there's interest.
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casquilho
SOC-13
While I like the core idea quite a bit, this just feels so metagame that is hurts. If I am going to upgrade, I accept no lone wolf stuff. Note: I am not saying others can't do it, I am just saying my brain would not be able to.
I get that.While I like the core idea quite a bit, this just feels so metagame that is hurts. If I am going to upgrade, I accept no lone wolf stuff. Note: I am not saying others can't do it, I am just saying my brain would not be able to.
My IMTU rationale is that it's an in-universe regulatory breakpoint, reflecting greater risk tolerance for smaller ships since their mishaps place fewer lives at risk and involve less kinetic energy than with larger ones. Arguably, the above-breakpoint crew requirements should apply for high-performance ships or those with large passenger compliments, even though there isn't a game-mechanic or rule that penalizes those positions going unfilled.
As a referee, I see the "second hardpoint" as the key distinction upon which the crew size cutoff should be made. If you're going to run "short-handed" (using the under-200Td crew requirements), you don't get to have the benefit of the second hardpoint (not allowed for ships under 200Td), and vice versa.
Oh, and here's the thread where I noodled around with the idea before.
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mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Redesign the Donisev in LBB2 terms.
TL11
400t 40MCr
bridge 20t 2MCr
model 5 5t 45MCr
jump F (3) 35t 60MCr
power plant F (3) 19t 48MCr
m-drive D (2) 7t 16MCr
fuel 150t
4x hardpoint 0.4MCr 4t reserved
10x staterooms 40t 5MCr (crew p,n,m,e.2, +5)
1 cutter 50t
1 space cutter module 30t
3x air/raft 12t
cargo 28t
totals 400t 216.4 MCr
architect fee 2.2MCr total 218.6MCr
standard design 196.74 MCr
cutter+2 modules 31MCr (fuel, open)
air/rafts 1.8 MCr
TL11
400t 40MCr
bridge 20t 2MCr
model 5 5t 45MCr
jump F (3) 35t 60MCr
power plant F (3) 19t 48MCr
m-drive D (2) 7t 16MCr
fuel 150t
4x hardpoint 0.4MCr 4t reserved
10x staterooms 40t 5MCr (crew p,n,m,e.2, +5)
1 cutter 50t
1 space cutter module 30t
3x air/raft 12t
cargo 28t
totals 400t 216.4 MCr
architect fee 2.2MCr total 218.6MCr
standard design 196.74 MCr
cutter+2 modules 31MCr (fuel, open)
air/rafts 1.8 MCr
I'm thinking now of exactly what the mission in the Sword Worlds is. They can do Mission on Mithril (Mission to Mithril is one of the Mongoose updates I own, and I quite like it, although it also needs a little tweaking to make it good), but that's a side mission, an encounter on a single world. I'm trying to think of what semi-long-term mission the Scout Service has in the Sword Worlds. They keep them under surveillance anyway, must be something juicy or terrifying for them to authorize a mission by deniable assets into the interior.
Mongoose has one Sword Worlds campaign I'm aware of, Skandersvik, but a cursory check online indicates it's for Sword Worlder characters and doesn't take place in the Sword Worlds.
Anybody know of any good intelligence-oriented campaigns I can use for the Sword Worlds?
Mongoose has one Sword Worlds campaign I'm aware of, Skandersvik, but a cursory check online indicates it's for Sword Worlder characters and doesn't take place in the Sword Worlds.
Anybody know of any good intelligence-oriented campaigns I can use for the Sword Worlds?
Spinward Flow
SOC-14 5K
Try this on for size (and yes, I'm making this up right now).
There's a "be on the lookout" notice for a certain starship (Referee choice of class and name), that was last seen departing for the Sword Worlds and it hasn't been encountered since then. The IISS is simply asking the PCs to "go into the Sword Worlds, if you encounter the Ship Of Interest, report back to us at your earliest opportunity" ... and there's your hook.
It's not even a smash 'n' grab, nor a failed to appear fugitive situation. It's just "if you see THIS, let us know" ... and the last time it was seen, it entered the Sword Worlds. So think more of a scavenger hunt type of low key intel op than a high priority "person of interest" type case.
Depending on what the PCs do with that can help guide how matters ought to escalate from those humble beginnings ...
Spinward Flow
SOC-14 5K
We make every pretense of competency around here ...
You can ... but honestly, if I were the Referee, I'd hold that option "in reserve" just in case the PCs seem to be getting off track. That way, rather than the sealed orders being something known about in advance, it can be a surprise in the moment as a response to the choices the PCs make. That way it's more like a "triggered" response, rather than some kind of "setup" from the get go.
Yeah, since it's a Scout Service supplied ship, and none of my players made a hacker, I'm imagining a secret packet of orders emerging when the ship's sensors detect the transponder of the vessel in question. That's the Traveller way of doing the "sealed orders" bit. Uh, except in my last campaign, one particular patron was so paranoid, he did "sealed orders" with actual paper in an indestructable envelope, since analog is unhackable.We make every pretense of competency around here ...
You can ... but honestly, if I were the Referee, I'd hold that option "in reserve" just in case the PCs seem to be getting off track. That way, rather than the sealed orders being something known about in advance, it can be a surprise in the moment as a response to the choices the PCs make. That way it's more like a "triggered" response, rather than some kind of "setup" from the get go.
Spinward Flow
SOC-14 5K
Imagine a pneumatic tube depositing a canister into a workstation on the bridge ... with the secret orders written on paper.
The PCs wouldn't even know the canister with the secret orders EVEN EXISTED before the canister appears.
I really like the Laundry Files book series by Charles Stross. They're not for everyone, but one of the characters, James Angleton, is the mysterious head of an occult espionage agency. He uses a Memex, which was described by Vannevar Bush in his 1945 essay, "As We May Think." It's an electromechanical device for interacting with microform documents and hyperlinking them. It's effective an analog html database storage device, in the size and shape of a large desk. No hacking of this storage device! As Bush says, it "would use microfilm storage, dry photography, and analog computing to give postwar scholars access to a huge, indexed repository of knowledge any section of which could be called up with a few keystrokes."
Imagine a pneumatic tube depositing a canister into a workstation on the bridge ... with the secret orders written on paper.
The PCs wouldn't even know the canister with the secret orders EVEN EXISTED before the canister appears.
Needless to say, it's definitely IMTU
Spinward Flow
SOC-14 5K
Anyone who is interested in watching deck plans "evolve" can see the latest update HERE.
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