New GM Adventure Question

[Timerover51]

Also, I run an RPG club at the school where I teach and some of the students want to try Traveller as well, so I need all the advice I can get.

I have run a game club for a school as well, and also teach a class in the summer where we use historical board games to teach history. What all have you been doing with the RPG club, and what level are the students? Also, have you managed to work some girls into the group?

 

[Timerover51]

A long time ago, when Traveller first came out, after I have gone through it and gotten a few issues of the JTAS, I wrote a letter to GDW asking how the Imperium compared in control to either the Roman Empire or the British Commonwealth. His response indicated that their thoughts were that it was somewhere in between: less control than the Roman Empire, partly due to the communications lag, but more than the British Commonwealth. The idea that I got was that a local world could develop in its own way, without be bothered too much by the Imperium, but if the equivalent of the Imperium governor-general, read Imperial noble, decided that intervention was necessary, he has a limited amount of immediate force that he could use, but he could call on considerable reinforcements if the matter was deemed serious enough. He, the monitoring Imperial noble, would have to give a detailed account of his actions to the Imperial Court. Depending on that, he might get advanced, might stay the same, or might find himself/herself in sitting on Yorbound, in charge of a research station testing resistance atmospheric suits.

Involving Aslan mercenaries within the Imperium should shift the Imperial interest to utter disinterest to intensely interested.

 

[sabredog]

I always thought the Imperium was just a giant feudal state with the autonomy of the various duchies increasing as distance to the Imperial core increased.

That with the time/distance thing such as it is a lot of leeway, just as a practical matter, has to be given to the local governors with maybe a set of "Emperor Whosits' General Instructions" as a guide. But otherwise what they say goes unless they are way of base - and that's when the Imperial agents/inquisitors/whatevers show up to haul him off and set up someone else. This is why you can have good governors, bad governors, weak ones, strongarm types, etc.., who can add flavor to various areas so it doesn't just turn into one big vanilla pudding of a galactic empire.

But I might be oversimplifying it.

 

[shield]

Just thinking if the PCs win.

If they kill off the warlord, they could be accused of murder - an imperial crime, but given he was a nasty warlord and the local population don't raise charges, they will get away with that one.

They could try and set themselves up as the new kings.

Even with the warlord dead and most of his troops scattered, it could get very messy - think of the competing parties

- local pop looting palace / trying to establish new govt
- misc criminals taking advantage of the collapse of law
- aslan mercs who could try to seize power for their corp/warlord
-Invasion by the 2nd warlord taking advantage of the chaos.
- surviving members of warlords court or bodyguard attempting revenge attacks against PCs a couple of days after they think they have won

Interesting times for your PCs whatever happens

 

[Orr]

Interesting times for your PCs whatever happens

And that is all that really matters.

The OP should leave all this wrangling here at COTI and continue having fun sessions with his players.

 

[rancke]

The idea that I got was that a local world could develop in its own way, without be bothered too much by the Imperium, but if the equivalent of the Imperium governor-general, read Imperial noble, decided that intervention was necessary, he has a limited amount of immediate force that he could use, but he could call on considerable reinforcements if the matter was deemed serious enough.

The Imperium uses a twin command system. The day-to-day business is handled by the Imperial bureaucracy. The equivalent of a governor-general (who isn't much of an equivalent, because he doesn't exercise any command over the internal affairs of his world, only over the Imperial affairs that concerns his world) is an Imperial legate (or consul if it's an unimportant world). He's more the equivalent of an ambassador to his world. The world's high noble is part of the second command track. He handles the unusual business. Crises, corruption in the bureaucracy, and the like. His function is partly that of an ombudsman.

He, the monitoring Imperial noble, would have to give a detailed account of his actions to the Imperial Court. Depending on that, he might get advanced, might stay the same, or might find himself/herself in sitting on Yorbund, in charge of a research station testing resistance atmospheric suits.

The positions of high nobles are hereditary. They can be moved about at the Emperor's whim, but generally they would have to blot their copybooks really badly to be moved. They are more likely to be retired and their heirs put in charge. The consuls and legates and other members of the bureaucracy are the ones that are transferred, advanced, and demoted according to their performance.

Involving Aslan mercenaries within the Imperium should shift the Imperial interest to utter disinterest to intensely interested.

If they are Hierate ihatei, certainly. If they are Imperial Aslan, no more than any other offworld mercenaries.


Hans

 

[rancke]

Wow, the being viewed as possible smugglers idea really touched off a firestorm here.

No, just a vigorous debate. We really don't flame much here on CotI, no matter how stubbornly our opponents cling to their wrongheaded notions.

Again, I really appreciate everyone's input. All the ideas are certainly welcome. However, to settle some points: As the group is new to Traveller we didn't really delve into the Imperial setup much so that I have leeway to make the overall government the way I need it.

I don't usually delve into such matters myself. Usually it doesn't impinge on the affairs of my PCs[*]. But when and if the question arises, I think it's useful to go back and work it out.

[*] For example, I've run quite a few adventures on or based on Regina and I've done writeups of Regina Startown and Atora, the capital of the Duchy of Regina, but beyond the fact that there is an Imperial Consulate just outside the starport and a large residental tower in Atora that houses both the Imperial and Ducal organizations, I've no idea what the size and structure of the Imperial bureaucracy is or how it relates to Regina's planetary government.​

I know it's not cannon, but then the original LBBs do say that the game is designed to be played in whatever kind of sci fi universe you want.

Of course it is. I just got the impression that you wanted some sort of version of the 3rd Imperium setting.

Again, the key here is leeway to make things more interesting. For the most part we are keeping the structure put out in the books but changeable for story purposes. All I told the players is that the Imperium hosts hundreds of worlds and has an Emperor, but tends to allow the individual worlds to govern themselves with the Imperium superceeding them.

That's pretty much how I see the 3rd Imperium, except that it has 11,000 worlds in 9,000 systems and that the Imperium only steps in when strong Imperial interests mandate it (Which includes violations of the membership treaties).


Hans

 

[Carlobrand]

...Well, that be supposing I know what you think of star wars. Which is interesting, because I can see the fault in both Hans and your thinking pattern with comparing the Imperium to Britain or Star Wars. In organizational behavior it is an identified irrational thought process called "Mental Models" which the text defines as:

Mental models-cognitive templates or images of the external world-provide stability or predictability in our lives, but they also produce assumptions and expectations that prevent us from seeing unique problems or opportunites. If an idea doesn't fit the existing mental model of how things should work, then the idea is dismissed as unworkable.

Interesting to see the concept from the text in action. The solution is to think outside the box.

That was very pretty, but in debate we call that an Ad Hominem attack. Dodges the point by targeting the person making the point. And besides, "think outside the box" is an unusual argument to make in a discussion about canonicity.

I rather liked Star Wars, and the idea of pitting heroic players against a controlling Imperial juggernaut in the classic underdog tradition actually sounds like fun. It's just not the impression I got from the canon materials, and I rather like the canon setting too - or at least, for the sake of forestalling further argument, my understanding of it.

My impression is that the issue has been settled to the satisfaction of the OP, and frankly when a topic devolves to the point that people are talking about each other rather than the topic, it's probably a good time to retire the topic for the moment. As I recall, this is one of those phoenix topics: just when you think it's not but cold ash, it bursts into life again.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

Me marks this thread to resurrect in ... hmmmmm... /looks at calendar/ ... 13 Apr 2013.

 

[Dragoner]

Dodges the point by targeting the person making the point. And besides, "think outside the box" is an unusual argument to make in a discussion about canonicity.

You don't understand. Nobody can make an argument against irrationality (mental model).

 

[aramis]

That was very pretty, but in debate we call that an Ad Hominem attack. Dodges the point by targeting the person making the point. And besides, "think outside the box" is an unusual argument to make in a discussion about canonicity.

Carlo is making an excellent point here.
Remember: Ad hominem is considered at least a borderline personal attack, if not a full on one. If reported as a PA, they get treated as one. Please, don't go there.

My impression is that the issue has been settled to the satisfaction of the OP, and frankly when a topic devolves to the point that people are talking about each other rather than the topic, it's probably a good time to retire the topic for the moment. As I recall, this is one of those phoenix topics: just when you think it's not but cold ash, it bursts into life again.

I would tend to agree. If the OP wants the thread closed, they can simply report the top post and ask in the report for it to be closed. We don't do it often, but we have done so. Especially for the last thread I was in involving Comfortable Shoes*.

* an old board joke. if you really must, search the board.

 

[SanDragon]

Nope!

Not with 495 results, I'm not!

 

[Dragoner]

On to ignore...