PC starting equipment TL

[Murdoc]

I don't know why I didn't run into this problem before now. Before I guess it was because I was running MT and the rule (as I understand it) is that PCs can only purchase beginning equipment before the game at the TL of their homeworld. So this came up in our new T5 game which doesn't appear to have any such rule, so we questioned it. My PCs being a scout and a noble navel officer are obviously well travelled, and have likely had opportunities to buy things at higher TLs than the world they were born on. So the question became what TL limit should I put on their initial equipment? I tried to think of a way of figuring it out, but it seems too complicated to tailor it to each PC, and just setting it to Imperial maximum seems a little overpowering, giving the PCs nothing to strive for, at least in terms of TL.

So I'm just wondering what other people have done. Have I missed an obvious solution? Has someone come up with something clever to deal with this? Or is this just one of those problems with no easy answer?

 

[DonM]

I used the Law Level of the homeworld (page 433) as the limiting factor...

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Why limit?

I have never put a limit on the TL on what equipment a PC can buy. They are for the most part from a Career that takes them off world and that gives them access to all TL levels.

On the other hand I do tend to limit what kind of equipment they can buy, like I don't generally let them get PGMP or FGMP or BattleDress right off the bat, but normal equipment being TL limited seems sort of dickish to me since there is no reason they can't just travel to a high TL world and buy whatever they want.

Limiting it to their Homeworld makes no sense as by the time they are Adventuring they have been traveling for several Terms and have left their Homeworld behind long ago, so why would that be a limit to what they have acquired or will acquire by the time they leave their Career?

I let them quest for things other than equipment, like power or connections or relics, things that they generally won't start with. (Generally, since my players aren't afraid of Aging checks and have four or more Terms by the time they start adventuring.)

 

[CosmicGamer]

So I'm just wondering what other people have done. Have I missed an obvious solution? Has someone come up with something clever to deal with this? Or is this just one of those problems with no easy answer?

To me, it is a role playing game and every opportunity to role play is taken.

Some starting equipment is something a character could have acquired throughout their career. As far as TL and LL for acquisitions, most characters careers would have the opportunity to acquire things at a starport, so standard Imperial - if in Imperial space.

If the player starts packing a dozen footlockers full of gear or items that would be hard to acquire, transport, or store then I'd ask the player to get into character and explain the how and why. Would your Navy engineer really acquire and somehow be squirreling away a bunch of personal medical supplies, weapons, survival gear, and so on when the Navy has and provides them as needed? The navy might have issue with crew storing grenades and plasma weapons!

Characters can take trips back home from time to time so certain acquisitions could be based on the home world TL and LL. They might need to be stored there too if it is something not applicable to their career and travels.

As far as high tech gear - if it were readily available to any common traveler then why wouldn't everyone else who travels have it? Why wouldn't it be bought and sold at every star port? This would need to be a well thought out story that fits the setting and character and not just "My character picked it up on their travels during their career." Well this special item drew attention and "Your character had it stolen at some point in their career." For me, it is a sci fi role playing game so playing out the acquisition, use, and consequences of possessing high tech gear should be part of the fun and not something just looked up in a catalog and written on a character sheet.

Other starting equipment is based on the current location the game starts at. "The adventure will start a couple days after you've mustered out in the XYZ system and have had time to acquire a few things. Give me a list." Mongoose allows 2000cr for starting gear, so as long as it fits the general TL, LL, and trade codes for the location I allow players to make a equipment list without batting an eye. Anything beyond this is looked at and if deemed necessary, a shopping trip or black market acquisition may be role played.

 

[Fritz_Brown]

... then I'd ask the player to get into character and explain the how and why.

^^This^^ In Spacebadger's PbP, my character has acquired a grav bike. It was sort of a toss-off for me initially, just something to give her personality. But, SB pointed out that a grav bike is a TL12 item, and the max TL in his Long Night scenario in Reaver's Deep is 12, making this a rare and expensive item. I was sort of wedded to the item, as I had built a concept in my head - so we went back and forth a few times, discussing how it might be acquired. When I fit it within my backstory in a good way, SB was happy and I was happy, and Donoma now has her fancy gravbike. Mind you, she gave up all her muster cash, too, to keep things balanced.

So, take a look at the proposed list, decide what would be common and what would be rare/expensive, then negotiate the background to provide a good story. (And, yes, to prevent munchkins.)

BTW, one way to provide a middle ground: that TL15 Breitling watch isn't a TL15 Breitling, but a TL12 Britling knockoff. And, it has an unfortunate tendency to run fast in the last hour of the cycle (11-12). An iPhone where Siri isn't a pleasant female persona, but a surly old man who isn't happy that he's trapped in your phone. Things like that. :smirk:

 

[Marchand]

Apply restrictions based on mustering out world law and tech levels.

 

[Chuck Anumia]

To me, it is a role playing game and every opportunity to role play is taken.

If the player starts packing a dozen footlockers full of gear or items that would be hard to acquire, transport, or store then I'd ask the player to get into character and explain the how and why. Would your Navy engineer really acquire and somehow be squirreling away a bunch of personal medical supplies, weapons, survival gear, and so on when the Navy has and provides them as needed? The navy might have issue with crew storing grenades and plasma weapons!

Back when I was in the Army....
Well, yes actually. I squirreled away cases of MRE's I didn't eat during deployments. They were issued to me and I kept them until I got out.
I also bought surplus equipment and turned in my used stuff and kept the good/new stuff for myself. I have a nice parka liner than goes into my field jacket and makes it a coat I can wear at temperatures down to 0 F.
I may have even missed turning in a round or 3 from my rifle left over from my last range qualification.
Having access to higher level tech items is not the problem.
Having a reason to acquire them or a story for the how and why is.
Any reasonable explanation becomes part of the characters history and may be used against them in a court of law when traveling with illegal equipment through a restricted area

 

[McPerth]

In my campaigns characters start with basic things (clothing according to their Soc, etc...) and some equipement based on their careers and skills (a player with good computer skill used to have a worn hand computer, a player with survival or JOT skill used to have a multi-function pocket knive, etc...).

Aside from that, I used to give them few restrictions to buy legal things with their MO money, after all, in MgT you can even adquire a combat armor (military equipment that I guess is usually restricted by LL) from MO.
but they have to live with it.

But they had to have a place where to store it if it was illegal in the planet they were on (of course, if they had a ship that was no problem) and be careful about when to use it (I guess a ship whose crew uses to wear combat armor or battledress will have few passengers, as people will not feel confortable and Word will son spread, to give you an example...)

 

[Supplement Four]

Am I just too Old School, or is thinking that the question in the OP is really up to the Ref and the temper of his universe?

I say: Make a reasonable rule and rock-n-roll.

Not everything in a game needs to written in a published supplement somewhere.

Or...maybe that's just my Classic Traveller hat on too tight.

 

[CosmicGamer]

Not everything in a game needs to written in a published supplement somewhere.

Or...maybe that's just my Classic Traveller hat on too tight.

The OP does say this is for T5 which I don't have but from reading the forums seams to be a bit more detailed and rules heavy than CT.