This is my current flow chart, I have yet to create starship tables and a world encounter table (I'm not using the one in the Traveller rule book, I don't know what those entries mean for my character, you know 1-6 Workers in a Vehicle with Clubs, that kind of thing. Stories come from building relationships with NPCs, helping them out, gaining contacts and asking them for favours ... etc. records need to be kept of ships travelled on, contacts made and so on.
1 - CARGO SEARCH
Roll for three cargos, reduce this by one each time if looking for a ship, working, or doing some other activity. Note that searching for cargoes takes the character outside the starport to other locations on the planet.
2- WORLD ENCOUNTERS
See note above.
3 - BUY CARGOES
Use Book 2 to buy the desired cargoes.
4 - PAY WAREHOUSE FEES
Pay warehousing fees for any cargoes bought and stored in previous weeks. Do not count any cargoes bought this week, the seller is paying for those.
5 - PORT ENCOUNTER
Travellers meet other travellers. The player character collects acquaintances that are contacts or allies, met at starports or on starships during his or her travels. Keep a list of these contacts, keep a note of their reaction roll if 8+.
Roll 10+ to meet one of the contacts from your list each week you are at a starport. They will be at the port all week should the PC need them. Some contacts may be located at that port permanently and can be contacted if needed on a roll of 8+. DMs: -1 if B class, -2 if C class, -3 if D class, -4 if E class, +1 if your contact list is 3 or more, +2 if your contact list is 6 or more, +3 if your contact list is 9 or more.
6 - PORT EVENT
2 Starport Shutdown - 1 week. Issue is a labour dispute, accident, festively/holiday or security problem.
3 Your cargo is in the wrong place and your ship can't wait till whenever for it to be moved. Will Bribery or Admin help here?
4 Your ship or ship's crew are in trouble, perhaps legally, perhaps personally or perhaps mechanically. They may need assistance.
5 Customs- Roll 5+ for the cargo to clear customs. If not, there may be a 1 week delay or a duty to pay (1%). Is there a way around it? An Admin roll, on 10+ will find a loophole.
6 Red Tape - Transfer papers contain irregularities. Bribery or Admin with smooth the way, see Book 1.
7 none
8 Security - Security at starports is always high, you and your cargo are searched. The search will throw up some issue to do with your cargo or luggage you were unaware of on a 6 on 1d6. Arrest? Detention? Week-long delay? Set-up by a rival trader or a spurned seller? Roleplay the results.
9 Meet a fellow Traveller as a potential Contact. Roll on Traveller reaction table to make their acquaintance, roll on Patron table to determine their identity. Record the reaction result. Require a result of 8+ ('interested') for a friendship. When met again, roll reaction result or less for assistance, cheap cargo, help in dealing with a problem, etc.
10 Meet one of your contacts who needs your help. Is it financial, legal, administrative or personal?
11 Your cargo is pilfered or damaged, reduce amount by 10-60%
12?????
7 - SEARCH FOR A SHIP
See the guidelines in JTAS 6, 'Speculation Without a Starship'. Note that in a frontier subsector, it is useful to write up a list of ship names with the names of their captains or owners. Riding the same ship will mean meeting the same crews and building relationships, having more long running personal stories.
8 - FINALIZING DETAILS
Cargo is loaded, the PC checks in, pays any outstanding bills at the starport and loads his or her luggage.
9 - JUMP EVENT
The ship travels to the destination desired during the Search for a Ship phase. It requires one week and requires a roll on the Jump Event table.
2 Hijack or piracy or both.
3 There is an incident amongst the crew and they turn to the PC for help. What the problem is will probably revolve one of the PCs skills, status or situation.
4 An accident aboard ship requires repair, may involve an injury or some inconvenience.
5 Security patrol ship makes contact in outer system or close to main world. (1) checks registry, moves on (2) asks for passenger lists, is looking for a fugitive (3) asks for cargo lists,is checking for customs irregularities, (4-5) will board, spend 1-3 hours conducting a routine search then move on. Roll 5+ for PC to avoid some cargo or personal irregularity which leads to his or her put under scrutiny/fined/delayed or detained (6) the starship is breaking the law and will be accompanied to the starport where it will be impounded and investigated. Can the PC help with bribery or admin or other skills in preventing this?? If not everyone is detained at the starport for 1-3 weeks, cargos included. On a second roll of 10+ the panicked starship captain makes a run for it and the patrol ship will be forced to fire on the fugitive vessel.
6 One of the stewards is: (1) rude, (2) corrupt, (3) missing, (4) exploitative, (5) thieving, (6) under pressure from a passenger.
7 Typical trip, with highs and lows.
8 Find out some useful info from a passenger about the destination world, use it to either get half price living costs at the starport, a +1 on any Admin roll, or re-roll a cargo result during the Cargo Search phase.
9 Meet a fellow Traveller as a potential Contact. Roll on Traveller reaction table to make their acquaintance, roll on Patron table to determine their identity. Record the reaction result. Require a result of 8+ ('interested') for a friendship. When met again, roll reaction result or less for assistance, cheap cargo, help in dealing with a problem, etc.
10 There's one obnoxious passenger people try to avoid. This trip will be miserable unless someone deals with him, which skill will work with him/her? (1) Streetwise, (2) Carouse, (3) Admin, (4) Bribery, (5) Leader, 6) Social Standing. Liaison is always appropriate. Make a suitable roll to deal with this person.
11 Meet one of your contacts who needs your help. Is it financial, legal, administrative or personal?
12 Mysterious death of passenger or crew, was it murder?
10 - ARRIVE IN NEW SYSTEM
Approach, land, unload, cargo sale, arrange for accommodation for the week. Go to 1.
