I have a few questions about the adventure. Spoilers ensue.
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Spoiler:
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Spoiler:
The Traveller Adventure
- Thread starter Spartan159
- Start date
1 Nice, I can run with that.
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Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
In response to this...
First off, I think you are looking at the scenario as a human would. You've got to change your mindset. You've got to think like a Vargr. Men and women think about things differently. Conservatives and Liberals see things different. Aliens certainly have different drives, motives, and attractions than humans.
Spoiler:
Remember that the Harrier, at the start of adventure, is "landlocked". The ship is tied to a subsidy route. It travels the Aramis trace, day in and day out.
So, the Harrier only sees 4 worlds: Aramis (home port), Natoko, Reacher, and L'oul d"Dieu. That's the ships subsidy route. Just those four places.
According to the subsidy agreement, the ship must service those 4 worlds most of the time. But, the ship is allowed to break from the subsidy route and travel to other worlds, but the maximum time the ship can be away from the route is 80 weeks, or the contract is broken.
The Harrier only has a J-1 drive, so, in the past, when the ship has been taken off-subsidy for some speculative trade and what not, there are only 4 other worlds it can travel to: Vinorian, Nutema, and Margesi, in the Rylanor subsector, and Saarinen in the Sabine subesector of the Deneb sector.
Spoiler:
The thing to remember about TTA, or all GDW adventures in general, for that matter, is that they are not specific scripts. They are not of the AD&D mold where every room is detailed. Think of GDW adventures more as an outline--a series of bullet points of how things generally happen, or how things could happen.
The Ref is supposed to take the events, in general, and then make the adventure his own. No two Refs will run TTA the same way--and that's by design. You are given a general overview. It's up to you to detail it and make it both relevant and customized to your personal game.
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
STARTING TTA BEFORE TTA BEGINS.
One thing I've thought of doing (but never have,the several times I've run TTA), is to start the adventure before what is shown in the writing. I'm not talking about a long, drawn out scenario. I'm talking about doing some "business as usual" stuff. Flesh out Reacher and L'oul d'Dieu (Aramis and Natoko are already fleshed out in TTA). Allow the players to get used to some aspects of Aramis and Natoko so that, when you run the adventures set there, the players will have the familiarity that the crew has.
CHARGEN.
I was thinking of this: First, I'd start character generation and create the crew. That's always fun with Classic Traveller, and it creates a background for the PCs. Players and the Ref can start to describe how each PC became a crew member on the ship. They'll know how long each of them as been aboard--how long they've known each other. Their homeworlds are probably one of the four worlds on the Harrier's subsidy.
CARGO AND PASSENGERS.
Then, just do some dicing for cargos and passengers. Do enough for the players to get a feel for the routine and so that all four worlds become familiar to them.
Play out a couple of months like this. Let the players get used to bookkeeping aspect of working a ship--paying the ship's subsidy and running the ship's operating fund and its shadow fund.
It shouldn't take too long to play this.
The idea is to instill a sense of "business as usual" as well as teach the players some of the rule aspects of the game. Make sure the game does not become boring--it shouldn't, if you just dice a couple of jumps without a lot of roleplaying. Get the players feeling what the characters feel--their job is hauling freight and people between four worlds. Nothing special.
Visiting each of the four worlds on the subsidy route twice should do it. The first time, visiting the place will be new for the players (probably not for the characters). The second visit will instill a sense of "OK, been there. Know the place."
SOME EXCITEMENT.
Then, the Ref will throw in some excitement, fleshing out some NPCs (that the Ref creates as needed--maybe contacts that the PCs make on the four subsidy worlds)
Consider running a small adventure from the Patrons chapter. Take a look at the Pyramids encounter, where the patron wants to go to Natoko. Develop this NPC. Maybe have a roleplay moment or two during jump in the ship's lounge. Then, he is dropped off when the ship reaches Natoko next.
Later, after TTA is in full bloom, you can run into this patron again. Nice connection. And, he'll hire the ship for transport to the other worlds listed in the encounter.
Spoiler:
The Ref can develop this further, if he wants. You could take the double adventure Shadows, for example, and set it on a different world--one where the players will be going.
Also from the Patrons chapter is the encounter Go For Broke. You can keep the ship on the subsidy, or allow the Harrier to go off subsidy for the first time--teaching the players about this concept and alerting them to the 80 week limit. It's a good way to explore one of the four off-subsidy worlds that the ship can reach with its J-1 limit.
Spoiler:
There's a Tukera station on Aramis, Natoko, and L'oul d'Dieu. See page 136.
Spoiler:
IN THE MONEY.
I separate this patron encounter from the above because it can have an encouraging effect on why the PCs do the things that they are expected to do at the start of TTA.
Spoiler:
GVOUDZON AND THE GUNS.
Why do the crew of the Harrier need a new gunner? Did the last one quit? Get killed, gods forbid? Find faith in Mother Pysadi and has ran off to that world to throw off the trappings of technology and live a more simple life?
One answer I have is that the ship has just added a second dual laser turret. The first one has been on the ship since the Harrier logged its first jump along the subsidy route. Now, after years, the crew has saved enough money to add a weapon to the second hardpoint.
One of the PCs is the current gunner aboard the vessel. Now, they need a second one. They're in the market for one. They're looking to hire on new crew.
Spoiler:
Annual Maintenance.
Eventually, it's time for the ship's annual maintenance at their home port, Aramis. The Harrier is put into drydock. A new, shiny dual laser turret is installed. And, the crew moves out into the city of Leedor to enjoy a couple weeks of R&R.
TTA begins....
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
March Harrier Subsidy Route
The Harrier's subsidy route, in TTA, is (arguably) the four worlds of Aramis, Natoko, L'ouel d'Dieu, and Reacher, with Aramis as the ship's home port.
An argument could be made that the subsidy route reaches down into the Rhylanor subsector, to the three worlds of Vinorian, Nutema, and Margesi plus the world of Saarinen in the Sabine subesector of sector Deneb.
My argument is that the latter four worlds are available for the Harrier's 80-week off-subsidy period, and most of the time, the J-1 vessel is contracted to service the four worlds I cite above. I say this mainly because the latter four worlds are not documented in TTA. If they were part of the subsidy route, I'd think at least a world write-up would be present.
SUBSIDY - CLOSER LOOK
We know from TTA, that Aramis (TL B, Starport A) is a one city world, and Natoko (TL 8, Starport B) is barely populated--it is mainly a starport for Tukera.
L'ouel d'Dieu is non-industrial water world owned by Sharurshid, where the megacorp has not allowed settlement. TL B. Starport B.
Reacher is a world in economic recession, where a major trading partner (Aramis) no longer imports its goods. The world is an Amber Zone due to the recent violence and protests against off-worlders. TL 8. Starport C.
We can deduce that the Harrier's subsidy exists because market forces alone do not keep trade flowing in this part of the Aramis Trace. I would guess that either Sharurshid or the Marquis of Aramis has created the subsidy. Sharurshid would do it for its future plans of developing L'ouel d'Dieu. The Marquis would do it for the common good of the subsector. I'd go with the Marquis' decree for the subsidy as it makes the most sense, and it provides a reason why the subsidy route remains solely in the Marquis' subsector (where it could move into the Rhylanor subsector and into the Deneb sector as noted).
Since all four worlds of the subsidy route are non-industrial, the pull for large merchant ships is almost non-existent. An X-Boat route does connect all worlds except Reacher. Tukera maintains a station and a trading route on those same three worlds. Nassirka uses the same three-world starlane, but only has a station on Natoko.
Imperiallines uses a route connecting Reacher and Aramis, with a station on Reacher--this probably at the command of the Marquis of Aramis (not market forces).
The Harrier spends a lot of time with Aramis exports, mainly to the starport on Natoko and the Sharurshid installation on L'ouel d'Dieu. "Hey! Send to Aramis for that part!"
The second part of its subsidy must be to handle the small, personal cargoes between all four worlds, passenger transport, and, most likely, interstellar mail to Reacher.
The Harrier's subsidy route, in TTA, is (arguably) the four worlds of Aramis, Natoko, L'ouel d'Dieu, and Reacher, with Aramis as the ship's home port.
An argument could be made that the subsidy route reaches down into the Rhylanor subsector, to the three worlds of Vinorian, Nutema, and Margesi plus the world of Saarinen in the Sabine subesector of sector Deneb.
My argument is that the latter four worlds are available for the Harrier's 80-week off-subsidy period, and most of the time, the J-1 vessel is contracted to service the four worlds I cite above. I say this mainly because the latter four worlds are not documented in TTA. If they were part of the subsidy route, I'd think at least a world write-up would be present.
SUBSIDY - CLOSER LOOK
We know from TTA, that Aramis (TL B, Starport A) is a one city world, and Natoko (TL 8, Starport B) is barely populated--it is mainly a starport for Tukera.
L'ouel d'Dieu is non-industrial water world owned by Sharurshid, where the megacorp has not allowed settlement. TL B. Starport B.
Reacher is a world in economic recession, where a major trading partner (Aramis) no longer imports its goods. The world is an Amber Zone due to the recent violence and protests against off-worlders. TL 8. Starport C.
We can deduce that the Harrier's subsidy exists because market forces alone do not keep trade flowing in this part of the Aramis Trace. I would guess that either Sharurshid or the Marquis of Aramis has created the subsidy. Sharurshid would do it for its future plans of developing L'ouel d'Dieu. The Marquis would do it for the common good of the subsector. I'd go with the Marquis' decree for the subsidy as it makes the most sense, and it provides a reason why the subsidy route remains solely in the Marquis' subsector (where it could move into the Rhylanor subsector and into the Deneb sector as noted).
Since all four worlds of the subsidy route are non-industrial, the pull for large merchant ships is almost non-existent. An X-Boat route does connect all worlds except Reacher. Tukera maintains a station and a trading route on those same three worlds. Nassirka uses the same three-world starlane, but only has a station on Natoko.
Imperiallines uses a route connecting Reacher and Aramis, with a station on Reacher--this probably at the command of the Marquis of Aramis (not market forces).
The Harrier spends a lot of time with Aramis exports, mainly to the starport on Natoko and the Sharurshid installation on L'ouel d'Dieu. "Hey! Send to Aramis for that part!"
The second part of its subsidy must be to handle the small, personal cargoes between all four worlds, passenger transport, and, most likely, interstellar mail to Reacher.
Great ideas, S4. I especially like the idea of starting a campaign that eventually becomes TTA. Having the players get to know the "neighborhood" first will help the referee run and the players enjoy TTA later.
About chargen, it will necessarily be "guided" or "constrained" in some manner. The players are the hired crew of a subsidized merchant. That means they must have certain skills to fill certain billets.
Bare bones crew for the subbie is five: pilot, navigator, engineer, medic, and steward. While the skill requirements for those positions aren't onerous, just one level in each, they do exist and must be met. When I faced a similar issue in the Fixers and Active Duty IISS campaigns I always bleat about, I copied GDW's example and handed the players a list of pregenerated PCs from which they could choose.
My "pregens" weren't set in stone however. Each came with "points" the players could use to change stats, increase skills, and/or add skills. My players' well known aversion to the job of steward also meant I allowed some billets to be filled with NPCs.
About chargen, it will necessarily be "guided" or "constrained" in some manner. The players are the hired crew of a subsidized merchant. That means they must have certain skills to fill certain billets.
Bare bones crew for the subbie is five: pilot, navigator, engineer, medic, and steward. While the skill requirements for those positions aren't onerous, just one level in each, they do exist and must be met. When I faced a similar issue in the Fixers and Active Duty IISS campaigns I always bleat about, I copied GDW's example and handed the players a list of pregenerated PCs from which they could choose.
My "pregens" weren't set in stone however. Each came with "points" the players could use to change stats, increase skills, and/or add skills. My players' well known aversion to the job of steward also meant I allowed some billets to be filled with NPCs.
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
PROLOGUE TO THE TRAVELLER ADVENTURE
Here's what I'm thinking.
1. REF HOMEWORK. Ref needs to detail Reacher and L'ouel d'Dieu using the info provided in TTA and using the rules in Book 3 Worlds And Adventures and/or Book 6 Scouts. Personally, I might use Grand Census and Grand Survey, too.
2. REF HOMEWORK. Detail further the systems of Natoko and Aramis--stuff that is not in TTA. The ref should know local gravity, average temperature, and atmospheric notes. Plus, a detailed star system would help the Ref make his universe more "real". Consider the types of cargoes that would be exported and imported between worlds. Does the system star(s) mask jumping at points in the system?
3. REF HOMEWORK. From a roleplaying and universe-building standpoint, decide what the people are like on each world. Reacher has an Amber Zone slapped on it because the locals have been attacking off-worlders. Why? My guess is because of the economic stress on the world. It has recently lost two major importers (Aramis and Patinir), and that has crushed the local economy. Describe the crowds protesting and chanting outside the starport when the players go there for the first time. Maybe allow them to hear through the news or the word of a fellow free trader that the crowd broke in and destroyed hangers C and D. The Traveller's Aid Society has not petitioned that the Imperial Starport Authority construct a highport above the world as the groundport is too dangerous for off-world shippers.
4. REF HOMEWORK. Besides the main world, what other stations and installations exist in the four systems? Is there activity in the belts? Consider also the section on the March Harrier in TTA. The operating and shadow budget. Does the Marquis of Aramis hold the subsidy on the vessel? Look at the Transport Companies of Aramis chapter in TTA and get familiar, among the four worlds, where the various stations are location and which of the four worlds are trafficked by which major transport companies.
5. GAME SESSION ONE - HOMEWORLDS. Once the Ref is prepped and ready to go on the four worlds, decide which worlds are available as homeworlds for PCs. As Ref, I'd rule that all PCs will come from Aramis. It's the subsector capital, seat of the Marquis of Aramis, and has the highest tech level in the subsector accompanies by a Class A starport, Naval Base, and Scout Base. It's got everything the players will want for their characters for multiple parsecs. But, you can also allow players to pick their homeworld or even random roll (or weighted roll) a world.
6. GAME SESSION ONE - CHARGEN. You need the players to populate the crew of the March Harrier. That means that you need a Pilot and a Navigator. A Medic. A Gunner (the Harrier only has one dual turret at this point in the game). An Engineer. And a Steward, if you want to carry passengers (the PCs will desperately need the income).
Who is the ship's captain? Who is the subsidy holder? How many ship shares does each character have? Is the ship's owner a player character? Or is the ship owned by someone (or a corporation) on Aramis who has just hired the crew?
When creating characters, players will need to look at careers where they can get the skills needed to operate the ship. I suggest using only Basic Careers for all charcters, but the Advanced Generation Method shown in Books 4, 5, 6 and 7 can be used, if you like. Decide how to apply mustering out benefits to the ship (for example, if a ship is rolled--is that person the Captain/Owner?).
Characters that die in chargen, or characters that must be discarded because they do not gain the skills needed to fill a crew position should be kept by the Ref. These are ready made NPCs that can be pulled at a moment's notice during a game.
The Harrier has a launch. Who is the primary ship's boat pilot, if other than the main Harrier pilot? The Harrier also has an ATV. Who is the main driver in charge of that piece of equipment?
The ship's Steward is in charge of the passengers--their safety, their luggage, their care and well-being, their entertainment, and is in charge of boarding and de-boarding operations. Who is in charge of the cargo deck? Typically, the Gunner is also a deckhand. The Medic and Engineer is also often charged with the hold--loading and unloading cargo. Different ships have different personnel configurations.
Who serves as the ship's broker and trader? Who makes the deals? Who is typically the main contact between the ship and the starport and/or world administrations?
Which player will keep the cargo manifest? Which player is in charge of the operating fund? The shadow fund?
Who is in charge of the ship's locker?
Every character aboard the ship has a main duty (Pilot, Navigator, Steward, etc) and one or more sub-duties, like Communications Officer, Computer Specialist, Ship's Trader, Deck Hand, Cargo Hand, Ship's Electrician, Mechanics Specialist.
Players with characters more useful characters should be able to negotiate more ship shares (where higher skill in their main duty will net them higher monthly salary, as per the rules) because they are more useful to the ship (and therefore take on more responsibility).
The Ref can use pregens, of course, but I think it is much more interesting for players to use the rules and create their own characters.
Take the path and hints and facts developed through character generation to create the relationships between the characters on the ship. Players should be able to tell the order at which the characters came to be hired on the ship (and maybe they all started on day one, or maybe this is an old, on-going subsidy).
I like the idea of all the PC being from just the one world, Aramis, because I like the players to experience discovery during the game. It's easy and fun to say that the PCs know Aramis and the other three worlds, and that's it. The rest, they will have to discover.
Allow the players to roll up aliens, especially a Vargr, but also think about how this changes the dynamics among the crew. Vargr need seats that accommodate their tails. Hair may be all over the place (I know what my car looks like after I take my dog to the vet--and that's just one ride!). Aliens in Traveller are not humans wearing strange masks. They are real beings that totally are not human. Different instincts. Different ways of thinking. Different ways of looking at the universe. Different mannerisms and ways of behavior. Don't take on an alien lightly.
Here's what I'm thinking.
1. REF HOMEWORK. Ref needs to detail Reacher and L'ouel d'Dieu using the info provided in TTA and using the rules in Book 3 Worlds And Adventures and/or Book 6 Scouts. Personally, I might use Grand Census and Grand Survey, too.
2. REF HOMEWORK. Detail further the systems of Natoko and Aramis--stuff that is not in TTA. The ref should know local gravity, average temperature, and atmospheric notes. Plus, a detailed star system would help the Ref make his universe more "real". Consider the types of cargoes that would be exported and imported between worlds. Does the system star(s) mask jumping at points in the system?
3. REF HOMEWORK. From a roleplaying and universe-building standpoint, decide what the people are like on each world. Reacher has an Amber Zone slapped on it because the locals have been attacking off-worlders. Why? My guess is because of the economic stress on the world. It has recently lost two major importers (Aramis and Patinir), and that has crushed the local economy. Describe the crowds protesting and chanting outside the starport when the players go there for the first time. Maybe allow them to hear through the news or the word of a fellow free trader that the crowd broke in and destroyed hangers C and D. The Traveller's Aid Society has not petitioned that the Imperial Starport Authority construct a highport above the world as the groundport is too dangerous for off-world shippers.
4. REF HOMEWORK. Besides the main world, what other stations and installations exist in the four systems? Is there activity in the belts? Consider also the section on the March Harrier in TTA. The operating and shadow budget. Does the Marquis of Aramis hold the subsidy on the vessel? Look at the Transport Companies of Aramis chapter in TTA and get familiar, among the four worlds, where the various stations are location and which of the four worlds are trafficked by which major transport companies.
5. GAME SESSION ONE - HOMEWORLDS. Once the Ref is prepped and ready to go on the four worlds, decide which worlds are available as homeworlds for PCs. As Ref, I'd rule that all PCs will come from Aramis. It's the subsector capital, seat of the Marquis of Aramis, and has the highest tech level in the subsector accompanies by a Class A starport, Naval Base, and Scout Base. It's got everything the players will want for their characters for multiple parsecs. But, you can also allow players to pick their homeworld or even random roll (or weighted roll) a world.
6. GAME SESSION ONE - CHARGEN. You need the players to populate the crew of the March Harrier. That means that you need a Pilot and a Navigator. A Medic. A Gunner (the Harrier only has one dual turret at this point in the game). An Engineer. And a Steward, if you want to carry passengers (the PCs will desperately need the income).
Who is the ship's captain? Who is the subsidy holder? How many ship shares does each character have? Is the ship's owner a player character? Or is the ship owned by someone (or a corporation) on Aramis who has just hired the crew?
When creating characters, players will need to look at careers where they can get the skills needed to operate the ship. I suggest using only Basic Careers for all charcters, but the Advanced Generation Method shown in Books 4, 5, 6 and 7 can be used, if you like. Decide how to apply mustering out benefits to the ship (for example, if a ship is rolled--is that person the Captain/Owner?).
Characters that die in chargen, or characters that must be discarded because they do not gain the skills needed to fill a crew position should be kept by the Ref. These are ready made NPCs that can be pulled at a moment's notice during a game.
The Harrier has a launch. Who is the primary ship's boat pilot, if other than the main Harrier pilot? The Harrier also has an ATV. Who is the main driver in charge of that piece of equipment?
The ship's Steward is in charge of the passengers--their safety, their luggage, their care and well-being, their entertainment, and is in charge of boarding and de-boarding operations. Who is in charge of the cargo deck? Typically, the Gunner is also a deckhand. The Medic and Engineer is also often charged with the hold--loading and unloading cargo. Different ships have different personnel configurations.
Who serves as the ship's broker and trader? Who makes the deals? Who is typically the main contact between the ship and the starport and/or world administrations?
Which player will keep the cargo manifest? Which player is in charge of the operating fund? The shadow fund?
Who is in charge of the ship's locker?
Every character aboard the ship has a main duty (Pilot, Navigator, Steward, etc) and one or more sub-duties, like Communications Officer, Computer Specialist, Ship's Trader, Deck Hand, Cargo Hand, Ship's Electrician, Mechanics Specialist.
Players with characters more useful characters should be able to negotiate more ship shares (where higher skill in their main duty will net them higher monthly salary, as per the rules) because they are more useful to the ship (and therefore take on more responsibility).
The Ref can use pregens, of course, but I think it is much more interesting for players to use the rules and create their own characters.
Take the path and hints and facts developed through character generation to create the relationships between the characters on the ship. Players should be able to tell the order at which the characters came to be hired on the ship (and maybe they all started on day one, or maybe this is an old, on-going subsidy).
I like the idea of all the PC being from just the one world, Aramis, because I like the players to experience discovery during the game. It's easy and fun to say that the PCs know Aramis and the other three worlds, and that's it. The rest, they will have to discover.
Allow the players to roll up aliens, especially a Vargr, but also think about how this changes the dynamics among the crew. Vargr need seats that accommodate their tails. Hair may be all over the place (I know what my car looks like after I take my dog to the vet--and that's just one ride!). Aliens in Traveller are not humans wearing strange masks. They are real beings that totally are not human. Different instincts. Different ways of thinking. Different ways of looking at the universe. Different mannerisms and ways of behavior. Don't take on an alien lightly.
Spoiler:
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Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
MORE PROLOGUE TO THE TRAVELLER ADVENTURE
7. GAME SESSION ONE - LET THE GAME BEGIN! We start at the home port of Aramis. Use Book 3 or Book 7 to create cargo and passengers. We are light on roleplaying right now. The focus is to get the players uses to the routine of the March Harrier.
"OK, you've got a cargo of X and Y number of passengers headed to Natoko. It's a week in jump, and then you spend another week in port at Natoko."
Here, fill in some details about Natoko. "Natoko is owned by Tukera, but the world was opened Imperial Citizens a few decades ago. Locally, the sparse population supports TL 8, but it does have a Class B starport. It lies on a jump lane used by X-Boats, Tukera, and Naasirka."
Then, have the appropriate character roll passengers and cargo for the next stop, either back to Aramis or on to Reacher, and do more of the same thing. Do this for each of the four worlds, giving the players a good idea of where their characters are spending most of their lives.
8. GAME SESSION TWO - THE PLOT THICKENS. As the game continues along these lines, start to stretch out parts of the journey that were, before, just skipped over with dice rolls. "OK, you're on Reacher now, day three, at the starport bar when...."
If these patron encounters interest you, then work them in here--as the ship is jumping around to the four worlds, working its subsidy route. From the Patron Encounters chapter of TTA, look at the entries for Pyramids, Go For Broke, Electronic Bestiary, and In The Money. That's one longer encounter for each world--you decide when and where to implement them. Add them to the game organically--don't force them on the players. Lay out the circumstances and see if the players bite. These encounters need not be played. They have no bearing (unless you arrange it--and it can be arranged, easily in some cases) on the plot of TTA. You can set them all on the same world (every time we go to Aramis...something interesting happens!), on each world, giving the players something interesting and unusual to do on each of the four worlds that they visit, or just randomly as they come up (and where the Ref thinks it is appropriate to play them).
As I said up thread, In the Money can be used to set up the players as hunted by the authorities before TTA starts if they have inadvertently used counterfeit money to pay their huge ship's bills.
9. GAME SESSION TWO? THE VARGR! If you want, and you think it dramatically appropriate, have the PCs run into Gvoudzon before the events described in TTA. Again, do this when it organically fits. Don't force it. If you see a good place to put in the character, then do it. If not, don't sweat it--the PCs can easily run into him for the first time TTA as described.
If the players do run into Gvoudzon, it may prompt them to want to help him out--
10. GAME SESSION THREE PLUS - ANNUAL MAINTENANCE. At the appropriate time, once the GM feels that the players have a good feel of life aboard a subsidized merchant, seeing the same four worlds, the same four starports, every other week. Being a Traveller may seem glamorous to some Imperial Citizens who dream of life among the stars, but as the crew of the March Harrier will tell you, the reality sometimes does not live up to the expectation.
When it is time, introduce the idea of the Harrier getting a second dual laser turret (maybe run a ship combat off of Reacher, where some zealots try to dissuade off-worlders from landing) after some narrow encounter in space. The ship has enough money in either the operating fund or the shadow fund to pay for both the ship's annual maintenance and a new turret.
Just continue the game, as you have been. The players will not know that the prologue is over and TTA is officially starting. All they know is that they've got two-weeks off as the ship is re-fitted.
Let the TTA begin!
7. GAME SESSION ONE - LET THE GAME BEGIN! We start at the home port of Aramis. Use Book 3 or Book 7 to create cargo and passengers. We are light on roleplaying right now. The focus is to get the players uses to the routine of the March Harrier.
"OK, you've got a cargo of X and Y number of passengers headed to Natoko. It's a week in jump, and then you spend another week in port at Natoko."
Here, fill in some details about Natoko. "Natoko is owned by Tukera, but the world was opened Imperial Citizens a few decades ago. Locally, the sparse population supports TL 8, but it does have a Class B starport. It lies on a jump lane used by X-Boats, Tukera, and Naasirka."
Then, have the appropriate character roll passengers and cargo for the next stop, either back to Aramis or on to Reacher, and do more of the same thing. Do this for each of the four worlds, giving the players a good idea of where their characters are spending most of their lives.
8. GAME SESSION TWO - THE PLOT THICKENS. As the game continues along these lines, start to stretch out parts of the journey that were, before, just skipped over with dice rolls. "OK, you're on Reacher now, day three, at the starport bar when...."
If these patron encounters interest you, then work them in here--as the ship is jumping around to the four worlds, working its subsidy route. From the Patron Encounters chapter of TTA, look at the entries for Pyramids, Go For Broke, Electronic Bestiary, and In The Money. That's one longer encounter for each world--you decide when and where to implement them. Add them to the game organically--don't force them on the players. Lay out the circumstances and see if the players bite. These encounters need not be played. They have no bearing (unless you arrange it--and it can be arranged, easily in some cases) on the plot of TTA. You can set them all on the same world (every time we go to Aramis...something interesting happens!), on each world, giving the players something interesting and unusual to do on each of the four worlds that they visit, or just randomly as they come up (and where the Ref thinks it is appropriate to play them).
As I said up thread, In the Money can be used to set up the players as hunted by the authorities before TTA starts if they have inadvertently used counterfeit money to pay their huge ship's bills.
9. GAME SESSION TWO? THE VARGR! If you want, and you think it dramatically appropriate, have the PCs run into Gvoudzon before the events described in TTA. Again, do this when it organically fits. Don't force it. If you see a good place to put in the character, then do it. If not, don't sweat it--the PCs can easily run into him for the first time TTA as described.
If the players do run into Gvoudzon, it may prompt them to want to help him out--
Spoiler:
10. GAME SESSION THREE PLUS - ANNUAL MAINTENANCE. At the appropriate time, once the GM feels that the players have a good feel of life aboard a subsidized merchant, seeing the same four worlds, the same four starports, every other week. Being a Traveller may seem glamorous to some Imperial Citizens who dream of life among the stars, but as the crew of the March Harrier will tell you, the reality sometimes does not live up to the expectation.
When it is time, introduce the idea of the Harrier getting a second dual laser turret (maybe run a ship combat off of Reacher, where some zealots try to dissuade off-worlders from landing) after some narrow encounter in space. The ship has enough money in either the operating fund or the shadow fund to pay for both the ship's annual maintenance and a new turret.
Just continue the game, as you have been. The players will not know that the prologue is over and TTA is officially starting. All they know is that they've got two-weeks off as the ship is re-fitted.
Let the TTA begin!
Thought this might be helpful for you:
Your Steward could fill that position. And if the Steward takes a couple of levels of Medic, they could fill that spot, too.
Your Steward could fill that position. And if the Steward takes a couple of levels of Medic, they could fill that spot, too.
Thanks for the input everyone, this is all great stuff.
Another question:
Spoiler:
Thanks, Whipsnade. You zeroed in on it real quick. I think I've mentioned it elsewhere that I am running solo. So I'm having to be the GM on one side and the player on the other. I'm doing my best not to cheat or even make it easy but sometimes I just need some guidance. I really appreciate the help you and others give.
No problem. Kibbutzing like this, letting you pitch ideas, plugging plot holes, all of it is a lot of fun for me. I'm pretty sure Wil, S4 and the others have enjoyed pitching in too.
I hope you and your player are enjoying TTA as much as me and mine have!
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
MARCH HARRIER, CREW, AND HISTORY
The crew of the Harrier is given on page 26.
CAPTAIN AND SUBSIDY HOLDER.
Captain/Navigator: Pregen 1. This guy must be the subsidy holder. Or, he's the man employed by the subsidy holder to run the ship, if the holder is an off-ship individual or a company. To make it simple and give players more control (though the alternative could be fun if developed), we'll say he's the subsidy holder.
He's 44 years old and has 6 terms in the merchant service.
Notice how each pregen character is a bit older than his terms indicate. Normally, a Traveller character starts adventuring upon mustering out, but Marc, when writing this adventure, though to add a year or two to each character's age in order to account for the time the character has served aboard the March Harrier after mustering out of the character's previous career.
Since the Captain is 44 years old, and has 6 terms under his belt, this means that the Harrier's Subsidy Contract is about two years old.
Expertise that may affect his duties aboard ship (and garner extra ship shares): He's an expert in Zero G with his Vacc Suit-2 skill. He's an expert Computer-3. With Admin-2 and Bribery-2, he's skilled at dealing with the ship's administrative issues and can serve as the ship's primary business contact. And, if needed the Captain can serve as back-up pilot for either the ship or the launch.
2 YEARS OF SUBSIDY.
Two years ago, this Captain entered into a Subsidy agreement sponsored by the Marquis of Aramis, whereby the Captain would service the four worlds of the Subsidy Agreement (Aramis, Natoko, Reacher, and L'oul d'Dieu) using the subsidized merchant vessel March Harrier provided by the Marquis.
Maybe the Harrier's subsidy is unique. Or, maybe the Marquis created one or more of these programs in different parts of his subsector.
HIRED CREW.
Pregen 2 serves as the ship's pilot. Trained in Zero G with Vacc Suit-1, this character is hired to be the pilot (and does little else), meaning his high salary is not compensated with several Ship Shares.
Note how most of the crew has only 1 year added to their age. The Captain has 2 years. This indicates that the March Harrier has been servicing the Subsidy Route for exactly one year before the start of the adventure. The annual maintenance period at the start of the adventure is the ship's first time to have an annual maintenance*. The Captain has a year (or somewhat less than that) to find and hire the crew and implement the subsidy agreement, plus get the ship in shape for operations.
*Was the March Harrier a brand new vessel? I would think so. But, I guess it could also easily be an older vessel re-purposed for the Marquis' action. This is up to the Ref.
Pregen 3 is the ship's engineer. And, he's a very competent one, with expertise as Electronics-2 and Mechanical-2. His Ship's Boat-1 and Vacc Suit-1 skills, as well as those others, should gain him additional ship shares.
He's been a crewmember for 1 year.
Pregen 4 is the ship's medic. But, he's also got an interesting expertise with Streetwise-1.
See below for more thoughts on this character.
Pregen 5 is the ship's gunner. At this point, before the adventure starts, the March Harrier is only fitted with one dual laser turret. During the annual maintenance, the crew is using part of the ship's Funds to install a second dual laser turret (thus creating the need to hire a second gunner).
Obvioulsy, this character works in tandem with Pregen 6 as back-up steward (Steward-1).
I think it is clear that Pregen 5 pulled double duty as Gunner/Steward for a bit until Pregen 6 was hired. This character's steward skill is higher, so he is probably teaching Pregen 6 the ropes.
Pregen 5 will earn some Ship Shares for those roles, plus he's a back-up Engineer, a skilled driver for the ATV, and is trained in Zero G with Vacc Suit-1.
Another Note: This character has been on the Harrier for two years, along with the Captain. Is he a minority partner? Is he named on the ship's subsidy? Does he own part of the ship? By his age and terms, Pregen 5 was there at the beginning, with the Captain--or maybe the first of the crew hired.
Pregen 6 acts as the ship's steward. There's an untold story here--something the Ref or players could expand, if they enjoy this sort of thing. Note that his character was an Army Captain, but he's still young in his mid-twenties. What makes a Captain in the Army sign on as a Steward on a land-locked subsidy vessel? That'd be an interesting question to answer, in roleplaying terms.
This character's Admin skill will help him with ship's stores. He's a good character to put in charge of the Ship's Locker and act as cargo officer, seeing to the loading and unloading of cargo as well as passengers and inventory. Whichever player plays this character should be given charge of either the cargo manifest, the ship's Operating fund, or the shadow fund.
This character, like Pregen 7, has been aboard the Harrier for less than a year. This supports my supposition that the character replaced Pregen 5 as ship's Steward sometime in the last, say, 10 months or so.
Pregen 7 has just signed on as Fourth Officer. Previous to this, he was working for his passage as a deckhand. What happened to make this working passage character get signed permanently as Fourth Office with no primary duty (Pilot, Navigator, Medic, Enginner, Gunner, Steward) and as a lowly deckand? This character, too, was a Captain on the Marines (presumably having just mustered out from the Marine base on Aramis).
With ATV-2, he serves as the primary ATV driver. He's also trained in Zero G with Vacc Suit-1.
Notice that this character doesn't have additional time added to his age. The text states that this is the newest of the Harrier's crew. He served as deckhand on a working passage for a time (months) and has just been hired full time just before the adventure starts.
So, he's been a member of the crew for a number of months. I'd say all of that time as been as the working passage deckhand, with the character being hired full time just as the ship enters dry dock for its annual maintenance at the start of the adventure.
The crew of the Harrier is given on page 26.
CAPTAIN AND SUBSIDY HOLDER.
Captain/Navigator: Pregen 1. This guy must be the subsidy holder. Or, he's the man employed by the subsidy holder to run the ship, if the holder is an off-ship individual or a company. To make it simple and give players more control (though the alternative could be fun if developed), we'll say he's the subsidy holder.
He's 44 years old and has 6 terms in the merchant service.
Notice how each pregen character is a bit older than his terms indicate. Normally, a Traveller character starts adventuring upon mustering out, but Marc, when writing this adventure, though to add a year or two to each character's age in order to account for the time the character has served aboard the March Harrier after mustering out of the character's previous career.
Since the Captain is 44 years old, and has 6 terms under his belt, this means that the Harrier's Subsidy Contract is about two years old.
Expertise that may affect his duties aboard ship (and garner extra ship shares): He's an expert in Zero G with his Vacc Suit-2 skill. He's an expert Computer-3. With Admin-2 and Bribery-2, he's skilled at dealing with the ship's administrative issues and can serve as the ship's primary business contact. And, if needed the Captain can serve as back-up pilot for either the ship or the launch.
2 YEARS OF SUBSIDY.
Two years ago, this Captain entered into a Subsidy agreement sponsored by the Marquis of Aramis, whereby the Captain would service the four worlds of the Subsidy Agreement (Aramis, Natoko, Reacher, and L'oul d'Dieu) using the subsidized merchant vessel March Harrier provided by the Marquis.
Maybe the Harrier's subsidy is unique. Or, maybe the Marquis created one or more of these programs in different parts of his subsector.
HIRED CREW.
Pregen 2 serves as the ship's pilot. Trained in Zero G with Vacc Suit-1, this character is hired to be the pilot (and does little else), meaning his high salary is not compensated with several Ship Shares.
Note how most of the crew has only 1 year added to their age. The Captain has 2 years. This indicates that the March Harrier has been servicing the Subsidy Route for exactly one year before the start of the adventure. The annual maintenance period at the start of the adventure is the ship's first time to have an annual maintenance*. The Captain has a year (or somewhat less than that) to find and hire the crew and implement the subsidy agreement, plus get the ship in shape for operations.
*Was the March Harrier a brand new vessel? I would think so. But, I guess it could also easily be an older vessel re-purposed for the Marquis' action. This is up to the Ref.
Pregen 3 is the ship's engineer. And, he's a very competent one, with expertise as Electronics-2 and Mechanical-2. His Ship's Boat-1 and Vacc Suit-1 skills, as well as those others, should gain him additional ship shares.
He's been a crewmember for 1 year.
Pregen 4 is the ship's medic. But, he's also got an interesting expertise with Streetwise-1.
See below for more thoughts on this character.
Pregen 5 is the ship's gunner. At this point, before the adventure starts, the March Harrier is only fitted with one dual laser turret. During the annual maintenance, the crew is using part of the ship's Funds to install a second dual laser turret (thus creating the need to hire a second gunner).
Obvioulsy, this character works in tandem with Pregen 6 as back-up steward (Steward-1).
I think it is clear that Pregen 5 pulled double duty as Gunner/Steward for a bit until Pregen 6 was hired. This character's steward skill is higher, so he is probably teaching Pregen 6 the ropes.
Pregen 5 will earn some Ship Shares for those roles, plus he's a back-up Engineer, a skilled driver for the ATV, and is trained in Zero G with Vacc Suit-1.
Another Note: This character has been on the Harrier for two years, along with the Captain. Is he a minority partner? Is he named on the ship's subsidy? Does he own part of the ship? By his age and terms, Pregen 5 was there at the beginning, with the Captain--or maybe the first of the crew hired.
Pregen 6 acts as the ship's steward. There's an untold story here--something the Ref or players could expand, if they enjoy this sort of thing. Note that his character was an Army Captain, but he's still young in his mid-twenties. What makes a Captain in the Army sign on as a Steward on a land-locked subsidy vessel? That'd be an interesting question to answer, in roleplaying terms.
This character's Admin skill will help him with ship's stores. He's a good character to put in charge of the Ship's Locker and act as cargo officer, seeing to the loading and unloading of cargo as well as passengers and inventory. Whichever player plays this character should be given charge of either the cargo manifest, the ship's Operating fund, or the shadow fund.
This character, like Pregen 7, has been aboard the Harrier for less than a year. This supports my supposition that the character replaced Pregen 5 as ship's Steward sometime in the last, say, 10 months or so.
Pregen 7 has just signed on as Fourth Officer. Previous to this, he was working for his passage as a deckhand. What happened to make this working passage character get signed permanently as Fourth Office with no primary duty (Pilot, Navigator, Medic, Enginner, Gunner, Steward) and as a lowly deckand? This character, too, was a Captain on the Marines (presumably having just mustered out from the Marine base on Aramis).
With ATV-2, he serves as the primary ATV driver. He's also trained in Zero G with Vacc Suit-1.
Notice that this character doesn't have additional time added to his age. The text states that this is the newest of the Harrier's crew. He served as deckhand on a working passage for a time (months) and has just been hired full time just before the adventure starts.
So, he's been a member of the crew for a number of months. I'd say all of that time as been as the working passage deckhand, with the character being hired full time just as the ship enters dry dock for its annual maintenance at the start of the adventure.
