• Welcome to the new COTI server. We've moved the Citizens to a new server. Please let us know in the COTI Website issue forum if you find any problems.
  • We, the systems administration staff, apologize for this unexpected outage of the boards. We have resolved the root cause of the problem and there should be no further disruptions.

Traveller's Aid Society

G

gregcaires

SOC-12
Calling all canon!

Other than what is in LBB 1/TTB (et al), and some magazines (Challenge, MegaTraveller Journal) - what is the body of canon as it relates to the Traveller's Aid Society?

I've looked at the BITS bibliography and there is nothing in JTAS. As far as I know, I haven't seen anything canon from any other source.

As for non-canon, does anyone have a line on published TAS-related materials?

Am interested as I'm writing a TAS-related article for Freelance Traveller.

Thanks,

Greg
 
gregcaires said:
Calling all canon!

Other than what is in LBB 1/TTB (et al), and some magazines (Challenge, MegaTraveller Journal) - what is the body of canon as it relates to the Traveller's Aid Society?

I've looked at the BITS bibliography and there is nothing in JTAS. As far as I know, I haven't seen anything canon from any other source.

As for non-canon, does anyone have a line on published TAS-related materials?

Am interested as I'm writing a TAS-related article for Freelance Traveller.

Thanks,

Greg
Click to expand...

There are a few references in The Traveller Adventure.

P36 shows us that, at least at Aramis, the TAS has fine dining and a hotel.
 
I don't know to what point may it be considered canon (being DGP), but in Megatraveller Journal #1, page 14, there's a small advertisement about TAS where its advantages are detailed.

Unfortunately, that's no easy to find, and I'm not sure about IP issues on listing them here...

Based on previous materials (e.g. TTB, page 29):
  • TAS is present in all A and B starports
  • TAS has affordable lodging and food (hotels) for its memebers and their guests
  • TAS offers the TAS news service
 
Last edited:
McPerth said:
I don't know to what point may it be considered canon (being DGP), but in Megatraveller Journal #1, page 14, there's a small advertisement about TAS where its advantages are detailed.

Unfortunately, that's no easy to find, and I'm not sure about IP issues on listing them here...

Based on previous materials:
  • TAS is present in most A and B starports
  • TAS has affordable lodging and food (hotels) for its memebers and their guests
  • TAS offers the TAS news service
Click to expand...

you can paraphrase, and they are (by both don's and my hermeneutics) canonical. you cannot quote directly.
 
Ok, then just saying that aside from the already stated benefits about TAS hotels and the free high psg every 8 weeks, it talks about TAS members only local tours, free legal advice on worlds housing TAS facilities and medical and insurance for members and their travelling possesions (if ships are included it's not specified).

But don't forget it's an advertisement, so take it with a grain of salt...
 
Marc Miller's Traveller canon enough for you?

The Traveller’s Aid Society (TAS): A few words from Ve Nu Lant, TAS Chief Executive Officer, 745-0008.
“In those early years of expansion, many people just packed a bag and headed off into space, hitching rides on scouts, traders, and even warships. It didn’t take long for an informal self-help network on the ‘net to start up, passing Traveller’s tips, places to go to, places to avoid, what to eat, and what not to. So one summer, I collected the stories coming back, and put together the first Crowded Space guides. They were instant hits, but many people needed more practical help. So with a few friends, I set up the Travellers’ Aid Society. We started off with ‘net lectures, devised a simple color code for planet safety, and in Year -16 we opened up our first planetary office. It was a great hit, helping people to get oriented, providing a meeting place and information exchange, and even a few beds for the night. The rest, as they say, is history.” - Milieu 0 pg. 39
Click to expand...

The next paragraph or two shows how TAS itself can be a patron. Someone has to bring new stories and the update the zone codes.
 
The TAS is a very broad subject. Narrow down your topic when writing about it. If the JTAS mag had done a write-up of the TAS back in the day, each issue would have covered just one aspect of the TAS.
 
The following comment appears in JTAS No. 1, The ANNIC NOVA, on page 17.

Reports of sightings should be made to local Travellers ' Aid Society facilities for central consolidation.
Click to expand...

The Traveller's Aid Society is also responsible for the "Amber Zone" classification of a system, per the Library Data of Adventure 3: Twilight's Peak. This would appear to give it a quasi-government status within the Imperium.

Amber Zone: Travellers' Aid Society classification for a nation, world, or system which presents a need for caution in dealings and activity. Less severe than a Red Zone, which indicates interdiction, war, or quarantine.
Click to expand...

Travel Zone. As a service to spacefarers, the Travellers' Aid Society determines and publishes travel zones which indicate the degree of danger presented by a world to travellers. All worlds within the lmperium are coded green unless otherwise noted. Other codes are amber (caution) and red (prohibited).
Click to expand...

Then there are the Traveller News Service articles that appeared in JTAS that were the product of the Traveller's Aid Society.
 
Kudos on this thread; I'm very interested in seeing the resulting article about the history and breadth of services of the TAS, and the scope of influence - TAS controls the maps people see, the library data they read, the news they get...

(Imagine the economic impact of having your world getting amber zoned? How much would your merchant princes be willing to... donate... to avoid such an imposition? In GURPS Traveller terms, the "Dark Imperium" possibilities abound...)

Additional Sources: JTAS Online (now offline, ironically?) articles frequently mentioned TAS services, e.g. detailing the TAS facilities at various sites or opportunities for characters. The CD-ROM archive should be available soon.

Total aside: does TAS actually publish a Journal?

timerover51 said:
The Traveller's Aid Society is also responsible for the "Amber Zone" classification of a system, per the Library Data of Adventure 3: Twilight's Peak. This would appear to give it a quasi-government status within the Imperium.
Click to expand...

High influence, but non-governmental. NGO-ish, even.

I always interpreted the text as indicating that zones (amber, red) were solely TAS's indicators. Various services of the Imperium might designate a system as interdicted (Navy) or forbidden (Scouts) etc, which would lead to the TAS marking the system as red, but the actual "red zone" term is a completely unofficial designation, same as "amber zone".
 
timerover51 said:
[ . . . ]
The Traveller's Aid Society is also responsible for the "Amber Zone" classification of a system, per the Library Data of Adventure 3: Twilight's Peak. This would appear to give it a quasi-government status within the Imperium.
[ . . . ]
Click to expand...
You wouldn't have to be a QUANGO to do that - even the AA can publish the locations of speed cameras. Private entities can publish political assessments and travel warnings - political risk insurers assess this stuff for a living and there are plenty of think tanks around that do consulting work in this space. This sort of consulting is a huge industry in Washington DC; you can't walk anywhere there without tripping over a dozen of them.1

I would view the TAS as a large non-profit with at least some political clout. The TAS news service appears to be one of the major news syndication channels in the Imperium. Although it's not specified as far as I'm aware, the management structure of the TAS might have some rules to ensure its independence (c.f. The Economist). The Economist is a privately held company, whereas the TAS has the concept of membership, suggesting a non-profit incorporated society. One analogy might be a combination of the Youth Hostel Association, The Economist and a traditional gentleman's club with a large network of politically connected patrons.

The TAS is definitely a part of the Imperial establishment so it will have informal connections. After all, membership costs Cr1,000,000 and you can be blackballed (pretty sure this gets a mention as far back as CT), so they don't let just any old riffraff in.

1Fun factoid - I did some contract work for an organisation in the U.K. that does this sort of work; this one has an office in Washington D.C. The contrast in marketing this type of service between the U.S. and U.K. is quite marked. Apparently the U.S. market is so busy that you have to constantly send out mass emails to get noticed in the dull roar. The poms look down their noses at this and wouldn't dream of doing this sort of thing to their clients. It's quite the culture clash.
 
Last edited:
Based information of its related to its formation, it provided "travel books" and created the color code system and expanded its services as time has gone on. By 1105 TAS has been serving 1114 years and carries a history or reputation to its brand.

By the golden age, you may infer a few things about TAS solely within CT.

Outside of chargen, it costs Cr 1,000,000 to join. Compare this to the cost of a starship and cost of living in general. Not everyone can afford this.

It can be given as a "retirement benefit", yet only Navy, Marines, Belters, High Rank 5-6 Diplomats, Rogues and Nobles might get it, NOT Army, Merchants, Scouts, Other, Sailors, Doctors, Flyers, Barbarians, Bureaucrats, Scientists and Hunters. (LBB1 '81 and S4). Other than RAW and game balance, is there a societal or in-universe reason for this. It's might not be Social Status as Rogues can get it. It is not purely money as Navy and Marines aren't in it for the cash and it can't just be service as the othe other military careers dont get it.

So what is your "average" TAS member like?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

A
76 Situations: 01 - The Riddle of the Universe and Its Solution
Replies
3
Views
353
AlHazred
A
M
MGT Only: Become a Journalist for the Travellers' Aid Society!
Replies
0
Views
1K
MongooseMatt
M
Spenser TR
"Traveller's Aid Society" ghost supplement?
Replies
18
Views
3K
mike wightman
mike wightman
coliver988
Classic Traveller Equipment Library
Replies
5
Views
1K
aramis
aramis
robject
RFC: OTU Topical Reference Index
2
Replies
23
Views
5K
robject
robject
Back
Top