Trim Back That Equipment List! part 1

[robject]

Welcome sports fans! It's time for FALL CLEANING, and that means trimming back that unsightly equipment list! I know you've all been thinking "now what can I do to make that document just a few pages shorter?" Well then this is your opportunity.

How to help. Simply post your suggestion for a piece of equipment from the list to expunge. The list will be gathered, sifted, and some or all of your suggestions will be posted en masse to the T5 Errata, as suggestions for removal.

What about adding items? Yes, the list might have something missing in it: with all those entries, sometimes it's hard to tell. So if you've wanted something that isn't there, now is also the time to bulk the list up. So suggestions are welcome here, too.


[FONT=arial,helvetica]Here are some SUGGESTIONS, plus CANDIDATES FOR MOVING/REMOVAL:

PP 629, 630, 631, 633, 636, 637, 638, 639, 640, 644, 645, 650: REMOVE FOOTNOTE "Item is typically a non-working artifact"

Page 629-630, Armor, all of it.
Page 631, Air Tank, Industrial.
Page 631, Atmospheric Sponge. MOVE to a "Ship Stuff" page in ACS.
Page 632, Combination. Combine with Filter entry.
Page 632, Rebreather. Combine with Breather entry.
Page 632, Surface Water Tank. Combine with Air Tanks entry.
Page 633, Mechanical Wings (Droyne).Remove.
Page 634, Camera. Combine as a low TL version of Video Recorder.
Page 634, Compass. Remove.
Page 634, Deep Radar. Combine as a lower TL version of Densitometer.
Page 634, Gunsight (both of them). MOVE to GunMaker.
Page 634, Magnet. Remove.
Page 634, Metal Detector. Remove.
Page 635, Pressure Gauge. Remove.
Page 635, Scanner, Combine as a high TL version of EMS.
Page 635, Spectrum Goggles and Vision Goggles. Combine into one entry with multiple variants.
Page 635, Watch, Cool. Combine with 'Watch' entry.
Page 636-7, Light Portable, ANIFX / IR / Lek / Mag / VHDUS Emitters. Combine into one entry with multiple variants.

Page 640, Construction Materials - not a call for removal, but rather for verification that these Armor Values are reasonable.

Page 640, Eternity Circuit Module. Remove.
Page 640, Cutting Torch. Combine with Welding Torch entry into "Construction Torches".
Page 641, Transporter. Remove.
Page 641, Molecular Disassembler. Remove.
Page 642, Data Display. Remove.
Page 642, Databank. Should be Size 5 or 6.
Page 642 Data Recorder/Relay. How is this different from a Bug or a Comm? Fold all these together as part of a "Family" of devices.
Page 643, Starchart. A short description would be helpful.
Page 645, Shuttle. Description should read 95 tons, not 90.
Page 645, Anagathic. May need to add "anti-geriatric" and differentiate between the two.
Page 646, Low Berth Maker. This is a nascent maker system that should be moved to a "Ship Stuff" page in ACS.
Page 646, Bandage. Create as family with Cast and [FONT=arial,helvetica]include skin Glue p.647.[/FONT]
Page 646, Cast. Move into Bandage entry .
Page 647, Stasis Capsule, Military. Combine with Low Berth Maker.
Page 647, Tranq. Probably should note tunability of dose, based on nature and dilution of active ingredient, in case you just want someone down for 1D combat rounds for instance.
Page 648, Foam Shelter. Remove.
Page 648, Hangar. Remove.
Page 648, Tarpaulin. Combine as low-TL footnote under "Pressure Tent".
Page 648, Tent. Combine as low-TL footnote under "Pressure Tent".
Page 648, Undersea Habitat. Remove.
Page 648, Undersea Shelter. Combine as variant of "Pressure Tent".

[/FONT]

 

[pendragonman]

I have an organizational suggestion.

How about arranging the equipment in "family trees" by TL? Like:

Spyglass==>Binoculars==>IR Binoculars==>LI Binoculars==>PRIS

or

Needle Gun (m\41 or 54)==>Mauser M1887/Mosin Nagant/Lee Enfield/Springfield/Arisaka==>Sturmgewer==>AK 47/AR 15==>M-16/AK74==>Styr AUG/FAMAS G2/SA-80/Tavor TAR 21==> etc

 

[robject]

@Pen: that sounds like a good suggestion for the Errata Pile. It also sounds like a lot of work, but that's a different thought.

 

[pendragonman]

@Pen: that sounds like a good suggestion for the Errata Pile. It also sounds like a lot of work, but that's a different thought.

Could just as easily list the TL for which the item is standard. Then we would know where we can start applying the enhancements from.

 

[robject]

We could also combine entries of one family into one entry, explaining the TL progression. There are some examples of this already in the equipment list.

 

[ovka]

We could also combine entries of one family into one entry, explaining the TL progression. There are some examples of this already in the equipment list.

I was just going to suggest this. Then explain how QREBS, cost, and mass change as TL increases.

Cheers,

Baron Ovka

 

[pendragonman]

I was just going to suggest this. Then explain how QREBS, cost, and mass change as TL increases.

Cheers,

Baron Ovka

This! For wide spread adoption of QREBS, we definitely need this.

And not just cost and mass adjustments, but how the enhancements (experimental, advanced, ultimate, etc...) apply.

 

[robject]

Suggest some entries to combine as a TL progression?

 

[Reban]

Just chiming in with agreement on grouping items as a family with an example of the Standard version and explanations of the improvements and dis-improvements affect it.


One addition I've called for in errata is inclusion of the Standard Shipping Containers that disappeared in the T5.09 ACS. (I notice you have a Ship Stuff page suggestion @Rob).


I'd remove all the TL16+ Ancient tech. Its really setting background not character available equipment.


For removal:

p.633 Mechanical Wings (Droyne). If there are no Droyne in the book why are we including equipment for them? This goes for all specifically "Alien" devices.

p.637 Galley Micro. Move to your Ship stuff page and define it as a Standard galley capable of providing meals for X sophonts Y times a day.

p.642 Data Recorder/Relay. How is this different from a Bug or a Comm? Fold all these together as part of a "Family" of devices.

p.646 Why remove Bandage and Cast? Standard and example versions with QREBS examples would be useful. Adding the entire TL to medical skill seems too high. Perhaps TL/2? Include skin Glue p.647 as part of the Bandage Family.

p. 648 Undersea Habitat and Undersea Shelter. These are better custom built in ACS as Pods with Submergence Hull qualities.



Two things that I think are glaring omissions: Cyberware and Bioware.

You may say neither are very Traveller, but the BBB has a chapter on Robots and a Chapter on Androids and Synthetics that provide all the tools for their inclusion. Perhaps a mini-Maker with some pointers on how to include them is all thats needed.

 

[JFGarber]

I'd remove all the TL16+ Ancient tech. Its really setting background not character available equipment.

I agree from the perspective of keeping the BBB to something that I can lift without involving my skidloader. That said, I'd like to see those items, and many more, in a supplement specifically aimed for very advanced technology. I also acknowledge that such a supplement is far down the road.

 

[robject]

One addition I've called for in errata is inclusion of the Standard Shipping Containers that disappeared in the T5.09 ACS.

Noted.

p.637 Galley Micro. Move to your Ship stuff page and define it as a Standard galley capable of providing meals for X sophonts Y times a day.

Retained - the galley can fit into a vehicle.

p.642 Data Recorder/Relay. How is this different from a Bug or a Comm? Fold all these together as part of a "Family" of devices.

Good!

p.646 Why remove Bandage and Cast? Standard and example versions with QREBS examples would be useful. Adding the entire TL to medical skill seems too high. Perhaps TL/2? Include skin Glue p.647 as part of the Bandage Family.

OK, granted, but "Bandage" still seems ridiculous.

p. 648 Undersea Habitat and Undersea Shelter. These are better custom built in ACS as Pods with Submergence Hull qualities.

On the one hand, brilliant. On the other hand, people won't think to go to ACS. On the Gripping Hand, I don't see a need for these entries, so they go.

Two things that I think are glaring omissions: Cyberware and Bioware.

Actually I agree, and I have rules for these. The equipment list would be a good place for those rules.

 

[Reban]

Retained - the galley can fit into a vehicle.

I was going more for; Standard Galley for ACS ships ~2ton, Large Galley ~8tons, Micro Galley 0.5tons.

The important characteristic is how many meals it can provide per day. For example a modern trailer mounted field kitchen can provide around 150 meals three times a day.

If you know how many meals a galley can cater you can scale the galley to fit the crew requirement whether its a vehicle or ship.

OK, granted, but "Bandage" still seems ridiculous.

Well yes, on the one hand you could omit it and assume everyone will understand that bandages are one of the principle components of a First Aid Kit.

On the other hand some players are "McGyvers" and bandages have lots of uses:

- Disguise: Mummy bandaging, breast bindings, mask making.
- Survival: filters, binding material, tinder.
- Combat: Gillie suits can be made from white bandage and netting (artic) or stained green or brown (woodland).

 

[Reban]

Alternate approach

Typing the last post I had an idea. Do you have a copy of Peter Vernon's Consolidated Equipment List for Traveller, Rob?

It lists every piece of equipment over all the versions of Traveller with statistics.

It might be easier to go down through it, pick out the most common equipment across the versions and write up a T5 version for them.

At the moment the T5.09 Equipment list is all over the place and I've reason to doubt some of the details quoted in the entries.

 

[robject]

Typing the last post I had an idea. Do you have a copy of Peter Vernon's Consolidated Equipment List for Traveller, Rob?

It lists every piece of equipment over all the versions of Traveller with statistics.

It might be easier to go down through it, pick out the most common equipment across the versions and write up a T5 version for them.

Have it - and others. Did it as you say.

I used it and several earlier equipment lists to create the T5 Equipment List. I will tell you, that way lies madness. I even compared the different organizations, which is how I decided upon detailed categorizations rather than (for example) a flat TL progression, or an alphabetic list, or a few very broad categories.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Power Cells.

Well, I disagree with taking all the TL-G+ stuff out, thinned a bit but some gives people who don't play OTU nice things to play with.

Power Cells Retain. I find my players at least buy gobs of them.

I second the bandage bit, hell I'd add that bit about other uses to the entry, might make folks look at how they can use the other stuff.

And I agree Starcharts plus as I recall a couple other items could use a bit of descriptive text.

Starchart. This astrogator's tool shows the positions of nearby star systems. It can be as simple as noting only the presence of a system within Jump-1 and whether there is water or a gas giant there to a Sector chart which shows every system, its characteristics, presence of gas giants, belts and other worlds to trade classifications.

It comes in several formats from a 2-D sketch left on rock by the lake by the First In Scout to hard copies given out at Class C Starport Office of Navigation to fully annotated 3-D volumetric display chips procured at heavy travel Class A Starport such the ones TAS prepares for its Members for reduced fee.​

There that should work for a start.

 

[robject]

It comes in several formats [...] to fully annotated 3-D volumetric display chips procured at heavy travel Class A Starport ...​

...which can be found at Scout poker games representing Cr100...

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Uhhh.

...which can be found at Scout poker games representing Cr100...

I, uh, wouldn't know anything about that, My Lord. Wouldn't be correct for a Naval Officer to be found gambling in low places..and with Scouts. Nope, we weren't there when that happened.

 

[aramis]

Well, I disagree with taking all the TL-G+ stuff out, thinned a bit but some gives people who don't play OTU nice things to play with.

Power Cells Retain. I find my players at least buy gobs of them.

I second the bandage bit, hell I'd add that bit about other uses to the entry, might make folks look at how they can use the other stuff.

And I agree Starcharts plus as I recall a couple other items could use a bit of descriptive text.

Starchart. This astrogator's tool shows the positions of nearby star systems. It can be as simple as noting only the presence of a system within Jump-1 and whether there is water or a gas giant there to a Sector chart which shows every system, its characteristics, presence of gas giants, belts and other worlds to trade classifications.

It comes in several formats from a 2-D sketch left on rock by the lake by the First In Scout to hard copies given out at Class C Starport Office of Navigation to fully annotated 3-D volumetric display chips procured at heavy travel Class A Starport such the ones TAS prepares for its Members for reduced fee.​

There that should work for a start.

M1900 has a STARTING TL of G... I expect much of them to remain. I'll be interested to see the mods to system generation.

 

[pendragonman]

I, uh, wouldn't know anything about that, My Lord. Wouldn't be correct for a Naval Officer to be found gambling in low places..and with Scouts. Nope, we weren't there when that happened.

Don't let him fool you. He plays cards with the Marines, and the Marines like playing with Scouts. It is a great way to gather land grants from people who have been isolated from non-computer players for years at a time. :devil:

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

If only we Navs got Fighting...

M1900 has a STARTING TL of G... I expect much of them to remain. I'll be interested to see the mods to system generation.

I forgot about that. Good point, so two votes for keep the extremely high tech stuff.

Don't let him fool you. He plays cards with the Marines, and the Marines like playing with Scouts. It is a great way to gather land grants from people who have been isolated from non-computer players for years at a time. :devil:

It's only been weeks, and again, My Lord the Marine was obviously intoxicated, thus not a proper witness and of course, I wasn't there when that happened. Also I have no idea how the Marine got High Passages with my name on them. Probably fell out of my pocket...