Using the Scout/Courier...

[kaladorn]

Originally posted by Vargas:
[QB] Two thoughts:

1) How much computer code can one displacement ton hold? (Some cargos are not hauled by the ton, or even the kg.).

Putting on my

's advocate shoes....

Does the computer code travel free through etheric space? No. It is stored on some form of medium. but most current mediums would have a very unpleasant time in low pressure (such as vacuum) and low temperature. And such exposures might be a common part of decontam (and anti-stowaway) procedures. They might also be used for cargo handling ease. Now, there also might be cosmic radiations of various sorts and those used explicitly in decontam. So, having said that, they still won't be a ton, but there will be a pile of fancy shmancy shielded packing to go with them.

 

[far-trader]

Originally posted by Dameon Toth Detached Scout:
Do you think you might be able to post those assignments?

later,

Scout

Hi again, all I could find was this other post (which you may have seen over in the T5 forum):

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Yep, I have somewhere in my mess a CT house rule where each roll of Ship when mustering out earned the Scout 4 years of detached duty assignments. Unfortunately its not immediatley at hand so from memory...

Upon mustering out with detached duty check monthly for an assignment at any Scout base (GM roll 2 on two d6, DM -1 per month without assignment - of course GM fiat can and should rule).

Upon first assignment the character is assigned a Type S from the surplus fleet. Mission duration and type up to GM. Subsequent assignments may replace or re-equip the ship assigned.

Upon failure to report for a monthly assignment check in (if not on assignment) the character must avoid a reprimand (8+ roll, DM +1 per full term served, including detached duty, DM -1 per consecutive missed check in). Each reprimand results in the loss of one term of detached duty assignments, which may result in being completely discharged from the detached duty service and loss of ship use (i.e. if reprimands equals ship rolls in mustering out then you're out of the program)

Each complete detached duty term (and if your game runs that long you have a good one and I want in

) the character gets a roll on either of the muster out tables for an additional bonus, possibly earning more detached duty terms.

Its been a while so I may have missed something but you get the idea.

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As far as the acutal assignments went I think I was just winging it using the rumours, patrons and other tables as idea seeds. Some typical assignments included:

Routine courier duty through several systems outlying the x-boat route. Typically x-mail and a few small packages to be delivered as well as pickups. Most of the x-mail would be sensitve in nature and possibly lucrative to certain criminal elements if you want to spice it up.

Emergency delivery of medical supplies. Again a lucrative target if you want.

Transport of active Scout service personnel, typically from one base to another. Usually routine but you could put the active Scout on a secret mission (hence the plausibly deniable transport) and get the PC(s) mixed up in whatever it is.

Search and rescue of missing starships (IMTU the Scouts are semi-analogous to the Coast Guard in this respect). A great adventure hook.

Routine survey of a few systems to keep the data current. The regular service is of course always busy doing this but sometimes the overload/backlog necessitates getting the DD Scouts to fill in some of the gaps. Of course like all routine duty its easy to spice up if you want.

That's a few off the top of my head. Naturally you don't want every assignment to be a big adventure, in fact most of them should be boring routine so the time you do spring a surprise it is actually a surprise

 

[RainOfSteel]

IMTU . . .

The Scouts do not employ only the 100 dTon Scout/Couier, but also other vehicles. Heavy 200 dTon Scouts, and several others. It's possible that detached duty may come with one of these other vessels. If a larger vehicle is assigned, it is usually a 200 dTon Heavy Scout or a 300 dTon Far Scout. Survey vessels (or other larger vessels), even Donosev 400 dTon vessels, are usually only assigned to a group of Scouts pooling their "Ship" benefits to make a better application for a ship.
As a bit of roleplaying, I make Scouts assigned to attached duty who get "Ship" mustering-out benefits go through a application process to see what kind of starship they get.

Also, all Scouts assigned to attached duty are expected to make regular star system and planetary observations, compile them into Astrographic Surveys (of varying quality depending on the amount of data gathered), and turn them into whatever Scout Bases they happen to come across. The IISS office at the Sector Capital compiles these, cross-checks each system's new information against the surveys of other Scouts (for reliability), and issues bi-annual updates to the Second Survey data.
Whenever a local Scout Base doesn't have recent survey information on a nearby world (or if it feels there is contradictory information in existing reports, which happens all the time), it will tap whatever DD-Scout who reports in first to go and get renewed/resolved data.


Scout Base Commanders are often short of enough Astrographic Surveys to fully cross-check against one another. Given that a lot of Scouts serve aboard tramp freighters, and that many of the personnel aboard such vessels are multi-talented, some Scout Commanders will accept an Astrographic Survey from a non-IISS vessel, especially if the data from that Survey is high-quality (when cross-checked against other Surveys). If a non-IISS vessel and crew show themselves capable of turning in high quality Surveys on a regular basis, they may find a regular market from some Scout Base Commanders. The typical price of a minimum level Astrographic Survey is Cr5-10,000. Sometimes, this can lead to other, equally unofficial, odd-job assignments.

 

[Whipsnade]

Aside from his nifty Detached Duty assignment mechanism with it's delightfully evil monthly check in requirements, far-trader also wrote:

"As far as the acutal assignments went I think I was just winging it using the rumours, patrons and other tables as idea seeds. Some typical assignments included: ..." (snip of the usual odds and sods of job that is a Scout's life!)


Dan,

Spot on the money, IMEHO and IMTU. Life in the IISS isn't all First Contacts, spacial anomolies, and wartime recon. It's also every dirty little job the Navy doesn't want to soil their hands with or that the local nobles need doing NOW. There's lots of to-ing and fro-ing, schlepping, and step and fetching.

I think that a detached duty scout crew, or even an active duty one, can form the basis of a rock solid campaign. You simply cannot come up with odd jobs that are *too* odd! MT's WBH and GT's 'First In' will provide you with almost too many ideas to inflic^^^ (ahme) assign your players. I feel sure that a T20 Scout book or TA must be in the works as the Scouts are simply too much fun to ignore.

Here are some of the ideas from MTU:

- Personnel Pickups. You're perfect for retrieving covert observation teams from various Imperial worlds. Hold onto your vacc-suit helmet, but not every world in the Imperium actually enjoys being a member! Some cultures are rather xenophobic once you get past the port's extrality fence. The IISS has teams on such worlds, studying the cultures and politics in question and suggesting 'remedies'. Naturally, most of these worlds don't exactly like being the objects of someone's 'study'.

- 'Bouy' Maintenance. Care to guess how much time the USCG spends tending to navigational aids? And not just on the coast either, you'll find USCG bouy tenders at Kansas City along the Missouri River too. Backwater worlds aren't going to be able to maintain their navigational aids very well, so guess who gets the job? And then there are all those 'Dumbos' orbiting all those gas giants; huge passive sensor arrays that scoop up and record transponder signals. They need someone to visit them occasionally too.

- Search and Rescue. There are a LOT of X-boat flights every day. Sure it's only 2 per world, but start counting all the worlds... Try as the IISS might, there will be misjumps and someone will have to go beating the bushes to collect the pilot's body. Broadcasting that IISS transponder signal will get you roped into other, non-IISS rescues too. After all, you are the starship experts right? Why should the port send out a shuttle with a few yardbirds aboard when a Suleiman full of the IISS' finest just happens to be in system? You're '911' buddy, every wacko in the system with a powerful enough radio is going to be dying to ask for your assistance.

- General Noseyness. Seems Subsector Command has had some odd reports coming from the second belt in Arglebarlge-IV. It's probably nothing, just belter hijinks exaggerated by free trader gossip, but you're in the area... Why don't you swing by and look around a while? Take some R&R at a few of the outlying belt habitats, buy some drinks (not too many, Accounting won't like it), listen to some stories, and just get the feel of the place. This mining station looks like the perfect place to start, Armpit 8, quaint name huh? We're sure there's nothing to the rumors, just enjoy yourselves.


Sincerely,
Larsen

 

[Spinward Scout]

Great ideas! I'll be writing these down tonite.

Thanks!

Scout

 

[jhulse]

There are more "cargo spaces" than indicated in most of the "official" wright ups.
For one, even though head room becomes an issue, the upper gallery is always a great storage space. This area in most official write-ups is used for mission specific equipment; listing devises, long range sensors, survey equipment, etc... Once the ship is mothballed until a P.C. comes along, all this specialized equipment is stripped. There is also the lower hold accessible only from the underside of the hull, used for extra storage like survival gear or even a portable shelter for extend "on world" missions.
In any case, just making a point that there is a lot more available cargo area. When I first started roll playing traveller back in the "good old days", 83-85, I once crammed almost 30 tons of cargo into every nook and cranny.

I have to admit, I have never known of a rule which prohibits scouts from earning a living by carrying cargo or a couple of passengers.

Anyone can charter the use of the ship. Include some of there personal baggage and supplies for an extended geological survey, etc...

Just one more note. The campaign that I am planning will include an old scout that has "modifications". This has passed from one captain to another over the years, each one adding their own personal touch.
The upper galley will have overhead cargo doors. Originally these door were installed to launch probes and to deploy large antenna. The doors just happen to be large enough for an air raft to pass down into the galley. This makes loading and unloading cargo a snap.
The small room that's generally considered cargo space, will have a hatch identical to the airraft bay, again for easy loading/unloading, and the air raft bay itself will include (believe it or not) a small airlock!
I'm even thinking about putting ejector seats in the bridge just mess with my P.C.s!
To offset these little "perks" some systems of this old scout can at times be cantankerous... at G.M.s options of course...

In Far Trader, there is a practice encouraged for players to send advertisements via xboats or other vessels to ports that the characters plan to visit. "Suliman Scout currier in route to Glisten Sub sector. Arrival at down port on or around date (****). One sate room and 15 tons cargo space available. Any persons interested please post on message board." or something of that nature.
A character with a scout currier can carry messages such as these for other liners, or companies. You can make a little spending cash and not take up a square centimeter of cargo space.
With a good imaginations, characters can find hundreds of ways to make money with the good old reliable scout courier. It's one of the best "adventurer" ships in my book.
Jaknaz