New to Traveller... questions

[Erias]

Thanks guys,

I'm having a look at the Central Supply Catalog and there are indeed some options (armor-piercing weapons especially).
Another question: in the Core Book, p192, the Ship's Boat is described as having "Fixed-mount" as a weapon; is it a reference to Mounted weapons p157, and if so we may my players pick any weapon and increase the price and tonnage accordingly?

[Ursus Maior]

Anti-tank rifles were certainly a thing at TL6

Unfortunately CSC puts anti-materiel rifles at TL7 and gives them a magazine capacity of "1". Sometimes I think authors should ask around in the community, before they write such things.

Anyway, CSC-conform would be a bolt-action rifle firing heavy ammunition, e. g. the big game rifle (CSC p. 113) with APDS ammunition and a magazine capacity of 5 shots of 3D+3 (AP9) damage each. That should do the trick.

Otherwise, a rocket launcher with HEAP-projectiles would be neat, those total in at 5D (AP8) damage, but of course a different skill would be needed. Also, Cr2,400 per shot is not cheap. The rifle option is Cr250 per magazine of five shots, making this considerably cheaper.

[Ursus Maior]

Thanks guys,

I'm having a look at the Central Supply Catalog and there are indeed some options (armor-piercing weapons especially).
Another question: in the Core Book, p192, the Ship's Boat is described as having "Fixed-mount" as a weapon; is it a reference to Mounted weapons p157, and if so we may my players pick any weapon and increase the price and tonnage accordingly?

Exactly, fixed mounts are the default option for small craft weapons. I think the official reading of the rules in Highguard on this is that each small craft fixed mount can install one (1) weapon. Small craft weapons don't use hardpoints (like with craft exceeding 100 dtons), but "firmpoints". Weapons installed in these consume one quarter less energy, but are reduced to close or adjacent ranges, depending on the range of the regular weapon version. This makes installing missile launchers preferable as they don't use range, but have rounds of maximum thrus as a limiting factor. Missile racks on firmpoints carry only four, instead of 12 missiles though.

Another good option are sandcasters, which can offer protection against lasers and to some degree missiles and boarding attempts. Laser weapons and other weapons work, of course, too, but the reduction in range limits their usefulness. Lasers can be used for point defence, though, allowing small craft to defend themselves as well as their motherships, while retaining a modicum of offensive capabilities.

[Erias]

Thanks, that was really helpful. I'm new at Traveller and my players feel they are really underequipped when facing an Essarie drone.

[Sigtrygg]

A few examples of anti-tank rifles:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauser_1918_T-Gewehr
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boys_anti-tank_rifle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wz._35_anti-tank_rifle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lahti_L-39
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerb%C3%BCchse_39

My rule of thumb is if it exists or did exist then it should have a Traveller equivalent,

CSC needs a TL6 option

[Erias]

True but you'll need the stats ^^

[Linwood]

Stats are generally not a huge deal. Most rifles of a given type (say TL 6 anti-material rifles) can be assumed to have pretty much the same stats for game purposes.

But hey, if you want to break out FFS and have at it, be my guest!

[Condottiere]

I recall that Mongoose published a World War Two vehicle supplement.

[Erias]

You’ve been really helpful
I love the Starter Set ‘cause it allows you to start small.
For the time being my players enjoy Traveller but they have one minor concern: when featuring SF universes it’s often tricky to conjure up the right pictures, feelings of this universe: for Star Wars or Star Trek, we have the movies/series so players can get a feeling of what’s possible and impossible and of what the universe looks like, as a whole. Browsing the boards I read that Firefly and Serenity both gave a good feeling of the Traveller’s universe. Do you agree ?

Furthermore, where can I get my paws on the Imperium history (I do own GURPS’ Interstellar Wars, but that’s all I know about Imperium’s history). One of my player, more versed than the others into Traveller’s lore, told me about a virus that sent Humanity (everyone?) into some kind of Dark Ages but I can’t find any reference to this (only the Long Night and I can’t fathom what it is). So, is it possible to have Traveller’s history, from the origin, til now?

Thanks again

[AnotherDilbert]

Browsing the boards I read that Firefly and Serenity both gave a good feeling of the Traveller’s universe. Do you agree ?

Absolutely, especially Firefly.

Furthermore, where can I get my paws on the Imperium history (I do own GURPS’ Interstellar Wars, but that’s all I know about Imperium’s history).

Overview:
https://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Timeline

[Ursus Maior]

Joss Whedon is also a known Traveller enthusiast, AFAIK he had a group during college.

[Erias]

Unfortunately, neither Netflix nor Amazon prime video has Firefly in streaming in France (but I watched Serenity ^^). Would you guys know some TV shows/Movies with a Traveller feel to it?

[NOLATrav]

Too bad you can’t see the Firefly series, it’s very good. Hopefully you will find a way.

The movie Outland with Sean Connery is often cited, as well as the original Alien movie. Regular people doing their jobs and then something really bad happens. I personally also love The Thing from John Carpenter, not for the aliens but the gritty feel. That’s what these movies get referenced for, the down-n-dirty, real day-to-day life in an extreme environment. Traveller matches this theme very well IMO.

The Expanse is the most recent show to really have a true Traveller vibe, again IMO. It’s gritty, realistic, starts very small (player characters are nobodies) then explores EVERYTHING - politics, class, alien tech, murder mystery, economics, empire-level strategies... and the characters grow as the stakes do (players are now totally somebodies). It’s on amazon so check it out for sure.

Dark Matter is another show that gets referenced quite a bit.

But the cool thing about Traveller is it really does a very wide range of things quite well. I like gritty, boots in the mud Traveller. Someone else might prefer machinations in the planetary duke’s court, or discovering a new life form on an unexplored planet. So the references for Traveller are as varied as the games people want to play.

[Erias]

Good, I've watched most of it, but I'd love rewatching Dark Matter ^^

[Erias]

I started to run the third scenario of the starter set's mini-campaign "The fall of Tinath" and I'd have a couple of questions:

1) Page 83, the second paragraph reads: "As they make their transit, the Travellers’ sensors may pick up heat signatures". What kind of sensors are those? I checked the core rulebook catalog and only IR googles would be able to pick a heat source. Is it what the scenario is talking about or is there some kind of sensor ala Alien I missed in the equipment section?
2) A question from my players: is it possible for them to have a drone from a TL6 world able to acquire TL12 technology through trade? Wouldn't it be a restricted military equipment? In the context of the scenario, I ruled that since war is underway, the few drones and top military equipment are only available to the military. Nonetheless, under other circumstances the question is valid. Should I use the planet's law level (ok if 3 or less)?

3) Speaking of which, TL10 cloth is armor 8 and impossible to distinguish from mundane clothing "under normal circumstances". What does this mean? Under which circumstances TL10 armor 8 cloth could be spotted as being an armor?

Thanks again

[AnotherDilbert]

1) Page 83, the second paragraph reads: "As they make their transit, the Travellers’ sensors may pick up heat signatures". What kind of sensors are those? I checked the core rulebook catalog and only IR googles would be able to pick a heat source. Is it what the scenario is talking about or is there some kind of sensor ala Alien I missed in the equipment section?

I don't have that, but ships sensors are described in Core, p150-151.

p151 ("Sensor Types") specify that all ships and smallcraft have thermal sensors as part of the basic sensor package.

p150 (Sensor Target" and "Sensor Detail") specifies range and what information a sensor can provide.

For personal equipment there are goggles and hitech binoculars. CSC has more options, e.g. IR goggles are built in as standard in most mid-to-hi-tech armour and vacc suits (CSC, p19).

2) A question from my players: is it possible for them to have a drone from a TL6 world able to acquire TL12 technology through trade? Wouldn't it be a restricted military equipment? ... Nonetheless, under other circumstances the question is valid. Should I use the planet's law level (ok if 3 or less)?

Sorry, I don't understand the question: Is it about a drone that self-upgrades to TL12?

TL-12 equipment should be widely available on any TL-12 world. HiTech equipment might be available on low tech planets, but low tech equipment would be standard. HiTech equipment should be available to special order (at high cost and months of delivery time) anywhere in the Imperium.

Whether some piece of equipment is locally legal is approximately governed by the local law level, yes.

In the context of the scenario, I ruled that since war is underway, the few drones and top military equipment are only available to the military.

Seems reasonable enough.

There might be a black market in "surplus" equipment?

3) Speaking of which, TL10 cloth is armor 8 and impossible to distinguish from mundane clothing "under normal circumstances". What does this mean? Under which circumstances TL10 armor 8 cloth could be spotted as being an armor?

Presumably it means unless you are specifically looking at what type of cloth is used. Kind of like a concealed gun, most people won't notice unless they know what to look for and specifically checks, but a policeman probably sees it immediately?

[Erias]

1) Yep, I thought personal sensors, not starships', so IR goggles it is.
2) The thing is, Tinath is a TL6 world but Matig and Tleroti are both TL11 worlds located a couple of parsecs away from Tinath, since I suppose they trade, Tinath can have up to TL11 technology even if it would be non-standard for the common folks. For instance, they have Advanced Combat Rifles (TL 10) and the Travellers even have a G/Carrier lent for their first mission (Search and rescue). It would normally be TL15 so no clue where the authorities got that one from but, since their patron, Baroness Edda has access to TL 12, I guess the organization she works for has access to this TL 15 piece of technology).
3) That makes sense: professionals would be able to tell a TL 10 cloth is actually an armor.

[Condottiere]

Unsurprisingly, there aren't much good live action science fiction television series available orientated on small ship dynamics; Blake's Seven feels dated and Space Nineteen Ninety Nine alien. Currently watching Star Trek Enterprise, which I missed the first time through, but now enjoying on OLED; it's certainly better than Voyager, Disco and Picard, though Picard ironically should have been Travellerish.

The Mandalorian and the rebooted Lost in Space show promise. Only watched the first two seasons of Killjoys, their issue may have more to do with editing; I tend to think that Dark Matter jumped the shark fairly early on.