A new campaign beginning: Traveller type setting

2330ADUSA1

Mongoose
Hello everyone,

For the past 3.5 yrs I have been running a 2300 AD Traveller based campaign that I set in 2330D with much my own timelines and historical events and etc (GMs own design campaign). Now I have decided to start from scratch and develope a brand new campaign. i will take like a 3 month brake and just design my own campaign setting again inwhich I will base my next Traveller campaign setting from.

I will call this campaign The 3rd Wave.

History: (date to TBA) the nations of the Earth had damaged the Earth to such a state that there was no hope of the planet being saved and remaining a living place for humanity to remain. Mankind had searched a long time for other Earth like world and finally discovered one, but that it was a great distance away. With our would dieing and time running out for humanity, it was decided by the different political blocs to launch large Arks of resources and population inwhich to restart humanity on this new orld called Earth II.

The world got busy building the 1st Wave of these Arks to launch together for this new world, to resettle mankind and hopefully restart a better life there. The ships would take 50 yrs to reach the new system and home.

Seven Arks were built:
- 3 - from the US, Canada, Austrailia, Japan, Mexico
- 1 - from the UK
- 2 - from Europe
- 1 - from China, India
Each Ark had 5,000 colonists, and all the resources for a startup colony. Each Ark could start their own colony but the US 3 were planning to merge/combine their efforts together to make a larger collective colony.

Thus the first wave launched (date yet to TBA), and then extreme troubles began on the Earth. A war broke out by many of those nations not included and much panic and fighting started across the globe, bring the world to war. Most of the major players in the process remained at peace with each other and started to fight the rest of the world and surpress those that felt they were being abandoned or cheated. durring this time the 2nd Wave of Arks were constructed. It took 10 years to build these (7) Arks and once again the main seven nations built these larger ships with the same population mixes again.

These ships of the 2nd wave help 20,000 cryo sleep colonists, and resources to set up a new colony and build much industries. Much was packed into these ships in order to help these Arks and their crews to succeed. After their launch much fighting was increased on the Earth and the key nations were doing all they could to continue existing and keep themselves together and survive. Bio weapons were used across the world and much on the non-key players were killed off for the betterment of the main key nations to finish their final 3rd wave of Arks.

So once again the main key nations built 7 Arks, but this time the US collective built +2 more, the UK built +1 more, Europe built +1 more and Chine built +1 more. Thus this time 12 Arks were built and launch in the 3rd wave. Each ship carried 25,000 cryo sleep colonists and twice as much supplies as the previous 2nd wave had in resources and supplies. It was felt this would be the final wave of Arks and it was.

Now once the 1st wave reached Earth II, 6 of the Arks reached orbit and the 7th (Chineese Ark) was missing. The 3 US Arks all landed on a single location in a region much like America, and named their city Atlantis. The UK Ark landed on a smaller Island continent and called their city London. The 2 European Arks landed on another continent and started two cities, Paris and Berlin.

When the 2nd wave arrived ten years latter, each of those arks landed near the other founded cities of their foster nations. Now the Chinees Ark set down on a island continent and started a new colony that they called Beijing. All these city states worked together and lived together in peace, and when they could they helped one another.

Then some 12 years later, the 3rd wave of Arks arrived and landed. Now the 5 US Arks laned in regions arround thie main city of Atlantis. The 2 UK Arks landed on the Island with London and each set up it's own city. The 3 Arks from Europe two landed and merged with the two cities of Paris and Belrin and a new city was founded between the two. Next both of the 2 Arks from China merged together into the city of Beijing

Now until the 3rd Wave, there had been no Combat troops on Earth II but that all changed. With each of these Arks came as their crew a Cbt Regiment each. There were now active trained military forces on Earth II, but everyone was still working peacfully together.

At game start, it is 2 years after the 3rd wave arrived and the players are crew/passengers from that wave. Earth II has set up a world government inwhich they have called themselves the United Earth Commonwealth (UEC), and have merged all millitary forces together under it's collective control and put in place a ruling Senate. The players can be from any of the cities and are members of the UEC Scouting Core, charged with exploration.

There are a number of Scouting teams that are to explore the new solar system and tryavel to the near by star systems.

This is the basic idea with tons of more plots and sub plots and etc to play with. Nothing is ever as it would seem and all is not perfect in any step of the world either.
 
Sounds quite interesting, can't wait to read more.

{{ Extends His DataPad for upload of additional info }}
 
Ok the players (7) of them will create a team of Primary PC's along with a 2nd set (7) of backup PC's characters and I would also have a 3rd set (7) of NPC's that make up the crew of either Alpha Team or Beta Team. I will allow the players to choose if they are Alpha or Beta Team, and the one they don't choose will become the team they will compete against and will be active rivials.

Now the players will also have the choice to choose which mission they wish to purse for first exploration and survey mission.

Mission Alpha0001 - ?

Mission Beta0001 - ?

The two missions are....

Explore/Survey the Moon of Earth II that has a Thin/Taint atmosphere. The Moon has not been explored at all, but there seems to be some strange areas on the moon tht need to be investigated by the team. Note: there are a few things that the team will discover, a wreck of a large Alien Warship that took a pounding and crashed on the moon. Also they will find a pounded ruined Alien city as well. There are many plots here and lots to explore, with many adventure hooks.

Explore/Survey the 3rd planet in the system that has a biosphere that seems to support live. The 2rd planet is my version of Barsoom...aka...Mars but with my twists. The planet is very much alive with the Red's Humanoids, the Green giant 4 arm Tharks, along with the 4 arm Great White Apes. There are alot of different technologies and things to explore on this version of Barsoom. Note: The ancient Aliens ruins and crashed space ship on the Moon are directly related to the humanoids on the planet Barsoom. The Red's are not native to that planet, but the Green Tharks and White Apes are native to that planet. The White Apes are all but brutish monsters, and the Green Tharks are primitive barbarians, with the Reds have some high tech but not others. Also note the missing Chineese Ark had to land on this planet in the southern region near the southern pole/sea and set down near a ancient abandoned ruined city that those 1000 humans (800 Chineese, 200 Indians) have had 24 years to settle in. There are many plots here and plots within plots, and what is found from these major paths will lead the campaign.

NOTE The 2nd planet in the solar system is Earth II, and there are yet undiscovered ruins there as well too. There is a Huge Gas Giant within the system with a bunch of moons to explore, but I am also using the Kraken space monster as well too. There will be many near solar systems to also explore later on, and the technologies that are needed to get there will be discovered and made available to the players to use.

To me having a Exploration/Scouting vessel that has a crew of 21 is perfect and gives me plenty of room to develope so complex plots and fun for all to be had. I love roleplaying and action. and like to see player growth within the game.
 
So are you going to continue using Traveller 2300 character generation rules or use the core Traveller rules?

Was wondering how much of an industrial base they have established since arriving?

Can they build replacement spaceships or reliant on what ships they brought along with them?

Are there certain resources that whilst present on Earth are not as available on New Earth or New Mars?

Have your players got as far as character generation yet?

I was wondering about this since sometimes their character backstory might provide some amenable subplots you could add to the mix and I wondered how you feel about that?

So Timeline is;

-74 years ago: 1st wave of colonists sent on the Arks to New Earth
-64 years ago: 2nd wave of colonists sent on the Arks to New Earth
-52 years ago: 3rd wave of colonists sent on the Arks to New Earth
-24 year ago: The 1st wave arrive on New Earth and unknown to anyone the Chinese Ark lands on New Mars
-14 years ago: 2nd wave arrive on New Earth
-2 years ago: 3rd wave arrive on New Earth
Year 0: Campaign game starts
 
Hopeless said:
So are you going to continue using Traveller 2300 character generation rules or use the core Traveller rules?

***Hi there and No I use my own tried and true In House character system for character creation. I unlike many other do NOT use a system where a player can waste my time and die in creation. I always thought that was a stupid waste of time. So I have for the past 25+ yrs been doing it my own way with my players.

Basically I assign points based on a characters UNT and EDU, and then a player chooses from a Background culture list of skill sets. Thus add the two scores together and that is the total points one has for that level. Then it costs 1 point for a zero level skill and 2 for a level one skill and 3 pts for a level two skill level.

Then in my game everyone either goes to 2yrs college and a 2 yr trade school or 4 yrs of college. depending on which choice they choose they can choose from the different lists. The points they have again are INT plus EDU added together to give them points. I use the same point level costs that I explained above. No skill may go above level 3.

Next the player serve 4 terms in a "job" set that I have defined my own charts for skill sets and etc. If someone wants a exotic Job background I will create it for them, it is part of the job of GMing. My skill list is larger than the games standard, and my players PCs have more than just a few skills.

Also I should point out I also use a d100 % system for a skill system within my game and it has been defined before on this web forum in another one of my own threads.


Was wondering how much of an industrial base they have established since arriving?

***I have considered giving them the ability to make replacement parts and and slower to get new stuff. As for starships, I would define the their facility at a type "C" startport. At game start the human culture has 7 Science Explorers/Scouts which are of a base model and have been modified slightly by the hosting nations. The players will also be able to modify and get upgrades as time goes on as well too.

Can they build replacement spaceships or reliant on what ships they brought along with them?

***The ships that they start with are the 7 type A Explorer/Scouts that each one has been slightly modified by it's hosted nation. Now I am stating that the City of Atlantis is working on building two new classes of ships, but as of yet their type and purpose is unknown.

Are there certain resources that whilst present on Earth are not as available on New Earth or New Mars?

***New Earth or Earth II as it is called in the game has everything the old Earth had. Now unknown to the players, the Earth II Moon is a resource treasure trove of materials and New Mars or Barsoom as it is called will have some NEW minerials as well too. The solar system is set up as a extreme rich resource based place for much growth of the human culture.

Have your players got as far as character generation yet?

***No I have only talked to them about what job types they might want to play. I am creating the different job types and charts first and then after some more work will work the characters out with them for game setup. Remember I have everyone create two PCs, but they actively play only one until they might loose a character then actively play the 2nd one. I then need to create the NPCs for the team, and their rival Team.

I was wondering about this since sometimes their character backstory might provide some amenable subplots you could add to the mix and I wondered how you feel about that?

***I always tie in player's back stories to add sub plots and etc. I also have them create "families" and ties for added resource and flavor. Helps add alot of color to the game and Roleplaying is key for my GMing style.

So Timeline is;

-74 years ago: 1st wave of colonists sent on the Arks to New Earth
-64 years ago: 2nd wave of colonists sent on the Arks to New Earth
-52 years ago: 3rd wave of colonists sent on the Arks to New Earth
-24 year ago: The 1st wave arrive on New Earth and unknown to anyone the Chinese Ark lands on New Mars
-14 years ago: 2nd wave arrive on New Earth
-2 years ago: 3rd wave arrive on New Earth
Year 0: Campaign game starts

***UEC - yr 1..07 (year one and 7 days game start)

***I have GM'd these same set of 7 players now within my campaigns for nearly 12-13 years, we are all in our late 40s/50's. Many of us have all come from the same backgrounds and most are IT professionials. We are all friends and do lots of things with each others families and many of our kids are all in Scouting together as well too.
 
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