A Question about an alternative spinward marches campaign

[Hopeless]

In previous threads I've been discussing about an idea I have for a campaign using the spinward marches but with a few changes inspired by the Lost Fleet series.

Briefly my version of the Spinward Marches had access to a series of Extra-Stellar Gates which they used to spread across the stars. In the Official Traveller Universe these replace the X-boat routes on the various maps, jump drives still exist since there isn't enough gates to cover all of the inhabited systems but those with a gate were more heavily populated than those without one.

Fourteen years prior to the start of the campaign these gates self destructed wiping out alot of the inhabited systems especially the most technologically advanced such that the Solomani Empire was split into various factions.

The remnants of the Empire now control half of the Marches, the Theocracy control an eighth(formerly known as the Zhodani), the Sword Worlds rose up and conquered almost a quarter and the Aryan Alliance the most technologically advanced controls most of the rest with a handful of smaller factions that has been left alone whilst the larger factions rebuild their forces and resources.

Now my players have got as far as start to create their characters with one running a former scholar turned scout who hails from Fulacin who so far owns his own lab ship and inherited the deeds to his late uncle's mining vessel which is co-owned by another player's character who so far is a former Sword Worlds Civilian who went on to join the Scouts until he mustered out following a close brush with death that almost killed him and everyone else aboard his last posting.
The other two are creating a Psion Adept and a Sword Worlds Support Marine which are still being sorted out.

Now what I'd like some advise on is Psionics.

I've been trying to figure out how they're being handled and so far I've gone as far as say that they have to be one of certain types.

The types available are Corporate Psions, Military Psions and Renegade Psions the basis for this is that I can't see such people being left alone and their affiliation or their current status would explain where they stand at the campaign's start.

Now I've been thinking and I have a few ideas that need another viewpoint on since I don't want to pigeonhole any ideas this player or her husband comes up with.

I've suggested they make a career change according to whatever affiliation they end up choosing but haven't heard anything back so I want to make sure I haven't put them off the game.

I've got the little black books (except the Library Database) and have been perusing them and have come up with another couple of options but don't want to overdo things.

Way I see it there are two types of psions present, the naturals are those who possess psion abilities (and the PC in question is one of these) who have the capability to become quite powerful over time which is why the Factions make every effort to secure these people before they can be used against them.
To control them they attach an implant which allows them to enforce their orders should the psion prove disagreeable.
The second type are Implanted who have the same implant but it grants them limited psionic abilities but at the cost that if the implant is removed they will die within a few years unless they get a replacement. However what noone knows is that the implants slowly burn out this type of psion so they will eventually die officially in action since these deaths are covered up to hide the fact they're unreliable.

Bother Corporate and Military Psions have these implants, normally cybernetic implants are not suitable for psions since the usualy methods of installing them has a chance of disrupting their abilities whilst the implant doesn't since its supposed to control rather than impede the psion.

The Renegades don't have implants but need a cover identity perhaps several to avoid scrutiny since they're being hunted especially as many of them are a threat whether because they're working for one of the other factions or simply seeking to seize power or commit terrorism since Implantees in particular aren't that stable thanks to their implant.

I think I'm going too far so I'll stop there and try and see if I can make this a little clearer later on.

 

[BFalcon]

To be perfectly honest, I don't know why you don't just make your own sector from scratch - all the power centres would have shifted in any case, so you might as well roll up a whole new area to work with - that way you can throw out anything you don't like (like the Zhodani or the Aslan, for examples). You might decide to have one or two stargates linking remote clusters, only existing in a single system in each cluster, relying on individual jump drives for the rest of the journey, for example.

There are times when adapting existing material is harder than starting from scratch - and using too many same names may confuse players if they're playing in multiple Spinward campaigns - using your own TU may prevent some of that and it also means that you're free to publish it, if you wish, later on.

Just a thought or two...

 

[Hopeless]

True enough.
What I need is advice on psionics.
What i was thinking was separating Psions into two types;
1) "Naturals" who are latent psions whose abilities manifest with training to due to something that causes it to activate whether during character generation or during the game and,
2) "Implantees" who have an implant that grants them psionic abilities which have some problems attached to them since these are normally given to those who lack the latency of 1.

Now my view is that these psions have 3 choices available to them, namely;

1)Corporate
2)Military or
3) Renegade

Been reading through the psion book and have to admit to wondering about throwing in their "Mystical Order" since the play test I ran was based on the phantom Menace although no Jedi were involved!

Anyway I asked the player planning to run a Psion to select what type they want to be and they've yet to reply but I wanted to see what you thought and in case this might feel a little too railroady to see if this is a step too far.

In any case I've also asked them to design their own home system given them the UPP of their homeworld and told them to come up with the details themselves since their characters are native there they should know their own home system which means they greatly differ from whats listed in the sourcebook.

So far only one player has taken up that gauntlet and Fulacin now has 2 gas giants one of which is so huge that its atmosphere is sheathing a few of its satellites which is why a couple of those satellites are inhabitable...
Well there's more to than that but its almost enough for me to set the entire campaign in the Fulacin system!

 

[Rick]

You could set them up as a 'Guild' (with as many quasi-mystical trappings that you like - to preserve their monopoly and protect their secrets), with an exclusive contract to the military and/or government. I'm thinking more of the navigators guild from 'Dune' (with bits of the Bene Gesserit thrown in, lol!) than Jedi here really. Which would probably mean that any organisation set up to hunt down renegades would in all likelihood, be very secret - to preserve the myth that renegades don't exist and their monopoly at the same time.

 

[Hopeless]

After running the first adventure I'm still left wondering how to handle this.

Starcraft was one of the inspirations for this but I'm still waiting for the psion player to reply regarding her feelings on her character since it would be easy enough to explain that there are several different types of psion organisations present.

The military would make use of those who be inclined to military service but I figure most would eventually be agents whether used against rival nations or even their own people depending on the situation.

One subplot I'm considering is that the Empire has been recruiting suitable "talents" using whatever shenanigans they want and I've been thinking of expanding this by including that those that make use of combat implants have certain extra additions to make them compliant should they turn against their employer.

The existing psion player character hasn't bothered with that benefit so it won't come into play until I know more about what her character backstory since I figure this should be more about the player characters rather than highlighting my ideas for the campaign before they're necessary.

Still guilds, hmm since this looks like they'll turn to belt mining and setting up a business at Kinorb as the Empire covers up whats been going on, sorry investigates their claims...

Beltstrike mentions rules on obtaining a prospection licence and I was wondering if it was easier to simply them hire people to do the actual mining whilst they establish their new business at the mining colony?