Additional 'Pirates of Drinax' Related Publications? Worth It?

[DeHammer]

So I was cruising DriveThruRPG and noticed that there's a bunch of smaller PDF publications for the various 'missions' mentioned in the PoD books. For instance, there's a separate 'Friends In Dry Places' publication you can pick up. There's also another book with apparently more info on the Harrier Class ship.

So I'm guessing that the large three book volume of PoD doesn't include all of this info? These expand on what's in PoD in some way? Are they worth picking up in addition to PoD?

 

[Endie]

So I was cruising DriveThruRPG and noticed that there's a bunch of smaller PDF publications for the various 'missions' mentioned in the PoD books. For instance, there's a separate 'Friends In Dry Places' publication you can pick up. There's also another book with apparently more info on the Harrier Class ship.

So I'm guessing that the large three book volume of PoD doesn't include all of this info? These expand on what's in PoD in some way? Are they worth picking up in addition to PoD?

View attachment 7193

No.

Just get the Drinaxian Companion, which is well worth it and contains those extra adventures (and more).

Edit: it also contains some very MJDish subsystems like the base construction rules, which in true MJD fashion are clearly untested and dodgy at best. But his add-on adventures like Revolution on Acrid and the Cordan Conflict are great.

 

[agentwigggles]

I also advise not running pod as your first game as a gm.
Its like learning to juggle via learning to unicycle. Its just making it more complicated for no real gain.

Also for whats it worth PoD got really popular. So it got more books. Nothing in the other books is really dire. They're just nice to have.
I really like the flavor of the Sindal Officer sword.
The base building rules, are functional, though I really do love that equipment functions as a manhour multiplier. I think thats a really worthwhile way to handle it. Even though it does imply you can dig out a base on a astroid with shovel.

 

[rinku]

Power Shovel.

Also, just because a shovel is a work multiplier for moving soil, doesn't mean it's one for moving regolith. Use the appropriate equipment for the task at hand.

PICK and shovel, on the other hand...

 

[Endie]

I also advise not running pod as your first game as a gm.
Its like learning to juggle via learning to unicycle. Its just making it more complicated for no real gain.

Also for whats it worth PoD got really popular. So it got more books. Nothing in the other books is really dire. They're just nice to have.
I really like the flavor of the Sindal Officer sword.
The base building rules, are functional, though I really do love that equipment functions as a manhour multiplier. I think thats a really worthwhile way to handle it. Even though it does imply you can dig out a base on a astroid with shovel.

People always say that about not running PoD first. I'd not run or played anything in Traveller since 1986 when I kicked off my first PoD campaign and it worked amazingly (now I'm running two more Traveller campaigns, one of which is PoD and the other of which will be, since the players have heard of it and are keen). Admittedly, I was a very experienced GM in multiple other systems (my D&D campaign has been running since 1986, so happy fortieth to it...).

A couple of weeks of really good background reading and starting with Marooned on Marduk or the like and you're golden. On the other hand, one of my mates (highly experienced Traveller GM) tried to run PoD last year and it lasted two sessions: he'd not done the reading and he didn't have a spreadsheet. If you don't want a massive spreadsheet (or similar, structured electronic aid) then don't run PoD: it's pretty vital. If that appalls you then don't do it!