An introduction to Traveller

[Hopeless]

Well this weekend I'm hoping to run my first Traveller game.

Since all but one of the players will be there I decided on an intro adventure mostly to let them get use to the system and make the campaign Idea I've been querying on another thread here.

I was debating between taking the mickey out of thew Phantom Menace to having them get a birdside view of the destruction as they're heading out of the system by jumpdrive but feel it might need a bit more thought put into it than that.

How did you handle introducing your players to Traveller?

I am pregenerating the characters but will give them the option of designing their own if they want or even finishing the characters they've already started.

 

[Egil Skallagrimsson]

We started with three completely stand alone fire fights, just to make sure that we all understood the rules.

Then, having previously generated characters and designed ship, on to trading and a number of Star port type encountesr, (non violent) leading to the first "proper" adventure as an enemy from one of the character's past caught up with him.

Thinking about it (and having recently re watched part of The Wire, I could see a stand alone law enforcement (or, perhaps, scoundrel)adventure as being a very good way to start off, as there should be plenty of oppurtunities to use non-combat skills as well.

Egil

 

[Stainless]

We started with three completely stand alone fire fights, just to make sure that we all understood the rules.

A good idea. You may want to print up my Mongoose Traveller Combat Flowchart and go through it with the players as well. I've had a lot of feedback that it makes the combat rules a lot more understandable.

You can get it by joining the Mongoose Traveller Aids Yahoo (MGT-Aids) group.

http://games.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/MGT-Aids/?v=1&t=directory&ch=web&pub=groups&sec=dir&slk=5

 

[rinku]

I'm starting a new group today; some are OT veterans, some are novices, none have used the MGT set yet.

They have a lab ship and scout; the basic plot I've set up involves investigating an epidemic. There are three worlds to investigate; one has just had infected ships jump in and managed to quarantine them, one has rampaging infection and one is the source of the infection, but due to its local circumstances (water world with tainted atmosphere & most settlements widely separated from each other and usually submerged) has managed to contain the spread.

The first planet will allow them problem solving and skill use in a controlled environment; the second one is likely to involve some ground combat as there's been social breakdown and a few roaming gangs, while the third is likely to involve space combat as there are Vargr raiders, corporate intrigue and political issues involved.

They may well do the planets in a different order (though the first planet is J-2 from their origin world, so is likely to be done first by default) but that will only affect which planet is in worse state when they get there.

Best advice I can give to a beginning Referee is that Traveller combat is and has always been pretty lethal. You should not take a heroic RPG approach and default to "...and then you're attacked by wandering monsters", as this will eventually just result in a dead party. Better to make sure a *potential* firefight has a back-down or roleplaying solution (this can be as simple as the players being offered a chance to surrender or explain themselves). Keep in mind there is NO game reward for kills - combat is a risky approach that is a means to an end. However, feel free to use combat as a punishment for the players acting dumb, if that follows logically.

 

[Hopeless]

Well joined the group and looking back I really should have used the pregens instead of generating them up myself!

The one off consisted of the Senator of Lanth heading to a secret meeting aboard a massive ship (think Trade Federation ship at the start of the Phantom Menace) however he boards by means of a ship's boat instead of having the ship delivering him landing in the other ships' landing bay.

The rest of the characters consisted of the Senator's staff namely an Aide (a former Field Researcher), his physician and bodyguard (a former Army Infantryman turned Clergyman) and a trio of Marines assigned for thier protection along with 2 naval personnel and a scout navigator who stick with the ship's boat.

The Senator is led off within the ship along with his bodyguard and three Marines escort.
Left in a meeting room one of the Marines suspects something is up and discoveres they've been sealed inside the room.
Ordered by the Army Lt one of the Marines disables the lock on the door and as they leave the room behind them fills with gas.
Sealing the room off leaves the Senator with a combat armoured Lt and 3 Marines in Battle Dress.
The troops aboard the ship file down to deal with the group resulting in a firefight that results in a chase inside the ship's bowels.
Meanwhile in the landing bay the interior hidden turrets activate and whirl to turn on the ship's boat.
Aware of a problem since noone has been inside the landing bay since the Senator left the pilot, engineer and navigator began flight checks preparing for an immediate return to their mothership.
Catching sight of the Turrets the pilot activates the ship boat's screens in time as the engineer mans the single pulse laser turret to fire back.
This results in the landing bay being chewed up and one side of the bay sealed due to battle damage as the ship's boat trains its pulse laser on the only other entrance in the bay.
The Senator is kept down as the group are caught ina crossfire fortunately the group manage to take down one of the attacking patrols so they can counterattack taking the other two patrols down in a crossfire.
Forced to use the emergency ladder up the lift shaft they disable the lft below with a tossed frag grenade but lose one of the Marines when they reach another floor and he is caught by a waiting patrol outside the lift he was pulling open.
The others manage to overcome the guards lying in wait and manage to find a way to the stairs leading to the corridor and access to the landing bay.
Eventually fighting their way up the stairway they almost lose another comrade in an ambush just outside the landing bay as two guards try to kill the Senator.
Rushing him aboard the waiting ship's boat they return for their fallen comrade and head back aboard long enough to make their escape from the ship which releases its compliment of fighters as their waiting mothership does the same leading into a massive fight as they desperately fly through the resulting dogfight and barely manage to land but not before their screens are taking down by repeated hits from pursuing fighters.
The fighters are recalled and the ship heads out of range before jumping out.

There was a bit mroe to than that but thats the brief version!

 

[Garnfellow]

I thought the opening chapter of the Reft Sector book would be an outstanding general introduction to the OTU. Yeah, the Reft Sector is pretty different from most of Imperial space, but 90% of the chapter is applicable to anywhere in the Imperium.

 

[Captain Brann]

See my web site for how I started my campaign.

Talked players through dangers of combat and try to have a lot of things they can use skills on as well as at least one fight every so often. They enjoy the challenge of a fight.

 

[Hopeless]

See my web site for how I started my campaign.

Talked players through dangers of combat and try to have a lot of things they can use skills on as well as at least one fight every so often. They enjoy the challenge of a fight.

I like those house rules especially the bits regarding the Zhodani, mind if I employ a few of your suggestions regarding the Sword Worlders?