Ask MongooseMatt ANYTHING!!!

[Terry Mixon]

Okay, not really anything, but when we post questions about the rules or potential typos in the feedback area, we often don't receive a response, so I'm creating this thread in the hopes of getting some response to questions we have, even if it is "we're looking at that" or some such.

I'll kick this off with a question I posted a few days ago. The emergency low berths in High Guard 2022 Update are listed at MC1 a pop. Seems real pricy since Mongoose 1e and all the previous versions of Traveller we checked had it being KCr100. In Mongoose 1e, it was listed as MCr.1 and we suspect a typo. Can we get some clartity on that so we can update the starship build sheet to reflect what we suspect if we're right? Thanks.

Also, allow me to suggest that adding KCr, BCr (or GCr to please @Geir), and TCr to your repertoire would be really helpful and would minimize the complaints about not having comma separation in your big numbers, too.

And sorry for all the wild AMA questions you're about to get @MongooseMatt.

 

[Hardwire]

Remember that psions automatically count as "shielded" unless they lower their shield to permit contact, so your Telepathy powers may not be able to tell the difference between a psion and someone wearing a psi-shield. Non-telepathy powers, of course, will work differently.

Edit - I am actually building a religious order that PSI-tests all of its "clergy", so every one of them has a PSI score, but no powers or opened Talents.

Correct, My point was that the person with Telepathy won't even know that there is a shield, Psi-Shield or Psion, until they try to use their telepathy. You do not know it you are block just by entering the area.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Correct, My point was that the person with Telepathy won't even know that there is a shield, Psi-Shield or Psion, until they try to use their telepathy. You do not know it you are block just by entering the area.

Seems reasonable to Me, but that is just My interpretation, others may disagree. Also, if they use Life Detection and those they should be detecting, but can't are out of their line of sight? Maybe they don't know they are using a Psi-shield, since they can't see them and verify that their psionic power is wrong when it says that no one is standing there.

 

[Hardwire]

Also using "Life Detection" doesn't leave a void in space it just doesn't show anything there, in my opinion.

 

[Tarkin]

Did Mongoose also acquire the rights to Space 1889?

 

[Condottiere]

You have to be careful not to cannibalize your customer base.

If it's just aesthetics, a couple of supplements in the primary product line.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Did Mongoose also acquire the rights to Space 1889?

We did not, I am afraid.

Might have been fun though

 

[Ewan]

We did not, I am afraid.

Might have been fun though

What about Blakes 7?

 

[MongooseMatt]

What about Blakes 7?

That would be interesting.

 

[boggo2300]

That would be interesting.

you sir, are a dreadful tease

 

[CordwainerFish]

That would be interesting.

(Spock eyebrow reaction emoji)

 

[Terry Mixon]

Okay, @MongooseMatt, I have a question about the Mongoose Traveller calendar.

The Core Rulebook defines what a week is (approx 168 hours) and a month is the same as a maintenance period (there is an entry that says 8 weeks is 2 months).

The question I have is about the year. Nowhere does it specify how many months/maintenance periods are in a year. The mortgage revolving around a division of the ship’s cost by 240 implies 12 months, but that would be a short year.

If there were 13 months, you could have Holiday and that would be a Terran year. You could even say (though you don’t) that the banks waive the mortgage on month 13 as that is for annual maintenance and the ship is out of service for part of it (that’s what I do).

Can you clarify this? How many months / maintenance periods are in a year?

 

[MongooseMatt]

Can you clarify this? How many months / maintenance periods are in a year?

To be honest... as far as the Core Rulebooks go, that is pretty much up to you, and can be tweaked to fit your own universe. I say 12 months in my games, but YMMV.

 

[Terry Mixon]

To be honest... as far as the Core Rulebooks go, that is pretty much up to you, and can be tweaked to fit your own universe. I say 12 months in my games, but YMMV.

Thanks for the reply.

Tagging @MasterGwydion because he and I wrangled over this a while back. Looks like the answer is whatever we want it to be.

 

[rinku]

I'm sure this has been bought up before, but there's a couple of discrepancies between the core book trade code criteria (I'm looking at the 11-12-2024 version) and the world builder handbook reference listing. However, where they differ (for fluid oceans and for waterworlds), the WBH ones make more sense and mirror previous edition ones (such as not having fluid oceans on Atmo D and E). WBH has clearly corrected old mistakes here.

Could this be updated in the errata and CRB .pdf?

Cheers.

 

[MongooseMatt]

Could this be updated in the errata and CRB .pdf?

On the cards for the next 'sweep' we do!

 

[Terry Mixon]

I created a set of enhanced docking clamps (posted in the Traveller forum for general amusement) to add power couplings, the ability to add airlocks to the clamp, and the ability to add a drop tank mount (minus the explosives) for use in fueling a ship's jump drives. The airlocks and drop tank mounts are paid for and have the tonnage as in the rules, but the power coupling is just added for free. For the price of a clamp, it seems minor enough.

As expected, someone on social media disagreed that this was needed--searches for my shocked face--and stated that docking clamps must already have power couplings and airlocks because they would hardly be worth their price otherwise.

Power couplings could be a gimmie as they wouldn't really move the needle on price or tonnage. Airlocks on the other hand, are problematic in my view.

It seems that if they had airlocks, they would be mentioned as a Type I docking clamp might use a free 2-ton airlock, but a Type V serving 2,000 tons to infinity, which might be unloading scads of cargo, would need more, which would have to be paid for and add to tonnage.

Personally, I don't see it in the intent of the rules as written. Can you clarify if the docking clamps are just the clamps, or do they include power couplings, airlocks, and potentially other things never mentioned?

 

[Anstett]

someone on social media disagreed that this was needed and stated that docking clamps must already have power couplings and airlocks because they would hardly be worth their price otherwise.

Wait, are you saying someone on Social Media is wrong?

 

[Terry Mixon]

Wait, are you saying someone on Social Media is wrong?

No. You're saying it. I'm just nodding along.

 

[Condottiere]

Way back when, someone posted that docking clamps had integrated airlocks.

I swallowed that.

Only years later, it occurred to me that it would be somewhat tough to stuff a two tonne airlock, into a one tonne docking clamp.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Way back when, someone posted that docking clamps had integrated airlocks.

I swallowed that.

Only years later, it occurred to me that it would be somewhat tough to stuff a two tonne airlock, into a one tonne docking clamp.

It could be adjacent. The clamp just holds the other vessel in place for easy access with your tiny airlock. Bigger clamps are easier.

The other end of the spectrum is problematic, too. That Type V clamp supporting the 1,000,000-ton Warmonger might take a while to unload with a 2-ton airlock.