Has anyone run a Traveller game where the PCs aren't just wild loners wandering the stars on their own, but who actually have families "back home" somewhere? I think it'd be interesting to try to incorporate that kind of story element into the game - for starters I think it would make "home" a lot more important than the ship itself, which is just a means to do one's job.
Dependents?
- Thread starter EDG
- Start date
GypsyComet
Emperor Mongoose
I recall at least one ex-wife figuring into plans, and another case where the PC was the wayward heir of a fortune whom the family really wanted back home, so family has certainly motivated my players before.
As positive motivation? Not so much. Perhaps the Life events table in this edition should be emphasised a bit more, to see if such things come up.
As positive motivation? Not so much. Perhaps the Life events table in this edition should be emphasised a bit more, to see if such things come up.
Yes, in my setting all characters are citizens of the same colony, andEDG said:
most of them have families or at least close relatives there.
This indeed changes the style of the campaign somewhat, because the
characters have to consider the potential consequences of their actions
for their families. In my opinion, the characters behave more like real
people, and less like action heroes.
For example, they avoid all actions which could encourage their enemies
to retaliate against their families, which leads to less willingness to solve
problems with guns and explosives and more willingness to negotiate and
find a compromise.
Pyromancer
Mongoose
Im my weekly game, the players rolled very high SOC, and that even increased during chargen. So, dukes and comtesses have families. The game is full of politics and intrigues and backstabbing nobles and frequent remarks like "Boy/girl, you are 40 and still not married! Why don't you find yourself a wife and produce offsprings like your brother/sister/cousin. This XY I met last week is a really nice person..." That may be part of the reason why they agreed to a secret under-cover diplomatic mission to the Sword Worlds... 
In my monthly game, the PCs operate from a home base on Flammarion, where they have spouses, relatives, friends, and quite some enemies by now.
In my monthly game, the PCs operate from a home base on Flammarion, where they have spouses, relatives, friends, and quite some enemies by now.
Kristovich
Mongoose
I've found this a problem as well. Often the PC's will be just loners with no ties anywhere what-so-ever (there was this PC who killed his guardians though, IIRC...).
I noticed that this makes PC's rather bland, and therefore I have asked the players in my current SST game to actually come up with some relatives and background. I figure worried parents/siblings/friends/spouses makes for a good way to give the world more life, so it won't just revolve around the PC's (and perhaps give the PC's some motivation beyond "becoming the best").
I noticed that this makes PC's rather bland, and therefore I have asked the players in my current SST game to actually come up with some relatives and background. I figure worried parents/siblings/friends/spouses makes for a good way to give the world more life, so it won't just revolve around the PC's (and perhaps give the PC's some motivation beyond "becoming the best").
Indeed, in my campaign the families of the player characters have beco-Kristovich said:
me a good source of adventure hooks.
For example, when his spouse tells a player character something like "We
really need an xyz for the colony, just think of the children" or "Someone
should do something about that xyz before we all get into trouble", that
character is quite likely to act accordingly.
kafka
Mongoose
quote="EDG" What you are hinting at is a campaign. Every good campaign evolves that way. It depends probably on the age and maturity level of the players involved.
But, as gaming remains a largely male pastime and a way to get away from the wives, family, etc. art would not necessarily follow life. And, RPGing as an enactment of power fantasy, I could see the opposite of settling down for most players - doing something that is not the norm. However, as I said earlier it is a natural evolution of the storyline.
Because I have mainly game'd Traveller with guys, I find less a fascination with story that I would expect in a similar group playing say AD&D or other FRPG where these tendencies bubble up more frequently.
But, as gaming remains a largely male pastime and a way to get away from the wives, family, etc. art would not necessarily follow life. And, RPGing as an enactment of power fantasy, I could see the opposite of settling down for most players - doing something that is not the norm. However, as I said earlier it is a natural evolution of the storyline.
Because I have mainly game'd Traveller with guys, I find less a fascination with story that I would expect in a similar group playing say AD&D or other FRPG where these tendencies bubble up more frequently.
I've had players give a basic description of their background and family in both scifi and fantasy campaigns. If the player doesn't supply one, I would make something feasible for them. It made the characters more "human" and realistic and provided me with lots of adventure hooks, contacts, etc. I've noticed for fantasy games, players often made their players solo by being orphans of a horrible incident. In scifi campaigns, for some reason the players tended to give themselves a family back home.
Due to the detailed character generation of Traveller, it would be nice to implement more family background into the generation itself. Everything else is entertainingly generated, why not a family?
Due to the detailed character generation of Traveller, it would be nice to implement more family background into the generation itself. Everything else is entertainingly generated, why not a family?
Dude, we're Travellers, we ditched that baggage when we lit out for the stars.....
Or at least that is my story....
This question is covered by my quintessential question; "Why do we Travel?"
So the whole Family/background is more framed by the game you are playing/running than by anything else...
Though I must warn you I am a child of the American Range, so widespread families are the norm...
Or at least that is my story....
This question is covered by my quintessential question; "Why do we Travel?"
So the whole Family/background is more framed by the game you are playing/running than by anything else...
Though I must warn you I am a child of the American Range, so widespread families are the norm...
Infojunky said:
Ditch it all you like... but it's still there. It just seems funny to me that in Traveller we have these 30-50 year old characters who have pretty much explicitly had time to have a proper life... and yet they're all wild and free and single and without any actual emotional baggage? Sure, they have Friends and Enemies and Allies and Contacts, but what about wives, children, parents, extended clans, etc? That "baggage" can provide a hell of a lot of storylines, yet it seems to be largely ignored.
As a teenager, I never imagined accounting for family in RPGs. Now that I'm a bit on the older side - it just seems natural.
MGT does have the Life Events table which includes quite a number of these elements [Core pg 34]. Given how much most players enjoy Traveller char gen, I think this table could use some expansion. As others have pointed out - it’s not just filler, but can actively be part of the game - so yeah I think more coverage is appropriate.
Besides expanding upon the Life Events, an additional Random Encounter table (that Zhodani noble ex-girlfriend could be a real pain… :shock and an NPC table covering relatives (distant cousin the Archduke/serial killer) would be nice.
Imitating RW - this means some player's might have a 'spouse at every port' and motivating factors - like alimony and avoiding certain worlds because of the Ex. (Country Western song theme's as scenarios!).
Firefly is often brought up here - though the show revolved around the ship mates as family - there was still the Tam's parents, Mal’s ‘YoSafBridge’ recurring honeymoon, and don’t forget Jayne's Radar O'rielly style correspondence with his mother (and his cunning hat). These elements, even with this otherwise independent, renegade group, certainly added anchoring flavor to the story and had the series continued would have no doubt factored more into the plots.
MGT does have the Life Events table which includes quite a number of these elements [Core pg 34]. Given how much most players enjoy Traveller char gen, I think this table could use some expansion. As others have pointed out - it’s not just filler, but can actively be part of the game - so yeah I think more coverage is appropriate.
Besides expanding upon the Life Events, an additional Random Encounter table (that Zhodani noble ex-girlfriend could be a real pain… :shock
and an NPC table covering relatives (distant cousin the Archduke/serial killer) would be nice.Imitating RW - this means some player's might have a 'spouse at every port' and motivating factors - like alimony and avoiding certain worlds because of the Ex. (Country Western song theme's as scenarios!).
Firefly is often brought up here - though the show revolved around the ship mates as family - there was still the Tam's parents, Mal’s ‘YoSafBridge’ recurring honeymoon, and don’t forget Jayne's Radar O'rielly style correspondence with his mother (and his cunning hat). These elements, even with this otherwise independent, renegade group, certainly added anchoring flavor to the story and had the series continued would have no doubt factored more into the plots.
While my first answer was kinda flip, it also is kinda emulation the period that Traveller is simulating.
And to be quite honest there is a chunk of sea/canal going populations that get ignored in the fiction, but not the histories.
(Sidenote; it is becoming a trend in some shipping lines to allow for accompanied crews (or at least the officers), due to the increasing difficulty of merchant seamen leaving their vessel while docked. This difficulty is partly security restrictions in some ports limiting non-terminal personnel from crossing the terminal, to shorter turn around times for cargo transfer.)
So maybe there need to be some accommodation in the homeworld selection and events to reflect this sort of character...
And to be quite honest there is a chunk of sea/canal going populations that get ignored in the fiction, but not the histories.
(Sidenote; it is becoming a trend in some shipping lines to allow for accompanied crews (or at least the officers), due to the increasing difficulty of merchant seamen leaving their vessel while docked. This difficulty is partly security restrictions in some ports limiting non-terminal personnel from crossing the terminal, to shorter turn around times for cargo transfer.)
So maybe there need to be some accommodation in the homeworld selection and events to reflect this sort of character...
drnuncheon
Mongoose
EDG said:
Well, one of my PCs has a 7-year-old - but she's on the ship and they're both on the run, so maybe that doesn't qualify…
One of the characters I had in an online game on CotI (now dead, I think) had two daughters.
And another character in the FtF game I have monthly has a daughter also (lives with her mother, in the Core sector; my character is in the Marches now). If he dies, she inherits.
And another character in the FtF game I have monthly has a daughter also (lives with her mother, in the Core sector; my character is in the Marches now). If he dies, she inherits.
