Jak Nazryth's Traveller Campaign

[Jak Nazryth]

Due to a long holiday and a family emergency my game had been put off for several weeks. Tonight was we picked up where we left off.

After doing some investigation and streetwise rolls, the party discovered that the Winters Corp, district 268 sub-sector headquarters, was located on Mertactor, the planet the party was on when the game ended. The parties Social Standing 13 noble made a great b.s. roll while asking the Winters design engineers to look at revamping an aging 400 ton family owned business/pleasure yacht. The allowed the party a private suite withing the facilities to review the Winters products. While the noble gave the engineers a lot of crazy design ideas (a petting zoo, a disco lounge, a cold habitat for his pet polar bears Ike and Pike, and a hot habitat for his pet sand drake, fluffy, the engineers looked bemused (another spoiled noble's son with more money than sense) the Psi-cop and corporate agent, broke the fire walls of the company computer system and researched any powerful executives who had been forced to retire within the last few years. They found one.
Salina Kane, age 55 retired unexpectedly 2 years ago. She was the Director of Personnel Management. A person of her stature within the Winters Corp Management probably knows Trillion Winters personally and might have first hand knowlege of what really happened to her...
The only thing that stood out was a list of relatives on her personal company bio, a brother.
His name is Alias Hauser, living on Pavabib.
BINGO!
The party spent the remainder of the evening getting gear together for time on Pavabib (TL-6) which included an old "1950's" car. They rolled a streetwise of 15 and managed to find a costume and prop company. Because the SW roll was so good, I said that a docu-drama had been recently filmed portraying the Church of Stellar Divinity, and there were lots of props left over for sale. The party purchased "period" cloths plus priest robes. They even got a replica 4-door van (with church markings) and placed in the cargo hold of "Far Horizons". They even purchased 2 motorcycles as well. (The vehicles are TL 12 but made to look like TL 6 so they run off power cells in stead of internal combustion)
On the way back to Mertactor Downport to their waiting old crappy scout ship, Far Horizons, the party was jumped by 6 hired thugs.
Earlier I randomly rolled each players rivals, and one of them showed up, the former Psi-cop.
The Psi-cop was targeted and taken out by stunner. A couple of the players received some minor wounds, but they were able to rescue the psi-cop before the bad guys got away with his unconscious body.
The game ended with the party wrapping up any last minute details and leaving Mertactor for Pavabib. The next game will start with the party jumping into the Pavabib system near it's local gas giant.
The player were pumped up about tonight and can't wait til next game.

 

[AndrewW]

While the noble gave the engineers a lot of crazy design ideas (a petting zoo, a disco lounge, a cold habitat for his pet polar bears Ike and Pike, and a hot habitat for his pet sand drake, fluffy, the engineers looked bemused (another spoiled noble's son with more money than sense) the Psi-cop and corporate agent, broke the fire walls of the company computer system and researched any powerful executives who had been forced to retire within the last few years.

Not that crazy, specialized environments like that already exist within the MGT system.

Sounds like a good time was had by all.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Sounds like they'll be having a goode olde tyme on Pavabid! :wink:

 

[Liam Devlin]

Btw, Mssr Nazryth,

if you'd like it, I have my notes on Mertactor Highport & Downport from my BST-D-268 campaign (and the basis for my writing in Spinward Encounters) if you wish to have them.

 

[Jak Nazryth]

Thank you LD for the information! I'll put it to good use.

When my players exit jump space near the Pavabib Gas giant, they will encounter something unpleasant.
If you've read any of this thread you'll know that two systems on either side of Pavibib are nearing open war with each other. The player will encounter the remains of a recent battle. Several ships are damaged beyond repair with most (if not all) hands lost. Some are issuing distress calls, and some are "mopping up" while all ships involved have moderate to heavy damage.
I have never attempted creating war ships so would anyone have ideas on the types and number of ships I can populate the battle field?
I'll note that because of the size of the two worlds involved, there will not be huge ships involved, most likely 5k tons at the very most (my best guess) and most of the ships involved will be 1k and less with a good number of privateers. While not in open war yet, this battle will represent the first of a series of battles in a proxy war between Texalon and Collace.

My players can make a choice of heading on to Pavibib to refuel (not for free) or chose to pass through the battle zone in order to refuel at the gas giant.
If they chose to refuel at the gas giant they can lend aid, investigate damage ships, fight, hide, or what ever.
The winners (Texalon) are in the process of repairing and boarding one or two damaged (yet repairable) Collace ships. Even though the Texalon proxy "fleet" is beat up, they are more than a match for a lone old out of date scout ship.

I have my own, but Any other ideas on ships involved?

 

[Liam Devlin]

You're welcome, Mssr Nazryth!


As for a space battle, and being waged at this time by the privateers of BOTH sides (Collace & Trexalon), it might be better to presume the total tonnage of ships involved on both sides, then divide by two. If say 5Ktons of ships were involved, per-se then which side came with more than the other, or were they equally matched?

a 2K Privateer task force vs a 3K Privateer task force, or evenly divided 2.5kton each are of course all options on the table.

I would *presume* each side has armed minor ships, some which being TL-12 common styles like the 400dton T-type Patrol cruiser/ or P-class Corsair; maybe a 800dton Type C-Mercenary cruiser, and a converted frieghter with a buck-ton of small space fighters might seem like a small "fleet" to a lone 100dton S-class scout.

Round up to tonnage with armed smallcraft whenever possible. You may wish to spice things up and add some vessels from Traders & Gunboats, or Merchants & Cruisers, or Scoundrel for that matter...like the 400dton Blockade Runner; the 600dt Centaur-class Mercenary Cruiser-mini-Space FTR carrier...

I will presume you have Merchant-Prince & read the fine print on being a privateer with Letter of Marque for the two opposing sides already :twisted:[/u][/i]

 

[Jak Nazryth]

Because of a long illness and a loss in my family, my campaign has been very hit and miss over the summer. With the passing of my dad things have settled down a bit and I'm ready to get back on track.
My game kicks back up tonight as my players come out of jump near a gas giant (their choice) so they can refuel before continuing onto Pavabib. Previously I had been planning on them encountering the remains of a recent battle between around 2000 ton's of ships. Now I'm going to scale it down dramatically having only 2 or three ships on each side with 400 ton max. size. This involves a 300 ton Rhapsody class merchant trader, 200 ton far trader with one escort (I'm with the 400 ton Q-ship for now) from the pro-Emperium planet Collace, and a group of Trexalon-backed privateers.

To set up the encounter, their escort (Q-ship) has been severely damaged as is in a slow death spiral into the Gas Giant (will enter atmo in 4 days) as the maneuver drive has been permanently disabled. The Rhapsody main power plant has been disabled and is currently being stripped of parts and cargo by one of the privateers. The Far Trader has been damaged the least, but is is currently allowing the privateers to dock to begin "taxation".

One of the privateers has been completely destroyed with 3 large sections of hull floating off in random directions. A second is heavily damaged and and drifting away under emergency solar panel power until the crew can repair or the others will help.
A third is moderately damaged and is in the final stages of stripping everything valuable out of the Rhapsody class.
The 4th privateer is currently begining to dock with the far trader.
It is these last two that will be closest to the players when they come out of jump. The players must maneuver within sensor range as they head toward the gas giant.

This will allow the players to make a choice. Continue with their mission to pavabib by avoiding the ships, or try to mount a rescue.

Since we are dealing with a Gas Giant, the ranges involved are pretty large and you can slip in and out if you are careful. (look at the range tables for ships sensors)

What would be good ships for privateers?
Remember, the players have a very old scout ship called "Far Horizons".
Their current goal is to sneak into Pavabib society to find either a former Winters Corp. executive, or "The Phoenix" a bounty hunter, or both.

I am placing this plot hook in their way so that they can make a choice.

 

[Jak Nazryth]

Oh yeah... even though Pavabib is low tech (6) (1950's-1960's-ish) that doesn't mean the planet does not have a defense force. I'm thinking of having late tech 9 or early tech 10 system defense boats patrolling Pavabib space. One is on the way to investigate and will be on the scene within 24 hours.
Or should I keep the Pavabib "fleet" stuck at TL 6? It does have a space port after all...

 

[Liam Devlin]

Oh yeah... even though Pavabib is low tech (6) (1950's-1960's-ish) that doesn't mean the planet does not have a defense force. I'm thinking of having late tech 9 or early tech 10 system defense boats patrolling Pavabib space. One is on the way to investigate and will be on the scene within 24 hours.
Or should I keep the Pavabib "fleet" stuck at TL 6? It does have a space port after all...

Given the idea that the CoSD-(Pavabid) church's new version of Theocracy (and condemened as heretical by the Imperial mainstream versions) is less than 30 years old, odds are indeed likely some fission-power-plant SDB's of TL9-10 still remain. They are crewed of course by the new Faithful Priest-Technicians, and the crews (ala MgT-Sector Fleets for Type D govts) are likely conscripts.

They are probably beam laser armed at TL7.

Taking a page from the Traveller New Era book Path of Tears for calc'ing low tech world space forces...(p.95-99)

Essentially the new Priest-God-king of Pavabid is a TED (Technologically elevated (sustained) Dictator)


World Population: Pop 8 (700 million)
Armed Forces total manpower: 1% or 7 Million of healthy age of service total.

:arrow: Starport Type C = Space Force = 6% of armed forces
TL6= multiplier x 0.1
= 4200x personnel for "Space Force"/ 500 personnel for small combatant vessels comes to a total of 8x possible armed spacecraft/ starships (no working jump drives) less than 1kton in size each, with an extra 200x personnel mechanics/ ground security, support, spare crews.

:arrow: TL6 Air Force/ ACC = 20% Armed Forces w/ multiplier .25 since Dictatorship controls starport.

350,000 personnel total; 175K/ manning 875x TL6 Planetary Air Defense Missile (PADM's) batteries of Six launchers each per 200 personnel.
175K personnel manning 875x total Aircraft, 1/ 200 personnel, organized into squadrons of 6 aircraft for a total of 145 Squadrons.


:arrow: TL6 Wet Navy = Hydrosphere (7%), or 490,000 personnel/ manning 163x large warships(1500 personnel each), & 490x Small warships (manned by 500 personnel each).

:arrow: TL6 Ground Forces = the remainder, or 6,155,800, organized into 307x 20K man-divisions, 15,800 left over (possible Priest-Paramilitary Police Force, Inquisitors, etc).

II. Quality for Forces (applies to all branches)

:arrow: 5% of total are elite
:arrow: 15% are Veteran
:arrow: 30% Experienced
:arrow: 50% Green (Barely trained)

So, odds are likely there in the Pavabid Holy Star Patrol there is 1x expert, top notch TL9 SDB crewed vessel, with good skills, initiative, etc & Skipper (Skill Level III bunch)

1x with decent Skills, and Skipper (Skill Level II bunch)

2x with Skill I's

4x Skill 0's (If they thought they wuz being invaded, they'd be ordered to take off into space, but they'd be as much a risk to allied crews as not!)

 

[Jak Nazryth]

That is a lot of information.
I had a slightly different breakdown (in sketched notes only) but since you spent much more time creating this outline, I will use your information for any pav-troops the players might encounter (if they completely screw things up)
The only minor difference in equipment is that I was simply going to base all "sci-fi" weapons on TL9, and only on the star ports and military base,
The BIG surprise, if the players are insane enough, is that the highest church officials and their elite forces use "modern" TL 12 equipment.
After all.... "It's good to be the king."

 

[Liam Devlin]

That is a lot of information.
I had a slightly different breakdown (in sketched notes only) but since you spent much more time creating this outline, I will use your information for any pav-troops the players might encounter (if they completely screw things up)
The only minor difference in equipment is that I was simply going to base all "sci-fi" weapons on TL9, and only on the star ports and military base,
The BIG surprise, if the players are insane enough, is that the highest church officials and their elite forces use "modern" TL 12 equipment.
After all.... "It's good to be the king."

Well,
the formulae is Traveller-New Era, but if one applied it to more modern low tech, non-aligned world with a working starport, it does the job, primarily based on expected amounts of freight-traffic.

Breaking down the TL of the troops follows the previously mentioned line of elite-veteran-experienced-green:

TL12 weapons & personal armor = 5%
TL10 weapons & armor =15%
TL9 weapons & armor =30%
TL6 (planetary made shtuff) = 50%.

The Holy Army of Pavabid will have its best equipment in the hands of its BEST (and most zelous/ loyal) troops!

 

[Jak Nazryth]

Because of a long illness and a loss in my family, my campaign has been very hit and miss over the summer. With the passing of my dad things have settled down a bit and I'm ready to get back on track.
My game kicks back up tonight as my players come out of jump near a gas giant (their choice) so they can refuel before continuing onto Pavabib. Previously I had been planning on them encountering the remains of a recent battle between around 2000 ton's of ships. Now I'm going to scale it down dramatically having only 2 or three ships on each side with 400 ton max. size. This involves a 300 ton Rhapsody class merchant trader, 200 ton far trader with one escort (I'm with the 400 ton Q-ship for now) from the pro-Emperium planet Collace, and a group of Trexalon-backed privateers.

To set up the encounter, their escort (Q-ship) has been severely damaged as is in a slow death spiral into the Gas Giant (will enter atmo in 4 days) as the maneuver drive has been permanently disabled. The Rhapsody main power plant has been disabled and is currently being stripped of parts and cargo by one of the privateers. The Far Trader has been damaged the least, but is is currently allowing the privateers to dock to begin "taxation".

One of the privateers has been completely destroyed with 3 large sections of hull floating off in random directions. A second is heavily damaged and and drifting away under emergency solar panel power until the crew can repair or the others will help.
A third is moderately damaged and is in the final stages of stripping everything valuable out of the Rhapsody class.
The 4th privateer is currently begining to dock with the far trader.
It is these last two that will be closest to the players when they come out of jump. The players must maneuver within sensor range as they head toward the gas giant.

This will allow the players to make a choice. Continue with their mission to pavabib by avoiding the ships, or try to mount a rescue.

Since we are dealing with a Gas Giant, the ranges involved are pretty large and you can slip in and out if you are careful. (look at the range tables for ships sensors)

What would be good ships for privateers?
Remember, the players have a very old scout ship called "Far Horizons".
Their current goal is to sneak into Pavabib society to find either a former Winters Corp. executive, or "The Phoenix" a bounty hunter, or both.

I am placing this plot hook in their way so that they can make a choice.

It's been a very long time since an update.
Here's the short version.
The players won the fight.
For those who expressed interest on the events in my game, I'll update more soon.

 

[Burocrate]

Please do, I was saving the majority of this campaign in case my two kids ever move away from D&D and into Traveller.

 

[Jak Nazryth]

Before I continue, let me introduce you to my PC's / crew

Player 1,
His character's name is Johnny Alpha.
Johnny Alpha started out as a Scholar-scientist in the core rule book, trained in genetics, psionology, chemistry and electronics. In his character creation he rolled life event, "psionics", got 2 enemies, and an accident. The way he explained it is that the pharmaceutical company he was working for, was testing experiment genetic based psi-suppression drugs on test subjects who were being experimented on against their will. They were captured by the Imperial Psi-corp and were given to Johnny's employer. Johnny ended up hating what his employer was doing to what he considered innocent victims, so he secretly started administering the drugs to himself, thinking that since he did not have psionics, it wouldn't have any real effects. It had the opposite effect. It awoke his psionic talent, and he ended up rolling a 9 on his psionic strength score. He was fired, then handed over to the psi-corp. But the psi-corp took him in and continued his training. Player 1 then finished out his character Johnny Alpha using the Psion book, as a Psi-cop. Johnny Alpha secretly detests the psi-corp and his characters goal is to use his talent to help psions on the run. His official roll for the crew is Astrogator, comms and Medic.

Player 2
His character's name is Derrick Ridge, using the Agent book exclusively to roll up a corporate agent.
Derrick Ridge is a former corporate agent. He has a corporate agent as an ally. He is very good at stealth, recon, and computers. He is also a decent small craft pilot because of his dexterity. Derricks official roll in the group is Small craft pilot, and computer ops. His goal is to get a 40 ton covert operations fighter from the Agent book. Very expensive fighter Derrick!

Player 3
His character's name is Mackvestbr (Mack for short), using the Psion book to create the character.
Mack is a Zhondani, thus the strange name. He started out as a youth in early training (through the psion book) but after entering advanced school, he discovered the true nature of the Zhondani Consulate, and how they use Psionics to enslave an entire culture. Mack revolted, and after his instructors attempted to "correct his thinking" he made a run for the Imperium border. He spent the rest of his career and training in an Underground Psionic Institute located in free space between the Imperium and Zhondani (Tremous Dex system in the Villus Sub Sector) His official roll in the group is sensors and back-up pilot. He has quite a few skills at zero, but he his most effective with his psionics, being more specialized than Johnny Alpha. Macks goal is to become an important link in the psionic underground railroad. In a bizarre twist of fate, Mack the run-a-way pison and Johnny Alpha the former Psi-cop have become best friends.

Player 4
His characters name is Alexander Spenser, a 100% pure marine out of the core book.
Alex fights and fights well. He doesn't talk much except when he's trying to intimidate "difficult" people. He has very good sub-dermal armor implanted and a nice tricked out suit of combat armor, and hard to injure. Alex was trained in heavy weapons, but his current gun of choice is his trusty gauss rifle. He has no enemies or ally's but on occasion he knows how and where to go to get "special" combat equipment. Being the only member of the group trained in starship gunnery during his career, Alex is official roll in the group is Gunner and combat expert (tactics). Alexander's goal is to eventually get a suit of Battle Dress and PGMP.... yikes... God help my campaign then...

Player 5
His character's name is Edward Zeiker, using the core book and scout.
Edward Zeiker started out as a scout, but a mishap sent him packing. He spent the rest of his career as a wander(ing) citizen mechanic/engineer. My jaw dropped when I watched him roll "Jack of all trades" 3 separate times!
Player 5 only managed to show up for 1 1/2 games but because of his 1 hour + drive each way, and a wife with little patience, he had to bow out. So as a GM I turned his character into an NPC, making him a bit older and more experienced than the rest of the group. Edward Zeiker is the crew's official Engineer, and mechanic. He has jump, maneuver, and power plant engineer each at 1, plus mechanics. Since he has JOAT at 3, he also fills any needs the other players can't or don't want to handle.

Player 6
His character's name is Baron Elyse Worthington. He use the Core book and Dilettante to create a Noble. His social standing is 13. Elyse Worthington is the youngest son of Victor Worthington, of the Spinward Marches Worthington's... of course... I mean who would be caught dead being a member of the Reft sector Worthington's... I mean... REALLY! Baron Worthington's role in the party is to basically be a spoiled wealthy smart ass. He excels as a diplomat, the arts of persuasion, and as a broker. He is the newest VP of his fathers company, Worthcorp inc. Worthcorp is a wholesale distributer of anything and everything from basic goods and services to luxury items. They are a small but aggressive company. Player 6 opted for the "monthly wealth" mustering out benefits in the Dilettante book- thus his reasoning behind "Worthcorp". His company (through him) has purchased 51% ownership of the players adventure class ship. It is a 300 ton armed merchant. The Baron officially uses it to seek out new trade deals for his company on the fringe of the Imperial borders and beyond, but in reality it just an excuse to take all the space drugs and have all the space whores he can get before fired as VP. Player 6 is a good GM in his own right and a great roll-player, but unfortunately because of too many on-going games he's involve in, and his family obligations, he had to bow out after 5 or 6 game sessions. Although he will start playing again if his schedule clears up, so I always tell him the results of each game, and I let him tell me how his character would react. His "job" is to be an instigator or "Worthcorp has a mission... we need to go here..." if the players are completely stumped on what to do... which has yet to happen. The rest of the players are paying off the remainder of the 49% of the ship, including their own ship shares.

In fights and other situations, I give the character sheet for Edward or Baron Worthington to the remaining players, so they get to roll dice for skills etc... when the situation requires it.

That sums up the party. I might be getting one more player. Not sure what he might want to play, but I'll find out next week.