Location For Firefly-Style Custom Subsector?

[sshinn]

I'm new to Traveller; I've bought the core book but none of the setting books just yet.

Ultimately I'd like to create my own custom subsectors at the edge of Known Space. Ideally this subsector would have no aliens and be a low-tech Firefly style subsector, perhaps adjacent to the Imperium.

I'd also like to have the option of buying some existing settings material to marry up with my custom subsector.

Question: What part of the Traveller universe would it be best to create such a subsector? Ideally it would be on the edge of some known space (maybe the Spinward Marches or some rimward area) with some existing setting material.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[AndrewW]

If you are creating your own area there's no need to tie it into any existing setting. Just let your creativity flow and take you where it may.

 

[sshinn]

If you are creating your own area there's no need to tie it into any existing setting. Just let your creativity flow and take you where it may.

Well that's true

However, I like being able to say 'you're in a sector just rimward of ______' with the option to have the adventurers visit some part of known space at some point in the future.

Any ideas of where best to place a custom subsector which has low technology and no aliens?

 

[Federico]

I would make your own, I have done the same. Takes some work but it is worth the effort.

We started with only 1 subsector available for the players saying that the alliance their planets where in did not allow them to go out of the sub sector at the moment we have 4 sub sectors that are known and about 4 and even more for them to explore.

Works great and you don't have to take anything in account from other material.

 

[sshinn]

Would the Traveller's Society be present in these new sectors outside of Known Space? Also, what about things like the presence of the Imperium?

 

[CosmicGamer]

For what it sounds like you are doing, I'd suggest taking on the edge of one of the documented sectors, like Spinward Marches, and making it your own. This would provide the possible influences and future tie ins you might be looking for.

You might want to go to http://www.travellermap.com/ and search on Five Sisters. This subsector has quite a few lower tech worlds. Most of the systems are part of the Imperium but it's far from the center of government and not even "connected" which lends well to the Firefly feel. May be a good start so that you don't have to customize a whole lot if you don't want to.

There is also a book for the Reft sector, but I don't have that one.

 

[Moonstruck]

The first pined thread is for the new - Free Epic Campaign - The Pirates of Drinax

It has a sub-sector map in it, covering part 1. Has some intresting ideas, you could use for a Firefly feel. It is set in the Boarder area between the 3I and the Aslan.

Then there is the Traveller Developer's Pack. It is in 5th pined thread. It includes a map of the Foreven Sector. Which for the last 30+ years has been left undeveloped, as a GM's sandbox. The sector is just to the spinward of the Marches. The coreward part is Zhodani, then you have the Darrian and Five Sisters sub-sectors. Just outside your sandbox in the Marches.


http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pdf/travdevpack.zip

 

[sshinn]

Thanks for the feedback everyone!

 

[Dunia]

In Firefly, all those worlds are set in a single solar system, as it is said in the intro of Serenity movie. So build yourself a solar system with 4 stars, 20-30 worlds and 50+ moons and let this system lie outside the chartered space in Traveller universe in a region where the Imperium/Solomani/Vilani has not reached (I would suggest rimward of Solomani worlds).

Then remove the concept of Jumpdives as this system was settled before jumpdrives were invented by the terrans, and when you tire of this setting, you can always let the players find a derelict ship from the ordinary setting that allows them to go outside this system and experience traveller universe.

have fun.

 

[Mithras]

Dunia ... much easier to map them out as worlds on a traditional hex map and go with the jump drive. Same feel, same rules, no extra work....

 

[Dunia]

Still, I would not use Jumpdrive, you can either use any firefly 'verse map found on the web, or you could use subsector/sector maps and instead of having 1 hex = 1 parsec, i would do 1 hex a few AU.

That way, you get the easy mapping of traveller and the fire fly setting.

 

[Mithras]

If you are happy that way, fine!

Still, I would not use Jumpdrive, you can either use any firefly 'verse map found on the web, or you could use subsector/sector maps and instead of having 1 hex = 1 parsec, i would do 1 hex a few AU.

That way, you get the easy mapping of traveller and the fire fly setting.

 

[Golan2072]

[shameless plug]
I'd recommend the Rana subsector (O) of my Outer Veil setting; it has both well-developed worlds, frontier worlds and unexplored worlds, and you can very easily paint the FNH government as something along the lines of the Firefly Alliance.
[/shameless plug]

 

[hdan]

[shameless plug]
I'd recommend the Rana subsector (O) of my Outer Veil setting; it has both well-developed worlds, frontier worlds and unexplored worlds, and you can very easily paint the FNH government as something along the lines of the Firefly Alliance.
[/shameless plug]

I'll second that. Rana has some nice attributes for a standard "Jump-2" Traveller setting where you have a central government and possibly rebellious colonies on the fringe of civilization. (Really, that's what the OV's all about.) Most of the regions are (logically enough) separated out by single-parsec bands of empty space. They're not uniform

The top of the sector is reasonably civilized and only a month or so from Earth. (5 weeks by X-boat equivalent route.)

Then you have a J-2 gap into a chain of frontier worlds, many of which are still on the official communication route but rarely sport better than a Class-C starport.

Beyond that, you have the "wild end" of the Outer Veil, where very few worlds have solid routes servicing them, nobody has better than a Class-D starport (and most are Class-E) and a good half of them are amber or red zones.

And at the very far edge of the subsector, you have worlds that have been charted but not (so far as anyone knows) settled or developed in any way.

And lots of alien ruins. And a known pirate base too far away from the FNH to take out easily.

One of the things I really dig about the OV settings is that each world includes the climate (Hot, Cold, etc.) as well as stats for how advanced life is, how compatible that life is with Earth life, and how rich the mining possibilities are. All future Traveller products should include this information. It really helps breath life into the UWP list. You can really see why those "Temperate Agricultural Garden" worlds are desirable in general, but what if this one doesn't have proteins we can digest? Oh well, too bad. (I'm looking at YOU Rana/Cybele!)

 

[GypsyComet]

While attaching a Firefly sort of local cluster to the Imperium setting could be done just rimward of the Solomani, or spinward of either the Marches or Trojan Reach. While there are a lot of polities on the maps of The Beyond, they are only barely official. The astrography is more important to your goal. Similar goes for Foreven, except it is all officially unofficial. The spin-coreward corner of Trojan Reach is another possibility in that region. Big neighbors, but difficult astrography that can keep all but the most persistent from casual visits.

 

[Fovean]

You could also look to trailing, in and around Empty Quarter or Star's End. There's a big rift with lots of isolated worlds. Touched by the Imperium but old enemies like the Julian Protectorate and Vargr out there too, so you have elements of big empire, small independent states and isolated worlds.

"Flynn" and friends of Flynn's Guide to Aliens has done a ton of excellent work on the Empty Quarter in his fanzine Stellar Reaches

http://stellarreaches.nwgamers.org/

And I agree, Outer Veil is quite good for a gritty, Firefly feel. Quite good in general, actually. :wink:

 

[sshinn]

Thanks for the great feedback! Lot's of great ideas here

 

[Solomani666]

I was going to suggest that you create a pocket empire in the Foreven sector, but why bother when you can use Outer Veil.

I agree with the above comments that it would be great for a Firefly type campaign.

 

[steelbrok]

I'd just use D268 with Glisten susector as the Core

 

[Mithras]

I'd just use D268 with Glisten susector as the Core

<nods in approval>