Low Berth travel is for the condemned only?

[Reynard]

If there is absolutely no side effect or negative quality to Fast drug and is far, far cheaper than a low berth, why does any edition of Traveller bother including low berth? It's not a traditional artifact, it's not even redundant because it's no where equal to the drug. Something separates them and makes low berth common and preferential.

 

[sideranautae]

So, the stats show that Low passage (as written) wouldn't exist as anything but a rare situation where someone is escaping great danger due to the high death toll.

 

[dragoner]

If there is absolutely no side effect or negative quality to Fast drug and is far, far cheaper than a low berth, why does any edition of Traveller bother including low berth? It's not a traditional artifact, it's not even redundant because it's no where equal to the drug. Something separates them and makes low berth common and preferential.

IMTU, I just make it a medic check to resuscitate a low berth occupant who has "died", easy enough and logical. But if players want to use the Fast Drug, that's fine, iirc there was some penalty in CT, but I forget what.

 

[Rick]

So, the stats show that Low passage (as written) wouldn't exist as anything but a rare situation where someone is escaping great danger due to the high death toll.

Exactly. Or just desperate enough to risk it. Going back to the source material (Dumarest Saga) it is specifically referred to as a method of shipping live animals, rather than humans. The implication is that Low Passage is a form of cargo, not passenger travel, but if you've got to leave in a hurry, it might be all you can afford.

 

[Reynard]

"So, the stats show that Low passage (as written) wouldn't exist as anything but a rare situation where someone is escaping great danger due to the high death toll."

Not even that reason because Fast Drug is, in all ways, better.

I just looked over many of the CT books and found no mention of combat drugs unless there in an unrelated section. As a matter of fact, They talk about causing damage, effect of damage and.. nothing about healing damage. Even the medical skill entry has no game mechanic. No mention of drugs in general let alone Fast drug.

However, MegaTraveller has extensive drug lists. Fast drugs is there and it's feature are thus:
Your functions are slowed, but not suspended, at a rate of 60 to 1. You still must consume food and breath. In this state, you are "extremely vulnerable", in other words, you are useless for 60 days. It also says upon ingestion and effective immediately the dose lasts sixty days.

Now there's an explanation for Fast drugs and why it's not really a substitute for a low berth even at 1/5 the price. You still take up normal space and still need life support, you need constant attention and your wounds and illnesses aren't any better off. It's a 'cheap' way to save some life support but overall not much. This explains why merchants, naval organizations and pirates prefer low berth.

 

[sideranautae]

"So, the stats show that Low passage (as written) wouldn't exist as anything but a rare situation where someone is escaping great danger due to the high death toll."

Not even that reason because Fast Drug is, in all ways, better.

Yep. IMTU Fast is used for Low Passage before the advent of real stasis (appearing at TL 14). You get a tranq shot (good for 24 hours sleep) and then Fast. Put in a low G tube (prevent bed sores) with basic vital sign monitoring and Bob's your uncle.

 

[sideranautae]

So, the stats show that Low passage (as written) wouldn't exist as anything but a rare situation where someone is escaping great danger due to the high death toll.

Exactly. Or just desperate enough to risk it. Going back to the source material (Dumarest Saga) it is specifically referred to as a method of shipping live animals, rather than humans. The implication is that Low Passage is a form of cargo, not passenger travel, but if you've got to leave in a hurry, it might be all you can afford.

That makes sense. Not something to be used legally to transport humans. Tramps that use them for humans are smuggling basically.

 

[Rick]

I just looked over many of the CT books and found no mention of combat drugs unless there in an unrelated section. As a matter of fact, They talk about causing damage, effect of damage and.. nothing about healing damage. Even the medical skill entry has no game mechanic. No mention of drugs in general let alone Fast drug.

It really is there - check CT Book 2 - Starships, pages 44-45.

 

[Reynard]

Great. Who thinks to look in the starship book for drug information. BTW, pgs. 38-39 for mine.

1100 Cr for a week of both fast drug and antidote but you still need to pay for a stateroom because you are still active, vulnerable and using life support at 3000 Cr more. Not a bargain at all let alone makes no sense.

 

[sideranautae]

Great. Who thinks to look in the starship book for drug information. BTW, pgs. 38-39 for mine.

1100 Cr for a week of both fast drug and antidote but you still need to pay for a stateroom because you are still active, vulnerable and using life support at 3000 Cr more. Not a bargain at all let alone makes no sense.

No stateroom needed. You put them to sleep with a 12 hour sedative before giving Fast. (1 week on Fast seems like only 2.8 hours anyway) They stay in their "tube" the whole trip. Same space as a Low Berth

The passage rate is the cost of the Drugs + freight tonnage rate + 10%.

 

[Reynard]

Where does this come from? And what is this 'tube? I don't remember a tube as part of ship design. There is not tube so a stateroom is necessary and that's 3000Cr the first week. That's why Traveller has low berth.

 

[Rick]

Where does this come from? And what is this 'tube? I don't remember a tube as part of ship design. There is not tube so a stateroom is necessary and that's 3000Cr the first week. That's why Traveller has low berth.

It is conjecture by sideranautae, presumably based on the ratio of 60:1 for the drug. Logic goes - if someone on the drug slows down their metabolism by a rate of 60:1, presumably 60 drugged people would only use 1 persons life support. But that does assume that all other bodily functions, etc. are also slowed down by the same rate and no other factors need to be considered.

From what I understand, passengers on Middle or High passages are sometimes offered the use of Fast drug, if they choose to - it might also be necessary if someone has a phobia of space travel, for example.

 

[Reynard]

Stewart comes around to the stateroom and shoot the anxiety passengers with tranq guns each morning. "Good morning sir." Pfft! "A pleasant day, sir."

 

[Rick]

Stewart comes around to the stateroom and shoot the anxiety passengers with tranq guns each morning. "Good morning sir." Pfft! "A pleasant day, sir."

Given that High passage users would probably be in the top few percent of society, Stewart might well make his rounds with a wide variety of recreational drugs, tranqs, fast, etc. (depending on the setting, of course).

 

[sideranautae]

Where does this come from? And what is this 'tube? I don't remember a tube as part of ship design. There is not tube so a stateroom is necessary and that's 3000Cr the first week. That's why Traveller has low berth.

Where does the 2.8 hours time come from? Or, where does the requirement for some one who is subjectively on the ship for 3 hours needing a full stateroom?

 

[sideranautae]

But that does assume that all other bodily functions, etc. are also slowed down by the same rate

Which is the case in Trav.

 

[Reynard]

A Fast drug user is SLOWED, not in suspension. They are aware if not a littler impaired and still need life support. There is no such thing as a Fast drug 'tube' next to the low berths unless you're suggesting they're being piled in the hold like cordwood otherwise they need non-cryo accommodations and the only other such place is a stateroom. Show me in the starship design of any edition for a Fast drug tube accommodation Show me where the Passage section of the rules says High, Medium, working, low AND Fast drug tube. There is no such thing.

 

[sideranautae]

A Fast drug user is SLOWED, not in suspension. They are aware if not a littler impaired and still need life support.

Correct. They need 1/60 the life support. Their bodies are functioning at 1/60 speed. EVERYTHING. So, as I correctly stated already, for THEIR body only 2.3 hours pass during a 1 week jump. If they take a nap (their body's time). They wake up at the other end having used NOTHING but 2.3 hours of air.

Pretty simple. :shock:

 

[Reynard]

Where are they accommodated in the meantime? A STATEROOM because there is no other structure on the vessel for such a person who needs attention, that's the 'vulnerable' part of the description. That also means they will need at least a steward to tend to them. They are not dumped in cargo or left lying in passageways. There is no special Fast drug room in ship design and no ship in any book has a designated area with 1/60th life support that get's ignored by untrained crew during jump.

Fast drug is NOT the fifth standard passage option.

 

[sideranautae]

Where are they accommodated in the meantime? A STATEROOM

You put them where the LB's would have gone. Like I said already above.
Instead of Low Passage I'll call it Hiber-Passage. At TL 14+ real stasis (not cryo) comes about that replaces these drug induced hibernation type berths.