New GM question - Sourcebooks

[Rabek]

So I'm just starting to run a game of Mongoose Traveler.

If I were to start with only one sourcebook for additional fluff on the Imperium (the core is slim pickings), which would be best?

Any other suggested must-have sourcebooks are a welcome topic as well, but one for Imperium fluff is biggest for me now.

 

[Reynard]

I think The Traveller Campaign Book would be a natural choice for more 'fluff' especially adventure ideas. Nearly every other book is an expansion of vehicles and character generation.

 

[Old timer]

Spinward marches source book covers more details about the third imperium, so that might be a good place to start.

 

[Rabek]

Thanks! I'll look into it.

Also, any guidelines for communication lines in randomly generated subsectors? I didn't see any hard and fast rule like for trade routes.

Do they do anything?

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

So I'm just starting to run a game of Mongoose Traveler.

If I were to start with only one sourcebook for additional fluff on the Imperium (the core is slim pickings), which would be best?

Any other suggested must-have sourcebooks are a welcome topic as well, but one for Imperium fluff is biggest for me now.

The Mongoose Traveller Library Data book (it's in the smaller LBB format size) will tell you about the various "Imperium" histories and what's what and who's who and show timelines starting with the Ancients up to IY1105 or so. The Campaign Guide is only for generic sci-fi. No Traveller setting in it. The Spinward Marches book talks about just one sector of the 3rd Imperium. Then there are the other 3rd Imperium books that go into more specific detail about their sector and alien/humanoid race than what the Library Data book covers.

Also, any guidelines for communication lines in randomly generated subsectors? I didn't see any hard and fast rule like for trade routes.

Do they do anything?

You as a referee get to choose the x-boat and trade routes for the worlds you generate. Maybe the players establish a trade route between two worlds? Of course, it would have to be two planets that have stuff to trade with each other. Or maybe one planet is super rich and just wants to buy anything from other planets nearby.

Trade routes are just for looks on a subsector map. To let the astrogration types see at a glance where most of the traffic is in the area. Were your players in the Rogue career?

 

[Rabek]

I didn't catch that one when looking through sourcebooks. I'll poke at the Library Data one. LBB9? Looks awesome, thanks!

And I more meant the comm routes. I'm not entirely sure what they're about or where it makes sense to put them for fluff reasons.

Thanks for the quick replies!

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I didn't catch that one when looking through sourcebooks. I'll poke at the Library Data one. LBB9? Looks awesome, thanks!

And I more meant the comm routes. I'm not entirely sure what they're about or where it makes sense to put them for fluff reasons.

Thanks for the quick replies!

Comm routes will follow a path that has Class A or B starports (or Navy/scout bases, you get to decide). Emails travel at the speed of starship travel times. Hopefully, Jump-5 distances at a time. They tend to go along safe routes, protected by the Imperium Navy starships. Some comm routes are only for nobility/military to use, but they can share the same space route on the map (multiple comms on the same pathway).

The library data book will explain the X-Boat system.

 

[GypsyComet]

I didn't catch that one when looking through sourcebooks. I'll poke at the Library Data one. LBB9? Looks awesome, thanks!

And I more meant the comm routes. I'm not entirely sure what they're about or where it makes sense to put them for fluff reasons.

Thanks for the quick replies!

There have been different rules for placing those routes over the years, but I don't recall seeing them in the Mongoose CRB.

The default from way back when (1977) involved looking at worlds within 4 hexes, consulting a chart that indexed the two starports and the distance, and gave you a target number on 1d6. The chart is more for shipping routes than the fast courier routes you see mapped in official sectors, but you could modify this chart if you wanted to generate routes using random rolls

A rough reproduction. The four numbers are one hex, two hexes, three and four. Start with your A ports and figure out the routes from them, then the Bs, Cs and so on.

A-A 1,2,4,5
A-B 1,3,4,5
A-C 1,4,6,-
A-D 1,5,-,-
A-E 2,-,-,-
B-B 1,3,4,6
B-C 2,4,6,-
B-D 3,6,-,-
B-E 4,-,-,-
C-C 3,6,-,-
C-D 4,-,-,-
C-E 4,-,-,-
D-D 4,-,-,-
D-E 5,-,-,-
E-E 6,-,-,-

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Classic Traveller gets you a spiderweb-looking subsector if you follow their rules verbatim. And you also have routes criss-crossing over each other. FORTRAN solved most of those problems though.

 

[IanBruntlett]

So I'm just starting to run a game of Mongoose Traveler.

If I were to start with only one sourcebook for additional fluff on the Imperium (the core is slim pickings), which would be best?

Any other suggested must-have sourcebooks are a welcome topic as well, but one for Imperium fluff is biggest for me now.

While running Traveller games, I made notes - I called them "Tell Me Abouts" to help me when running or preparing for games. They might be a useful source of information and they can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/ianbruntlett/

 

[Muad'dib Pendragon]

So I'm just starting to run a game of Mongoose Traveler.

If I were to start with only one sourcebook for additional fluff on the Imperium (the core is slim pickings), which would be best?

Any other suggested must-have sourcebooks are a welcome topic as well, but one for Imperium fluff is biggest for me now.

While running Traveller games, I made notes - I called them "Tell Me Abouts" to help me when running or preparing for games. They might be a useful source of information and they can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/ianbruntlett/

Thanks for this!

 

[Reynard]

"There have been different rules for placing those routes over the years, but I don't recall seeing them in the Mongoose CRB."

Mongoose Traveller CRB states fairly simply on page 169; "...- in general, the best (communication) routes are the shortest connection between Class A starports,naval bases and imperial consulates."

Trade routes are there too and just as simple.

 

[Rabek]

Thank you very much for all the replies!

As another question, I see a section for how much the salary is for hired crew.

If the party needs to hire crew, are there stats for said crew? Should I just assume a skill of 1 for hired crew? I couldn't find any detail beyond how much to pay them.

 

[hdan]

If the party needs to hire crew, are there stats for said crew? Should I just assume a skill of 1 for hired crew? I couldn't find any detail beyond how much to pay them.

I like my "hirelings" to have full stats. You never know when they'll be required to "step up" and perform tasks other than what they were hired for. (Though if your players want to keep them loyal, they'd be wise to cut them in on some extra cash, over and above their salaries, if they are asking them to contribute more to the crew.)

In previous editions, you would roll up characters one at a time and present them as interviewees for any positions offered. The players could accept/reject the candidate at that time. No reason (aside from maybe the time it takes to roll up a character) not to do that in MgT.

MgT also has some sample NPCs at the end of "Encounters and Dangers" that you could adapt, just shift their skill points around some to make them more suitable.

 

[Rabek]

Good idea! Thanks a bunch. Sorry for so many questions. It's been a while since I've been so excited to do this.

 

[Rabek]

Another Sourcebook question. I didn't want to start a whole new thread and spam with it. Sorry if that's the wrong way to go about it.

The Scout book suggests that there is a future 'Worlds' supplement that will give even more detailed system generation.

Is this book out, yet? Is it still going to be with Traveller 5 out now? Is there any other book with more detailed system generation than Scout?

I'm a little obsessive over distances and a way to generate better travel times within systems would be glorious.

 

[IanBruntlett]

Another Sourcebook question. I didn't want to start a whole new thread and spam with it. Sorry if that's the wrong way to go about it.

When I was looking into this, I made some notes (big surprise).

Go to https://sites.google.com/site/ianbruntlett/home/role-playing-games and click on "Tell Me About The Stars and Planets.doc". It has page numbers for the Core Rule Book and the Campaign Guide. It has info gleaned from Mg's Traveller Forum as well.

At the moment I'm not running games. I'm taking a break to read stuff and think about it.

HTH

 

[AndrewW]

Is this book out, yet? Is it still going to be with Traveller 5 out now? Is there any other book with more detailed system generation than Scout?

World Builders Guidebook, nope not out haven't heard anything about it for awhile now.

 

[dragoner]

I'm a little obsessive over distances and a way to generate better travel times within systems would be glorious.

This page is what I use: http://www.transhuman.talktalk.net/iw/TravTime.htm

 

[Wil Mireu]

I'm a little obsessive over distances and a way to generate better travel times within systems would be glorious.

I've posted a new thread for that: http://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=56360&p=761039