Spinward Marches for players

[IanBruntlett]

Hi,

I've read Spinward Marches and feel that some of its content is best left as "GM only" material.

Does anyone know of resources that explain the basics of the Spinward Marches and life in the Third Imperium without drowning the players in campaign minutiae?

TIA


Ian

 

[BenTOGS]

I've been using the traveller wiki to assemble "what's known" reports on the worlds of the Spinwards I t compiles stuff from everywhere I edit as needed on a word pro.

 

[Xoph]

You should post a link to that I'd love to send it to my players. Is all the info 1105?

 

[Ishvar]

Classic Traveller Supplement 8 (library data A-M) and supplement 11 (library data N-Z) have all the informations you need.

Though the library data entries should not be given to the players (for the same reason you don't want them to read the spinward marches sourcebook), pages 6 to 9 of Supplement 8 and pages 6 to 9 and 38 to 41 of supplement 11 have all that is needed to start.

What is interesting here is that the two CT library datas are supposed to have been written in 1107 whereas the MegaTraveller Library Data (in the Imperial Encyclopedia) is supposed to have been released in 1119 and is thus speaking about a lot of facts and events that are yet to come.

 

[BenTOGS]

http://traveller.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page

 

[Bygoneyrs]

Good greaf...

Just write a blurp up for anything that the players might be able to find out about a system, and "teak it" if need be depending on skills and success level of rolls needed to obtain the siad data. THAT is what the job of the GM is to do for their own game.

Besides tell player POINT BLANK, don't ASSUME everything is as it is written in some book somewhere...all GM's have the right to change anything and everthing as they see fit to their own game. That is par for the course in being a Good GM!

Penn

 

[dmccoy1693]

Besides tell player POINT BLANK, don't ASSUME everything is as it is written in some book somewhere...all GM's have the right to change anything and everthing as they see fit to their own game. That is par for the course in being a Good GM!

Penn

Ditto this. Not to mention something like 2 planets per subsector got any kind of write up. Ignore those planets. Or just don't get into the stuff that players shouldn't know about. Go a different direction.

 

[GypsyComet]

Classic Traveller Supplement 8 (library data A-M) and supplement 11 (library data N-Z) have all the informations you need.

Though the library data entries should not be given to the players ...

Wait, what?

Library Data is, by definition, in-game information that is "freely" available. I wonder how many editions we've gone with no good explanation of this old staple of the game in print.

 

[Ishvar]

Wait, what?

Library Data is, by definition, in-game information that is "freely" available. I wonder how many editions we've gone with no good explanation of this old staple of the game in print.

You are right. Before my first post I read again the introduction of these two supplements and the informations given in Supplement 8 and 11 library datas can indeed be given to the players. But IMO some of those informations should better be kept for the referee only. IMHO, the reason behind the fact one can find an open Library Data and another separated Library Data labelled Referee's Introduction in the MegaTraveller's Imperial Encyclopedia is coming from previous complaints of some referees.

Whatever the case, IanBruntlett is looking for a rather short introduction. A full library data could discourage some new players.

 

[Marc]

One note of encouragement...

The Official Traveller Universe(OTU), of which the Spinward Marches is just a section, was a follow-on develoment to Traveller back in '77.

The design of the game, which I feel is brought forward well in this release, allows for pretty much any GM designed answer so long as you remember one thing...

When gaming in The Third Imperium, what happens "on-world"(or down-well or dirtside) means nothing so long as the taxes get paid. As a result, safe and abundant commerce is the key to happyness. So if you look at a world and there is not a pre-generated answer ready to hand, make one up! Just make sure you do not break anything you already have in play or supporting your campaign. So there is no write up for Somem...

A good rule of thumb is to use GM management of the player's interstellar movement as a check to protecting your need for data. If the players have a Jump-1 or 2 ship(Detatched Scout / Couriers, Free and Far Traders are by far the most common in The Imperium) then look at their Jump-4 map(those worlds they can reach in two or three jumps. Read out the UWP's for those worlds t get a basic picture of the place... Then look for real world examples...

Ex: Dry, no trade code, lots of people, restrictive government... Chinese cities on the edge of the Gobi!
Ex: Water world with a democratic government... Iceland!!

In that last example, a Balkanized Water World... Hop on the web and read a bit on Iceland and break the "world up" by the Cities and Towns which become the basis for your nations....

So long as you develop a reason for trade...or denial of trade, you can flesh the universe out.

As for Denial of trade...
Take the Canon World of Porozlo(Rhylanor Subsector).
This Balkanized world has become the Encyclopedia Galactica poster child for Global War. Some of her nations trade with the Imperium and some refuse. Some secretly trade with factions from the stars while publically eschewing any off-world contact! This is not only a really interestnig place but...because of the refusals to trade in the open or at all, it becomes the place you GM's can provide a LOT of adventure to your characters in!

Marc

 

[GypsyComet]

Whatever the case, IanBruntlett is looking for a rather short introduction. A full library data could discourage some new players.

The first few pages of Spinward Marches aren't bad, but the ideal intro was written 20+ years ago as an article for Different Worlds magazine. Marc and Matt ought to consider reprinting that article in S&P.

 

[Ishvar]

The first few pages of Spinward Marches aren't bad, but the ideal intro was written 20+ years ago as an article for Different Worlds magazine. Marc and Matt ought to consider reprinting that article in S&P.

I have never heard about this article. I only have one or two issues of Different Worlds and I was looking for RuneQuest things at this time.

The best introduction I have read comes from a DGP's MegaTraveller Journal, but it is tailored to suit the 1120 timeline.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I have always used the published material on a sector as the player's information. They know the rumors and weird things and media speculation on where things are going are what they are reading.

I then develop a "this is what is REALLY happening" section privately.

For example, EVERYONE knows that Arden is trying to for a little Federation or something and putting economic pressure on several nearby worlds. Which worlds seem to be fighting it the most is also pretty well known.

What they don't know (and is not in the published material) is the plan by Arden to forcibly annex several worlds within the next couple of years. THAT is what I as Referee added to what was written.

I always assume that every player has read the books too, so I change things a bit.

The published UWPs in the SM book are the PUBLIC UWPs. When characters show up and find out that the nice democracy with LL0 that they were hoping to buy weapons from has been overthrown by a brutal Junta that has imposed LL10, well, that is just the data being wrong in the database. The IISS is working on it...

 

[GypsyComet]

The first few pages of Spinward Marches aren't bad, but the ideal intro was written 20+ years ago as an article for Different Worlds magazine. Marc and Matt ought to consider reprinting that article in S&P.

I have never heard about this article. I only have one or two issues of Different Worlds and I was looking for RuneQuest things at this time.

The best introduction I have read comes from a DGP's MegaTraveller Journal, but it is tailored to suit the 1120 timeline.

Having just dig it out, the article was in Different Worlds #9, identified as the August/September 1980 issue. Wow.

 

[-Daniel-]

Besides tell player POINT BLANK, don't ASSUME everything is as it is written in some book somewhere...all GM's have the right to change anything and everthing as they see fit to their own game. That is par for the course in being a Good GM!

I agree 100%.

One of the best moments I had as a GM was I presented some info right out of the books and one player turned to the other and said, "He is teasing us, it will be different when we land." I just laughed.

Daniel

 

[-Daniel-]

Classic Traveller Supplement 8 (library data A-M) and supplement 11 (library data N-Z) have all the informations you need.

Though the library data entries should not be given to the players ...

Wait, what?

Library Data is, by definition, in-game information that is "freely" available. I wonder how many editions we've gone with no good explanation of this old staple of the game in print.

Players were "raised" in the universe and would know a lot of things just because they were raised with them. I try and remember this when the urge to "Keep Secrets" from the players bubbles up in my fevered GM mind.

Daniel

 

[Fulminata]

Hi,

I've read Spinward Marches and feel that some of its content is best left as "GM only" material.

Does anyone know of resources that explain the basics of the Spinward Marches and life in the Third Imperium without drowning the players in campaign minutiae?

TIA


Ian

I have to disagree with the conclusion that there is "GM only" material in Spinward Marches. With only one or two very minor exceptions, all the information in the book is information that would already be known by the average Traveller or else would be easily available from a standard library program.

I recently praised the book for not giving away all the secrets of the Traveller universe. Something that some other supplements have done in the past under the assumption that those reading were already familiar with such things.

In fact, I'd say that there are a few red herrings in the book if your game ends up taking the same historical course as "canon."

 

[Ishvar]

Having just dig it out, the article was in Different Worlds #9, identified as the August/September 1980 issue. Wow.

Thanks GypsyComet, I am just coming back from a holyday trip away from France, hence the late answer. I will try to find the said article. :wink: