Starting equipment question

[fenriswolf]

I've been tapped by my group to run a MongTrav game and we are starting in a week. We went through the character generation process and everyone had a great time. I have a couple of Traveller rookie gm questions though.

If a character earns a benefit of a weapon or armor when mustering out of a career, can they select ANY weapon or armor if it doesn't specifically limit the choices? For example, if a character earns a weapon when mustering out, can they select a plasma rifle or a FGMP (high cost and highly advanced weaponry)? Lastly, if they select a weapon and there are different models based on TL, can they select the most advanced mode TL 14 FGMP vs. TL 16 FGMPl?

 

[AndrewW]

I've been tapped by my group to run a MongTrav game and we are starting in a week. We went through the character generation process and everyone had a great time. I have a couple of Traveller rookie gm questions though.

Have fun.

If a character earns a benefit of a weapon or armor when mustering out of a career, can they select ANY weapon or armor if it doesn't specifically limit the choices? For example, if a character earns a weapon when mustering out, can they select a plasma rifle or a FGMP (high cost and highly advanced weaponry)? Lastly, if they select a weapon and there are different models based on TL, can they select the most advanced mode TL 14 FGMP vs. TL 16 FGMPl?

By the way the rules are written yes. But as the referee you are free to limit the choices available however you want. You could rule only up to a certain tech level, or type of weapon for example was available.

 

[dreamingbadger]

Sure anything they want... however using it might be difficult, you might get away with walking down the street in Jack, but you would need serious stones to try it in much heavier (depending on the law law level of the world).

Same is true of weapons, if they want to have and have a permit for owning a FGMP, then sure they can. Of course using one in a built up area is going to to be the last act they make as a "free sophont"... using one in a confined space may be the last act they ever make, period.

As with all of this stuff, including tech level it really is up to you to decide, but, there is no hard and fast rule here, but, it is "fun" watch a PC unleash the most devestating hand weapon, in an appartment block...

It's fire—and it's crashing! It's crashing terrible! Oh, my! Get out of the way, please! It's burning and bursting into flames; and the—and it's falling. And all the folks agree that this is terrible; this is the one of the worst catastrophes in the world. [indecipherable] its flames... Crashing, oh!

:twisted:

closely followed by...

"you have very few rights left to you at all ..."

 

[GypsyComet]

In theory, there is very little limiting the choices.

In practice, the Ref probably has a particular "power level" in mind for a game, and should not allow much if anything to exceed that. Its even easy to share this thought with players. Point out the Law Level stat on all worlds, and hint broadly that stupid firepower attracts excessive counter fire. Allow them to "do the math" on a typical HE weapon vs the best personal armor available, and make a point of comparing that with *their* available wound capacities, not some generic example.

One of our long-running games had a couple of ex-Marines, both of whom had suits of Battledress and high end weaponry available. Over the course of the game, each suit saw action *once*. The presence of those suits in the ships armory tended to cause a stir whenever Customs came calling, which happened rather often due to the type of ship they were flying. But we knew this was going to be the running gag of the campaign going in. "Your ship's papers are in order, Captain, but what about THAT?"

The trick, at least with us, is to impress the nature of the universe on the players, so the big toys stay in the box most of the time. If your players feel they must have a set of high end wargear around, set up a scenario that really needs it once in a while, but *always* remind the player that he has a paperwork nightmare in the closet, and that he no longer has access to the Imperial Marine repair and replacement supply chain. In most cases he'll opt for the Snub SMG and Cloth, and leave the PGMP and BD on the rack.

 

[Sevya]

In our groups, the world we were starting on was known before character generation. You need special permission from the referee, along with a good, logical story, in order to get anything higher tech than that world.

Sevya

 

[fenriswolf]

My group (all D&D players) include a two four-term career military characters. One in particular is inclined to pick the biggest baddest guns possible. I will definitely stress the importance of planetary law systems and potential collateral damage.

Any advice for a fledgling Traveller gm prior to the official kick off next week?

 

[dreamingbadger]

Any advice for a fledgling Traveller gm prior to the official kick off next week?

Have fun! ... you might want to spend some time and create a "history" brief if your players aren't that familiar witht he setting. Also check out:

http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/MGT-Aids/

for things like the combat flowchart, very useful.

 

[Dave Chase]

My group (all D&D players) include a two four-term career military characters. One in particular is inclined to pick the biggest baddest guns possible. I will definitely stress the importance of planetary law systems and potential collateral damage.

Any advice for a fledgling Traveller gm prior to the official kick off next week?

Take notes of things during the game, it could come in handy in later sessions. Contacts, old enemys, old friends, some grudge, or some one who does a favor later, Even a potential patron who might have like the way the group handle them selves.

Have a talk with everyone during the first game session about the world, the game feel (how various governments/powers that be look at things), tell them so of the recent history of the local area that they are in, show them all the equipment that they can see or the group has (assuming the group is already together and if they have been together for a while make sure that they all take some time ot know one another before the game starts (ie the characters know each other and something about each other, or something in more detail than just the things decided from chargen.)

Have each player right down (for you only) some of the following
Short term goal(s) (less than 1 year)
Mid term goal(s) more than a year less than 4
Long term goal(s) more than 4 years

Some personal (character) likes and dislikes. Nothing major needed, just adding personality to the characters.

A SHORT List of items that the charactaer always carries (and if they get carried away, have fun slowing them down )

Theres more but have fun, is the most important part, fun for you and the players.

Dave Chase

 

[Jame Rowe]

Remember that Traveller, unlike D&D, is not about utility - you want a good tool for several jobs, not the right tool for one job that you use and then dispose of. So, even for the military characters, they may want a gauss rifle instead of a fusion gun.

 

[Golan2072]

Most worlds in the typical Traveller universe have Law Levels that forbid the carrying of such weapons. Conventional firearms in general, and shotguns in particular, on the other hand, are allowed to be carried with no licensing on a lot more worlds...

Also, if the character gets his or her weapon as a parting gift from the military (or procures it using military contacts), the military gets to have a say about what weapon is given to the character; heavy energy weapons with extensive collateral damage potential won't be allowed in most cases. If the character buys the weapon privately, then the starting world's TL and law level apply.

And then there's the issue of getting spare parts or new power packs for high-TL weapons, especially if the game is set on the frontier where high-TL worlds are uncommon. So once it breaks down (and trust me it will), repairing it will be an adventure all by itself.

A good compromise might be to get from the mustering out process a gauss rifle, ACR or even assault rifle (or SMG) for use on low-law worlds or to repel boarders from the ship, and then buy an autopistol or shotgun for cheap during play to serve as a more versatile and more legal sidearm when visiting less lawless planets.

 

[fenriswolf]

Thanks for all of the advice. At dreamingbadger's recommendation, I joined the MGT yahoo group and printed off the really helpful aids. Now I just need to sit down and write out the first session.

 

[Captain Brann]

All the answers so far are good.

I have set my campaign in the sword worlds as sword worlders.
No benefit can be more than the tech level of the military which I have set to TL11-12 [which is the TL of the main worlds]
No weapons come with ammo/power packs. They will be issued if the character is called back for service.
This means they can have a biggish weapon but no ammo and getting some on lower tech worlds will be very hard.

 

[GamerDude]

I've told the players in my game that, while the military is TL 11/12 in many areas, the average TL on Imperial worlds is 10, higher is currently reserved for 'military use only'.

So, when they muster out, they aren't getting anything over TL10. I also limit what they can generally buy on the open market to TL10 (provided it's available on the current world).

Now as for purchasing it. There is the TL AND the cost. I treat the cost listed in the book as the one IF you they were buying it legitimately. Black market prices go up like the reading on your thermometer when approaching the sun's corona {sp?}

 

[fenriswolf]

I arbitrarily chose a cap of TL 10 for starting equipment. That gave the prior military characters the choice of an ACR as a starting weapon. The merchant marine chose the lower TL laser pistol too. All in all, everyone seemed happy with their beginning equipment.

 

[AndrewW]

I arbitrarily chose a cap of TL 10 for starting equipment. That gave the prior military characters the choice of an ACR as a starting weapon. The merchant marine chose the lower TL laser pistol too. All in all, everyone seemed happy with their beginning equipment.

Happy players is a good start. Good luck with the game.

 

[Rex]

For my Imperium Game, I do one of two things. Either EVERYONE, is in the Sword Worlds, and that Tech and Law level rules the starting equipment, OR, I generate, the "end planet" where everyone eventually musters out at, and begins the game.

Then that planets law and tech level, determines the starting guidelines. Give everyone at the table a Roll, hell even have them roll up their starting worlds per PC, and make a sub sector to start, and your players will feel included in something special, and that alone, provides them incentive, not to wreck it, with wonky equipment desires...

~Rex