The Sword Worlds subsector and OTU

[Garuda]

I am new to Traveller (I played one session in the early eighties once) and am a little confused regarding the setting.

To be specific: I have read the new Spinward Marches book and compared some of the information to that on the Traveller RPG (wiki) site. If I believe correctly, both are set in the same time, the year 1135 of the Third Imperium.

On the wiki – Traveller RPG site, the Sword Worlds are split between the Sword Worlds Confederation and the Border Worlds, whereas in the Spinward Marches book all of these worlds belong to the Confederation.

Is one OTU/canon and the other not? Maybe I have my eras mixed up?

Basically I was thinking of writing an adventure for this part of space but wouldn’t want to upset a prospective player who maybe one of those fans who is adverse to the idea of a setting that is not canon.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Spinward Marches is set in 1105. Wiki gives data for 1135. In the original timeline there was a war between those dates (The Fifth Frontier War) and the Sword Worlds lost, so their capital changed.

We don't know if Mongoose intends to continue with the timeline or leave it basically at 1105. Previous versions of Traveller extended the timeline through a Rebellion and crash and recovery with the last published book being set in 1248.

Hope that helps.

 

[Garuda]

Hope that helps.

It helps a lot.

Thanks RTT. 8)

 

[Cleon the Mad]

I am new to Traveller (I played one session in the early eighties once) and am a little confused regarding the setting.

To be specific: I have read the new Spinward Marches book and compared some of the information to that on the Traveller RPG (wiki) site. If I believe correctly, both are set in the same time, the year 1135 of the Third Imperium.

On the wiki – Traveller RPG site, the Sword Worlds are split between the Sword Worlds Confederation and the Border Worlds, whereas in the Spinward Marches book all of these worlds belong to the Confederation.

Is one OTU/canon and the other not? Maybe I have my eras mixed up?

Basically I was thinking of writing an adventure for this part of space but wouldn’t want to upset a prospective player who maybe one of those fans who is adverse to the idea of a setting that is not canon.

Both are Canon/OTU, but MGT is set in year 1105. (Partial edit: Honestly didn't know Traveller Wiki was set for 1135, editing out a comment about my guess as to the "year" of their map. Goes to show I don't use the Traveller Wiki much).


For the record, here's the specific Traveller Wiki map I found, I'm assuming it's the same map you're looking at:

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

To quote from an article attached to that map:

"The perfomance of the Sword Worlds forces during the Fifth Frontier War was faltering and suffered from a lack of cohesive leadership. Following their defeat by the Imperials - and the occupation of Dyrnwyn (1522 Spinward Marches B958412-A), Beater (1424 Spinward Marches B685686-A), and Biter (1526 Spinward Marches B354623-A) - the worlds along the Imperial border broke off from the Confederation to create a pro-Imperial puppet state (called the Border Worlds, with its capital at Sting."

That gives a small explination as to what happened right after the Fifth Frontier War to form the Border Worlds.

 

[EDG]

Why would the wiki have data set in 1135? Isn't that Hard Times/Collapse era?

 

[Cleon the Mad]

Why would the wiki have data set in 1135? Isn't that Hard Times/Collapse era?

As an aside, before I edited my first post, I had a comment along the lines of "Oh, the Sword Words subsector map looks like it's maybe from Year 1110 or so..it looks post Fifth Frontier War but Pre-Rebellion".

Anyway, I'm actually trying to find where it states a specific date. I guess to me, if it's a Wikia about all of Traveller, it would have no set date...T20 specific items would be set circa year 1000, Mileu 0..well more or less year 0, GURPS Traveller Year 1120 in their alternate universe, etc. Again as stated before I haven't looked much at the Traveller Wiki though.

 

[EDG]

The problem I have with the wiki is that there's a lot of non-canon stuff in there too, and a lot of of the time the sources aren't clearly marked. With all the different versions and era of Traveller that makes it pretty confusing in places.

 

[qstor]

That map is likely for GURPS:Traveller (see sources at the end). In that ATU the Emperor was NOT killed by Dulinor(1) in 1116 and the 3I lives on. The base time is 1125 in the GURPS line.

IIRC it's 1120.

There's also differences in the governmenal structure. As I mentioned in another thread. In 1105 Gram is the capital not Jeyouse (sp?) as in GT.

Mike

 

[Garuda]

Ah. My post should have said the year 1115 for the Wiki stuff.

I got the date from the planet descriptions. If you follow the link to any planetary data from the page with the subsector map it gives the UWP data for the year 1115 for each planet.

The data is supposedly canon, with any addtional information that is not canon being cearly marked as such. How accurate that is I cannot tell, like I said I'm new to Traveller.

 

[StephenT]

The Sword Worlds are an extremely turbulent society, with each major world being ambitious and semi-independent of the others; they're always forming alliances and splitting away from them again. So the borders in this region frequently change...

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Which can be used to your advantage for an adventure. Imagine, if you will, a group of players delivering a cargo to Gram, the capital of the Sword Worlds, but when they get there, they find out that there is some kind of civil war going on and Gram is now a minor member of the new government and their cargo is worthless...

 

[Garuda]

RTT,

The start of my home brew adventure begins with something along those lines.

One of the Sword Worlds has blockaded another and our happy bunch of travellers have their incoming shipment confiscated. They are given an official document they can log for recompense, which is nothing more than a worthless i.o.u.

The plot becomes one of underhanded world politics, my travellers will inadvertently become involved in espionage operations for an independent contractor while the whole Confederation is starting to fracture around them. Its all one Baron's plan to take over the leadership of the entire SWC. As various govenrments look outside of the Confederation for arbitrators and allies, both the Imperium and the Zhodani wonder how they can take advantage.


Well, its just an outline at the moment and I don't know if I understand enough of Sword World politics to be able to make the plot work.

 

[qstor]

Well, its just an outline at the moment and I don't know if I understand enough of Sword World politics to be able to make the plot work.

You might want to consider getting GT Sword Worlds for the material on the different planets.

Mike