Traveller Friday II – The truth behind the Career of Bounty Hunting in Traveller and Charted Space? Alternative Bounty Hunter career?

[Condottiere]

Is it worth collecting a bounty, interstellarly?

 

[-Daniel-]

Is it worth collecting a bounty, interstellarly?

How much is the bounty- is always my question?

A percent of a recovered ship vs a few thousand creds on a wanted person are very different.

 

[-Daniel-]

The game brings you in, the setting binds you. In my mind no matter how good the game, it is a well done setting that hooks you. No surprise that two of the RPG's that have the best settings, Traveller and BX/BECMI D&D have such a large and passionate fanbase. It isn't just a game that keeps you excited for 40 something years... it is the depth and quality of where the game is set.

Just an alternate way to think of it. The game interests you, the official setting helps you get a taste of what could be, the setting you come up with will hooks you the rest of the way. Unlike your experiences, I have been playing Traveller for decades and I have never played in a game that was the official 3i setting as presented in the books. Almost always it is a mutant of the 3i or not the 3i at all.

I do agree the better the official setting the more it helps retain interest of people. As they buy and read new content (or collect up old content they did not have yet) they locate fun items and elements to blend into their own settings. The official settings give them a foundation to start with. And thus, in that regard, I agree it helps keep them interested.

Oh and great post and thoughts. I am enjoying reading them.

 

[Condottiere]

Easiest is a wanted poster notification via ecks boat, to the local system bounty hunter guilds.

The issue would be where to deliver the bounty and collect the reward, assuming the bountee turns up there, and gets caught.

For a repossession, you'll need a hacker, an engineer, and a pilot/astrogator.

 

[Arkathan]

Easiest is a wanted poster notification via ecks boat, to the local system bounty hunter guilds.

The issue would be where to deliver the bounty and collect the reward, assuming the bountee turns up there, and gets caught.

For a repossession, you'll need a hacker, an engineer, and a pilot/astrogator.

Where to deliver depends on the referee and the system you are in. A lenient referee could allow current starport security to effect initial incarceration, with extradition to follow. Also the terms of the bounty, whether they want him delivered.

Repo: OR, a jump net of sufficient size.

 

[Terry Mixon]

Where to deliver depends on the referee and the system you are in. A lenient referee could allow current starport security to effect initial incarceration, with extradition to follow. Also the terms of the bounty, whether they want him delivered.

Repo: OR, a jump net of sufficient size.

The way I handle it is that unless the bounty issuer is paying for them to haul the bounty back, it can be turned over to security at any Class A or B starport. Payment is in escrow and will catch up with them at some point.

 

[Arkathan]

The way I handle it is that unless the bounty issuer is paying for them to haul the bounty back, it can be turned over to security at any Class A or B starport. Payment is in escrow and will catch up with them at some point.

I do it in a similar way, but since it is credits, and the authorities have the bounty warrant, the imaginary money is available immediately, unless the issuing body wants the criminal's body delivered.

 

[Terry Mixon]

I do it in a similar way, but since it is credits, and the authorities have the bounty warrant, the imaginary money is available immediately, unless the issuing body wants the criminal's body delivered.

That's probably a good idea.

 

[tytalan]

The Marines are short term raiders, long on teeth and short on tail. They'll make their point, but they're off to the next crisis within the month. Changing a society takes time and the Marines aren't built for that. That's the Army's job.
To 'export Imperial High Law', you need boots on the ground for a long period. In addition to the patrolling infantry, you need battalions of Civil Affairs troops, Engineers, and probably some IMOJ marshals and legates.

Your right that the Marines are not meant for long term but that doesn’t change the fact that they come in first take care of the problem. Once that’s done than they hand over the garrison job to the army to change the society. This actually helps the army as they are not the ones that turned large areas to radioactive rubble.

 

[ottarrus]

Your right that the Marines are not meant for long term but that doesn’t change the fact that they come in first take care of the problem. Once that’s done than they hand over the garrison job to the army to change the society. This actually helps the army as they are not the ones that turned large areas to radioactive rubble.

Well, IMTU, there are Army units every single bit as good as the Imperial Marines at wrecking things, and every Subsector Army has at least one division that can drop from orbit like the Hand of the Emperor and correct any deficiencies His Imperial Majesty might find with the locals.
The difference between the Marines and the United Armies is one of doctrine and training. This is is how it works IMTU [yours will no doubt vary]
- The Marines never field a force larger than a brigade of 2-4 battalions; whereas when the Army deploys they're just getting started at the brigade level.
- The Marines are routinely assigned as Ship's Troops aboard Navy vessels. Army troops almost never get that assignment. Ship's troops not only help protect and defend their ship [as armed guards, gunnery crews, and as part of damage control parties] but they also act as tripwire force. Oftentimes the first notice a subsector government gets of a major local problem is being notified that Captain 'X' of the INS 'Y' had to deploy his Marine company to handle 'Z' problem.
- The Marine Way is 'get in, wreck everything, get out'. A lot of the time this is sufficient to bring recalcitrant Imperial subjects to the bargaining table. The Army Way is to go in and fight police actions, peacekeeping missions, and full scale wars until the victory conditions are met. They have a full toolbox for these jobs... sure, all the combat arms, but also psychological warfare companies, civil affairs companies, hospital battalions, engineer brigades, the whole menu. These are tools the Marines just don't have.
- If the Marines are the scalpel of an Imperial force package, then the Army is the hammer and the spinal mount of a dreadnought squadron are the guillotine blade. Which one the sector or subsector government uses to solve a problem depends on the magnitude of the problem.
- And the Uncaring Buddha of War help the Subsector Duke who chooses the force package that makes things worse.