Traveller Legend of Armistice

[Hopeless]

Well it looks like I might be running the next part of my Traveller game.

Set in an alternate spinward marches and inspired by the Lost Fleet series 14 years ago the extra stellar gate network self destructed seemingly destroying most of the technologically advanced centres of the Solomani Empire.

The Sword Worlders rose up in rebellion since most of the worlds of their home sector were destroyed and the Empire was sundered when a portion of the empire seceded becoming the Aryan (forgot the rest of their title) and tried to seize control of the rest of the Empire that was only thwarted because the Theocratic Consulate joined in to fight off the Aryans ending in an uneasy peace.

The PCs start off on Fulacin and use an inherited mining vessel to perform the final wishes of the ship's former owner whose the uncle of the new owner.

Ambushed upon arrival in Kinorb they land on an ice world discovering an abandoned planetary monitor and the remains of a ship that belonged to the late owner's wife and within a long thought dead slumbering cousin.

Returning to their ship they find that the contact of the pilot who led them to this safe harbor has used their presence to set an ambush for some of their enemies leaving them vital information so they can save the slumbering child's life.

However they need to leave the ice world and reach the dubious safety of a Gaian medical facility and between them and that orbital station is the very enemies who have already made one unsuccessful attempt on their ship and don't seem to be going anywhere...

Oh did I forget they had a message from the belt scrapyard where a certain contact has arranged a detachable missile launcher pod for them but that still requires them to lift off and escape the planet before even dealing with the armed pirate ship lurking out of sight somewhere between them and the medical facility...

Characters:
Jan Van Zeeman: dutch descent member of the Van Zeeman company a former scientist and field researcher who spent a tour in the Imperial Scouts before inheriting his Uncle's mining vessel.

Layla Braun: Van Zeeman's lawyer and a former Imperial Adept but not military trained.

Karl Wagner: sword worlder former marine now works as Van Zeeman's bodyguard and head of security aboard his new mining vessel.

Wulfric: Sword worlder and former Imperial Scout, joint owner of Van Zeeman's new mining vessel and operates as its main pilot has links to various organisations within the Spinward Marches including some whom aren't exactly friendly to the Empire...

 

[Hopeless]

So can anyone explain the Trust skill to me from the supplements?

I've been thinking its to do with the reputation the character has in their profession so the more terms they spend in that career the higher it rises either treated as way of whether other characters (npc's in this case) have heard of them whether for good or bad depending on how they behaved.

So the Sword Worlder and former Imperial Scout who spent three tours in the scouts exploration corps has Trust/Scouts at +1, the former scientist and field researcher has Trust/Scientist and /Field Researcher both at +1 having only spent a single tour in the Scouts he hasn't really developed his reputation before mustering out.
The other Sword Worlder character who has spent two tours as a Marine and as a Corporate Agent has +1 in both although being known as a Sword Worlder Marine is decidedly not a good thing since he's currently deep in Imperial territory working as a bodyguard for the Van Zeeman lawyer and security chief aboard the ship they're currently using.
That leaves the Adept who has spent two tours as both an adept and a Corporate Citizen (Lawyer) so should have both at +1.

Am I handling these properly or missing something important?

 

[Nathan Brazil]

Trust as the Rules are Written is a special skill, which is best explained in Book 6 - Scoundrel starting on pg 34.

Basically Trust is used in organizations where secrecy and/or deception are the norm (which is why it was used in Agent and Scoundrel ). It is perception the rest of the organization has with regards to the individual's commitment to the goals and the methods of the organization. It is independent of a character's Rank within the organization. You can have low Trust and high Rank (a long term deep cover charismatic sleeper agent) and the reverse (new agent indoctrinated since childhood in the ways). The skill is used in promotions, equipment and personnel acquisitions. Trust is fluid as failing Trust skill rolls can actually lower the Trust Skill Level permanently and dramatic successes for the cause increase it. Standard Career Rank stays in place in comparison. The higher ups just don't give out as many juicy jobs or stuff to low Trust agents, regardless of the agent's skills.

 

[Hopeless]

I thought they were reputation based.

Layla Braun: Imperial Adept (2 Tours) +1, Corporate Citizen (2 Tours) +1 (Lawyer)
So with her Social score of 5 (-1) she gets a 2d+0 check to see if an npc knows her reputation as either a Corporate Lawyer or an Imperial Psion (not good if they're not part of the Imperial Military and even worse if they are!) albeit she's just a skilled administrator and advocate with a talent for languages.

Karl Wagner: Sword Worlds Marine (2 Tours) +1, Corporate Agent (2 Tours) +1 (Bodyguard and Corporate Security) his Social score of 6 (+0) means he gets as 2d+1 check to see if they know he's an Agent for the Van Zeeman Family Business or a former Sword Worlds Marine Captain and given he's deep within Imperial territory thats very bad news if he ever visits Macene!
Ironically he's a skilled life support engineer I might want to look at that being his "official" profession but I'll see what his player thinks first!

Jan Van Zeeman: Imperial Scientist (2 Tours) +1, Field Researcher (2 Tours) +1, Scout (1 Tour) +0 with a Social score of 8 meaning he gets a 2d+1 check to see if people know he's a very capable scientist being a Chemist, Psychologist, Roboticist, Xenologist and skilled with Computers!

Wulfric: Citizen/Worker (1 Tour) +0, Scout (3 Tours) +1 could have this rated at +2 honestly but with a Social of 5 (-1) thats 2d+0 to know he's a former Imperial Scout and -1 to know he was originally a worker at a spaceport which shouldn't be commonly known but skill wise he's a professional engineer specialising in maneuver drives, a fully licensed pilot but not with capital ships i'm tempted to ask if he wants to be a skilled Astrogator but thats another story!

Assuming +2 in a skill is needed to be "skilled" on a professional level in case you were wondering!

So could have a reputation check using that Trust skill either when they want to use their reputation or to instigate encounters but within reason since there's no reason to mess their character because one character is a former enemy of the Empire and another is a Psion who wasn't trained as an espionage agent!

Still even if I got the wrong end of the boot, its still worth pondering over!

Thanks for the reply and please let me know what you think!

 

[Hopeless]

Kinorb located a jump away from Fulacin, has a large asteroid belt and contrary to the documented information has an ice world with a breathable atmosphere albeit very, very cold.

Usually patrolled by an Imperial Frigate, which left after the player's ship arrived leaving the system currently unprotected allowing for a pirate ship to attempt to capture the PCs ship.

The PCs are en route to the Gaian Medical Facility which is near the asteroid belt as most of their admittees are from the mining colony there, drawn to the ice world by a contact of the pilot they've found proof that much more is going on than they were actually aware and now have to find a way to save the newly rediscovered infant cousin of the ship's main owner (the pilot has a share in the ship) by getting her to the medical facility to be treated.

However they've found a graveyard of spaceships hidden beneath the ice right next to a planetary monitor built within the ice world itself and evidence to suggest there's even more to the world than just that abandoned defence station.

Am I going too far? Should I let the players decide where they want to go next or plan further ahead in case they don't go the way I hope?

 

[JRoss]

Trust is also in Agent.

 

[Hopeless]

Added two new sections to the character sheet.

Reputation: Using the above to give more reason why characters would spend more than a tour in a single career and how the more you focus on a single career the more advantage and subplots come with it.

Admittedly can also be a disadvantage if you're trying to lie low in enemy territory and you're that famous or infamous as the case may be! :roll:

Subplots: Use this to list all the potential plot points that are either relevant to that character or the player considers important.

For example the Former Sword World Marine Captain has a rival in a former colleague whose become an Imperial Bountyhunter buts that is dependent on him being willing to run with that.

The former Imperial Scientist just discovered he's now the guardian of a six year old cousin whose been kept in suspension since the ship she was being carried upon was shot down on the ice world.
Kept asleep as she's suffering from a potential deadly illness they have the data necessary to save her but at present need to get her to the Gaian Medical Facility who have the means to treat her once they have that data...

Still needs work but hopefully I'll have more to discuss after this weekend!

Thanks for your responses!

 

[Hopeless]

No such luck only had time to pass out copies of their character sheets since I wasn't sure if they've received the emailed copies I sent them.

Also gave the two players running former scouts copies of the amended system sheets listing what systems were still present in their home sub-sector.

Need to print off another copy of the system map mind you showing which systems have inhabitable worlds.

Still should be ready to run next month when we meet next!