WW II: The Battle of the Bulge with TL 15 Traveller equipmnt

[Tom Kalbfus]

Here are the stats I'm using for the stars and the planets immediately surrounding Earth as of 1945, in the next 7 decades of game history these states will change. I need to think up names for some of these planets. I decided the nearest three planets will be named "Proxima", "Aurora", and "Prometheus". Aurora and Prometheus are both inhabited by extraterrestrial humans, perhaps distantly related to the Vilani, they have been cut off from their empire for a long time and have regressed to tech level 3 and 1, whatever their original tech that got them there was. Aurora and Prometheus are the names given to them by their German discoverers. Hitler and some other Nazi officials escape using a Scout/Courier ship and at this time reside on the planet Aurora amongst the native inhabitants.
Subsector 0
Coordinates Circa 1945
(x, y, z) Parsecs Name Type UWP GS
(+0.00,+0.00,+0.00) Sol Earth G2.0 V C867977-6 GS
(-0.47,-0.36,-1.16) Proxima Centauri Proxima M5.0 V X332000-0 G
(-0.50,-0.42,-1.17) alpha Centauri A Aurora G2.0 V X868870-3
(-0.50,-0,42,-1.17) alpha Centauri B Prometheus K0 V X865870-1
(-0.02,-1.83,+0.15) Barnard’s Star Barnard M3.5 V X114000-0
(-2.28,+0.65,+0.29) Wolf 359 M5.5 V X431000-0 G
(-2.00,+0.50,+1.49) Lalande 21185 M2.0 V X233000-0 G
(-0.49,+2.47,-0.76) Sirius A A1.0 V X556770-1 G
(-0.29,+2.47,-0.76) Sirius B DA2 X000000-0
Sirius B is a white dwarf that orbits from 8.1 to 31.5 AU around Sirius A
(+2.31,+1.07,-0.82) BL Ceti M5.5 V X566725-0
(+2.31,+1.07,-0.82) UV Ceti M6.0 V X657770-0
(+0.59,-2.65,-1.20) Ross 154 M3.5 V X457000-0 G
(+2.26,-0.18,+2.20) Ross 248 M5.5 V X000000-0 G
(+1.90,+2.54,-0.53) epsilon Eridani K2.0 V X787870-4 G
(+1.90,+2.54.-0.53) asteroid belt 3 AU from epsilon Eridani
(+1.90,+2.54,-0.53) Large gas giant 1.5 time Jupiter’s mass 3.4 AU from epsilon Eridani
(+2.58,-0.62,-1.92) Lacaille M1.0 V X675000-0 G
(-3.35,+0.18,+0.05) Ross 128 M4.0 V X9DA000-0 G
(+3.12,-1.16,-0.91) EZ Aquarii A M5.0 V X758000-0 G
(+3.12,-1.16,-0.91) EZ Aquarii B M6.0 V X496000-0
(+3.12,-1.16,-0.91) EZ Aquarii C M7.0 V Same as A
Components A and C orbit each other with a separation of 0.03 AU with a period of 3.8 days.
The Mainworld listed for A orbits the A-C pair’s common center in an exterior orbit.
Component B with its planet orbits the A-C pair with an orbital period of 823 days.
(+1.98,-1.87,+2.19) 61 Cygni A Bessel K5.0 V X673000-0 G
(+1.98,-1.87,+2.19) 61 Cygni B Piazzi K7.0 V X769771-1 G
(-1.47,+3.17,+0.32) Procyon A F5 IV-V X000000-0 G
(-1.47,+3.17,+0.32 Procyon B DQZ X000000-0 G
Procyon B is a white dwarf that orbits 9.8 to 21 AU around Procyon A
(+0.33,-1.75,+3.04) GJ 725 A M3.0 V X104000-0 G
(+0.33,-1.75,+3.04) GJ 725 B M3.5 V X779000-0 G
(+2.56,+0.21,+2.48) GX Andromedae A M1.5 V X667000-0 G
(+2.56,+0.21,+2.48) GX Andromedae B M3.5 V X637000-0 G
(+1.73,-0.97,-3.03) epsilon Indi K4.0 V 8677770-3 G
(+1.73,-0.97,-3.03) brown dwarf T1.0 V
(+1.73,-0.97,-3.03) brown dwarf T6.0 V
Binary brown dwarfs (T1.0 V and T6.0 V) orbit epsilon India at a average distance of 1460 AU.
(-1.97,+2.57,+1.63) DX Cancri M6.0 V X885670-0 G
(+3.15,+1.54,-1.00) Tau Ceti Tau Ceti e G8.5 V XC85870-2 G
Four other known planets Tau Ceti b, c, d, and f
(+1.54,+2.12,-2.58) GJ 1061 M5.0 V X000000-0 G

 

[Nathan Brazil]

I have some ideas you may use from rules from the other Mongoose books

On using different era tech (WWII and TL 15):
Book 6: Scoundrel pp134-135 has an optional rule (Tech Level Familiarity (Optional Rule)) for cross-TL users.
Supplement 4: Central Supply Catalog pp 17-19 has rules (Understanding Technological Items) which is more involved. Its example shows how a TL0 Barbarian might learn to use a gauss pistol!
The two rule systems are not really compatible so pick one

On making TL15 items on a TL5 world:
Supplement 4: Central Supply Catalog pp 12-17 has rules on prototyping, reverse engineering and such. They are harsh but you can play around with it. In my Traveller steampunk for "Low Tech" items, I basically roll 8d6 and assign points to the Cost Multiplier, Performance, Bulk, Reliability colunms, assign the DMs to each column until I achieve fun effect.

On modeling WWII vehicles:
CSC to the rescue for weapons! and Supplement 05 - 06 The Vehicle Handbook to create tanks, jeeps and so on

 

[Nathan Brazil]

From a story standpoint:
Why the Battle of the Bulge? To achieve a greater effect sooner, wouldn't the Time Agent choose Stalingrad be a more choice target to alter the timeline? Wipe out the Soviets more quickly, more Germans live to get freed up to fight elsewhere, German has more morale, the oilfields, etc. etc. Nazi Earth so much sooner?

 

[Nathan Brazil]

The Vilani and the Ziru Sirka are out there in 1945 even in a parallel timeline. Barnard, Aggida, and Nusku are nearby at 2, 4, and 6 parsecs Coreward. Even though Barnard might have had a recent colonization, Aggida has been colonized since 1100AD. Nusku has 1.1 billion people in 2170AD (GURPS Interstellar Wars p.112) and was considered a "mature" world with Vilani living there for hundreds of years so in the OTU was likely inhabited even in 1945AD unless otherwise butterflied away. And in the parallel timeline.

Hmm. First Contact in the 1940's instead of the 2090's.
knock knock knock
"Hello, we a looking for a war criminal from our home planet. Have you seen this man?"

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

The Vilani and the Ziru Sirka are out there in 1945 even in a parallel timeline. Barnard, Aggida, and Nusku are nearby at 2, 4, and 6 parsecs Coreward. Even though Barnard might have had a recent colonization, Aggida has been colonized since 1100AD. Nusku has 1.1 billion people in 2170AD (GURPS Interstellar Wars p.112) and was considered a "mature" world with Vilani living there for hundreds of years so in the OTU was likely inhabited even in 1945AD unless otherwise butterflied away. And in the parallel timeline.

Hmm. First Contact in the 1940's instead of the 2090's.
knock knock knock
"Hello, we a looking for a war criminal from our home planet. Have you seen this man?"

Well I'm plotting the 100 nearest star systems,o it goes out to 6-7 parsecs, and I'm going to do it in 5 3-dimensional subsectors. I've proportioned it so there should be about 20 star systems per subsector I'll call them subsectors 0 through 4. If you like, you could take what I posted here and modify them the way you think they should be. I have all the information for all 100 systems, I just need to take the time to type them out in a format I can post here.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

Subsector 1
Coordinates 1945
(x, y, z) Parsecs Name Type UWP GS
(-1.39,+3.47,+0.34) Luyten’s Star M3.5 V X100000-0 G
(+2.69,+2.53,+1.12) SO 0253+1652 M6.5 V X541000-0 G
(+4.18,+0.91,+0.40) van Maanen’s Star DZ7 X9C8000-0 G
(+3.75,+2.17,+1.00) TZ Arietis M4.0 V X99A000-0 G
(-3.43,+0.83,+3.35) WX Ursae Majoris A M1.0 V X572000-0 G
(-3.43,+0.83,+3.35) WX Ursae Majoris B M5.5 V E5566AA-5 G
(-2.81,+1.44,+3.70) GJ 380 K7.0 V X8B6000-0 G
(-4.16,+1.95,+1.66) GJ 388 M2.5 V X493000-0 G
(-3.45,+3.51,+1.77) EI Cancri A M5.5 V A563414-C G
(-3.45,+3.51,+1.77) EI Cancri B M7.0 V E777232-B G
(+0.00,+5.24,+0.25) G 099-049 M3.5 V X527000-8 G
(-1.05,+0.06,+5.24) GJ 445 M3.5 V X999000-0 G
(+1.08,+2.64,+4.75) Stein 2051 A M4.0 V C652645-C G
(+1.08,+2.64,+4.75) Stein 2051 B DC5 C000632-C G
(-1.11,+4.56,+3.08) GJ 251 M3.0 V C111501-9 G
(+0.44,+5.68,+1.26) Ross 47 M4.0 V X346000-0
(+3.09,+0.67,+5.03) eta Cassiopei A G3.0 V A462666-C G
(+3.09,+0.67,+5.03) eta Cassiopei B K7.0 V C583200-B
(-2.63,+5.36,+0.37) Ross 882 M4.0 V B02068D-C G
(-2.78,+2.45,+4.86) GJ 338 A M0.0 V A787363-C G
(-2.78,+2.45,+4.86) GJ 338 B K7.0 V A4717BC-C G
(-1.44,+4.57,+3.81) QY Aurigae A M4.5 V D675375-9 G
(-1.44,+4.57,+3.81) QY Aurigae B M5.5 V C310945-9 G
(-4.33,+3.10,+3.02) Vrba et al. 2004 T6.0 V D014566-9
(-4.19,+4.18,+2.37) LHS 2090 M6.0 V C646942-5 G

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

If you use 'Astrosynthesis' you can just download the positions for all stars in (I think 50 light years) as a comma separated file. The programme will even tell you the distances between them and make maps in many 3D forms (2D 'Traveller' style too).

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

The way I had them grouped is in 5 "subsectors" Well not really subsectors, but they are the 100 nearest stars, which I believe goes out to about 21 light years . Parsec 0 is a sphere 3 parsecs in radius. Parsect 1 is the region of the sky from 3 to 6.5 parsecs celestial North from 0 to 12 hours right ascention, Parsec 2 is celestial North 12 to 0 hourus right asention. Parsect 3 is from 0 to 12 hours but in the southern celestial hemisphere, and parsect 4 is in the southern celestial hemisphere 12 to 0 hours right ascention.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

Here is Subsector 2

Subsector 2
(+0.33,-1.66,-3.46) SCR 1845-6357 A M8.5 V B4608AA-A G
(+0.33,-1.66,-3.46) SCR 1845-6357 B T6.0 V C544233-4 G
(+1.98,-0.84,+3.41) Kruger 60 A M3.0 V C513676-9
(+1.98,-0.84,+3.41) Kruger 60 B M4.0 V E698369-7 G
(-4.29,-0.63,+0.69) Wolf 424 A M5.0 V C559549-7
(-4.29,-0.63,+0.69) Wolf 424 B M5.0 V A6B479C-8 G
(-0.17,-1.67,+4.22) GJ 687 M3.0 V D8CD034-9 G
(+1.55,-2.85,+3.18) G 208-044 A M5.5 V C643336-6 G
(+1.55,-2.85,+3.18) G 208-044 B M6.0 V E528510-6 G
(+1.55,-2.85,+3.18) G 208-044 C M6.0 V D302456-8 G
(+3.43,-1.13,+3.53) EV Lacertae M3.5 V C9AA268-8 G
(+0.12,-5.10,+0.22) 70 Ophiuchi A K0.0 V C453002-9 G
(+0.12,-5.10,+0.22) 70 Ophiuchi B K5.0 V B524536-8 G
(+2.35,-4.48,+0.79) Altair A7.0 IV-V B883257-C
(-4.68,-2.33,+1.39) Wolf 498 M1.0 V D62346B-7
(+0.74,-4.69,+3.09) 2MA 1835+3259 M8.5 V B445520-7
(+0.78,-1.84,+5.40) Sigma Draconis G9.0 V E89A100-7 G
(+1.92,-5.50,+0.53) Wolf 1055 A M2.5 V E374340-8 G
(+1.92,-5.50,+0.53) Wolf 1055 B M8.0 V A557330-A G
(+5.94,-0.28,+0.25) GJ 908 M1.0 V C541656-8 G
(-0.10,-1.99,+5.74) GJ 1221 DGP9 N C2677AA-6 G
(+5.84,-0.72,+2.13) EQ Pegasi A M3.5 V C78A8A9-6
(+5.84,-0.72,+2.13) EQ Pegasi B M4.5 V C593487-4
(-0.93,-4.37,+4.58) GJ 661 A M3.0 V C7AB325-B G
(-0.93,-4.37,+4.58) GJ 661 B M3.0 V C8DC248-8 G
(-1.83,-4.49,+4.19) G 180-060 M5.0 V D523643-3 G
(-1.53,-3.49,+5.30) GJ 625 M1.5 V B697432-B G
(-6.40,-0.53,+1.26) GL Virginis M4.5 V D20267A-4 G
(+3.47,-0.72,+5.50) GJ 892 K3.0 V B778878-5 G

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

Subsector 3
(+3.38,+1.11,-1.09) YZ Ceti M4.5 V C44037A-7 G
(+0.53,+2.70,-2.77) Kapteyn’s Star M2.0 VI C866410-9 G
(-2.94,+0.95,-2.58) DEN 1048-3956 M8.5 V C110347-8 G
(-0.52,+4.05,-0.20) Ross 614 A M4.5 V CA9A441-6 G
(-0.52,+4.05,-0.20) Ross 614 B M5.0 V B310236-B G
(+3.45,+0.08,-2.63) GJ 1 M1.5 V B000658-9 G
(-4.23,+1.37,-0.89) LHS 292 M6.5 V C124241-C G
(-1.96,+0.12,-4.19) WD 1142-645 DQ6 B525787-7
(+4.65,+0.14,-0.62) GJ 1002 M5.0 V A688896-7 G
(-2.17,+0.74,-4.18) LHS 288 M5.5 V B758466-8 G
(+2.33,+3.31,-2.88) LP 944-020 M9.0 V B544214-A G
(+2.45,+2.34,-3.63) DEN 0255-4700 L7.5 V C789655-8 G
(+2.18,+4.43,-0.66) Omicron 2 Eridani A K0.5 V A636575-C G
(+2.18,+4.43,-0.66) Omicron 2 Eridani B DA4 C110378-8 G
(+2.18,+4.43,-0.66) Omicron 2 Eridani C M4.0 V C969543-A
(+1.32,+5.11,-0.64) LHS 1723 M4.0 V C9DD8BE-8
(-3.96,+2.79,-2.24) 2MA 0939-2448 T8.0 V C663666-7 G
(+0.70,+5.63,-0.36) Wolf 1453 M1.0 V B4138B8-C G
(+2.49,+5.08,-0.96) 2MA 0415-0935 T8.0 V C053411-9 G
(-0.25,+5.34,-2.14) GJ 229 A M1.5 V D321666-6 G
(-0.25,+5.34,-2.14) GJ 229 B T6.0 V E67B300-8 G
(+5.69,+0.38,-1.65) GJ 1005 A M3.5 V E112200-8
(+5.69,+0.38,-1.65) GJ 1005 B M4.0 V C204630-8
(+2.84,+3.38,-4.13) 82 Eridani G8.0 V C658977-8
(+0.13,+6.39,-0.47) WD 0552-041 DZ9 C435446-8
(-1.94,+1.33,-6.10) Jao et al. 2005 M4.0 V D566333-6 G