Traveller Notes =============== - Scifi distant future - Interstellar travel is common, but voyages can take weeks, months, or even years. - Unlike D&D, characters do not become stronger with experience. Any advancement in capability comes from acquisition of money and technology. - Think _Firefly_ and _Aliens_. - Much like the Age of Sail, information travels only as fast as the fastest ship. - Economics drive the game play. Travellers work to get out from under. - The implied genre of the game is as much film noir as it is scifi. ## Dice ## - All dice are six-siders, with the number noted like "2D" for rolling two dice. - When the rules ask for a roll, usually the roll of two dice is indicated. - "Throw" is the target number, usually stated like "8+" or "4-". A throw like "6" means a target of that number exactly. - "DM" is "die modifier" noted like "+2" or "-1". ## Characters ## - Character creation describes the character's career before play begins, and age, rank, money, skills, and possessions. - Attributes (2D at creation) - Strength - Dexterity - Endurance - Intelligence - Education - Social Standing - Attributes can be noted as a UPP (Universal Personality Profile) - Written out in hexadecimal, like "477CB4" (i.e. "C" in hex is 12 in decimal) - Classes/Services - Navy - Marines - Army - Scouts - Merchants - Other - Make a dice roll, modified by attribute bonuses, to "enlist" in a service. - A failed enlistment roll means the character must submit to the draft. - Terms of Service - Each term of service is four years (and each adds to the character's age). - A character has a chance to die during each term of service (during character creation!) - Make a roll for each term of service for, first, commission as an officer and, on the first and subsequent terms of service, promotions. - Commissions and promotion not available for Scouts and Other Service. - Survival: roll each term of service to see if the character dies in the line of duty. Each service has a DM to this roll. - Reenlistment - Characters may roll to reenlist after each term of service (2D). - Each service has a reenlistment number that must be rolled. - A failed roll means denial of reenlistment. - A roll of 12 means mandatory reenlistment. - Characters may serve at most seven terms of voluntary service. - Characters may retire with pay after the fifth term of service (baring mandatory reenlistment). - A character may serve more than seven terms in the event of mandatory reenlistment. - Skills and Training - Roll on one of four Acquired Skills Table during each term of service. - The forth table is only available with an Education of 8+. - Characters get two skills "for free" during their first term of service. - Characters get one skill during subsequent term of service. - Characters get one additional skill when commissioned. - Characters get one additional skill when promoted. - If the same skill is acquired again, increase it's number to note greater expertise (e.g. gunnery-1 to gunnery-2). - Because Scouts are not eligible for promotion, they get two skills total during each term of service. - Mustering out - Roll on one of the two Mustering Out tables for each full term of service to determine benefits. - Choose either table, but not more than three rolls on the cash table. - Rant 1 or 2 gets an extra roll. - Rank 3 or 4 gets two extra rolls. - Rank 5 or 6 gets three extra rolls, and DM +1 on the Benefits table. - Gambling skill adds +1 to rolls on the cash table. - Aging - Character creation starts at age 18. - Each term of service is four years. - Characters who reach age 34 by their end of service consult the aging table. - Game events may affect aging (drugs, suspended animation) - If any attribute is reduced to zero, it triggers an aging crisis - Non-player characters are called "patrons". - Loyalty can be rolled on the Character Reaction table. - Skills - Noted like "brawling-2", where higher is better. - Acquired Skills/Personal Development - Increased attribute, like +1 strength - Weapons expertise, like sword-2 - Transport skills, like helicopter-1 - Basic skills, like bribery-3 ## Personal Combat ## - Covers brawls, sword fights, gun fights. - Throw of 8+ to hit, modified by range, skill, surprise, weapon type, etc. - Combat rounds last 15 seconds. - Combat procedure: - Determine range and surprise - Range 2D, with terrain-based DMs - Close, short, medium, long, or very long - Recommended to plot range (and movement) on a line graph. - Surprise: both sides roll 1D. A roll of three or more greater than the other party indicates surprise. Consult Surprise table for DMs. - Parties with surprise get at least one full round of attacks, more if their attack is stealthy (silent lasers, guns in a vacuum). - Escape or avoidance? - Escape: outnumbered NPC parties that have surprise avoid enounters on 7+. - Avoidance: Without surprise, outnumbered NPC parties escape on 9+ (with DMs from the Escape table based on encounter range). - ******** Each round ********: - Movement - Tracked in terms of range bands - close ... short ... medium ... long ... very long - Each round, combatants choose either: - Close range - Open range - Stand - Evade (forgo attack for defense DM) - Characters move one band per round walking, two running. - Running forgoes an attack this round - Animals may move more quickly. - All movement is simultaneous. - Attacks (attacker's DMs, defender's DMs) - Each combatant select a target - Base to-hit throw of 8+. - To-hit modified by weapon/armor, range, expertise, etc. - Roll 2D. On a hit, see wound column in range matrix. - Inflict wounds for successful attacks at end of round. - The target can choose to apply each die of wounds as temporary damage to Strength, Dexterity, or Endurance. - BUT, the first wound a character takes applies to a random attribute. - If any attribute is reduced to zero, the target is stunned/unconscious. - Two attributes reduced to zero is a serious wound. - Three attributes reduced to zero is death. - Unconscious characters with one attribute reduced to zero awaken after 10 minutes (40 rounds), with wounded attributes temporarily restored to the mid-point between the normal/full and wounded values. - Full recovery required medical care or three days of rest. - Unconscious characters with two attributes reduced to zero wake after three hours. Attributes remain at the wounded level (or 1, whichever is higher), until treated at a medical facility by someone with medical-3. - Roll morale if casualties exceed 25 percent. ## Travel ## - Two types of space travel: interplanetary and interstellar - Interstellar travel used a jump drive. - Jumps of any distance take about one week. - Fare for interstellar travel is based on accommodations: - High passage - First class room, entertainment, food - 1,000 kg baggage - Cr10,000 - Middle passage - Standby basis; good room, second-class food - Chance to be "bumped" off voyage by high passage purchaser - 100 kg baggage - Cr8,000 - Working passage - Passage in lieu of pay - Three jumps max before being hired (expertise required) - 1,000 kg baggage - Low passage - Passage spent in cold sleep/suspended animation - Throw 5+ to survive reanimation (note DM's) - No aging during low passage - 10 kg baggage - Cr1,000 - Stowaway; chance to be discovered and thrown out airlock! - Traveller's Aid Society - Possible membership as mustering out benefit - Membership purchasable for Cr1,000,000 (throw 4+ to avoid blackball) - One high passage every two months as benefit - Membership is for life - Other risks include hijacking and starship malfunctions ## Starship Economics ## - With a business plan, banks will finance purchase of a starship. - Starship expenses: - Fuel: Cr500/ton (refined) or Cr100/ton (unrefined) - Life support: - Cr2000 per 2 week trip per stateroom - Cr100 per occupied low passage berth - Maintenance - Annual overhaus at 0.1% cost of ship, takes two weeks - Crew salaries - Paid monthly - +10% for each level of expertise over skill-1 - Player characters may bargain for better pay or share of profits - NPC's paid according to pay schedule - Berthing costs - Cr100 to land and remain for six days - Cr100 per day beyond the first six - Revenue - Cargo - Roll to determine available cargo - Carried at Cr1,000/ton - Passengers - Roll for interested passengers - Pay by class of transport (high, middle, low) - Mail and incidentals - Mail delivery by contract, Cr25,000 for five tons. - Private one-off messages at Cr20-120 - Serves as introduction to recipient - Trade customs - Delivery - Goods taken on in orbit are delivered to orbit - Goods taken on the surface are delivered to the surface - Shuttle service between orbit and surface - Available at any class A, B, or C starport - Fare Cr10/ton of cargo, and Cr20-120 per passenger - Charters - Non-starship chartered at Cr1/ton/hour (12 hour minimum) - Starships chartered in 2-week blocks - Cr900/ton of cargo - Cr9,000 per high passenger, Cr900 per low berth ## Starship Design and Construction ## - Ship are constructed and sold at shipyards. - Class A starports have a shipyards that can build jump capable vessels. - Class B starports can build vessels without jump drives. - Classifications: - Vessel: interplanetary or insterstellar - Ship: vessel of 100+ tons - Starship: ship with jump drive for interstellar voyages - Non-starship: ship without jump drive - Small craft: under 100 tons (and all without jump drive) - Ships are build according to several well-tested designs: - 100-ton scout/courier - 200-ton free trader - 200-ton yacht - 400-ton subsidized merchant - 600-ton subsidized liner - 800-ton mercenary cruiser - 400-ton patrol cruiser - Small craft designs: - 20-ton launch - 30-ton ship's boat - 40-ton pinnace - 40-ton slow pinnace - 50-ton modular cutter - 95-ton shuttle - 10-ton fighter - Vessel components - Total fitting can't exceed tonnage of the hull - Roughly, one ton equals 14 cubic meters - During construction, hulls are divided into engineering (drives) and everything else. - Engineering section: - Drive efficiency depends on the hull tonnage it drives. - Starships have a jump drive and power plan, and may have a maneuver drive also. - Non-starships have powerplant and a maneuver drive. - Power plan must equal or exceed the higher of the maneuver or jump drive requirement. - Main compartment: - Bridge - Minimum 2% (or 20 tons) of ship tonnage - Computer - Larger is better, especially for combat functions. - Better jump drives require a better computer. - Armed ships must have one ton of fire control gear per turret. - Staterooms - Each houses one person - Each displaces 4 tons - Each costs Cr500,000 - Double-occupancy is allowed in military vessels. - Commercial ships require at least one stateroom per crew member. - Low passage berths - Cr50,000 each - Each displaces half a ton - Can be used to suspend injured characters - Fuel - Cargo hold - Armaments - Limit one hardpoint per 100 tons of ship - Hardpoints expend no tonnage - Each hardpoint costs Cr100,000. - One turret may be attached on each hardpoint (requiring 1 ton of fire control) - Turrets can be single, double, or triple weapon mounts. - Optional components - Atmospheric streamlining - Allows atmospheric entry, scooping fuel and water - MCr1 per 100 tons construction cost, can not be retrofitted - Ships locker - A magic box: the referee decides what it might reasonably contain (vacc suits, shotguns, ammunition, compasses, survival aids, shelters, etc.) - Ship's vehicles: air/rafts, ATVs, GCarriers, speeders - Ship crews - Pilot, every ship - Navigator, any starship > 200 tons - Engineer, any ship 200+ tons - Steward, one per eight high passengers - Medic, any starship 200+ tons - Gunner, one per turret - Weaponry - Pulse lasers, short bursts, high damage - Beam lasers, continuous beam, lower damage - Missile racks - Sandcasters, defense against lasers ## Computers ## - Software - Offensive programs - Target ## Space Combat ## ## Worlds ## ## Animal Encounters ## ## Encounters ## ## Trade and Commerce ## ## Equipment ## ## Vehicles ## ## Psionics ## ## Jargon ## ATU : Alternate Traveller Universe IMTU : In My Traveller Universe (i.e. non-canon, non-official, home campaign) OTU : Official Traveller Universe (i.e. published canon) ## Links ## http://www.downport.com/ http://www.travellermap.com/ http://web.fisher.cx/robert/rpg/traveller/top10.html http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/