[ooc]Traveller T20 - Full

Maerdwyn · Sep 27, 2003

(Campaign Title Pending)
I think that's about long enough for the poll - Traveller it is!

I'm looking for up to six players. I'll do major postings 3 times per week, and players should respond within 24 hours of posting. In addition to the major posts, we can handle dialog and other individual actions as needed. I will try to make, and post, necessary maps, when relevant to the encounter, or when requested by players. I award XP for chracter background writeups, including bonuses for writeups than contain adventure hooks or DNPCs (Dependant NPCs) who might lead to adventures or just general mischief and trouble involving the group.

Wait until you get a nod from me before you make and post your character. We will be using the T20 rules, but if there are skills or feats you want from other settings, like D20 Modern, etc, let me know. You will roll ability scores (4d6, drop lowest, arrange resulting scores as you like) and other character generation rolls. We'll use an online dice roller for in-game rolls. If you don't have a T20 book, you can still play, and I'll generate a character for you based on your concept.

For those who didn't see the poll thread, I'm rather new to PbP and to Traveller, but I hoping to experience - and to provide you with - some great gaming.

As to the general nature of the campaign, I like players to help me out with what they want. When you reply to say you want to play, I’d like it if you could include your ratings of the following on a 1-10scale (where 1 means you don't want to see it at all in the campaign, and 10 means you want it to be the major focus of the campaign). Not necessary, but those who respond will have an impact on the way I'm writing up the campaign.

Encounters with Aliens
Find and/or Explore ancient ruins
Trade with distant worlds
Political intrigue
All out space-based war
One-on-one ship-to-ship combat
Personal combat (melee, projectile weapons, etc.)
Explore uncharted space
Crime-based adventures (either perpetrating or solving)
Romance
Puzzles
Humor
Moral Dilemmas
Other (please make your suggestions)

Seonaid · Sep 29, 2003

Okay. I don't have the books (we played GURPS, and I've only the core book), and it's been a long, long time (4 or 5 years) since I've played Traveller. If that's a turn-off, just let me know and I'll step aside so others can join. This does sound like a good campaign (I like your ideas of how to GM, and from the list of things you gave, sounds like you're pretty well set up, which I also like), and I'm looking to diversify, so I am interested, I just may need a nudge or three.

I would be willing to play a human, but if the party wants to play a different race (Vargr are interesting

) I'm all for that, too.

Encounters with Aliens: 9
Explore ancient ruins: 5
Trade with distant worlds: 5
Political intrigue: 6
All out space-based war: 5
One-on-one ship-to-ship combat: 7
Personal combat (melee, projectile weapons, etc.): 5
Explore uncharted space: 5
Crime-based adventures (either perpetrating or solving): 6
Romance: 5
Puzzles: 8
Humor: 7
Moral Dilemmas: 7

I think that encounters with aliens would depend on what aliens are. If they are the other races detailed in Traveller, I would rate it a 10. If they are races you make up, it would depend on the nature of the campaign and the nature of the characters. I rated most things as 5 because it would be interesting to have all these things, but I honestly don't care. As long as it's done well, all or none of the above are a 10. Ha, does that help?

The campaign I was in before had political intrigue, encounters with aliens (type 1), one-on-one combat, personal combat (talk about hatches being blown and parts being torn into space), crime-based adventures, and humor (though whether that was intentional on the GM's part or not is debatable, hehee).

Maerdwyn · Sep 30, 2003

Sounds great, Seonaid - you're in.

You can get character generation basics for free from T20 Lite at: http://www.travellerrpg.com/T20/t20lite.html

but it only has the Merchant character class. If you want to play something else, let me know as much concept as you want, and I'll help you out

Seonaid · Sep 30, 2003

Thanks; I'll take a look at it and get back to you.

Tonguez · Sep 30, 2003

I'm willing to play but like Seonaid I too don't have the T20 rules at hand (though I have downloaded the lite rules)

Thinking something along the lines of a Technician/Scientist type (as long as I get to make things and break things

) so Tech:Mechanical, Tech:Engineering maybe Tech:Gravitics too and Gearhead Feat?

Encounters with Aliens: 7
Explore ancient ruins: 7
Trade with distant worlds: 5
Political intrigue: 6
All out space-based war: 6
One-on-one ship-to-ship combat: 7
Personal combat (melee, projectile weapons, etc.): 7
Explore uncharted space: 6
Crime-based adventures (either perpetrating or solving): 6
Romance: 5
Puzzles: 8
Humor: 7
Moral Dilemmas: 7

Maerdwyn · Sep 30, 2003

Tonguez - Cool, welcome aboard.

For the Benefit of your guys and anyone else w/o the book, Here is some info on the available classes. Not that because of "Prior History" you can often take more than one class and could start has high as 6th or 7th level (although don't worry if you end up starting at a higher or lower level than the rest of the party, as it make less difference in Traveller than in D&D:

Academic - pretty self explanatory, but deals mostly with theory, rather than practice.

Army (S) - Suited to personal survival, most Army vets served as infantry.

Barbarian - not the raging hulks from D&D, but still equipped to deal with harsh environments, often from non starfaring worlds.

Belter - Deep space miners and prospectors, who also specialize in jury rigging machines and equipment together, starship engineering, and blowing things up

Marines (S) - Specialized Zero-G fighting force

Mercenary - Encompasses a wide range of fighters

Merchant - Traders, often of the deep space variety; also equipped to function as the group's "Faceman".

Navy (S) - Starship pilots, technicians, and warriors

Noble - Aristocrats, educated and privileged

Professional - Encompassing anything from engineers to doctors to scientists working in the field. The difference between an Academic and a Professional is how "hands on" the person is.

Rogue - as in D&D, a catch-all class that could inclue Thieves, smugglers, certain mercenaries, etc. In T20's words "...the classic adventurer."

Scout (S) - Possesses a wide range of skils suited to piloting and exploration. "Highly motivated problem solvers with a cosmopolitan outlook."

Traveller - Someone who makes a living away from home. Well suited to all things on a starship or an alien world.

Classes marked with an (S) are service classes, which mean that while a member of that class, you serve full time in that group. These an only be taken during prior service (adventures would get prety dull if you were the only member of the group who owed full time service to the Army, and therefore couldn't adventure) and you must complete at least one term of your prior service before switching classes. OTOH, you must multiclass to another (non-service) class before beginning play. So, for example, you could tell me you wanted to start out asa barbarian, but join up with the marines after getting off your homeworld, and, after a long and almost distinguished career, you wish to muster out and look for work as a merc.

I would say your group needs at least one person, or a few people pooling their skills, who can pilot a ship, astrogate through jumpspace, and/or handle ship-to-ship combat. Past military service is an easy way, but not the only way by any means, to acquire those skills.

Maerdwyn · Sep 30, 2003

I think I'll just go ahead and open up the other major PC after all.

There are others in the book, but they are considered minor races, and I haven't read about them much beyond their short blurbs in the core book. If there's something you really want beyond these, please let me know.

For those without the book:

All characters have a prior history, representing what they did with their lives before their active career. Each term of prior service represents 4 years of th character's life, and the number of terms allowed varies by race. Below are the allowable races in the campaign, with others approved case by case.

Humans: - Speed=9 Meters, 4 extra skill points a 1st, then +1 per level, +1 Feat

Vilani Humans (Max prior history terms = 10)- Humans of the First Imperium, of the mixed or pure blooded variety. Pure Blooded Vilani have longer lives, but encounter some prejudice in the Solomani-dominated Third Imperium.

Solomani Humans (Max prior history terms = 7) - Humans from, or descended from humans from, the Sol system. Considered more violent and unstable than other humans, but this is largely prejudice, too.

Mixed Race Humans (Max prior history terms = 8) The vast majority of humans are of mixed stock

Zhodani Humans - Psionically advanced rulers of a large area of space Coreward and Spinward of the Imperium. Not available as a PC race, at present - this may change if the party visit Zhodani space.

Others - Humans live all over the galaxy, and have for a long time. Some have adapted through natural evolution or direct genetic engineering to their environments. The Luriani humans, for example, are amphibious. Approved case by case - if you have an idea, let me know.

Vargr: (Max prior history terms = 7) +2DEX, -2STR, -2CON, Speed=12 meters, +2 Search and Listen, +1 Spot. +1 to attack with claws or bite (1d4 and 1d6 damage respectively. 1 claw or bite as a standard action, 2 claws as a full attack)

Wolflike humanoids with a pack mentality, a society based on status and prestige, and very "liberal attitude towards laws."

Aslan: (Max prior history terms = 13) +2 STR, -2 Dex, (Males +1 attack with any weapon, but are -2 WIS. Some Class restictions) Speed=12 Meters, 18 Meters in personal combat, +1 Listen, Low Light vision, +1 to attack with dew claws (1d6 damage. 1 claw attack as a standard, 2 as a full action)
Vaguely lionlike humanoids with a society based on honor, land ownership, and rigid gender roles. Males are Warriors and protetors, females the administrators and scientists. Alsan have some difficulty tolerating human society.

Seonaid · Sep 30, 2003

I'm looking at either an Aslan professional or Vargr pilot . . . But if you'd prefer humans, I'd like a Vilani noble.

I'm having trouble with the PDF . . . I'll try again to download it (it seems to freeze my computer), as a PDF and zip, but if I can't get it, I'll need it emailed to me or something.

doghead · Sep 30, 2003

The last time I playered Traveller was with the little black books. I loved it. And I must have designed hundreds of ships, vehicles and robots.

I really shouldn't as I am trying to streamline a rather cluttered life at the mo', but I just like the sound of this alot. I have access to the d20 Lite download. I will look at building a PC with that - probably a ship security orientated character. I'd like to mess around with the idea of a genetically engineered/modified individual. It would mostly be flavour rather than enhancement. If you have no objections I will get started on some initial ideas for your consideration asap.

Ouh, choices, so many choices.

Encounters with Aliens: 5
Explore ancient ruins: 5
Trade with distant worlds: 7
Political intrigue: 7
All out space-based war: 3
One-on-one ship-to-ship combat: 3
Personal combat (melee, projectile weapons, etc.): 7
Explore uncharted space: 5
Crime-based adventures (either perpetrating or solving): 7
Romance: 6
Puzzles: 7
Humor: 5
Moral Dilemmas: 6
Other (please make your suggestions): A mission from god's dog.

Notes: trying to track down some alien ruins would be more interesting than exploring them (dungeon crawl anyone? "Check for traps!", "I press the triangular symbol. What happens?"); trade, political intrigue, romance and moral dilemmas all offer lots of role-play potential; all out war could be an interesting backdrop; ship to ship is rather too impersonal; HTH isn't.

I hope that that helps. They are just my initial gut response.

Maerdwyn · Sep 30, 2003

doghead said:
I hope that that helps. They are just my initial gut response.

Quite helpful, Thanks

As I said, I'm new to Traveller, so it's nice to get an idea of what people like to do.

Seonaid said:
I'm looking at either an Aslan professional or Vargr pilot . . . But if you'd prefer humans, I'd like a Vilani noble.

Any of those choices would be fine - just give me some stats and a little guidance on what direction you'd like prior history to take (and how much of your life you'd lke to spend in prior history - see edits to races, above.)and you're good to go.