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Message: <blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 8394293" data-attributes="member: 42582">It's been a while, but with a bit of tinkering here and there, and a final big push this evening, I've written my Traveller scenario. As I mentioned upthread, I chose Traveller for this mostly because it's the only system I play that uses "morale checks". To me it also feels like there's a bit of a Dying Earth vibeBy my count the words are just over 1,400. And the ingredients are:Slippery Slope Morale Check Limbless Beast Heavy Crown Subpar Hero Vanished Behemoth Tomorrow’s MatchThe ArenaImagine a world which is little more than a starport. A starport and an arena. In the arena, gladiatorial heroes do battles with great aquatic beasts for the entertainment of jaded nobles watching from air-conditioned boxes.Tupic QuerogtB (no bases) – 55A – 338 – 8 – Wa, Lo, NiTupic is a mid-sized world with a thin atmosphere (5% greenhouse) and almost totally water-covered (70% cloud-covered; 0.426 albedo; average surface temperature of 43° C); its population of around 800 is concentrated at the Muso arena; its government is a self-perpetuating oligarchy, the managers of the arena and overseers of the gladiatorial stables.Its period of rotation is 63 hours; its orbital period is 1,500.9 days. It has three moons which exercise a considerable tidal influence and disrupt the formation of ice-caps, plus one major artificial satellite:Average orbit of 16,000 km: G – 200 – 36A – 7 (10.6 hour orbital period; underground training base for hundreds of gladiators, governed in a highly restrictive fashion by the ruling oligarchy); Average orbit of 32,000 km: Y – S00 – 168 – 7 (31 hour orbital period; a small team is preparing for the construction of a new training base on this 700 km diameter satellite); Average orbit of 36,000 km: G – 100 – 326 – 7 (36.8 hour orbital period; a self-governing group of former and escapee gladiators); Average orbit of 50,700 km: Type B starport (geosynchronous orbit; refined fuel available; capability to construct non-starships and undertake repairs and maintenance; a branch of the Travellers’ Aid Society; regular shuttle services to Muso).Its star, Querou, is a white main sequence star: F5 V, with orbits 0 to 13 (none empty): Tupic is in orbit 5; gas giants are in orbits 7, 8 and 12; planetoid belts are in orbits 0, 6 and 11.One of those nobles hired you, to crew her vessel and guard her personage. You've spent a week in Muso: Lady Gora placing bets on arena fights, you keeping watch over her and her purse while her security chief stays with in orbit aboard her interstellar yacht, the Luminous Coronet.NPCsLady (Baroness) GoraNoble (4 terms, 34 years old, entering 5th term which will see elevation to marchioness and -1 Str, Dex, +1 Int, + Carousing-1, Gambling-1; TAS member)98767CSpear-1 Hunting-1 Carousing-1Air/Raft-2 Gambling-1Cr 100,000 (hopes to win more at the arena!); Spear, Type Y Yacht (air/raft has mounted auto-rifle)Security Chief (3 terms, rank 3, 30 years old)554946Small blades-1 Tactics-1 Air/Raft-2 Streetwise-1Auto-Rifle-1 Recon-1 Commo-2Cr 2,000; High Psg, Security kit (lockpicks, disguises, electronic tools)PCs: engineer, pilot, medic, stewardNavy Lieutenant (7 terms, rank 3, 46 years old + physical training – promoted to Ensign, then Lieutenant in the final two terms; TAS member)366BA7Foil-1 Vacc Suit-3 Computer-1 Medical-2Cbt Rifles-1 Commo-1 Engineering-2 Liaison-1Cr 25,900; High Psg, FoilNavy (2 terms, 26 years old + experience; an aide to the Lieutenant; TAS member)88BA97Heavy Weapons-1 Vacc Suit-1 Navigation-1 Commo-1Ship’s Tactics-1 Ship’s Boat-1 Pilot-1Cr 10,000Merchant 4th Officer (draftee, 4 terms, rank 1, 34 years old + physical training)9C6739Laser Pistol-1 Medical-2 Carousing-1 Bribery-1Air/Raft-1 Jack-o-T-1 Steward-1 Streetwise-2Cr 20,900; Middle Psg, Cutlass, Integral Laser PistolMerchant 4th Officer (4½ terms, rank 1, 36 years old + experience in weapons)7666A6Cutlass-1 Vacc Suit-1 Computer-2 Jack-o-T-1Rifles-2 Ship’s Boat-1 Electronic-1 Steward-1Mechanical-1 Broker-1Cr 5,000; Middle Psg, Cutlass, RifleYou can spend your money as you like, although the ex-merchant characters may not begin with strictly military equipment (the ex-Navy characters are assumed to have access to military surplus).Lady Gora has taken a particular interest in an emerging gladiator, Amud the Restless. He's charming in a grotty sort of way, but rather sub-par as a fighter. Tomorrow he's scheduled to fight a Musow Behemoth. And Lady Gora has Cr 50,000 on Amud to lose. But some hours ago, the rumour started spreading: the Behemoth has vanished, meaning that – under the arena rules – Amud will win by way of forfeit.Amud the Restless – he is heavy-hearted at the thought of being crowned champion by way of forfeitBarbarian (2 terms, rank 1, 22 years old, entering 3rd term)879886Spear-1 Recon-1 Jack-o-T-1Archery-1 Survival-1C r 0 (but has a spear, longbow and a quiver of arrows provided by his sponsor)And so that’s how you find yourselves in your current circumstances: having taken the air/raft out of the ship’s boat and flown it to a small atoll over 100 km from Muso, with auto-rifle mounted in defiance of local prohibitions on carrying weapons, to try and stop the loading of the exotic behemoth from a submersible onto a half-submerged safari vessel so that it might be taken to another world for sale.Each of you can answer one of the following questions – you should give the answer from the perspective of your character, not from a “god’s eye” point of view:How did the poachers gain access to the behemoth pen?How did you locate the safari vessel?What precautions have you taken against the heat and the water?Who stands to benefit from Amud winning tomorrow’s match and being crowned champion?If answering a question requires you to make a throw for a skill or other characteristic, make the throw and apply the result to your current situation (if it’s unclear, the referee will determine how). If it requires you to spend credits, mark the expenditure on your character record. If it involves the existence or activities of a NPC, the referee will take care of that aspect of things. Your answer does not need to be a complete one – if in doubt, follow the fiction and apply the appropriate resolution system.Once the questions have been answered, it is time to address the situation you find yourselves in!For the referee: The submersible is a 30 ton vessel of the sort used to carry beasts to the arena: it has a holding pen and a cramped cabin for the pilot and two other crew, and travels at about 15 kph. It has surfaced in the cargo hold of the safari ship, half-submerged on the atoll, with the pen aligned for unloading into the vessel’s holding tank.The hunter is piloting the submersible; the pirate and rogue are outside in the vessel’s air/raft, overseeing the transfer. The ex-Naval Lieutenant is in the water in a protective suit (equivalent to cloth armour) with underwater air tanks. The pilot and engineer are at their respective posts.The sides of the submersible are sloping and slippery; the same is true of the atoll. The hold of the starship is full of water. If the submersible or the starship lose their alignment, the behemoth can escape. The tide will rise very quickly.If anyone is hurt, two things will happen: that side of the conflict must make a morale check (in accordance with the rules); and the limbless beast will lunge out from its place of concealment in the atoll, to try and take the body.If/when the PCs return to Muso, an appropriate Law Level check must be made given the illegality of their armed air/raft.Safari ship owner and crew (muscle, steward, medic, pilot, engineer)Hunter (4 terms, Age 34 years old, entering 5th and final term – will suffer -1 Dex, gain +1 Int)7988BALaser Pistol-2 Hunting-1 Air/Raft-1Survival-1 Submersible-1Vacc Suit-1 Jack-o-T-1Cr 0 (but hopes to gain some from this venture!); Laser Pistol (and power pack), Type K Safari ShipPirate Sergeant (4 terms, rank 3, 34 years old)B9CA74Brawling-2 Small Blades-1 Gunnery-1 Commo-1Combat Rifles-1 Large Blades-1 Tactics-1 Gambling-1Ships Tactics-1 Streetwise-1Cr 50,180; Mid Psg, Cloth Armour, Blade, Cutlass, Assault Rifle (loaded)Rogue (5 terms, 38 years old)AB7798Brawling-2 Air/Raft-1 Bribery-1 Carousing-2 (Steward-1)Shotgun-2 Computer-1 Streetwise-2 Liaison-1Cr 10,000; High Psg, Shotgun (loaded)Navy Lieutenant (3 terms, rank 3, 30 years old + experience in weapons; TAS member)475BBBDagger-1 Fwd Obs-1 Navigation-1 Medical-1SMG-1 Vacc Suit-2 Electronic-1Cr 25,000Navy (½ term, 20 years old)56979AShip’s Tactics-1 Navigation-1 Pilot-1 Computer-1Cr 0Navy (½ term, 20 years old)69359BElectronic-1 Mechanical-1 Engineering-1Cr 0Musow BehemothKiller, maritime surface swimmer12,000 kgAlways attacks, even if attacked1x speed 10D/5D jack hide, claws (+1) for 7D+3Limbless BeastHijacker, maritime shallows amphibian6,000 kgWhen encountered, attack if attacked or throws 5+; otherwise flees 7+ or else stands3x speed 9D/4D teeth for 7D-3</blockquote>

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