Should the PCs try and capture the NPC starship?

[pemerton]

Here is a summary of the current situation in our Classic Traveller game:

The PCs are trying to gain intelligence about, and possibly take down, a bioweapons manufacturing conspiracy. The leader of the conspiracy is Li, a Lieutenant in the Imperial Marines. The PCs don't know if she has gone rogue, or is running some sort of black op. But they have been recruited by an Imperial official to find out what she is up to.

Lt Li is based on a small planet called Olyx, which has little on it but a Scout base that is currently off-line. The PCs' cover is that they are part of an Imperial inspectorate investigating the breakdown in the processes at the base.

The PCs are currently in orbit about Enlil, a world one jump from Olyx that is the source of the bioweapon virus. They were about to make the jump to Olyx when they became aware of a patrol cruiser arriving at Enlil. They intercepted its communications, and learned that it had jumped in from Olyx. They figure it must be the flagship of Lt Li's operation, right under their noses.

And here is the question:

Shoud they jump to Olyx while most of its spacefaring firepower is in orbit about Enlil?

Or should they try and take the ship? That will require some sort or stealth/infiltration plan, as the PCs' ship has zero chance of taking out the cruiser (2 pulse lasers compared to 6 beam lasers and 6 missile racks). "Hi, we're from the Planetary Rescue Systems Inspectorate and need to have a quick look over your ship" may work, but equally it may not! (The PC party is 13, with 7 fight-y types compared to the NPC crew of 17, including 6 troopers.)

Which choice would you make?

 

[Deuce Traveler]

The decision should always be to take a ship if there is a decent chance of success. After all, if they decide to sell their old ship or keep this one they'll be making quite a profit. That's like asking whether or not PCs should slip away from a handful of hostile dragons that are searching for them, or take a chance and steal one of their dragon hordes while the dragons least expect it. Whether in fantasy or in futuristic space, most PC parties are going to take a chance on the big score.

 

[Eltab]

Do the PCs know enough about the base to make "raid the base while the ship's away" a meaningful option?
If not, they should try to get aboard the patrol cruiser - or play ECM-type games with its computer during a cover conversation - with the purpose of acquiring enough information to make intelligent decisions.
Do any of the not-fight-y PCs have lots of Computer and/or Comm skill?

 

[MarkB]

What else did they learn from eavesdropping on the comms? Do they know the ship's intended schedule, whether it's taking on cargo at its current location, whether it's carrying any of this bioweapon?

If they believe there are bioweapons aboard, and the local authorities have some decent firepower, then all they need to do is tip off local customs that it's worth making a close inspection of this vessel, and then watch the fireworks.

If it's going to be taking on cargo, that's a potential vulnerability - if they can get to the cargo undetected beforehand, they could use it to either smuggle themselves aboard, or plant an EMP device to detonate once loaded onto the ship, making it a sitting duck.

If it has no obvious vulnerabilities, but its planned route will include additional systems, then they know they'll have ample time to get in and out of Olyx before it returns.

 

[Derren]

Storming the ship is imo a bad idea. First getting on it in space undetected (or rather so that is it not seen as an attack) is very unlikely as they can always check back with Enlil about your story.
Second unless you have some heavy and high TL gear you might be rather outgunned, especially if it turns out that you are dealing with a Black Ops operation.
Third, you are the aggressor against the Imperium. That not only means that you have to deal with any reinforcements from Enlil, depending on Lis connections you might be catapulted into the list of the sectors most wanted. Unless you find any convincing evidence on that ship you can forget setting foot on Enlil and any average or higher law level world. Until you find some very good proof about the bioweapons you would basically be outlaws (And if Li is Black Ops and not Rogue even evidence would not save you)

The better question would be what the ship is doing there in the first place? Military ships usually have a higher Jump rating. Do they still have to go there to refuel or did they go there on purpose? Is it a simple supply run (possibly allowing you to smuggle things into the base)? Do they intend to deliver the bioweapon to Enlil? Has Li decided to abandon Olyx and is transfering to a new site?
If they dock you might be able to infiltrate the ship quietly, access their computers or get some crewmen to talk.

 

[pemerton]

Do they know the ship's intended schedule, whether it's taking on cargo at its current location, whether it's carrying any of this bioweapon?

The better question would be what the ship is doing there in the first place?

The players' conjecture (which is also the PCs' conjecture) is that the vessel is at Enlil to pick up more test subjects/virus specimens. Enlil itself is Tech Level 3 (the starport is a fairly modest Class C orbital facility maintained by the Imperium), and so local authorities aren't going to be able to provide a whole lot of resistance.

There was a branch of the bioweapons project on a third planet, Byron, which is one jump from Enlil in the "opposite" direction from Olyx. But the PCs disrupted that aspect of the operations pretty thoroughly, and handed all those involved over to the Byron authorities. In the climax of that episode (session report here) one group of bioweapons conspirators were trying to blow up the PCs from their orbiting starship - the Byron air force were dispatched (following a call for help from the PCs) and so the conspirators fled (presumably to Olyx, although that hasn't actually been confirmed yet in play).

There were test subjects and samples from Enlil on Byron, but following the just-mentioned disruption, the conspirators might want/need new ones. I think the players are assuming that any such samples/subjects will be taken back to Olyx, given that the Byron situation has become a bust from the conspirators' point of view.

Storming the ship is imo a bad idea.

<snip>

If they dock you might be able to infiltrate the ship quietly, access their computers or get some crewmen to talk.

The PCs wouldn't try an overt storming - they would be trying an infiltration-then-hijcack/capture.

you are the aggressor against the Imperium. That not only means that you have to deal with any reinforcements from Enlil, depending on Lis connections you might be catapulted into the list of the sectors most wanted. Unless you find any convincing evidence on that ship you can forget setting foot on Enlil and any average or higher law level world. Until you find some very good proof about the bioweapons you would basically be outlaws (And if Li is Black Ops and not Rogue even evidence would not save you)

There has been some discussion of this - the players are banking heavily on Li being rogue and hence their actions (if they do try and take the ship) being retrospectively justifiable!

Do the PCs know enough about the base to make "raid the base while the ship's away" a meaningful option?

It's more that they know they aren't militarily that powerful, and their ship is not very well-armed (a single turret with two pulse lasers), so if they turn up and a patrol cruiser is present then they can be pretty easily destroyed - so the cruiser being away makes their chance of surviving arrival on Olyx a bit better.

Do any of the not-fight-y PCs have lots of Computer and/or Comm skill?

They have a PC with Commo-1 and Computer-2 (but INT 2 - he's not that bright, but has read all the manuals - EDU 10). The diplomat/spy PC has Commo-1, Liasion-1, Interrogation-1 (among other skills). And they have a NPC ally with them who has Computer-4 and Electronics-2 (though no Commo).

The PC with Commo and Computer was crucial to intercepting the communications (he is a recently discharged Imperial Navy Lieutenant, and so is familiar with Navy codes and signal practices). And any plan to take the cruiser will probably involve the hacker NPC trying to take some sort of control of the ship's computer.

The decision should always be to take a ship if there is a decent chance of success.

This is the main argument in favour, yes. The prospects of success are a bit uncertain, though.

(Also, if its unclear: I'm the referee, but started this thread to get advice/ideas for my players - and also for fun, because I like talking about RPGing!)

 

[Derren]

Buying and selling ships usually doesnt happen in Traveller much and a patrol cruiser raises so many red flags that it is more trouble than what its worth it unless the PCs go pirate and/or leave the Imperium. Otherwise every time they approach a spaceport or even enter a system their transponder would reveal that they are in a AWOL military ship.
Also if they want the help from the authorities eventually they would have to turn in the ship anyway. They could use it to approach Olyx unnoticed for a while though. Altough its still risky as they likely miss important informations and the ruse will be discovered as soon as they prepare to dock or land. And that assumes that Olyx is otherwise empty. If not it gets more complicated (but also offers other infiltration options)
And just because the cruiser is away doesnt mean that there are no other ships and ground based defenses ehich make a raid impossible.
So for now information gathering and possible sabotage of the cruiser would be the smartest thing to do imo. Especially to find other co conspirators. Large scale bioweapon manufacturing is a bit above a simple lieutenant. You need scientific expertise and a lot of funding. And you need to have a very good reason to spend all this ressources to create a bioweapon. What do they want it for?

Hacking military grade computers to take over an imperial ship would be extremly hard anyway and success would depend a lot on GM fiat. They might be able to successfully assault some of the gathering teams on the ground if that is indeed what the cruiser is there for. Just make sure that their mission is not to perform a large scale test on a backwater planet instead. Although the proximity to their base makes this unlikely. On the other hand as the weapon is based on DNA found in that planet its more easy to cover it up as a local mutation.
Will their cover as inspection team be blown if they delay? Not that I put much fate on their cover story. Inspectors dont arrive in a yacht.

As the bioweapon research has been exposed on Byron are the authorities informed? Something like this normally registers quite high on the imperial "dont do it" list and in a few weeks elements of the subsector fleet could pay Olyx a visit, not to mention remove any protection and support Li has within the ranks of the navy (assuming that he is not black ops).

By the way, based on the crew size and armament, I assume this is about a 400-600 ton vessel with a fancy name and nothing even close to a cruiser.

 

[pemerton]

Not that I put much fate on their cover story. Inspectors dont arrive in a yacht.

They haven't worked out an answer to that yet.

By the way, based on the crew size and armament, I assume this is about a 400-600 ton vessel with a fancy name and nothing even close to a cruiser.

It's a Type T Patrol Cruiser (which is in the revised edition of Book 2 and also The Traveller Book) - the hull is 400 tons. It's not a Kinunir-class Battle Cruiser.

 

[chaochou]

If I was going to try and get aboard the cruiser it wouldn't be through violence, and probably not stealth either.

I'd be looking to broadcast a distress signal and claim to have a life support malfunction and multiple system failures - throw the ship into a slow awkward spin to make it look convincing. Something to get you on board the target ship with a credible reason to be there and as little suspicion as possible.

 

[Derren]

If I was going to try and get aboard the cruiser it wouldn't be through violence, and probably not stealth either.

I'd be looking to broadcast a distress signal and claim to have a life support malfunction and multiple system failures - throw the ship into a slow awkward spin to make it look convincing. Something to get you on board the target ship with a credible reason to be there and as little suspicion as possible.

Imo that is not likely to work.
First its not even sure that they will respond instead of leaving the rescue to the starport. A rating C port isnt that small after all. And even if they respond they will only send the launch over so you will never set foot on the real ship.