OOC - Welcome and Chat

[Leitz]

Thanks for all the clarifications, atpollard and Leitz. Very helpful.

It occurs to me that I've actually been in two different Traveler campaigns, but I don't think I've ever encountering Traveler's combat system. It's... well, it's not without it's appeal, but there is an inelegance to it that I think PbP will only exacerbate.

Yup. Best avoided, or at least make sure the "overwhelming force" advantage is on your side. Like I mentioned elsewhere, I was in a PbP game for four years that included combat. We figured out a good way for us to run. I ran a game for three years that worked the same.

[ffilz]

You are house ruling to two skills per term, plus rank/career freebies. Does this mean no skills for commission and promotion?

Frank

[atpollard]

You are house ruling to two skills per term, plus rank/career freebies. Does this mean no skills for commission and promotion?

Frank

Yes.

On the other hand, the skills you have are BIG skills.
No need to learn Rifle-1 and Shotgun-1 and Flintlock Rifle-1 ... all of the weapons fall into a few big groups (rifles, pistols or blades). Same with Streetwise and Liaison and Carousing that all do almost the same thing ... all rolled into Streetwise.

[ffilz]

You are house ruling to two skills per term, plus rank/career freebies. Does this mean no skills for commission and promotion?

Frank

Yes.

On the other hand, the skills you have are BIG skills.
No need to learn Rifle-1 and Shotgun-1 and Flintlock Rifle-1 ... all of the weapons fall into a few big groups (rifles, pistols or blades). Same with Streetwise and Liaison and Carousing that all do almost the same thing ... all rolled into Streetwise.

Makes sense, I'm going with a Doctor, so commission/promotion don't apply anyway...

[ffilz]

Ok, one more question, if we are choosing skills instead of rolling, is it kosher to choose the attribute improvements?

My DEX 9 Doctor is considering taking +1 DEX on Term 3 so he will still be a surgeon in case he fails his aging rolls in Term 4 and 5... (get to retirement)

Though I'll also be happy keeping him a 3-term character, Doctor's look pretty nice with 6 skill choices...

[ffilz]

Starter Traveller is currently free at DriveThruRPG:

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/80 ... -Traveller

This is an awesome deal, it's pretty much the whole game. You don't get the rules for self improvement and drugs, and you get range band space combat instead of vector (who knows, that may make more sense for this campaign anyway).

[Inferno]

Thanks ffilz!

[Inferno]

Atpollard, fyi: I've posted a character sheet for your approval and/or advice. Thanks!

[Pulpatoon]

Inferno, I'm looking forward to playing with P.T. Codswallop. What a character!

[Inferno]

Thanks Pulpatoon. Coming from you, that's quite a compliment!

[atpollard]

Ok, one more question, if we are choosing skills instead of rolling, is it kosher to choose the attribute improvements?

My DEX 9 Doctor is considering taking +1 DEX on Term 3 so he will still be a surgeon in case he fails his aging rolls in Term 4 and 5... (get to retirement)

Though I'll also be happy keeping him a 3-term character, Doctor's look pretty nice with 6 skill choices...

Yup, the attributes are there for you to pick as easily as the skills.

[ffilz]

Ok, one more question, if we are choosing skills instead of rolling, is it kosher to choose the attribute improvements?

My DEX 9 Doctor is considering taking +1 DEX on Term 3 so he will still be a surgeon in case he fails his aging rolls in Term 4 and 5... (get to retirement)

Though I'll also be happy keeping him a 3-term character, Doctor's look pretty nice with 6 skill choices...

Yup, the attributes are there for you to pick as easily as the skills.

Cool.

With the SOC 3 I started with, I'm seriously considering starting at age 14 (as a "cabin boy" under the eye of the Ship's doctor). Samuel Linkletter had knack for picking up what the doctor was doing and eventually the doctor took him on as an apprentice whence he honed his craft.

Do I do survival and re-enlistment for the extra term, or just take the 2 skills? (maybe DEX +1 and Mechanical (Cloth)).

I'm just thinking how a Lower Class young man would wind up as a doctor (even though SOC doesn't play into the Doctor career at all). Interestingly the Advanced Education (8+) table has no skills on it not on the other tables, so reducing his EDU from 7 to 5 really isn't that bad (and actually fits the social standing better).

I'm also thinking of just rolling a d3 or d4 for place of origin, or even just choosing Homestead. This boy really started off down and out and what made him was that INT 11, along with the DEX and END.

I'm not going for the lower starting age for the extra skills, but rather just what seems to fit the way the character is developing. I could also just go with starting career at age 18 but still he was taken on as a cabin boy at 14 (no mechanical effect, just color - or mechanically, he starts at 14, loses 2 EDU but takes EDU +2 as his two skills for the age 14-18 term...).

So far this is what I have for 3 terms starting at age 18:

STR [2d6] = 6 DEX [2d6] = 9 END [2d6] = 10
INT [2d6] = 11 EDU [2d6] = 7 SOC [2d6] = 3
Enlist as Doctor [2d6+3] = 11+3 = 14 vs 9
Survival [2d6+2] = 6+2 = 8 vs 3
Free: Medical-1
Choose: Medical-2
Choose: Streetwise-1
Re-enlist [2d6] = 11 vs 4
Survival [2d6+2] = 7+2 = 9 vs 3
Choose: Medical-3
Choose: Blade-Cbt-1
Re-enlist [2d6] = 8 vs 4
Survival [2d6+2] = 5+2 = 7 vs 3
Choose: Computer (Scholar)-1
Choose:

[AsenRG]

Fun fact: I'm trying to recover my password for the diceroller. Obviously I didn't use the same one:).

[atpollard]

Fun fact: I'm trying to recover my password for the diceroller. Obviously I didn't use the same one:).

You have my sympathy ... I hate remembering passwords.

Just remember that you have until JANUARY, so there is plenty of time.

[atpollard]

Ok, one more question, if we are choosing skills instead of rolling, is it kosher to choose the attribute improvements?

My DEX 9 Doctor is considering taking +1 DEX on Term 3 so he will still be a surgeon in case he fails his aging rolls in Term 4 and 5... (get to retirement)

Though I'll also be happy keeping him a 3-term character, Doctor's look pretty nice with 6 skill choices...

Yup, the attributes are there for you to pick as easily as the skills.

Cool.

With the SOC 3 I started with, I'm seriously considering starting at age 14 (as a "cabin boy" under the eye of the Ship's doctor). Samuel Linkletter had knack for picking up what the doctor was doing and eventually the doctor took him on as an apprentice whence he honed his craft.

Do I do survival and re-enlistment for the extra term, or just take the 2 skills? (maybe DEX +1 and Mechanical (Cloth)).

I'm just thinking how a Lower Class young man would wind up as a doctor (even though SOC doesn't play into the Doctor career at all). Interestingly the Advanced Education (8+) table has no skills on it not on the other tables, so reducing his EDU from 7 to 5 really isn't that bad (and actually fits the social standing better).

I'm also thinking of just rolling a d3 or d4 for place of origin, or even just choosing Homestead. This boy really started off down and out and what made him was that INT 11, along with the DEX and END.

I'm not going for the lower starting age for the extra skills, but rather just what seems to fit the way the character is developing. I could also just go with starting career at age 18 but still he was taken on as a cabin boy at 14 (no mechanical effect, just color - or mechanically, he starts at 14, loses 2 EDU but takes EDU +2 as his two skills for the age 14-18 term...).

So far this is what I have for 3 terms starting at age 18:

STR [2d6] = 6 DEX [2d6] = 9 END [2d6] = 10
INT [2d6] = 11 EDU [2d6] = 7 SOC [2d6] = 3
Enlist as Doctor [2d6+3] = 11+3 = 14 vs 9
Survival [2d6+2] = 6+2 = 8 vs 3
Free: Medical-1
Choose: Medical-2
Choose: Streetwise-1
Re-enlist [2d6] = 11 vs 4
Survival [2d6+2] = 7+2 = 9 vs 3
Choose: Medical-3
Choose: Blade-Cbt-1
Re-enlist [2d6] = 8 vs 4
Survival [2d6+2] = 5+2 = 7 vs 3
Choose: Computer (Scholar)-1
Choose:

Since the sum of the character's skills (46 points) are below the 48 points of option 2 and it fits with the SOC and concept, go ahead and start at age 14 with no penalty if you want. [Pretend your rolled EDU already includes the -2 for being age 14.]

Just a thought, but there are Urban Poor as well as Rural Poor, so SOC 3 could start out anywhere. Roll d1, d4 or d6 is your choice based on how you view his background.

Something to keep in mind is that 1/3 of the population lives on or near the LAND and 2/3 of the population lives their entire lives on boats or floating communities away from the LAND. The planet is about 90% water!

[ffilz]

Since the sum of the character's skills (46 points) are below the 48 points of option 2 and it fits with the SOC and concept, go ahead and start at age 14 with no penalty if you want. [Pretend your rolled EDU already includes the -2 for being age 14.]

Just a thought, but there are Urban Poor as well as Rural Poor, so SOC 3 could start out anywhere. Roll d1, d4 or d6 is your choice based on how you view his background.

Something to keep in mind is that 1/3 of the population lives on or near the LAND and 2/3 of the population lives their entire lives on boats or floating communities away from the LAND. The planet is about 90% water!

You are too kind sir! I hadn't even added up the stats, they are something I would have been happy with despite being just under the 48 points...

Sounds like a plan.

So this being Traveller, what's the UWP? X-??9???-3/4 (late 3 very early 4?)

[Leitz]

So this being Traveller, what's the UWP? X-??9???-3/4 (late 3 very early 4?)

Early to mid-4? Figure 1800-1900, higher tech in larger population centers. World is about 90% hydro and roughly 6,200 miles diameter.

Addendum: Wild West, USA. Maybe a little Steam Punk for those interested, but not "Wild WIld West" remake levels.

[ffilz]

So this being Traveller, what's the UWP? X-??9???-3/4 (late 3 very early 4?)

Early to mid-4? Figure 1800-1900, higher tech in larger population centers. World is about 90% hydro and roughly 6,200 miles diameter.

Addendum: Wild West, USA. Maybe a little Steam Punk for those interested, but not "Wild WIld West" remake levels.

One TL table I found said 1800s for TL 3, 1900s for TL 4. We have steamships from Book 3 TL 4, so it sounds in general like TL 4.

[Leitz]

So this being Traveller, what's the UWP? X-??9???-3/4 (late 3 very early 4?)

Early to mid-4? Figure 1800-1900, higher tech in larger population centers. World is about 90% hydro and roughly 6,200 miles diameter.

Addendum: Wild West, USA. Maybe a little Steam Punk for those interested, but not "Wild WIld West" remake levels.

One TL table I found said 1800s for TL 3, 1900s for TL 4. We have steamships from Book 3 TL 4, so it sounds in general like TL 4.

Per THIS and what I've seen, concur. As always, atpollard is the final source of truth.

Except the chart is wrong, shotguns and mortars were out long before rifles.

[atpollard]

Here are my personal guidelines for Tech Level:

TL 3 = 1700 to 1860 = Colonial America to Pre-Civil War = Flintlock Weapons = Sail and Steam power = Rural, Pre-Industrial Society dominated by Towns of thousands of people.
TL 4 = 1860 to 1900 = Civil War to Turn of Century = Metallic Cartridge weapons before semi-automatic = Steam power dominates = Early Industrial Society dominated by Cities of tens of thousands of people.
TL 5 = 1900 to 1940 = Turn of Century to WW2 = semi-automatic & automatic weapons = Internal Combustion dominates = Industrial Society dominated by Cities of hundreds of thousands of people.


In general (for this game), Villages and smaller are TL 3 while Towns and Cities are TL 4.