In The Marches (Traveller) [Closed to New Applicants]
Posted: Wed Sep 14, 2016 9:52 pm
2017/04/28 -- With four people joining, 2 already in and 2 working up characters, I'm closing the game to new players again. Welcome to our game's new players!
2017/04/20 -- I'm re-opening applications. Due to natural attrition, we've lost a couple of players and could use another 2 or 3. This is a good time for new PC's to join the group.
Specifically, I'm looking for a "Kaylee" and a "Jayne" or two...iow a PC with engineering/tech skills and a PC with some combat skills. However, any sort of Traveller character can be fit into the game.
2016/09/26 -- I'm closing applications for now with 5 players. We're just about to start playing and during this adventure there won't be a way to bring in a new PC.
The Spinward Main
--Summary
This will be a Classic Traveller Style campaign set in the 3rd Imperium just after the Fourth Frontier War. No prior experience with Traveller will be required.
In the Marches (Traveller) for more information.
--Background
When it looked like war was likely to break out between the Imperium and the Zhodani you were conscripted out of your career or reassigned to the Spinward Expedition, dropped into a low berth and shipped out to the frontier as part of a huge battle fleet. The Expedition traveled dozens and dozens of parsecs from the Core regions of the Imperium to the far frontier of the empire. This took well over a year for the fleet, but you slept all the way deep in your cryogenic chamber.
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending upon how you look at it, the war was over and an armistice signed even before you arrived. Now, the Imperial Navy has to return that huge fleet to the Core Systems, but it is not going to return all the "popcicles" it brought along. Too expensive! Much
cheaper to demobilize most of the "frozen watch" in place, give them a couple of thousand credits, the thanks of the Emperor, and let them shift for themselves.
So, here you sit on Regina, way out on the Imperium's frontier, with a 2kCr card in your pocket and a cheap suit of clothes on your back. There's no way you're ever going to
make it back to where you started from, and besides you've really got nothing back there calling you anyway.
You've always longed for an adventurous life on the wild frontier and now you've found a way to get out here...on the Emperor's credit, too!
Let's go find an adventure!
--Flavor
This is going to be an old-style, little-black book Classic Traveller game. If you don't know Traveller, think Firefly across multiple star systems. The focus of the game will be on trade and exploration, with a bit of troubleshooting and skulduggery thrown in for good measure.
The PC's will probably become the crew of a tramp freighter, a small merchant ship, that has no regular routes and makes its money going places that the big corporations won't. PC's with skills in piloting, navigating, looking after engines, trading, looking after passengers, etc, are going to be
useful. And because "it's dangerous out here" skill with firearms and blades might be useful, too.
--Rules
I'll be using the "pay what you will" Cepheus Engine with some slight mods. Cepheus has a very Classic Traveller feel to it, which I like.
You can build PC's with Traveller Book 1 or the Cepheus Engine, subject to Referee approval. I also have a "quick creation" method for those that don't have Traveller and don't want to "play the character generation" game. If your PC dies or fails reenlistment that's where the PC was conscripted by the Navy, otherwise no more than 5 terms in a career before the PC is pulled into the game and shipped to the frontier.
No matter how many terms your PC serves you will only get 1 roll on the Retirement Benefits Table. (You left almost everything you might have had back in the Core Sector, out here you're all starting over again.)
I'll trust you to create your character, but remember Traveller is about average joes doing adventurous things, not super heros. A Skill level of 1 means you're good enough to get hired at something and a level of 3+ means you're a *real* expert. Don't worry if your PC seems light on skills, it just means you'll have to be creative...and that's where the fun is!
During the game I will roll almost all the dice and let you focus on role playing.
--Number of Players
I will start the game with as few as 2 players and won't accept more than 6. Lurkers will be welcome.
--My RPG "Chops"
I started with D&D in 1975 with the white box DMing right from the start as I couldn't convince any of my friends to DM...ever. :) I have been playing and refereeing Traveller since it first came out in 1977. I was part of the Fidonet RPG forums playing and GMing games (mostly Startrek) there in the 80's and 90's and moved to the internet with PBEM and PBP forum games after that. Currently, I am DM of 2 PBEM games and a player in 3 PBP games.
Eris,
The Traveller Heretic
2017/04/20 -- I'm re-opening applications. Due to natural attrition, we've lost a couple of players and could use another 2 or 3. This is a good time for new PC's to join the group.
Specifically, I'm looking for a "Kaylee" and a "Jayne" or two...iow a PC with engineering/tech skills and a PC with some combat skills. However, any sort of Traveller character can be fit into the game.
2016/09/26 -- I'm closing applications for now with 5 players. We're just about to start playing and during this adventure there won't be a way to bring in a new PC.
The Spinward Main
--Summary
This will be a Classic Traveller Style campaign set in the 3rd Imperium just after the Fourth Frontier War. No prior experience with Traveller will be required.
In the Marches (Traveller) for more information.
--Background
When it looked like war was likely to break out between the Imperium and the Zhodani you were conscripted out of your career or reassigned to the Spinward Expedition, dropped into a low berth and shipped out to the frontier as part of a huge battle fleet. The Expedition traveled dozens and dozens of parsecs from the Core regions of the Imperium to the far frontier of the empire. This took well over a year for the fleet, but you slept all the way deep in your cryogenic chamber.
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending upon how you look at it, the war was over and an armistice signed even before you arrived. Now, the Imperial Navy has to return that huge fleet to the Core Systems, but it is not going to return all the "popcicles" it brought along. Too expensive! Much
cheaper to demobilize most of the "frozen watch" in place, give them a couple of thousand credits, the thanks of the Emperor, and let them shift for themselves.
So, here you sit on Regina, way out on the Imperium's frontier, with a 2kCr card in your pocket and a cheap suit of clothes on your back. There's no way you're ever going to
make it back to where you started from, and besides you've really got nothing back there calling you anyway.
You've always longed for an adventurous life on the wild frontier and now you've found a way to get out here...on the Emperor's credit, too!
Let's go find an adventure!
--Flavor
This is going to be an old-style, little-black book Classic Traveller game. If you don't know Traveller, think Firefly across multiple star systems. The focus of the game will be on trade and exploration, with a bit of troubleshooting and skulduggery thrown in for good measure.
The PC's will probably become the crew of a tramp freighter, a small merchant ship, that has no regular routes and makes its money going places that the big corporations won't. PC's with skills in piloting, navigating, looking after engines, trading, looking after passengers, etc, are going to be
useful. And because "it's dangerous out here" skill with firearms and blades might be useful, too.
--Rules
I'll be using the "pay what you will" Cepheus Engine with some slight mods. Cepheus has a very Classic Traveller feel to it, which I like.
You can build PC's with Traveller Book 1 or the Cepheus Engine, subject to Referee approval. I also have a "quick creation" method for those that don't have Traveller and don't want to "play the character generation" game. If your PC dies or fails reenlistment that's where the PC was conscripted by the Navy, otherwise no more than 5 terms in a career before the PC is pulled into the game and shipped to the frontier.
No matter how many terms your PC serves you will only get 1 roll on the Retirement Benefits Table. (You left almost everything you might have had back in the Core Sector, out here you're all starting over again.)
I'll trust you to create your character, but remember Traveller is about average joes doing adventurous things, not super heros. A Skill level of 1 means you're good enough to get hired at something and a level of 3+ means you're a *real* expert. Don't worry if your PC seems light on skills, it just means you'll have to be creative...and that's where the fun is!
During the game I will roll almost all the dice and let you focus on role playing.
--Number of Players
I will start the game with as few as 2 players and won't accept more than 6. Lurkers will be welcome.
--My RPG "Chops"
I started with D&D in 1975 with the white box DMing right from the start as I couldn't convince any of my friends to DM...ever. :) I have been playing and refereeing Traveller since it first came out in 1977. I was part of the Fidonet RPG forums playing and GMing games (mostly Startrek) there in the 80's and 90's and moved to the internet with PBEM and PBP forum games after that. Currently, I am DM of 2 PBEM games and a player in 3 PBP games.
Eris,
The Traveller Heretic
