OOC - Welcome and Chat

[atpollard]

Greetings,
This is a place to chat OOC about anything and get questions answered.

Since people are expressing interest, it seemed only reasonable to request a forum to start to post information as it becomes available.

FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT: As stated previously, the game will start around the first week of January 2019.

Until then, you can work on Character Generation.
Check out the "Reference" data for some simple house rules that are to your benefit (because I hate fussy rules getting in the way of having fun).
Feel free to post any questions you might have, and if anyone is unfamiliar with Traveller, just give a shout.

[Pulpatoon]

Great! I'm eager to get started on chargen. Is there a campaign number for the roller?

[atpollard]

Great! I'm eager to get started on chargen. Is there a campaign number for the roller?

720

[Pulpatoon]

Well, I've got myself a highly educated son of privilege, with all of one term in the Navy under his belt. I've taken Small Boats and Navigation as his skills, figuring that's always good to have on a crew, but if anyone has other notions on how we should distribute our skills, I'm open.

Also, any suggestions of the wild west approximation of "Computers?"

[atpollard]

Well, I've got myself a highly educated son of privilege, with all of one term in the Navy under his belt. I've taken Small Boats and Navigation as his skills, figuring that's always good to have on a crew, but if anyone has other notions on how we should distribute our skills, I'm open.

Also, any suggestions of the wild west approximation of "Computers?"

I was actually giving that some thought ...

"COMPUTERS" as a skill in Traveller is really less about "micro-circuitry" (which is covered by "Electronics") and more about INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. There was an "IT" revolution going on in the 19th Century through the medium of Books and Newspapers and Journals ... mostly centered on the new Age of Science and Machinery. So a character with "Computer" is familiar with the science literature and journals and libraries of the age.

Computer-0 = can read the trade language of technical journals.
Computer-1 = have written an article in a newspaper.
Computer-2 = Corresponded with experts and published in Journals.
Computer-3 = Conducted original research and are known in your field.

Now we just need a better name than "Computer".

[atpollard]

Now we just need a better name than "Computer".

Perhaps 'Science' ... as in "Pardon me good sir, but I have no time for your silly superstitions. I am a man of Science."

[Pulpatoon]

"Technical Writing?"

[Pulpatoon]

For whatever reason, my sheet isn't appearing in the character thread. I'm hoping it's just a hiccup, and will sort itself out, but, in the meantime, I've provided a classic Traveler UPP.

[atpollard]

"Technical Writing?"

Computer = ‘Scholar’

[Pulpatoon]

Works for me!

[Leitz]

Various thoughts.

Skills?

Ship's Boat = Man power craft (canoe, pole barge) or small sail (up to 10 meters?)
Pilot = Steam or large/multiple sail wind powered craft


Pulpatoon, when I first saw your character he struck me as one of those who had the chance to find what he really loves to do. One of those "That's so cool!" moments. Navigation is a highly technical skill that requires math, wind and current dynamics, and the ability to adjust "what should be" to "what is". Given the high education it sounds like someone who has really poured themselves into learning more and more about their field. With Ship's Boat he's proven that he has actual experience in the water. The impression I have is one of those rare fellows that can explain the navigation charts, recall a humorous anecdote from the Naval Archives about a particular island chain, and then personally comment on the beauty of some of the native life.

[Pulpatoon]

It is neat how character can emerge from the Traveler life-path, isn't it? It looks pretty dry, and it seems so odd that you can die in chargen, and yet, going through the process, you end up getting pretty invested and filling in the gaps.

I'm not entirely sure how social rank operates in this world, but I'm thinking that Ignatz is the son of a rich and ambitious family. Having failed to make a career in the Navy, he is trying to prove himself in commercial enterprise. He's too young to be a captain, but is hoping to score a position as first mate.

In terms of personality, I think he's an Ishmael—happy in the company of salty dogs, but has a 500-page manuscript under his pillow, full of poetic allegory and classical allusions.

By the way, if people are looking for images to base their characters on, this Tumblr is a great source: My Daguerreotype Boyfriend.

[Leitz]

So you know, atpollard is pretty serious about keeping the game fun. So figure out what's fun for you. I've seen some of the drafted ideas and a SOC B family would lead a group of ~25 people, either on land or on a ship. Or be directly under a higher SOC leader. You get mustering out benefits as well.

My character is a young-ish merchant so they should get along well. Still hashing out the details. I tend to come up with extravagant ideas and atpollard has to rein me in.

[Pulpatoon]

Skills:
Start with all skills listed under your career at skill-0.
Pick or roll (your choice) 2 skills for each term.

Just to make sure I have this right:
For one term of Navy, I took all of the skills listed under Service Skills and Advanced Education and, because I qualified, the second Advanced Education, all at Level 0.

I did not take anything from Personal Development, and I did not take an additional level of a given skill when it showed up more than once on the skill lists.

Then I took two skills levels from my one term of service, assigning one each to Navigation and Ships Boats.

Did I do it right?

[Leitz]

Skills:
Start with all skills listed under your career at skill-0.
Pick or roll (your choice) 2 skills for each term.

Just to make sure I have this right:
For one term of Navy, I took all of the skills listed under Service Skills and Advanced Education and, because I qualified, the second Advanced Education, all at Level 0.

I did not take anything from Personal Development, and I did not take an additional level of a given skill when it showed up more than once on the skill lists.

Then I took two skills levels from my one term of service, assigning one each to Navigation and Ships Boats.

Did I do it right?

I have that same question out to atpollard, which is why I haven't posted my merchant. Well, not quite the same in that Ian doesn't have an 8 or higher Edu. But the question is there. Note that the skills are given pretty broad definitions and atpollard's main concern is to keep things reasonable on a 2d6 scale.

[Pulpatoon]

Another skills question: So, at present, my character has a fair passle of skills at level 0. Among them is Jack-of-All-Trades. Does this effectively mean I've got level 0 skill in all skills? In which case, do I only need to keep track of what skills my character knows for purposes of eventual advancement to level 1?

[atpollard]

Skills:
Start with all skills listed under your career at skill-0.
Pick or roll (your choice) 2 skills for each term.

Just to make sure I have this right:
For one term of Navy, I took all of the skills listed under Service Skills and Advanced Education and, because I qualified, the second Advanced Education, all at Level 0.

I did not take anything from Personal Development, and I did not take an additional level of a given skill when it showed up more than once on the skill lists.

Then I took two skills levels from my one term of service, assigning one each to Navigation and Ships Boats.

Did I do it right?

Yes, that is exactly right.

[atpollard]

Skills:
Start with all skills listed under your career at skill-0.
Pick or roll (your choice) 2 skills for each term.

Just to make sure I have this right:
For one term of Navy, I took all of the skills listed under Service Skills and Advanced Education and, because I qualified, the second Advanced Education, all at Level 0.

I did not take anything from Personal Development, and I did not take an additional level of a given skill when it showed up more than once on the skill lists.

Then I took two skills levels from my one term of service, assigning one each to Navigation and Ships Boats.

Did I do it right?

I have that same question out to atpollard, which is why I haven't posted my merchant. Well, not quite the same in that Ian doesn't have an 8 or higher Edu. But the question is there. Note that the skills are given pretty broad definitions and atpollard's main concern is to keep things reasonable on a 2d6 scale.

The issue with Ian is that I just don’t know if ...
1. Trader is a skill in S4.
2. There is another skill that does the same thing, so we need to just change the name.
3. It is a concept so important to the WWW that we need to add the skill.

... as soon as I study the full list, I can figure out that answer.
What about making Ian “Other” career and going with that skill-0 list? (I haven’t looked closely at the list, but it seemed to have a lot of overlap with your concept from my leaky memory.)

[Pulpatoon]

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.

[Leitz]

There are multiple versions of Traveller; it has been in print since 1977. atpollard tends to use "Classic Traveller" ("CT"), the original version. Compared to many later version CT is rules-lite; much more a game structure and sand box than glossy booklet that makes you use all sorts of dice.

"Mongoose Traveller 1st ed" ("MgT1") has been released under the Open Game License. The System Reference Document gives a good bit of stuff. A totally open license derivative, Cepheus Engine SRD is "pay what you want" but the recommended is $10. You have the option of a PDF version which hopefully has a nice layout, or a Word Docx format you can edit to your heart's content.

There are some differences between CT and MgT, get with atpollard if you have questions. Since it is close to Christmas, you might consider gifting yourself with a data CD or four.

Note that while many of the products mentioned above put money into someone's pocket; my pockets are not in any way connected to that revenue stream except as a contributor to someone else's pocket.