MTU: Montca

One of the worlds my solo game may go to next. 

Montca / Yontin 1107 A639997-C

It has an A4 V star. An A star:

The surface temperatures of A-type stars range from 7,400 K to about 10,000 K; lines of hydrogen are prominent, and these stars are white.

Montca is the 8th planet in a system with no gas giants nor planetoid belts. It is also the only planet with any hydrogen, liquid or otherwise, making it the sole place to visit in this system.

The extensive class A port follows most of the League's standard design patterns: a central hub with a multitude of concourse spread out over several miles. There is a a significant Space Patrol presence: a Type 1 Bureau, which has extensive facilities both at the ground and high ports, as well as stations for their Lancer Class Cruisers. Standard rates are applied for berthing. The low port Athena is located on the Graastle continent and uses the Deep Sea for its fuel source.

Moving through the rest of the UWP:

The size 6 planet has about a .81G gravity system, and orbits almost 10AU from the hot, white sun. It's day is 29.45 hours, and a year is 7,455 days, or about 20.4 standard years. 

The 3 atmosphere is very thin, averaging about .23 standard atmospheres of a standard oxygen/nitrogen mix. Generally a cold planet, the nights can reach -50C in some latitudes. 

Almost 90% water, it is not a frozen ice ball due to an active molten core and copious underwater thermal vents. The underwater life is more varied and plentiful than the sparse flora and fauna of the few land masses. A majority of the foods produced on Montca come from vast undersea farms. Additionally, there is some weather control to warm the planet up a bit - large mirrors are used to reflect additional light, often causing for multiple shadows during the day.

The population is just over 2 billion people. The largest city of Maqua has almost 800 million inhabitants, and sits on the southern continent's northern shelf. A large portion of the city is on and under the water, next to several large underwater farms. With the high population, robots and automation are not allowed, and manual labor is the base of their currency. Imperial currency is not accepted, but the port carries money changers, and cargo bought and sold is via the Credit. Outside the port, however, credits are not generally accepted. The legal age is 1 year, or just over 20 standard.

With an impersonal bureaucracy and several councils, the world is governed by an almost caste system. Most people tend to ignore the government as their lives are wrapped up in the day to day living. The port has its own Port Authority security, which is backed up by the Space Patrol. Outside the port, each city maintains its own police force under the auspices of world-wide police council with its own staff.

With a tech level of C, life is pretty easy on Montca. Basic needs are met easily and the average work day is 6 hours. Seafood is a specialty and cooking and preparation of various sea life are family traditions. 

I'll expand a bit more later. I do like undersea farms though :)

Other Blogs

I do read other blogs, though to be honest, I go from the stats page here to see where some of you are coming from, then find all sorts of neat blogs. And I am also sure I've done a similar post in the past. But hey - this is my mid-week I really should post something post...

Anyway, this post from Lich Van Winkle shows that Traveller may have had the first d66 table! So that is pretty cool.

I get a lot of hits from alea iactanda est as I am on his blog roll.

Of course I cannot ignore Michael's blog the Traveller Adventures, that got me started on the January challenge! I see him on occasion over on COTI where I also get a few people from, as it is in my signature there. A great resource!

Alesmiter has some interesting posts. And I like the name!

And Spinward Scout's Way Station is full of Traveller goodness.

And while not a fan of video blogs (I like to read, videos just don't work for me for some reason), Shawn Driscoll is doing some interesting things as well.

And someone else likes indices! Here's an index to the JTAS from Mongoose over at My Traveller Universe.

Anyway, just a wordy post - if you want me to add you to my blog role (see the right column, no, your other right :) ) I can add that. I've not mentioned all the blogs on the right as they are already posted (as are some of the ones I've mentioned here), but I was digging through the stats on my blog as it is always interesting to to see where people are coming from. Well, interesting to me at least.

Traveller Solo - Meet the New Engineer, "Egg"

Oeg "Egg" Aghdzoksdhaekhsfudzzong is a 3 term ex-Navy and Naval University graduate who somehow ended up on Tryonas. This was actually an NPC for a Traveller game that will never get back into play for a variety of reasons sadly. I was digging through existing characters I had already generated by the RPG Suite character generator to see if one fit, and this one seemed interesting. Now, we'll have to come up with a story as to how Egg ended up in the League of Planets, and I am leaning the our good Captain may be spying for the Imperium just a bit, and having an ex-Imperial Navy Lieutenant on board may be either a plant or something just innocuous.

Oeg "Egg" Aghdzoksdhaekhsfudzzong, ex-Imperial Navy Lieutenant

788D58, age 34

Athletics-0, Engineering (Jump-1, Life Upport-1, Man-Drive-1), Flyer (Rotary-1, Wing-1), Gun (Slug-1), Gunner (Turret-1),Language-0, Leadership-1, Mechanic-1, Melee (Blade-1), Pilot-0, Recon-1, Vacc Suit-0

Born on Louzy, Oeg learned early on he was a lot smarter than most of his pack and family. Wanting to gain credibility among the Imperial, at 16 he made the journey to Efate, and after two years of hard work, applied and got into the prestigious Imperial Naval Academy of Efate:

You gain wide-ranging recognition of your initiative and innovative approach to study. Increase your SOC by +1 You proved yourself one of the best of the best. You graduated from the Naval Academy with Honors! The sky's the limit. You have graduated for the Naval Academy with HONORS! An opportunity awaits you in the Navy. If you choose to enlist now you will be able to train 3 of your service skills to rating 1, and get an AUTOMATIC commission upon entry. Will you join the Navy? [Accepted] After 4 years at the Naval Academy you graduated with honors and immediately entered the service.

Moving on to the Navy, his first term he worked hard, but did not manage to gain a promotion. Here he picked up the blade skill, and due to the nature of the posting, picked up the recon skill:

Your vessel participates in a diplomatic mission. Gain one of Recon 1, Diplomat 1, Steward 1 or a Contact. Sorry, you were passed over for promotion this term. It's time they start respecting you for all your hard work!

His second term was better, and, while gaining an enemy, also prevented a mutiny and got promoted:

You foil an attempted crime on board, such as mutiny, sabotage, smuggling or conspiracy. Gain an Enemy, but also gain a +2 DM to your next Advancement roll in the Navy. You were promoted

His final term in the Imperial Navy Egg picked up some advanced training, and his brightly painted air/raft. Which he still does not know how drive yet.

You are given advanced training in a specialist field. You were promoted Mustering Out Benefit: Edu +1 Choose between a Personal Vehicle or Ship Share (1) Mustering Out Benefit: Int +1

Egg was teased as Egg-Head for many years, and as his name sounds like that to begin with, he decided to take it in stride and live up to that nickname. His enemy, starport administrator Frank Liaos, at the edge of Imperial space somehow managed to board him on a freighter that ended up on Tryonas. While his air/raft is in storage, he started looking for gainful employment. Having made many friends over the years, he and Captain Laux came to a deal with Egg having a share of the profits. Unknown to the rest of the crew is that Egg and Laux knew each other years ago, and have a shared secret tying them to the Imperial government. 

While "my" character I primarily play is Malik, our intrepid reporter who is now the comms operator, there are other threads I've not really thought through. I do want some tension between my League and the Imperium. Secrets on both sides. Laux is covertly gathering some data where he can, and now has another agent in Egg, who is essentially on covert extended duty from the Navy to explore the League's own Naval resources. The League has its Space Patrol. but the Imperium fears there may be a larger force, and unknown technologies at play. The League is known for its medical technology, and fear of a super soldier is a running thread in some Imperial circles. 

Now we've a 2nd engineer, and I still need to figure out the actual ship costs per jump and month. 

However, from our last entry, we did pick up some high-end electronics, and we'll be loading freight at the standard costs. And it would probably be a 327 standard container:

As we're taking up 5 tons of space, and have to fill the rest of the cargo with freight. And I cannot find my re-worked No Refunds stats. Originally I had it at 300 tons, but thanks to finding that .2098 x registered tons = Traveller dTons, we find the ship is a 650 tonner! I'll try and rework that and verify I have the correct crew (though that does vary by version of Traveller; but I felt I needed another engineer and Egg does have gunner, and we'll need to add a turret at some point I feel). 

Traveller Solo: Tryanos visit

Note: I do notice that the Traveller blogs get more visits, at least according to the stats I look at. And yes, this was originally purely Traveller but like most gamers, I am a polygamer and play a lot of games. Anyway, just a note to let my readers know I do see where most of the hits are, and I will be making this mostly Traveller. You may note that when I ref a game there are a lot more Traveller posts, so I'll see about running another Traveller game ASAP. I am starting to itch to run a game again.

And now, back to our story in progress...

--------

The walk back to the No Refunds was quiet, neither the captain or first mate talking as they led Malik back through the short corridors. Malik paid a bit more attention, noticing the security checkpoint at the elevator terminal, the bit of grime here and there from the passage of many boots. He managed to bump the same elbow in the transition between grav systems. Even the second security check outside the ship's gangway seemed more ominous for some reason.

Back on board, Laux rechecked the refueling with the engineer Dietgard, and Malik overhead that they really need to hire a bit more crew, that the systems needed at least another engineer for proper maintenance. Laux indicated they would post a help wanted at the downport. Rechecking the comms and sensors while waiting departure, Malik saw that a military cruiser was approaching high port. Checking the call signal, it was a Space Patrol vessel from the League, and in fact the Wyvern (see one of the way early solo sessions here) Hailing the ship, Malik got a curt response back (rolled a 4 reaction) and that yes, both Chief Investigator Hunter was aboard, but that Corporal Lucas was on another patrol and no longer assigned to the Wyvern. During the brief conversation with Lt. Bartley, Dietgard indicated that refueling was completed. Switching channels, Malik contacted high port.

"\No Refunds prepared to disengage and approach Tryonas Ground Port. Awaiting confirmation." The response was quick: "You are cleared for disengagement. Port linkages disconnected. Please land at pad D45. Follow attached flight plan." The board registered a flight path that Captain Laux reviewed, and accepted into the ship's nav system from the bridge. With an audible clank as the No Refunds docking systems closed back up into the ship, the No Refunds drifted away from the port and with minor adjustments to the maneuver drive, headed down to the low port, sitting on the edge of the dark sideof Tryonas.

The landing seemed a bit rougher than normal (rolled a 4, +3 for Laux so 7; not quite the 8 I was looking for!) as the ship settled down. The dim red sun cast long shadows against the port buildings. Similar the the port on Krim, it was laid out with a large central control and processing building, and concourse with multiple gates spread out. Pad D45 was further out, and there were a few other traders landed nearby. The difference in this port were the warehouses in the section the No Refunds was in were large, boxy affairs. After setting down, our high passengers disembarked and headed to the terminal via the boarding ramp attached to the port airlock. Malik and Ewo shut down their boards as the captain leaned back in his seat. "Well," he said, "now to see if we can find another engineer while you two see about selling those fine vehicles you've been ogling all week."

Ewo started the bidding process for autonomous vehicles, and we managed to pull in Cr288,000 (rolled a 6 on the resale value, and +2 for a rich world for the advanced vehicles from the Mongoose v1 trade rules, and no brokerage, so we sell for 80% of the cost. That table really wants you to have a brokerage skill and sadly there is only Brokerage-0 for our Aslan first officer). But as those vehicles did not cost us anything, it was pure profit other than ship fuel, and after the ship costs we're still ahead with (and I really need to get back to the expenses which include maintenance broken down) Cr270,000. Captain Laux insists on having a reserve for emergencies, and we're up to KCr35 now. Perhaps he is saving up for some weaponry...

While working the port and in talking with the buyers, Ewo got ill with Ungra's Flu, something that seems to be a local version of the flu. Fortunately, Dr. Teag figured it out, and she was back on her feet the next day, ready to search for our next cargo (rolled a 7, and +3 for medic 3 means it was a successful roll. It was an interesting world encounter roll)

Now in looking for trade, I'm generally using the Mongoose rules (and v1 and v2 seem about the same, though they combined the trade goods into a single chart). From that you can actually get anything that is available based on the world trade codes. I'll have to look at how Cepheus handles trade and perhaps compare the various trade systems (still not liking T5 trade!). But per the solo rules, we're going to go a bit adventuring to get a -2 bonus on the purchase price. We'll also do another world encounter just because...

We went to Ifron, a small city closer to the terminator line of the dark side. The only time shadows moved was as we moved - it was strange to be on a tidally locked world with the dim sun hovering near the horizon. Having no immediate contacts on Tryonas, it was odd to actually be invited to a posh function: turns out the passengers we had were establishing the local branch of Psziz Inndustries Automotive and were having a gala. Talking amongst the rich and famous, we seemed to strike a cord with Madame Anne Defencra. She was CEO of Defencra Electronics, and from her we managed to find she had 20 tons of electronics that would make a good cargo for us. (and it turns out the Mongoose actual value table is a 3d6 table, not 2d6. So our selling price was low, but I'll leave it as is as I fluffed over the ship costs. So rolling 3 dice I get 11, +2 for the Solo DM for a 123 so we can get the electronics for 75%, or MCr1.5. Err, we are far short of that, but having also a 10 on the reaction roll, I'll bump it to 70% for MCr1.4. So, err no. But we could get 5 tons for Cr350,000. And then take freight for the rest. So going with that. We'll load that in a 337 cargo module - there will be a bit of spare room.

(yeah, another Kickstarter from 0-Hr. He has some standardized cargo containers, so will start to use those. I've got some cardboard, perhaps I should see if I can make some cargo containers for my cheap dungeon crafting!)

Okay, we've managed to get a few things done, but I am not yet done with this system visit. I need to roll up an engineer (or see if I have one in my 31 day challenge!) and Captain Laux may be up to something.

General Fantasy Index

I realized I do have a Traveller career index, and after far too many Kickstarters, I am losing track of the things I do have and should be able to use.

Going to just push the link the spreadsheet here as it is already 130+ rows. It started with the Hexgram, and I've added the Phylactory #1, a bunch of other 1 shot zines from all three ZineQuests (those are so bad for me: I want them all, but don't use them yet. But I also am so appreciative and in awe of those people willing to put themselves out there. One day I hope I have both the courage and the plan to do so!). The Phylactory 2 is in another room at the moment, and #3 is on the way. I think once I get it all in, it may not be too hard to keep up with things.

I also added a tab for the various RPGs I do have. It is not complete, and I probably should add a note for those I've actually played and/or refereed. Obviously I do have Traveller (it's career index is here; no wondering if I need to expand that for the adventures. And heaven help me: I did start a ship index at one point....

Adding index as a tag for the various indices. Pretty sure there is a way to keep certain posts perma-linked on the blog, but I'm okay with just using the index tag for those interested.

And I also realized recently I have a LOT of minis. Not even sure what I have as some are 40+ years old. And how often will I use those pixie minis (though there is a setting that has the Pixie Liberation Front, want to say the Lazy Liche, so there is something I have that would have those minis in play! But I've not yet indexed that setting). But I also have 3 mini Kickstarters that will get shipped this year: Reaper is the big one as it was too good a deal and it was pre-pandemic (come to think of it, I think all three were). There are a few hundred minis in that one. The Ultimate Bestiary has 60 or so, and then the Fantasy Series 1 I think is about 200. So yeah, what to do about storing them, using them, painting them. I do have a garden tub - I could do a Scrooge McDuck I suppose. 

And in going through the various things I've picked up over the years, I realize I seem to want to run a crazy-ass game that can go off the rails. I've tended to the PG-13 "safe" games as that seems to appeal to me at some level. But there are a lot of gonzo things I know my group would really love. I know - I've rung this bell before. I'll bring it up tin my next game session - do they want to see if I can go at least a bit bolder in a game? More random stuff that gives them more power earlier. I've just preferred a more natural progression: as the players get used to the game mechanics, their characters get correspondingly stronger and more powerful weapons, attacks and options. In fact, I'll post the spreadsheet in our Skype channel and bring that up. I know we've a few more weeks of the Fate game, then the anthropomorphic game, then who knows. Or else I need to see if I can start up another night perhaps. Wednesdays are my sporadic work game nights (we've done Cosmic Encounter the last few game nights, but they are interested in Skythe. I just need to figure out how to play that game!)

And dang - I entirely forgot one of the Bundle of Holdings I did came with several PDFs of random tables - not sure if I need to stick those in my index but I may have to. Never know what may be on a dead Goblin or in a magic desk. I have all these resources and just never use them. Printing out a few of the pages and adding to my physical notebook - long lists of beers, teas and things that may be handy.

I'm actually pretty happy with the Elf, and vaguely satisfied with the Terror Bird. I had a picture of the Elf that someone painted at Reaper, so basically tried to follow that. I've not decided if I want to do one more highlighting pass yet. I also got some Army Painter flesh colored paints as I had a dearth of choices for human skin: scholar white or dark skin. Yes, I can add shades but I am not as consistent with that yet (though I also got the various monster skin tones from Reaper a bit ago, so I can do ogre, orc and troll skin apparently!) Just waiting to get back to a table to move little plastic army men with character around the table!

Hexagram Index

As I started to re-read the Hexagrams (ahh, the advantage of print media - I can read them anywhere and any time, nothing but enough light to read them needed) I realized I may want to be able to find specific things later on, such as rules expansions or explanations, characters, adventures. So I'll start that here, seeing how Hexagram 6 is going to show up in a few weeks, and they are about to start the Hexagram 7 KS soon (they just need to make this a subscription and quit trying to upsell all the time!)

Started this in a Word doc, but realize a spreadsheet may have been better...oh well. I'll try & keep this updated as new editions come out. There is probably already an index out there some place. I may have to expand this to be more than just the Hexagram, but perhaps all the zines I have. Yeah, I think I will do that as there are lots of little pieces of goodness that I can never find again when I want to add it to an adventure. 

I need a card catalog of my gaming collection! (Yeah, I worked in a public library for three years in high school. I thought I'd end up a librarian. There is still hope!)

Adventures
Death Test Refresh	5
Snackromancer	1
The Dungeon Uncrawled	1
The Paired Parchments	1
Vox Unpopuli	2
Adventure Hooks
Adventure Hooks	1
Adventure Hooks: The Ship of Seven Hands	5
Gallery of Glitching Gates	5
Post Card Contest	3
Characters
A Band of Rogues	4
Skarg (of Skarg’s Tavern, Orc)	5
Traps
Twenty Terrible Traps	1
Hazards and Obstacles	1
General Questions / Misc
Beyond the D6	3
Breaking the Breakers (dealing w/min-maxers)	5
Ensemble Campaign	4
Questions Three: Douglas Cole	3
Questions Three: Dyson Logos	5
Questions Three: Mixam	4
Rumors
Rumors and Truths	1
Creatures (playable or not)
Archer Crab	5
Gargoyles (A Primer on the Enigmatic Gargoyle)	5
Giant Ants	5
Kraken, Expanded	5
Lurker (Naturalist’s Notebook)	5
Nebulid (Naturalist’s Notebook)	5
Shadow Sharks	2
Spore Lizard	4
The Natural History of the Octopus	2
Vampire Man o’War	4
Webwing (Naturalist’s Notebook)	5
Rules
Donning Rings, Taking Potions, etc in Combat	5
Easy Sneezy: strictly options rules for illness and recovery in TFT	3
Hip to Be Square (using squares for combat)	2
Indefensible Behavior, or, What Do You Mean I Can’t Defend Now?	3
Kicking Down the Door	4
No More Murder Hobos (world building)	2
Not by Iron Alone: Material Usage in Arms and Armor	4
Pick Your Poison: Toxins in the TFT	5
Retreats Revamped?	4
Ships and Boats	1
Steps in Melee	2
Take Adventure to a new level (heights)	2
Magical Items
Baleful Mouse / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
Box of the Sojounor / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
Chest of Lautoria the Skilled / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
Dusty Sandals / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
Four Esoteric Healing Items	2
Hog’s Lament / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
Legendary Artifcacts	3
Nostrums and infusions / Easy Sneezy illness	3
Pale Lantern / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
Pickles of a Fallen Star / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
Ring of Great Truth / Vox Unpopuli	2
Star Stones / Horoscopy	2
Strange Brews: New Potions for TFT	2
The Fantastic Mead Halls of Gustov the Wise / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
The Paired Parchments	1
The Tutor’s Spirit / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
The Wrappings of the Prophet Tauhd  / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
Totter’s Cloak / A collection of Peculiar Magic Items	3
Magic Spells
Element Mastery / Order of the Four Humors	4
Enhanced Meal Spell / The Snackromancer	1
Horoscopy	2
Cults, Orders, Groups
Headmasters and the Library of Lives	4
Horoscopy and Cosmic Alignment: Astrology on Cidri	2
Order of the Four Humors	4
Temple of the Six Gates	4

 

Pricing stuff

I've always had a hard time pricing things. Traveller has straight up costs for most things, though Striker did introduce tech level adjustments. Which I've never used, but they do make sense in theory: a higher tech level can mass produce and have more automation to get the costs widely adjusted from the base price. But for gaming, I've just stuck with the base cost for the most part. Traveller's credit, and the mortgage rules for purchasing starships, does allow the game to become accountants in space. Most players would rather gloss over the details of money, but that is part of the pull for Traveller: it costs credits to do anything, so the players may take challenging jobs to get paid.

The Fantasy Trip uses the silver as the base currency, and according to the book is the equivalent of about one US dollar. Conveniently they use the $ symbol for the silver, so that $10 is ten silvers. They also have 10 coppers to the silver, and ten silvers to the gold piece. To use a nice metric system. And there are also taxes in Cidri: border guards may collect taxes. I actually did this for the Edge City game: newcomers had to pay a silver or something for a day pass. Merchants could get a merchant pass good for a year for a few gold. The rules on age 56 indicate that the players should pay about 2% per game month of their bank balance. Think I'll just stick with larger cities may charge an entry fee if you are not a native, and border guards may collect a fee. And of course, there are always the thieves on the road to collect their fees!

So to establish some base costs that are consistent is still a bit challenging. I've been re-reading the Hexagram and they do have some base prices for Skarg's Bar (which I did not get the playmat for, though a small tavern map would be handy, I have my ancient battlemap I can use with dry erase just fine!)

Costs are:

• $1 for a mug of ale
• $3 for a shot of popskull brandy
• $2 - $4 for some kind of meat
• $5 for a small room per night per person
• $1 to spend the night on the floor in the common room

So those are some base costs. and looking back, I had some pretty expensive costs for the desert tent city of Ceawla! But as they are the only watering hole for 2 days journey in any direction, the players have no choice.

• Single Tent…... $20 / night
• 4 Person Tent…$70 / night
• Barrel of water..$40 / barrel
• Rations, 1 day…$6 (book is $5)
• Wines
• River Amigo $12
• Vibrant Orb $14
• Fantasy Buzzer $16
• Strawberry Storm $18
• Capital Rum $20
• Blueberry Wave $22
• Yellow Horror $24
• Gingerroot Blitz $26
• Black Drop $28
• Potato Smash $30
• Light Ale Cooler $40
• Oaken Wave $60
• Tea Wonder $100
• Mad Blitz $200
• Food from Sarap Evi
• Dragon Toffee…….$5 / pound
• Coffee……………...$1 / cup (small cup)
• Water…………..….2 coppers / cup, chilled
• Dried Lance Coati.$3 / serving
• Glitocan Bread……$2 / loaf
• Cured Craka………$22 / serving
• Iron Garlic Ginger Milk $15
• Craken Steak……..$40 / serving (seared)
• Medusa’s Kiss……..$30 / serving (snake stew)

I just need to prepare ahead of time for costs and things in the shops. Not all fantasy games map the value of money the same way. Just need to keep in mind the base cost of things, and be able to extrapolate from that.

 Links for the Ceawla write-ups. I may go back and apply the Spectacular Settlements to that little tent city, but as it is very, very small, probably not.

First description

Second

Third this one has the link to the PDF. Never know if anyone ever uses those other than me, but I enjoy creating them. Looking over some of the zines I've backed, I think with a bit of polish and an editor I could try to be a creator. Talked with one of my gaming buddies and he is all for that, and another is a great artist, so we could have something.

Finally, been a bit bad about Kickstarters lately! I decided to back the 6th season for Drawlab coins - they are really nice coins. I have enough fantasy money to buy a fantasy kingdom. But I do like how it adds some immersive game play. When we get back to the table! (In looking over my backed projects, I have stuff for the next year + showing up!)

Pretty sure I'll get the Cultist Coins

I also have the character coins, but have not figured a way to really use those. TFT requires facing so they don't work for tokens on the map. But I'll figure something out!