Kinunir Session 1: Slow Start

 Our first session had a lot of talk, few rolls, and lots of ideas but little action. First, we have our 4 characters:

• Jake Rockwell, ex-cop of Montca (native to the current world)
• Moses Cook, ex-pirate. Co-owner with Jake of O'leray's O'Lasers. We never asked about homeworld, and he may or may not be a citizen of the League of Independent Planets
• Tyrell Adanac, ex-Space Patrol. Citizen of the League, but not sure which home system he is from
• Pascal Esperan, ex-belter from Helfom. Has a claim in the Xyman system

Pascal

Moes

Tyrell

Jake

They divvied up the basic Traveller skill package, and the scene was introduced. They were all sitting in Concourse 17, which due to the shuttle accident 2 days ago, was empty of passengers and customers. While Jake and Moses are apparently cousins, Tyrell had just mustered out of the Space Patrol due to an injury (failed survival roll and we opted to not use the Iron Man rules) and Pascal was in transit to get to his claim but for some reason was stuck here. 

The middle-aged gentleman from Oberlindes Lines shows up and makes the proposal: for Cr200,000 he needs info on the black globe fitting location and actual fuel tankage capacity of the old Kinunir Colonial Cruiser. Of which there happens to be one in the General Products yards that was supposed to have been scrapped but has not yet. Pascal bargained a bit and we managed to get that up to Cr240K and then he left, to come back the next day to see if they agreed to his plan. He did say that the server at the General Products terminal as well as the main office in Enris (capitol city a few hours away) would also have that information. 

There was a lot of talk about breaking into the yards to get into the physical ship, getting forgers to fake the IDs as a General Products worker, even getting a job there. I had to try & steer them a bit to finding more information and research outside of talking amongst themselves. Plus I've added a lot of news feeds to help set up some of the possible rumors and info they need to move forward. Post 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. 

After a while, I broke it up by bringing in the professor who is rumor I, and also now a source for a job in a week or so. A regular at O'Leary's as he loves the greasy astroburger, he was doing some research on Xyman and Q'auntar and pre-human cultures that lived there. He mentioned the collapsed culture of Pax Stellar as well. He's been pushing the University for a research ship to visit Xyman and Q'auntar to further his thesis and will be needing a crew. Setting up 2 things here as Pascal probably wants to check out the claim he got when leaving the Swift Rock Group.

Tyrell heads back to the Explorer's Hostel at the edge of the port, where he has been staying the last couple of weeks. Leo, who has worked there for the last 1 years, does say that a lot of the wrenches for shipyards tend to hang out at the Purple Hootch, over on Line J, Intersection 15, Avenue Q.

Getting back with the others, they all go to the Hooch but come in at different times. Jake fails his streetwise roll so the regulars seem to notice that he may be a cop. Tyrell, good at carousing, makes small talk with the bartender and others. They do notice that many are still wearing their work coveralls, you cannot tell Imperial from League, and there are several shipyards on Montca. They do see some from General Products, and I did not make them roll, but will now let them know that they also see several of them have their ID patches on their work clothes. 

At this point, we lost one player due to internet connections, so we closed off the session there. I am also using a Points In Space location for the Purple Hootch.

from Points In Space

It also seemed to go slow, and I am not sure all the players are involved. I probably need to add some more action so they have things to do, but this was the set up. And there is a fair amount of background and while I am doing part of that via the news feeds, lore dumps are hard to do well. Hopefully we'll just keep introducing things as needed. I do think I at least managed to portray the Imperium as not the good guys. Why I stuck this in the League of Independent Planets and MTU - hopefully let them let loose a bit more. But we'll see!

Montca News 5: Painting the Imperium

I sort of want to go back to earlier Traveller when the Imperium was really a dark place and not necessarily the good guys. So - one more entry before the start of tonight's game!

Dateline: 355-1105, Preacep 0803 C22467B-A

In a stunning change from normal Imperial processes, Preacep has been placed under Imperial martial law. Its 21,000 inhabitants, previously unaffiliated with neither the Imperium nor the League, have been protesting at the class C starport. Our last report has rumors of the Ine Givar being active. It is reported that a small Imperial Navy task force is guarding the orbit and a single Marine squadron is maintaining the starport. 

Dateline 355-1105, Montca

Our daring ship trackers have managed to see the scrapped Adda Dubsar Kinunir-class ship in the General Products shipyard. It appears to not have been broken down as expected from the normal disposal of military grade ships. Photos show it and several other ships in what appear to be mothballed status as the crash investigation continues in Enris and near Concourse 17 of Montca Port. Two guards in a grav jeep chased off the daring duo.

And picking on Preacep since it is next to the League and as noted in one of the posts where I detail out this system, unaffiliated even though it is in Imperial borders. Wonder if all planets inside the borders are technically Imperial? Which this also implies that the port, a class C starport, is not actually an Imperial starport. Unless those marines and the Naval forces make it so somehow. Even threw in some Ine Givar!

There are a few more posts with Preacep in there, so I may have to adjust some tags. In the meanwhile, from my solo game a while back, here are the posts tagged correctly.

Next to the League, inside Imperial space, but not an Imperial system

And entirely unrelated to Traveller, still unemployed or early retirement. Though I had a 2nd interview with a company after apparently passing their technical interview. And I have another interview with another company in a couple days. I really want to work at least another few years and think I can do good things, but the software world is really changing fast. Even the thing to chase after a few months ago is now in the rear-view mirror for the next thing with AI and software development. It used to be a technology would show up, and mature over months and years. Now that has been cut to months. I have a lot of opinions on that, but this is the place for gaming. 

But as this sort of relates to Traveller - in the 3000 years that are between now and 1105 (if I got the dates right!) things have not changed as much as you would think. Of course, Traveller is really based on the pulp SF of the 40s, 50s & 60s and never really caught up with technology even in the date it was published. But it is really a framework for your own SF universe and can really do anything. Though if you break the speed of communication that changes the entire universe!

Montca News 4: Anti-Imperial

As a lot of adventures in Traveller lean (or dive into really) the more illegal aspects from a current Earth viewpoint, you do have to remember that even in the Imperium, each world is its own thing and only the Starport (and any Imperial bases) are really directly controlled by the Imperium. To help my players see that some things, while patently illegal in our worldview, are not the same in the MTU or even OTU. But I will have backup plans just in case they don't bite at the adventure hooks in the Kinunir. I've also added in a couple of the rumors from the book, which I wish I had thought of earlier! 

Dateline: 340-1105

Imperial Naval Forces have rotated ships in the Pax Stellar systems. 3 New Amara class cruisers and support craft are now orbiting the strange planets, Red Zoned by a joint Imperial Navy and Scout decree. Many theories surround the reason behind the blockade that has been in place almost 20 years now. Madame Tricia Garn of the Krim University of Alien Antiquities claims to have been on Pax Stellar prior to the blockade and has written her thesis based on that experience. She claims that there was an ancient society there where its computer science tech level exceeded anything in the Imperium, yet they were still a sub-light culture. Others have noted that the Imperium tends to interdict worlds where it is trying to conceal its mistakes in social and political planning.

Dateline: 345-1105

According to Banthra Nore of the Montca Free Press, the Imperium has been ramping up Naval forces in the D’Arlee Quadrant to suppress political unrest. The League of Independent Planets has been ramping up hiring for the Space Patrol and has increased shipbuilding at various shipyards. While no forces have interacted yet, Ms. Nore believes it is only a matter of time until things may have a tipping point.

Dateline: 353-1105, Montca

Protesters have gathered outside of General Products M-Drive plant in Enris, protesting the Imperial megacorporation. Spokesperson Eugene Stockard has released the official press release indicating that the internal investigation is also on-going and cooperating with the Montca Department of Public Space Safety as well as the SPA Safety Board. Additional support has been brought in from the General Products Port facilities as production has been halted. Communications to the main office is expected to take 16 weeks.

Shipyard on Montca (from https://www.artstation.com/

First game is tomorrow. Between that and a couple job interviews this week, I'm a bit nervous!

Montca News 3: SeAdventures

 Adding a few more, and I am actually pretty pleased with the SeAdventure company name. I may have seen it before, but I think it is original! Some of the other names come from the BITS 101 Corporations. Still doing some world building and game prep as the 1st session is in a few days. 

And the thing is that the Kinunir is really a bare skeleton of an actual adventure: it provides a very loose framework and is up to the GM to fill out the details. Some of which are here, such as the General Products dives are manufactured in Enris which is is not in the port. Thus setting up that more of the GP people may be in Enris and not in the port. Assuming that the players bite the not-entirely-legal 1st game hook. If not, I really need to think through a 2nd thing to do. For some reason, my players, when playing Traveller, try to be upright legal citizens. And sadly, a good number of the adventures are a lot more grey. But as I have a huge backload of JTAS to read (original and all the Mongoose versions) I'll see about having at least a couple backup adventure plans.

Dateline: 352-1105, Krim

The Imperial delegation on Krim has made claims that starship parts from AuricTech Shipyards of Krim of illegal use of Imperial patents. This has been vigorously denied by AuricTech spokesperson Quintana Sparks: “We vigorously contest these baseless accusations. We use our own patented research and public domain designs.” The Imperium has requested legal action and there will be a hearing in a few months once all the lawyers arrive at Yontin 1103 A450537-B, the Quadrant’s capital from the Imperial perspective.

Dateline: 352-1105, Montca 

In a follow up to the shuttle crash, SPA investigators are focusing on the General Products manufacturing plant where the Linear-M drives are assembled. While final assembly and testing occur at their Montca Port Facility, the manufacturing plant is in Enris and connects via the industrial tram system for heavy equipment. The Ministry of Public Safety is overseeing this investigation, being led by Sir Casmir Loxley.

Dateline: 352-1105

Preparations are underway for Day 1. Even though primarily an Imperial holiday, the League of Planets also celebrates this as well as its own founding 101 years ago on 047-1004. The Bureau of Civic Celebrations is in full swing to properly celebrate our heritage. 

Dateline: 352-1105, 

SeAdventures is hosting the 43rd Race to the Bottom! Submersibles race to the 1500m mark in Tiko Bay. While this started as a test for theSeAdventure personal subs, it has since expanded and is open to anyone. Proper safety certifications are required, and this year we have 14 contestants in subs ranging from the 1 person Merman LIC QuickCraft to the 6 person SeAdventure Party Sub. 

Montca News 2: MediTech and Imperial Liasons

Seeing the copious volume of one referee's news posts over on COTI. I thought I may do the same for my players. No idea if this will become information overload, nor how long I can maintain output, but we'll see!

Dateline: 351-1105, Krim

Meditech,LLC of Krim has released its Meditech AutoDoc MkIV. An enhanced autodoc utilizing its onboard AI can diagnose and treat over 15,000 diseases and medical conditions. Two models are available, the MkIV-S for shipboard use that utilizes standard ship power systems but has a slightly larger supply cabinet, and the MkIV-H for hospital use. The MkIV-S can treat up to 10 patients before needing resupply from most A ports and TL-A or better, whereas the MkIV-H, can treat up to 5 patients before resupplies are needed with the assumptions hospitals stock the required drugs, antitoxins and other equipment. The initial price is listed as Cr125,000 and refills at Cr10,000 for the MkIV-S.

Additionally, they have also released the Meditech MediKit MkII. This portable medical pack can be strapped to an arm or leg and with the same diagnostic AI found in the AutoDoc MkIV, can prepare correct dosages to aid in recovery. While not a replacement for a full doctor or AutoDoc, this MediKit is standard issue for the Space Patrol as well as many police and military personnel across the League. Cr2000 with a rechargeable power supply, resupplies at Cr500. 

Dateline: 352-1105, Krim

The Imperial delegation on Krim has made claims that starship parts from AuricTech Shipyards of Krim of illegal use of Imperial patents. This has been vigorously denied by AuricTech spokesperson Quintana Sparks: “We vigorously contest these baseless accusations. We use our own patented research and public domain designs.” The Imperium has requested legal action and there will be a hearing in a few months once all the lawyers arrive at Yontin 1103 A450537-B, the Quadrant’s capital from the Imperial perspective.

Dateline: 352-1105, Montca

In a follow up to the shuttle crash, SPA investigators are focusing on the General Products manufacturing plant where the Linear-M drives are assembled. While final assembly and testing occur at their Montca Port Facility, the manufacturing plant is in Enris and connects via the industrial tram system for heavy equipment. The Ministry of Public Safety is overseeing this investigation, being led by Sir Casmir Loxley.

Dateline: 352-1105

Preparations are underway for Day 1. Even though primarily an Imperial holiday, the League of Planets also celebrates this as well as its own founding 101 years ago on 047-1004. The Bureau of Civic Celebrations is in full swing to properly celebrate our heritage. 

 

Basing the MediTech stuff from Merchants and Merchandise AutoDoc. Just a bit more advanced but same rolls.

from Merchants and Merchandise

And a bit of a lore/background dump even after I promised I would not do that! from the Pilot's Guide: 

Located on the edge of Imperial Space, The D’Arlee Quadrant consists of 4 subsectors: D’Arlee, Yontin, Far and Zorron’s Sector. Almost half of the systems are under Imperial rule. There are two smaller political regions, the League of Independent Planets and the entirely Red-zoned triplanetary system of Pax Stellar which has collapsed under internal strife and warfare more than 3000 years ago, and is guarded by a Naval force consisting of three Element class cruisers and several support vessels.

 

The majority of inhabitants are human or human-derived, and there are a few known native intelligences. In fact, this quadrant has a higher than normal number of Amber and Red zoned systems.These systems have been marked either by the ISS or the Imperial Navy as off-limits for a variety of known and unknown reasons. Rumors of ultra-high tech systems to worlds of psionicmages are a constant thread throughout starport bars in this region.

 

D’Arlee is the principle system for this quadrant. It entered the Third Imperium in 758 and was declared the subsector capital. Unfortunately, further exploration and colonization was haltedas a result of repercussions from the Stumbling Years period of Imperial history. Only quadrant A was explored and colonized, and in fact, the rimward sections of Far and Zorron’s Sectorhave a number of systems that only have the base physical characteristics mapped. There may yet be unknown civilizations and cultures beyond the edge of known space!

 

The D’Arlee subsector also marks the end of the X-Boat route into this section of space. There is a large private shipping company, Antares Shipping, that handles the majority ofcommunications and mail within the quandrant. It’s free traders ships visit multiple systems on well-defined trade routes, and is partially subsidized by the Imperium.

 

The two other political systems, as noted, are the Pax Stellar and the League of Independent Planets. The Navy has blockaded the Pax Stellar. This was once a technological society rivalling the Darrians in terms of science. Now only ruins exist, and Imperial scientists backed by the might of a somewhat over-extended Imperial Navy keep guard over the ruins. The League of Independent Planets was created by a free trader, Anthom Trass, and has managed to maintain independent status for over 100 years now. It maintains its own space patrol in lieu of a Naval presence. There are two Naval bases within the borders, and there is some tension between Imperial authority and the more independent-minded League. There has only been a single instance of armed combat, floridly named the Merchant Massacre by the League and not even named in Imperial Navy histories, in 1100. The interface between the Imperium and the League is often a haven for more independently minded opportunistic traders. The Imperium refers to them as pirates, as does the official government of the League.

 

The quadrant shares its memorable early explorers on a variety of systems. The Finnigan’s systems are somewhat prosaically named based on the order of exploration. Monk is named after Imperial Scout Tricia Monk from 801. Johan is based on Baroness Felicia D’Arlee Johon.

 

There are no known stellar oddities or hazards other than potential political unrest. The quadrant is several months from the Imperial Core and relies heavily on local nobility to maintain the peace and order as expected from being part of the grand Third Imperium.

And in case we need a world map, with at least a couple cities indicated:

 

Montca News 1: Shuttle Crash

Montca News

Dateline: 350-1105

A small shipping shuttle crashed near Pad 17. Witnesses from O'Leary's O'Lasers say the shuttle started to wobble in its flight path about 200 meters from the ground. It spiraled and crashed moments later. Fortunately, the fires were minimal due to our low air pressure. The pilot suffered a broken arm and 2 broken ribs from the crash, but all cargo was lost. The rescue shuttle was on the scene within 5 minutes of the downed craft.

The official SPA Safety Board is still investigating, but initial results appear to put the General Products Linear-M maneuver drives losing power due to an overloaded circuit. The shuttle is owned by Sweet-Carrol Lines. Pilot Kane Howe is currently at Waygin Hospital undergoing medical attention and is expected to do a full recovery in a few days with MedStar's bone regeneration system.

Further updates will be available as the story develops.

Game Notes

Over on COTI a few people are doing news stories to help move their game along, some fluff, some world building, and I assume a few game hooks in there. This encouraged me to do the same, but we'll see how long I can keep this up.

The shuttle crash came from the Party Backstory Generator. Yes, it is a fantasy supplement, so I just translated the fantasy part to fit into the Traveller game. And somewhere I know I set up the Krim has some TL-G level medical stuff but heck if I can find it now!

The shuttles are from Ryan Wolf's 0Hr stuff and dropped into AI. Not something I like to do but I have those shuttles in minis as well as the pictures and deck plans and want to use them. The ports in the League, as mentioned in a few blog posts, are based on his Port Leonis maps and images.

Finally, the Sweet-Carrol Lines comes from the BITS 101 Corporations. I have that in hard copy interestingly enough - they put out a lot of really good things. But see - I am using my toys!

And the O'Leary's O'Lasers is a small port restaurant, now located on the Gate 17 Concourse. Again, from the Backstory Generator, so that 2 of the players own this. But it is a franchise that is barely breaking even, so they may want to go ahead and sell. I do not want to tie them down, but it is a way 2 of them know each other. And the crash was witnessed from here by the other players so that they all have something in common.

Q'auntar

One of my previous games I used this system. The only thing I need to add to make it map to the Kinunir adventure is adding an Ancient site in the southern hemisphere, and throwing in the ships needed in orbit. Q'auntar is replacing Knorbes. We can keep the previous adventure there, as that all happened in the recent past. So that the people will remember what happened as it is very sparsely populated. There will be stories to tell! Sadly, I do not know what I named the mayor, though I know she chewed a cigar and spat tobacco a lot. I'll have to see if I can find the notes from that game. Pretty sure I kept them.

Previous posts (and corrected the tags finally!):

• https://traveller-ct.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-big-bad.html where we encountered the bad guy behind a few things that happened to the characters
  
• https://traveller-ct.blogspot.com/2018/11/starport-personnel-quantar.html the starport personnel
• https://traveller-ct.blogspot.com/2018/11/quantar-starport.html info about the port, what there is of it
  
• https://traveller-ct.blogspot.com/2018/11/quantar-regrouping.html small overview
  

I also asked the AI for some info which I need to stop doing: I should just either use Book 6 or get back to my software project!

But in addition to the info in those posts, Q'auntor does have an Ancient site on the southern continent. The Imperium is of course very interested in that, and Luuru patrols in orbit and the pinnace flies patrols. There is an Imperial game preserve on that southern continent is controlled by the Minister of Conservation and requires a permit to hunt the tree krakens there.

And copied from a site:

Also known as the land squid, the tree kraken (Hexapoda stren II, H. si/vans) is a 6 kg pouncer native to the planet Forboldn ( Regina / Spinward Marches 1808), but for various reasons has become distributed to many small, low gravity worlds in the Regina (Spinward Marches) and neighbouring subsectors of the Spinward Marches. (Also see the Forboldn Project).

The adult tree kraken resembles in general body form the Terran octopus (q.v.), having a central body sensory cluster and six radiating tentacle-like arms. The internal skeleton is rudimentary, consisting of a cartilaginous stiffening of the body to permit the lung sacs to function, to serve as attachment points for the muscles, and to permit leverage for the three part mandible located at the base of the arms. This stiffening appears to be an adaption to a terrestrial lifestyle.

The arms of the kraken consist of a stiffened central support structure surrounded by a muscular sheath. The arms end in from 2 to 7 (depending on species) smaller appendages. The ventral surface of the arm, and the ends of these smaller appendages are equipped with a disk-shaped sucker-like organ covered with hundreds of small, razor-sharp tooth-like structures.

The eyes are paired, operate stereoscopically, and permit the kraken to detect the faintest movement at several hundred meters. Range judgement is extremely good.

Respiration is accomplished by 3 to 8 (varying with species) lung-sacs located in the body mass. Each sac has its own connection to the atmosphere. To function, the inner lining of each sac must be kept moist, requiring the kraken to remain in regions of high humidity, such as marshes, swamps, or jungles. Tree krakens have a closed circularory system and are endothermic.

The kraken attacks its prey by leaping upon it from a height, usually a tree, but often a cliff and occasionally a roof. The arms wrap around the prey, immobilizing it and the disk-shaped structures abrade the skin and other tissue into small fragments which are then conveyed to the mouth.

After feeding, the tree kraken climbs to a high place for protection from other predators, and goes into a digestive torpor, from which it emerges several hours later.

Krakens are hermaphroditic, and reproduction is accomplished by budding. During the six week mating season, two krakens will meet, and exchange genetic material by means of two tubelike structures located above the eyes. After fertilization, these structures swell to several times their normal size and grow arms, eventually (after eight to twelve weeks) becoming fully developed miniature krakens. When fully developed, the young detach themselves and go their own way. This is accomplished when the parent is in a state of torpor after feeding, otherwise the krakens would eat their own young.

Zo

Zo is my MTU replacement for Pixie from the Kinunir. It's UWP is: B100595-9. Meaning:

• Starport B - a good facility with refined fuel and capable of starship maintenance
• Size 1 - a very small planet, with just 0.122 G
• Atmosphere 0 - a vacuum world
• Hyrdographics 0 - no standing water
• Population 5 - 80,000 people call this place home for some reason. 
• Government 9 - Captured government. Another Imperial operated place, primarily because of the Gash in orbit above
• Law Level 5 - personal concealable weapons prohibited
• TL 9 - early interstellar.

A good question is: where does the fuel come from as the system has no gas giants, planetoid belt nor any liquid oceans? We're going to lean into deep ice caves under the crust. A large chunk of the population deals with mining. Another TL-9 system, so we'll have some next-gen domed habitats, and maybe cave dwellers. The advantage of underground ice deposits is we can also use that as the source of air. TL-9 is not that much more advanced than us. 

The starport has a mix of above ground pads and elevator pads. Similar to Space:1999, there are smaller pads that can take ships and shuttles up to 100 tons below the surface.

Worlds without atmosphere nor liquid oceans are a bit difficult to map. I used the mars coloration after trying a few variations. Dust plains or something like that, and some small elevations. I've added 1 other planet to the system, just a tad larger than Zo itself. The habitable zone for a K9 star is in orbit 12, which is 307 AU out! The math works out to 1 year on Zo = √307^3 / 5 = 2405 years! Not that I use jump shadows in MTU, but if I did it would not really change much for any visitors.

made the background sort of match the world at least