Traveller and Space:1999

Space:1999 was a series I really enjoyed growing up, and I still think the Eagles are the coolest ships around. If I were to run a game in that OTU, here is what I'd do. 

First, I would make it episodic like the series. Moonbase is caught up in some left-over Ancient tech that pops it from system to system randomly. Several ideas that could be pursued from this basic conceit:

• is there something in the moon itself causing this? 
• was it activated by the nuclear explosion?
• can it be detected, and if so, found?
• is it jump space for the transit or something entirely different? I think it is more of a hop drive than a jump drive, but I'll admit not reading a whole lot on those drives.

Doing this would allow us to transition from system to system at the speed of plot and GM fiat. 

Next, Moonbase Alpha has several hundred people there, so plenty of NPCs. I probably would not allow a player to be the commander, but any of the other roles would be good. My reason for this is sort of from the Next Generation premise: you really would not allow the commander to go on dangerous missions. I know, they did on TV, both in the original Trek and in the Space:1999 series. And to some extent, UFO. Plus, I just do not like having player characters start out that high - I feel they need to earn that sort of thing. Probably why I also prefer starting players at level 1 and let them build up (the Cowboy & Dino game was a bit different: we had already played a different game with the rules, and I traded them generating NPCs and things for XP). 

There are several good roles the players can have.

A doctor is always going along for a lot of the exploratory trips as they enter new systems. And things are always blowing up in the base from various entities and events. This would be a good for for someone going through medical college, then the doctor career in Classic Traveller Supplement 4, Mongoose 1e scholar/physician or from Careers Beyond the Claw, we've actually 3 medical careers: surgeon/nurse, long term care provider and physical therapy. 

The base will be full of scientists, so any of the science careers would be great. Mongoose 1e again has the scholar career, as does T5. Of course Supplement 4 has a scientist as career as well.

There are a lot of technicians, ranging from mechanics to flight ops. Various port authority careers would fit that niche. Though I do see this as more a supporting NPC, but some of those starport authority careers have some options. There are several rules for that, from the JTAS 19 article, Gypsy Games (Independent Games now I think - need to update the bibliography!) Diverse Roles, and Cargonaut Press has rules for the Starport Authority as well.  This would include the communications people for at least handling the launch and recovery of the Eagles and other ships.

Eagle pilots could come from a number of careers. Navy in its various versions across all rule sets, but also the Space Patrol from Stellagaming and the System Guard from Careers Beyond the Claw. 

Even bureaucrats are in in Space:1999, so that is also a career choice! Of course, it did not end well for him.

And finally, yes, aliens could be available as well, Classic Traveller aliens or other. If playing one, they would have shown up in a pre-session 0, or have them introduced in the 1st game as the moon jumps into their system.

Honestly, any of the available career choices would be valid and have a potential reason to be on the moon before it gets launched into intergalactic space.

Technology-wise, this is mostly TL-9: gravatics are small enough to fit in the Eagles, though the Moonbase Alpha relies on those gravity posts in the series. Which came in handy when going through a black hole, so I'd leave those there as a possible plot device at some time.

Of course, for me the star of the show was really the Eagles. The ultimate multi-purpose ship that could have so many options.

Now of course, we could just swap in the class modular cutter which pretty much does the same thing.

Or Ian Steed's homage to the Eagle:

Or 0-hHr's various drop ships. Yeah, I seem to have a fair number of ships that are somewhat like an Eagle. Of course, there were a lot of other space vehicles, though most had the Eagle cockpit. But after a few systems, it would not be unlikely to pick up other ships. No jump drives though! There well could be a few other ships in the cavernous repair bays that are at the lowest level of Moonbase Alpha. A max of 2G probably with some exceptions.

Care for a boost?

Weapons-wise, TL-9 works great I think: Classic Traveller introduces the various laser weapons, with backpacks. The handgun that is used in Space:1999 is a bit more powerful than what TL-9 supports. There are notes in the tech manual about the Straker Initiative (Straker was the commander in UFO), so the weapon tech could be a TL-A as there were "experimental" weapons. Additionally, they later added laser batteries from alien technologies, so the oddball high TL things should be available.

Space suits are definitely your TL-9 suits: nothing spectacular there. Somewhere I've a nice little space suit manual I need to dig up as it broke down the differences at various tech levels.

Vehicle-wise, there were a number of vehicles available. From the venerable moon buggy to various laser-carrying vehicles. 

How I would play: of course, session 0 sets up the scene as we generate characters and figure out how they fit into the Moonbase Alpha hierarchy. From that, I'd basically start with the explosion and the sudden exit of the solar system. A few rolls here and there for various things to be exploding under the stress, and if one the players is out in an Eagle, better hope they can get back in time! Then some time to see if they can figure out what happened, then introduce our first planet of the week scenario. Probably not too dangerous to begin with though there will be an NPC death or two. 

This would be mostly an exploration/survival style game. Various plot points could be:

• power systems require specific isotype fuel and what they have is running out. But hey - traces on that new system hanging up there!
• hydroponics and recycling can only recover so much. Need fresh supplies
• medical issues: plagues, dementia, sudden crazies. what is happening? sudden unplanned pregnancies - what is happening?
• alien attacks are always a good staple for any SF game
• internal power struggles (that damned bureaucrat wants to lead the group, and he has a few friends that agree with him)
• strange signals that seem to be either an invitation or a warning
• strange god-like beings with various warnings, boons or banes
• suddenly the moon is getting an atmosphere (which also showed that the moonbase windows could open. Yeah, no)
• exploration of the caverns under/near the base. Turns out there was an earlier secret base (UFO had its own much smaller moonbase, though it too had artificial gravity)

And now to do some prep for my game tonight: being Labor Day, thinking I'll bring in the Chinese railroad workers are striking, with Chang Heng-di leading the struggle. Need to figure out some of the details and possible ways this may play out (will the players help, hinder, or ignore? Of course, Heng-di and Lee have a shared history so there is that link)