Traveller Sandbox: The System Resources Table...

Good Afternoon, All:

In any Traveller campaign, some worlds are known for their resources. While other systems possess resources of a similar nature, these Resource worlds have a great abundance or proliferation of a specific resource. As such, these worlds are often coveted by interstellar polities for the goods and services they provide as a result of their natural resources.

With a nod to the Resource Types table in An Echo Resounding, I offer the following table for determining System Resources. As always, I've included what I believe are common Traveller tropes for system resources, based on various elements found in the core rulebook. However, your Traveller Universe may be different from mine regarding those underlying assumptions. If you come across an entry that doesn't seem to fit your needs, please feel free to change it for your own personal setting development.

The usual disclaimers exist here: Some results require specific Trade Codes in order to fit the world in question, while others cannot exist on worlds with certain Trade Codes. Likewise, some require the presence of a specific type of base or starport, or perhaps the lack thereof. Ultimately, if you feel the description doesn't fit the UWP, then feel free to generate another System Resources result.

Table: System Resources

d66	System Resources
11	Advanced Electronics
12	Advanced Gravitics
13	Agroproducts
14	Anagathics
15	Biochemicals
16	Cloning Facilities
21	Computers
22	Consumable Products
23	Crystals and Gems
24	Cybernetics
25	Defense Systems
26	Energy Production
31	Information Archives
32	Interstellar Shipyards
33	Live Animals
34	Luxury Consumables
35	Luxury Goods
36	Machine Parts
41	Manufactured Goods
42	Medical Supplies
43	Petrochemicals
44	Pharmaceuticals
45	Planetary Vehicles
46	Polymers
51	Precious Metals
52	Radioactive Materials
53	Rare Ores and Metals
54	Recreational Intoxicants
55	Robotics
56	Servants (Or Slaves)
61	Spices
62	Terraforming Equipment
63	Textiles
64	Weapons Manufacturing
65	Wood/Timber
66	Referee's Option (Exotics)

Now, I need to come up with three systems to detail using this table. From our intial list in the previous post, I'm going to select the following three worlds for development as examples:

Jizo (Segin 2901 A7978AA-A Amber Zone): Jizo is a large world, having a diameter of roughly 11200km. Jizo has a dense nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere that bears a taint that requires the use of a filter mask. The surface of Jizo is roughly 66%–75% surface water (or similar fluid), similar to that of Terra. Jizo has a general population of 900,000,000 local residents. The people of Jizo are governed by a charismatic dictator. Visitors will find that Jizo is extremely oppressive and restrictive, with little or no personal freedom granted to the general public. Jizo has an excellent Class A starport, with extensive shipyards capable of constructing new starships and overhaul existing vessels. Jizo has Early Stellar technology, with stable Jump technology that opens up nearby star systems. Important installations and facilities on Jizo include a Naval Base, a Scout Base and a Consulate. Jizo has been designated as an Amber Zone by the Explorer's Society. Travellers should exercise caution in any dealings or activities involving this world.

Nyame (Segin 2202 B887797-8): Nyame is a large world, having a diameter of roughly 12800km. Nyame has a dense nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere that is otherwise perfectly breathable. The surface of Nyame is roughly 66%–75% surface water (or similar fluid), similar to that of Terra. Nyame has a general population of 80,000,000 local residents. The people of Nyame are governed by an impersonal bureaucracy. Visitors may find Nyame moderately restrictive, as most personal firearms are regulated or restricted by local authorities. Nyame has a good Class B starport, with shipyards capable of constructing new spaceships and overhaul existing vessels. Nyame has Pre-Stellar technology, with the ability to reach other worlds in the same star system, although terraforming or full colonization are not within the culture’s capacity. Important installations and facilities on Nyame include a Naval Base and a Scout Base.

Umikeo (Segin 2919 C969776-6): Umikeo is a large world, having a diameter of roughly 14400km. Umikeo has a standard nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere comparable to that of Terra. The surface of Umikeo is roughly 66%–75% surface water (or similar fluid), which qualifies it as a Water world. Umikeo has a general population of 40,000,000 local residents. The world of Umikeo is balkanized, with several local factions or regional governments controlling a portion of the world's resources and population. Visitors may find Umikeo moderately restrictive, as most personal firearms are regulated or restricted by local authorities. Umikeo has a routine Class C starport, with limited shipyards capable of performing major repairs. Umikeo has Industrial technology, including the development of fission power and more advanced computing.

For Jizo (Segin 2901 A7978AA-A Amber Zone), I generated "Information Archives". This immediately conjures mental images of Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, and I consider a "galactic library" of some sort. Borrowing a little in concept from Asimov's great works and taking some extreme liberties, perhaps the world was settled by a group of pseudo-scientific survivalists who feels that the galaxy will erupt into chaos and warfare in the near future, based on the calculations of the first colonial leader. In order to protect their offspring, the settlers of Jizo founded the Ksitigarbha Institute to preserve the technical and historical knowledge they felt would be lost in the coming interstellar apocalypse. Although the event never came to pass, the Ksitigarbha Institute is now the greatest repository of knowledge and information in Beta Quadrant. (Oh, this also gives me the chance to create a Librarian-Explorer career path, so characters can be adventurers akin to the Librarian.)

With Nyame (Segin 2202 B887797-8), I rolled "Interstellar Shipyards". Given that neither the Tech Level nor the Starport of this world supports that Resource, I decided to generate another entry: "Anagathics." While the Tech Level for Nyame does not support anagathics (which require TL15 to manufacture synthetically), I can always assume that a plant native to Nyame produces a natural anagathic, which I'll call the Zumbi plant. Being a natural source of anagathics, the Zumbi plant is highly prized. However, it only grows in one region of one planet, and does not survive transplantation elsewhere. Thus, the world of Nyame is highly prized in interstellar society.

For Umikeo (Segin 2919 C969776-6), I generated "Cybernetics", which does not fit the Tech Level of this world. A second roll came up with "Radioactive Materials", which lends itself to the thought that Umikeo is a world rich in fissionable materials. Although this isn't as much of a problem with higher tech worlds, most systems require fissionable material to produce energy. That demand makes Umikeo a viable resource, and highly desirable by interstellar polities, including the Chimalmat Group and Heremod Unity to rimward in Delta Quadrant, as well as the major polities of Beta Quadrant.

The second sub-step for creating Resource Worlds is to determine the System Challenges that the players will have to address when they set about operating on these worlds. We'll attack that with our next post, and then we should be able to wrap this step up and move on to Exploration Sites, the "dungeons" or "ruins" of an interstellar Sci-Fi sandbox.

With Regards,
Flynn