Traveller Sandbox Game Mechanics: The Mizuchi, An Alien Parasite...

Good Afternoon, All:

In creating additional game mechanics for the Traveller Sandbox Experiment, I know that we will need to create a small bestiary for some of the specific creatures we mention in our write-ups. The first of these (and the one that I'll do as an example today) are the mizuchi, lethal parasitic creatures commons to the jungles of Prishiboro (Segin 2810 E596568-5). We've established that they are small, gather together in nests, and that they tend to enrage any creature that they infest.

Here's an Expanded Profile for their homeworld, for our review as we examine the :

Prishiboro (Segin 2810 E596568-5): Starport Class E (Frontier); Medium (Low-G); Dense (Tainted); Wet World; Mod Pop (200,000); Colony/Captive World; High Law; Industrial Tech. No Bases. Trade Codes: Agricultural World, Garden World, Low Tech and Non-Industrial World. Jengu Alliance.

Looking in the Main Rulebook, we can find a Terrain DM Chart for creating new creatures on pg 70. We can see there that jungles have the following DMs: Type DM -4, Size DM +3. A roll on a d6 gives us a 4, which indicates a Walker. We already know that our creature is a parasite, so I choose Carnivore/Pouncer to reflect a parasite that leaps out and attacks it's prey. (I'm looking for a "Horror"-type effect here, so I can play it up later during the game.) I'll make note that Pouncers have Stealth, Recon and Athletics, as well as Dexterity +4 and Instinct +4.

With that, I determine the mizuchi's Size modified by terrain type, 2d6-4, to come up with a Size 4 creature. Twelve kilograms is a bit large for a parasite, so I'm going to drop this down to a Size 2 creature. Three kilograms sound about right. This means that Strength is 2, while Dexterity is 1d6 (+4 from terrain), and Endurance is also 2. A quick roll of a die gives us a 6, which means the mizuchi has a Dex of 10.

Looking at Weapons and Armor, I roll 2d6 for each table. For Weapons, there's a DM +8 for Carnivores. My results are (a roll of 10, DM+8, equals) 18 for Weapons, and 5 for Armor. That's a Thrasher+2, but I'm not picturing the mizuchi as having a Thrasher, and see it as more like a leech with a nasty bite, so I drop down to the next lowest table entry, Teeth+2. The mizuchi has Armor 1.

I then determine the mizuchi's Instinct and Pack scores. For Instinct, I roll 2d6, plus the DM for being a Pouncer, and get (a roll of 4, DM+4, equals) 8. For Pack, I roll 2d6 to get a score of 10. This is perfect for the description of large nests, so I let it stand. We'll give this creature an Intelligence of 0, since it maddens the beasts it connects to.

Skills are going to be fun. Let's start with the basics: Athletics 0, Recon 0, Survival 0. We get 1d6 ranks to divide among these, as well as Melee(teeth) and Stealth. A roll of 5 tells me that I have five ranks to pass around. There are five skills, so I'm tempted to put one rank in each skill. Since I want a sneaky Pouncer, I will take one rank from Recon to boos Stealth, which gives me the following: Athletics(co-ordination) 1, Melee(teeth) 1, Recon 0, Stealth 2, Survival 1.

Attack damage is simply 1d6, although the Teeth+2 tells us that it does 3d6 with its powerful bite. As for the number encountered, a Pack of 10 tells us that the creatures often occur in groups of 3d6. I decide to note their typical reactions: if the mizuchi has surprise, it attacks; if it is surprised, it flees.

Finally, we should note any Planetary Quirks, per the checklist on pg 72 of the Main Rulebook. Under Locomotion Quirks, we can see the example "Hijacks the bodies of other creatures". Yep, that's the one we want. Game mechanically, that would probably look something like this: The mizuchi must move into Personal range, and beat its target in an opposed Melee(teeth) vs the target's Melee(unarmed) skill check. If the mizuchi wins, it attaches to the target and can't be removed except by the Grappling rules on pg 64. Once grappling, if the mizuchi succeeds in any further opposed checks, it will either inflict 2+Effect damage, attempt to induce a state of frenzy in its target by driving it mad with pain and enzymes, or just hold on. Any target that tries to avoid being induced in a state of frenzy must succeed in an Endurance check (see pg 48 for details), or be driven to flee in pain, attacking any creature that attempts to stop it from running. An enraged creature runs until it succeeds in an Endurance check to regain its faculties or until it drops in its tracks from exhaustion. I'm sure circumstances might change the above somewhat, but at least I have an idea of how to use this parasite in-game now.

Okay, so putting it all together, I get the following creature stat block:

Mizuchi
Pouncer (Carnivore)     Jungle Walker     Str 2, Dex 10, End 2, Int 0, Instinct 8, Pack 10
Athletics(co-ordination) 1, Melee(teeth) 1, Recon 0, Stealth 2, Survival 1
Teeth (3d6), Hide (1). Number encountered: 3d6.
Tiny (Size 2), vicious parasites that latch on to targets and drives them mad with pain.

With these details, it becomes easier for me to create an encounter where the PCs inadvertently stumble into a nest of these creatures, suffering vicious bites as the mizuchi attack them from surprise. After that, it's all a matter of how tough the characters are and how quickly they can disperse of these small but nasty little foes. This will at least create some interesting moments during an exploration of the ruins of Kojiki in the jungles of Prishiboro.

Next up: we're going to tackle some homeworld tables.

Enjoy,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox Game Mechanics: The Thulians, An Alien Species...

Good Afternoon, All:

In developing game mechanics for the Traveller Sandbox Experiment, we need to develop the appropriate statistics for the Thulians, a non-human alien race native to Amaterasu (Segin 3110 B688735-A). We've already defined them as being scholarly, and having enough interest in the human library known as the Ksitigarbha Institute that Thulians of sufficient social standing make at least one pilgrimage to the site during their lifetimes. With that in mind, exploring them should make for a very interesting opportunity.

Here's an Expanded Profile for their homeworld, which will be useful when using the rules found in Flynn's Guide to Alien Creation:

Amaterasu (Segin 3110 B688735-A): Starport Class B (Good); Medium (Low-G); Dense; Wet World; Mod Pop (90,000,000); Self-perpetuating Oligarchy; Mod Law; Early Stellar Tech. No Bases. Trade Codes: Garden World and Non-Industrial World. Koyane Shogunate.

After rolling some dice and playing with the results, I came up with the following:

The Thulians
Descended from Omnivore/Gatherer stock, the Thulians are an intelligent Lesser Race native to the world of Amaterasu (Segin 3110 B688735-A). This warm-blooded bipedal humanoid species is warm-blooded, exhibiting bilateral symmetry. Like most lifeforms on Amaterasu, Thulians are all of a single gender, and bear live young after exchanging genetic material with another of their species. By convention, all Thulians are considered females in the native tongue of the Koyane Shogunate.

As a species, Thulians are quite intelligent, despite their rather animalistic appearance, and possess a near-eidetic memory. They possess exceptional hearing, and still retain their ancestors' natural ability as climbers. As a species, they are naturally curious, and value the pursuit of knowledge. Thulians believe that their world is a living entity, and are taught that the Great Mother has sisters among the stars. Many, therefore, seek to explore the stars in search of the Mother's Sisters. Scouts, explorers and starfarers hold a sense of prestige among the Thulians. The great wealth of data available at the Ksitigarbha Institute on Jizo (Segin 2901 A7978AA-A Amber Zone) appeals to Thulians on many levels, from their curiosity to their desire to locate the Mother's Sisters. Many members of the species struggle to make at least one pilgrimage to the great repository of data during their lifetimes.

The Thulians have Notable Intelligence (2d6+1). Thulians also have the Low Gravity Adaptation, Natural Climber, Acute Hearing and Eidetic Memory alien traits. Thulians start aging at 30, stand 160+(2d6x5) centimeters tall and weigh 55+(2d6x4) kilograms.

Based on what we see in the details given above, Thulians will likely be found in many of the space-based careers within the Koyane Shogunate. I wanted to give the fascination that Thulians have of the Institute a near-religious fanaticism. That's what led me to create the detail that they believe their world is a living entity, and that they believe there are others. As to why this might be so, I leave that to the imagination of the Referee.

For me, I'd assume that the Thulians have passed down knowledge gained by ancient encounters with one of the Progenitor races about 70,000 years ago. Over many, many generations, these stories have morphed from tales of worlds where other people lived to legends about the worlds themselves being alive and sentient. Of course, building an adventure arc around an effort to find one of the Great Mother's Sisters might be a lot of fun, too. (Such an adventure arc could even bring the PCs to a dead or dying planet that was once the birthplace of a highly advanced civilization. Brought low by its enemies in the War of the Ancients, this world could possibly tie in with the goals of the Progenitor AI guiding the Factor of Malsumis.)

Enjoy,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: Game Mechanics Support...

Good Afternoon, All:

Step Nine, the final step in the process of developing a sandbox setting for the Traveller Sandbox Experiment, is to review the setting and see if there are any rules additions I should introduce, such as new careers, alien species, event tables, etc. Here's also where I might create tables for rumors and other items that could prove to be of interest later. Below is a simple list of the things I thought of as I reviewed my notes:

1. Alien Species: "The Thulians, a scholarly alien species from Amaterasu (Segin 3110 B688735-A), have become enamored with the collection of data at the Ksitigarbha Institute, and have practically taken the planet by storm. Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, many well-to-do Thulians make a pilgrimage to Jizo at least once in their lifetimes."
2. Bestiary: Creating creatures common to the setting, or important to one or more of the world descriptions, would be good to do here. The first example that comes to mind are the mizuchi, lethal parasitic creatures common to Prishiboro's jungles.
3. Career Event Tables: For the really industrious, one could develop new event tables for each career path. I'm probably not that industrious, though.
4. Career Path: The Librarian-Explorer career path covers those researchers, data collators and field archivists common to the Ksitigarbha Institute, located on Jizo. It seems like a small group, perhaps too focused, but if I want to create something unique for character development, this one is a good choice.
5. Contacts, Allies, Rivals and Enemies Table: Personalizing this table on page 76 of the core rulebook will help emphasize a gaming experience in the Beta Quadrant, as opposed to a more generic Traveller setting.
6. Homeworld Tables: Generating a simple table to randomly select a homeworld within the Beta Quadrant insures that player-characters fit in the setting.
7. Life Event Tables: Developing new Life Event tables based on the setting allows characters to quickly link to elements that will immerse them into the game more quickly.
8. Patron Encounters: Generating a few patron encounters that emphasize setting elements will help create go-to scenarios that build on the Beta Quadrant experience for players.
9. Random Encounter Tables: Much like Life Event Tables, Random Encounter Tables based on the Beta Quadrant help both players and Referees with immersion. These would replace one or more of the tables found on pages 81-83 of the core rulebook.
10. Rumor Tables: To facilitate the use of the Beta Quadrant setting, a nice rumor table could help encourage player-characters to investigate one of the many interesting locations throughout the region. If I am feeling industrious, I'd do one per subsector, or perhaps one per polity.
11. Starships: The Black Ships of the Kobe Clan are an example of some new starship types that could be constructed specifically for the setting.

While the above may sound like a lot, it helps to remember that all of this doesn't have to be done at once. Honestly, some of it doesn't even have to be done if you're okay with using the standard tables found in the core rulebook. For all intents and purposes, I'd probably only address the Alien Species, Bestiary, Homeworld Tables, Patron Encounters, Random Encounter Tables and Rumor Tables, if I were doing this for a home game, at least at first. As an experiment, I'm inclined to stick to that more limited list, and then see if I get inspired to do more along the way.

Hope This Helps,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: Filling In The Blanks...

Good Afternoon, All:

Step Eight in the process of developing a sandbox setting for the Traveller Sandbox Experiment is to fill in the blanks, making sure that any obvious holes are covered. Sometimes, a cool world might fall through the cracks in the above process, and should be added into the mix as color for the setting. By reviewing the UWPs, we can make sure that we didn't leave anything out.

While we could probably run a great game with what we have, there are likely a few additional systems we might want to detail, just because they're likely to spark a player's interest. To determine these, I look through the UWPs, looking for the worlds that stand out that we haven't touched yet. Being familiar with Rob Conley's fantastic article, How To Make A Traveller Sandbox, I want to at least consider worlds with the following characteristics:

• All High Population worlds (not previously covered at Cultural Hubs)
• All High Tech worlds (that haven't been identified elsewhere in our process)
• All systems with Class A and Class B starports (that haven't been identified elsewhere)
• All Red Zone systems (that haven't been described elsewhere)

Here's a quick list of the worlds that fit those criteria that we haven't touched yet:

Amida         2606 B8B7402-D  S Fl Ht Ni        A  204 Ks F4 V
Beltane       2115 BA9A532-A  A Ni Wa              201 Ll G5 V
Chedenoman    3201 A300569-C    De Ht Ni Va        303 Na M4 II M8 V* [M5 II]
Gamab         2611 B410431-C    De Ht Ni           903 Ja M9 V* M9 V
Hachiman      3005 B5A2400-8  N Fl Ni           A  100 Ks M5 V* M8 V
Hulene        2213 B754644-6    Ag Ga Ni           912 Na K2 V
Idaten        2604 B610565-A  N De Ni              501 Ks M0 V
Izanami       2906 B7B7410-9    Fl Ni           A  721 Ks M1 V
Jiskorko      2102 B5798AB-9                    A  711 Na K0 V* M3 V
Kannon        2603 B410400-B  N De Ni           A  412 Ks K6 V
Mawu          2211 B520420-A  S De Ni Po           800 Ja K5 V
Melody        2119 B767565-7  S Ag Ga Ni           803 Na F2 V
Mingert       2719 B410783-8  M De Na              600 Na K4 V
Misdariva     2012 B766537-8    Ag Ga Ni           512 Na G9 V K0 V M3 V*
Ninigi        2904 B410476-9    De Ni              120 Ks M4 V* M4 V
Onora         3011 B7A7523-B    Fl Ni              514 Na K2 III* F5 V
Seshat        1907 B69A8A8-9  N Wa                 202 Se G2 V* M5 V
Zandis        3217 B623422-8  A Ni                 801 Na M0 V
Zinsu         2308 A621533-B  N Ni Po              600 Ja F9 V* M6 V

That's twenty worlds we haven't covered, all of them falling into the Class A or Class B starport category. Some fall into other categories, too. An enterprising Referee could detail all of the above worlds. However, I think I'm probably only going to need to touch a few of them for the sake of campaign development, and the others can be handled by the Referee on the fly later.

Obviously, since Seshat (Segin 1907 B69A8A8-9) has been mentioned repeatedly in previous posts, I should detail that system. Of the rest, I definitely want to cover the High Tech worlds of Amida (Segin 2606 B8B7402-D Amber Zone), Chedenoman (Segin 3201 A300569-C) and Gamab (Segin 2611 B410431-C). There are no High Population worlds or Red Zones in the list. The only remaining Class A starport on the list would be Zinsu (Segin 2308 A621533-B), so I'll add that in to give me an additional five worlds to detail.

At this point, I'm not sure I really need to go through the exercise of creating world details here. I'd probably determine a System Origin for each one, and perhaps a System Function or System Resource, to help me flesh out the Library Data entry I'd create. Otherwise, I'm okay with a simple four or five sentence write-up to capture some flavor in case the players ask some questions about the place. If you want me to write any of them up, please feel free to say so in the comments. Otherwise, I'll simply move on to the final step in the process.

Step Nine is simple reviewing the setting that I've created and see if there's any rules additions that I should introduce to help personalize the campaign experience. I'll cover some specifics in the Step Nine post.

Happy Travelling,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: Beta Quadrant Hall of Infamy, Part 2...

Good Afternoon, All:

In this second post in the creation of a Hall of Infamy for the Beta Quadrant, I will be developing information on the Four Minor Enemies of the setting.

As a reminder, the Hall of Infamy reflects those established villains and antagonists who are a problem from Day One, when the campaign begins. These are the foes that are mentioned on newscasts and spoken of in those seedy bars that adventurers tend to hang out in when they are looking for gainful employment. These are potentially the guys that may become a thorn in the side of the party over time as they go about their own personal plans. Therefore, it's best to drop seeds about them from the beginning of the game. Hence, we need to create a Hall of Infamy. Last post, we identified the Supreme Enemy and two Major Enemies. Now we get to wrap things up.

Based on my previous post, we identified the following Minor Enemies that I'd like to develop for the Beta Quadrant. For the Koyane Subsector, I identified the Brothers of Sakari as being a great source of conflict to motivate adventures in the Koyane Shogunate. Star Admiral Mahmoud Pasha of Bastet works well for adventuring in the Gleti Subsector. In Litha Subsector, the fanatical Holy Crusaders of the Moldandan Universal Church give us great potential for adventures. So far, I've got three distinct flavors: psionic terrorists, vengeful naval operations, and religious zealotry in space. Looking over details for Tabaldak Subsector, I look to identify a nice potential for a Minor Enemy. I could use the Star Emperor's Navy, but there's also the Abubakar Complex, a government facility located on Mantis that supports privateers affiliated with the Jengu Alliance, and the Lutasas Trade Union, a guild of opportunistic traders with questionable practices. Of those that I've defined so far, the group with the highest Tech Level is the Star Emperor's Navy, so I'll detail them below as my fourth option. As always, if you have any feedback or further suggestions, don't be afraid to leave a comment to this post.

Brothers of Sakari
The Brothers of Sakari are the remnants of the psionic oligarchy that once ruled Koyane, before a civil war placed the anti-psionic Emishi Faction into power thirty years ago. Since then, these psionic freedom fighters continue to wage a sporadic war against the Emishi faction in the hopes of recovering their lost empire. These conflicts, as well as the overzealous reactions of the Emishi Faction, have been extremely violent, spilling over as civilian casualties. The situation continues to escalate as the Emishi Faction pursues its pogrom against psionicists.
Resources: Psionic training; respect from older nobility; military-grade training and equipment.
Agenda: Restore the Fujiwara Clan into power over the Koyane Shogunate.
Opposition: Nadie Takhi, Factor of Malsumis; Psion-hunters.
Connections: Any character might have suffered a loss or wound due to terrorist activity; Military characters may have performed actions against terrorist cells and sights; Nobility may have friends or foes among their members.

Holy Crusaders of the Moldandan Universal Church
The domed city of Moldanda maintains an interstellar strike force that identifies itself as the Holy Crusaders of the Moldandan Universal Church. This small ramshackle space navy performs raids on nearby worlds and interstellar merchants, seeking food, life support and, when possible, military-grade hardware. Other star systems regard the Holy Crusaders of the Moldandan Universal Church as little more than Moldandan privateers, and maintain vigilance against the raiders.
Resources: Stolen/purchased starships; military-grade training.
Agenda: Support their sacred service as the Chosen Protectors of the Iridium Chasm.
Opposition: Haligani Star Raiders; Bounty hunters.
Connections: Merchant characters might have been hit by the Holy Crusaders; Military characters may have performed some military strike or defense action against the Holy Crusaders.

Star Admiral Mahmoud Pasha of Bastet
A personal friend to Pharaoh Seshi Semerkhet II of Bastet, Mahmoud Pasha was once a Star Admiral for his homeworld of Seshat. Dismissed from duty and exiled in utter secrecy for his discovery that the Five Families are pursuing less noble aims, Admiral Pasha sought refuge with his most powerful friend. Enjoying the Pharoah's protections, Admiral Pasha has gathered together a mercenary naval squadron, and now performs acts of piracy and raiding on the worlds of nearby systems, striking Five Families vessels in particular. Despite their smaller numbers, Admiral Pasha's Personal Navy often survives due to exceptional naval tactics. The most talented of the Admiral's crews are former students of his, who have joined their mentor out of loyalty.
Resources: Military-grade starships; well-trained naval officers.
Agenda: Vengeance against the nobility of Seshat; Pursuit of efforts to oppose the Five Families.
Opposition: Five Families; Traders serving Seshat.
Connections: Any character may have encountered the naval squadrons of Admiral Pasha; Naval characters may have studied under Admiral Pasha; Characters working for the Five Families may have been the subject of one of Admiral Pasha's attacks.

Star Emperor's Navy
The Star Emperor's Navy has recently begun attacks on other worlds. Although many of these efforts are aimed at collected resources and interfering with the flow of goods, a number of these efforts support Star Emperor Shikike Todei's efforts to weaken and subjugate new worlds to add to his future interstellar empire. His forces are fierce, determined and well-armed with smaller warships.
Resources: Naval base; Scout base.
Agenda: Forge an interstellar empire under the Star Emperor's rule.
Opposition: Lutasas Trade Union; Nadie Takhi, Factor of Malsumis.
Connections: Any character may have lived in an outlying settlement that suffered an attack by the Star Emperor's forces; Military characters may have performed some military strike or defense action against the Star Emperor; Navy or Scout characters may have served on one of the now-captured bases on Djinn.

With my next post, I will commence with Step Eight, that being to fill in the blanks, making sure any obvious holes are covered. As the process I'm using for the Traveller Sandbox Experiment is based on developing a fantasy setting, so there's always a chance that an interesting world might fall through the cracks. This is where we catch them so we don't lose them.

More Later,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: Beta Quadrant Hall of Infamy, Part 1...

Good Afternoon, All:

Step Seven in the process of developing a sandbox setting for the Traveller Sandbox Experiment is to create a Hall of Infamy for the Beta Quadrant, based on the setting details to date. These could be political figures, corporate CEOs, and other powerful entities with a major agenda and lots of power behind them.

The basic structure for a Hall of Infamy is simple:

• One Supreme Over-Arching Enemy: Defeating this antagonist should require only the toughest, meanest, most experienced adventurers available. The Supreme Enemy is best located on a world that serves as an Interstellar Threat or Exploration Site, to encourage travel and interaction with these other elements we've created.
• Two Major Enemies: Defeating these antagonists is not a job for novices, and should require well-established, well-prepared veteran adventurers. Major Enemies are frequently associated with Cultural Hubs, Interstellar Threats or Exploration Sites.
• Four Minor Enemies: Defeating these antagonists should be very difficult for novices, yet defeat can be accomplished at the hands of seasoned adventurers who are starting to build a reputation for themselves. Minor Enemies are often found on worlds that serve as Interstellar Threats.

That is not to say that there aren't other local or regional threats in existence. Indeed, most adventures are based on the premise that such a threat exists. The Hall of Infamy reflects those established villains and antagonists who are a problem from Day One, when the campaign begins. These are the foes that are mentioned on newscasts and spoken of in those seedy bars that adventurers tend to hang out in when they are looking for gainful employment. These are potentially the guys that may become a thorn in the side of the party as they go about their own personal plans. Therefore, it's best to drop seeds about them from the beginning of the game. Hence, we need to create a Hall of Infamy.

So, because we are using a Quadrant of four subsectors, I'm going to aim for one Minor Enemy per subsector, to spread them out a bit. I could have one Major Enemy to coreward and one rimward, reflecting settled versus frontier settings; or I could do one Major Enemy to spinward and trailing, reflecting the split between the two major warring factions of Beta Quadrant. Given the military/mercenary campaign style that helped me determine to use Beta Quadrant instead of the other three options, I'm going to aim for a spinward/trailing split. Finally, the Supreme Enemy should not be limited to a given polity, but should be a threat to everyone, regardless of Allegiance. These Enemies should not include the various authorities/established polities, even if they are at war, because we don't know what side the players will want to be on. To prevent bias in preparation, I'm going to operate under the assumption that your polity's enemies just add to this list, but even your polity will have enemies that aren't a part of the greater political picture.

My efforts to describe these seven antagonists will be broken up into two posts. In today's posts, I'll deal with the three greater foes, that being our Supreme Enemy and the two Major Enemies. I immediately start reviewing my notes, and find a potential candidate for the trailing Major Enemy, that being the Brothers of Sakari. Then I realize that these psionic terrorists are pretty localized to Koyane Subsector, and so I make a note to add them to the list of Minor Enemies. I also consider Star Admiral Mahmoud Pasha of Bastet for such a role, and realize his level of influence, while it crosses polity boundaries, is located to coreward. Indeed, his reach is mostly centralized to Gleti Subsector. Again, we have an excellent candidate for the list of Minor Enemies. In the same vein, the Holy Crusaders of the Moldandan Universal Church are great for a Minor Enemy in Litha Subsector, but their tech is too low to really have the level of influence we're looking for.

Ah ha! Technology! That's the key criteria I'm missing. Transportation in Traveller is based on Jump drive, which becomes more efficient with higher Tech Levels. Okay, digging through the TLs in Beta Quadrant, I locate the following sources for enemies with "legs" of Jump-2 or greater (that being TL 11 or higher, and a Class A starport):

Sutekh        1707 AADA846-B    Wa                 415 Se (M4 V M6 V)
Zinsu         2308 A621533-B  N Ni Po              600 Ja F9 V* M6 V
Jengu         2407 A79A89C-B  N Wa              A  621 Ja M1 V M4 V*
KOYANE        2706 A5699EF-B    Hi              A  712 Ks F7 V* M3 V
Chedenoman    3201 A300569-C    De Ht Ni Va        303 Na M4 II M8 V* [M5 II]
Haligan       1817 A410556-C  M De Ht Ni           202 Na M6 II

Automatically, I determine that Chedenoman is probably too isolated to be good for what I am seeking (since threatening others requires jumping across the Shogunate first.) However, Haligan looks good. With Jump-3 capacity, Haligan starships are within three jumps of all of the spinward polities. Haligan is four jumps from the major independent world of Abrakos. Therefore, one of the Major Enemies should come from Haligan.

The most centrally located of these worlds is Zinsu. Therefore, I think I'm going to place a Major Enemy there, as well. This violates the thought process of having a spinward/trailing split, and takes us to a coreward/rimward split for Major Enemies, but I'm okay with that, now that I'm looking at the right criteria.

I feel that the Supreme Enemy should be based out of an Exploration Site. Why? Because I like the idea that he's using some ancient Progenitor technology to subsidize his power base. Looking over my Exploration Sites, I recall that I have designated Malsumis (2814 X410232-8 Red Zone) as an Exploration Site, under the protection of Tabaldak (2813 A6878CE-9 Amber Zone). That set up starts triggering my creative process, and suddenly, I have an idea!

Below are some brief write-ups on the enemies that came to mind. If you have any feedback or further suggestions, don't be afraid to leave a comment to this post.

The Five Families
Based out of in the Zinsu system, the Five Families is an organization of philanthropists whose membership is limited to those who are genetically descended from five distinct bloodlines. The membership claims to be able to trace their lineage as far back as noble families from Old Earth. Numerous conspiracy theories surrounding the Five Families postulate that their humanitarian acts simply provide opportunities for the organization to accumulate power through control of public resources, but such claims are ridiculed by the media. Due to their humanitarian efforts, the Five Families receive certain diplomatic freedoms across polity borders not allowed other organizations during times of crisis.
Resources: Charity funds and accumulated wealth; privately owned public utilities; sparkling reputation in public identity; media/public relations firms; extensive spy network.
Agenda: Secretly gain control of multiple polities to forge a new Empire under their control, either as a fait accompli or through civil war.
Opposition: Politicians supporting the status quo; conspiracy theorists.
Connections: Any character may have had possible interaction in the aftermath of any natural disaster; Agents and Rogues may have run afoul of one of their clandestine efforts; Entertainer may have been hired to perform at charity benefit; Nobility may have been involved with charity work or been a target of their machinations; Scholar may have received grants or funding to support one of their projects.

Haligani Star Raiders
The Haligani Star Raiders are a specific group of landed gentry who serve as privateers for King Lucas I, ruler of Haligan. In exchange for land and political sanctuary, the Star Raiders provide the king a portion of their captured goods. Utilizing ships built with Haligan's advanced technology, the Star Raiders have earned quite a reputation as vicious pirates of the space lanes.
Resources: Political sanctuary; advanced starships.
Agenda: Amass large personal fortunes.
Opposition: The authorities; Holy Crusaders of the Moldandan Universal Church.
Connections: Any star-faring character may have suffered an attack by a Star Raider vessel, particularly Merchants; Drifters, Marines, Navy, Rogues and Scouts may have worked with, for or against Star Raiders.

Nadie Takhi, Factor of Malsumis
Shortly after Nadie Takhi became Factor over the Malsumis Colony, the world of Malsumis became interdicted, and Tabaldak declared itself as an independent polity known as the Tabaldak Jurisdiction. Since then, the Factor of Malsumis has become a presence in interstellar society, following a series of highly successful investments. She is known for having an inordinate fascination with the Progenitors, and has toured numerous sites, seeking Progenitor artifacts and relics of a bygone age. In recent years, Factor Takhi has achieved an increasing amount of control both politically and militarily, and appears to be mobilizing forces for an unknown conflict. Referee's Note: Factor Takhi has access to a Progenitor AI that is actually calling the shots. Originally, it helped her become rich and successful to secure her service and further its own means, but now she has become trapped by circumstances into being its servitor as the AI unfolds its plans.
Resources: Major investments; Progenitor artifacts.
Agenda: Restore a long-gone alien race to interstellar dominance, destroy all descendants and inheritors of the Enemy races (namely other sentient beings in former Progenitor space), and finally win the War of the Ancients. (This may be a hopeless effort, but the AI is insane and doesn't comprehend that fact.)
Opposition: "Descendants and inheritors of enemy Progenitor races"; the Star Emperor's Navy.
Connections: Agents, Drifters, Nobility and Rogues may have all had encounters with the Factor's Agents; Scholars and Scouts may have been approached regarding information about Progenitor sites and artifacts.

Traveller campaigns differ from fantasy campaigns in many ways, but this is one of the areas where those differences are most easily apparent. In a fantasy game, the villains tend to be simply high-level characters with conquest or tyranny as their objective. Dealing with them is generally a matter of getting enough experience and personal power to directly confront them, have a Big Boss battle and the day is done. In Traveller, that isn't the case. I've painted a picture of a secret society working behind the scenes, the classic raiding pirates gambit with advanced technology, and a budding megalomaniacal (and potentially genocidal) AI operating through its human pawn. These villains will require far more effort than a simple surgical strike to take care of, given the vast array of their economic and political power.

Personally, in this experiment, I think this might be the weakest area, given the nature of movement on the star maps and the restrictions implicit with starship construction. Still, I'm happy with what I have created above, and I think I can really do some fun stuff with what I've come up with so far. Of course, I'm not done with this step yet. I still have four more members of the Hall of Infamy to create.

More Later,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: Interstellar Threats - Djinn...

Good Afternoon, Fellow Travellers:

Here is the last of our four examples of Interstellar Threats. Prepare to face the military might of Djinn!

Djinn (Segin 3212 C658311-9)

Library Data: A garden world located in the far reaches of space beyond the frontiers of any polity, Djinn has been the site of several failed colonies. Most colonies collapsed as a result of distance from the worlds that sponsored the colony. However, the most recent settlement fell to an assault by the forces of the naval mercenary Captain Shikike Todei. In addition to the main colony, "Star Emperor" Shikike Todei has captured the system's newly created Naval Base and, in a second wave of attacks using captured naval vessels, the Scout Base present. Using this as the base for a strong Stellar Navy, the Star Emperor has consolidated his hold on the Djinn system and has started efforts to expand his subjugation of other worlds.

The Star Emperor's Navy

Brief Description: The Star Emperor's Navy has recently begun attacks on other worlds. Although many of these efforts are aimed at collected resources and interfering with the flow of goods, a number of these efforts support Star Emperor's efforts to weaken and subjugate new worlds to add to his future interstellar empire. His forces are fierce, determined and well-armed with smaller warships.

Encounter Groups: These are common encounter groups for this type of encounter.

• Novice: 5 Imperial Starmen, 1 Imperial Leader. Armed scout ship.
• Seasoned: 15 Imperial Starmen, 3 Imperial Leaders, 1 Imperial Commander. Close escort, three armed scout ships.
• Veteran: 30 Imperial Starmen, 6 Imperial Leaders, 2 Imperial Commanders. Mercenary cruiser, three close escorts.

Stat Blocks: The following stats are provided as stock NPCs for quick reference.

• Imperial Starman     Navy (crew) 1     777777
  Comms 0, Gunnery (turret) 1, Mechanic 1, Pilot (spacecraft) 1, Sensors 0, Vacc Suit 1
  Snub Pistol, Toolkit, Vacc Suit.
• Imperial Leader     Navy (crew) 4     688AA7
  Comms 1, Engineer (life support) 1, Engineer (P-plant) 2, Gunnery (turret) 2, Mechanic 2, Melee (unarmed) 1, Pilot (spacecraft) 3, Sensors 1, Tactics (naval) 1, Vacc Suit 2, Zero-G 1
  Combat Armor (TL11), Snub Pistol, Toolkit.
• Imperial Commander     Navy (flight) 3     7978AA
  Comms 1, Gun Cbt (slug pistol) 2, Gunnery (turret) 2, Leadership 2, Pilot (spacecraft) 2, Sensors 2, Tactics (naval) 2, Vacc Suit 1
  Combat armor (TL11), Hand computer, Snub Pistol.

Encounter Ideas: Here are six different scenarios related to this encounter type.

1. The Star Emperor's Navy are engaged in military practice maneuvers.
2. The Star Emperor's Navy are escorting another vessel between the surface and the 100-diameter jump limit.
3. The Star Emperor's Navy are lying in wait, prepared to ambush anyone in the vicinity.
4. The Star Emperor's Navy are patrolling the region when the party encounters them.
5. The Star Emperor's Navy are returning to Djinn with a captured trader.
6. The Star Emperor's Navy hail the vessel and demand to inspect its cargo for contraband.

In our next post, we'll be creating a Hall of Infamy for the Beta Quadrant. This should be lots of fun, I think.

Enjoy,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: Interstellar Threats - Daruma...

Good Afternoon, Fellow Travellers:

Using the format I described in the previous post, I am going to describe the third of our four examples of Interstellar Threats. Welcome to the dangerous world of Daruma!

Daruma (Segin 2605 D7CA211-A Amber Zone)

Library Data: The name of the planet Daruma strikes fear in the hearts of most Shogunate children. An exotic world with a corrosive atmosphere and covered by acidic oceans, Daruma is widely known to be the base of operations for the dreaded Koga Clan. These covert mercenaries were once hired to perform many missions for the noble families during the rule of the Fujiwara Clan, but they've have fallen on hard times since the Emishi Faction gained control of the Shogunate. This rejection by the new regime of the Shogunate has forced the Koga Clan to attack outlying communities and interstellar traders during the worst of times, reinforcing the criminal connotations given to them by the Emishi Faction media. In the Shogunate entertainment field, it is currently popular to portray powerful enemies of the heroes of holovid tales as having access to the Black Ships of the Koga Clan. The problem has become so prevalent that the Shogunate recently established a Scout base in the system to monitor and locate the Koga Clan stronghold. To date, these efforts have failed.

Black Ships of the Koga Clan

Brief Description: The Koga Clan are an extended family of covert mercenaries skilled in the arts of espionage, intrusion and assassination. Desperation after the rise of the Emishi Faction within the Shogunate has forced the family into the role of raiders and thugs, rather than the more honorable position they once held under the Fujiwara Clan. Their characteristic black ships are a dreaded sight in the spinward half of the Shogunate, due in no small part to their reputation of leaving no one alive who cannot barter for their life. It is considered unwise to pose as the Koga Clan, but their sense of honor requires that the Clan slay any outsider who uses the family name.

Encounter Groups: These are common encounter groups for this type of encounter.

• Novice: 5 Koga Shinobi, 1 Koga Senpai. Armed far trader.
• Seasoned: 15 Koga Shinobi, 3 Koga Senpai, 1 Koga Sensai. Two armed far traders, close escort.
• Veteran: 30 Koga Shinobi, 6 Koga Senpai, 2 Koga Sensai. Corsair, three close escorts.

Stat Blocks: The following stats are provided as stock NPCs for quick reference.

• Koga Shinobi     Navy (crew) 1     786777
  Comms 0, Gunnery (turret) 0, Mechanic 0, Melee (unarmed) 1, Pilot (spacecraft) 1, Sensors 0, Stealth 1, Vacc Suit 1
  Snub Pistol, Toolkit, Vacc Suit.
• Koga Senpai     Navy (crew) 4     697AA7
  Comms 1, Engineer (life support) 1, Engineer (P-plant) 2, Gunnery (turret) 1, Leadership 1, Mechanic 1, Melee (unarmed) 2, Pilot (spacecraft) 3, Sensors 1, Stealth 2, Tactics (naval) 1, Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 1
  Combat Armor (TL11), Snub Pistol, Toolkit.
• Koga Sensai     Navy (flight) 3     7A68AA
  Comms 1, Gun Cbt (slug pistol) 1, Gunnery (turret) 1, Leadership 2, Melee (unarmed) 3, Pilot (spacecraft) 2, Sensors 1, Stealth 3, Tactics (naval) 1, Vacc Suit 0
  Combat armor (TL11), Hand computer, Snub Pistol.

Encounter Ideas: Here are six different scenarios related to this encounter type.

1. The Black Ships of the Koga Clan hail the vessel and demand tribute to avoid further engagement.
2. The Black Ships of the Koga Clan are engaged with an unarmed free trader, and are in the process of taking it as their own.
3. The Black Ships of the Koga Clan are lying in wait, prepared to ambush anyone in the vicinity.
4. The Black Ships of the Koga Clan are patrolling the region when the party encounters them.
5. The Black Ships of the Koga Clan are releasing a drop capsule above a planetary site when they are encountered.
6. The Black Ships of the Koga Clan are returning to Daruma with a captured free trader.

One more example to complete, and then we can look at creating a Hall of Infamy for the Beta Quadrant. Seven forces for conflict in the setting equals a lot of great adventure potential. Looking forward to it!

Enjoy,
Flynn

My Apologies As Real Life Interferes...

Good Afternoon, All:

My apologies for the infrequent posts of late. Between the holidays, a heavy work load and illness, I haven't been as productive in this blog as I would like. Next week, I should be back on track. Until then, take care and enjoy your weekend.

With Regards,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: Interstellar Threats - Bastet...

Good Afternoon, Fellow Travellers:

Using the format I described in the previous post, I am going to describe the second of our four examples of Interstellar Threats. Welcome to the barbaric world of Bastet!

Bastet (Segin 1908 C558534-5)

Library Data: One of only two garden worlds in the Sutekh Empire, Bastet is the home of 700,000 people. Ruled by the Pharaoh Sheshi Semerkhet II, Bastet is the holographic image of a picturesque parochial life. The rule of Pharaoh Semerkhet II has been overshadowed by the actions of a local celebrity, Mahmoud Pasha, a former Star Admiral of the neighboring system of Seshat. Protected under the Pharaoh's political sanctuary, Admiral Pasha has taken to acts of piracy and raiding on nearby worlds. The naval squadron he has forged under his command has been known to make very precise strikes against Abrakos, Sutekh and a number of other worlds, bringing back luxury items and advanced technology to share with the ruling family.

Admiral Pasha's Personal Navy

Brief Description: A personal friend to Pharaoh Seshi Semerkhet II of Bastet, Mahmoud Pasha was once a Star Admiral for his homeworld of Seshat. Dismissed from duty and exiled under mysterious circumstances, Admiral Pasha sought refuge with his most powerful friend. Enjoying the Pharoah's protections, Admiral Pasha has gathered together a mercenary naval squadron, and now performs acts of piracy and raiding on the worlds of nearby systems. Despite their smaller numbers, Admiral Pasha's Personal Navy often survives due to exceptional naval tactics. The most talented of the Admiral's crews are former students of his, who have joined their mentor out of loyalty.

Encounter Groups: These are common encounter groups for this type of encounter.

• Novice: 5 Pasha Spacehands, 1 Pasha Lieutenant. Close escort.
• Seasoned: 15 Pasha Spacehands, 3 Pasha Lieutenants, 1 Pasha Commander. Corsair.
• Veteran: 30 Pasha Spacehands, 6 Pasha Lieutenants, 2 Pasha Commanders. Two corsairs.

Stat Blocks: The following stats are provided as stock NPCs for quick reference.

• Pasha Spacehand     Navy (crew) 1     777777
  Comms 0, Gunnery (turret) 1, Mechanic 1, Pilot (spacecraft) 1, Sensors 0, Vacc Suit 1
  Snub Pistol, Toolkit, Vacc Suit.
• Pasha Lieutenant     Navy (crew) 4     688AA7
  Comms 1, Engineer (life support) 1, Engineer (P-plant) 2, Gunnery (turret) 2, Leadership 1, Mechanic 2, Melee (unarmed) 1, Pilot (spacecraft) 3, Sensors 1, Tactics (naval) 1, Vacc Suit 1, Zero-G 1
  Combat Armor (TL11), Snub Pistol, Toolkit.
• Pasha Commander     Navy (flight) 3     7978AA
  Comms 1, Gun Cbt (slug pistol) 1, Gunnery (turret) 2, Leadership 3, Pilot (spacecraft) 2, Sensors 2, Tactics (naval) 3, Vacc Suit 0
  Combat armor (TL11), Hand computer, Snub Pistol.

Encounter Ideas: Here are six different scenarios related to this encounter type.

1. The Pashan Navy hail the vessel and demand tribute to avoid further engagement.
2. The Pashan Navy is engaged with an unarmed free trader, and are in the process of taking it as their own.
3. The Pashan Navy is lying in wait, prepared to ambush anyone in the vicinity.
4. The Pashan Navy is patrolling the region when the party encounters them.
5. The Pashan Navy is protecting an unidentified ship on the surface below, which is engaged in an undisclosed activity.
6. The Pashan Navy is returning to Bastet with a captured free trader.

Two more examples to provide, and then we move on to our next step, creating a Hall of Infamy for the Beta Quadrant. That should be a lot of fun, and I'm pretty sure Admiral Pasha is going to be one of the individuals I'd want to consider for that step.

Enjoy,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: Interstellar Threats - Aseramachi...

Good Afternoon, Fellow Travellers:

For the write-ups of our Interstellar Threats, I'm going to pursue a different format. Because this format is more involved, I'm only going to write up one world per post. This is an experiment, as is everything about the Traveller Sandbox Experiment, and so any feedback you might have would be appreciated.

The basic format is simple. First, I'm going to provide the Library Data for a given world. After that, I'll follow with information on the primary Interstellar Threat, following the Encounter Scenario format I've been using for the last year. This format was inspired by the encounter format used in Red Tide: Campaign Sourcebook & Sandbox Toolkit. There may be some adjustments as I work through the first write-up or two, but that's the core concept I'm working with. I hope that this makes the data more organized for use later.

Aseramachi (Segin 2214 C300678-8)

Library Data: An airless moon of a solitary gas giant, Aseramachi is home to four million people. Originally settled by a mining corporation that has since gone bankrupt, the individual domed cities have become city-states in their own right. The best starport in the system belongs to Cosaica, although other domed cities possess spaceports that are up to the challenge of handling small traders and other vessels. The city-state of Moldanda is, in particular, noted for its strong theocratic government. The state religion, the Moldandan Universal Church, defines its citizenry as the Chosen Protectors of the Iridium Chasm. Acting on the belief that they possess a divine right to do whatever it may take to insure their survival in performance of their duty, Moldandan forces utilize starships and military weapons that have been purchased or stolen from elsewhere to perform raids on neighboring star systems with more advanced technology, such as the Litha League and other worlds on the Orvil-Heujava Main. The other city-states of Aseramachi turn a blind eye to Moldanda's activities out of fear of reprisals from Moldanda.

Holy Crusaders of the Moldandan Universal Church

Brief Description: The domed city of Moldanda maintains an interstellar strike force that identifies itself as the Holy Crusaders of the Moldandan Universal Church. This small ramshackle space navy performs raids on nearby worlds and interstellar merchants, seeking food, life support and, when possible, military-grade hardware. Other star systems regard the Holy Crusaders of the Moldandan Universal Church as little more than Moldandan privateers, and maintain vigilance against the raiders.

Encounter Groups: These are common encounter groups for this type of encounter.

• Novice: 5 Holy Crusaders, 1 Veteran Holy Crusader. Armed far trader.
• Seasoned: 15 Holy Crusaders, 3 Veteran Holy Crusaders, 1 Holy Crusader-Commander. Corsair.
• Veteran: 30 Holy Crusaders, 6 Veteran Holy Crusaders, 2 Holy Crusader-Commanders. Two corsairs.

Stat Blocks: The following stats are provided as stock NPCs for quick reference.

• Holy Crusader     Navy (crew) 1     777777
  Comms 0, Gunnery (turret) 1, Mechanic 1, Pilot (spacecraft) 1, Sensors 0, Vacc Suit 1
  Snub Pistol, Toolkit, Vacc Suit.
• Veteran Holy Crusader     Navy (crew) 4     688AA7
  Comms 1, Engineer (life support) 1, Engineer (P-plant) 2, Gunnery (turret) 2, Mechanic 2, Melee (unarmed) 1, Pilot (spacecraft) 3, Sensors 1, Vacc Suit 2, Zero-G 2
  Combat Armor (TL11), Snub Pistol, Toolkit.
• Holy Crusader-Commander     Navy (flight) 3     7978AA
  Comms 1, Gun Cbt (slug pistol) 2, Gunnery (turret) 2, Leadership 2, Pilot (spacecraft) 2, Sensors 2, Tactics (naval) 2, Vacc Suit 1
  Combat armor (TL11), Hand computer, Snub Pistol.

Encounter Ideas: Here are six different scenarios related to this encounter type.

1. The Holy Crusaders are acting derelict in the hopes of attracting salvagers.
2. The Holy Crusaders are engaged with an unarmed free trader, and are in the process of taking it as their own.
3. The Holy Crusaders are lying in wait, prepared to ambush anyone in the vicinity.
4. The Holy Crusaders are patrolling the region when the party encounters them.
5. The Holy Crusaders are returning to Moldanda (on Aseramachi) with a captured free trader.
6. The Holy Crusaders have become derelict after an unsuccessful attack on another starship, and desperately need help.

This is not a classic presentation method for Traveller, but I'm curious if it will help with actually running the game as a sandbox. At first blush, it appears so, but I'd love to hear from others as to their thoughts on the matter. After all, my goal here is to see whether I can create a playable sandbox setting using this approach. If it doesn't lend itself to good play, then I need to rethink my format.

Enjoy,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: The Interstellar Threats Table...

Good Afternoon, All:

When we talk about the concept of Lairs in a science-fiction setting such as that described in Traveller, we really can't talk about local or planetary threats, because they have almost no impact once you leave high orbit. We need to talk in terms of Interstellar Threats, those threats that impact neighboring systems. It's hard to catalog all of the possibilities that exist in many Traveller Universes, but I will at least try to hit the most common elements in my efforts below.

Inspired by the Lair Natures table in An Echo Resounding, I offer the following table for determining Interstellar Threats. As always, please note that it contains what I believe to be common Traveller tropes for interstellar threats, based on character creation rules and other system elements found in the core rulebook. Your Traveller Universe may be different from mine regarding those underlying assumptions. As always, if you come across an entry that doesn't seem to fit your particular needs, please feel free to change it for your own personal setting.

Table: Interstellar Threats

d66	Interstellar Threats
11	Aggressive Privateers
12	Alien Invaders
13	Anti-Psi Cultists
14	Aspiring Megalomaniac
15	Border Outpost
16	Criminal Haven
21	Enemy Forces
22	Escaped Prisoners
23	Exiled Nobility
24	Failing Colony
25	Government Complex
26	Gypsy Camp
31	Hidden Evil
32	Hostile Mutineers
33	Interstellar Scavengers
34	Life-Hating AI
35	Mercenary Company
36	Misjumped Aliens
41	Offensive Military
42	Opportunistic Traders
43	Pirate Base
44	Progenitor Cult
45	Psi-Warrior Monastery
46	Psionic Raiders
51	Raider Compound
52	Rebel Base
53	Religious Zealots
54	Rogue Squadron
55	Secret Assassins
56	Secret Facilities
61	Slaver Compound
62	Smuggler Port
63	Space Cannibals
64	Starship Hijackers
65	Terrorist Camp
66	Referee's Choice (Unusual Threat)

Using the table above, I generated an Interstellar Threat for four (one for each subsector) of the worlds we've selected to fill this role in the Beta Quadrant setting. Here's what I came up with:

For the world of Aseramachi (Segin 2214 C300678-8), I generated "Religious Zealots" as an Interstellar Threat. One of the individual governments on the balkanized world of Aseramachi is now a theocracy. For a little flavor, I'm going to call the kingdom Moldanda (based on the result of a random country name generator), and the state religion becomes the Moldandan Universal Church. Here's where I have some fun. Among the major tenets of this religion is that the Moldanda people have a divine right to all things not of their world, for the universe exists simply because the original people of Moldanda were given a divine calling to serve as the Chosen Protectors of the Iridium Chasm. Using technology purchased or stolen from elsewhere, the Moldandan Universal Church strike against interstellar trader visiting the worlds of the Litha League, as well as the majority of the worlds on the short Orvil-Heujava Main, taking what they need to survive and continue their sacred duty. The other city-states of Aseramachi turn a blind eye to Moldanda's activities out of fear of reprisals from Moldanda using stolen military weaponry.

I generated "Exiled Nobility" for Bastet (Segin 1908 C558534-5), and was immediately inspired to create a political scenario. An exiled noble, a former Stellar Admiral from neighboring Seshat, has befriended the local ruling family, and operates under the blessing of their sanctuary. In exchange for some of the Admiral's "earnings", the ruler of Bastet has used his off-world influence and the right of conquest to forge a naval squadron. With his forces, the Admiral launches precise strikes at Abrakos, Sutekh and a number of other worlds.

Looking at Daruma (Segin 2605 D7CA211-A Amber Zone), I came up with the result of "Secret Assassins". For a moment, I considered rerolling, and then I realized this was the Koyane Shogunate, where secret assassins could mean Space Ninjas! Given the low number of people dwelling on Daruma, I think it's safe to say that the Koga Clan are the only inhabitants of this world, protected by its insidious atmosphere. These covert mercenaries were once hired to perform many missions for the noble families during the rule of the Fujiwara Clan, but have fallen on hard times since the Emishi Faction gained control of the Shogunate. This has forced them to attack outlying communities and interstellar traders during the worst of times, reinforcing the criminal connotations given to them by the Emishi Faction media. In the Shogunate entertainment field, it is currently popular to portray powerful enemies of the heroes of holovid tales as having access to the Black Ships of the Koga Clan.

For the world of Djinn (Segin 3212 C658311-9), I rolled "Space Cannibals". I looked the world stats over, and thought about a medium-sized Garden world with nine thousand people on it. Why would they have a band of man-eating crazies striking out against ships in other systems when they have a Garden world to exploit? The lack of a taint in the atmosphere removed the thought of me stealing the Reavers concept from the Firefly/Serenity universe. With reluctance, I decided to roll again, and this time I generated the "Aspiring Megalomaniac" result. This suggests that the local warlord, having conquered the planetary settlement or colony based on Djinn, is now seeking to expand his territory to other worlds. He already has a significant interstellar Navy built up (due to the Naval and Scout bases present), and the Koyane Shogunate maintains a Consulate on the world. The Shogunate use their Consulate to secretly monitor the activity of polities further rimward, and fully intend to let Djinn serve as a buffer should the Heremod Unity from Delta Quadrant decide to expand coreward toward the Shogunate.

In my next post, I'll start writing up each of these worlds and creating some Encounter Scenarios. These posts will look a little different, but I think that they will add a lot to our ability to use the information for adventure creation once the game begins.

With Regards,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: Identifying Interstellar Threats...

Good Afternoon, All:

Step Six in the process of developing a sandbox setting for the Traveller Sandbox Experiment is to define a number of worlds as Interstellar Threats, or locations where setpoint adventures focused on aggressive attackers can take place. These worlds are home to the ubiquitous pirate dens, rogue colonies and other aggressors that occasionally harass their interstellar neighbors. In terms of gaming experiences, these worlds exist to provide plenty of options for themed random encounters and widely known bad guys in the Beta Quadrant. These are, in essence, the monster lairs of a Traveller campaign setting.

In addition to identifying the worlds of origin for these interstellar nuisances, this section also allows me the chance to create a list of potential encounter types, in a manner similar to the Encounter Scenarios I've created for previous settings here on In Like Flynn. As an interesting side note, in the original sourcebook for fantasy sandboxes that inspired this experiment, An Echo Resounding, lairs often had a 33% chance (5+ on 1d6) of attacking a nearby site (a settlement or resource) between sessions. I think that keeping this element may add to the feeling of a living, breathing setting in the minds of the players. I'll probably devote a post to that at the end of Step Six.

Now, in adapting the fantasy sandbox building methods suggested in An Echo Resounding to a science fiction setting as we have been doing so far, the elements attributed to Lairs locations can be easily implemented here, with a new table implemented to reflect an interstellar setting. In essence, the Lair Natures table should become the Interstellar Threats table.

First, though, we should identify our candidate Interstellar Threats. This is perhaps the best opportunity so far for freehand selection. Aside from those worlds that have Pirate Bases, of course, the Referee is pretty much able to select systems as they please. I would suggest that the general thought process focus on the following points:

1. Interstellar Threats should be within two parsecs of one or more Cultural Hubs or Resource Worlds. After all, if the threat doesn't impact people, then it won't get attention on an interstellar scale.
2. Non-aligned worlds, or worlds aligned with a different polity than the ones they are attacking, make for great systems from which to launch an Interstellar Threat.
3. You probably should consider worlds with a Class D or Class C starport (although other types work as well, I suppose), because those have a rough frontier feel and less traffic, which allows Interstellar Threats to propagate.
4. In general, you definitely want a world with TL 9 or higher, if one is available. That's to make sure the bad guys can repair their vessels using local tech, when push comes to shove. Of course, if they are using a Low Tech world as their headquarters, then that may be the reason they're raiding nearby worlds.

First, I look to see if there are any Pirate Bases that have been generated for Beta Quadrant. Sadly, I didn't find any (aside from the one we gave to Mudhava), which makes me question my UWP generator, but that's beside the point. For now, I'll let that go and move forward with evaluating worlds for possible Interstellar Threats. Ultimately, I think I want to make sure that at least 75% of the Resource Worlds and 50% of the Cultural Hubs are covered by Interstellar Threats. It would help if I could look at a map that has all of them marked so I could make some judgement calls... And lo and behold, thanks to TravellerMap.com, here one is:



Looking at that, I begin to put together some options:

• Aseramachi (Segin 2214 C300678-8): Because it is in a great position to strike on the worlds of the Litha League, as well as the majority of the worlds on the short Orvil-Heujava Main.
• Bastet (Segin 1908 C558534-5): Because it can strike at Abrakos, Sutekh and a number of other great worlds. The low Tech Level tells me this is a more temporary base camp, and that the Interstellar Threats require external sources for all repairs and starship supplies.
• Daruma (Segin 2605 D7CA211-A Amber Zone): Because it is a Class D starport within two parsecs of both Koyane and Suijin, and has a wide host of other targets, too.
• Djinn (Segin 3212 C658311-9): Because it is within two parsecs of a number of great worlds to hit, including Milamapar.
• Fujin (Segin 3103 D410200-8 Amber Zone): Because it is a Class D starport within two parsecs of Kangiten (and even Chedenoma, Minamoto and Ninigi) and three parsecs of Jizo.
• Loko (Segin 2207 C69A316-B): Because it is a great place to attack three different target worlds (Abrakos, Gleti and Jengu).
• Lutasas (Segin 3118 C759848-8): Because it is within two parsecs of Umikeo, Malen and four other great worlds to plunder.
• Mantis (Segin 2712 C500343-8): Because it is the only non-Jurisdiction world within two parsecs of Tabaldak.
• Pakhet (Segin 2111 C620300-B Amber Zone): Because it is in a great position to do privateer work against Ghandi and Mami Wata, in addition to a few other non-Empire worlds.
• Qetesh (Segin 2003 C100348-B): Because it has a great location, with a lot of smaller targets to hit, as well as Nayame.
• Sadyra (Segin 2319 C9B9300-9 Amber Zone): Because it is two parsecs from Desa and three from Tesla, although Seshalama (Segin 2417 DA79422-8) may be better for Tesla.

Okay, that looks like eleven different worlds (or twelve, if we decide to go back and include Seshalama.) That's plenty of potential adversaries to build into the campaign setting to start with, and a lot of job opportunities for a military or mercenary campaign. Now that we've identified the Interstellar Threats for Beta Quadrant, in my next post, I'll create the Interstellar Threats table, and I'll start making some notes about our future antagonists.

More Later,
Flynn

Best Wishes for a Merry Solstice...

Good Afternoon, All:

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2013, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great (not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country or is the only "AMERICA" in the western hemisphere), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical disability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.

Legal Disclaimer: By accepting this agreement, you are accepting these terms.

This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher.

This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

Sincerely,
(Name withheld for legal, social and cultural considerations.)

Traveller Sandbox: Sample Exploration Site Write-Ups...

Good Afternoon, All:

Before moving on to Lairs, I wanted to wrap up the Expedition Sites discussion with write-ups of our three example worlds. As always, each example is fleshed out in the form of Library Data entries on the three worlds in question. Note that the write-ups are written with a few specific goals: maximize the potential for flavor and adventure, yet remain concise so as to avoid overloading the reader with extraneous details.

Mudhava (Segin 2414 E526330-6): The early history of world of Mudhava paints a colorful picture of being a port of call for privateers, corsairs and interstellar raiders. Even now, several popular adventure holovid series refers to the world by its old nickname, "Mud Haven." Originally settled by followers of the exiled Asuran military commander Rajesh Mudhava, its markets became known throughout the Beta Quadrant as a site where anything can be bought or sold, if one is determined enough. Late in life, King Rajesh I, as Commander Mudhava had come to be known, contracted Mirandan Fever, which slowly drove him insane. Realizing his predicament, Commander Mudhava used his pirate fleet to capture several prominent medical researchers and set them to finding a cure. According to rumor, the researchers were nearing a success when the most senior captains under Commander Mudhava mutinied against their leader and slaughtered him and most of his supporters, including the researchers. In the end, privateers loyal to Mudhava overturned the mutineers, and returned leadership of the world to Mudhava's eldest daughter. The old pirate base lies abandoned on the outskirts of the Mudhavan colony, and is believed to be cursed by superstitious locals. Several efforts have been mounted to reclaim the base and its contents, but each have met with their own unusual series of deadly accidents, perpetuating the belief that the site is cursed.

Prishiboro (Segin 2810 E596568-5): Until three decades ago, the world of Prishiboro was called Izanagi, formerly a colony of the Koyone Shogunate. During the Jengu-Koyane War, the Jengu Fleet captured the planet after bombarding Izanagi's capitol city, Kojiki, from high orbit, and renamed the garden world Prishiboro. Today, only scavengers and off-world raiders risk travel into the irradiated and wartorn city in search of lost riches to recover. In recent years, nests of mizuchi, lethal parasitic creatures common to Prishiboro's jungles, have infested the ruins of Kojiki, making such excursions even more dangerous. The Emishi Faction, the current theocratic rulers of the Koyane Shogunate, once hailed from Izanagi, and only plotted and performed a successful coup against their psionic overlords after their world was taken by the Jengu and the former rulers known as Fujiwara Clan did nothing to recover their sacred homeworld. The Emishi have sponsored several small expeditions into the ruins of Kojiki that have returned empty-handed, but few know the object of their quest.

Tajimamori (Segin 2608 X410244-8 Red Zone): This star system is noteworthy for an astrographic hazard called the Tajimamori Effect. Early explorers to the system reported an unusual form of electromagnetogravitic (EMG) interference that causes significant disruption of unshielded and weakly-shielded electronic systems. Over time, the Tajimamori Effect has become increasingly stronger. Despite official claims by the Koyane Shogunate that this is a natural phenomenon, conspiracy theorists believe that the EMG interference is a byproduct of military weapon research conducted at a secret base hidden within the system. The planet of Tajimamori itself, which appears to be at the center of the disturbance, suffers from high levels of radiation, frequently attributed by scientists to the unstable anomaly. Referee's Note: This system is the home of an malfunctioning Progenitor portal device (known conveniently as the Tajimamori Portal), as well as a Progenitor Ansibular Star Chart (aka the Tajimamori Map), which experiences near-instantaneous updates despite the great distances involved. This requires data to be transmitted by some means that is far faster than that transmitted at the speed of light. The exact details of how this occurs has completely eluded scientists to this point.

Now that we are done with Exploration Sites, we are free to move on to the next stage of the Traveller Sandbox Experiment: Lairs! Soon, we'll know have a much stronger idea of what's terrorizing some of the outlying star systems, or at least Travellers who happen to be in the area. This sounds like fun to me!

With Regards,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: The Exploration Site Challenges Table...

Good Afternoon, All:

All Exploration Sites must still possess their wealth after all this time, or they wouldn't be useful for purposes of gaming. Therefore, something must be standing guard over that valuable, or at least preventing people from exploiting it. It's hard to catalogue all of the possibilities that exist in many Traveller Universes, but I will at least try to hit the most common elements in my efforts below. The reason I decided to create a separate table for Exploration Site Challenges is because sites require more active interference, and so I aimed for more problems and complications on a personal level rather than on a world level.

Inspired by the Ruin Obstacles table in An Echo Resounding, I offer the following table for determining Exploration Site Challenges. As always, please note that it contains what I believe to be common Traveller tropes for exploration site challenges, based on character creation rules and other system elements found in the core rulebook. 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.

Table: Exploration Site Challenges

d66	Exploration Site Challenges
11	Alien Invaders
12	Anti-Psi Cultists
13	Bounty Hunters
14	Cannibalistic Locals
15	Crime Syndicate
16	Dangerous Parasites
21	Deadly Spies
22	Dueling Rakes
23	Enemy Terrorists
24	Enigmatic Conspirators
25	Feuding Families
26	Fierce Predators
31	Fleeing Traitors
32	Game Wardens
33	Government Interference
34	Harsh Conditions
35	Hidden Evil
36	High Radiation
41	Illegal Poachers
42	Infected Mobs
43	Life-Hating AI
44	Living Planet
45	Man-Eating Monsters
46	Occupation Forces
51	Progenitor Defenses
52	Psionic Adepts
53	Raiding Offworlders
54	Ravenous Pests
55	Religious Zealots
56	Resistance Fighters
61	Secret Assassins
62	Sovereign Guardians
63	Stealthy Saboteurs
64	Unscrupulous Smugglers
65	Vigilant Psi-Warriors
66	Referee's Choice (Something Unusual)

Using the table above, I generated an Exploration Site Challenge for each of the three Exploration Sites we're using as examples. Here's what I came up with:

For Mudhava (Segin 2414 E526330-6), I rolled "Stealthy Saboteurs". Our exploration site was a Pirate Base, and is valued by patrons for the Scientific Research found within it. Adding saboteurs into the mix works in this instance. One of the biggest challenges that adventuring PCs will face in exploring this site will likely be rivals from among the surviving members of the original corsair band. They cannot find the treasure they believe is in the base, and thus they will sabotage the efforts of any other treasure hunters, hoping to keep them from obtaining the valuables hidden within the base. There's probably a lot of traps and ambushes, etc., that will plague explorers. This reminds me of a kobold warren in fantasy games, so this scenario works for me.

I generated "Dangerous Parasites" for Prishiboro (Segin 2810 E596568-5). As a reminder, our exploration site was a Wartorn City, and is valued by patrons for the Sacred Reliquary found within it. This could be lots of fun, as my initial idea reminds me a lot of the scenario from the movie Aliens. There are nests of these creatures throughout the ruins, and they tend to enrage any creature that they infest. This lets me add in some flavor from the movie Cujo, too. Oh, yes, this will definitely be run as a horror scenario.

Rolling for Tajimamori (Segin 2608 X410244-8 Red Zone) produced a result of "High Radiation". In this particular case, our exploration site was a Secret Base, and is valued by patrons for the Treasure Map found within it, with the added complication that there are Electronic Disruptions occurring in the system. This particular hazard creates another challenge for explorers, particularly if I put in situations that threaten to compromise suit integrity in addition to electronics complications. This is a situation where the environment is the enemy, more than anything else. (There will definitely be other challenges, too, but the big one will be the environment.) The flavor is distinct from our first two examples, so I'm good with how this has come together.

In our next post, I'll put all of this together into some world write-ups, then we can move into the next stage of the Traveller campaign setting development process: Lairs! Oh, yes, we're going to have a lot of fun with the active antagonists that will rear their ugly heads in that section of the development.

With Regards,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: The Exploration Site Traits Table...

Good Afternoon, Fellow Travellers:

In order for an Exploration Site to be useful in terms of gaming, it must have something of value that attracts attention from patrons, who will then hire the player-characters to recover that valuable thing. In many Traveller Universes, these valuables are often Ancient artifacts, weapons, starships or information. I like all of those, but I also think there are other items of value that could draw the attention of a patron or even a player-character.

Inspired by the Ruin Traits table in An Echo Resounding, I offer the following table for determining Exploration Site Traits. As always, please note that it contains what I believe are common Traveller tropes for exploration site traits, based on character creation rules and other system elements found in the core rulebook. 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.

Table: Exploration Site Traits

d66	Exploration Site Trait
11	Abandoned Equipment
12	Advanced Technology
13	Ancient Artifacts
14	Artificial Intelligence
15	Biomedical Technology
16	Communication Tower
21	Damning Evidence
22	Deserted Facility
23	Diaspora Relics
24	Exotic Livestock
25	Experimental Equipment
26	Hidden Treasures
31	Imprisoned Aliens
32	Inspiring Artwork
33	Legal Documents
34	Life Support Systems
35	Lost Heirs
36	Luxury Goods
41	Military Equipment
42	Military Records
43	Operational Battlestation
44	Power Source
45	Psionic Techniques
46	Rich Resources
51	Sacred Reliquary
52	Scientific Research
53	Survival Cache
54	Symbol of Sovereignty
55	Top Secret Reports
56	Treasure Map
61	Unclaimed Spaceport
62	Unusual Starship
63	Useful Location
64	Weapons Cache
65	Willing Recruits
66	Referee's Choice (Unusual Valuable)

Using the table above, I generated three site traits, one each for the three Exploration Sites we're using as examples. Here's what I came up with:

For Mudhava (Segin 2414 E526330-6), I rolled "Scientific Research". This may seem a little strange on a Pirate Base, but let's see what we can come up with. Perhaps the leader of the Pirate community held a strong desire for a cure to a rare but lethal disease found on a number of the frontier worlds of Beta Quadrant, and actually supported localized medical research through raiding nearby worlds in order to get that cure. Although the Pirate Commander never announced success before his death, rumors abound that his researchers had come very close to a cure before their untimely death. Patrons will likely seek characters out in order to raid the Pirate Base site for the Scientific Research that the scientists had gathered.

I generated "Power Source" for Prishiboro (Segin 2810 E596568-5). At TL 5, I'm not sure that's going to be a good choice, so I roll again and get "Sacred Reliquary". Suddenly, I've got pictures in my head of Izanagi (now known as Prishiboro) being the origin of the religious cult that wiped out the psionicists on Koyane. Perhaps it was the loss of their homeworld and the sacred reliquary that motivated them to move against their psionic overlords. Patrons could easily hire characters to penetrate the depths of the city lying in ruins, hoping to seek out the sacred relics and return them to the patron. And on top of that, I've got more history for the Koyane Shogunate. Excellent!

Looking at Tajimamori (Segin 2608 X410244-8 Red Zone), I came up with "Life Support System". Okay, so we've got a Secret Base generating Electronics Disruption, and the trait about the site that makes it valuable to a patron is its Life Support System. Nah, I don't like it, so I reroll and get "Treasure Map." This is more like it! Since one might think that the advanced technology being developed at the Secret Base would be a patron's goal, let's now assume that the site, upon discovery, has been moved. Perhaps there's records that indicate where the tech has been moved to, or perhaps it isn't secret weapon technology after all, but it's research into teleportation or something like that, and the map shows where the facility's personnel have gone. The equipment left behind continues to generate the disruptions... Oh, this could go on for quite a bit. I like this result, as it gets my blood pumping with neat ideas. After a little thought, I decide that the Secret Base is researching a Progenitor portal device that opens wormholes to distant locations, like a Stargate or a Sherman Ring. Activating it has caused some torsion of the local space-time continuum, which is the source of the Electronics Disruption. One of the items used to attempt to activate it is a Progenitor star chart hologram that demonstrates vast sections of space, and several patrons want it bad for their own nefarious purposes. This carries a hint of the Zhodani Core Expedition star map artifact, so it appeals to my "Inner Traveller Canonista".

More fun is coming together behind the scenes with these details, which in turn inspires me in creating world write-ups. Still, we are not done yet. We still have one more substep in this process to go: Exploration Site Challenges. Next post, we look at these Challenges and see where that takes us.

With Regards,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: The Exploration Site Origins Table...

Good Afternoon, All:

Every exploration site was created for a reason. In the published Traveller Universe and those inspired by it, the mysterious sites that the players get to explore are often created by sentient beings, either recently or in the great and distant past (generally speaking, the Ancients). On other occasions, they are natural structures such as cave systems that have been exploited by sentient beings for a given purpose. Aside from extensive animal lairs, I agree with that concept.

With a nod to the Ruin Natures table in An Echo Resounding, I offer the following table for determining Exploration Site Origins. Please note that it contains what I believe are common Traveller tropes for exploration site origins, based on character creation rules and other system elements found in the core rulebook, but 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.

Table: Exploration Site Origins

d66	Exploration Site Origin
11	Abandoned Colony
12	Ancient Site
13	Animal Lair
14	Arcology
15	Asteroid Ship
16	Cavern System
21	Communication Center
22	Corporate Headquarters
23	Crashed Starship
24	Foreign Consulate
25	Frontier Outpost
26	Government Facility
31	Isolated Spaceport
32	Medical Center
33	Mining Colony
34	Naval Base
35	Noble Estate
36	Outlying Settlement
41	Pirate Base
42	Planetary Defense Silo
43	Prison Complex
44	Psionic Institute
45	Religious Temple
46	Research Facility
51	Scout Base
52	Secret Base
53	Space Station
54	Temporary Encampment
55	Terraforming Plant
56	Tourist Resort
61	Trading Post
62	Training Center
63	University Campus
64	Wartorn City
65	Wildlife Preserve
66	Referee's Option (Unusual Site)

Using the table above, I generated three possible site origins, one each for the three Exploration Sites we're using as examples. (One of these is a Red Zone, so we can use that table, too.) Here are the three worlds I've chosen to explore:

Mudhava (Segin 2414 E526330-6): Starport Class E (Frontier); Medium (Low-G); Very Thin (Tainted); Wet World; Low Pop (9,000); Self-perpetuating Oligarchy; No Law; Pre-Stellar Tech. No Bases. Trade Codes: Low Pop. Non-aligned.

Prishiboro (Segin 2810 E596568-5): Starport Class E (Frontier); Medium (Low-G); Dense (Tainted); Wet World; Mod Pop (200,000); Colony/Captive World; High Law; Industrial Tech. No Bases. Trade Codes: Agricultural World, Garden World, Low Tech and Non-Industrial World. Jengu Alliance.

Tajimamori (Segin 2608 X410244-8 Red Zone): Starport Class X (Interdicted); Medium (Low-G); Trace; Desert World; Low Pop (300); Representative Democracy; Mod Law; Pre-Stellar Tech. No Bases. Trade Codes: Low Pop. Koyane Shogunate.

When considering Mudhava (Segin 2414 E526330-6), I generated "Pirate Base". Okay, we have a noble family reigning over nine thousand people, with no true laws in place regarding offworlders, at least. Perhaps the only way they survive as a colony is through trading with pirates. Although there are no bases in the UWP, I may go back and add a Pirate Base to represent the use of this system as a port of call for pirates, given their status here. A pirate base provides a great source for adventures and exploration, due to the accumulated treasures of starships and outlying colonies that could be help in storage here. Perhaps a collector could hire the party to recover a stolen item... hmmm, the seeds are already coming to me. Heck, this even suggests a nice background detail: Among interstellar pirates, Mudhava is known colloquially as "Mud Haven."

For the garden world of Prishiboro (Segin 2810 E596568-5), I rolled "Wartorn City". Noting that Prishiboro has a Government code of 6 (Colony/Captured World), this fit perfectly with the concept that perhaps this planet has recently changed hands from the Koyane Shogunate to the Jengu Alliance during the most recent war between these two polities. My imagination ran with that idea: The world of Izanagi originally belonged to the Koyane Shogunate, but after capture during the Jengu-Koyane War (or whatever I call it later), it was renamed as Prishiboro by the Jengu Alliance. (Both names come from a primary god of their pantheon, and each lost their wife, though by different means. It seemed a nice tie-in to use the two names in conjunction.) The system originally had a much larger population and a better starport, but after a planetary bombardment by the Jengu fleet, the best places to land a ship are now abandoned parking lots. The primary city was destroyed, but the ruins of the city are now scavenged by survivors of the planetary assault as well as off-world raiders. I'll likely need a good MacGuffin to bring player-characters to this world, but the opportunities for exploration look pretty good, just on this small bit alone.

For the desert planet of Tajimamori (Segin 2608 X410244-8 Red Zone), I came up with an Exploration Site Origin of "Secret Base". Because it's a Red Zone, I also came up with a reason for that status, which turned out to be "Electronics Disruption". (Okay, originally, I rolled "Wildlife Preserve" but that didn't fit the UWP.) Now I can combine those two, and come up with an idea like the following: Travel inside the system of Tajimamori is dangerous due to unusual electromagnetic-gravitic interference that disrupts unshielded and even poorly-shielded electronic systems. While the Koyane Shogunate claim that it is due to a natural phenomenon, the truth is that the system is actually a secret military base researching weapon technology, which is generating the interference. Ah, the joys of exploring a secret military base in search of advanced weapon technology brings a cackle to my lips... I mean, it prompts interest in writing a cool adventure or two for future player-characters in this setting.

Already, these three worlds are shaping up for some very interesting opportunities for exploration, but we're not done yet. We still have two more sub-steps in this process to go: Exploration Site Traits and Challenges. Next post, we look at Traits and see where that takes us.

With Regards,
Flynn

Traveller Sandbox: Identifying Exploration Sites...

Good Afternoon, All:

Step Five in the process of developing a sandbox setting for the Traveller Sandbox Experiment is to define ten worlds as Exploration Sites. These worlds contain ruins, abandoned colonies, and similar sites that can serve the need for exploration-based adventures in Sci-Fi games. In terms of gaming experiences, these worlds exist to provide plenty of options for greedy merchants, adrenalin-junkie mercenaries and similar entrepreneurial spirits to pursue within Beta Quadrant. These are, in essence, the Dungeons or Ruins of a Traveller campaign setting.

Using the fantasy sandbox building methods suggested in An Echo Resounding and adapting them to a science fiction setting as we have been so far, the elements attributed to Ruins locations can be easily implemented here, with new tables to reflect an interstellar setting, of course. Ruin Natures should become Exploration Site Origins. Ruin Traits would transform into Exploration Site Traits. Ruin Obstacles could conceivably use my System Challenges table, but I think there's enough interesting challenges unique to Exploration Sites that I could probably create an Exploration Site Challenges table. I'll have to wait and see how that last one pans out, though.

First, though, we should identify our candidate Exploration Sites. While I have made a big deal about Red Zones over the last few posts, those are not the only source for Exploration Sites. Looking at the map and identifying any backwater sites far from any of the worlds we've currently outlined as Cultural Hubs and Resource Worlds could point us to other potential candidates. First, I should create a list of Red Zone worlds from the UWPs I've already generated. Once we look that over, we'll expand our search as we see fit to cover other star systems.

Looking over the UWPs for Beta Quadrant, I see the following worlds are noted as Red Zones:

Thoth         1702 X410200-8    De Lo           R  703 Se M0 V M3 V*
Tajimamori    2608 X410244-8    De Lo           R  304 Ks M4 V* M8 V
Malsumis      2814 X410232-8    De Lo           R  123 Tj (K6 V M2 V)
Hibrea        3115 X300355-8    De Lo Va        R  300 Na M9 V

Interestingly enough, there are only four Red Zones in Beta Quadrant (right now), and three of them are claimed by an interstellar polity. Given the relative duplicative nature of each of these worlds, it appears that something in this sector makes worlds with physical characteristics of 410 highly desirable for worlds to Interdict. However, after searching through the list of UWPs, there are easily a dozen or more inhabited worlds with those characteristics. This, of course, makes sense. These worlds are roughly Mars-like, which makes for fine worlds to choose for settlements when an Earth-like world isn't present in the system.

So, I've got to find six other worlds that should be included as Exploration Sites. Looking at the map again, I start to contemplate options. First, I look for interesting isolated worlds (with a Class D Starport or worse), to give player-characters an excuse to travel across Beta Quadrant. These worlds seem like good options:

• 1820-410 (Segin 1820 X410000-0): Because it's isolated in the spinward-rimward corner of Beta Quadrant.
• 3120-300 (Segin 3120 X300000-0): Because it is isolated in the rimward-trailing corner of Beta Quadrant. Let's make the party travel, because that's how sandboxes work best.
• Mirasen (Segin 3209 E540337-5): Because it's in a small cluster near a non-human homeworld, and I want more excuses to deal with a non-human race.
• Mudhava (Segin 2414 E526330-6): Because I wanted a second Exploration Site in Litha Subsector (Subsector G), and it has one of the worst Starports in the subsector.
• Prishiboro (Segin 2810 E596568-5): Because it has one of the worst Starports in Koyane Subsector (Subsector D), and it's a Garden world. This lets me add more wilderness elements to any adventures that happen on that planet.
• Tefnut (Segin 2005 D410204-8): Because it's fairly isolated at the end of the short main it sits on, buffered by an uninhabited world, and because I wanted a second Exploration Site in Gleti Subsector (Subsector C).

As you can see, this part involves a lot more thought on my part, but I like that, as it gives me a better chance to personalize the setting to fit my personal needs as a Referee setting up adventure opportunities. Now that we've identified the Exploration Site for Beta Quadrant, in my next post, I'll look at the next sub-step in the process. It's time to create the Exploration Site Origins table!

More Later,
Flynn