Traveller-digest     Thursday, November 28 1996     Volume 1996 : Number 701



(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.
All rights reserved.

The following topics are covered in this digest:

SOS  Where is Roger Sanger!
ROGER, THERE YOU ARE!
Re: Re, MT weapons & equipment for T4
Rant on hitech
G-Comp
Uplift
Uplift - flyers
Jewish engineer
Re: Traveller-digest V1996 #700
Bustard Two, Are You Receiving?
Re: senior subordinates
CORE site down?
Imperium Games Followup
Re: Rant on hitech
Re: Rant on hitech
RE: zero point energy fluctuations?
Re: Re: senior subordinates
Alien Builder's Charts v1.1 (Long)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 21:19:49 -0800
From: Brad Urwiller <ravyn@ptw.com>
Subject: SOS  Where is Roger Sanger!

Hello,

Well, that makes at least three of us.  I don't know if everyone has
responded yet but if anyone knows of the
where abouts of Roger Sanger PLEASE notify us.  

Brad Urwiller
Fred Kiesche
Armond Saurez

The the individuals above have sent money orders to Roger and haven't
recieved the packages that they were for
and its been nearly a month.  I'm lighting up all active LADAR to help put
me in communication with Mr. Sanger.
So once again please notify me if you have his e-mail or his whereabouts.

HELP!!!!
||||
O  O
 (    Brad Urwiller
 __   ravyn@ptw.com

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 21:23:42 -0800
From: Brad Urwiller <ravyn@ptw.com>
Subject: ROGER, THERE YOU ARE!

Sorry disregard my previous post.  Although the number of non recievus
packagus has increased to 4 individuals I have recently learned that someone
was in contact with Roger Sanger and hopes of recieving our blessed packages
has returned.  Thanks all.  Just ignore the anxiety in the previous emial.
||||
O  O
 (    Brad Urwiller
 __   ravyn@ptw.com

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 09:17:39 +0100
From: Jerome DARMONT <darmont@libd1.univ-bpclermont.fr>
Subject: Re: Re, MT weapons & equipment for T4

At 10:01 27/11/96 -0400, Robert Flammang wrote:

>In MT, weapons have a penetration value which is identical (I believe)
>to that used by Striker. A while back, I posted a conversion table
>between Striker (or MT) penetration and T4 damage. Here it is again. I hope
>it helps.

 Your conversion table doesn't seem to work. I used it on Laser pistol & rifle,
body pistol and Magnum revolver (that are both in MT and T4). The conversion
only worked for the magnum. All the other damage are way overestimated... 
 
 I might have the time to work on that this week-end.

- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Jerome DARMONT, LIMOS, Universite Blaise Pascal - Clermont-Ferrand II
darmont@libd1|2.univ-bpclermont.fr, oodbprjd@mailhost.ecn.uoknor.edu
http://lmiindy7.univ-bpclermont.fr/~darmont/

------------------------------

Date: 28 Nov 96 03:21:17 EST
From: Hugh Foster <100326.446@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Rant on hitech

(Bill Hopper)

>> <rant on> The fact that MT listed stuff at Tech 20   is a good indicator of
why I stopped buying Traveller books when it   came out.  I am _very_  pleased
with T4's alleged return to the roots   of CT.   I consider myself to be a
moderate gearhead - I liked to   push the design limits in High Guard and
Trillion Credit Squadron and   designed a couple of Striker vehicles.  But there
comes a point where
 a fixation on techy details makes the game unplayable.  I hope Marc   holds the
line and doesn't let the game get too complex to play this   time around. <rant
off> <<

Well... yes and no. I understand your point; occasionally I have to slap down my
players who are refining their equipment to be the absolute bestest modernest
whizzies and get back the game. BUT, when I throw in the occasional ancient
doohickey, or, as in what was possibly my favourite campaign, the Borg, it's
nice to have some design rules for whangdoodle hitech stuff so's I can do the
backwork and emerge with a coherent set of stats for the artifact/bad guys that
correspond to the stats of the PC's kit etc so that the game runs smoothly.

Ok, so I also like designing Trek and Star Wars analogues into my game. As it
happens I'm planning to dump my Traveller players on Endor via a space/time rift
next campaign (hope they're not reading this!) and I need the hitech goodies for
that.

"What do we see?"

"You're  outside a heavy ferroconcrete bunker. There are dead bodies scattered
about; a couple of robots, one contoured and one looks like a dumbot, two
blokes, a young woman and what looks like a seven-foot monkey, plus a couplea
dozen blokes in cammo gear.There's ten fellas in white combat armour giving you
the eye...."

What do you think? Will it be fun?

>> Sorry, no tractor beams.  Repulsors work, though. (Ever try to board   a ship
that has a working repulsor battery?)   <<

I could never accept this. Repulsors are thingies which generate a field wot
pushes remote objects; a directed force field. If you wire it up backwards,
surely it should _pull_ instead. Isn't it the same technology?

[------------------------------oOo-----------------------------] | Hugh Foster
100326,446       | | Logic is the art of going wrong with confidence. (Joseph
| | Krutch)                                                      |
[------------------------------oOo-----------------------------]

------------------------------

Date: 28 Nov 96 03:21:23 EST
From: Hugh Foster <100326.446@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: G-Comp

Adding oil to the burning waters of the seemingly interminable horiz/vertical
deck debate, it strikes me that all the discussion about Wile E Coyote-type
plunging down the corridors assumes the ship is always accelerating along its'
long axis.

But, in combat, ships presumably dance around like sozzled owls trying not to be
hit, yeah? So the acceleration vectors, normally cancelled by the I-Comp, are
all over the place. In the absence of comp, then, wherever you are, if you
aren't strapped in you're bulkhead stroganoff.

However, the I-Comp is a feature of modular grav plates, as I recall. So it must
be damn hard to "knock it out". The only way I can see would be a power plant
failure - at which point the ship stops changing vectors or accelerating, and
the problem disappears anyway.

What I end up with, then, is that this is a non-problem. Ship designs of either
type are equally valid.

This is all IMHO, In My World of course. Carry on arguing by all means, guys and
gal!

>> Larger kangaroos are also fairly intelligent - maybe not as
intelligent as a dog or an ape, but certainly highly social and with
rudimentary vocal communication. <<

Now _this_ I didn't know. I'd feel quite comfortable with Roos as one of the 20
Solomani uplifts. OK, they have a rather awkward body structure for general
space faring - but more unsuitable than a dolphin or a Hiver? I think not!

Boing! Let's have some rules!

[------------------------------oOo-----------------------------] | Hugh Foster
100326,446       | | Minds are like parachutes, they only work when open.
| [------------------------------oOo-----------------------------]

------------------------------

Date: 28 Nov 96 03:21:20 EST
From: Hugh Foster <100326.446@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Uplift

>> One thing: You only need a small   group of eccentrics to produce a small
starting population, for whatever  daft reason, and then the new species can
expand itself into something  too big to ignore. <<

Yeah! However ridiculous a species may look on paper, once it has intelligence
and a TL of 5 or so, it can buck evoloutionary pressures which are telling it
"Zark off, you can't be serious" and sustain itself with tech and medicare. Can
anyone say "Vogon"? :)

>> Actually, I think McDonald's food should be an indictable offense! <<

Well, it's its' own revenge. Have you ever noticed, every so often, despite your
better judgement, you get a craving for one? You go get it, eat it, then sit
there thinking Bleah! Why did I do that?

Hmn, I seem to have cancelled out my first point <g>

[------------------------------oOo-----------------------------] | Hugh Foster
100326,446       | | Early to rise and ditto to bed, make a man healthy, but
| | socially dead.                                               |
[------------------------------oOo-----------------------------]

------------------------------

Date: 28 Nov 96 03:21:26 EST
From: Hugh Foster <100326.446@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Uplift - flyers

>> At least one of the species should be capable of flying, because of  the
utility criterion. Since there are not living flying creatures on Earth  with
*big* brains, probably the Solomani would pick some from another  planet. A
dinosaur-like flying critter would be a wonderful scout. <<

A dinosaur-like flying critter would be - a dragon! Shades of Pern! Actually,
there's a world in the supposedly-discredited Beyond called Drachenfels which
has dragons I believe.

[------------------------------oOo-----------------------------] | Hugh Foster
100326,446       | | If you step on people in this life, you're going to come
| | back as a cockroach.                                         |
[------------------------------oOo-----------------------------]

------------------------------

Date: 28 Nov 96 03:21:29 EST
From: Hugh Foster <100326.446@CompuServe.COM>
Subject: Jewish engineer

>> check out the book "Tapping the Zero-Point Energy" by > Moray B King.  He is
a jewish slystems engineer.  He has some very good >

>> Why do you point out the persons religion?  <<

Two possible reasons occurr to me. Maybe the lad means "Israeli". Or maybe the
authour refers to it in his book. I never met a Jewish person who was ashamed to
be so, I'm glad to say!


[------------------------------oOo-----------------------------] | Hugh Foster
100326,446       | | The safest way to double your money is to fold it over once
| | and put it in your pocket.                                   |
[------------------------------oOo-----------------------------]

------------------------------

Date: 28 Nov 1996 09:16:03 GMT
From: ajpursell@babylon.montreal.qc.ca (Alan Pursell)
Subject: Re: Traveller-digest V1996 #700

Hey there,

gone south to get some sun and recover from the snow that just keeps on
coming... back next tuesday. 

see ya...

alan j

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 10:59:26 +0000
From: Andy Lilly <a.s.lilly@nortel.co.uk>
Subject: Bustard Two, Are You Receiving?

Hope this isn't regarded as too much wasted bandwidth. Promise to sh*t up
after this.

THANKSGIVING

>Best Thanksgiving wishes to all.   

Likewise from the UK to all of you lucky b*stards who are on holiday while
we're here working as usual...

ROGER SANGER

>>I'm looking for Roger as well. He cashed a check of mine and I haven't 
>>seen a nice package darken my door yet...
>I am in the same boat, but I talked to him the other night and he assured me
>that soon my package would be in the mail. That hopefully means all of us
>who are to be getting nice packages from him. 

My experience (from BITS) is that handling sales of stuff is quite a pain to
organise. It might seem simple to you guys, but it actually takes a lot of
time. I'm sure Roger's stuff will be in the post soon.

Not that one shouldn't be wary of 'new' traders in second-hand goods as the
sales newsgroups have often demonstrated that there are a few unscrupulous
scammers out there.

BUSTARD TWO

>     Canuck used the phrase "freezing *his* fanny off...", I became pretty 
>     bloody confused. 

ASP Encryption On

Codeword f*nny to be used hereafter to avoid confusion, in accordance with
other code words:

b*llocks (bullocks - large cattle with horns)
b*stard  (bustard - endangered hunting bird)
b*llsh*t (ballshot - anti-personnel ammunition load)
f*ck     (feck - feckless, etc.)
sh*t     (shot - injection)
cr*p     (crop - cut off)

This will allow all such words to continue to be used without fear of
misinterpretation. For example, b*stards with cr*pped wings are f*ckless
unless fed b*llocks sh*t with tranquiliser b*llsh*t (because they can't hunt
for themselves).

Bustard Two, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to attempt to
use as many of these words as possible when posting to the TML. For each
usage you will be awarded Brownie Points which you may then use against
Promotion rolls in subsequent terms. As always, should you or any other
Bustard be caught or killed, my secretary will disavow all knowledge of you.
Good luck.

ASP Encryption Off

*****
AND NOW A CHALLENGE FOR YOUR BRAINS
*****
(WITH A PRIZE!!!)
*****

There is a race known as the Jgd-Il-Jagd (IIRC) which lives in gas giants,
yet they are supposed to have powerful fighting starships.

Who has kept up to date with the Jupiter probe mission data to know:

1. What their likely life chemistry is?

2. How they might have evolved in a gas giant?

3. How they might build a starship, and what from?

4. How their technology could have progressed from floating around absorbing
gases (or other floaters) to building starships?

5. What sort of weapons they might use (personally, and on starships)?

(Anyone mentioning Grandfather with regard to any of these questions
immediately forfeits their prize).

The prize? An entire load of b*llocks.

Seriously though, any ideas from all those scientists we have on the TML?

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 27 Nov 1996 23:30:40 PST
From: shadow@krypton.rain.com (Leonard Erickson)
Subject: Re: senior subordinates

In mail you write:

> In a message dated 96-11-27 04:19:42 EST, Stewart Eyres wrote:
>
>> take a look at Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series.
>
> Absolutely; fervently seconded.

Amen, brother!

> pace and humor.  The Vorkosigan novice is directed to "Borders of Infinity,"
> a collection of short stories featuring young Lord Miles Vorkosigan.  For the
> more chronologically minded, start with "Shards of Honor," which details
> Miles' parents' meeting and marriage; next "Barrayar," which deals with
> Cordelia's pregnancy and Miles' birth (key to the character, in many ways);
> then "The Warrior's Apprentice," which is the story of Miles' attempt to get
> into the Service Academy;  then "The Vor Game," further adventures; then
> "Ethan of Athos," which doesn't feature Miles, but gives further background;
> then "Brothers in Arms," a personal favorite, outstanding examples of the
> High Soc/Low Rank problem; and, finally, "Mirror Dance," Bujold's most
> ambitious novel.  Also "Cetaganda," her newest book, is just out in
> paperback, though I am expecting the hardcover for Christmas.  I believe it
> is set before "Brothers in Arms," though not having read it yet, I'm not
> exactly sure when.  The stories in "Borders of Infinity" are set in between
> the various books, so it's hard to categorize the book as a whole.  There you
> have it.  Enjoy.

Cetaganda occurs *before* Ethan of Athos. In fact, a minor bit of
business in Cetaganda is responsible for the main plot of Ethan of Athos.

The Newest Bujold is "Memory", and is the "latest" in the timeline
(ie comes *after* "Mirror Dance"). Miles is 29 and having some problems.

Here's the latest version of the timeline:

Shards of Honor
Barrayar			Miles is born
The Warrior's Apprentice	Miles is 17
The Mountains of Mourning*	Miles is 20
The Vor Game			
Cetaganda			Miles is 22
Ethan of Athos			
Labyrinth*			Miles is 23
The Borders of Infinity*	Miles is 24
Brothers in Arms
Borders of Infinity		Miles is 25
Mirror Dance			Miles is 28
Memory				Miles is 29

* short story from "Borders of Infinity"
- -- 
Leonard Erickson (aka Shadow)
 shadow@krypton.rain.com        <--preferred
leonard@qiclab.scn.rain.com     <--last resort

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 12:50:27 -0800
From: Harald Budschedl <Harald.Budschedl@mag.linz.at>
Subject: CORE site down?

Hey travellers!

I tried to contact http://members.nova.org/~sol/core/ a few time lately 
without success.

Does anybody know what happened? I always get a "File Not Found".

Thanx in advance for any help.
CyA
Buddy
- -- 
# Disclaimer: All opinions stated are only MY OWN.
# Harald.Budschedl@mag.linz.at 
# ADV - Anwendungsentwicklung
# Graphisch Technischer Bereich

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Nov 96 07:08:13 -0400
From: FKiesche@concentric.net
Subject: Imperium Games Followup

Greetings All:

As usual, I must throw a monkey wrench into Joe's latest IG Status Report!

As you all may know, I have been trying to get a resolution on some 
credit card charges ($25.00 and $30.00) that started appearing back in 
July. The earlier ($30.00) was apparently for the Journal--why they 
charged me in July for a magazine that has yet to appear is beyond me. 
The later charge ($25.00) was apparently for Starships, made in 
September. Noting that Starships is still not out and has been reduced in 
price, well they haven't shipped it to me and they haven't credited me 
the difference.

I've sent them (to this date) five faxes, four telephone messages, one 
actual telephone call with the Famous Anne, and one e-mail. I haven't 
received any followup to indicate that they've credited my charge card or 
shipped products or otherwise cleared the situation.

So, once again I warn you all: If you've placed credit card orders with 
IG, keep careful track of what they've charged you and what you receive 
in terms of product. It would appear that things got severly scrambled 
during their move and it would appear that the one person in charge of 
customer relations is still not up to speed.

And on an even more sour note: My Friendly Local Game Store (The Compleat 
Strategist in New York City) told me yesterday that they don't expect 
Starships until around Christmas. This I got directly from the gent who 
has managed the store since I first started going there--in 1977! He 
quite candidly stated that IG is having major startup problems...

Sigh.

Fred Kiesche
(FKiesche@concentric.net)

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 08:52:06 -0500 (EST)
From: matth@homer.njit.edu (Matthew Harelick)
Subject: Re: Rant on hitech

Hi: 

Personally as a referree I like having access to rule for tech above what
the players will normally find. It helps to add to the mystery and 
overpowering effect of the universe as a whole.            

Matthew

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 15:07:54 -0800
From: Harald Budschedl <Harald.Budschedl@mag.linz.at>
Subject: Re: Rant on hitech

Matthew Harelick wrote:
> 
> Hi:
> 
> Personally as a referree I like having access to rule for tech above what
> the players will normally find. It helps to add to the mystery and
> overpowering effect of the universe as a whole.

Me too.
Ask yourself: Why are you playing scifi-rpgs, if you don't like highly 
developed technics? If some don't like it, then they could as well play 
AD&D (which I play an like, too), couldn't they?

Hmmmm....

As far as I'm concerned, I'm currently introducing organic computers 
(which I personally call "thinker") and other high developed stuff from 
the ancients. It gives my campaigns a real spooky effect.

CyA.
Buddy
- -- 
# Disclaimer: All opinions stated are only MY OWN.
# Harald.Budschedl@mag.linz.at 
# ADV - Anwendungsentwicklung
# Graphisch Technischer Bereich

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 15:17:26 +0100
From: anders.backman@macademic.se (Anders Backman)
Subject: RE: zero point energy fluctuations?

>The only
>thing that is left to react with normal space and reality are the
>electromagnetic fields which can interact with other particles.
>
>To go a little farther one would have to wonder where these virtual
>particles come from.  I've read that they are allowed to exist due
>to the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle also known as the
>Indeterminancy Principle (that says you can never know both the
>momentum and position of a particle at the same time to any
>great degree).

They CANNOT interact with other particles. They do NOT break the
conservation of energy constraint. These spontaneous particle
generation/destruction occurs within the limits of Heisenbergs uncertainty
principle and are therefore undetectable. Hawking postulates that such
pairs appearing on either side of the event horizon of a black hole could
be detected as they cannot again annihilate each other.
Hawking combines quantum physics and general relativity, two theories that
are thus far NOT possible to use together and the black hole radiation
effects are of course not experimentally verifiable.

Conservation of momentum, charge and energy will prevail "forever" in
physics but other laws of nature will probably "change" as new discoveries
are made IMHO.


/Backman

------------------------------

Date: 28 Nov 1996 14:15:46 GMT
From: Rob_Prior@nynet.nybe.north-york.on.ca (Rob Prior)
Subject: Re: Re: senior subordinates

Agreed about Bujold's Vorkosigan series.

And note that "Memory", set after "Mirror Dance", is out in hardcover.  I
read the first couple of pages at the bookshop - looks good, and just in time
for Christmas!

------------------------------

Date: 28 Nov 96 08:40:44 -0500
From: "Jeff Kazmierski" <odysseus@novia.net>
Subject: Alien Builder's Charts v1.1 (Long)

This is the first rewrite of my original Alien Design System article. 
After reviewing the first posting I found that there were a few details
left out of the original set of charts, that I felt should be added.  I've
added two new charts:  Skeletal System (found under the heading "Body
Arrangement") and a table describing three basic types of Communal
Societies (family, herd and hive), table 8a, added after "Personality".

If anyone has any further comments or additions, please let me know.	
- ---------------------------------------------------------
1.  Primary Environment
  Roll     Environment
  01-05    Flyer
  06-80    Land Surface
  81-95    Amphibian
  96-00    Other (Flyer or Swimmer)

  Modifiers:  If homeworld Hydro = A: +20
              If homeworld Hydro = 3-: -10
              

2.  Symmetry
  Roll    
  01-94    Bilateral
  95-00    Radial
  
  Modifiers:  If Environment = Flyer:  -5
              If Environment = Swimmer:  +5

3.  Number of Brains
  Roll
  01-95    One Brain
  96-00    Two Brains (it is 90% likely that the second brain
           only handles physical coordination and does little 
           or no thinking.)

4.  Body Arrangement  (bilateral)
  Head (Roll once for each brain)
  01-95    Brain is in the head
  96-00    Brain is internal to body

  Tail (There is a 5% chance that the tail serves as 
       manipulative organ in addtion to the being's hands.)
  01-65    No tail
  66-99    One tail
    00     Two or more tails

  Feet/Legs (or other locomotive limbs)
  01-70    2 legs
  71-90    4 legs
  91-93    6 legs
  94-96    3 legs
  97-98    1 leg (01-80: hopper w/Perfect Balance; 81-00: gastropod)
    99     5 legs
    00     7 or more legs

  Arms (or other manipulative limbs)
  01-80    2 arms
  81-90    1 arm
  91-95    4 arms
  96-99    3 arms
    00     5 or more arms

  Skeletal System
  01-95    Endoskeletal (skeleton is internal)
  96-00    Exoskeletal (skeleton is external)

5.  Body Arrangement (radial)
  Head (Roll once for each brain)
  01-70    Brain is in a head
  71-00    Brain is internal to body

  Legs and Arms (there will be the same number of each type
                of limb; roll only once.  There is a 20% 
                chance that the limbs function as both legs
                and arms, as in the Hivers)
  01-60    3 legs and 3 arms
  61-95    4 legs and 4 arms
  96-99    5 legs and 5 arms
    00	    6 legs and 6 arms

  Skeletal System
  01-95    Endoskeletal
  96-00    Exoskeletal

6.  Extremities (digits and toes)
  Digits (fingers)
  01-95    2d6+1 fingers
  96-00    1 tentacle-like finger

  Feet
  01-40    Plantigrade (heel on ground)
  41-80    Digitigrade (toes on ground)
  81-95    Unguligrade (elephant-like pad)
    00     Other

7.  Dietary Class and Speed
  Roll     Class                     Speed
  01-40    Hunter (omnivore)         Double
  41-60    Gatherer (omnivore)       Normal
  61-80    Chaser (carnivore)        Triple (01-60)
                                     Double (61-00)
  81-90    Pouncer (carnivore)       Double
  91-95    Intermittent (herbivore)  Double
  96-98    Grazer (herbivore)        Double
    99     Hijacker (scavenger)      Double
    00     Intimidator (scavenger)   Double

8.  Personality
  Type:        Society:   Init:   Intraspecies:   Interspecies:
  Hunter       communal   high    cooperative     aggressive
  Gatherer     individual low     cooperative     passive
  Chaser       communal   high    competetive     aggressive
  Pouncer      individual high    competetive     aggressive
  Intermittent individual low     either          passive
  Grazer       communal   low     cooperative     passive
  Hijacker     either     high    competetive     aggressive
  Intimidator  either     high    cooperative     aggressive

  "Society" describes whether a being is group or individually oriented.
  "Initiative" refers to the ability of an individual to take action when
  left on its own.
  "Intraspecies" refers to how well a being gets along with members of its
  own species.
  "Interspecies" refers to how well the species relates to other races.

8a.  Communal Societies
  Roll     Basic Unit
  01-60    Family or Clan 
  61-95    Herd or Pack 
  96-00    Hive 
  
  "Family or Clan" refers to a small group of individuals, all related,
with a 
  single "alpha" pair functioning as head of the group.  Breeding between 
  individuals within the group is limited to the dominant "parent" pair.
  External breeding is unrestricted.  Competition between groups is usually

  strong.
    Examples:  lions, deer, Aslan, Humans
  "Herd or Pack" indicates a large number of individuals of the same
species, 
  organized into several subunits, with a single "alpha family".  Breeding 
  between individuals within the herd is unrestricted but may be affected
by
  social standing.  
    Examples:  hyenas, wildebeest, K'Kree
  "Hive" refers to eusocial societies where a a single breeding female
  controls all activity within a large group of creatures.  All males are 
  fertile and permitted to breed with the "queen", and all females except
the
  queen are sterile.  Competition for breeding among hive females may be 
  either high or low, depending on the age and strength of the queen (and 
  designer choice).
    Examples:  bees, naked mole rats, (no Traveller equivalent)


9.  Weight
  Roll   Weight   STR   DEX   END
  01-05   12kg    1d6   2d6+2 1d6
  06-15   25kg    1d6+2 2d6+1 1d6+2
  16-35   50kg    2d6-2 2d6   2d6-2
  36-65  100kg    2d6   2d6   2d6
  66-85  200kg    2d6+2 2d6   2d6+2
  86-96  400kg    3d6   2d6-1 3d6
  97-00  800kg    3d6   2d6-2 3d6

  Modifiers:  -20 If Flyer
              +20 If Swimmer
              +10 If Homeworld Size = 9+
              -10 If Homeworld Size = 4-
	             -20 If Exoskeletal

10.  Natural Weaponry
  Roll   Weaponry
  01-85  None
  86-00  Yes (If weaponry is present, roll on the Animal Sizes and 
             Weaponry Table, T4 p.152)

  Modifiers:  +20 If carnivore
              +10 If exoskeletal

11.  Natural Armor
  Roll   Armor
  01-90  None
  91-00  Yes (reroll on table below)
         Roll   Armor
         01-35  1
         36-65  2
         66-75  1 Rigid
         75-85  3
         86-95  2 Rigid
         96-98  4
           99   3 Rigid
           00   4 Rigid

  Modifiers to first roll:  
         -5  If Carnivore
         +5  If Scavenger
         +10 If Herbivore
         Automatic if Exoskeletal

12.  Body Coverings
  Roll   Endoskeletal                    Roll   Exoskeletal
  01-55  Hairless Skin or Hide           01-65  Chitin
  56-70  Fur or Hair                     66-00  Bony Carapace
  71-80  Tortoise-like Carapace
  81-90  Scales
  91-00  Feathers or Down

  There is a 20% chance of the species having two major body coverings and
a 5% chance of it having three.

13.  Internal Temperature
  Roll   Type
  01-95  Warm Blooded
  96-00  Cold Blooded

14.  Reproduction
  Production of Young
  01-85  Live-bearing
  86-99  Egg-laying
    00   Other (cloning, budding, fission, etc)

  Sexes
  01-10  One sex (parthenogenic or asexual)
  11-90  Two sexes
  91-99  Three sexes (male, female, transient)
    00   Four or more sexes (male, female, parent, transient)

  Modifiers:  Hive societies always have three sexes (queen, male, drone)

15.  Senses
  Major/Minor Senses
  01-30  Visual
  31-60  Auditory
  61-85  Olfactory
  86-90  Tactile
  91-99  Taste
    00   Psionics

  Roll twice on this table.  The first roll is the major sense, and the
second roll is the minor sense.


  Visual
  01-05  Reduced acuity
  06-20  No color vision
  21-60  Normal
  61-65  Light-enhancing
  66-70  Light-reducing
  71-75  Infrared bias
  76-80  Ultraviolet bias
  81-85  Telescopic vision (farsighted)
  86-90  Microscopic vision (nearsighted)
  91-95  Other
  96-00  Two of the above

  +20 if major sense
  -20 if minor sense


  Auditory
  01-05  Decreased sensitivity
  06-55  Normal
  56-65  High-frequency bias
  66-75  Low-frequency bias
  76-85  Heightened sensitivity
  86-90  Sonar
  91-95  Other
  96-00  Two of the above

  +20 if major sense
  -20 if minor sense


  Olfactory
  01-05  Decreased sensitivity
  06-65  Normal
  65-95  Increased sensitivity
  96-00  Other

  +20 if major sense
  -20 if minor sense


  Tactile
  01-50  Normal
  51-60  Heat tolerant
  61-70  Cold tolerant
  71-80  Pain tolerant
  81-90  Heightened sensitivity
  91-95  Other
  96-00  Two of the above

  +20 if major sense
  -20 if minor sense


  Taste
  01-80  Normal
  81-95  Heightened sensitivity
  96-00  Other

  +20 if major sense
  -20 if minor sense


  Psionics
  01-50  Clairvoyance: Sense
  51-65  Telepathy: Life Detection
  66-75  Clairvoyance: Clairvoyance
  76-85  Clairvoyance: Clairaudience
  86-95  Clairvoyance: Clairvoyance/Clairaudience
  96-98  Full Clairvoyance
  99-00  Full Telepathy


  There should be 1-6 sensory organs of each of visual, olfactory and
auditory senses.  All organs of any single sense should be located in the
same area of the being's body.  Radially symmetrical species have as many
organs of each type as they have arms and legs.


16.  Location of Sensory Organs
  Roll   Location
  01-80  Head (if any; if not, roll 1d20+80 for 81-100)
  81-95  Body
  96-98  Arms
  99-00  Legs   

17.  Special Abilities:  There is only a 5% chance of a species having one
or more special abilities.  Either roll from the chart below, or choose an
appropriate ability.

  01-03  Perfect sound imitation
  04-06  Perfect balance:  Hoppers receive this automatically.  
  07-09  Metabolic control:  Can survive for up to 30 days without food or 
         water, but must rest for 1-6 days afterward.
  10-12  Radiation detection (in conjunction with UV vision)
  13-15  Electrical generation:  1d6 damage, requires 1d6 minutes to
recharge
  16-18  Heightened immunity to poison
  19-21  Heightened immunity to disease
  22-24  Psionics (fully developed)
  25-27  Rapid Healing:  1d3 times normal healing rate
  28-30  Filtered respiration
  31-33  Expanded lung capacity:  can breathe in atmospheres down to 1/2 of
         native pressure
  34-36  Perfect recall
  37-39  Savant-like calculation
  40-42  Chameleon-like covering
  43-45  Magnetic field detection
  46-48  Odor or gas generation
  49-51  Climbing ability:  Gains Claws or sticky pads.
  52-54  Perfect time sense
  55-57  Natural psionic shield
  58-60  Perfect sense of direction (on homeworld only)
  61-63  Bioluminescent
  64-66  Temporary vacuum resistance:  Natural armor equal to 4/Rigid.
  67-69  Silent movement:  +1 to surprise, native Stealth-2 skill.
  70-72  Amplified sonics:  powerful vocal cords and enlarged lung capacity
  73-75  Gills:  in swimmers or amphibians only
  76-78  Burrowing skills:  automatically gains Claws as weapon.
  79-81  Feign death
  82-84  Hibernation:  slows metabolism as if on Fast drug for ENDxd6 days.
  85-87  Extremely long lifespan:  2d6x100 years
  88-95  Other special ability
  96-00  Two from above chart


- ---------------------------------------------------------
                +
                |\        "Anybody got a Q-tip?"  
                | )      /       
                | )       _      
       _        | )      /@
        \ ______|/______/
_________\ @@@@@@@@@@@@/__________odysseus@novia.net

Apple's doomsayers are like Jehovah's Witnesses.  They're ubiquitous,
they're persistent, and they're always wrong.
- ---------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

End of Traveller-digest V1996 #701
**********************************

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