
-------- TML Message #203 --------

Subject: Test of Traveller Mailing List
Date: 07 Mar 89 19:28:38 PST (Tue)
From: ("James T. Perkins") jamesp@dadla.LA.TEK.com
Archive-Message-Number: 203



No need to respond to this...  I just want to see if the list software is
really working correctly.  If you get this message all is well.

James

 ___    ___   ___
|   \  / _ \ / __|  James T. Perkins, jamesp@dadla.la.tek.com, (503)629-1149
| |> || |_| |\__ \  Tektronix, Dig Sys Div, DAS Sys Software, SW Integration
|___/ |_| |_||___/  MS 92-725, PO Box 4600, Beaverton, OR 97075

This package is sold by weight, not by volume.  Some settling of contents may
have occurred during shipping and handling.

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-------- TML Message #204 --------

Subject: Re: Administrivia 
Date: Wed, 08 Mar 89 12:32:18 +0000
From: waddell%compsci.bristol.ac.uk@nss.cs.ucl.ac.uk
Archive-Message-Number: 204


I got your message ...

Gareth.

[I'd wondered what had happened to the list ...]


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-------- TML Message #205 --------

Date: Wed, 8 Mar 89 11:17:38 PST
From: (Brad Post) c9c-aa@dorothy.berkeley.edu
Subject: Test
Archive-Message-Number: 205



This is a test to see if I can mail to the list again.  Ignore it.

Brad


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-------- TML Message #206 --------

Date: Wed, 8 Mar 89 13:38 EDT
From: RWMIRA01%ULKYVX.BITNET%CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Subject: Traveller Mailing List
Archive-Message-Number: 206


Please add me to the Traveller Mailing List.  I have several ideals and
questions and could benifit from the list.

Thank You
Rob Miracle              | Bitnet   : RWMIRA01@ULKYVX    CIS: 74216,3134
Programmer/Analyst-II    | INTERNET : rwmira01%ulkyvx.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
University of Louisville | UUCP     : ...psuvax1!ulkyvx.bitnet!rwmira01


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-------- TML Message #207 --------

Date: Wed, 8 Mar 89 11:44:59 PST
From: (Brad Post) c9c-aa@dorothy.berkeley.edu
Subject: PBM: Turn 4
Archive-Message-Number: 207



Well a good number of people responded to a questionaire I mailed out, and
thanks.  I hope the rest of you are enjoying this as much as everyone else
said they were.  Here is turn #4, and I am also going to post these to the
traveller mailling list, since it's back in operation.

- ----------
	Ah, hello there.  Well so far so good, no real problems that couldn't
be taken care of in getting your responses.  I'm going to start posting to
rec.games.pbm, if you guys want me to, since mail from my place to some of
you guys takes about a week.  So include in your next response if you can read
rec.games.pbm.  And now onto Turn #4.


*******************************************************************************
				NOTES
*******************************************************************************

I will put the maps of the ship in the mail by 2-10, so expect them soon.  I
have not had time to draw them up yet.

I have a new address: c9c-aa@dorothy.berkeley.edu 
If you recieve mail from here, don't throw it out, I just use this account
just as much as bpost@violet.  Still mail all turns to bpost@violet though.


*******************************************************************************
			Passengers' Move
*******************************************************************************


(continued from turn3)

	"Why do you ask?"
	"Well, I was just wondering what I could do with a ship like this," 
says Robert as his hand goes into his jacket, with a stern look on his face.
	"What do ...."
	"GUN!!!!" yells Steve ....

	Roberts reaction is fast, but Steve's is a bit faster.  Robert's arm
comes partway out of his jacket, as Steve grabs it at the elbow.  Samantha,
reacting to Steve, uses her glass as a dagger, thrusting it into Robert's face.
It breaks, cutting his cheek, right below his right eye.  
	Erc notices Moe, drawing a weapon, and grabs him and they both fall to
the floor.  Erekosse sees that Roberts' gun is out of his jacket and throws
Capt. Moray to the floor just as the gun discharges, striking Erekosse.
	Curly is out of his chair and has a gun drawn, he is screaming, "Okay, 
everybody freeze!"  Moe and Erc are standing up now, exchanging blows as they
both hold onto Moe's gun.  Steve has thrown Robert to the floor, and Samantha
and he are pinning him to the ground, there is heard a soft snap as Robert's
wrist is broken by Steve.
	"I'm with the Imperial Bureau of Investigation," shouts Curly, "and I
and I said freeze."  Erc is distracted for a split second, and that's all it
takes Moe to flip him onto the floor, gaining his gun.
	Dan and Charlie are both quite shocked, they are frozen to their chairs,
and are remaining quite still.  Erekosse is bleeding from a leg wound, and the 
Capt is leaning over him inspecting the wound.
	With his gun trained on Erc, Moe pulls his wallet out of his pocket, and
shows him an ID.  Erc nods his approval, and takes Curly's hand to help him
stand up.  Moe has moved over to where Steve and Samantha have Robert pinned to 
the floor, his gun, a 9mm Sunb Pistol is lying on the floor next ot Steve.
	"Okay folks, just roll him over, and I'll put these cuffs on," says 
Curly.  Steve and Samantha comply, and Curly puts the cuffs on Robert.  
	Erekosse's wound isn't as bad as once believed, and is actually only
minor.  The Capt quickly bandages it up, and the says to Moe, "What the hell
is going on?"
	"Sorry sir," says Moe, "but we couldn't let you know we were onboard,
we weren't quite sure we could trust you."
	"I see," says Capt. Moray, "but what is this all about."
	"Well I'll tell you," says Curly.  "His name (picking up Robert) ain't
Robert Riechten, in fact, it's Hubert Ichten.  We've been following him for the
past year, as he imitates representatives of Arter Apparel Corp, picking up
their merchandize, and selling it to friends of his on special worlds.  So far
he has made a cool million doing it, until we realized that he was using the 
Imperial ID of a dead man.  Myself and my partner (pointing to Moe) finally
caught him on Pysadi, and were hoping to find his buyer at Aramanx, but I guess
we will just have to settle with him for now."
	"If you don't mind captain, we'd like to take him to his stateroom, for
some 'questioning'."
	"No, I don't mind at all, just one thing, I'd like you badge number if
I could have it."
	"No problem," says Moe, "it's CD10345-U9."

	Moe and Curly take Robert to his stateroom.  Dan and Charlie excuse
themselves, and go to their stateroom.  They both look quite shacken.  You five
are left alone in the Common Room.

*******
   Well, what's next for the gallant members of the Ulysses?  Find out in two
weeks, same traveller game, same GM.

Responses due by 2-21-89.  Later....

Note:  all materials are copyrighted, Brad Post, circa 1988, any use of these
 materials without the consent of the author is a felony.  

********************************************************************************
    __-,                               ___ _________
 __(__)|___                    _______/   |________|          "This is where
`----------|_______________---/       `----_____|___           you are supposed
 (      ___+-----------------<---------_____________-----_  <------ to aim,
  `-----                      `-----------'      |  +---_/      right up their
                                            ____/__/___/_____      shaft!"
 Brad Post: bpost@violet.Berkeley.Edu      |   ======        ||
            ...ucbvax!violet!bpost         |_________________||

*******************************************************************************


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-------- TML Message #208 --------

From: (Adrian Hurt) uunet.uu.net!mcvax!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian@tektronix
Subject: Traveller characters
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 89 14:55:30 BST
Archive-Message-Number: 208


Hi there! This group's still in business after all!

As someone pointed out, Books 4-7 give characters more skills than the basic
character generation rules. My solution to this is to mimic the skill award
system from those books as follows; each term, roll 2D four times. Award the
character a skill for each roll of 6+. Of course, the range of skills isn't
as great, but at least this gets over the "I'm going to be a Marine so I can
get a more skilled character" syndrome.

My main gripe with "Merchant Prince" is the trading system. The tech level
modifiers on the number of passengers, amount of cargo and value of cargo
make it impossible to go from a low-tech planet to a high-tech one and make
a profit. It's also almost impossible to go along the Spinward Main because
of all those Non-Industrial worlds.

Question about the "Mercenary" abstract combat system. Is "Indigenous" a
mission by itself, or do you roll again if the opposition turns out to be
Indigenous, to find out what the indigenous troops (i.e. natives) are doing?
I'd expect the latter, but the rulebook seems to indicate the former.

Question about "High Guard". If a few ships with black globes and particle
accelerators jump into a high population system whose main world has no
atmosphere, and turn off their globes just as they're passing the main world,
does this world then surrender, even if it has a few thousand SDB's? The
"Striker" rules say, "If one side has a particle accelerator in orbit over a
vacuum world, the other side should surrender"; they don't even try to say
what happens if a bombardment actually occurs, except to imply that it's
nasty and excessive. Also, what happens to matter (e.g. missiles) which hit
a black globe? I hope it doesn't get turned to energy and absorbed, because
if it does, one small missile would wipe out anything other than a large
battleship with a lot of extra capacitors.

 "Keyboard? How quaint!" - M. Scott

 Adrian Hurt			     |	JANET:  adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs
 UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian     |  ARPA:   adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk

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-------- TML Message #209 --------

Subject: Re: MegaTraveller Questions
Date: 09 Mar 89 12:16:36 PST (Thu)
From: jamesp
Archive-Message-Number: 209



[This message is a reply to Rob Miracle's question, but is of interest to the
entire list, so it's being cc'ed]

Rob,

Although you are not an officially registered Traveller Mailing List
member yet, I got this message sent to me (by mistake) which was
apparently intended to answer your questions.

James

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From: SULAIMAN <asulaima@udenva.cair.du.edu>
Message-Id: <8903090017.AA04946@udenva.cair.du.edu>
To: traveller-request%dadla.la.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET
Subject: Re:  MegaTraveller Questions


First of all I'd like to say that your scenario is set up wrong.
A Type-S according to MT rules and its powerplant does not have enough
power for 3 beam lasers much less 3 beam lasers + agility 2. 
The same problem with the patrol cruiser. It is listed with 2 beam
+2-missiles and it does not have the werewithal to handle 4 - triple beams.

However assuming you have similar type/tonnage ships and they have the power
to mount the weapons + retain the agility here is what will happen:

	Ship 1 (100t)			Ship 2 (400t)
Comp    1bisx3				3x3
DefDM	+4				+4
Armor	40G				40G
Lasers	x04				x04
Batt	  1				  4
Bear	  1				  4
I have combined the weapons into batteries of 3lasers. Otherwise Ship 1 can also
have 3 batteries rated at Factor 2. Same for ship-2.

Range 10,000 km (near) 	.  Appl. Skills Turret Wpns-1 each

Sensor Tasks:	Completed
Fire Combat:	

To hit from Ship 1 to Ship 2

Difficult,Off=comp model size, Wpn table DM, range DM; Def=def DM

Lets do the easy part:
DefDM= +4

Off
Comp= 1
Range= 0 (No modifiers for near range for lasers)
WpnDM=5 (Found by correlating weapon factor 4  with the to Hit line)
	(DM is 4 if weapon factor is 2)

Making the Die roll DMs 1+5+0-4=2. For a Difficult task, base die roll is
11 minus DM of 2. Ship 1 needs 9+ to hit 8+ with gunner skill.
(10+ or 9+ with skill if factor 2 weapons but u get 3 chances!)

You may have an old copy of Ref manual that had a misprint on beam table.
New edition or errata sheets correct that.

Attacking Beam Factor
	1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  A  B  C
- - -------------------------------------------
To Hit:	3  4  4  5  5  6  6  7  7  8  8  9

Ship 2 to hit ship 1
same task
Def DM=+4

Off:
Comp=3
Range=0
WpnDM=5 (Same Factor as Ship1 but fired 4 times)

Overall DM is 3+5+0-4=4. Task is Difficult so 11-4=7. Needs 7+ or 6+ with
skill(Junk one Type S).

DAMAGE:
First of all there is a misprint. It should be: (P-93)
 	To penetrate a defense in starship combat:
	Difficult:Off=comp. model size,Defense table DM; Def=comp.model size.
Since in this case there is no defenses we ignore this to go to damage.

Again a misprint(P-94). DMS FOR SHIP DAMAGE TABLES

	* If the weapon inflicting the hit has a UCP factor of....
	 		
is  changed to:
	
	* If the weapon inflicting the hit is a spinal mount apply a DM of +6.

In other words normal weapons(less than A) use the damage table unmodified
except by armor. Unless of course they are nuclear missiles or pulse lasers.
Ship-2 will as stated do in addition 3 crits due to the diff. between
ship2's weapons and ship-1's size.

Any way now both ships damage on the 2-12 part of the chart. Which if you
don't have the errata runs now for -2 or less to 18, instead of 2-22. 
The MT errata is upto 17 pages and still growing. I for one am getting sick of 
it. GDW SHOULD have proof-read their game better. Maybe someone will
get the courage to post it all!!!

	Have fun. Get the errata and good luck.

		Ameer Z. Sulaiman.

P.S. A tentative suggestion may be to post errata for MT 1 page at a time
from different people unless there is s-one out there who has a friend
who types 500wpm+ or an optical reader!!



- ------- End of Forwarded Message

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-------- TML Message #210 --------

Date: Thu, 9 Mar 89 07:54:32 PST
From: ("G. S. THAIN (SAURON'S PRESS ADVISOR") glenn%ssqpfm.DEC@decwrl.dec.com
Subject: Starting Skills
Archive-Message-Number: 210


     It's nice to see the list working again. Thanks James, I know what a pain
this must be, keeping this thing working.

     Anyway, this is in regards to Adrain's note. When determining inital skills
we simply added an extra "one" to the basic skill determination so that you 
start with two and get two for commission, two for promotion and two for your
first term. Then it was standard progression after that. Characters generated 
from Books 4-7 tended to average 13 skill levels, this gives about the same
progression rate for Book 1 and Citizens of the Imperium.

Best,

Glenn


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-------- TML Message #211 --------

Date: Fri, 10 Mar 89 10:23:10 +0100
From: ("Hans Rancke-Madsen.") rancke@diku.dk
Subject: My campaign
Archive-Message-Number: 211


A long time ago I tried getting a submission off for the
Traveller Mailing List. Once I think I managed to get the first
paragraph off, but unfortunately the bulk of the posting (the
interesting part) didn't make it. I gave up, and the list has
been so quiet lately, that I thought it was defunct. But today
I recieved a small sign of life. So, for the fourth or fifth
attempt:

(By the way, I ASSUME this posting didn't make it before, as I
never saw ANY reaction, good, bad or indifferent, to it. If
you've seen it before and simply didn't find it interesting
enough to bother answering, could you please send me mail, so I
know that at least the damn thing made it out? Thank you.)


I wrote (a long time ago):
>  Before we get to the main body of this submission (in which I
>solicit help with my Traveller campaign) there's a small matter
>to take  care of first:  One of my players,  Sven Munther,  has
>recently joined this mailing list.  Would you, when replying to
>this posting, do us the favour of marking the submission plain-
>ly  (like "Rancke's campaign" or "No peeking,  Svend") so Svend
>can avoid getting any  forewarning of the horrors awaiting him?

Oops. It seems that the body of the text didn't make it. Sorry
about that. Here it comes:


(OK, Sven, hit "n" now.)




  I've been  running  a  traveller campaign with a friend for a
couple  of years now,  and we've decided to involve our players
in the ever-popular "Riddle of the Ancients".  But we have some
problems with that.

  For one thing, neither of us are particularily enamoured with
the official version of the riddle. We find it... unconvincing,
to say the least. And not only unlikely, which would not matter
- -  would indeed be a plus  -  if the story was a good one,  but
uncommonly bland and anticlimatic.

  You  may  disagree  about this,  but even if we had liked the
official version;  even if it had been marvelously well-crafted
and intricate tale, a veritable tour-de-force, a masterpiece of
poetic imagination,  it would still  have one  absolutely fatal
flaw: the players know it beforehand.

  So what we've done is to whomp up an alternate version of the
riddle.  We've tried to keep as many of the clues that has been
puplished  in various Traveller adventures as possible,  but we
are not fanatic about it, since our players hasen't encountered
any of the clues yet. What I'd like to ask you, is to point out
weaknesses of the story  (preferably with suggestions on how to
plug the holes)  and especially  suggest embellishments of your
own.  It is our ambition to make  this story the crowning point
of the campaign,  and to provide something **really** memorable
for our players.

  OK, here it is,

               The TRUE Secret of the Ancients!

(Well, ya didn't REALLY believe the one about Grandfather, didya?)

  There were  TWO  ancient races,  and neither of them were the
droyne.  The first were the MASTERS,  amoeboid 4-kilo parasites
capable of taking up residence inside another creature and con-
trolling it's bodily functions  (anybody recoqnize these little
slimeballs? Well, I'm not above borrowing from a master). For a
number of reasons  they preferred  intelligent hosts,  and they
enslaved  most of the  known part  of our galaxy,  annexing the
technology  of their slaves in the process  (this is the reason
for all those diverging technologies found on different Ancient
sites). They experimented on human, lupine and other stock from
Terra and on  numerous other races  from other worlds  in their
efforts to produce  the perfect subject.  They were  altogether
extremely not-nice, and if anyone wonders why I don't call them
Slavers and be done with it, it's because "slavers" is quite an
ackward word in danish.
  To the reptiloid 'STREE,  the manners, outlook, pilosophy and
behaviour of the  Masters  were an  abomination.  Their genetic
manipulations were downright blasphemous. Added to this was the
fact that Masters reproduced about once a century by fissioning
and seemingly lived forever (barring accident or violence).  As
anybody familiar with geometric progressions will know, that is
nothing less than a catastrophy waiting for a chance to happen.
The Masters firm resolve  to enslave any being they could  (and
exterminate any being they couldn't) was real unpopular too. So
shortly after the first  contact with the Masters,  the  'stree
quietly began organizing an extermination program of their own.
  The  'stree was an extremely old race even 300.000 years ago.
They had  been  mostly confined  to  their own planet  by their
concentration  on the social  and psionic  sciencies.  Now they
evolved  their  own  technology  in  record time,  enlisted the
diminutive droyne as troops (most droyne were too small to host
a Master,  and  their  psionic  talents  helped them detect the
caracteristic  double mind of a masterdriven sophont)  and went
to war!

Provisional timeline:

- -300.000 The  Masters thrive.  They transplant humans  to other
         worlds,  experiment on various terran and otherworldly
         fauna in an attempt to breed the perfect "steed",  and
         generally muck about.

- -250.000 Masters contacts  'stree planet;  final war begins and
         lasts for 2.000 years, resulting in the total (total?)
         extermination of the Masters.

- -248.000 The  'stree  retire  to  their  planet leaving droyne,
         vargr and humans to their own devices.

 -75.000 Nadir  of  droyne  race.  The mysterious "Grandfather"
         ('stree wanderers)  visits about  20 droyne worlds and
         introduces the coyns.

     328 Foren Caliphren Doon is marooned on Frisini (later re-
         named Beck's World) in the Regina subsector.  He finds
         an ancient Master stasis field  and releases a Master.
         Establishing proper control of Doon without destroying
         his mind (completely) is difficult,  but  "Number One"
         has both time and patience.

     335 Doon  is  rescued.  Number One  decides  to search for
         other survivors.  As a cover  he makes  Doon establish
         the Octagon Society.

     423 Number One fissions.

     499 Number One  and his  "brother"  Number Two  decides to
         abandon the search and leaves for the core, where they
         intend to infiltrate the very top of Imperial society.
         Unfortunately  (for them)  upper-class  imperials rou-
         tinely employs psionic adepts as security guards,  and
         a Master-driven person is amazingly conspicious to the
         telepatically endowed.

     800 The Masters, now 32 in numbers,  succeeds in provoking
         the psionic suppressions in order to eliminate psionic
         adepts and lessen the risk of exposure. The move works
         to a degree,  but  the highest levels of  the Imperium
         continues to employ psionic adepts in secret.

    1116 The Masters unleashes a plot to eliminate Strephon and
         put a successor that they already controls on the Iri-
         dium Throne. The move is not totally succesful.

Provsional campaign outline:

  The players  are in year 1112 now.  In 1113 they will be sent
on a long exploration voyage into the Foreven and Far Frontiers
Sectors. Here, on the egde of charted space, they will encount-
er the planet of the  'stree,  the first humans to have done so
for six or seven centuries.  On the surface the 'stree seems to
be just another low-tech barbarian culture, and the description
of them will be aimed at reinforcing that impression. You know;
big, strapping, muscular, spear-toting lizard-men wearing loin-
cloths  and tough expressions.  The 'stree elders will take the
opportunity to scan the  player's ship's library data  (child's
play to a cybernectic telepath).  They get suspicious over some
clues to  the existence of the Masters  (Hey,  The Psionic Sup-
pressions were rather conspicuous). They can't be sure, but de-
cides to check it out.  On leaving,  the captain will recieve a
'stree servant ("We have  a parting present for you, Captain.").
If nessessary  with a little  pressure  ("Oh, I couldn't accept
that."  "Very well,  Massa Captain;  in that case we'll have to
excecute him...").

  They should return to  The Spinward Marches in 1116,  just in
time for the s**t to hit the fan. First the 'stree will somehow
manipulate  the  players  into a  round trip of  The Marches in
order to look for proof of the existence of the Masters, culmi-
nating in a visit to Twilights Peak. Next they will have to vi-
sit several of the warring  factions in order to discover which
one is controlled by the Masters. An extremely vicious fight to
eliminate  said Masters follows.  Finally, their  'stree friend
will agree to help them clean up the mess and restore The Impe-
rium, but they'll have to figure out how by themselves.

  Well, there you have it. Any comments?

   Hans Rancke, University of Copenhagen
          ..mcvax!diku!rancke

- --=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

- - I hate it when people call me paranoid.
  It makes me feel persecuted.

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-------- TML Message #212 --------

Date: Thu, 9 Mar 89 23:53:00 PST
From: (Brad Post) c9c-aa@dorothy.berkeley.edu
Subject: Problems
Archive-Message-Number: 212



Well I've been GMing Traveller for a while, and just recently started GMing
a group of guys here in Berkeley.  Now when they were rolling up their 
characters, they were using the new MegaTraveller Rules, and they were all
rolling Naval Enhanced characters, and Merc characters.  Well one thing led
to another, and I of course watched to make sure no "flubbing" of the dice
occured, and all was kosher.  Well on 3 of the 5 guys rolling up Navy personell
shocked me with there characters.  Two of them were Commodores, and one of
them was a Fleet Admiral.  These guys were also only around 44 to 52 years
old.  Now I can't quite understand why anyone would retire at that age, from
the military, with so many benefits, also I'm quite shocked they got that
far in such .... ooops, made a mistake, I was looking at a the other guys,
the ages should be Fleet Admiral (38), Commodore (34), Commodore (42).  Now
the last guy isn't so bad, but a Fleet Admiral at 38!!!!  I think that's
quite incredible, but if you look at at the time period he was in the forces,
He joined during the 5th Frontier War, but still.

My question to all of you is, do you think the rank progression is too fast
in the Enhanced Character Generation.  I mean, if I got Strikes one after
another, it's possible to be an Admiral at age 22-24, if you make all your
promotion rolls.

Don't E-mail me, post it.  That's what this list is for, right?

********************************************************************************
    __-,                               ___ _________
 __(__)|___                    _______/   |________|          "This is where
`----------|_______________---/       `----_____|___           you are supposed
 (      ___+-----------------<---------_____________-----_  <------ to aim,
  `-----                      `-----------'      |  +---_/      right up their
                                            ____/__/___/_____      shaft!"
 Brad Post: bpost@violet.Berkeley.Edu      |   ======        ||
            ...ucbvax!violet!bpost         |_________________||

*******************************************************************************


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-------- TML Message #213 --------

Date: Fri, 10 Mar 89 09:33:11 EST
From: (Charles Martin) martin-charles@yale.arpa
Subject: Starting Skills
Archive-Message-Number: 213


Adrian and Glenn both propose ways to make "normal" generation characters
equivalent in number of skill levels to those generated from Mercenary, etc.

To be heretical, I'll suggest the reverse: "advanced" generation characters
get only two two-year-long "missions" per term instead of four year-long
missions, and thus end up with about the same number of skills as "normal"
generation characters.

Alternatively, for those who don't mind some additional dice rolling,
"advanced" generation characters must roll 7+ for each level gained, with a
DM -current skill level.  This makes high skill-level characters a rarity.
Variation: must roll 8+, DM +current skill level, making specialization the
norm.

Why do this?  Because I think Traveller characters with just a few skills
are more fun to play.  The skills can be used to generate a colorful
background, since that background is constrained enough (by career and
skills) to stimulate the imagination but unconstrained enough (not too many
skills) that the justification isn't boring or ignored.  Using these
techniques, Mercenary characters who want ACR-4 are not going to have a lot
of other skills---they will be combat specialists and that's all.

Related note on skills:  Does anyone else think it odd that characters get
a generic "gun combat" skill where they get to choose the weapon group of
choice while they have no choice as to which "knowledge" skills they will
achieve?  In reality, the reverse seems to be the case: you will be trained
on whichever weapons your unit uses, while you will learn the "science"
that you are most comfortable with.

Charles Martin // INTERNET: martin@cs.yale.edu // BITNET: martin@yalecs.bitnet
UUCP: {cmcl2,harvard,decvax}!yale!martin


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-------- TML Message #214 --------

Date: Fri, 10 Mar 89 21:02:32 MST
From: (SULAIMAN) asulaima@udenva.cair.du.edu
Subject: Re: Problems
Archive-Message-Number: 214



This is in regard to a submission about 22year old Fleet Admirals. If you
read the player's manual carefully, it says that officers get promoted
only ONCE a term unless they get assigned on Special Duty as Military
Attaches. This means that your Average Fleet Admiral will take about 7
terms and will be 48 or so. Theoretically if he burns a load of Brownie
points can get Special Duty every tear or so you can be a 22 year old
Adm. But not by just going on strike missions. NCO can get promoted every
year and sometimes do so but 28 year old Master Gunn Sergeants are rarely
a problem. 90% of the time the above rule restricts officer promo to once
every 4 years. Special duties(as should be) being the only exception. 
I generally tell my players that Fleet Admirals don't go scumming around 
so most PC's are restricted to rank O4(Commander) O5(Captain) at most 
unless u give me an awfully good reason to let you. A Fleet Adm. wanted for
treason or negligence on the run from Naval Int will brighten any
campaign up. But quite a few PC's don't like that view so they can't have it.

	Ameer Z. Sulaiman.


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-------- TML Message #215 --------

Date: Mon, 13 Mar 89 00:36:57 MST
From: (SULAIMAN) asulaima@udenva.cair.du.edu
Subject: MT merchant help
Archive-Message-Number: 215


Hi,

I'm running a MegaTraveller campaign based around a Subsidized Merchant.
I'm beginning to have a few problems with the system for trade.

1. When you are seeking passengers it says as +DM to number of pass.
use source-destin TL. Implying that more people travel from Hi Tech to
Lo Tech worlds. Tourism seems a thought but is there anything else that
may be a reason for the above DM.

2. When you roll on the Cargo Table. How exactly do you know what is
freight and what is cargo? Also their is a vague mention at the end to the 
effect that the resulting cargo is ALL the cargo available on the world.
If that means for a given destination, that's ok but if it means for 
all how do you figure? Merchant Prince implied that what u get from the
table is all Cargo(Speculative kind) if u don't buy it, it becomes 
freight? Thoughts....

3. How has someone else handled a merchant campagn out there?

4.If you have a J-1 ship with extra fuel tanks but you are jumping
across 2 parsecs with passengers. Do you charge them for 2 jumps 
or just one. If there is an 'official' rule to the effect( that I missed)
I'd like to hear of it, also if any personal solutions to the problem.
The Encyc. mentions to the effect that you charge for each jump. But
it doesn't make sense, it seems to assume that you are making a jump 
through an inhabited system so the person can get off. But in many cases
the first jump is to deep space and the next to a system. Seems like a
fleece for passengers and a game bug ready to blow.

Thanx in advance y'all.

	Ameer Z. sulaiman.

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-------- TML Message #216 --------

Subject: Re: Problems
Date: 13 Mar 89 12:17:30 PST (Mon)
From: jamesp
Archive-Message-Number: 216



> Don't E-mail me, post it.  That's what this list is for, right?

Right!  But, I won't add a me-too reponse to one sent to the list
just a day or so ago, which was:

	THOU SHALT LIMIT COMMISSIONED OFFICER PROMOTIONS TO ONCE/TERM.
	EXCEPTION: OFFICER'S SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENTS.

I know, I tripped over this one many times until I read the fine print.

Another thing people trip over and forget to do often is the the Navy's
Specific Assignment Retention rule, which states that you keep the same
specific assignment during the next 1 year on a 1D roll of exactly 6.

James

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Tektronix Digital Systems Division	     "Load Auto/Evade, Beowulf!"
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> Don't E-mail me, post it.  That's what this list is for, right?

Right!  But, I won't add a me-too reponse to one sent to the list
just a day or so ago, which was:

	THOU SHALT LIMIT COMMISSIONED OFFICER PROMOTIONS TO ONCE/TERM.
	EXCEPTION: OFFICER'S SPECIAL DUTY ASSIGNMENTS.

I know, I tripped over this one many times until I read the fine print.

Another thing people trip over and forget to do often is the the Navy's
Specific Assignment Retention rule, which states that you keep the same
specific assignment during the next 1 year on a 1D roll of exactly 6.

James

- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
James T. Perkins		    Traveller Mailing List Administrator
Tektronix Digital Systems Division	     "Load Auto/Evade, Beowulf!"
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INTERNET: traveller-request@dadla.la.tek.com
CSNET:	  @RELAY.CS.NET:traveller-request@dadla.LA.TEK.COM
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-------- End of TML Messages --------

