Random Travelling
Low-prep Traveller gaming driven by random dice rolls to find location, Patron, encounters etc. and then improvising the rest on the night.
Game Logs
Random Travelling Log for the crew of the I.S. Ryan.
Diplomatic Action with the crew of the Black Star.
Resources
Character Sheets
The expanded character sheet: TAS Personal Data and History character sheet (pdf, v0.91) (with old XP rules)
The expanded character sheet: TAS Personal Data and History character sheet (pdf, v0.92) (with new XP rule reminders)
Experience System
The 3 levels system from totally random to specific choice: Traveller XP (pdf, v0.4) (now with added Leadership!)
Rules
What prep is done?
Each week I usually:
- randomly roll for a destination system within 3 parsecs of the current system
- advance the timeline by the amount of time it would take to get there
- read the canon for the system to see if immediate inspiration strikes
- if not I'll roll for a starship encounter to see if anything interesting or session filling comes up
- if not then I'll roll a random Patron encounter to be the adventure
- I'll also usually roll for a 'colour' starship encounter if the main adventure isn't one already
There is usually a day or two at work to think through a few things so that the nights not totally improvised.
Character Creation
The initial characters were rolled up in Mongoose Traveller and converted to Phudge.
The extra two characters were created directly in Phudge using the Mongoose careers as outlined below.
The Phudged Mongoose Traveller Character Generation Worksheet (pdf, v0.1) could be very useful.
- Roll attributes with 3dF against Fair
- Roll a random homeworld or select one from the list provided - gain 3 Mediocre background skills as per MGT p6
- Select a career that the characters stats match reasonably well to and roll 2d3 for the number of successful terms (rule of thumb - 2 of the 3 beneficial stats are Fair or better)
- Successful Terms
- Basic Training: For 1st term in first career gain all service skills at Mediocre; for subsequent careers gain 1 service skill at Mediocre
- roll 1d6 and choose 1 skill from all the skills at that number on the tables the character qualifies for
- survival and advancement are automatic
- roll for an event each term. +x to advancement is automatic extra advancement.
- Roll for mustering out after each term
- At the end of the characters Successful Terms roll a Mishap to end their career or continue into Risky Terms.
- Risky Terms
- roll for survival and advancement (5- Mediocre, 6-8 Fair, 9+ Good)
- if survived roll for an event each term. For +x to advancement divide x by 2
- Ageing is automatic at the end of each term: choose one physical attribute to lower by 1 level. If term 9 or higher lower a mental attribute as well.
- Finish off your character with two connections (gain 1 skill level in any skill for each connection - can't raise a skill above Good) and 1 package skill at Fair (either from groups package or any skill).
Ship Shares
Player with the most spends 1 to get base level ship of the most appropriate type to their career from the table below.
The ship starts with 40 years of mortgage owed; in Mediocre condition; and with no small craft or vehicles.
Each remaining share can be spent for one of:
- Reduce mortgage by 5% of total
- Raise the ship condition by one level
- Upgrade the ship type
- add a vehicle or small craft the ship is fitted for
| Starship Type | Scout | Merchant | Noble | Science | Warship |
| Initial Ship | Scout | Free Trader | Modified Scout | Modified Scout | Modified Far Trader |
| Modified Far Trader | Far Trader | Modified Free Trader | Modified Free Trader | Modified Liner |
| Survey Ship | Fat Trader | Modified Far Trader | Modified Far Trader | Patrol Cruiser |
| Liner | Yacht | Lab Ship | Close Escort |
| Mercenary Cruiser |
Equipment Conversion
Armour
| MGT Protection | Phudge AV |
| 1-2 | 1 |
| 3-4 | 2 |
| 5-7 | 3 |
| 8-12 | 4 |
| 13-14 | 5 |
| 15-16 | 6 |
| 17-18 | 7 |