riff
Initiate Douchebag
Let me check my notes....
Posts: 36
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Post by riff on Apr 1, 2015 23:20:00 GMT -8
Okay, I'm going to do it! I've got a group of good players looking to step away from Pathfinder for a bit, they want into my neat world of other game systems like Fate and Savage Worlds, but the ame I accidentally sold them on is Traveller. See we were talking about licensed games and the official Firefly came up a few times. I mentioned that Traveller pretty much does it "better" and told them about the character gen system and well sold them on the game... only one smallish problem: I don't have Traveller and only kinda grok the system. Now I have time, we aren't gonna just pick this game up next week or anything, but I have committed myself to running a Firefly~esque Traveller for some friends in the "not so distant future."
Now I've done a bit of research on Traveller before, and have been looking for an excuse to add it to my collection for awhile now anyway. Most consensus points me toward the Mongoose version, but what books should I get? Go ahead, give me the big list of "you might like" here, and please tell me what the "gotta haves" are. My plan is to listen to a few actual plays, buy the books, make some test characters with 3-5 "tours of duty" (can't remember the correct term for character building phases, run some mock combats and make sure I grok combat, and use these test batches to kinda establish the backdrop and setting for our mini campaign with hopes of leading to fun and going as long as it needs to.
Also any little tips on things to pay real close attention to while learning the system would be great. I figure I've got a month to learn and acquire this system before we even think of sitting down for serious play, so if I have to go in blind I can, but any of you old hands guidance will be vastly appreciated.
Cheers to you band of n'ere-do-wells for any and all assistance.
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Post by Forresst on Apr 2, 2015 1:40:44 GMT -8
The beauty of Mongoose Traveller is that the only "Gotta-have" book is the basic core rulebook. I believe the dead tree version is out of print, although I *know* you can get the PDF copy straight from Mongoose on their website. My copy is a dead tree version that I found at the FLGS in Quebec City (of all the damn places) for 50% off. So have a poke around if you want the heavy book.
If you're going to be adapting things to the Firefly universe, it's almost pointless to get the other books, IMO, since the majority of the other stuff they printed was tailored to their stock setting and told you all about the spinward marches and how they work. Now, on the other hand, they do have supplemental careers and padded-out options lists for existing careers, so if you know one of your players wants to be a River, for example, you might decide to pick up the one that's all about Psionics. Ultimately, those decisions are for you to make.
I have no idea what, if any, good Traveller APs are out there, aside from Bill's Star Wars Traveller. A while back, people were goobling about one called Close the Airlock, which might have gotten way better, but the audio quality turned me off before I'd gotten a full dozen episodes in.
In Traveller, it is absolutely imperative to make characters together. Even though the character gen system is amazing all by yourself, you really need to have the other players present to start bouncing connections off each other for it to really shine. Also, don't forget to give your players their door prize of skills at the end, it's called a "Crew package" as I recall, and it makes certain the skills required to operate a ship exist in the party.
The one thing I never fully grokked in the system is the annoying planet code things, which are designed to give you all the information you need about a randomly generated planet in 14 characters or less. So I just don't bother with them. I write it out longhand, and I'm done with it. You might have an easier time, but you could also have a cheat sheet for it too.
The grapple rule for Traveller is such: to grapple, the player has to make a strength check, and beat the target's strength stat. IF they succeed, the target is grappled, and suffers a -2 DM to their actions. They can in theory move, but the grappler stays with them. To get out of a grapple, the target has to make a strength check and beat the grappler's strength stat. I know this because one of my players played an old asian man whose best weapon was curry and hugs.
Anyway, uhhh let's see. Traveller is a game that works REALLY WELL with technology. So even though you're playing a face to face game, you might consider opening up a roll20 tabletop for it, because you can then give them ship maps and things like that on their "personal data thing" or "space iPhone" as my friends call them.
When you're setting up the party, if you're playing the gritty game with the bookkeeping, pay real close attention to the monthly expenses and incomes sheets. There's a section that shows you how to set it up, and it can be a little tricky.
Otherwise, your greatest challenge will be to come up with fun stories. What a great challenge to have!
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Post by Forresst on Apr 2, 2015 1:43:31 GMT -8
Oh yeah, I forgot to add: I've made up some templates for generating star system maps and a few other more graphics-oriented resources before. If you're so inclined I can email you the gimp file for the star systems template, and the cheatsheet of planet codes if I can find that damn thing.
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Post by Houndin on Apr 2, 2015 6:13:46 GMT -8
The only thing I'd recommend beyond the core book is the "Central Supply Catalog" also known as Supplement 4. It's got all the gear you could possibly want.
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jaiden0
Journeyman Douchebag
Posts: 131
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Post by jaiden0 on Apr 2, 2015 13:42:49 GMT -8
Agreed with the above. Mongoose main rulebook PDF from drivethroughrpg is all you really need. Central supply catalog is good for gear heads but not required.
For chargen I like the Spica Career books (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/58674/Career-Book-1) since they add a lot more options without adding a lot more cost.
Make a decision if you're allowing psionics going in. Naturally Firefly has it, but you don't have to. Decide if you're aiming for "firefly verse" or "firefly ship scale of events" or "replicating firefly plotline in some way" or "expanded firefly verse... somehow"
Make up rules for travel - either make your own starmap and go with the traveller jump rules, or uh... something else.
there's a NEW firefly system (called Firefly now not Serenity) which is different. I own it and have played it but not read it. I like the traveller universe and the mongoose rules, but i'm not strictly trying to replicate firefly... YMMV
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jaiden0
Journeyman Douchebag
Posts: 131
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Post by jaiden0 on Apr 2, 2015 13:53:12 GMT -8
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riff
Initiate Douchebag
Let me check my notes....
Posts: 36
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Post by riff on Apr 4, 2015 5:06:23 GMT -8
So I ran to the (NS)FLGS and harassed my friends to borrow what they have as evaluation before purchasing and here's what I've laid my grubby little mits on: Core Book (drive thru rpg) Psions (loaner) Mercenary (loaner) Fighting Ships (loaner) Core Catalog (loaner, must buy) Spica Career book 1 (only thing flgs had)
Curious if you recommend the other class~ish books scoundrel, scout, dilettante and the traders and gunboats book.
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riff
Initiate Douchebag
Let me check my notes....
Posts: 36
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Post by riff on Apr 4, 2015 5:09:31 GMT -8
OH! And how's the GM Screen? Worth the investment if I don't really use screens anymore? Let me word that a little better: is the GM screen worth it's price (~$13) as a quick reference guide alone?
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Post by Forresst on Apr 4, 2015 7:58:36 GMT -8
I have no idea what the screen is like. I've never owned a pre-made GM screen ever. I'm sorry I can't help you with that Now, as for the class-ish books... honestly, I'd have a talk with your players before you buy anything, really. If they're all like "WE WANT TO BE EX-MARINES WITH LOTS OF GUNS" and nobody wants to be a dilettante, then there's no sense buying the dilettante book, you know? But on the other hand, let's say I want to be an ex-stripper who can shoot a bitch. (I totes played an ex-stripper with a mean streak and it was awesome) Maybe the scoundrel book is worth it then. I dunno!
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fredrix
Master Douchebag
Posts: 2,142
Preferred Game Systems: Fate, L5R, Pendragon, Gumshoe, Feng Shui
Currently Playing: Pendragon, Song of Ice and Fire, L5R, Feng Shui, Traveller
Currently Running: Fate, Coriolis, Nights Black Agents
Favorite Species of Monkey: 1970's NTV, dubbed by the BBC (though The Water Margin beats it)
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Post by fredrix on Apr 5, 2015 10:03:06 GMT -8
So I ran to the (NS)FLGS and harassed my friends to borrow what they have as evaluation before purchasing and here's what I've laid my grubby little mits on: Core Book (drive thru rpg) Psions (loaner) Mercenary (loaner) Fighting Ships (loaner) Core Catalog (loaner, must buy) Spica Career book 1 (only thing flgs had) Curious if you recommend the other class~ish books scoundrel, scout, dilettante and the traders and gunboats book. You've got more than enough books there. As Forresst says the core book is pretty much all you need. As for running Firefly in Trav, check out my article "Travelling the 'Verse" in season eight of the Signal podcast It suggests some tweak to careers you could make. Noto Bene: It is very easy for players to make money in Traveller. (Broadly because the GM doesn't have time for totting up all the costs of keeping a ship in the black. If they want to play Firefly as a group scratching a livin' on the Rim, Traveller may not be the game for you. (If they want to use the Verse as a setting but finance a new independance war, then it may be the perfect system.)
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