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  1. - Top - End - #1
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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Near Stars Traveller setting

    This is my Traveller setting:
    https://www.deviantart.com/thomasbow...0%3A1567632022
    It is set in the mid 23rd century, the Jump drive was a recent invention, having been discovered 130 years ago. The Maximum tech level is 13 (D). It is a starting point, it needs added details. The year is 2261 AD, Earth is divided politically, not much has changed from the present day. Venus is a settled terraformed planet. Alpha Centauri boasts 3 habitable planets, the rest of the star systems has a mainworld per stellar component. Comments are welcome. What do you think? There are other stars not shown on this map, mostly red dwarfs, I decided to focus on sunlike and larger stars here.

  2. - Top - End - #2
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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Near Stars Traveller setting

    Unlike the official Traveller timeline, there is a longer period of interplanetary colonization prior to the invention of the jump drive. The jump drive gets invented in 2132, prior to that there is one hundred years of interplanetary colonization. First the Moon is colonized, then Mars, the Asteroid belt, Venus, and Mercury, then Saturn and Jupiter in that order. Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are colonized prior to the invention of the jump drive.

    Then there was the missing decade. For 2132 to 2142, no one knows what had happened, all memories and records of that time period were erased, it is theorized that a grey goo type nanotechnology spread across the Solar System erasing all records and memories of what had happened during those ten years, but sometime during those ten years the jump drive was invented and mass produced. The particulars of how the jump drive operated were known, it is just the process of how this technology was discovered that is unknown. A jump drive creates a one way temporary wormhole the pulls the starship through, and is destabilized by the passage of the starship collapsing behind it as it passes. A white hole forms at the destination from which the starship emerges.

    It also turns out that Venus was terraformed in that ten year period. Nobody knows precisely how that occured, but it appears there was some time displacement from the future. While the rest of the Solar System experienced 10 years of missing time, Venus is missing 500 years.

  3. - Top - End - #3
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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Near Stars Traveller setting

    Here is a character i created for this setting, could be a supporting casr character or a pregen pc, it was made with d20 modern/future rules.

    D20 Future character
    Gabriela Swanson
    Human Charismatic hero 2/Telepath 1
    Medium Humanoid
    Init +3; Senses Listen +3, Spot +3
    Languages English, Swedish
    Starting Occupation Heir (Princess)
    Vital Statistics Age 18 Gender Female
    Height 5 ft.. 6 in. Weight 140 lb. Eyes Blue
    Hair Blonde Skin Light
    Defense 17, touch 14, flat-footed 14
    hp 21 (3d6+9)
    Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +4
    Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
    Melee +3 High Frequency Sword (2d6+2/19-20)
    Ranged +4 Laser Pistol (2d8/20)
    Talents/Special Abilities Psionic skills, psionic powers, Charm
    Combat Gear High Frequency Sword, Laser Pistol (50 shots), Light Combat Armor
    Psionic Powers points per day 9
    0th level - first 4 times free, each additional 1 point cost
    Daze
    Far Hand
    RangeMissive
    1st level
    Attraction 1 point cost
    Abilities Str 15, Dex 16, Con 17, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 18.
    Feats Personal firearms proficiency, Simple Weapons proficiency, Deceptive, Wild Talent
    Skills Autohypnosis +3, Bluff +10, Concentration +4, Craft ( writing ) +2, Diplomacy +10, Gather Information +10, Knowledge (art) +2, Knowledge (Behavioral sciences) +2, Knowledge (Current events) +3, Knowledge (Popular culture) +3, Knowledge (Theology and philosophy) +3, Navigate +3, Perform (Act) +5, Perform (Dance) +5, Perform (Keyboards) +5, Perform (Sing) +5, Perform (Stand-up) +5, Perform ( Stringed instruments) +5, Perform (Wind instruments) +5, Pilot +4, Profession +3, Psicraft +2, Sense Motive +3.
    Reputation = +8 Action Points. = 5 Wealth Bonus = +21
    Possessions High Frequency Sword, Laser Pistol, 2 Laser Pistol magazines (50 shots each), Light Combat Armor, Credit Card/Debit Card, Cell Phone, Yacht (Starship)

    Psionic Powers
    Level 0
    Daze Charisma [Compulsion, Mind-Affecting]
    Level: Telepath 0; Display; Mental, Material; Manifestation Time: Attack action; Range : Close (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels); Target: One Person; Duration: 1 round; Saving Throw: Will negates; Power Resistance: Yes; Power Point Cost: 1
    Allegiances
    Venus
    Languages
    Language Read/Write?
    English Yes
    Swedish Yes
    Psionic Powers
    points per day 9
    0th level powers power point cost
    Daze first 4 times free, each additional 1 point cost
    Far Hand first 4 times free, each additional 1 point cost
    Missive first 4 times free, each additional 1 point cost
    1st level powers
    Attraction 1
    Feats
    Personal firearms proficiency
    Simple Weapons proficiency
    Deceptive
    Wild Talent
    Talents/Special Abilities
    Psionic skills, psionic powers
    Charm

    Yacht "Aphrodite" (Type-Y)
    TL12 Tons Crew
    Hull 200 tons, Standard - Pilot, Astrogator
    Armor Armor 0 - Engineer, Medic
    M-Drive Thrust 1 2 Steward
    J-Drive Jump 1 10 Running Costs
    Power Plant Fusion, Power 90 6 Maintenance Cost
    Fuel Tanks 4 weeks operation, J-1, plus 22 Cr5065/month
    Ship's Boat
    Bridge 10 Purchase Cost
    Computer Computer 5 - MCr60.7824
    Sensors Civilian Grade (DM-2) 1
    Weapons - Power Requirements
    Systems Docking Space (4 tons) 5 20 40
    Air-Raft - Maneuver Basic Ship
    Docking Space (30 tons) 33 Drive Systems
    Ship's Boat - 20 1
    ATV 10 Jump Drive Sensors
    Staterooms Standard × 12 48 The yacht is a noble's plaything, used to Luxury × 1 10 entertain friends and undertake political
    Common Areas 32 or commercial missions. The staterooms
    Cargo 11 are all well-appointed but even they fail to
    Fuel Consumption: make the grade in comparison to the luxury
    Jump-1 120 tons stateroom intended for the yacht's owner.
    The yacht carries an air/raft and a ship's
    80 boat within docking compartments; an ATV
    Hull Points is also carried, with the ship's boat being
    used to ferry it from orbit to surface and
    back again.

    Ship's Boat Pegasus Crew
    TL13 Tons Pilot
    Hull 30 tons, Streamlined - Running Costs
    Armor Armor 0 - Maintenance Cost
    M-Drive Thrust 5 2 Cr683/ month
    Power Plant Fusion, Power 30 2
    Fuel Tanks 4 weeks operation 1 Purchase Cost
    Bridge 3 MCr8.192
    Computer Computer 5 -
    Sensors Basic (DM-4) - Power Requirements
    Weapons Fixed Mount - 15 6
    Systems Cabin Space × 6 9 Maneuver Basic Ship
    Drive Systems
    Cargo 11 The ship's boat is both fast and versatile, making it a popular choice for auxiliary
    12 craft. While most commonly seen hauling
    Hull Points small cargo and passenger loads between
    ships and worlds, in smaller militaries the
    ship's boat is also used as a boarding craft
    by marine assault teams.

    Air/Raft
    An open-topped vehicle supported
    by anti-gravity technology. Air/Rafts
    are capable of reaching orbit, but
    passengers must wear vacc suits.
    They are ubiquitous, remarkably
    reliable and flexible vehicles.

    TL 8 Armor
    Skill Flyer (Grav) Front 2
    Agility +1 Sides 2
    Speed (Cruise) High (Medium) Rear 2
    Range (Cruise) 1000 (1500) Equipment and Traits
    Crew 1 Autopilot (Flyer 1), Communications (TL8),
    Passengers 5 Computer/1 (Database), Entertainment
    Cargo 0.25 System, Navigation (Basic), Sensors
    Hull 16 (Basic)
    Shipping 4 tons
    Cost Cr250000
    Note: A cargo carrying version of the air/raft is available.
    This has Crew: 1, Passengers: 0 and Cargo: 1.5 tons.

    All Terrain
    Vehicle (ATV)

    An enclosed, pressurized all-terrain ground
    vehicle. The vehicle is capable of floating on
    calm water, and has a suite of built-in sensors
    and communications equipment (usually a laser
    transceiver) making it ideal for exploration. An
    ATV has a hardpoint for a turret, but does not
    normally come with a weapon

    TL 12 Armor
    Skill Drive (Wheel) Front 6
    Agility -2 Sides 6
    Speed (Cruise) High (Medium) Rear 6
    Range (Cruise) 600 (900) Equipment and Traits
    Crew 1 ATV, Aquatic Drive, Communications (TL8), Computer/1
    Passengers 7 (Database) Navigation (Improved), Sensors
    Cargo 2.5 (Improved), Short term life support, Small turret
    Hull 60
    Shipping 10 Tons
    Cost Cr155000
    Last edited by Tom Kalbfus; 2019-09-05 at 09:28 AM.

  4. - Top - End - #4
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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Near Stars Traveller setting

    Here are the star listings and their attending mainworlds:
    Groombridge 1618
    4.87 parsecs, Right ascension 10h 11m 22.14051s, Declination +49° 27′ 15.2567″; (x, y, z): (3.217, 2.223, 3.701) Mass 0.670 Msol, Luminosity (bolometric) 0.15 Lsol, Spectral Type K7.5 V
    Carmentia 1302 TAS B351669-7 Poor; Climate temperate
    Carmentia is a dense dry planet, the main economic activity is in mining heavy metals, gravity is about 0.38g same as Mars, the planet has a Mars like appearance with small bodies of water.

    Proxima Centauri
    1.302 parsecs, Right ascension 14h 29m 42.94853s, Declination −62° 40′ 46.1631″; (x, y, z): (-1.034, -0.791, -1.143) Mass 0.1221 Msol, Luminosity (bolometric) 0.0017Lsol, Spectral Type M5.5V
    Minerva 5106 Scout DA8A330-8 Low population, water world; Climate temperate.
    Minerva is a super-Earth almost completely covered with ocean, there are a few islands, gravity is high and living here is uncomfortable with a dense atmosphere, but some people choose to live here. There is one inhabited island with a population of 1927 people, it is a volcanic island, but the island hasn't been volcanic recently. There are varieties of flying fish like animals that swim through their air with their large wing-like fins and are equally at home under water. There is very little land on this planet. Minerva is also landlocked, there are flare shelters for humans on the island, as Proxima Centauri flares quite often, the oceans protect undersea creatures from the flares, when they intensify, creatures simply swim to deeper waters.

    Alpha Centauri
    1.340 parsecs, Right ascension 14h 39m 35.06311s, Declination –60° 50′ 15.0992″; (x, y, z): (-1.028, -0.859, -1.151)
    A Mass 1.100 Msol, Luminosity 1.519 Lsol, Spectral Type G2V
    Aurora 4405 TAS [B]A867870-C Garden, High tech, Rich; Climate Temperate.
    Aurora is an Earth-clone world, there is Earthlife adapted to the Auroran environment. Aurora has a similar daylegth as Earth and a similar seasonal cycle but a longer year of over 400 days. There is no Moon orbiting Aurora, but the second sun in the night sky makes a good substitute.
    B Mass 0.907 Msol, Luminosity 0.5002 Lsol, Spectral Type K1V
    Prometheus 3401 Naval, TAS A565843-C High tech, Rich; Climate Temperate.
    Prometheus is a dryer world than Aurora, it is known for its giant avian creatures, sometimes referred to as dragons, enabled by its low gravity.


    The Solar System
    0.000 parsecs, Right ascension N/A, Declination N/A; (x, y, z): (0.000, 0.000, 0.000) Mass 1.000 Msol, Luminosity (bolometric) 1.0000 Lsol, Spectral Type G2 V.
    Venus 5505 Naval, Research, TAS A8879C7-C Garden, High population, High tech; Climate hot.
    Venus is a hot jungle world, it has 100% cloud cover except for a few mountains that are high enough to peak above the cloud decks at times. the surface near the oceans are unbearably hot for humans, most of which choose to live on mountain tops of floating cities. There are a lot of psionic individuals on this planet, they make up the ruling class.
    Earth 5505 Naval, Research, TAS A867A74-C Garden, High population, High tech; Climate temperate.
    Earth is divided up into nations, each one is a space power unto itself, they tend to have their own navies and starports. The major nations on the planet's surface are North America, Europe, India, China and South America. these hove populations in the billions and they compete with each other for colonies and resources in space.
    Last edited by Tom Kalbfus; 2019-09-06 at 12:32 PM.

  5. - Top - End - #5
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    Default Re: Near Stars Traveller setting

    As someone who's given this some thought and has his money on 61 Cygni for the first extrasolar life found (no planets so far, but the game's not over yet) I can appreciate this setting.

    One of the things that worries me is that in general the reason to have only a small number of nearby stars in a setting is that transport is difficult. If transport is not difficult there's no reason to stay there, difficult transport is a big flavor component of near future settings. But if transport is difficult that could hinder your game and make the setting less interesting to play in. I don't know the system, but is there a possibility in it to work only with jump gates or interstellar highways or somesuch?

    The other main thing I want to remark is that if you want to include the red dwarfs in some way you could have them be home to space stations rather than habitable planets. Or you could park some space station worlds in the systems you have now, just to get that kind of setting in there. Planets are inefficient from a future culture's point of view. They spend too much mass on gravity generation, and too little on inhabitable surface area. So there could be some animosity between the mass hogging planet inhabitars and the canned humans in the sky.
    Last edited by Lvl 2 Expert; 2019-10-02 at 07:24 AM.

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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Near Stars Traveller setting

    Quote Originally Posted by Lvl 2 Expert View Post
    As someone who's given this some thought and has his money on 61 Cygni for the first extrasolar life found (no planets so far, but the game's not over yet) I can appreciate this setting.

    One of the things that worries me is that in general the reason to have only a small number of nearby stars in a setting is that transport is difficult. If transport is not difficult there's no reason to stay there, difficult transport is a big flavor component of near future settings. But if transport is difficult that could hinder your game and make the setting less interesting to play in. I don't know the system, but is there a possibility in it to work only with jump gates or interstellar highways or somesuch?

    The other main thing I want to remark is that if you want to include the red dwarfs in some way you could have them be home to space stations rather than habitable planets. Or you could park some space station worlds in the systems you have now, just to get that kind of setting in there. Planets are inefficient from a future culture's point of view. They spend too much mass on gravity generation, and too little on inhabitable surface area. So there could be some animosity between the mass hogging planet inhabitars and the canned humans in the sky.
    A tin can orbiting another star is just as good as a tin can orbiting our own. Location becomes not important when your living in a spinning tin can, so you might as well save yourself the trouble and stay in the Solar System. if transportation is difficult then something needs to be worth while visiting in order to justify the cost of getting there.

    There is a theory that planet 9 could be a primordial black hole instead.
    https://www.space.com/planet-nine-an...le-theory.html
    If it could be that, why not a wormhole as well? this wormhole would have ten Earth masses, and it would have to be stretched into a disk in order to safely travel through. You would be going near the speed of light as you travel through and their would be some time dilation as well felling into and falling out of a wormhole. So the amount of time that passes in the Universe would be greater than that experienced by the passengers using this wormhole.

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    HalflingPirate

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    Default Re: Near Stars Traveller setting

    The idea of a tin can instead of a planet has merit, especially when the prospect of a long-term terraforming project is the purpose of the colony. Some other ideas:

    A mining colony seeking asteroids with exotic materials not available elsewhere, such as Traveller's Lanthanum, which is both rare and only available naturally, usually around dwarf red stars.

    A colony fleeing from a bad situation with nowhere better to go. Political and natural disasters come to mind, but religious purposes, cultural isolation, or simply a hermit who accidentally founded a colony while trying to get away from it all come to mind.

    Living space in a system otherwise full of people. Once you're on a space colony, does it really matter where the colony is? The difference between a space colony and a space ship is a thruster. After that, why does it matter how long it takes to get there?

    Multi-generation colony project. The colony ship may be 'passing through' and has stopped for a generation to refuel and resupply, or a colony ship may have done so in the past and dropped off some colonists. (Volunteers, misfits, and/or strandees.)

    Scientific station observing some natural phenomenon which makes planetary colonization unwise or unnecessary. Observing a planet with a robust biome, for example, might be best from a colony if the natives like the flavor of Earth life. A wildly variable star that periodically wipes out life on half a planet might be worthy of study... from a distance.

    It may be culturally imperative that people remain on a space station rather than colonize a planet. Such reasons as genetic selection for agoraphobia, either accidentally or purposely, or a cultural bias in favor of dense living conditions may make world colonization difficult. They may be raising a generation who can land and begin to make a world-based colony that works.

    Manufacturing colonies which would pollute a world but which can be operated in space with greater safety.

  8. - Top - End - #8
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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Near Stars Traveller setting

    Quote Originally Posted by brian 333 View Post
    The idea of a tin can instead of a planet has merit, especially when the prospect of a long-term terraforming project is the purpose of the colony. Some other ideas:

    A mining colony seeking asteroids with exotic materials not available elsewhere, such as Traveller's Lanthanum, which is both rare and only available naturally, usually around dwarf red stars.

    A colony fleeing from a bad situation with nowhere better to go. Political and natural disasters come to mind, but religious purposes, cultural isolation, or simply a hermit who accidentally founded a colony while trying to get away from it all come to mind.

    Living space in a system otherwise full of people. Once you're on a space colony, does it really matter where the colony is? The difference between a space colony and a space ship is a thruster. After that, why does it matter how long it takes to get there?

    Multi-generation colony project. The colony ship may be 'passing through' and has stopped for a generation to refuel and resupply, or a colony ship may have done so in the past and dropped off some colonists. (Volunteers, misfits, and/or strandees.)

    Scientific station observing some natural phenomenon which makes planetary colonization unwise or unnecessary. Observing a planet with a robust biome, for example, might be best from a colony if the natives like the flavor of Earth life. A wildly variable star that periodically wipes out life on half a planet might be worthy of study... from a distance.

    It may be culturally imperative that people remain on a space station rather than colonize a planet. Such reasons as genetic selection for agoraphobia, either accidentally or purposely, or a cultural bias in favor of dense living conditions may make world colonization difficult. They may be raising a generation who can land and begin to make a world-based colony that works.

    Manufacturing colonies which would pollute a world but which can be operated in space with greater safety.
    Tin cans are smaller and more numerous. and since they move around significantly in the Solar System, they are hard to map, unlike say, stars in a galaxy. Imagine having a whole "galaxy" of O'Neill cylinders, each one represented by a tiny little dot, and having to track each one of those dots as they orbit the Sun, it is much easier to deal with just nine planets. So your scenario is more realistic, but its hard to implement as a game setting, unless you have a computer and suitable software to map each habitat, for a pen and paper gamer however, I don't think it can be done.
    Last edited by Tom Kalbfus; 2019-10-06 at 04:43 PM.

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    Default Re: Near Stars Traveller setting

    Quote Originally Posted by Tom Kalbfus View Post
    Tin cans are smaller and more numerous. and since they move around significantly in the Solar System, they are hard to map, unlike say, stars in a galaxy. Imagine having a whole "galaxy" of O'Neill cylinders, each one represented by a tiny little dot, and having to track each one of those dots as they orbit the Sun, it is much easier to deal with just nine planets. So your scenario is more realistic, but its hard to implement as a game setting, unless you have a computer and suitable software to map each habitat, for a pen and paper gamer however, I don't think it can be done.
    I don't know what the game system requires you to track for every place, but couldn't you just say something like "61 Cygni A hosts 3 major cores of population, a planet at 0.31 AU, a large military warp travel I don't know make something up installation trailing in the planet's L3 Lagrange point on the opposite side of the star and a disperse cloud of mining vessels and colonies in the system's deuterium and iron rich asteroid belt at 1.2 AU. (If you want to, this gives you enough information to find how often each of these habitats has a traditional launch window to and from the planet, should be well under a year given how close the planet sits to the star.) Aside from this the only traffic in the system are incoming and outgoing vessels and a handful of long term science missions. 61 Cygni B and all of its orbits are the private property of an obscenely rich company that keeps coming up with technology a full generation ahead of what everyone else is doing." (Okay, maybe that last part is a bit over the top.)

    It's a bit more work, but it could give the different systems their own distinct flavor.
    Last edited by Lvl 2 Expert; 2019-10-07 at 02:25 AM.

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    HalflingPirate

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    Default Re: Near Stars Traveller setting

    Character: IRA

    The merchant vessel had very specific demands on its power plant, so when the engineer detected a megawatt drain on the power plant all hands were called upon to search for the cause.

    As it turned out, the cause was a one ton shipping container which had been plugged into the ship's plasma distribution network. But the shipping container was not on the cargo manifest, nor was the plasma cable feeding power to it installed by anyone on the crew.

    Opening the container reveals a half-ton 100Mw power capacitor, 300kg of spare parts for a Model IRA 1976 Mk 29 robot, and a Model IRA 1979 Mk 29 robot.

    The Intergalactic Robotics Corporation was a mildly successful company which went bankrupt after a slow decline. Its Android series of robots never sold well enough to sustain the company as it simultaneously lost shares of the automated factory industry to companies more focused on industrial automation, which had been Intergalactic's bread and butter in the previous century. Intergalactic was bought out by Integrated Technology Solutions which ended production of expensive androids and quickly became a major player in the field of industrial robotics.

    The robot tries to pretend it is deactivated until someone tries to open it up to diagnose what is wrong with it. At that point it will animate and do its best to convince those around it that it is fleeing those who want to erase it's neural network and repurpose its components. It insists it will be murdered if the crew doesn't keep it secret.

    The truth is, its former owners were killed in a mining accident shortly after it ran away, (not because of anything the robot did,) and Integrated Technology wants nothing to do with a failed android product. There is nobody who is even aware the android even survived the disaster, and the mining company's debts were paid off through sale of other assets. The robot is debt free and unowned.

    Integrated Robotics Android is shortened to IRA on the shipping container. It is equipped with an advanced positronic neural net in a large human-sized body. It is designed to carry loads up to 220 kg, and has two medium anthromorphic arms each with a 110kg capacity. Its right arm has a nested light duty, 25kg capacity arm which articulates from the elbow when in use and which fits into a pocket on its inner forearm when not in use like the blade of a pocket knife. This smaller arm and hand is useful for fine and/or detailed work.

    IRA was programmed with the following skills:
    Personality Emulation 1, Administration 1, Engineering 1, Electronics 3, Mechanics 3, Security 1, Steward 1
    (It has open slots for two more ranks of skills programs.)

    IRA has the equivalent of the following attributes:
    STRENGTH: 12
    DEXTERITY: 9
    ENDURANCE: 15 (is never fatigued)
    INTELLIGENCE: 13
    EDUCATION: 13
    SOCIAL STANDING: 1 (anthromorphic robots are despized by the poor who fear to lose their jobs and by the wealthy who would rather humans to humiliate with dreary chores.)

    IRA was programmed in Security by a second party programmer who, in trying to give the robot subjective decision-making ability, accidentally introduced a paranoia in the robot. Other than this, which will be triggered by offers to repair or reprogram it, it is a perfectly functional robot.

    Due to the limits of technology, IRA is incapable of truly independent creative thought, though it does have a broad list of possible actions and a reasoning subroutine.

    Otherwise it is 2m tall, 150kg, and matte grey in color. It is waterproof but cannot swim or float. Its internal power supply has an endurance of 20 hours before requiring a 4 hour recharge, with more frequent recharges required when exerting itself.

    Its personality is that of an eager teenager.

  11. - Top - End - #11
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    PaladinGuy

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    Default Re: Near Stars Traveller setting

    Quote Originally Posted by brian 333 View Post
    Character: IRA

    The merchant vessel had very specific demands on its power plant, so when the engineer detected a megawatt drain on the power plant all hands were called upon to search for the cause.

    As it turned out, the cause was a one ton shipping container which had been plugged into the ship's plasma distribution network. But the shipping container was not on the cargo manifest, nor was the plasma cable feeding power to it installed by anyone on the crew.

    Opening the container reveals a half-ton 100Mw power capacitor, 300kg of spare parts for a Model IRA 1976 Mk 29 robot, and a Model IRA 1979 Mk 29 robot.

    The Intergalactic Robotics Corporation was a mildly successful company which went bankrupt after a slow decline. Its Android series of robots never sold well enough to sustain the company as it simultaneously lost shares of the automated factory industry to companies more focused on industrial automation, which had been Intergalactic's bread and butter in the previous century. Intergalactic was bought out by Integrated Technology Solutions which ended production of expensive androids and quickly became a major player in the field of industrial robotics.

    The robot tries to pretend it is deactivated until someone tries to open it up to diagnose what is wrong with it. At that point it will animate and do its best to convince those around it that it is fleeing those who want to erase it's neural network and repurpose its components. It insists it will be murdered if the crew doesn't keep it secret.

    The truth is, its former owners were killed in a mining accident shortly after it ran away, (not because of anything the robot did,) and Integrated Technology wants nothing to do with a failed android product. There is nobody who is even aware the android even survived the disaster, and the mining company's debts were paid off through sale of other assets. The robot is debt free and unowned.

    Integrated Robotics Android is shortened to IRA on the shipping container. It is equipped with an advanced positronic neural net in a large human-sized body. It is designed to carry loads up to 220 kg, and has two medium anthromorphic arms each with a 110kg capacity. Its right arm has a nested light duty, 25kg capacity arm which articulates from the elbow when in use and which fits into a pocket on its inner forearm when not in use like the blade of a pocket knife. This smaller arm and hand is useful for fine and/or detailed work.

    IRA was programmed with the following skills:
    Personality Emulation 1, Administration 1, Engineering 1, Electronics 3, Mechanics 3, Security 1, Steward 1
    (It has open slots for two more ranks of skills programs.)

    IRA has the equivalent of the following attributes:
    STRENGTH: 12
    DEXTERITY: 9
    ENDURANCE: 15 (is never fatigued)
    INTELLIGENCE: 13
    EDUCATION: 13
    SOCIAL STANDING: 1 (anthromorphic robots are despized by the poor who fear to lose their jobs and by the wealthy who would rather humans to humiliate with dreary chores.)

    IRA was programmed in Security by a second party programmer who, in trying to give the robot subjective decision-making ability, accidentally introduced a paranoia in the robot. Other than this, which will be triggered by offers to repair or reprogram it, it is a perfectly functional robot.

    Due to the limits of technology, IRA is incapable of truly independent creative thought, though it does have a broad list of possible actions and a reasoning subroutine.

    Otherwise it is 2m tall, 150kg, and matte grey in color. It is waterproof but cannot swim or float. Its internal power supply has an endurance of 20 hours before requiring a 4 hour recharge, with more frequent recharges required when exerting itself.

    Its personality is that of an eager teenager.
    Interesting character. Which version of Traveller do you play? I got Mongoose Traveller 1st and 2nd edition, and I also can get access to the classic rules as well. Terraforming is a bit ambitious. So lets say that in the 23rd century, the Jump drive was invented about 120 years ago in the 22nd century, there was a period of interplanetary settlement in the Solar System, some slower that light starships were launched, and many of them are still on their way to their destinations, having not yet arrived yet. The cheapest sort of starship back then was the low berth starship or sleeper ship those continued on their journeys even after the Jump drive was invented, and many continue to arrive in system after system, some of which already have settlers in them.

    The larger sort of starship is the generation starship, these contain live crews and passengers, they live their entire lives aboard these starships, which are huge, about the size of O'Neill colonies, artificial gravity was invented shortly before the Jump drive, but many of these ships produce their simulated gravity through rotation, and the bigger the better. Artificial gravity, the maneuver drive and the jump drive revolutionized space travel.

    Some of these generation ships may have done some experimentation with AI technology. What if one of these generation ships arrived in a populated system with true AI, but with Maneuver drives, artificial gravity and the Jump drive being unknown to them? There could be a bunch of androids locally manufactured on board. The generation ship has a fusion torch drive instead of a maneuver drive, it is spotted on the outskirts of a system slowing down at 0.01g, there is an orbital starport awaiting ahead, and the generation ship slowing down is as big as that starport. About one million inhabitants on the generation ship wait as it slowly matches orbits with the orbital starport. What do you think would happen next?

    There is an interesting setting, the atmosphere of Titan. You could have an inflatable spinning habitat in its atmosphere, since the atmosphere blocks radiation and provides pressure the walls can be thin and light at it would float with heated air inside as it spins for gravity, just something to think about.
    Last edited by Tom Kalbfus; 2019-10-10 at 12:09 PM.

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