Traveller

I have, on and off, over the last couple of decades run a traveller campaign. Some players have expressed an interest in the timeline, so let's see if I can reproduce it from my limited memory.

Timeline

Approx -300,000: Ancients abound developing many weird and wonderful devices and ships. It is rumoured that one or more of these still exists and that the vessel concerned is capable of Jump-6 without the aid of 60% of the ship being devoted to fuel.It is also believed that the computer system fred dates from this time.
1109: Date of my first campaign. A group of merchants and friends attempt to make a living in the spinward marches. They soon misjump and crash land on a remote system. They only escape when their cargo forces them to repair their 200-ton trader (after which it becomes a 150-ton trader!).
1110: Fifth Frontier War begins. The Zhodani launch a surprise attack on the Imperium aided by Vargr and the sword worlds.
1111: The Zhodani capture Regina, the Spinward Marches sector capital
1112: The capital of the Sword Worlds (Gramm) is devestated by a huge explosion. Riots ensue after it becomes apparent that the rulers cared more about protecting their main computer complex (which survived the explosion) instead of the inhabitants of the surrounding city (which didn't!).
1113: Imperium suffers a major reverse when a dozen stars spontaneously turn in supernovae. Although Darrian action is suspected (and the Imperium breaks off all treaties with the Darrians) nothing is proven. One of the systems lost is the Glisten system which was a major imperial starship construction facility (capable of constructing TL15 ships)
1114: The Zhodani capture Rhylanor, which had only recently become the new sector capital. The Imperials sue for peace with the Zhodani, who agree to sign a new peace treaty. The Imperium moves considerable deterrent force into their remaining portion of the spinward marches and a cold war begins
1119: The Zhodani launch a covert mission into the border worlds on both sides of the imperial/zhodani border. It disappears (although an internal zhodani report suggests that the use of people from planets which had been imperial might have a contributory factor, and certainly was very foolish).
1121: Unusual activity is seen around the ancient sites in the Five Sisters subsector including the recorded disappearance of a merchant vessel
1150: A passenger liner jumping between xxx and Trin's Veil fails to arrive on schedule

Notes on the timeline

As should be noted I run with a different universe to that of either Traveller or MegaTraveller. In my universe the Zhodani won the fifth frontier war and the Civil War never happened (and neither did the virus). I have used the virus as an alternative universe (unsurprisingly the players had needed some encouragement to do the 'right' thing!)

At the time of my latest campaign (dated 1150), the Zhodani/Imperial cold war was just beginning to end. Some more normal contact was being resumed between the Zhodani and the Imperium and there were those considering resuming a 'normal' postal service.

The Vargr were being their usual nuisance to all concerned.

The Sword worlds were worried that they were about to be abandoned by the Zhodani.

The Darrians have had a problem for the last thirty years. How do you convince someone that you didn't blow up twelve stars when your entire defence strategy depends on your enemies knowing that you can!

More and more Aslan have begun to be seen in the Spinward Marches after decades of absence. They pointedly kept out of the fifth frontier war and appear to want to take advantage of the trade possibilities of being a neutral player between the Zhodani and the Imperium.

The fred computer system

An important element in at least two or more of my campaign has been (and may be still is!) the fred computer system. Fred comes in a 20-ton cargo package. Intelligence reports that it contains a TL20 sentient computer system and packs some pretty impressive systems:

Fusion Gun ('Man' Portable)
Gauss Rifle and Pistol equivalent
Black globe generator (although to be fair this needs to be connected to a ship's jump capacitors to be generally useful in ship combat).
Self repair capability

Last updated: March 6, 2021 at 10:58 am