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Character Generator

In preparation for running a new Traveller Campaign, The GK Strategem, I've created a Mongoose Traveller V2 Character Creator and a Trade Calculator. This new campaign will be in an alternate universe to that described below (mostly because my memory of those campaigns has faded to the level of mostly gone!)

Other tools I've created

I've also created two other tools:

• Mongoose Traveller 2e Trade
• Traveller Message Tracker

Timeline

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.

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: August 2, 2026 at 15:37 pm

I'm running a new traveller campaign - pages about it can be found here:

• Character Back Histories
• Traveller Session 1
• Detached Duty Contract Terms
• Traveller Session 2
• Traveller Session 3
• Traveller Session 4
• Traveller Session 5
• Traveller Session 6
• Traveller Session 7
• Traveller Session 8
• Traveller Session 9
• Traveller Session 10
• Traveller Session 11
• Traveller Session 12
• Traveller Session 13
• Traveller Session 14
• Traveller Session 15
• Traveller Session 16
• Traveller Session 17
• Traveller Session 18
• Traveller Session 19
• Traveller Session 20
• Traveller Session 21
• Traveller Session 22
• Traveller Session 23
• Traveller Session 24
• Traveller Session 25

Game Date

307-1105

Location

Elixabeth

Naval Intelligence Investigation Report

Personal Notes - Aurelius Cassian - Valet to Viscount Iim Davide Urast of New Rome

Game Date

299-1105

Location

Datrillian → Elixabeth

We have completed 8 weeks of education. I managed to level up my Engineer (Power) to 2. Two study periods completed. will need 3 training sessions for next level. My next study period will be in Gun Combat (slug) for level 1.

Cyn chats with his patient to try and get some more information, he is willing to share some information as recompense for the care she provided him.

We emerge into the Datrillian system and run a passive scan, there is the Gas Giant + 3 ships in system. We plot course for Gas Giant for refuelling and our sensors pick up nothing initially. We get into range for collecting our fuel and this time sensors pick up something else in the outer edge of the atmosphere, it is less than 100 tons but it is maneuvring. We have gone as deep into the atmosphere as we are prepared to go, Masuyo asks me to speed up the process, I am not successful this time. But I will continue to work on it. If I fail it will lengthen the refining time by number of dice roll x 1 hour. Scooping is going well with only 20 minutes left. Fuel collected.

Departing the gas giant

I finally manage to reduce our refining time to 18 hours. so we determine that we need 12 hours more in Gas Giant before leaving atmosphere to head for jump point. Some of us decide to rest while fuel is refining. The strange vessel is apparently shadowing us and is transmitting data, it managed to somewhat catch up to us but our pilot has managed to out maneuver it among the moons around Gas Giant. A faint dot remains behind us and I have a vague memory from my naval career that gas giants can be mined by mineboats, 50 ton ships which are armed with sensor suites, weapons and are unmanned, working in concert around Gas Giants. We can jam it's comms, but it will give away our position. What can we jettison to cause a sensor confusion to aid our escape if necessary? The Vodka & air raft scrap are prepared by the airlocks for potential jettisoning. All non required crew work on this.

Chase does appear to be keeping ahead of the object enough that it cannot get a targeting solution. How close does it have to be to get a lock on us? As we are most of the way to the jump point hopefully this precautionary measure will not be necessary. We are managing to keep ahead of it. We make it to the jump point and successfully Jump to Elixabeth. (Jump 2).

The Jump to Elixabeth and our exit for Jump are both smooth. Two Imperial ships are near High Port. We comm them re Invasion, but they inform us we are not able to land, but they do appear to be concerned about our report. The Anya Vaaska (3,000 ton) asks us to bear on a 260 heading. We are to be boarded. We need our passenger on bridge ASAP. We rendezvous with the shuttle which docks with us and we welcome crew aboard, we all take them to the common room while others search ship. They wish to verify our ID's which all marry up. Nothing flagging up wrongly. Navy guy is searching for contraband but they find none aboard.

We are ordered to pull up alongside the destroyer while inquiry carried out. Viscount Lim needs the information we have for him ASAP this matter needs dealt with now. Navy Lt comms the Cruiser Zairlur and lets us know that we will get him transferred. The inquiry will be carried out here also. We scrape some paint from the cruiser as we pull up alongside it, the Zairlur is 54,000 tons.

Game Date

283-1105

Location

567-908 → Bowman

Most of us continue with our studies while in jump space

Our paranoia is high throughout our jumps due to the nature of our departure from the invasion zone. We all take up appropriate stations as we approach our exit point. Masuyo hears comms from another scout ship the Ready Reckoner which is about to take off, she contacts them and asks for a meeting asking them to stay for a while and wait for us, but another ship enters system. A system wide announcement from the Zhodani ship, This is Fleet Courier Sovereign Sentinel, this system is now under the protection of the Zhodani protectorate, all vessels are to please land on the planet for inspection. or some such.

Long range view of the battle

We are too far away for them to wait so we tight beam a package to them as they take off and threaten the Zhodani ship, Tharbin surreptitiously asks if we should tell them where we are going? No. There are two ships on planet and the 400 ton ship that just entered behind us. The new arrival runs an active scan and we also run a scan back. The Ready Reckoner and the Zhodani ship begin to trade fire in an all out space battle.

Can we go under water, if so how far and for how long? We can but only but to about 6 feet or so, we debate our options. Hide in the ocean, pose as Merchants or hide in asteroids. We opt to skim the ocean then head for the asteroids to refine fuel then jump 1 for Bowman. We cut our skim time to 45 mins.

The fight between the Zhodani & Ready Reckoner continues and we make our way toward the asteroid belt. After a while the Ready Reckoner is disabled and lies dead in space.

Captain has been sent an email¹, x2 from Scout Service & Anders Casari, and an email to Junebug re Thaddeus Kessler:

The bowman system has five asteroid belts. This image shows one of them in the distance while the asteroid used as cover is visible nearby

Bowman is our destination We use the asteroid field to help disguise our departure, we wait 8 hours for star port to get around the terminator of the planets rotation then we make our escape. The passenger demands to know what is happening and is promptly told to sit down and shut up and not ask questions. He is not happy about it.

Junebug is composing emails, I would like to resume training.

Marines aware of a connection between Kessler & Vexar. Data Drive has a personal appeal recording from the Viscount. The other half of the data is about the state of Imperium of Spinward Marches & Darrian Confederation, Sword Worlds, 5 sisters & District 268.

Engines are in good condition. We approach our exit point, we emerge successfully, around 30 mins from gas giant Bowman Prime, passive scans, we tight beam the Scout base with our information on Zhodani Invasion and send them the info. No refined fuel available for us as the belters bought it all up. Masuyo warns them about possible Zhodani ships entering the systems due to what happened at 567-908. We plan to refuel at the Gas Giant and to Jump to Datrillian, then on to Elixabeth. Refuelling complete, we plot our course and enter Jump Space. We let our passenger know that we are now heading directly to Elixabeth as his info is now considered vital at this point.

Game Date

267-1105

Location

Iderati → Debarre

We are aboard the Hope and preparing to depart. I am in the Engine room, Chase and Tharbin on the Bridge, Cyn is taking the injured man to the Med bay: Junebug and Masuyo are in the control room of the Docking area. Junebug has a look around to see where people are gathering, Security are preventing more people getting into 'the docking area except those that are supposed to be in this area; crew members and passengers. We decide we can take 12 extra people on our vessel: We will set most of them up in the common area and 4 into the extra staterooms. We make the decision to jump to Debarre first and drop off our extra passengers, we insist that none of them have any weapons on board, they agree and we lock them away for safety after they have been tagged. Chase starts the lift off process while completing the final checks- Masuyo sets the door timer to twenty minutes instead of fifteen minutes, Imperious person demands to be let out immediately claiming priority, Masuyo cuts them of, she then runs for the Hope. asking chase to put us in front of the Liner that is trying to leave before everyone else. Several other ships activating their lifts in preparation for leaving. Chase makes our final preparations.

Tharbin determines that the Liner is powering up weapons. Free Trader (pad 18) also taking off. Liner are heading for the exit. The Liner is moving faster than us and taking up most of the docking area's entrance/exit, Liner is claiming priority anyone getting in the way will be blasted, but there is still room for both us and the Free Trader to leave as well - The other Scout ship also joins us before inner air lock closes, then outer airlock door opens and we all depart and move to Jump distance ASAP. The other Scout ship is in bad shape and is out last. Incoming call from Mamon, can you inform 3rd Imperium and or Darrian Confederation about this attack. We plan to do so. Excellent good luck.

A view of the flight of missiles attacking the Vagabond's Hope. Luckily all but one missed!

A vessel in system some distance away from us have launched missiles against us (800 ton) three missiles heading for us Tharbin manages to disable one of them, (Captain Vexar's men), another missile is disabled leaving one more missile which hits us. I ask for a damage report the outer hull is damaged but it has not compromised the integrity of the ship, our hull integrity has fallen from 80 to 66. Nothing else is coming for us but a largish space battle happening and troop transports are heading for the station. We finally make it to our Jump point and successfully make our Jump to Debarre. A major Zhodani force hit Iderati and the Imperium is losing the battle. Not a full blown Zhodani invasion fleet, only a secondary fleet. Masuyo determines that Flammarion may not be safe for the time being.

Cyn is making his patient comfortable, he is stable but still unconscious. Earl is debriefing the extra passengers. After two days the patient is conscious again and was a Tennis superstar several years ago, he now works for a Viscount and needs to get back to him. He is Zivinkan - while the Viscount is Viscount Iim Davide Urast of New Rome. Viscount hosting meetings in Elixabeth. Tharbin thinks he may know who the Viscount is he is checking his files and messages. The Viscount is quite high up the Nobility on Glisten and involved in politics, if interested in politics he would be known to most of us in some way shape or form- Possible forewarning of the attack? War is good for business after all. We prepare to exit Jump and head for the Gas Giant for refuelling. No objects in system that seem out of the ordinary. We contact star port control and apprise them of the situation and ask for the Planetary Governor, life and death situation, another ship emerging from Jump some distance behind us (400 tons) active scan as per protocol, Masuyo tries to identify the ship (200 tons) possible Free Trader. We land at Down port as instructed, we meet a small greeting party as we land and prepare our passengers for debarkation - The three people approach cautiously We explain about the life and death situation he introduces himself as the Planetary Governor. We have an urgent matter we need to attend to so please take these refugees off our hands and help us expedite refuelling and resupplying us. They seem to be very unprepared for our request, only have one house that acts as a bed and breakfast and it is not big enough to take them all, we suggest space is set aside in the Space port for them. The Free Trader behind us also has refugees. Refuelling is done in a couple of hours and we are ready to depart - The patient has recovered well and can leave the Med bay. We take off and make a successful Jump to 567-908.

Game Date

267-1105

Location

Iderati

Excerpt from Automated Security System - Docking Area 4 log

Game Date

267-1105

Location

Iderati

We are in a maintenance tunnel, heading for the transit tunnel. The floor trembles slightly, something hit the station? A door opens ahead of us. We hear 4 soft pops and the person in front of us slumps to the ground we then hear a door in action, Tharbin peeks to the right and sees a locked door. Tharbin can see some type of cycling lights green then back to red for locked. Tharbin opens the door in front of him with maintenance equipment inside. Earl talks to the injured man but he is struggling to speak. The door is still cycling . The door to the left is the maintenance area. Tharbin vaguely recognises the injured man, so he searches his pockets and finds data chip and a device for the door. He shouts "Viscount Lim of New Rome" when Tharbin picks up the data chip. Cyn patches up the injured man, he has some bullet wounds but it looks like something else may be at fault than just the bullet wounds. The gaps in the door lights is getting longer. Earl asks which direction to the docking area but no-one sees.

Someone is trying to get through the door. I can't reach the door to stop whomever may be trying to get through it. Tharbin and Cyn support the injured man to the West away from potential danger. The door to the East is now open. The injured man is searching for something so Tharbin gives him the device back and he opens a door. I move to cover their retreat into the open door. Inside the room there are racks of tools and power tools along with a powered trolley and Vacc suits, door to the North currently locked. Chase hears a bullet whizz passed him from the East, Tharbin asks the quickest way to our ship, he vaguely points to the North, Tharbin comms the location of the room with the Vacc suits and advises us to group up to put on the Vacc suits, we do so and close the door behind us.

(Body pistol) PM aiming down the corridor. Earl takes a shot at the Portside Manager and misses. Door closing (Masuyo only). Tharbin prepares to close the door and I plan to hit it to essentially lock it. Chase looks at the truck and sees that it can be driven and will automatically open doors in front of it as it moves, Cyn re-examines the unconscious man and determines that the bullets were laced with some kind of sedative. Masuyo pokes head around corner, the door closed and locked. There is atmo beyond North door. The team start putting on Vacc suits. I take out my biggest wrench and smash the control panel. We search the room for straps to secure the injured man on the flatbed. We also found an oxyacetylene torch, but only a small one.

Masuyo drives the buggy, there have been one or two more trembles indicating impacts. The door leads to a transit tunnel. 500 meters to docking pod. 100 meters ahead one of the doors does not open automatically, I check the door area is open to vacuum and there is debris inside. We close the bulkhead behind us and I override the bulkhead in front, thankfully we don't get an explosive decompression but not as controlled as I would have liked. We can take the buggy with us, but decide to leave it behind and carry the injured man by hand. This area has taken a hit. hence the debris, 360 meters to go. We move up to the next bulkhead which is also closed, again a vacuum beyond this one too. We get the doors open but there are more tremors as we proceed. We make good progress, next bulkhead has atmo so a little more troublesome to open. Everyone prepares just in case, I finesse the door open and we all move through move on, next one is pressurised but we decide to continue depressurising as we go, this continues until we reach Docking area 4, but we will enter another area we can use as an airlock, we depressurise, enter then repressurise so we can enter the Docking Bay. We keep on the Vacc suits just in case.

Docking Bay 4. Our heroes can (just) be seen at the top right of the image

The Hope is on pad 14, there is a lot of activity, ships preparing for launch and shots being fired in the area. We formulate a plan Cyn and myself will carry the injured man up between pads 9, 10, 11, 12 then head towards 19 before making our way to The Hope. The others will head for 8 and offer some assistance and provide us some cover. We also discuss taking some of the milling people aboard The Hope with us. We take off our Vacc suits while talking over the plan.