Traveller (Inactive)

Game Master trawets71

Can he tell anything about the ships from the sensor scans?

Double checking the sensors, Lucian informs the others, "We have two other ships headed towards the derelict ship."

Edit: I'm reading the sensors table on page 144, I guess I should have asked the distance from the two ships also.

The two other ships are about 100,000 km from you so you really can't tell much from the ships sensors. However, they are squawking so you have their names, The Body Bag followed by The Magazine, exact position and vector (direction and speed).

I'm mad at you! You made me math! Whats worse is that some of it should have been easy and just popped into my head instead of me having to look it up.

Shaking his head Lucian, turns to Axel "Their over a hundred thousand kilometers out, there just barely showing on visual and thermal imaging. I can tell their at the same location and moving the same direction and speed"

He looks over towards Allen, "They are squawking, so we have their names, anyway you can contact the planets computer system and learn anything about them?"

Edit:
Curious as to which ships will get to the derelict first, Lucian flips the monitor at his station over to the astrogation program and starts to calculate their arrival and then starts to calculate the other two ships speed and angle and their arrival.

astrogate?, Astrogate + 1, edu. + 1: 2d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (1, 6) + 1 + 1 = 9

"Shoot me the names and transponder codes and I'll query the Port Authority and see what we have!"

Computer: 2d6 + 3 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (5, 4) + 3 + 1 + 2 = 15
(Skill+Attribute+Equipment)

Lucian looks at the ships and their course and speed and does some calculations. It looks like The Body Bag will reach the derelict first followed by the The Magazine. Your ship will be about 5 hours behind them.

There is no internet in space, but the ship does have the latest library updates.

Allen enters the ships names into the computer system and learns that The Body Bag is owned by a group called The Unforgivables. The Magazine is owned by a group called Bullet Company.

I figured it was something like that..where our system would update the newest info whenever we made port...I suppose the next search will be on the names of the ship owners, if possible.

Computer: 2d6 + 3 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 + 1 + 2 = 12 (Unforgivables)
2d6 + 3 + 1 + 2 ⇒ (3, 3) + 3 + 1 + 2 = 12 (Bullet Company)

The Unforgivables are a group of merceneries/free traders who have been at this a long time. Too long. They are led by Alexei Mirkov. Their reputation is one of violence being their first and sometimes only tool to apply to a job.

When you search Bullet Company you get more information than you ever could have wanted. TL;DR version: Bullet Company is a local celebrity group of “action heroes” that take merc jobs to keep up appearances. While they’re primarily actors, they’ve been in enough scrapes that they’ve picked up some genuine skills in the process.

LEILA WARREN
Ms. Warren plays a close-quarters fighting specialist. She was formerly a professional chef, and every so often uses her knife skills to good effect in her new line of work.

WILLIC BANRORI
Willic plays the role of a greedy former pirate. He’s actually a former accountant, and enjoys his new life of acting and feigned heroics far more.

MANNY DROGAN
The nominal leader of Bullet Company. Plays an opportunistic but loyal former soldier in the Army. Actually a bouncer for a local night club.

FRED "FREEFALL" FANELLI
Thrill-seeking ace pilot. In reality, a stuntman who made a name for himself as a pilot. Gained his nickname by skyjumping from low orbit for an advertisement for a local hair care product.

"Uh-oh!! We got some problems!"

Allen goes on and tells the others about the crews of the two ships they are following.

"So we are either going to be pulling our punches for a bunch of trid-actors, or shooting it out with a grim band of trigger happy mercs!!"

"The mercs i think is the worst, the actors we simply target their engines and leave them dead in the water" Axel offers from his position

Furrowing his brow at the information Allen had shared, Lucian shakes his head, "I'd rather not fire on anyone unprovoked, especially famous people. We need to figure out a way to get there before them."

I asked in discord, I'll as here as well: will using engineering to "Overcharging a thruster plate to increase a ship’s agility: Intelligence, 1–6 minutes, Difficult (–2)." increase our speed enough to get there before them? If not is there anything we can do?

I took a look at that and some of the other rules. What you called out would not effect the speed of the ship. I don't see anything that would. Besides I don't know that you want to risk breaking the ship you are borrowing."

"Well let's just get there and sort out who does what once we are there. I am not too worried about the actors...except getting sued if they die...it is the mercs that have me worried."

The ex-con fiddles with his computer cuff as he also checks his shotgun's expanded magazine.

"Correct you are Mr. Crawford" he chuckled as he continues his approach to the vessel

"Today we put our little group through the fire"

Axel kept his approach and made sure to focus on making sure they get there as soon as they can. His mind already slowly turning to what may happen once they start the second part of their mission

It is roughly a 3 day trip from the port to the quickest intercept of the ship. Just let me know how much of a detour you are making before turning toward the ship so I know about how long it is going to take.

I'd say half a day

What are you guys doing as you fly out. You've got 12 hours until you make your turn. Is there anything specific you are going to do?

Lucian plots the new course and sends it to the pilot station. He then switches over and begins to look at the traffic in the system. He notices there are two ships that appear to be heading to the derelict ship.

Once Axel receives the new course he enters it in and maneuvers the ship onto it.

So we are 12 hours in on a 3 and a half day trip, right?

Chuckling at Allen's comment about being sued, Lucian nods, he and the admiral were right, but it wouldn't be today. Today will be filled with waiting and watching. So will tomorrow and most of the next. The tedious flights and the long rides were not a stranger to Lucian and this time he was not alone. Turning to 'Rion' he nods towards the 'crew quarters' 'While I appreciate the offer to see how the 'other half' live, I'll bunk here near the bridge so I can get to the console quicker."

Turning back towards the others, he nods towards the pilot's seat. "Axel, Allen and I have experience flying similar craft, we should work out shifts so one of us is at the helm all the time."

He turns towards the younger crew member. "Jagger I know you've been trained to fly. We may need to keep you freed up for engineering, but anytime you want to join us on the bridge for a little experience, this would be the time to do it."

Taking a deep breath he asks, "Who wants the first watch?"

"Well I suppose I will. It seems like the quietest time and will give me a little hands-on with this vessel. Who should I notify once I am relieved? Also, I will stay near the bridge as well...communications and all that...plus I would only stink up one of those fancy suites..best keep them for the paying customers!"

He smiles at his own joke as he puts his gear away and heads to the bridge.

After two and half rather boring days of travel and manning shifts the crew knows they are nearing their target. About 6 hours out from rendezvous they notice the other two ships have slowed some and changed positions somewhat. Instead of one behind the other as they had been this whole time the one has moved even with the other and matched it's pace. Soon the sensors start picking up energy discharges some noticeably more powerful than others.

Jagger spends most of his time in Engineering as expected but wanders the ship ever now and again making notes regarding where the various consoles and sensors are, the placement and access panels for the cameras and any of the other small electronics in case of emergencies.

During the long wait to arrive, he does occasionally pop into the bridge to observe how the crew is handling the ship and hopefully absorb some of their experience.

Once the ship has come closer and the current situation of the other two ships is apparent, Jagger activates comms to the bridge.

"So...should we try to circle around to the other side of the derelict and avoid the conflict, or should we jump and pick a side assuming they may be grateful for the assist?"

Keying the sensors again hoping to get more information on the damage done to the ship two different ships, Lucian shakes his head, ignoring dilettantes was not the same as killing them. "Id take option three, stay the course. Focus on our task at hand and trust they'll be too busy with each other." He realizes there was a fourth option, to attack one then the other and eliminate both the competition, but it seemed just a little too cold. After he reads the sensors he switches to astrogation, hoping to calculate if they've gained any time. He starts to wonder if whoever survives the gun fight would attack their ship once they've docked. Shaking his head, he keeps working on the numbers.

Sensors to gather which ship has the upper hand
sensors DC 8, sensors + 2, edu + 1: 2d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (3, 6) + 2 + 1 = 12
Astrogation to see how much time the ships have lost
astrogation DC 8, astrogation + 1, edu + 1: 2d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6, 2) + 1 + 1 = 10

Lucian begins to work the sensors and from this distance about the only thing he can tell is that those two ships aren't fighting each other. Laser blasts tend to be heading toward or away from the derelict with the more noticeable shots being closer to the derelict and not directed at the two incoming ships. There are a few small explosions as well but you can't tell what blew up from this distance. There is a fight going on around the derelict but who is involved can't be seen yet.

Looking at the astrogation data Lucian can see the two ships are in the general vicinity of the derelict, around 50,000 km or so.

Shaking his head, Lucian turns towards the others, "We need to rethink it, the two ships aren't shooting each other. Their shooting at someone else."

He pauses, trying to think. "Their about fifty thousand kilometers out. We have to consider that either the old ship isn't as derelict as we thought and it's defending itself. Or someone got there before all of us and are willing to fight to keep it."

DM Trawets, what can Lucian, or anyone else, check to see if someone may have gotten there first?

"In that case we best be on our guard. Perhaps swing in from the other side while all involved are distracted. This ship isn't exactly built for prolonged skirmishes. Never mind open conflict." Axel is ready to adhere to navigation change, as he keeps his eyes infront

Nodding in agreement with the 'admiral' Lucian responds, "Give me a second." Quickly looking at the display, he begins to enter the information to change course.

astrogation DC 8, astrogation + 1, edu + 1: 2d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (2, 3) + 1 + 1 = 7

Axel groans and slaps his forehead, as he turns to the others

"Lucian, use the radar, ping those ships if you have to, sensors wont do anything! We need active radar quickly!"

While he's saying this he turns the ship in the direction of the derelict
"We have a third party joining the fray, if it truly was our quarry firing, we would be seeing much less of our contenders, capital ship weaponry would blast them out of the sky without so much as a sweat. Start scanning the air waves for distress calls or the like, i think we may need to go help out our rivals, as it stands, id rather have a rival owe us, than trying to fight a powerful enemy"

"Great idea Admiral. I can try and see what I can pickup on the open channels. Maybe we can come out of this with someone owing us!"

Allen sits at the Comms seat and starts trying to adjust the system to pickup automatic responses.

Comms: 2d6 + 1 + 1 ⇒ (6, 1) + 1 + 1 = 9

Lucian enters in a new course to try and approach from the far side of derelict.

Allen starts listening on the comms but he doesn't hear any chatter. He switches to the emergency channel and does hear a few SOS pings like an escape pod or something of the like would transmit.