#foreven — Public Fediverse posts

Building a Galaxy 11 – The excessively healthy world of New Syroe

As I create worlds for my ongoing Traveller campaign set in the Foreven sector, I’ve been creating the details of new worlds just ahead of my players’ explorations (my previous Foreven posts). I’m usually creating a world based on one of the following:

• Based on the randomly generated UWP of the planet

• Based on a idea from fiction

• Just using an existing Traveller or Cepheus setting

Recently, I’ve also started creating worlds based entirely on adventure seeds and plot ideas found in various Cepheus and Traveller books I’ve collected over the years.

I took the premise of my last adventure from the out-of-print Traveller supplement 21 Plots III from Gypsy Knights Games (now called Independence Games). It’s a collection of plot seeds; sort of a modern version of 76 Patrons. There are 21 short descriptions of a patron, and some possible twists for each one. It’s specifically designed for use in Independence Games’ Clement Sector setting, but can be easily adapted to other settings.

The patron adventure I used was called “Cream Filled Pastries”. Here’s the basics from the 21 Plots Book:

Zacek wishes to hire the characters to transport a cargo container of cream filled pastries from Cascadia (Cascadia 0705) to Antryl (Cascadia 0704)…Foods such as cream filled pastries are illegal on Antryl. The characters will have to devise a way to get past cargo inspections in system and, if they choose to go there, the highport…

So, based on this, I needed to create a world around the idea of banning sweets. I took a existing world in the Magnus subsector of my Foreven setting to use. All I had was the UWP. Here’s what I came up with

New Syroe

2231 New Syroe C94978B-8
Starport: Routine quality installation. Only unrefined fuel available. Reasonable repair facilities are present.
Size: 14,400km, 1.25G
Atmosphere: Thin / Tainted – Thin. Tainted requires a filter mask. The atmosphere contains an unusual taint such as disease, a hazardous gas mix, pollutants, or sulfur compounds which requires the use of a filter mask.
Hydrosphere: Very Wet World, 86 – 95%, It is a marine (near superhydrous) environment.
Population: Moderate, 10 Million to just under 100 Million (P0,000,000)
Government: Civil Service Bureaucracy – Government by agencies employing individuals selected for their expertise.
Law Level: Extreme Law – Rigid control of civilian movement
Tech Level: Information Age – 1990 CE – Cell phones, photonics, slow drug.

History of New Syroe

A generation ago, New Syroe was a human settled planet facing a health crisis. Most of the planet’s food supply was from off-world, usually highly processed. The planet’s population lived in arcologies. Their lives were generally sedentary, and highly automated (imagine the ship in Wall-E).

Diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease were endemic, and life expectancy was in serious decline.

In response, all political authority was handed over to the Health Initiative – New Syroe’s primary medical authority. They began a crash program to improve the people’s health through the following:

• Began a program of hydroponics, so New Syroe could grow its own healthy fruits and vegetables

• Limited the import of unhealthy foods.

• Promoted exercise and healthy lifestyles.

In many ways, the reign of the Health Initiative has been quite successful. Most lifestyle diseases have been nearly eliminated, and New Syroe’s population is the healthiest in the sector. The hydroponics program has become incredibly profitable, and New Syroe-grown produce is valued across the subsector.

The Bad Bits

Unfortunately, the Health Initiative has grown into something of a police state, taking concern for the public health into the realm of fanaticism:

• All unhealthy food is banned and possession is considered a crime.

• Morning and evening calisthenics is mandatory for all citizens

• Random blood tests are performed on citizens to check for high cholesterol or blood sugar.

• All citizens are issued Health Bracelets that act like FitBits. They record heart rate, body temperature, and other medical data. This data can be accessed by the government at any time.

• All citizens are required by law to take at least 10,000 steps a day.

Notable Places and Things on New Syroe

Healthy Heart Initiative (HHI)

The primary paramilitary police force that enforce the Health Initiative’s strict rules. They have near total authority to investigate any health related crime.

HHI Ranks

• Berries – Patrolman

• Bean – Corporal

• Carrot – Sergeant

• Broccoli – Detective

• Celery – Commander

• Tomato – Chief

• Kale – Commissioner

Berries (Patrolman) 789565
Athletics-1 Gun Combat (Slug)-0 Melee (unarmed) – 1 Drive (Wheel)-0
Stun Gun (2D Stun), Revolver (3D-3 Damage)
Grey uniforms with berry rank insignia.

Broccoli (Detective) 878A69
Athletics-0 Gun Combat (Slug)-0 Melee (unarmed) – 1 Drive (Wheel)-0 Investigate-1 Streetwise-1
Stun Gun (2D Stun), Revolver (3D-3 Damage)

Gateway to Nutrition

New Syroe’s main starport. HHI agents scan incoming cargo for “nutritional contraband”, specifically:

• Sugar

• High cholesterol foods

• Food containing nitrates (Bacon is particularly forbidden)

• Salty snacks

The walls of the starport are covered with billboards giving various health tips, and warnings about New Syroe’s strict health laws. The starport is connected to Vigor City by monorail and a pressurized motorway.

The Sweet Trade

Despite the best efforts of the HHI, contraband sugar has become increasingly common on New Syroe. Many citizens have a private stash of sugar packets. Current street prices per 30 gram packet:

Brown – 80 Cr
Granulated – 120 Cr
Powdered – 200 Cr

Vigor City

The largest city and capital of New Syroe. It’s a rainbow colored arcology, protecting the populace from the thin atmosphere. Residents can travel around via moving sidewalks, but there are multiple bicycle and jogging paths that most residents use.

Personal vehicles exist, but they are exclusively used for intercity travel. Most vehicles are fruit shaped.

Health Is Wealth Justice Emporium

The main justice facility in Vigor City. It’s the local headquarters for the HHI, and contains the courthouses for nutrition based crimes. Anyone arrested for smuggling will be brought here, along with their contraband.

Lean Muscle Corps

A highly trained rapid reaction force for the New Syroe military. They show up whenever the local HHI is outgunned.

They wear colorful stretchy tactical armor. Imagine 1980s aerobics wear that can stop projectiles. They’re fond of flashy, athletic maneuvers (i.e. combat rolls, parkour), sometimes at the expense of tactical effectiveness.

LMC Trooper ABA687
Athletics-2 Gun Combat (Slug)-2 Melee(Unarmed)-2 Drive (Wheel)-1
9mm CalorieBuster Assault Rifle – Damage 3d6, ROF: 3, 30 round mag
Armor: 10

Building a Galaxy 9 – Nevron- The Sea Dogs

My Foreven Sector Traveller campaign (previous entries) is going well, and I’m still creating worlds just ahead of the player’s voyages. They recently visited a planet called Nevron, which I didn’t have much planned for, so I had to scramble a bit.

I didn’t have much to go on except for the randomly generated UWP, and that the planet was Vargr dominated. Here’s what I came up with:

2230 Nevron E58569A-2

Starport: Frontier installation. Essentially a bare spot of bedrock with no fuel, facilities, or bases present.
Size: 8,000km, 0.45G
Atmosphere: Dense – Dense 1.50-2.49 Shirtsleeve World: No survival gear required. The atmosphere has a pressure of 1.50 to 2.49 atmospheres The atmosphere is a standard oxygen/nitrogen mix, which is breathable without assistance.
Hydrosphere: Average Wet World, 46 – 55%, It is a normative (wet) environment.
Population: Moderate, 1 Million to just under 10 Million (P,000,000)
Government: Impersonal Bureaucracy – Government by agencies which are insulated from the governed.
Law Level: Extreme Law – Weapon possession prohibited
Tech Level: Age of Sail – 1500 CE – Sailing ships, printing

So the planet has a breathable atmosphere, 50% water, and 1500s level technology, and Vargrs. I decided to make a planet full of sea-going Vargr pirates.

Low Tech Forever

I wanted a method forcing the Tech Level to stay low, so I decided that Nevron, though a combination of an unusually strong magnetic field, and a incredibly “noisy” sun, had an incredibly high and constant electromagnetic interference problem. Essentially, Nevron has a never-ending EMP blast.

Any technology not heavily shielded will short out immediately. Anything within a starship hull is probably safe. Radios are useless. Imperial military technology, battle dress, laser weapons etc., will usually work. For any other electronic tech, there’s a 3 in 6 change the tech will short out.

The constant electromagnetic activity can also cause occasional electrical discharges, and so Nevron can’t safely develop fossil fuel technology, as large amounts of coal or gasoline are prone to bursting into flame.

History

Nevron was settled by Vargr fleets hundreds of years ago. I’m assuming they landed here is less-shielded ships, and couldn’t leave, so they had to build their own civilization.

Most of the low (5 million estimated) population lives on the main archipelago of Betkin, in a number of port cities.

Nevron is a out-of-the-way world, far from most trade routes. It does a little bit of exporting of fish and kelp protein. Starship arrivals are infrequent, and there are no starports here, though the system does have a gas giant.

The planet doesn’t have much in terms of government. There is a bureaucratic organization called the Prosperity Council that maintains some basic infrastructure – ports, roads, and a optical telegraph that is the main method of communication between towns and cities.

The council doesn’t have much authority outside the cities, but there, they enforce the no-weapons rule on pirates and off-worlders alike.

The Fleets of Nevron

The primary social institutions on Nevron are the many fleets of Vargr-crewed privateer sailing ships that ply the sea lanes between Nevron’s many islands and archipelagos. They have many roles in Nevron society, including the following:

• Delivering messages to islands.
• Protecting fishing boats from attack.
• Seizing fishing vessels for ransom.
• Hunting poachers in protected fishing grounds.
• Raiding other privateer fleets.
• Raiding settlements for loot.
• Protecting settlements from other privateers.

The ships are wooden sailing vessels, similar to oceangoing vessels of 1700s Earth. They’re armed with simple gunpowder weaponry, though occasional off-world weapons can be found. Such weapons are highly prized.

The pirate fleets are constantly competing with one another, squabbling over territory and other petty disputes, and even having full naval battles.

The captains of individual vessels are usually democratically chosen by the individual sailors. The admirals of fleets are usually chosen by the captains. The choices are usually based on both merit and charisma. Any crewman can challenge the captain for the post at anytime.

The business of piracy is generally treated as a business. Captured pirates usually don’t have a problem joining their new captors as new crew members.

The people of the cities of Nevron treat the fleets like athletic teams, rooting for a favored fleet during conflicts, displaying the banners, and wagering on fleet battles. Young Vargr pups dream of growing up to become pirates.

Notable Fleets

These are some of the largest and most famous fleets. Each has their own distinct banner.

• Savage Mane – A red portrait of a roaring Vargr on a yellow banner
• Righteous Claw – A golden claw of a local crustacean on a red field.
• Relentless Storm – A white wave on a blue background
• Maelstrom Pack – A sliver whirlpool on a black background.

There are literally hundreds of smaller fleets as well. They tend to be formed quickly by particularly charismatic pirates, and can disappear just as suddenly.

Natural Threats

Strangler Mats: It appears as a large mass of sargasso-like seaweed. It is actually a colony of carnivorous tentacled animals. They will grasp and hold anything that comes near, slowly strangling and drowning their prey.
Hits: 40 Speed: 3m Attacks: Strangle (2D per round, 3D if submerged)

Piercer Fish: A large (3m wingspan) manta-ray shaped predatory creature. It also has a single narwhal-like horn. It uses jet-like bladders to propel itself at high speeds through the water and impale its prey on its horn. It’s no threat to larger vessels, but can easily pierce the hull of dinghies.
Hits: 36 Speed: 20m Attacks: Horn(3D)

Adventure Seeds

The Buccaneer Queen: A legendarily cruel pirate, Iolia, otherwise known as the Buccaneer Queen, has gotten hold of a large cache of off-world military weaponry – mostly assault rifles, and squad support weapons. This has given her a huge advantage and made her fleet-near impregnable.
Her rivals are looking for some off-worlders to take her out, or at least make her expend most of her ammunition.

Lost Professor: A Darrian researcher, Ral Kesoleh, who wanted to study the development of Nevronian culture, foolishly accepted a posting aboard a pirate vessel. He is now being held for ransom. His colleagues need someone to retrieve him.

Lucky Monkey: Many of the Vargr crews consider having a human aboard a ship as good luck. They’ll often make an offer to any humans they encounter a port. They don’t always take “no” for answer and might try to shanghai a PC to be their “Lucky Monkey”

#Foreven #RPG #SciFi #Settings #Traveller

But one thing I noticed about the T5 rules is while pop code is used when looking for passengers, it isn’t for determining availability of speculative cargo.

One world they visited has a population of 60, I determined it was a mostly automated factory creating TL 13 Vargr Battle Suits. So I figured they could easily figure out supplies to sell there. But available trade goods? Probably not.

#TTRPG #Traveller #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #SciFiRpgs #Foreven #CepheusEngine #TravellerRpg

#TravellerRpg

Finally caught up on the record keeping for my Traveller game. In session I was focusing on adventures, the normal buy and sell I put off for a few months.

I’ve been using the T5 speculative trade prices, and very rarely is it not a net positive to buy at one system and sell at the next, although there was once where I held the cargo. After 200 days, 11 jumps, 7 systems they made ~½MCr.

1/2

#TTRPG #Traveller #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #SciFiRpgs #Foreven #CepheusEngine

#Traveller

Ran my nephew Traveller game today. Having finished up the Great Hunt and received a nice payout, they did some shopping at the Vargr Capital, buying Battle Dress for their Vargo crewman.

Savage Vole, a contact from the Hunt, hired them to go investigate a distress report from an experimental gas giant mining platform.

Bugs in the System (Star Frontiers) begins.

#TTRPG #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #StarFrontiers #Foreven #Vargr #BugsInTheSystem #TravellerRpg

My group did “training week” for the Vargr Great Hunt. They were tested on marksmanship, archery, climbing, riding, stealth, and camp setup. Perfect score would be 90.

The PCs did not do very well, Captain Feyne Vyren got the lowest rating, Evicru Nur is middle of the pack.

They are being split into four teams for the next event, an Arctic Gazelle capture.

#TTRPG #Traveller #TravellerRpg #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #CepheusEngine #Vargr #Foreven #GreatHunt

Why did I decide to give my players the option of an adventure that required me to come up with a dozen more Vargr names? 😅😂🤣😭

#TTRPG #Traveller #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #TravellerRpg #Foreven #Vargr #GMPrep

My crew have opted to work for Vargr going on The Great Hunt, an adaptation of Independence Games’s Grand Safari.

So now I need to work on defining my Vargr worlds better and make NPC hunters and staff.

Should keep the crew busy for a few months.

#TTRPG #Traveller #TravellerRpg #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #Foreven #GreatHunt #Vargr #GMPrep

Generating world maps for my game.

2724 Nepenthe
A483436-B Ni { 1 } (833+1) [354A] - - - 230 9 CsIm G9 II

Main Star: G9 II
Orbit 30AU Period 50 years

Low gravity world, small mining industry around rare minerals. Exotic sports industry attracts tourists interested in low G gliding, lacrosse, and wind surfing.

#TTRPG #GMPrep #WorldMap #Traveller #TravellerRpg #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #Foreven

Finally named the Vargr far trader (400 tons TL-15 VA-DS42)

Rruetzollo Tsung “Fortune’s Dream”

Now I just need some names for old Imperial Cruisers from 2124 Lunion/Spinward Marches that are currently assigned to 2823 Duì/Foreven.

#TTRPG #Traveller #TravellerRpg #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #Foreven #GMPrep #Vargr #ShipNames

The Akaiya Zhatanoe was seized by Vargr in 604 by a fleet that fought with the Zhodani during the First Frontier War. It has maintained a friendly relationship with the Zhodani ever since, serving as a buffer state near the Spinward Marches.

The capital of Okhokferr maintains a theocracy run by a religion claimed to be founded by Admiral Akaiya herself.

What should I call them? What are the major tenants?

Pups of Akaiya?

#TTRPG #GMPrep #Traveller #ClassicTraveller #Foreven #Traveller5

Nepenthe

A483436-B Ni { 1 } (833+1) [354A] - - - 230 9 CsIm G9 II

Excellent starport
Small planet, low gravity
Dense breathable atmosphere
30% water
10k pop
Oligarchy
Modest legal restrictions
TL 10
Non-industrial
Imperial Client State

Orbits a yellow giant

What are some interesting quirks about Nepenthe?

#TTRPG #GMPrep #Traveller #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #TravellerRpg #Foreven

They decided to keep the second ship, and renamed it Harmony (their primary ship is 300 ton far trader Symphony). Their Vargr gunner and NPC engineer transferred to command the new ship, and three more npc crew hired on Rutten.

Jumped both ships back to Galegia and left Harmony for repairs. Symphony delivered the archeologists back to Hollis and returned to Galegia. They plan to run weapons for Falerio to Vargr space.

#TTRPG #Traveller #TravellerRpg #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #Foreven

My Traveller game will hopefully resume next weekend, for various reasons we haven’t gamed in over a month.

They are about to begin Legends of the Sky Raiders, although I relocated it into my Foreven sector. Hired by a scholar from the University of Hollis, they are headed to the jungles of Rutten to search for ruins.

I wanted a player safe version of Map 4 that will serve as their orbital scan, so I drew a new using worldographer.

#TTRPG #Traveller #ClassicTraveller #Foreven #Worldographer

Something like this but anti-grav might make the most sense.

Grav tech starts at TL 10, my Dolphin Drop Dress is TL 12, so that should work.

She’s got a wafer jack, so some remote drones to pilot would be a good future investment.

#TTRPG #SoloRpg #TravellerRpg #BattleDress #Dolphin #Uplift #Traveller5 #Foreven #BraveNightingale #ClassicTraveller

Serenity Zhou
67469A
Professor of Psychohistory, Etenia University
Age 33

Homeworld Collace (1237 B628943–D Hi In District 268/Spinward Marches)

Skills
Actor 1
Admin 1
Athlete 1
Comms 1
Flyer 1
Gravitics 2
Magnetic 1
Medic 1
Navigation 1
Psychohistory 3
Streetwise 1
Teacher 2

#TTRPG #GMPrep #SoloRpg #Traveller5 #TravellerRpg #Foreven #NPC #BraveNightingale #ClassicTraveller #Traveller

It’s much harder to write up scenes than I thought. Okay, partly I’ve been busy. But also, I’m not actually certain how this first mission is going to go.

I guess I really should roll up the stats for my blackmailer.

And of course the first mission is high difficulty low reward.

#TTRPG #GMPrep #SoloRpg #Traveller #TravellerRpg #Traveller5 #ClassicTraveller #Foreven #BraveNightingale

Wrote up the first scene of my Brave Nightingale campaign. I’m definitely a bit rusty and could use an editor. No dice rolled yet. Just a quick ensemble to introduce the crew.

https://blog.cosmictales.com/new-years/

#TTRPG #RpgBlog #SoloRpg #Traveller #TravellerRpg #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #Foreven #BraveNightingale #CosmicTales

Does 10,000 Cr sound about right for the cost of a TL 13 personal holographic projector?

“Not content with a simple mask, Baronet Oaklynn wore a personal holographic projector that made her appear as an exotic avian with ever color changing feathers.”

#TTRPG #SoloRpg #TravellerRpg #Traveller5 #Foreven #BraveNightingale

This is what happens when I’m not limited to 500 characters.

Wrote up the gear the crew of the Brave Nightingale stocked in the ship’s locker.

https://blog.cosmictales.com/ships-locker/

#TTRPG #SoloRpg #RpgBlog #Traveller #Foreven #BraveNightingale #ShipsLocker #Traveller5 #ClassicTraveller #GMPrep

Not much new here if you’ve been following me long, but I’ve written the first blog post over at cosmic tales.

https://blog.cosmictales.com/introduction/

#TTRPG #RpgBlog #SoloRpg #Foreven #BraveNightingale #Traveller #ClassicTraveller #TravellerRpg #Traveller5 #CosmicTales

Blinkerton Jones, a technician working at the Galegia starport is being blackmailed. I know who is blackmailing her, why, and what they want. But I don’t know what they have on her.

Any ideas?

#TTRPG #SoloRpg #TravellerRpg #Traveller5 #GMPrep #Foreven #BraveNightingale

I decided I needed a more permanent place to post my Foreven Sector and the logs from the Brave Nightingale.

So welcome to Cosmic Tales.

Still under construction.

https://blog.cosmictales.com/

#TTRPG #Blog #RpgBlog #Traveller #TravellerRpg #Traveller5 #ClassicTraveller #Foreven #BraveNightingale #Solo #SoloRpg

My solo game I have one Dolphin crew, so I created a suit for her to get around non-aquatic locations. Probably overkill, but she’s got two ranks in Dress from her time in the Navy.

LtDDD-12 [abdeikr]
Light Drop Dress Dolphin-12

Manufacturer: InteliSea (1726 Eminence B4276BA-C Co Da Ni Dandalo/Foreven)

Ax: Cr150,000 84kg Ar=69 Ca=3 Fl=45 Ra=3 So=45 Ps=1 In=11 Se=45

1/2

#TTRPG #Traveller #Traveller5 #TravellerRpg #Foreven #Uplift #Dolphin #BattleDress

Brave Nightingale
A-CS42 Vx: R1 Cx: ABCDYZ
300 tons
TL-13
Crew: 6
Passage: High 2 Mid 2 Low 8
Cargo: 85 tons
Fuel: 63.6 tons
Acceleration: 4G
Jump: 2
Landing Legs with Pads
Anti-Kinetic Composite Polymer Armor
Ultimate AR Triple Missile Turret
Advanced Vd Triple Beam Laser Turret
Ultimate Vd Triple Sandcaster Turret
Cost: 144,128,117 Cr

#TTRPG #Traveller #TravellerRpg #Traveller5 #Starship #FarTrader #IanStead #SoloRpg #Solo #SoloTraveller #Foreven #BraveNightingale

Crew so far, relevant skills

Captain Illya Dmytrovych
465AB7

Skills
Astrogator 2
Engineer 4 (Jump Drives 2)
Gunner 0 (Turrets 2)
Pilot 0 (Small Craft 3)
Steward 5

First Officer Ying Zhu
746B85

Skills
Astrogator 7
Engineer 2 (Life 2)
Pilot 0 (ACS 2)
Sensors 3

Pilot Della
Dolphin
884BD9

Skills
Broker 9
Counselor 5
Pilot 2 (ACS 2)
Sensors 2

Baronet Oaklynn Neuberger
746ACc
Skills
Gravitics 6

Need to hire a medic and comms

#TTRPG #TravellerRpg #SoloRpg #Foreven #Traveller5 #FarTrader

Homeworld 1224 Euphoria
D79A652-9 Co Ni Wa { -2 } (750-1) [A484] - V - 202 12 DoKh F2 IV M6 VI F7 V

Background skills:
Hostile Env-1 Driver-1 Seafarer-1

Rolling stats:

972B59

Oof, very poor stamina

#TTRPG #Traveller #Traveller5 #TravellerRpg #ClassicTraveller #Uplift #Dolphin #CharGen #Foreven

Rolling randomly for the origin of my second solo Traveller character, and I get a dolphin. Guess it’s time to decide how I will handle dolphin’s in my game.

I think I will use this for stats:
Strength 2D
Grace 2D
Stamina 2D
Intelligence 2D+1
Education 2D
Social Standing 2D

The only one I’m debating is possibly using charisma instead of social standing.

#TTRPG #Traveller #TravellerRpg #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #Foreven #Uplift #Dolphin #CharGen #DolphinUplift

Decided to try some Solo Traveller. So making four characters and will see how big of a ship they can afford. I figure they can have up to 50% of their ship a loan.

Of course, they are likely to need to hire a few more for the crew, depending on ship size. One ship share (50 tons) so far.

#TTRPG #SoloRpg #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #TravellerRpg #Foreven #Solo #SoloTraveller #CepheusEngine #Zozer

0919 Westwood B464989-9 Hi Pr

Westwood is a small, but highly populated world in a trinary star system. A busy trade hub, it sits at the end of a route that extends although back to an arm of the Spinward Main. If you are seeking goods from K’Kree or Zhodani space, without wanting to actually cross the borders, you can find a trader or smuggler at Westwood’s starport who already has. Or will. For a fee of course.

#TTRPG #Traveller #TravellerRpg #ClassicTraveller #Traveller5 #Foreven