The Expanse, Using Classic Traveller?

[tkdco2]

I have been thinking of gaming the Expanse setting (mainly based on the TV series; I haven't read the books yet) using Traveller. I'm still coming up with the details, trying to decide if any rules need to be tweaked.  At first glance, character creation won't need too many changes, although I may make some special rules for each service. Noble titles will be disregarded. Swords won't be used regularly, and all firearms will be slugthrowers. 

Starship combat is where I run into problems. I don't really care for the system in Traveller, so I may use another set of rules altogether. That said, I'll take another look at the system (Book 2 and High Guard) and see if I can make it work. Traveller starships mainly use beam weapons, while the Expanse universe uses ballistic weapons. Offhand, I may just change the names and keep the mechanics. Regular guns will be treated as pulse lasers and will be turret weapons. Railguns will be treated as fusion weapons and will be bay weapons. I can always ignore space combat altogether, but my players would not be happy with that ruling.

Any suggestions would be welcome.

[Vile Traveller]

See if you can find a copy of Zozer Games's Solar System Traveller, should be a perfect fit.

[tkdco2]

Thanks, Vile. I'll look out for it.

[Vile Traveller]

IIRC it was a free product. If it was I can probably find it and mail you a copy. Have to wait a week until I'm back from sunny - er, stormy Okinawa, though!

[Finarvyn]

One thing of interest that I found when reading the first book of The Expanse was the author's intent on using realistic physics when moving space ships around. That is, when a ship was fully loaded with cargo it was very difficult to start or stop or change direction. Basic F=ma and momentum, but details often not followed in scifi fiction.

[tkdco2]

Thanks, Vile. I think it may not be a free product anymore. So I'll try to purchase it. I notice it's for Mongoose Traveller; is it compatible with the original, or at least easy to convert?

Fin, sounds interesting. Some of the physics in the TV series was not as realistic in the books, but I think it would work fine in a game (I originally thought you said psychics instead of physics).

Edit: I think I have some of the Orbital rules when they were still free. I have at least the slower-than-light spaceship deck plans and travel times. I plan to use the setting from the TV series,. Maybe some rules for vacc-suits and airlocks would be useful.

[Vile Traveller]

Mongoose Traveller is trivial to convert to Classic Traveller. It even has alternative tech like rail guns. Having said that, the supplement I'm thinking of predates the MGT one, and I believe it was CT (and hence a free product under the FFE Fan Policy). Still, you won't go wrong buying any of Mithras's (Paul Elliot) stuff, it's all great.

EDIT: Okay, I remember now that Orbital is his much -polished MGT version of the old Solar System CT material. I bought the Orbital PDF on the strength of the latter, I can heartily recommend it.

[Vile Traveller]

Oh, and on a complete tangent: probably the longest-running game I ever participated in* was set in a hard SF near future Solar system using RuneQuest 2, back in the '80s. Man, that was a good time.

*In gaming hours, not calendar time. We played week nights and most weekends - oh for the free time afforded by bachelorhood and lack of disposable income (obviously I don't wish I was still poor and unmarried, it's just the free time I miss!).

[tkdco2]

Another option for space combat is in the article "Antimissiles and roundshot," which was published in Dragon in March 1985. Some of the weapons described are appropriate for this campaign.

[Mike]

Did we find the Zozer game publication?

[Vile Traveller]

Jun 14, 2016 2:34:52 GMT -6 Mike said:

Did we find the Zozer game publication?

I just got out of the pool. I won't be back at my PC until Monday.

[bestialwarlust]

Is this a remake of that product?

www.drivethrurpg.com/product/109160/Orbital

[Vile Traveller]

My apologies, after checking my files I find that STL Traveller was also written for MGT1, not CT. I blame advancing age and the fact that MGT1 is so close to CT that it's easy to confuse the two.

Orbital is an expanded and much-polished version, 223 pages versus 77. It's not cheap, but I honestly recommend getting Orbital if you're really interested in running this kind of game. It's a cinch to convert to CT, and it's like the makers of The Expanse watched this video:

[bestialwarlust]

I actually did grab a copy yesterday. It is filled with a lot of useful material.

[tkdco2]

Cool! I do have my homebrew campaign which is similar to the ones in Orbital and The Expanse, but the politics involve countries, not planets/moons/asteroids. Some of my players may not be too comfortable with real-world politics, so fictional ones may work better.

[tkdco2]

Btw, what tech level was the series? Would TL 8 or 9 be appropriate?

[tkdco2]

Looks like the book started out as a game: io9.gizmodo.com/james-s-a-coreys-expanse-series-began-as-a-role-playin-1707214953

[flightcommander]

Wondering if anybody's gotten any traction on this very cool idea, so I thought I'd bump the thread.