Author: Stan Shinn (Page 56 of 111)

15mm Scale with Centimeters for Movement Units

Ran the first game of what promises to be a recurrent ‘background’ campaign that I run intermittently. It’s an adaptation of The Last Parsec’s “Leviathan”, a Savage Worlds setting I’m converting over to Mongoose Traveller 2nd Edition. Game tonight was a blast! Some photo highlights are below.

I used 15mm miniatures on a 4×6′ BannersOnTheCheap.com vinyl mat. Used rules where 1 centimeter equaled 1 square (which is 1.5 meters). So players have a normal move of 6 centimeters. Really helped in making ranged combat distances matter.

Velociraptor style critters using pack tactics to gang up on Jeff’s character

15mm metal miniatures were mixed with Axis & Allies Miniatures plastic minis and some home-made terrain and rocks from a space miniatures game.

Vinyl game-mat looked pretty good, plus you could use wet or dry erase on it.

The ‘A-Pex’ beast (this one was just a baby!) had 165 Hits (or hit points for D&D folks). The characters just barely outran it to the flyer.

Run!!!!

A-Pex beast says ‘I … am … HUNGRY!’

I love how the 15mm scale lets you make mundane terrain and miniatures ‘big’. Jeff’s character did a full-auto burst of gunfire right into the creatures mouth. If the shot had not felled the creature, it could have been good-bye for Jeff’s character! Luckily he took the beast down!

I also loved Mongoose Traveller. We had some 6 pretty nasty creatures that each took 2-3 different hits to take them out, plus the A-Pex big monster at the end. We had 10 rounds of combat (3 just running across the long road to the flyer), 10 total combatants, and a total of 55 minutes of action. Probably half that time was looking up rules since we were new to Mongoose Traveller 2e. It runs fast — taking out rounds for running, those were 8 minute combat rounds which we could probably do in 4 or 5 minutes once we’re up to speed on the rules (that was for 3 players; it probably would take 10 minute combat rounds with 6 players). Very fast paced. Loved it!

Inspired by Adrian Romero’s blog post at http://redbox.wikidot.com/meta-traveller-acheivements, here is a system of Organized Play I’m proposing for upcoming Dicehaven Traveller games. [Update: after consulting with Mason we determined the XP and Bennies sort of ‘break’ the hard sci-fi feel of Traveller, so we won’t be using the XP/Bennies parts, although we will be doing the shared universe].

Shared Universes

Imperium Universe

There will be a shared Imperium universe. If we have multiple campaigns, mini-campaigns, or one-shots, they all take place in a common Imperium setting. GM’s normally should select a different subsector and will have full freedom of play in those isolated areas of the galaxy. To prevent disrupting other concurrent campaigns, GMs should not introduce setting-wide events (such as extinct-events, new sentient species, secret origins of a species, or a civil war that spans the Imperium) unless first consulting other current GMs.

Other Universes

Other universes and IPs (such as Star Trek or Firefly) also qualify for Organized Play and player rewards so long as 1) the group approves and 2) the games use some version of the Traveller rules.

Player Rewards

Imperium players accomplish earn experience points (XP) and increase their Imperium Player Level. Player receive Bennie levels at levels 1, 3, 5, and 7. These bennies can be used in any Imperium game. A player at level 5 had 3 bennies, meaning each game they start with 3 bennies they can use in all Organized Play games. At levels 2, 4, and 6, the players receive a Windfall which is cash or another benefit they can apply to the single character of their choice.

[table id=6 /]

Restarting Levels

A player who achieves 251 or more XP immediately loses 250 XP and again becomes  a Level 1 Player. The player should consider retiring their most experience character, though this is optional.

Once players restart levels, you can differentiate player advancement through the use of Ranks. A level 1 Veteran is slightly more experienced player than a level 7 Explorer, even though the level 1 Veteran has lower Bennies at the moment. Higher ranked players have greater bragging rights 🙂

[table id=7 /]

Bennies

These work similar to Savage Worlds bennies — you get +2 or a reroll on any die roll (but you can keep the better of your two die rolls).

Windfalls

At present this would be a roll on the Mustering Out benefits for your career (your choice of Cash or Benefits). I might replace this with a new Windfall table. If we add a Windfall table, here’s how it would work:

Roll on the Windfall table. Reroll any result that you’ve achieved before during your current level progression. Apply Windfall results to the character of your choice.

Earning XP

Playing

• Play in a session — 3 XP
• Mentor new player in their first session — 1 XP
• Run a session — 5 XP

Disaster

• Character killed — 10 XP
• Player willingly lets their character get into major trouble — 3 XP
• Suffer uniquely entertaining random mishap — 1 XP

Player Goals

A player can have a Major Goal for each character. You can have at most one Major goal at a time for a character, and can replace it with a new goal after the current one is resolved.

• Announce and document a GM-approved Major Goal for a character you’ve played for at least one session — 1 XP
• Character accomplishes a significant step towards their Major Goal — 2 XP
• Character achieves their Major Goal — 5 XP

Team Goals

Three or more players may determine a Major Goal for their team. The characters must have been been together for at least one game session.

• Announce and document a GM-approved Major Goal for a team of 3 or more characters — 1 XP per player
• Team accomplishes a significant step towards their Major Goal — 3 XP per player
• Team achieves their Major Goal — 10 XP per player

World Building

• Post session log  — 1 XP
• Post a GM-approved player-built world, culture or game tool — 2 XP
• Post relevant media for game sessions such as illustrations, map, or photos of a game — 1 XP