Essential TNE background material

[Borodin]

Hi all, just curious. I'm interested in running my T20 game in the TNE setting, and was just curious what books/material are considered 'essential' for running a TNE flavor game? Preferably stuff where it explains most of the history/ideas behind the collapse of worlds, what some of the major (if there was sucha thing) systems were during that period, Virus and vampire fleets, etc, without worrying TOO much about game mechanics. Or is there such material? Still a relative newb here, but I like the sound of TNE better than the standard 3I setting.

 

[T. Foster]

Your best bets for hard info are probably Survival Margin (the first half of the book is a compiled history of the MT/Rebellion Era showing how the Collapse came to happen, the next quarter is an overview of Virus and brief intro to the RC/Star Vikings setting, the final quarter is a MT-TNE conversion guide), the main TNE rulebook (gives overviews of the history and main settings -- including RC, Regency, Pocket Empires, and Wilds -- and the rules of collapsing worlds) and/or Path of Tears (the main Reformation Coalition sourcebook -- lots of detailed history and world descriptions and adventure/plot hooks). All of these are, of course, long out of print, but not too hard to find on ebay or through second-hand dealers (and luckily the prices are generally pretty reasonable).

If you're more concerned with flavor and feel over actual hard numbers you'll not do much better than to read Diaspora Phoenix, Martin Dougherty's TNE-era novel.

Another very good (and free) option is to visit some of the many fine TNE fan websites, most of which are linked in this thread.

 

[Arsulon]

Borodin,
I guess it depends on where you want to set your TNE campaign. I'd definitely recommend the MT Rebellion sourcebook: used in conjunction with Survival Margin you'll have a great idea of how stellar society went to hell. The MT Astrogator's Guide to Diaspora is a great freeze-frame look at the sector just before the lights go out: it'll give you a ton of material (and a great sector map) to base your post-collapse Diaspora on. TNE Path of Tears is essential to running a Star Viking campaign. The TNE Screen has a module in it that introduces us to a pocket empire in the Wilds of Diaspora. The Vamprie Fleets book is great for understanding virus.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Borodin! Welcome to CoTI! And yer choice of campaigns! The NEw Era!
fitting fer T20!

Mr Foster's thread leads ya to all sorts of things he, Daryen, and I have done.

Utilize at will!
And Arsulon, hello again mate!(another TNE hold out friend of mine!) Whoo HOO!

heretically yours,
"Pax Solee!"