Known space as traveller

[Jame]

I tried reading Ringworld, and couldn't (I still own a copy but it's sat unread for 5 years at least), but I did read a book of short stories about someone named Beowulf Last-Name-Here which I loved - IMNHO, Niven is a good short writer but his work suffers when he tries to make it long.

So while I'm not sure how interested in a KS RPG I'd be, I'd love to have an opportunity to look at it and see from there.

 

[beowulf2044]

Hmm... I own two copies, plus two copies of the Ringworld Companion. What kind of god does that makle me?

But I agree with the comment that it wasn't quality or artistic style that dissipointed Mr. Niven. I'm certain it was the lack of monetary compensation.

 

[Jame]

Hmm... I own two copies, plus two copies of the Ringworld Companion. What kind of god does that makle me?

A minor collector god, mayhaps? :smirk:

 

[beowulf2044]

With a major closet space problem

 

[Pere Ubu]

the other is Wunderlander who is writing a book about the Slavers when some pirates grab him.

"Rich Mann, hah? Are you?" (the leader of the pirates is Jinxian, who love puns)

Dragon Magazine issue #50 had an article on adapting the Kzin to AD&D - it wouldn't be a bad place to start, and it's probably easier to get ahold of than the Ringworld RPG.

Known Space, as a whole (if I remember rightly) would fit comfortably in one Traveller subsector - maybe two if you threw in Ringworld and the Puppeteer world-fleet. Quite frankly, there's only about a dozen important worlds in the setting. On the whole, it's probably more effective to steal from the KS stories for a non-Imperium Traveller universe (what if the Ancients were, in fact, the Slavers? o And don't forget - Beowulf Schaeffer is already statted up for Traveller, so that's convenient!

 

[Madarin Dude]

"Rich Mann, hah? Are you?" (the leader of the pirates is Jinxian, who love puns)

Dragon Magazine issue #50 had an article on adapting the Kzin to AD&D - it wouldn't be a bad place to start, and it's probably easier to get ahold of than the Ringworld RPG.

Known Space, as a whole (if I remember rightly) would fit comfortably in one Traveller subsector - maybe two if you threw in Ringworld and the Puppeteer world-fleet. Quite frankly, there's only about a dozen important worlds in the setting. On the whole, it's probably more effective to steal from the KS stories for a non-Imperium Traveller universe (what if the Ancients were, in fact, the Slavers? o And don't forget - Beowulf Schaeffer is already statted up for Traveller, so that's convenient!

That would probably be the best way to make a known space game i would add some more inert stars with little to do but fuel up. I would work out one of the alternative methods of travel i do have some ideas.

Jump number is speed attained and you can coast for as long as you can keep the your power plant running. You do need the fuel to make the plunge at the given speed.

 

[Pere Ubu]

Important worlds - off the top of my head (it's been years) -

Terra, Kdat, Kzin, We Made It, Silvereyes, Plateau, Jinx, Gundgy (?), Wunderland, ...eh, I've gone blank.

EDIT: I cheated and looked 'em up.
Terra (& the Belt), Kzin, We Made It, Silvereyes, Plateaus, Jinx, Gummidgy, Wunderland, Home, Down, Canyon, Margrave, Pierin, Kdat, the Trinoc homeworld... Mars maybe?

That's pretty much a comfortable fit for one subsector.

 

[beowulf2044]

As I recall, the Known Space worlds were based on actual star systems. I remember Jinx is actually supposed to orbit Sirius. I can't recall at the moment any of the others, but there should be an on-line source for this information.

 

[beowulf2044]

I found a site called 'the Incompleate Known Space Concordance', a great souce of info.

 

[Madarin Dude]

http://larryniven.org/humans.shtml here is a list from the source.

 

[beowulf2044]

Supplement 4.5: Citizens of Known Space

Here are some thoughts I've had on developing Traveller characters for Known Space:

Enviroment shapes the people. This is somewhat offset by the Known Space universal health care of autodocs and boosterspice. Step one would be to determine the character's planet of origin. For the low gravity types (The Belt, Luna, Wunderland, We Made It) STR and END characteristics would be limited to a maximum of 7, while DEX could reach as high as 15 (Beowulf Schaffer could untie knots with his toes). Due to the availible health care, low gravity STR and END could have a lower end minium of 4. This design could be expressed different ways, either by rolling 2D6 for STR and END, raising rolls to a minium of 4 or reducing them to 7, and rolling 3D6 for DEX, minium 10, maximum 15 is one example. For Jinxians (living under 1.78 G) you would trade the STR-DEX-END around favoring STR and END (min-10, max-15) and putting the 4-minimum/7-maximum ceiling on DEX.

Those from We Made It (Crashlanders) will have a 2-in-6 chance of being Albino. Those from Luna or the Belt will receive Vacc Suit-1 for free, and Belters may receive Zero-G-1 for free as well.

Citizens of Known Space have access to information and a high standard of education. This can be expressed with a +3 to the EDU roll.

As Known Space residents enjoy extended lifespans, the skill package could be used where the total of INT and EDU is used as either a point buy for skills, or used as the number of skill rolls allowed.

All of which may or may not be of any help when being eaten by a Kzinti.

Just my current thoughts on the subject.

 

[beowulf2044]

I found a map of Known Space here:

http://www.newsfrombree.co.uk/nivenmap.gif