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Tarsus...good starting point?

I haven't played/gm'ed a Traveller (or any other RPG) game since high school (35 now). Over the past few years, I have been collecting Traveller stuff from most of the eras, never really thinking I would play again...it was just good stuff!

However, it seems that one or two friends of mine are interested in doing an RPG...I of course suggested Traveller. After trying to figure out what rules-set, digging through all of the house-rules, alternate sci-fi systems, etc., I have decided to start out with CT (while using the DGP task-system).

Now, keep in mind that my friends have never heard of Traveller.
In searching for a good starting point/adventure, I am leaning towards using the boxed-set: Tarsus. I am currently reading through the adventure. To me, it seems like a good starting point, with pre-gen characters and background to get us all started fairly quickly.

I am wondering if anyone has ever run Tarsus, and if they have any suggestions on running the adventure. I am thinking of starting out the crew at either Glisten or Trin, as they both have Naval and Scout bases; which to me seems a logical place to muster-out (I am leaning towards Glisten, since it's an asteroid belt, and would immediately put the players in a setting that let's them know they are in the Far Future.). This would allow me and them to run at least one session as a 'travelling' adventure, letting them (and me!) get to know/develop their characters/relationships.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions, Concerns?

Thanks for any tips in advance!
 
I haven't played/gm'ed a Traveller (or any other RPG) game since high school (35 now). Over the past few years, I have been collecting Traveller stuff from most of the eras, never really thinking I would play again...it was just good stuff!

However, it seems that one or two friends of mine are interested in doing an RPG...I of course suggested Traveller. After trying to figure out what rules-set, digging through all of the house-rules, alternate sci-fi systems, etc., I have decided to start out with CT (while using the DGP task-system).

Now, keep in mind that my friends have never heard of Traveller.
In searching for a good starting point/adventure, I am leaning towards using the boxed-set: Tarsus. I am currently reading through the adventure. To me, it seems like a good starting point, with pre-gen characters and background to get us all started fairly quickly.

I am wondering if anyone has ever run Tarsus, and if they have any suggestions on running the adventure. I am thinking of starting out the crew at either Glisten or Trin, as they both have Naval and Scout bases; which to me seems a logical place to muster-out (I am leaning towards Glisten, since it's an asteroid belt, and would immediately put the players in a setting that let's them know they are in the Far Future.). This would allow me and them to run at least one session as a 'travelling' adventure, letting them (and me!) get to know/develop their characters/relationships.

Questions, Comments, Suggestions, Concerns?

Thanks for any tips in advance!
 
I've never played Tarsus, but I would recomend one tip that appears on many websites devoted to Traveller. Before you officially begin the game, if your players haven't played Traveller before, run them through some of the most frequent occurances. Such as a small combat- non lethal, a small combat- lethal, launching a starship and journeying to the jump point, a small simple starship combat etc etc. Stress that it has no bearing on the actual game. Just let them know what they're getting themselves into.(and you too perhaps.)

As far as CT senarios I really liked "Uragyadn of the Seven Pillars" though it has a military bent to it.
 
I've never played Tarsus, but I would recomend one tip that appears on many websites devoted to Traveller. Before you officially begin the game, if your players haven't played Traveller before, run them through some of the most frequent occurances. Such as a small combat- non lethal, a small combat- lethal, launching a starship and journeying to the jump point, a small simple starship combat etc etc. Stress that it has no bearing on the actual game. Just let them know what they're getting themselves into.(and you too perhaps.)

As far as CT senarios I really liked "Uragyadn of the Seven Pillars" though it has a military bent to it.
 
Tarsus is a good place because there are other adventures set in district 268, like the CT Bowman Belt, CT Adventure 9: Safari Ship, and the QLI T20/CT adventures golden age epic 1: The Forgotten War and golden age epic 2: the Gabriel Enigma. Plus of course that old favourite: CT Adventure 4: Leviathan, when the characters can start form Glisten into the Trojan reach subsector.
 
Tarsus is a good place because there are other adventures set in district 268, like the CT Bowman Belt, CT Adventure 9: Safari Ship, and the QLI T20/CT adventures golden age epic 1: The Forgotten War and golden age epic 2: the Gabriel Enigma. Plus of course that old favourite: CT Adventure 4: Leviathan, when the characters can start form Glisten into the Trojan reach subsector.
 
Thanks Badbru and Michael!

Bradbru:
Good suggestions for all of us. I am boning up on the rules, and I think your suggestion of running through some 'test-runs' will help all of us!

Michael:
Forgot about all of those great CT adventures in 268...will have to break out my reprints later and take a look!

Thanks!
 
Thanks Badbru and Michael!

Bradbru:
Good suggestions for all of us. I am boning up on the rules, and I think your suggestion of running through some 'test-runs' will help all of us!

Michael:
Forgot about all of those great CT adventures in 268...will have to break out my reprints later and take a look!

Thanks!
 
Thanks Flight....I thought there was an adventure on Pavabid, but couldn't remember where. Read over it last night, and man, that would be a FUN adventure to run!

Another quick question for anyone, just one of those things I think I know the answer, but would like clarification....
Not sure how to phrase it, so I'll give a 'real-life' Traveller situation...using Tarsus as an example...would a direct jump from Tarsus to Inchin be a J-1 or a J-2? I think it's a J-2, but can't seem to find where I read that when systems are oriented on hexes as they are, the 'line' is considered a hex.

Hope that makes sense!
 
Thanks Flight....I thought there was an adventure on Pavabid, but couldn't remember where. Read over it last night, and man, that would be a FUN adventure to run!

Another quick question for anyone, just one of those things I think I know the answer, but would like clarification....
Not sure how to phrase it, so I'll give a 'real-life' Traveller situation...using Tarsus as an example...would a direct jump from Tarsus to Inchin be a J-1 or a J-2? I think it's a J-2, but can't seem to find where I read that when systems are oriented on hexes as they are, the 'line' is considered a hex.

Hope that makes sense!
 
re District 268. Michael beat me to Adventure 10 (Safari Ship) and Adv 4 (Leviathan), but just coreward is Mission on Mithril (which double adventure is that?), and the Darrians aren't too far away either (Alien Module 8 has a mini-adventure). And just on the spinward edge of the Darrian subsector is The Chamax Plague and Horde (another double adventure).

And I believe Double Adventure 6 had Yet Another adventure on a world in District 268.

Great place, D268. I suspect if the Imperium had ended up a smaller place that these types of adventures would be all over the Spinward Marches. I would propose 'dumbing down' the entire sector to give it a true frontier feel, but what's done is done.
 
re District 268. Michael beat me to Adventure 10 (Safari Ship) and Adv 4 (Leviathan), but just coreward is Mission on Mithril (which double adventure is that?), and the Darrians aren't too far away either (Alien Module 8 has a mini-adventure). And just on the spinward edge of the Darrian subsector is The Chamax Plague and Horde (another double adventure).

And I believe Double Adventure 6 had Yet Another adventure on a world in District 268.

Great place, D268. I suspect if the Imperium had ended up a smaller place that these types of adventures would be all over the Spinward Marches. I would propose 'dumbing down' the entire sector to give it a true frontier feel, but what's done is done.
 
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