If you have the D20 Modern/Future book (as opposed to the SRD), there is included a writeup of several campaign ideas. If I were to produce a T20M book, the opening of the book should include the campaign writeup for the Third Imperium. So Here's a first draft:
Traveller: The campaign setting
This is Free Trader Beowulf, calling anyone… Mayday, Mayday… we are under attack… main drive is gone… turret number one not responding… Mayday… loosing cabin pressure fast… calling anyone… please help… This is Free Trader Beowulf… Mayday…
Summary
The characters travel the stars, looking for adventure, and a quick credit.
Campaign in Brief
Traveller's Third Imperium is a vast, sprawling interstellar empire, covering 11,000 worlds. For a thousand years Emperors have ruled from the Iridium throne, using their power to keep these worlds safe, to keep the peace, and ensure the free flow of commerce. Beyond the borders are other, alien empires, some hostile, some friendly.
The Emperor controls the Imperium through two powers. With travel times from Capital to the border of a year or more and no faster communications than a starship, the Emperor relies upon the Imperial Nobility, a collection of Dukes, Counts, and Barons who act as the Emperor's eyes and voice, given absolute control in their demesne. The nobility run the bureaucracy, collects taxes, recruits for the Imperial Navy and Army, and oversee the Imperial Rules of War. The second power of the Emperor is the Imperial Navy.
The Imperium, despite its great power, does not rule individual worlds. Worlds rule themselves, each able to create its own government, to solve their own unique problems of their alien environments. The Imperium has few rules which each member system must follow: pay a small imperial tax, do not hinder trade through the system, follow the Imperial rules of War, and do not allow slavery.
Role of the Heroes
Traveller's origins were in a wide open, go anywhere, do anything style of games. Over time, three types of campaigns predominate.
The Merchant Campaign
Trade is the life blood of the Imperium. Huge corporate freighters carry the bulk of lifeblood between words, hauling everything from raw ore to finished high tech goods. But they can't, or won't, cover everything. Between the large trips are the small, overlooked things. Luxury goods carried in small lots, emergency shipments, the smaller worlds which don't rank attention from the larger haulers. These places are covered by the tramp freighters, small ships carrying small cargos for marginal profits.
The characters are owners of a small tramp freighter, plying the star lanes in an attempt to make enough credits to cover the mortgage, the maintenance, fuel, and other expenses. Finding cargoes to buy low and sell high at another port. Keeping things interesting are the large corporate haulers willing to engage in cut throat competition, literally. The brokers looking for haulers of cargo no one else is willing to take, and willing to pay. And the occasional pirate.
The Mercenary Campaign
The Imperium has a vast naval armada and armed forces to keep the peace. But the Imperium does not involve itself in the internal matters of individual worlds. Not everyone likes the government they live under and some express their displeasure though violence. Disputes between worlds, and even between corporations, over trade and access to resources also flare into violence. Not all of these are expected, nor do all of these groups want to support their own armed force. To fill this niche are the mercenary companies, in sizes from a dozen to a full corps, to proved trained and well armed troops on demand.
The characters are members (or owners) of a company of mercenaries, guns for hire. Missions include providing security, training, a trained cadre to strengthen forces, and direct assaults on targets.
The Great Game
Where there people in power, there is political intrigue, and the Imperium is no exception. Corporate leaders hobnob with the nobility to get favorable treatment for their companies and the worlds of the nobility. Positions within the nobility change infrequently, so are of great interest when they do.
The characters are members of the Imperial nobility or their seneschal, working to improve their position. Social interactions are most of what this campaign is about. But there are some who are not beyond more underhanded tactics. Using espionage, or assassination, deniably of course, as a means of advancement is not unheard of. Players should be ready for, or be able to plan such things.
Campaign Traits
Technology
Traveller is set in a PL 7 universe, but with many specific changes to the technology. Some things, like energy supplies are PL6, limited to fusion power and chemical energy storage.
The gravity control allows for flying cars, even personal flying carpets. Energy weapons are used in profusion, but the old fashioned chemical powered firearms are frequently encountered. Even the computer networks are spread throughout the more inhabited systems.
The interstellar capable starships use a variation of the Jump Drive, the jumps take a week and with a fairly limited range (at least in terms of interstellar distances). There are no jump gates or jump networks, ships create their own jump wormhole. There is in interstellar range communications other than sending a starship. The Imperium maintains an X-Boat system, a courier system between the important worlds. But worlds not on an x-boat link must wait until a starship visits to get news or help from other systems.
Generic engineering and cybernetics are both PL 7, but social taboos and legal restrictions minimize their appearance. Robots are similarly PL 7, except the robot brains are limited to PL 6. Artificial Intelligence being a harder problem in Traveller than other campaigns.
Traveller: The campaign setting
This is Free Trader Beowulf, calling anyone… Mayday, Mayday… we are under attack… main drive is gone… turret number one not responding… Mayday… loosing cabin pressure fast… calling anyone… please help… This is Free Trader Beowulf… Mayday…
Summary
The characters travel the stars, looking for adventure, and a quick credit.
Campaign in Brief
Traveller's Third Imperium is a vast, sprawling interstellar empire, covering 11,000 worlds. For a thousand years Emperors have ruled from the Iridium throne, using their power to keep these worlds safe, to keep the peace, and ensure the free flow of commerce. Beyond the borders are other, alien empires, some hostile, some friendly.
The Emperor controls the Imperium through two powers. With travel times from Capital to the border of a year or more and no faster communications than a starship, the Emperor relies upon the Imperial Nobility, a collection of Dukes, Counts, and Barons who act as the Emperor's eyes and voice, given absolute control in their demesne. The nobility run the bureaucracy, collects taxes, recruits for the Imperial Navy and Army, and oversee the Imperial Rules of War. The second power of the Emperor is the Imperial Navy.
The Imperium, despite its great power, does not rule individual worlds. Worlds rule themselves, each able to create its own government, to solve their own unique problems of their alien environments. The Imperium has few rules which each member system must follow: pay a small imperial tax, do not hinder trade through the system, follow the Imperial rules of War, and do not allow slavery.
Role of the Heroes
Traveller's origins were in a wide open, go anywhere, do anything style of games. Over time, three types of campaigns predominate.
The Merchant Campaign
Trade is the life blood of the Imperium. Huge corporate freighters carry the bulk of lifeblood between words, hauling everything from raw ore to finished high tech goods. But they can't, or won't, cover everything. Between the large trips are the small, overlooked things. Luxury goods carried in small lots, emergency shipments, the smaller worlds which don't rank attention from the larger haulers. These places are covered by the tramp freighters, small ships carrying small cargos for marginal profits.
The characters are owners of a small tramp freighter, plying the star lanes in an attempt to make enough credits to cover the mortgage, the maintenance, fuel, and other expenses. Finding cargoes to buy low and sell high at another port. Keeping things interesting are the large corporate haulers willing to engage in cut throat competition, literally. The brokers looking for haulers of cargo no one else is willing to take, and willing to pay. And the occasional pirate.
The Mercenary Campaign
The Imperium has a vast naval armada and armed forces to keep the peace. But the Imperium does not involve itself in the internal matters of individual worlds. Not everyone likes the government they live under and some express their displeasure though violence. Disputes between worlds, and even between corporations, over trade and access to resources also flare into violence. Not all of these are expected, nor do all of these groups want to support their own armed force. To fill this niche are the mercenary companies, in sizes from a dozen to a full corps, to proved trained and well armed troops on demand.
The characters are members (or owners) of a company of mercenaries, guns for hire. Missions include providing security, training, a trained cadre to strengthen forces, and direct assaults on targets.
The Great Game
Where there people in power, there is political intrigue, and the Imperium is no exception. Corporate leaders hobnob with the nobility to get favorable treatment for their companies and the worlds of the nobility. Positions within the nobility change infrequently, so are of great interest when they do.
The characters are members of the Imperial nobility or their seneschal, working to improve their position. Social interactions are most of what this campaign is about. But there are some who are not beyond more underhanded tactics. Using espionage, or assassination, deniably of course, as a means of advancement is not unheard of. Players should be ready for, or be able to plan such things.
Campaign Traits
Technology
Traveller is set in a PL 7 universe, but with many specific changes to the technology. Some things, like energy supplies are PL6, limited to fusion power and chemical energy storage.
The gravity control allows for flying cars, even personal flying carpets. Energy weapons are used in profusion, but the old fashioned chemical powered firearms are frequently encountered. Even the computer networks are spread throughout the more inhabited systems.
The interstellar capable starships use a variation of the Jump Drive, the jumps take a week and with a fairly limited range (at least in terms of interstellar distances). There are no jump gates or jump networks, ships create their own jump wormhole. There is in interstellar range communications other than sending a starship. The Imperium maintains an X-Boat system, a courier system between the important worlds. But worlds not on an x-boat link must wait until a starship visits to get news or help from other systems.
Generic engineering and cybernetics are both PL 7, but social taboos and legal restrictions minimize their appearance. Robots are similarly PL 7, except the robot brains are limited to PL 6. Artificial Intelligence being a harder problem in Traveller than other campaigns.
