Wandering Nomad Liner

[Jame]

The S.S. Wandering Nomad is a semi-independent liner operating on any random feeder route, or on speculative runs. Sometimes it will take a government or merchant contract to assure liner service to a pleasant world off the main routes; this is seasonal or "filler" service, however.

[Note: aside from the captain, the crew is being left vague, both because I haven't really fleshed it out and because I'm leaving this version for anyone who wants it.]

The captain is Captain Anders Harvick, a former captain in a subsector line. He traded his interest in a free trader for a shot at the Nomad, and hired crew away from other lines. Some say that his old line is using him to expand beyond the subsector level; this theory is borne out by the crew having more skills than their position would require...

 

[Jame]

[All characters were generated using CT Book 7, Merchant Prince. Credits are from bonuses in CharGen.]

Captain Anders Harvick: 876889 Leader-1 Commo-1 Pilot-2 Computer-2 Broker-1 Vacc Suit-1 Navigate-2 Grav Vehicle-1 Streetwise-1 Admin-1 Legal-1 Ship's Boat-1

Navigator: 7768D7 Navi-3 Carousing-2 Admin-1 Gambling-1 Computer-1 Commo-1 Legal-1 Steward-2 Gunner-1 Medic-1 Trader-1 Jack-o-Trades-1

Chief Steward: 47AC69 Steward-2 Liaison-2 Brawl-2 Gamble-1 Vehicle-1 Medic-1 Gunner-1 Vacc Suit-1

Second Steward: 987698 Pistol-2 Admin-2 Steward-2 Carouse-1 Legal-1 Streetwise-1 Bribery-1

Gunner/Purser: 8A97C8 Liaison-2 Gunner-1 Admin-1 Broker-1 Brawl-1 Gamble-1 Steward-1 Ship's Boat-1 Commo-1

Chief Engineer: 8769B6 Trader-2 Broker-2 Liaison-2 Mechanical-1 Electronics-2 Computer-2 Engineer-2 Admin-1 Gravitics-1

Second Engineer/Admin Expert: B89AA9 Vacc Suit-2 Engineer-1 Trader-1 Broker-1 Liaison-2 Admin-4 Commo-1 Carouse-1 Streetwise-1 Legal-1 5,000 Cr

Engineer: 59798B Gunner-1 Vacc Suit-1 Electronics-1 Engineer-2 Pistol-1 SMG-1 Steward-1 Liaison-1 Admin-1 Mechanical-1 Gamble-1 Gravitics-1 10,000 Cr

Tech/Medic: 665988 Engineer-1 Gunner-1 Medic-1 Carousing-1 Gamble-1 Blade-1 Ship's Boat-1 SMG-1 Liaison-3 Computer-1 Legal-1 Broker=1 Admin-1 Trader-1 Commo-1 Gravitics-2 Mechanical-1 Vacc Suit-1 20,000 Cr

Tech: 998985 Engineer-2 Electronics-2 Gravitics-1 Vacc Suit-1 5,000 Cr

Tech: 787A97 Vacc-1 Admin-2 Gravitics-1 Engineer-2 Mechanical-1 Electronics-1 Gamble-1

"General Specialist:" 797794 Steward-2 Trader-2 Streetwise-1 Broker-1 Engineer-1 Vacc Suit-1 0g Fighting-1 Forgery-1; 1,000 Cr

 

[FlightCommanderSolitude]

Excellent! Any particular type of liner? Adventure seeds?

 

[slyen2002]

maybe they do some pirating on the side?

what type of ship are they on?
why are they there?
what are their rivals?
what part of space are they in?

 

[Jame]

I had them on a 600 ton Subsidized Liner (which I thought I said, but maybe not), but anything between 400 and 800 tons should work well. Someone's subsidizing them, although who's not clear (some think it's the captain's old line), and they're probably in a frontier area like the Spinward Marches or Ley Sector. They are armed, and since they're usually on a frontier they can be mistaken for foreigners...

 

[trader jim]

The "ShadowRunner" waits in a group of loose Astroids....Zap Zap Zap...3 Torps right into the liner!!!....Liner Blows apart....no Survivers!!!!!
So much for the liner!!!!

 

[jappel]

First order of business:

Activates the trans-dimensional portal and sends TraderJim and the ShadowRunner off to Teletubbieland.

OK, back to more serious business...

Plenty of room for hooks here. Some sort of cold-to-warm tradewar versus any established lines in the area; "interesting" cargos (imagine a hold full of the "Mr. Friend" dolls from Rugrats); and you just know at least one of the crew is a stringer for someone's intelligence agency. Maybe two, working for opposite sides.

Looks like the crew are all humans - how about throwing in a few non-humans for grins?

John

 

[jasper]

This Jasper Lt of Minister of Justice. You jappel are under arrest of illegal use of transdimensional portal. And cruel and inhumane treatment of enenmies. Teletubbieland. You will get life for than in front of old 3 company's reruns. Return Trader Jim And ShadowRunner to their dimensions of original and we just give you life

 

[Jame]

Jasper, look at your own signature. Trader jim is being a bad player here; he wants to interrupt this whole thing. An Imperial Warrant holder has overridden your arrest and jappel is free to go. [EDIT: Later on...] A close inspection of the vessel reveals that it was a drone shell, completely empty except for drives and artificial life signature generators. All the attack did was remove one of TJ's minions.

Now. Jappel, you're right. Hooks abound, which is why I left this version ambiguous. In my version there is a strong rumor that the captain's secretly working for his old line - maybe he's got another crewer from his line, and another from an opposing line which is trying to stop him!

And those stats are merely those - if you want non-humans, put them in; if modifications are necessary, then modify to your heart's desire.