For my upcoming SG2 scenario, I'm working on some Traveller conversions. One
of the questions I have is around Traveller combat suits and battledress.
Now, my Traveller experience was from a few years ago, using a slightly
modified version of the Classic Traveller with Snapshot as the combat system.
Battledress seemed to be just really good armour with environmental controls
in it. Nothing special.
Did this change in later Traveller?
What do you think I should do with the armour? My current idea was to make
Battledress just regular D12 with environmental add-ons, and a combat
suit the same but D10. No Power Armour use at all. Does Traveller HAVE Power
Armour?
Any responses would be appreciated.
On Saturday, 21 November 1998 12:19, agoodall@interlog.com
> [SMTP:agoodall@interlog.com] wrote:
Actually, battledress is the Traveller version of powered armour. Battledress
provides great armour as well as increased strength and endurance. Battledress
gives the user the ability to lift heavy loads (IIRC, it gives the user the
equivalent of Traveller STR 30, avg human
has STR 7), withstand the recoil of a FGMP (Fusion Gun-Man Portable),
increased mobility of the grav belt ('I can fly...', and the ability to drop
from orbit.
Combat armour is more akin to the full armoured suit (kind of like
stormtroopers from StarWars). Lots of armour on an environmentally sealed
suit, but no powered assists.
vargr1 UPP-8D9B85
---------------------------- Omnia dicta fortiora, si dicta latina.
> Combat armour is more akin to the full armoured suit (kind of like
Of course, I think Stormtrooper armor would be rated at about 1d4 (especially
when considering the Ewok #2 pencil sized arrows that seems to penetrate so
easily....)
> On Sat, 21 Nov 1998, Chris Lowrey wrote:
> >Combat armour is more akin to the full armoured suit (kind of like
The Ewoks had special 'Sympathetic Scriptwriter' arrowheads, not usually
available anywhere. <g>
Without these arrowheads, I'd say that Stormtrooper's armour would be d10
full-suit armour, non-powered (d10? I don't have my SG2 book in front of
me...d8? With light Powered Armour as d10, hvy as d12? whatever...)
Later,
> For my upcoming SG2 scenario, I'm working on some Traveller
Hi Allan,
I just happen to have a copy of the "Central Supply Catalog" from Marc
Miller's Traveller (the release of Traveller that came out after Game
Designers' Workshop went belly-up). This book has a whole section on
"Augmented Battle Dress", which is specifically powered armour:
"Augmented Battle Dress (powered armor) does not really become viable until
TL10, and is not a long-term proposition until the introduction of
Fusion+.
Higher tech versions would be much the same, but with better armor
materials...smaller and better electronics, more energy storage and more
efficient weapons."
Fusion+ power systems come about sometime during TL10.
The equipment section in the main rulebook for "Traveller The New Era", the
last release of Traveller by GDW also describes powered battle dress.
Finally, just for kicks (and because it's next to my desk) I pulled out my
copy of the original Traveller rules. Book 1, "Characters and Combat" also
describes Battle Dress (powered armor).
You are completely safe using powered armour in your Traveller-based
game!
Your scenario has a TL14 unit attacking a TL12 convoy. TL12 is already past
the point of Fusion powered battle dress, so there's no reason why both sides
couldn't have power armour. If you want to limit what the TL12 force has, give
them "Combat Environment Suits" which give d8 protection
and allow 6" or d6x2 movement - the same as the gear the Neu Swabians
wear. In the GZG universe, that's about the best armour gets before it is
powered or power assisted. You could justify giving them armour similar to
what the New Israelis get - partially powered armour with d8 protection,
but moving 8" or d8x2. The TL14 troops would be in Battle Dress of some kind
(powered armour!) so use the regular stats: d12 armour, move 12" or d12x2. My
only real problem with your scenario is the desire to use
PGMP-14's on each guy. The Plasma Guns in the Traveller universe were
extremely powerful, and only issued to Battle Dress equipped troops at the
highest tech levels. They are HUGELY expensive, weigh upwards of 20 pounds
(9kg for the weapon, 1.6kg for the power pack, though they do have grav field
generators which reduce the total felt weight to under 200 grams). It would be
a walkover for the TL14 troops if they get to spring the ambush. In Traveller
terms, each of those weapons is enough to destroy a TL12 APC, so the TL12
troops would not even have a chance to dismount. If this were Stargrunt, it
would be like having a PA platoon all armed with
SAWs and GMS-L's going up against regular infantry.
You could compensate by making the TL12 troops much better, but since PA
troops would be at least Veterans (both by Stargrunt rules and by Traveller
common sense), that would mean the TL12 troops would all have to be Elites
- which doesn't make any sense. You could arbitrarily determine that
the PA troops were Regulars and the TL12 troops Veterans, but even then,
there'd be lots of dead guys in the convoy before they had a chance to deploy.
If you are going to use the Stargrunt rules, I'd stick to using the types of
weapons they indicate, to keep the relative balances designed into the rules
between forces.
How 'bout something like this:
TL12 troops:
Partial Powered Armour: d8 armour, 8" or d8x2 movement Advanced Combat Rifles:
FP2, Impact d10
Squad Support Weapon: PGMP-12 FP10, Impact d10 (d10x2 vs. point
targets like power armour, vehicles, etc) This could be used either to support
the squad's rifle fire, or as a separate weapon.
Squads of 8 or so.
TL14 troops:
Powered Armour: d12 armour, 12" or d12x2 movement Individual Gauss Rifle: FP2,
Impact d12 Rocket Pack: shoulder mounted on one in four troops, can be fired
with rifles or separately at point targets, adds FP d8, Impact d8 (d8x2 vs.
point targets)
Squad Support Weapon: FGMP-14 FP12, Impact d12x2 (d12x4 vs. point
targets)
Squads of 4 (three with the gauss rifle, one with Rocket Pack and one with
FGMP-14). Or, have some of the TL14 troops wearing non-powered armour,
carring gauss rifles. Have a limited number (one or two squads of four) of
PA troops, each with a PGMP-13 or 14, and lower the damage of these to:
impact d12 (d12x2 or x3 vs. point targets)
Anyway, just a thought. The scenario sounds fun. Let us know how it went.
On Saturday, 21 November 1998 13:57, Chris Lowrey
> [SMTP:clowrey@primary.net] wrote:
Actually, stormtrooper armour is a special 'damage enhancing' model. The
Empire, believing in the maxim that a dead soldier takes one man out of your
force, but a wounded soldier takes three (the wounded man and two to assist
him) has designed armour that turns the lightest hit into an instantly fatal
wound.
vargr1 UPP-8D9B85
---------------------------- Omnia dicta fortiora, si dicta latina.
I have all 4 Editions of Traveller, along with GURPS Traveller, and worked on
the playtesting of stuff for CT and T4 let me see what I can do about
answering some of these questions. I will reference to various sources by the
following Abbreviations M= Mercenary S1= CT version of Striker S2= Striker 2
I dont play Star Grunt myself, just Dirtside 2 and Full Thrust. but have been
playing Traveller since 1978, living a mile from the old GDW helped.
> Your scenario has a TL14 unit attacking a TL12 convoy. TL12 is already
or
> d12x2.
Combat armor is closer to Imperial Stormtrooper armor from Star Wars
but with better protection, and more sensors/commo gear.
The figures that I have came with a ready made order of battle for Striker
(had it here a few days ago, think I can find it???). They were either TL15s
with PGMPs or FGMPs. The OOB gave EVERYONE in the squad the
fusion/plasma
guns.
Standard Armarment as per Striker 2 will depend on the type of unit
"All personnel stands are equipped with TL-14 Heavy Battle dress and
Grav Belts. Infantry and single figure stands are armed with
FGMP-14's and 2 FGMP-15's in the weapons squad, along with TL-15
Portable Tac Missles."
"Support Infantry Stands are armed with TL-15 Portable Tac Missles
and an integral TL-15 FGMP-15'
Support Stands such as Combat Engineers, Intel specialists. etc.. will
generally be in Combat Armor, and armed with Gauss Rifles.
On Sat, 21 Nov 1998 15:45:19 -0500, Adrian Johnson
<ajohnson@idirect.com> wrote:
> I just happen to have a copy of the "Central Supply Catalog" from Marc
Okay. The only Traveller era stuff I have is classic Traveller, and some
Megatraveller stuff. I've mostly culled my info from Book 4 (Mercenaries),
Snapshot, Azhanti High Lightning and Striker.
> Your scenario has a TL14 unit attacking a TL12 convoy. TL12 is already
or
> d12x2.
Well, that sounds pretty good and I'm going to think about that...
> My only real problem with your scenario is the desire to use
The figures that I have came with a ready made order of battle for Striker
(had it here a few days ago, think I can find it???). They were either TL15s
with PGMPs or FGMPs. The OOB gave EVERYONE in the squad the
fusion/plasma
guns.
Mind you I can make them anything I want. And the battledress looks NOTHING
like power armour in most other games. It looks like some sort of soft
material with hard shell body armour, boots, and gloves, and big crash helmets
on the head.
Hmmm.... Now that I look more closely at them, they COULD be used for Power
Armour....
> TL12 APC, so the TL12 troops would not even have a chance to dismount.
If
> this were Stargrunt, it would be like having a PA platoon all armed
Another option I have is to have the TL12 guys ambush the TL14 guys. Kind of a
local insurgency group against the best guys from the Imperium. Of course,
this makes the force mix even HARDER to figure out... :-)
> If you are going to use the Stargrunt rules, I'd stick to using
That could be a good idea...
> How 'bout something like this:
Hmmm, you have some good ideas, there! I'm going to think about this. Your
suggestions look good!
> Anyway, just a thought. The scenario sounds fun. Let us know how it
Will do! I hope to have pictures from the scenario, too.