Got a player in my group who has a work schedule that has interfered with the last 2 or 3 we were supposed to play as a group.

 So, when he heard that I've done one-on-one roleplay with some of the other people via an IM service - he decided that he wanted to try that .

 So far , so good.

 Here's the part where I need suggestions:
 His character impulsively has started searching the area near  and scouting out an Imperium facility that may be a political prison.  This secluded facility is on an undrerused part of Mertactor in District 268.

The Date that he started wandering around there by himself is :
Feb 26th/27th, 5639 AD     -OR-       319-1118


What prisoners should be there?

 Could the place be understaffed?
 ...or not resupplied in quite awile ?

 What would be the security measures?

 Anyone have specific suggestions on NPC prisoners that could be there?

 If my player gets "caught"  - how could escape ?
 Or might he stumble across an escape attempt in already in progress?

 What kinds of political crimes in the 3rd Imperium gets you put in to this kind of Prison?

Suggestions?

 I'll listen to anything...just likely reject what might not fit my version of the TRAVELLER Universe.


- Ed C.

What prisoners should be there?

Spies, activists, robosexuals, bomb-throwing Sollies, corrupt imperial officials

Could the place be understaffed?
...or not resupplied in quite awile ?

Both.  In an 11,000 world empire with a vast bureaucracy, neglect is probably the norm.

What would be the security measures?

Robots, lasers.  Maybe some reverso-gravity traps.

Anyone have specific suggestions on NPC prisoners that could be there?

An imperial official who blabbed about -insert plot hook here- to his mistress.  The mistress's sister turned out to be a reporter.  Both the mistress and reporter were spaced, but the official was dubbed still of possible benefit to his imperial overseers as he knew much about -insert another plot hook here-.

If my player gets "caught" - how could escape ?

Shit, that's the player's problem.  Why are you worrying about it?

What kinds of political crimes in the 3rd Imperium gets you put in to this kind of Prison?

Interfering with interstellar trade, agitating for local worlds to stop paying imperial taxes, separatism (once you join the Imperium, you can't get out), harboring artificially intelligent robots.

Quote from: jrientsIf my player gets "caught" - how could escape ?

Shit, that's the player's problem.  Why are you worrying about it?

QFT. I used to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to get my players out of a problem, giving them an escape route or two. Eventually I gave up and now I let them come up with ideas on their own and go with whichever one sounds most plausible or entertaining. Even when I gave them a clear out, they always wanted to try it another way.

What prisoners should be there?

-Some political prisoner being kept out of the public eye, a person who would wield a decent amount of power if they were released, or someone with blackmail type information. The prisoner, once released, could then become a patron, or could lead the character into further adventures as the horrible truths start coming out.

Could the place be understaffed?
 ...or not resupplied in quite awile ?

-It doesn't have to be understaffed, but a small backworld prison probably wouldn't have much staff to begin with. It certainly wouldn't be a high security place - obscure location is the most important security measure here. Perhaps supplies are running low and prisoners are let out frequently to work the fields and farm for certain necessary foodstuffs.

What would be the security measures?

- Nothing too crazy. Locks mostly. There may be a perimeter alarm or something that frequently goes off accidentally from some local wildlife (a type of large bird that's always poking around). A very few armed guards. Most of the weapons are probably locked up somewhere and the majority of the staff probably only carry clubs or tasers.

If my player gets "caught"  - how could escape ?

- Let the player worry about that

Or might he stumble across an escape attempt in already in progress?

- Sure, maybe some prisoners are escaping and a few armed search parties are going out looking. Perhaps the PC gets mistaken for an escaped convict and gets grabbed up with the rest.

What kinds of political crimes in the 3rd Imperium gets you put in to this kind of Prison?

-If it's a hush-hush type prison, then just about anything. You don't really need a reason, just call them "enemy combatants" and lock them up. Maybe someone needed to be silenced about a government conspiracy, or maybe someone just knocked up the wrong admiral's daughter.

Well... I'm not sure about the timeline, much less in the GT TU, but District 268 is normally--

a) a frontier subsector whose worlds are NOT formal members of the Imperium;

b) close to the Trojan Reaches, which have an aggressive Aslan presence.

I'd concoct something based on a) and b). The prison is a secret Imperial facility in which the Imperium locks up... uhm... radical Aslan expansionists/corsairs who've been venturing into D268 to wreak havoc? And it does so with the tacit agreement of the Mertactor gov't, which doesn't want an open confrontation with a powerful neighbor like the Aslan pocket empires down "south.".

Make it a largely unused prison with just a few inmates left. They are all ultra-powerful psychics kept under [insert sci-fi sounding drug name here] sedation.

When your player arrives, they have just run out of the psi-inhibitor.

Look out.

Neat idea, Pierce.

Another interesting possibility is that the Imperial facility is holding political prisoners for some other polity.  Maybe this is where the Darrian Confederation disappears its political liabilities.  Or more locally, folks ('terrorists') from Collace who oppose Imperial integration might end up there.

Personally, I think it's the Darrians who should be locked up. All of 'em. Prior to their being catapulted into the sun.

But that's just me.

Subcomandante P.I.,
Positively-No-Elves-In-Traveller Liberation Front

Quote from: chaldfontMake it a largely unused prison with just a few inmates left. They are all ultra-powerful psychics kept under [insert sci-fi sounding drug name here] sedation.

When your player arrives, they have just run out of the psi-inhibitor.

Look out.

 This one just became a contender .

 Look at the related thread that shows the character involved and you will see why.

 Keep them coming guys.

 Thanks in advance....

- Ed C.

I lol'd at robosexuals.


Doesn't anyone do the merchant trader style campaigning anymore?

That's where you go from system to system filling your holds, buying and selling, etc.

Quote from: Abyssal MawDoesn't anyone do the merchant trader style campaigning anymore?

That's where you go from system to system filling your holds, buying and selling, etc.

That's my preferred Traveller mode.

That's my preferred Star Wars mode, too

While a lot of neat suggestions have been made and good ideas thrown out here, why haven't you just asked your player what kinds of adventures he'd like to play? If I currently had a chance to game 1-on-1, just player and referee, I'd sit my referee down and tell him the kind of adventures I'd like to play in and let him tell me the kind of adventures he'd like to run. That conversation would not only produce a workable thematic middle ground for us to game with, but also provide numerous ideas and adventure seeds for later use.

Quote from: Abyssal MawI lol'd at robosexuals.


Doesn't anyone do the merchant trader style campaigning anymore?

That's where you go from system to system filling your holds, buying and selling, etc.

 Thats what my regular campaign IS.
 Its the crew of an Empress Marava merchant trader, buying & selling and trying not to get killed.

 Its just that this particular player couldn't make a few game sessions - swo we came up with this his seperate "solo" adventure.

- Ed C.

Quote from: Abyssal MawI lol'd at robosexuals.


Doesn't anyone do the merchant trader style campaigning anymore?

Heh... I was running a one-shot game at gencon with mostly new players. The players got ahold of the trade system, and they spent a good hour or two sidetracked from the main adventure plotting trade schemes and making dough.

I was sort of surprised that sort of appeal still persisted.