Freelance Traveller

by Jeff Zeitlin

Sources of Inspiration: Various, principally including Larry Niven's Known Space series and David Drake's Republic of Cinnabar Navy series

Purpose: Primarily cosmetic.

Discussion: As presented, Jump is generally a non-event lasting a week - a break between today's episode and "tune in next week, same time, same channel!". Additionally, most starship designs and layouts, as presented, place the primary control center adjacent to the hull, with direct-view capability - something that is strictly speaking unnecessary for realspace navigation, and useless or worse during realspace combat. Adoption of the rules presented here (possibly suitably modified a specific Traveller ruleset) addresses both perceived flaws while doing minimal damage to canonical background.

We assume for discussion purposes that Jumpspace is a partly-psionic phenomenon - that in order for a jump to be successful, there must be at least one living sophont mind inside the jump field (note: the J4 X-Boat canonically requires a crew of one (1), even though transport to the jump point is handled by a separate vessel, and the X-Boat has no significant ability to prosecute or defend militarily - why then must it be crewed, rather than completely automated? This is why!). The mind in question need not have any "true" psionic ability - i.e., being a Zhodani noble instead of a Hiver confers no inherent advantage - but there must be a sophont mind present. We further posit that the sophont navigator must have some direct method of perceiving jump-related phenomena - i.e., electronic sensors cannot successfully relay a useful view of jumpspace to the navigator. (Compare the need in Niven for a living intelligence to monitor the mass detector in hyperspace.)

One more assumption: The majority of jump fuel is used to generate energy to insert the ship into Jump space - but not all. The remainder is used to maintain "jump grid" or "jump coil" energization. The energization pattern/level can be adjusted - in small degree only - while in jump, and this manipulation of the energization pattern can affect the length of the jump, within the plus-or-minus-ten-percent limit. (Compare the ability in Drake to adjust the rigging while in 'sponge space'.)

The navigator may make any number of rolls over the course of the jump - but must state the number of rolls before entering jump. Each roll is 2D6 with a DM of the navigator's skill level, and represents an attempt at adjustment of the jump energization after some hours of observation. Record the result from the table at left for each roll.

The referee should, after each roll, roll a DIFFICULT task (or equivalent) to see if some event occurs to prevent the Navigator from making the next observation. The referee should record the total number of missed observations for the jump. The exact nature of the event, if one occurs, is at the referee's discretion.

At the end of the jump, the navigator should add up all of the results recorded from the observations made, and divide by the number of observations originally intended. Then, the referee should add the total number of missed observations to the navigator's result. The result should be constrained to the band -10 to +10, and the final result represents the percentage difference between the time of this jump and the 'standard' one week interval.

Example: SHariik has NAV-3, and will attempt to fine-tune this jump while en-route. She elects to make seven observations (one per day). She has a DM of +3 (her Navigation skill) on these rolls.

Roll 1: SHariik rolls a 3; DM+3 = 6, which is a result of +2. The referee rolls no event that prevents SHariik from making her next observation.

Roll 2: SHariik rolls a 10; DM+3 = 13, which is beyond the max result of -10. The referee rolls an event; SHariik is jump-sick, and will miss the next observation.

Roll 3: SHariik does not roll this observation, as she is suffering from jump sickness. The referee rolls no event that prevents SHariik from making her next observation.

Roll 4: SHariik rolls a 5; DM+3 = 8, which is a result of -2. The referee rolls no event that prevents SHariik from making her next observation.

Roll 5: SHariik rolls a 7; DM+3 = 10, which is a result of -6. The referee rolls no event that prevents SHariik from making her next observation.

Roll 6: SHariik rolls a 2; DM+3 = 5, which is a result of +4. The referee rolls an event; A stowaway has attempted a psionic assault on SHariik, and SHariik is unconscious, and will not be able to make the next observation.

Roll 7: SHariik does not roll this observation. Since this is the last observation before breakout, there is no need for the referee to roll an event.

SHariik's total is -12, divided by 7 intended observations is -1.71. She missed two observation, so -1.71 + 2 is 0.29 - the jump took 0.29% longer than standard (168 hours), or 168 hours 29 minutes 14 seconds. Had she not missed the two observations, and rolled results of 0 for them, she would have been able to shave the jump time by 1.71%, or 2 hours 52 minutes 22 seconds, resulting in a jump time of 165 hours 7 minutes 38 seconds.