Three Musketeers in Outer Space

[Michael Hopcroft]

Let me tell you something weird; back in the day, when Star HERO wasn't even an idea and the RPG was brand new, I got completely the wrong idea about the Marines in Traveller. While everyone else was thinking grunts in space, I was thinking swashbuckling adventurers based on such things as the Cutlass and Gambling skills Marines learned in the basic chargen system. In other words, while everyone else was thinking Starship Troopers I was thinking The Emperor's Musketeers.

Which makes me wonder how to run a space intrigue campaign where player characters do everything they do in style, where rivalry between elite units of space soldiers can lead to occasional violence, and where everything boils down to personal rivalries, friendships and enmity. And of course the ultimate way to settle a dispute is at blade-point, even if it is a blade made of coherent light....

[tkdguy]

Someone used the original D&D rules for space adventures. Maybe this will give you some ideas.

Terminal Space

[pinecone]

Let me tell you something weird; back in the day, when Star HERO wasn't even an idea and the RPG was brand new, I got completely the wrong idea about the Marines in Traveller. While everyone else was thinking grunts in space, I was thinking swashbuckling adventurers based on such things as the Cutlass and Gambling skills Marines learned in the basic chargen system. In other words, while everyone else was thinking Starship Troopers I was thinking The Emperor's Musketeers.

Which makes me wonder how to run a space intrigue campaign where player characters do everything they do in style, where rivalry between elite units of space soldiers can lead to occasional violence, and where everything boils down to personal rivalries, friendships and enmity. And of course the ultimate way to settle a dispute is at blade-point, even if it is a blade made of coherent light....

It seems a perfectly reasonable way to go...I remember back in the day a whole passel of storys based on the idea that nobody used projectile weapons on starships so a dueling culture was reborn...heck Dune is a knife fighting galactic empire, so it seems "possable" as far as suspension of belief goes....

[JmOz]

And a rule of pulp space campeigns everywhere "Everything is cooler with laser swords"

[Tasha]

Let me tell you something weird; back in the day, when Star HERO wasn't even an idea and the RPG was brand new, I got completely the wrong idea about the Marines in Traveller. While everyone else was thinking grunts in space, I was thinking swashbuckling adventurers based on such things as the Cutlass and Gambling skills Marines learned in the basic chargen system. In other words, while everyone else was thinking Starship Troopers I was thinking The Emperor's Musketeers.

Which makes me wonder how to run a space intrigue campaign where player characters do everything they do in style, where rivalry between elite units of space soldiers can lead to occasional violence, and where everything boils down to personal rivalries, friendships and enmity. And of course the ultimate way to settle a dispute is at blade-point, even if it is a blade made of coherent light....

Hell looking at it that way there's really no reason that one couldn't do that with the basic Traveller Imperium setting (Before the crappy fractured Imperium of Mega Traveller). The setting already has the idea of Nobility who run sectors of space. There's mercenary squadruns running around. Cutlass and other blade skills indeed are still used because of fear of piercing the hull/damaging fragile starship equipment with weapon's fire. Also the law levels of many of the "civilized" worlds of the imperium ban projectiles, but allow bladed weapons to be carried. Also the idea of Patrons who fund/direct the PC's is very well established. Just make that person a noble who is in covert (or semi-covert) struggle against a rival. (ie open war on the planets that the PCs and their Mercs wage war against other Mercs funded by their patron's rivals). Back in the capital planet, both the PCs and the Opposition do everything to make the others look bad.

Sounds fun and a refreshing way to look at a Traveller Campaign.

[tkdguy]

And a rule of pulp space campeigns everywhere "Everything is cooler with laser swords"

Very true. Even wielding regular swords makes space campaigns cooler.

And a Three Musketeers campaign is actually quite appropriate for Traveller.

[BLHarrison]

In my still under development Star Hero Campain, the Emperor has 4 regiments of personal troops whose knickname is the Musketters. While not enjoying 100% participation most members do fence and try to act in a swashbuckle fashion. As an aside all information that would detail why this tradition started has been accidentally destroyed/damaged or hacked so many times it is considered unreliable

[Michael Hopcroft]

In my still under development Star Hero Campaign, the Emperor has 4 regiments of personal troops whose nickname is the Musketeers. While not enjoying 100% participation most members do fence and try to act in a swashbuckling fashion. As an aside all information that would detail why this tradition started has been accidentally destroyed/damaged or hacked so many times it is considered unreliable

I presume the Prime Minister has his own cadre of elite bodyguards, who don't like Musketeers very much. (And that he probably has a much clearer vision of what is good for the Empire than the somewhat decadent monarch).

[BLHarrison]

I presume the Prime Minister has his own cadre of elite bodyguards, who don't like Musketeers very much. (And that he probably has a much clearer vision of what is good for the Empire than the somewhat decadent monarch).

Well there is a Parlimentary Security Force, they are more cops than soliders. But then we know how the original musketters where such quiet fellows when they were off duty

Various Nobles are allowed to raise (limited numbers of) troop, frequently to suppliment the defense of thier area's of responiabilities. And the Emp's troops do get used as opfor in training exersises ... thanks for the Idea!!!

[Gary Miles]

Hell looking at it that way there's really no reason that one couldn't do that with the basic Traveller Imperium setting (Before the crappy fractured Imperium of Mega Traveller). The setting already has the idea of Nobility who run sectors of space. There's mercenary squadruns running around. Cutlass and other blade skills indeed are still used because of fear of piercing the hull/damaging fragile starship equipment with weapon's fire. Also the law levels of many of the "civilized" worlds of the imperium ban projectiles, but allow bladed weapons to be carried. Also the idea of Patrons who fund/direct the PC's is very well established. Just make that person a noble who is in covert (or semi-covert) struggle against a rival. (ie open war on the planets that the PCs and their Mercs wage war against other Mercs funded by their patron's rivals). Back in the capital planet, both the PCs and the Opposition do everything to make the others look bad.

Sounds fun and a refreshing way to look at a Traveller Campaign.

And of course there's always the Imperial Warrant.

[kahuna's bro]

an interplanetyary threemusketeers is a great idea go for it

[Susano]

Didn't Jack Vance write a lot of SF using this sort of setting? Or am I thinking of someone else?

[Xavier Onassiss]

I think Space Musketeers sounds like nothing less than a way-cool 80's-vintage Saturday morning cartoon, complete with its own line of action figures.

And if it's not, it should be. I'd buy 'em.

[tkdguy]

I remember there being a Star Wars campaign setting from West End Games which was set near the heart of the Empire. It was meant to be a more eleagant and sophisticated setting than the Rebel strongholds. If you can find it, it may be a good way to detail your campaign.

[kahuna's bro]

I think Space Musketeers sounds like nothing less than a way-cool 80's-vintage Saturday morning cartoon, complete with its own line of action figures.

And if it's not, it should be. I'd buy 'em.

good point