For a game in the not too distant future or maybe for the 2300AD. The Baltic Loop is a vactrain that can travel at supersonic speeds.
The distance between the stations are only 2-3 minutes. The train runs in both directions. 4 trains runs in each direction. This means that a new train arrives at the station every 9 minutes.
Adventure hooks:
The Island Games is held on Gotland, Åland and Saaremaa. The participants from many other island arrive by air in Helsinki or Stockholm. Now the PCs must help one confused team to go to the correct island using the Baltic loop.
The Baltic Loop is closed down one day to try to set a speed record (and beat the Californian HyperLoop). Agents from the Californian HyperLoop tries to sabotage the record attempt. The PCs must help with the record attempt and stop the Californian agents.
Courland has just become an independent nation. The Latvian flag has to be replaced on every sign at the loop. Latvian agents are trying to sabotage this. Polish agents turn the Courland flags upside down to make them look like the Polish flag. The PCs must stop the Latvian and Polish agents.
One of the more popular pages at the Zhodani Base is the Random Subsector Generator. With the help of the generator, some text editing and the post function at Traveller Maps and some editing using Gimp, I created this subsector.
I made this subsector to try out the region xml-tag that is used at TravellerMap for nebulas. But then I liked the subsector that I have made, so I decided to make it prettier using an image of a real nebula.
The Florensa Nebula is in the center of the subsector. This nebula is a navigational hazard. (Add +2 for misjump to/from Florensa and +1 for misjump to/from any of the six surrounding hexes.)
Three interstellar powers are present in the subsector. The Portuna Federation, the Caponiana Free State, and the Elekto Zardom.
All three interstellar powers have signed an agreement that have defined the Florensa Nebula as a space preserve. No ships are allowed to go there except for scientific missions.
Short Write-Ups:
SILESTINA B6889BC-B
Silestina is the local capital of the Portuna Federation. Trade in illegal gems from the Florensa system has attracted lots of settlers. The planet is ruled by Duke Ostretto who is not very popular and that have risen the law-level to C to protect himself.
Florensa X000000-0
At Florensa there is a thin asteroid belt orbiting a neutron star at 80 AU. There are a few research stations in the belt. These stations observe the neutron star and the nebula. The stations are usually unmanned.
In some areas of the Nebula, there are lots of valuable minerals. It is possible to find gems like Diamonds or Sapphires. There are also noble metals like Platinum, Gold, Iridium, and Osmium. Some radioactive can also be found.
In a few locations in the nebula, 2000-year-old (non-human) mining equipment have been found. Due to micrometeorites and radiation, these doesn’t work anymore, but they seem to have been more advance than what any of the current interstellar powers can produce.
PALERIA B500964-B
Paleria is the local capital of the Caponiana Free State. Trade in illegal gold from the Florensa system has attracted lots of settlers. Paleria is controlled directly from Caponiana.
ARMIONA B000979-B
Armiona is working as some kind of local capital of the Elekto Zardom. Armiona is a huge asteroid belt and each asteroid have its own government. There is no central control. Trade in illegal radioactives from the Florensa system has attracted lots of settlers.
@SUB-SECTOR: Florensa SECTOR: Sadobi
#
#--------1---------2---------3---------4---------5-------
#PlanetName Loc. UPP Code B Notes Z PBG Al
#---------- ---- --------- - --------------- - --- --
Seelio 0107 E654564-6 Ag Ni 321 Pf
Signes-3 0205 D100277-5 S Lo Ni Va 323 Pf
Silestina 0206 B6889BC-B N Hi Cp 224 Pf
Alkmesis 0208 C454775-8 S Ag A 122 Na
Salora 0210 X000000-0 As Na R 325 Na
Ekardina 0306 C878244-4 S Lo Ni 223 Pf
Roxandory 0307 D510210-5 S Lo Ni 723 Pf
Herlina 0310 X667000-0 Lo Ni R 324 Na
Ornalda 0402 C100355-8 S Lo Ni Va 800 Ez
Armenete 0408 D520646-2 De Na Po 513 Cf
Irisek 0409 E634424-3 Ni 123 Cf
Yurstea 0410 D797235-7 S Lo Ni 302 Cf
Isaraston 0501 C000776-6 As Na 503 Ez
Koronia 0503 C424110-A S Lo Ni 903 Ez
Florensa 0505 X000000-0 As Ba Lo Ni R 000 Na
Paleria 0508 B500964-B N Hi In Na Va Cp 132 Cf
Ludoran 0510 E542425-2 Ni Po 723 Cf
Frington 0601 X9B4000-0 Ba Fl Lo Ni R 024 Ez
Annelope 0602 C110125-7 Lo Ni 124 Ez
Armiona 0703 B000979-B As Hi In Na Cp 314 Ez
Bavardina 0706 E524200-9 Lo Ni 813 Cf
Euphelene 0707 B10065A-9 Na Va 223 Cf
Restriam 0708 E69A665-8 Wa 624 Cf
Rhodica 0709 X679000-0 Ba Lo Ni R 034 Cf
Ullacin 0801 D210132-4 Lo Ni 122 Ez
Harmula 0804 C649420-7 Ni 103 Ez
Clorian 0809 D695330-3 S Lo Ni 811 Cf
Chat (connecting to the original #traveller IRC) added.
Lowlights
All the things I didn’t have time to write or finish.
There was no Amber Zone Contest this year.
There was no reviews.
I had to change web host.
Site Stats
The Zhodani Base has about 6200 proper visitors each month. That is a little better than last year. (Even though my web host had major problems in the last months.)
Welcome to the Zhodani Base Awards 2018! 2018 has been another amazing year for Traveller products. Lots of new stuff from the small publishers (and Mongoose).
The first category is “Best Cover“. The nominees are:
The winner of the “Best Cover” category of the Zhodani Base Awards 2018 is: Spacecraft Design Guide from Moon Toad Publishing.
There were lots of Traveller products with nice covers this year. Lots of love for all nice covers. A cool starship image and an otherwise well designed cover was what won this year. (Ian Stead did three of the nominated cover images and one of them won.)
Next category is “Best Fanzine or Online Magazine“. The nominees are:
The winner of the “Best Adventure” category of the Zhodani Base Awards 2018 is: Grand Safari from Gypsy Knights Games.
There were lots of fine Traveller Adventures for different settings published. But Grand Safari was outstanding. I love that there are six linked adventures in this book.
Next category is “Best Ship or Deckplan“. The nominees are:
The winner of the “Best Ship or Deckplan” category of the Zhodani Base Awards 2018 is: Hercules-class Heavy Freighter from Gypsy Knights Games.
There were lots of fine ships for Traveller published this year. I really liked the winning design that looks a bit like the Voyager II / Connestoga from TTA.
Next category is “Best ATU Product“. The nominees are:
The winner of the “Best Free or Pay What You Want Traveller Product” category of the Zhodani Base Awards 2018 is: Starship Geomorphs from Robert Pearce.
Starship Geomorphs wins because it is an amazing fan produced product that is also a work of love for the game.
Players’ Information: The crew of the ship has bought some cargo (frozen bug-fish) at Regina (Spinward Marches 1910). They thought that they would make a huge profit at Extolay (Spinward Marches 1711) at the bug-fish festival. But their information was wrong. Their cargo is unsellable. While trying to locate a buyer at Extolay the crew is contacted through their ship’s computer connection by an anonymous caller. The caller wants to know if the crew could help her with something that is legal but may cause some confusion. This is a task that is best performed by outsiders using a cunning plan but could be performed in other ways. Violence should be avoided. In return, she would buy their cargo for what they paid at Regina.
This is better than nothing and it means that it will free up the cargo hold. The crew will get one day to consider the offer. The caller say that she will call them again in exactly 24 standard hours.
