And we're back, talking about 'Expendables.' No, not a Sly Stallone movie. These are the things that get used up, or break, on starships. Thus, they need to be purchased separately. For our expendable items, we have missiles, sand, and repair parts.
One thing that isn't specified is whether you get an initial payload of the missiles or sand when you install them. It would seem likely, but then, maybe not. Looks like it's a...Dun-Dun-Dun!...Referee Call. For myself, I would say that yes, you get a full rack of either missiles or sand when you install the weapon turret. Others might disagree, and that's totally okay.
So, missiles in Traveller are homing missiles. Radar-guided or heat-seeking, it's not clear. Again, a Referee Decision. It probably doesn't really matter, anyway. All that matters is that they cost a mere 5,000 Cr to replace. That's your bog-standard missile; other types are mentioned (like jump missiles for messenger duty), but details are up to the referee. Again. Man, there's a lot of thinking in these old-school games, isn't there? How are people supposed to play without everything spelled out in micro-minute detail?!
Sand for the sandcasters is next. Oh, but this isn't just plain sand, because that won't work. This is a special composition that includes prismatic crystals and ablative particles, which will thus deflect lasers and...inflict minor damage on ships that it touches?! Where did that come from? More details forthcoming, perhaps? Maybe in the part on ship combat; it wasn't mentioned earlier. This 'sand' is pre-packed and weighs 50 kg, costing a paltry 400 Cr to purchase. Alright, then.
Our third expendable is repair parts. This one doesn't include the basic spare parts kept on board the ship; there are emergency materials in the ship's stores for temporary repairs. The cost of repair parts depends on how much the component cost in the first place. To get the repair cost, roll two dice and multiply the total by 10%. That's how much of the original price it will cost to replace the part. And yes, that means the repair might cost more than replacing the entire component would. Boy, does that sound familiar. Fix that fridge? The labor costs alone are more than the cost of buying a new one. Traveller really was ahead of its time.
There's a -2 DM if the ship's crew is making the repair, which means it might cost nothing at all. Well, that's helpful. Of course, the crew has to actually know how to repair the components to get the bonus. Well, there's always a catch.
And that's it for the expendables; now, we get an introduction to the 'standard' starship designs. These designs costs 10% less to build thanks to their standardization. We begin with...the scout. Or courier. It's as small as a starship can get, with a type-100 hull and A-level plant and drives. It has four staterooms, which can be double-occupied for crew (not passengers). It carries an air/raft and has three tons of cargo space and tank space for 40 tons of fuel. There's a double turret on the single hardpoint, but there are no weapons. A Model/1 computer with basic software completes the package. All this for the low, low price of 32,490,000 credits. Geez. And that's as basic a ship as you can get. It's got 2Gs of acceleration and can do a jump-2, but still. I suppose this is the ship the Scout career can earn. Well, it's better than nothing.
Next up...we'll find out next time. On to the next page!
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