Freelance Traveller

by Ken Pick

The Britannic Empire was a long-ago Traveller campaign related to me by Dave Peters of Glendale, California. The campaign was an active-duty naval campaign centering on the colonial patrol/diplomatic Great Game between several TL12 empires. The gimmick was each empire was based directly off the European Great Powers immediately preceding World War One; their High Guard fleets were translated ship-for-ship, ton-for-ton from Jane's Fighting Ships 1914. (My informant served as Lord Captain of HBMS Iron Duke.)

This TO&E carries on the gimmick to Dirtside II with a TL13 powered-armor battalion based closely on a 1980-vintage Royal Marine Commando TO&E. They are intended to function as spacemobile jump troops (with light vehicles dropped separately) with ortillery support.

TO&E:

9 platoons Battle Dress infantry -- each 6 power armor stands (APSW & Superior GMS/L) + 1 HQ stand (APSW + Artillery Observer). Points value 640/platoon.

3 company HQs -- each 1 command post vehicle + 1 ADS vehicle. Points value 479/HQ.

3 battlepod platoons -- each 6 battlepods. Usually assigned one/company, broken down to one two-pod section attached to each platoon for close-air support. Points value 1620/platoon.

1 batallion HQ -- 1 command post vehicle + 3 ADS vehicles. Points value 1013.

1 artillery battery -- each 3 artillery vehicles. Points value 330 + cost of ammunition.

1 engineer platoon -- varies too much to be point-costed.

Total points cost (batallion) 13409 + artillery ammunition + engineer assets + ortillery assets.

Total points cost (company) 4022.

Battlepod (6/coy, 18/bn):

LIGHT vehicle (class 2), GRAV-VTOL mobility, FGP power, Armour 2.
MDC/2 in chin mount, GMS/H (Superior).
SUPERIOR ECM, BASIC PDS, Stealth-1.
Basic Signature 2; Effective Signature 1 (D12).
POINTS VALUE 270.

Command post vehicle (1/coy, 4/bn):

LIGHT vehicle (class 2), GRAV mobility, FGP power, Armour 2.
1xAPSW, COMMAND/CONTROL CENTRE.
SUPERIOR ECM, BASIC PDS.
Basic/Effective Signature 2 (D10).
POINTS VALUE 212.

ADS vehicle (1/coy, 6/bn):

LIGHT vehicle (class 2), GRAV mobility, FGP power, Armour 2.
BASIC ADS, 1xAPSW.
ENHANCED ECM.
Basic/Effective Signature 2 (D10).
POINTS VALUE 267.

Artillery vehicle (3/bn):

LIGHT vehicle (class 2), GRAV mobility, FGP power, Armour 2.
1xRAM Mortar (light artillery), 1xAPSW.
ENHANCED ECM, BASIC PDS; capacity for additional load of ammunition.
Basic/Effective Signature 2 (D10).
POINTS VALUE 110 + ammunition loads (room for additional load).

Striker Tech Level Enhancements

The above uses stock Dirtside II maxima of Armour = Vehicle Size Class and SUPERIOR systems quality. Armour and systems quality can be maxed out for TL13 as follows:

• Armour raised from 2 to 3
• SUPERIOR systems enhanced to SUPERIOR+1