Another Benefit of playing a Noble PC

I realize that I have overlooked something about what it means to play a Noble PC in Traveller. Having high status confers more benefits than just money.

Elites Know People. They go to the same schools, they belong to the same clubs and Orders of Knighthood. They go on vacation to the same places. They Know Each Other. Think about how many European royalty used to be in fact related to one another back in the day. They met at diplomatic functions and at exclusive resort spots. 

I work in higher education. It is common knowledge that the quality of education is not necessarily better at an Ivy League school. What the Ivys offer is connections. Mention that you went to Harvard and all kinds of doors will open that would not otherwise. This confers advantages that people will pay top dollar to acquire.

I translate that into contacts for Traveller Nobles. Whenever a PC Noble arrives on a new planet, they can check if there's anyone that they know on planet. Such people might lend direct aid. Contacts can provide information to assist the PCs in their endeavors. Starports will have records of off-world visitors. A simple Admin throw (6+) will get the PC access to the records.

When the player announces that his PC is looking for Contacts, the player gets a number of throws equal to SOC-10. For each success there is one Noble Contact on the planet.

As you walk into the Starport Lounge, you recognize this man from that time with the Thing and the Guy in the Place. Good Times.

Benefits of playing a Noble PC

For years as a Referee I beat my head against a metaphorical and game-mechanical wall trying to resolve a conundrum. Traveller allows PCs to be high ranking members of interstellar society. But there are exactly no rules or directions on how playing a Noble confers any advantage.

High Status in the Far Future

 

Much of my thinking about his amounted to “how much money should I give a Noble PC? Is this too much? Is this too little?" I used to think the cash handouts from the Robe & Blaster article were tiny and pointless. I have revised my thinking on this somewhat. Nobles in Traveller have their money tied up in land, properties, investments and ships. The benefits given below are the dividends, the residual free cash.

I now also see these dividends as small enough to not break the game. If a PC gets rich by adventuring, great! Travellers can and should seek High Level play. That should happen in the game, not because of meta-game artifacts like huge cash grants. Eventually Nobles will have connections with all sorts of VIPs, own ships and direct large-scale ventures. But beginning Noble PCs don't have all that. Not yet, anyway.

Below are the likely benefits from the R&B article.

Definition of Nobility Benefits 

These are the ones available to Knights and Barons:

• Pension: Same as standard additional service pension. Roll ld6 X 1,000 Cr./Pt.
• Merchant House Holdings: Stock/bond portfolios yielding annual value of ld6 X 1,000 Cr. dividends. May be sold at market value.
• Space Lane Carrier Holdings: As per merchant holdings, except player rolls 2d6 X 10,000 Cr.
• Court Influence: Used as a+DM on Reaction Rolls as allowed by Referee. May also be used as a DM in dispensing patronage.
• Ancestral Lands: Planetary holdings held by player in perpetuity. Roll 3d6 X 10,000 Cr. for value. Lands yield 10-60% total value (1d6) annually in revenues and cost 10-60% of value for maintenance once every four years.
• Immediate Inheritance: As per Ancestral Lands but player additionally rolls 3d6 X 10,000 Cr. For immediately available cash.

Instead of cash, the Referee can use other already available force multipliers. I mean, of course, henchmen and vehicles. A PC with a Noble title enters play with one or more loyal retainers, one of whom can operate the vehicle they may own.