Far Trader
A Far Trader is a small starship commonly used for interstellar trade and commerce that is capable of Jump-2.
- Please see the AAB entry for the Beowulf class Free Trader to get representative performance characteristics for this broad supraclass of merchants.
Description (Specifications)
Fat Trader is a disparaging term used to describe a Subsidised Merchant. This is a 400-ton merchant starship of ubiquitous design, generally run under the auspices of a world government (with a subsidy). Only capable of Jump-1, the vessel has a much higher cargo capacity than its independent cousins. Even so, many independent merchants look on these ships with disdain, because they believe that receipt of the subsidy makes their captains and crew lazy. The Craft Type Code assigned to this class is R.
Using a 200-ton TL–10 streamlined hull, the far trader ranges far and wide, and deals with every world it finds. Even amber zones and red zones are not considered off limits by its captains, provided there is profit to be made and the risk of being caught is slight. It has drives capable of Jump-2 and 1-G acceleration. Fuel tankage supports Jump-2 and two months of operation, and the ship incorporates fuel scoops and fuel intakes for wilderness refuelling. The bridge is standard and has a computer Model/1 bis and a basic sensor suite.There are six hardpoints, but no weapons are mounted.
Like the free trader, the far trader is built around its cargo bay, in this case 78.0 tons, plus passenger staterooms. A single air/raft is carried for various ship duties. The ship is streamlined, and can land on uneven terrain. The far trader requires a crew of four: x1 pilot/astrogator, x2 engineers, and x1 steward.
History & Background (Dossier)
Hundreds of variants exist. The typical size equals 200 tons. A shorter ranged version called a Free Trader.
Basic Supraclass Definition: THE FAR TRADER: The basic ship involved in free trade is called the free trader. Variations on the basic ship have resulted in variations in the name. The subsidized merchant, partly because of its size, and partly because of its subsidy, is called the fat trader. Some well-equipped high-G traders employed beyond the Imperial border are called fast traders. The type A2 far trader derives its name from its jump capability: its drives are capable of Jump-2, twice what the standard free trader can do. The far trader can be encountered anywhere in the Imperium. It ranges far and wide, and deals with every world it finds. Even amber zones and red zones are not considered off limits by its captains, provided there is profit to be made and the risk of being caught is slight. Marc Miller. Traders and Gunboats (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 23.
Selected Variant Types & Classes
Merchant Vessel - Tramp Liner:
Free Trader / Tramp Liner:
Armored Trader / Frontier Trader:
References & Contributors (Sources)
- Twilight's Peak (book) (Classic Traveller Adventure 3)
- Merchant Prince (book) (Classic Traveller Book 7)
- Marc Miller. Imperial Encyclopedia (Game Designers Workshop, 1987), 81.
- Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. Traveller: The New Era (Game Designers Workshop, 1993), 361.
- Joe Fugate. "Starship Deck Plans: The Far Trader." MegaTraveller Journal 4 (1993): TBD.
- Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. Brilliant Lances (Game Designers Workshop, 1994), 20.
- Don Perrin. Starships (Imperium Games, 1996), 30-31.
- Steve Daniels, Jim McLean, Christopher Thrash. Far Trader (Steve Jackson Games, 1999), TBD.
- Loren Wiseman. Deck Plan 3: Empress Marava-class Far Trader (Steve Jackson Games, 2001), TBD.
- Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 320.
- Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
- Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science