Jump Torpedo

Jump Torpedos don't officially exist in the canon OTU despite several key references in foundational Classic Traveller materials.

• A jump torpedo is a vehicular FTL starcraft that masses under a hundred tons yet has a jump drive in violation of canon.

Description (Specifications)

Many to most sources describe a jump torpedo as an unmanned starship under a 100 Dtons in size.

• They were intended to carry messages like giant carrier pigeons or X-boats, which later supplanted and replaced them in canon literature.
• The iconic X-Boat later replaces this story device.
• Later canon statements specifically prohibit jump drives in smallcraft at TL-15 or below.
• By later definition, the jump torpedo would be a large drone or a robot if its mind was intelligent enough.

Ortillerist class Torpedo Ship

Ships such as the Ortillerist class Torpedo Ship, which are at least one hundred tons but dedicate much of their tonnage to torpedo systems, are the closest thing to a jump torpedo that OTU supports, especially fully-automated drone or robot versions - but these are to torpedoes like carriers are to fighters.

Explanative Jump Torpedo Theories

David Jaques-Watson recorded several of the theories mulled over by fans and the TML:

1. Theory 1. "Not in MY Traveller Universe!:" Disallow sub-100t jumpcraft completely. This means ignoring both Leviathan and the RSB.
2. Theory 2. "The Moon's A Balloon:" Explain that the Leviathan's jump torps deploy an expandable structure that fills out to 100t displacement before initiating jump; this allows such craft as "jump lifeboats" carrying emergency low berths.
3. Theory 3. "Clarke's Law:" Allow sub-100t jumps at TL-16. This is the simplest and most elegant solution ...the Leviathan's J-torps are therefore experimental technology supplied by Glisten, the Regency's jump-boats are cutting-edge tech developed during the cross-fertilisation of ideas between HRD/Deneb and the Darrians. The only canon change is to raise the TL of the jump drives installed on the jump-boats to TL-16.

History & Background (Dossier)

Fans argue about these matters quite often since several early Traveller works discuss these works and present statistics for the jump torpedo.

• Please see the discussion tab for this article.

External Link/s

This technology has the following external links available:

1. EXTERNAL LINK: Are jump torpedoes allowed by canon? by David Jaques-Watson

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Bob McWilliams. Leviathan (Game Designers Workshop, 1980), 35. (Classic Traveller Adventure 4)
• Jim Cunningham. High Passage 3 (FASA, 1982), 16.
• Dave Nilsen. The Regency Sourcebook (Game Designers Workshop, 1995), 88.
• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science
• Author & Contributor: Adrian Tymes