Thursday, June 15, 2017

Flavor starport encounters

Adapted from a variety of other lists I've seen here and there, especially Robert Pearce's Benign Starport Encounters for Traveller, a blog post.  This is meant to be color, mostly, but if the PCs take an interest, they could lead to more.  Roll a d%
  1. Through a viewport the PCs can see vacc-suited workers repairing a communications array.
  2. A washed-up looking vagrant begging for food or spare credits. (He's actually an undercover Imperial agent watching the area for a dangerous criminal.)
  3. A beggar in old military BDUs asks for a handout.
  4. A clinic is offering free vaccinations due to a local plague scare to all arrivals.
  5. A team in hazmat gear run past the PCs.
  6. An unattended duffel bag sits suspiciously in a corner.
  7. A criminal in handcuffs is marched past.
  8. A customs inspector argues with a cargo handler over mislabeled cargo.
  9. A customs inspector reviews a ship's cargo manifest with the ship's captain.
  10. A dilapidated cleaning robot tries to vacuum around the PCs, bumping them aggressively.
  11. An alien stops the party and tries to communicate, but none in the party speak his/her/its language.
  12. A food merchant hawks his overpriced "authentic" foodstuffs from another system.
  13. An exotic merchant is giving out free samples, trying to drum up more business.
  14. A well-dressed corporate agent is interviewing parties willing to do a job "off the books".
  15. A group of Cilindarean adventurers is looking for passage to the next star system.
  16. A group of asteroid miners are looking for investors.
  17. A merchant, stuck with several tons of fruit and desperate to sell it before it goes bad.
  18. A group of intoxicated marines stagger past.
  19. A group of performers entertain passengers of a delayed flight.
  20. A group of threadbare refugees looking for passage out of the system.
  21. A group of academics talk excitedly regarding cosmic events in the local star cluster.
  22. A privateer corsair has just docked and a group of rowdy crewmen pour out, possibly looking for trouble.
  23. A troupe of zero-G acrobats are performing and promoting a performance later in the week.
  24. A heavily cyber enhanced mercenary is looking for passage to a nearby war-torn system to sell his skills.
  25. A hustler is offering half price tickets off world on a liner. They are high quality counterfeits.
  26. A local dissident hands the PCs a flier with information against the local government.
  27. A local health agency is screening all incoming visitors for communicable diseases. The screening process is slow and bureaucratic, and the only ones making it through quickly are blatantly offering the local agent bribes.
  28. A local tries to sell the PCs some locally made clothing.
  29. A mad prophet stands on a crate preaching against sins of the flesh.
  30. A maintenance crew is working on a sub-floor communications line.
  31. A maintenance man is upgrading security cameras. You overhear him report the system will be down for the next 30 minutes.
  32. A maintenance panel falls from above, nearly hitting one of the PCs.
  33. A medical ground vehicle drives by with its sirens and lights on.
  34. A used robot merchant approaches the PCs with his sales pitch—he's trying to sell himself!
  35. A middle-aged woman looks furtively around, then enters the VIP lounge.
  36. A noblewoman and her entourage pass by. A bodyguard pushes one of the PCs out of the way.
  37. A pair of foreign tourists are photographing everything, including the PCs.
  38. A pickpocket and his pursuer rush past the PCs and disappear into the crowd.
  39. A small, nerdy boy is trying to explain to an overconfident smuggler that a parsec is a unit of distance, not time. (! Hilarious!)
  40. A security team is performing a "floater sweep", attempting to remove all transients and beggars from the starport.
  41. A ship's engineer tries to negotiate with a vendor for a better price on ship parts.
  42. A skip tracer team discusses their next repossession.
  43. A small freighter departs its berth in an obvious hurry, while security guards fire upon it.
  44. A starship crew is selling random cargo to raise enough cash for fuel.
  45. A stranded traveler is seeking working passage so he can get back home.
  46. A traveler is insisting that items in his luggage will be damaged if scanned.
  47. A very long line leads to the public restrooms.
  48. A very drunk and dirty war veteran will tell you his life story for a drink. Or leave you alone for a drink, if you prefer.
  49. A young couple at a booth are asking for donations for a local charity.
  50. All travelers must undergo a weapons/contraband check to get into the next area.
  51. An information kiosk lists advice on the local customs.
  52. An information kiosk provides information regarding employment opportunities.
  53. An old mercenary is looking for one last ticket with hopes of going out in a blaze of glory.
  54. An older gentleman approaches the PCs and asks them to watch his luggage… just for a few moments.
  55. An overturned catering vehicle slows traffic to a halt. Small animals spilling out of cages are running around everywhere.
  56. A local administrator is overheard talking to the port casino owner about revenue reports.
  57. Security is confiscating a distraught woman's small pet to be quarantined.
  58. A customs official argues the finer points of trade tariffs with a merchant.
  59. A security guard on patrol walks by, eyeing the PCs suspiciously.
  60. A traffic controller is seen in a corner booth of a bar, shaking visibly.
  61. An unemployed engineer checks the job board for available crew positions.
  62. An unexpected security checkpoint ahead will reveal any hidden weapons the PCs may be carrying.
  63. A "pony express" crew enjoys a last hot meal before departure.
  64. It is rumored that many of the planetary customs officers are corrupt and can get anything out of port and into the city for the right price.
  65. Judging by the smell, the air recyclers in the section need major repair.
  66. Large crates sit guarded in an open alcove with "Evidence" tape stretched across them.
  67. Lights flicker in this section of the starport.
  68. Nervous adventurers looking to unload a cache of alien artifacts and unknown weapons from the an illegal archaeological dig.
  69. News terminals report a minor crash at a different spaceport occurred earlier today. There were a few fatalities.
  70. One of the PCs finds a 50 credit note.
  71. One of the PCs is approached by a drug dealer.
  72. One of the PCs is approached by a prostitute.
  73. One of the starport shops is being picketed by employees demanding better pay.
  74. Overhead speakers call for all starport department heads to convene in meeting room 7-C.
  75. Overhead speakers call for paramedics to respond to a cargo handling accident.
  76. Several large, horned herbivores have escaped from a makeshift corral in one of the docking bays.
  77. Some unattended children pester the PCs.
  78. Starport security follows the PCs for about 15 minutes.
  79. There is a union strike, slowing down starship repairs.
  80. The PCs notice an starport records department employee leave his datapad at a restaurant table.
  81. The PCs see a small merchant ship being fitted with a new turret.
  82. The PCs see an advertisement for a local safari company.
  83. The restrooms in this portion of the starport are closed for cleaning.
  84. The starport is auctioning off last year's collection of unclaimed lost and found items.
  85. The starport Director is leading a tour for the Inspector General.
  86. The starport is currently hosting its monthly farmer's market of local goods.
  87. This area is marked with what appears to be small arms fire damage.
  88. This section of the starport seems oddly deserted.
  89. Two figures can be seen whispering in the shadows of an otherwise empty passenger lounge.
  90. Two security guards are posted at an unmarked door.
  91. Some sleazebag asks you if you want to buy some deathsticks.
  92. A weary foreign diplomat it trying unsuccessfully to catch some sleep in an uncomfortable plastic chair.
  93. A small, domed robot bleeps feebly as it looks for its lost owner.
  94. Two aging celebrity athletes relive their glory days as professional ball players. An occasional passerby will do a double take, then ask them for autographs.
  95. A pasty-white and disheveled passenger can't stop coughing. You feel a little of his spittle on your cheek as he passes.
  96. An attractive woman waves excitedly at one of the PCs, but in reality is waving to someone behind him.
  97. The floor in this area of the starport is disgustingly sticky, like the floor of a dollar cinema.
  98. A self-important businessman is negotiating a multi-million credit deal on his communicator, loud enough so that everyone knows it.
  99. Either that's the latest style in this region, or a shocking amount of people are walking around naked.
  100. A young woman is seen trying to steal food from a vending machine.

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