First of all, thank you TML for the errata and FTP instructions. My
Megatraveller set is suddenly something I can actually use.
Concerning nobles, in my campaign they stand as something of a cross
between the United States Senator (representing the planet to the Imperium)
and the French prefect (representing the Imperium to the planet). The
advantage of this is that both the Imperium and the planet can (and
probably would like to) operate without the noble intermediary, and thus
although the noble's title is hereditary, his power is based in large part on
personal effort. Thus on one planet the baron may be a recluse who
stays in orbit most of the time and whose minnions are only seen when there is
piracy to be battled, while in another the noble may have managed to become
the ruler of the planetary government, while another might be a frightened
weakling willing to play nice with the local megacorp officials in exchange
for a sumptuous lifestyle, and yet another (say, in the pre-rebellion Solomani
Rim) may be the direct executor of Imperial authority over the populace.
A player-noble in my milieu _ALWAYS_ starts out as an heir. They are also,
coincidentally, always involved in a succession conflict, as this leads to
fun play and make loyal followers (other players) indispensable to the
noble PC. I see nothing wrong with a PC being an heir sewing his wild oats.
I always pictured the Navy officer corps as the place where the children of the
gentry learn discipline and skill (replacing squiredom and knighthood, perhaps)
and a little Travelling might be seen as teaching self-reliance.
As for fears that the heir might be considered so valuable that he would
never be allowed to Travel, I assume that the more noble families keep there
nurseries well stocked for just such a purpose. The world of traveller, unlike
that of Dune, for example, seems to have no big qualms about artificial
conception making one child families such as the Atredies not only unnecessary
but downright unwise. In other words, munch all you want, we'll make more!
Once bonnie prince mercenary inherits, of course, the campaign MUST be
transformed. For me, this is no problem. My players were getting tired of
the worms-eye-view of the universe anyway, and were glad to hit the big
leagues. And there's still plenty of adventure to be had, even in a non-
rebellion setting. The Travellers have simply become there own patrons.
And a former merchant, now become a Count's chancellor, can use those trade &
commerce rules like nobody's business. And for the especially ambitious there
is always the way of Dulinor (the years of secrecy and planning leading to
an attempt like his would make great play), and in the time of the Rebellion
the situation is wide open.
An alternative, for those who wish to keep the traveller's relatively
poor and desperate, could be the Pendragon(tm) Noble's book approach, which
is twofold: the new noble becomes GM (and occasional patron) of the others
(the former GM getting a rest) until that noble's child comes of age. This is,
of course, only suitable for adventures on a pretty sweeping time-scale.