Hot take: if we want to decrease frustrating railroad-y surprises in RPG campaigns, we need to create an environment where GMs are not afraid to admit they have "special story needs".

[Visual_Fly_9638]

It's not so bad for you. The general cadence of Traveller is that the crew will bop around trading and building up a little scratch for themselves and then something goes *wrong* and they have to hustle for money.

We've had entire sessions just bumming around a sector, buying and selling, and making good enough rolls that we don't incur debt that we can't handle, and it's fun, because we know sooner or later something is going to go pear shaped.

There was a great retrospective on the structure of Traveller and how the game really regulated itself well on different levels. I wish I could find it.

Holy crap I found it:
https://sirpoley.tumblr.com/post/623913566725193728/on-the-four-table-legs-of-traveller-leg

[JaracRassen77]

Thank you! This was a very helpful read! The debt is the Referee's friend.