The Ship's Articles

A ship’s articles of agreement are real world legal documents, part of a ship’s papers. Although not mentioned in other editions, GURPS Traveller: Far Trader (1999) introduced this concept to the Third Imperium setting:

A ship’s articles are its “constitution” – a contract that spells out, in broad terms, the responsibilities of the ship’s captain and crew.… By signing the articles, crew members “sign on” with the ship and agree to the conditions of the ship or voyage (GT:FT 71).

I would imagine that in the Third Imperium a universal, standardized set of articles are used for commercial ships from the Solomani Rim to the Spinward Marches. These articles perfectly reflect the game rules for crew requirements, salary schedules, maintenance routines, and so on. And thus the articles normally just exist somewhere in the background and don't require much thought on the part of referees or players.

But a private ship owned and operated by PCs is free to be run by its own set of rules. And here the ship's articles provide a colorful in-game way for players to do things differently. Probably the item of most interest would be establishing a system of shares for distribution of profits. In general, most profits go to the ship's owner, with the balance divided between the senior officers with much less to the junior officers and nothing to the loyal deckhands. But I find that players, like pirates, generally prefer more egalitarian distributions.

While Far Trader provides a generic TAS Form 1 - Ship’s Articles, it's pretty skeletal. And what's more, it doesn't incorporate many of the suggestions sprinkled throughout the supplement, like establishing hazard pay rates for Amber or Red Zones, or setting watch schedules.

The Starjammer, with its android owner and unusual crew, is a particularly good candidate for a bespoke set of ship's articles. I adapted the following draft from Form 1, but also found a great example on the wiki for the Ethically-Challenged Merchants (what a name!) campaign.

The generic TAS Form 1 does not cover shore leave, even though Far Trader notes that “Ship’s articles will usually specify how much and how often port liberty is granted, and require the captain to provide transportation to and from shore facilities” (82). Although not explicitly stated, Classic Traveller implies that crew members are granted shore leave between voyages as a matter of course. The Traveller Book, for example, under Interstellar Travel, explains that commercial starships usually spend “one week in the star system, travelling from the jump point to the local world, refueling, marketing cargo, finding passengers, leaving the starport, and proceeding to a jump point again. The week in the system usually provides some time for crew recreation and for wandering around the planet [emphasis added]” (49). This language is echoed almost verbatim in the MgT core rules at 153.

Given this, a standard 24- or 48- hour leave per crew member per jump would not seem unreasonable. Presumably, most ships stagger leave to keep a skeleton crew on board in port to guard the stores, perform maintenance, arrange for new cargo, freight, mail, or passengers, and so on. But I did not spell out shore leave requirements in the Starjammer’s articles only because I assumed that charters, the ship’s bread and butter, are often time-sensitive and require the master to grant leave between charters rather than between individual jumps.

Starjammer’s Articles of Agreement

The following Standing Ship's Articles of Agreement (hereinafter referred to as Articles) are made effective as of 180-1102 to govern the Imperial Merchant Vessel STARJAMMER, Registration Number 338-C-2725 to the Port of KLINE (MAGYAR 3012), and whose owner is BODYGUARD 3185D31A, a/k/a “Sonny” (hereafter referred to as Owner Aboard).

Article 1. Term Of Articles

1. IT IS AGREED between the Master and the Crew named below on the Manifest that the Crew shall serve aboard the STARJAMMER, of which CRYO (or whoever lawfully replaces him) is Master, from the Port of KLINE (MAGYAR 3012) to other ports and planets as the Owner Aboard may direct, and back to a final port of discharge in the Imperium.
2. At the will of either party, the term of service will end.

Article 2. Conduct of Crew

1. The Crew agree to conduct themselves in an orderly, faithful, honest, and sober manner, to be diligent at all times in their respectful duties, and to obey the lawful orders of the Master (or of any person who lawfully succeeds him) and of their superior officers, in everything related to the vessel, and her passengers, stores, and cargo, whether on board, in boats, or in port.

Article 3. Compensation

1. The Owner Aboard agrees to pay the Crew, as wages, the sums and shares entered next to their names on the Manifest.
2. It is also agreed, that the wages for duties performed in systems designated Amber Zones shall be accrued at twice (x2) the rates established in the Manifest. Further, the wages for duties performed in systems designated Red Zones shall be accrued at quintuple (x5) the rates established in the Manifest.
3. Crew members shall be paid their salaries in local currency or Imperial credits every thirty (30) days at the first available port of call.
4. Crew members are entitled to receive from the Owner upon request, in local currency or Imperial credits, up to one half of their monthly salary at every port of call in advance of their scheduled salary payment, but not more than once in any thirty (30) day period.
5. Crew members shall be entitled to participate in discretionary bonuses that may be authorized and declared by the Owner Aboard from time to time.
6. The Master agrees to supply the Crew with room and board according to custom and Imperial regulations, to accommodate incidental storage of personal items in unused cargo space, to provide livery of such ports as time and circumstances permit, and to provide for their repatriation to the port named above if they separate from the vessel through no fault or negligence of their own.
7. The Master agrees to provide the Crew with free medical care; if their requirements exceed the ship’s capabilities, the Master will procure appropriate care on the nearest convenient port of call.
8. The Master agrees to afford the Crew two (2) weeks paid liberty each year, to be taken during the annual maintenance overhaul.

Article 4. Watchkeeping

1. The Master shall ensure that watchkeeping arrangements are adequate for maintaining a safe continuous watch during vessel operations, taking into account the prevailing circumstances and conditions. Watchbills shall be posted where they are easily accessible on board the vessel.

Article 5. Obligations of Crew

1. It is also agreed, that no member of the Crew may depart the vessel in port without permission of the Master; that any embezzlement or willful or negligent destruction of and part of the vessel’s cargo or stores shall be made good to the Owner Aboard out of the wages of the guilty person and that if any member of the Crew has a grievance under these Articles or otherwise, he will report it in a quiet and orderly manner to the Master or officer in charge of the vessel, who shall then take such steps as the case requires.

Article 6. Record Keeping

1. The Master shall record in the vessel’s log all matters of discipline, and any complaints brought to him by the Crew, for review by the Imperial representative at the next Imperial port of call.
2. The Master shall provide each departing member of the Crew with a Crew Member’s Identification and Record, specifying the period of service and the time, place and reason for discharge from service.

IN WITNESS, CRYO, Master of STARJAMMER on 180-1102.

The Crew have signed above their names on the attached Manifest, dated as indicated on each, which are specifically included by reference in the terms of these Articles.

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