Communications

Various forms of communication technology throughout the ages. Getting a message to a distant party hasn’t always been as easy as sending e-mail or dialing a number.

For a period of 18 months, the Pony Express braved 2,000 miles of whooping Indians, scorching deserts, and blinding blizzards to deliver the mail from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento, California in just 10 days on average. Delivery of Abraham Lincoln’s inaugural address was their fastest run: a hair less than eight days. Rail (and telegraph) eventually put long-range dispatch riders like the Pony Express out of business. Today’s cheap, reliable overnight express mail makes all of these accomplishments seem lumbering and unreliable.

The steam engine revolutionized the mail business. Its strength, dependability, and high speed rendered all other methods obsolete. In 1804, Richard Trevithick’s Penydarren managed 5 mph; 25 years later, Robert Stephenson’s Rocket won the Rainhill Trials at the then-blistering speed of 25 mph.

Trains and train routes come in three varieties: local, long-haul, and express. Local trains move slowly and stop frequently. Long-haul trains stop less frequently and travel at higher speeds. Express trains have only a few stops and move as fast as is practicable. At TL8, high-speed passenger trains can be thought of as “super-express” trains – France’s TGV, Germany’s ICE, and Japan’s Shinkansen reach speeds of 170 mph or more!

Early Rail (TL5). Normal operational speed is 30-40 mph; averages 200-800 miles per day. A standard railcar carries 20 tons or 2,800 cubic feet. Price per passenger or per ton of cargo is about $1 per mile.

Mature Rail (TL6-7). Normal operational speed is 50-75 mph; averages 300-1,200 miles per day. A standard railcar carries 100 tons or 5,200 cubic feet. Price per passenger or per ton of cargo is $0.10 per mile.

High-Speed Passenger Rail (TL8). Normal operational speed is approximately 150 mph; routes are seldom longer than a few hundred miles. Price per passenger is $0.33 per mile.

Sailing vessels continue to compete with steam until TL6 – but in 1807, Robert Fulton’s Clermont, a 100-tonner whose paddlewheels barely made 5 mph, ushered in a new age in water transport. Steam had a profound impact on river traffic, where constant thrust against the steady current was desirable. The ability to choose a course regardless of wind direction proved invaluable in navigating narrow channels.

Shallow-draft steamers opened the interiors of Africa and Asia to European colonial powers. The steamboats of the Mississippi proved the utility of steam-powered cargo vessels – despite an appalling safety record – and were followed by larger ships like the RMS Britannia, which crossed the Atlantic in 11 days in 1840. By the turn of the century, steamers routinely completed the trip in a week. Speed continued to improve through TL6. In 1938, the RMS Queen Mary crossed the Atlantic in just under four days, securing the Blue Riband – the trophy for the fastest North Atlantic crossing.

At TL7-8, passenger liners become bigger and safer, while new hull designs enhance stability during foul weather. Early Steamships (TL5). Steamers range in size from 500 to 5,000 tons, sustain speeds of 10-20 knots, and average 300- 400 miles a day. Price per passenger or per ton of cargo is $3 per mile.

Passenger Liners (TL6-8). Liners and freighters may exceed 100,000 tons, sustain speeds of up to 30 knots, and average 400-600 miles a day. Price per passenger or per ton of cargo is $0.10 per mile.

Airmail becomes possible at mid-TL6; the first mail planes carry a few dozen pounds. By TL7, this improves to dozens of tons. At TL8, overnight delivery on the same continent is possible (assuming the package doesn’t get lost!). Worldwide delivery can take a couple of days with express mail, a couple of weeks at normal shipping rates.

Early electric telegraphs, powered by primitive batteries, used a switch to open and close a circuit on a wire, thereby signaling from one station to the next. The first telegraph networks were established in the 1840s. By 1860, the major cities of the eastern U.S. were connected by telegraph, as were parts of Europe. In 1861, California was linked to the Atlantic coast. During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Grant’s Army of the Potomac was in telegraph contact with Washington, D.C.; President Lincoln spent many evenings in the War Department’s telegraph office, anxiously reading reports from the front as they were decoded.

Telegraph went on to bridge continents in 1866. The Great Transatlantic Cable required several costly and timeconsuming attempts before it succeeded. In July 1866, over 1,700 miles of cable finally connected Heart’s Content, Newfoundland with Valencia, Ireland. By the end of the 19th century, only a few remote locations weren’t part of the telegraph network, which connected the world with blistering speed.

The range of a telegraph depends directly on the power use to push the signal through the line. At TL5, one large battery (p. 13) is needed per 10-20 miles of wire. Long distances require relays. Automatic relays between humanoperated stations make relaying messages less laborintensive. Telegraph messages must be sent in code. This generally means Morse code. Roll against Electronics Operation (Communications) (p. B189) to send or receive a message. Success means the message is sent or read correctly. Failure means it isn’t understood. On a critical failure, it seems fine but is badly misunderstood. Garbled messages are a wonderful opportunity for some devious GM creativity!

Telegraphers can put Electronics Operation (Comm) to several interesting uses. For one thing, they can encipher messages. Such messages are harder to send and receive accurately, since spelling can’t be corrected from context (e.g., “hte” isn’t obviously “the”). All skill rolls involving enciphered messages are at -4.

Every telegrapher has a distinct fist: his way of sending a message. A successful skill roll lets one operator recognize another by his fist. To fake a fist, the imposter must win a Quick Contest of Electronics Operation (Comm) with the recipient. The faker rolls at -6. Finally, a telegrapher can tap a line to intercept a message or send a false one. At TL5, a tap is impossible to detect and requires only an uncontested Electronics Operation (Comm) roll. At TL6, the snoop must win a Quick Contest of skill with the intended recipient to avoid alerting him that somebody is listening in.

Telegraph Rates (Var.). At TL5, rates are $10 per word (Transatlantic rates were $50 per character!). At TL6-7, telegrams are $0.50 per word – or $2.50 per word internationally. At TL8, a paper telegram, delivered worldwide the next day, costs $15 for 200 words. LC4.

Telegraph Key (TL5). A simple telegraph that can push a signal through 10-20 miles of wire. $150, 3 lbs., external power. LC4.

Register Telegraph (TL5). A telegraph that prints received messages on paper tape, allowing the operator to decode them at a later time. $5,000, 30 lbs., external power. LC4.

Automatic Telegraph (TL5). This telegraph uses punched paper tape to send a message at 300-400 words per minute. It’s useful for sending large amounts of information repeatedly, such as news reports or military orders to multiple units. With perforator, transmitter, and receiver: $7,500, 100 lbs., external power. LC4.

Stock Ticker (TL6). A telegraph receiver that prints out business stock prices. Historically, New York City had so many stock tickers running that “ticker tape” was used for confetti during parades and celebrations. Renting a stock ticker line costs $200/month. $3,000, 25 lbs., external power. LC4.

Telegraph Wire (TL5)

Telegraph wire is strong enough to span continents and oceans. Permanent landlines are suspended on head-height or lower poles alongside roads or railroads. They require frequent maintenance. A good lineman inspects and repairs the line in his zone, regardless of the danger or the weather. A “line shack” holds tools, wire, and possibly a relay and a power source – and in winter, a warm pot-belly stove, and perhaps a cot for the lineman. Temporary lines are another matter; U.S. Army doctrine during the Civil War was to place military lines on fences or convenient bushes!

Heavy submarine cables are laid by ship. Playing out cable and splicing the ends together at sea is a difficult job.

Telegraph Wire, Land (TL5). Per mile: $1,500, 350 lbs. LC4.

Telegraph Wire, Ocean (TL5). Wrapped in heavy, tar-covered rope. Per mile: $10,000, 2 tons. LC4.

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell developed the first practical telephone. Less than two years later, the first commercial switchboard system was implemented in New Haven, Connecticut. By 1890, every major U.S. city had a phone system (some had two or more competing systems). Most major European cities had such a network, too – run as a government monopoly. Quality was variable; e.g., Paris had a good network, but the rest of France had poor service. An indication of how fast the telephone system spread is the number of phones in the United States: less than 3,000 in 1877, but almost 1.5 million by 1900! Long-distance lines soon tied together local networks – but only between major cities at first. In the U.S., long distance connections spread from the Eastern Seaboard. Boston and New York were linked in 1884. The lines reached Chicago in 1892, but didn’t go much further until after the turn of the century.

At early TL6, calls are difficult to set up and involve one or more operators. Transmission and reception are variable; misunderstandings are common. Routing a call from one phone to another requires the caller to “switch hook,” which alerts the switchboard operator that a call needs to be placed. The operator cuts in, asks “Name please?”, and then manually patches the phone into the correct line. The GM may demand IQ rolls at penalties of up to -4 to interpret hasty or easily confused messages.

The fact that all calls involve an operator can be important to adventurers. In small towns, the local operator is likely to know an inordinate amount about everybody else’s business. This may be an excellent source of information, a serious leak of secrets, or a channel for planting disinformation. In larger cities, the operator’s intimate knowledge may be less encompassing – but there’s always the chance that a call was noted or listened to. A friend at the telephone company is the easiest way to bug a call. Furthermore, the log of calls is an actual log-book, and crafty or well-connected snoops might be able to sneak a peek.

By mid-TL6, automated switchboards use relays and vacuum tubes instead of hand-patched connections. Phone numbers enter use, along with rotary-dial phones that allow callers to dial these numbers directly. Calls no longer involve speaking with an operator and being routed by name, increasing convenience and privacy. Another important TL6 advance is the teletypewriter – or “teletype” – which marries the principles of the telephone and the telegraph. A teletype can send a text message or a photo to one other phone number or to every line in a directory. News services capitalize on this feature to post bulletins to entire networks, making it almost impossible for news-makers to outrun the news!

These are conventional, landline telephones. For radiotelephones, cell phones, and satellite phones, see Radio (p. 37).

Communications Wire (TL6). A mile of phone line on a hand-held spool, used to link two military telephones, phone and switchboard, etc. $15, 35 lbs. LC4.

Military Telephone (TL6). Sound-powered – meaning that a hand crank rings a connected phone and a loud voice generates the power to carry the message. $50, 5 lbs. LC4.

Telephone (TL6). $25, 3 lbs., external power. LC4.

Telephone Switchboard (TL6). A portable 10-line switchboard; female operators worked these behind the trench lines during WWI. $1,000, 50 lbs., external power. LC4.

Teletype (TL6). Prints text from information transmitted via phone line. From the 1920s, a model capable of printing photos is available for x2 cost – or x4 cost if it can handle color photos (TL7). Renting a teletype line costs $500/month. $7,500, 200 lbs., external power. LC4.

Until mid-TL6, long-distance phone calls are simply impossible owing to the patchwork nature of telephone networks. The first transcontinental telephone line dates to 1915. Even then, such calls are prohibitively expensive: a call from New York to Havana in 1921 cost $130 for three minutes!

At TL7, fully automated switchers and highly sophisticated networks, which often bounce radio waves off the upper atmosphere or use orbiting communications satellites, allow relatively inexpensive worldwide phone calls in seconds. Digital phone services can carry data, too – but initially, this is both slow (a few bytes per second) and costly ($100/month). Phone service costs about $30/month. At TL8, this includes call waiting, voice mail, etc.

Radio is probably the most impressive advance in communications at TL6. The first transmissions were made after 1900. By 1950, there were still places without phone lines . . . but the whole world was tuned into radio! At mid-TL6, radio installations are large and clumsy, and found only on ships or at permanent land sites. It’s easier to send Morse code than voice; in fact, long-range messages generally go by code until the end of TL6. Size and weight drop constantly, driven primarily by military demand. By early TL7, transmitters and receivers come in all sizes – from “Handy-Talkies” with a range of a few hundred yards to multi-ton installations with intercontinental range.

Radios can send and receive code or voice transmissions. When connected to a terminal or a computer (see Computers, pp. 19-22), they can also exchange text, video, or data. Use Electronics Operation (Comm) (p. B189) to operate radio hardware – but don’t bother rolling for operation under normal circumstances. Use Electronics Repair (Comm) (p. B190) for service and repair.

Radio range is given in miles. However, many factors can affect effective range; see Radio in Use (p. 38).

These “base station” radios are normally vehiclemounted or carried in heavy transport cases. They often work on “short wave” frequencies (see p. B91). It takes about 15 minutes and an Electronics Operation (Comm) roll to set up a large radio and its antenna.

Large Radio (TL6). Radios like this are used in scout planes, mounted on sleds during Arctic expeditions, and carried by mule teams across the Andes. 50-mile range. $3,500, 100 lbs., 3xM/3 hrs. LC3.

Large Radio (TL7). A typical aircraft radio. 100- mile range. $5,000, 100 lbs., VL/10 hrs. LC3.

Large Radio (TL8). A radio found in a large police department or a military HQ. 200-mile range. $15,000, 100 lbs., external power. LC3.

These are military-style backpack radios. Similar-sized systems are often installed in such military vehicles as tanks and small aircraft.

Medium Radio (TL6). One of the first backpack radios, like the U.S. Army’s “Walkie-Talkie,” this is beastly to carry, fragile, and short-ranged . . . but it allows mobile communication, which is a breakthrough. 5-mile range. $2,500, 30 lbs. 4xM/14 hrs. LC4.

Medium Radio (TL7). A medium-range radio, common during the Vietnam War. 10-mile range. $3,500, 25 lbs., 10xS/30 hrs. LC4.

Medium Radio (TL8). A high-tech patrol radio. Military versions often have the encryption, GPS, and satellite uplink options. 35-mile range. $2,000, 8 lbs., 2xM/30 hrs. LC4.

These are handheld radios, typical of those used by police and security forces.

Small Radio (TL6). A massive radio, the size of shoebox, like the “Handie-Talkie” used in WWII and Korea. Similar civilian kit-built radios were available in the 1930s. 1-mile range. $250, 5 lbs., 3xS/10 hrs. LC4.

Small Radio (TL7). Police and rescue squads used these radios from the early 1960s to the 1980s. 2- mile range. $500, 2 lbs., 3xS/8 hrs. LC4.

Small Radio (TL8). A standard handheld radio. Military versions often have encryption and GPS capability. 5-mile range. $250, 0.5 lb., 3xXS/10 hrs. LC4.

These palm-sized radios fit in a pocket.

Tiny Radio (TL7). A standard pocket radio with a pull-out antenna. 0.5-mile range. $100, 1 lb., XS/5 hrs. LC4.

Tiny Radio (TL8). A civilian pocket radio. High-end models may have GPS capability. 2-mile range. $50, 0.25 lb., XS/10 hrs. LC4.

As well as modifiers for quality (p. B345) and the options under Integrating and Modifying Equipment (pp. 9- 10), radios may have some special modifications. Multiply cost factors together, and do the same for weight factors.

Code-Only (TL6). Many early radios are “CW-only,” meaning that they can only transmit in Morse code (or similar). This lowers bandwidth but can greatly increase range; see Radios in Use (see above). x0.5 cost.

Encryption (TL6). Radios are often mated directly to cipher machines (p. 211) or have built-in computer encryption (p. 211). Simply add costs and weights.

Radio Direction Finder (RDF) (TL6). This device is designed to intercept and pinpoint radio broadcasts. It can receive transmissions on any civilian, police, or military frequency. To get a fix on a broadcasting radio, the user must win a Quick Contest of Electronics Operation (Comm) with the transmitter’s operator. Victory reveals the general distance and direction to the radio; a margin of 5 or more gives an exact location. The GM may allow repeated attempts once per minute or so. This option is often but not always combined with “receive-only.” x5 cost.

Radio Intercept (TL6). This is specialized equipment for conducting radio eavesdropping (p. 209). It has large precision tuning dials, a sophisticated antenna array, and so on. At higher TLs, it’s highly automated but can still be spoofed by ECCM-equipped radios (see below). It uses the Electronics Operation (EW) skill (p. B189). x5 cost.

Radiotelephone (TL6). A predecessor of the cellular phone (see below), this adds special equipment so that a radio receiver that’s physically linked to a telephone line can route its transmissions over the telephone system. x1.5 cost.

Receive-Only (TL6). A radio can be built only to receive messages. x0.1 cost, x0.2 weight.

ECCM (TL7). The radio uses frequency-hopping to make its transmissions hard to jam or intercept. When communicating with another radio synchronized to use the same settings, this prevents any interference from selective radio jammers. It has no effect against noise jamming. A radio with ECCM can be detected at 1.5x its range at most (as opposed to at 2x range). x2 cost.

GPS (TL8). The radio has an internal GPS unit (p. 53) and a small map display. When two radios like this communicate, their relative locations are marked on a display screen. x2 cost.

Satellite Uplink (TL8). Only for medium and large radios. This allows the radio to reach any other radio in the world via communications satellite. x2 cost.

Radios can be fitted with many gizmos. None of these include the radio – buy that separately!

Earphones allow a radio operator to more easily understand radio traffic in a loud environment, while a wearable mike makes it easier for others to make out what he is saying to them.

Headphones and Throat Mike (TL6). Vehicle crewmen (fighter pilots, tankers, etc.) wear headphones and a throat mike. The throat mike detects vibrations from the voice box, which prevents noise from the vehicle from garbling the message. Weight becomes negligible at TL8. $500, 2 lbs. LC4.

Ear Microphone System (TL8). A thin cable connects a single “earbud” to the radio. This earpiece acts as both earphone and mike (via bone induction), allowing the operator to subvocalize and avoid detection in a crowd. $500, 0.25 lb., T/72 hrs. LC3.

Tactical Headset (TL8). Soldiers and SWAT officers prefer a hands-free, voice-activated boom microphone set to transmit whispers, but not screams or the sounds of battle. Headphones or earbuds keep nearby enemies (or civilians) from hearing the conversation. Earbuds double as hearing protection (p. 70). $200, 1 lb. LC4.

Wireless Earphone (TL8). A tiny earpiece picks up audio signals from a short-range transmitter box connected to the radio. The voice-activated microphone is worn like a necklace, and is concealable under normal clothing. $300, 0.5 lb., T/72 hrs. LC3.

Radio range benefits greatly from a more extensive antenna array than the short “whip” found on most portable radios. A large antenna takes at least 5 minutes to erect but doubles the radio’s maximum range. Roll against Electronics Operation (Comm) skill to set up and tune the equipment properly. Cost and weight are 25% of the cost and weight of the radio for which it’s intended.

At TL8, radiotelephones connect to landline telephone trunks via networks of automated radio towers. Each tower acts as a node, or cell, and as the mobile radio moves between zones, the connection is passed from cell to cell – whence “cellular network.” Of course, in an area without a network, a cell phone can’t make or receive calls!

Early cell phones are simply phones. Later models are brimming with functions that even the most demanding adventurer would appreciate. These include voice recognition (allowing hands-free use), push-to-talk radio (for free phone-to-phone service), GPS, digital cameras (still and video), digital music players (with enough memory for hours of music), video games, and customized ring tones. Modern cell phones often have built-in wireless interconnectivity, too. A phone like this can connect directly to a nearby computer – usually a PDA or a laptop – and serve as a modem. Such “kitchen sink” devices make it difficult to distinguish between a cell phone and a full-featured PDA.

Cell-phone gadgetry is tiny and lacks proper ergonomic controls; using it can be frustrating. The GM may wish to penalize such skills as Computer Operation, Navigation, and Photography when using appropriately equipped cell phones. A phone might count as basic equipment in absolutely mundane situations, but it’s probably no better than improvised equipment (-5 quality) the rest of the time. To reduce the penalty, the operator must spend extra time fiddling with the controls (see Time Spent, p. B346).

Cell phone service costs $50 a month. Prices per minute vary from outrageous, for so-called “roaming charges,” to free.

Early Cellular Phone (TL8). A big “brick,” with 15-30 minutes of talk time. $4,000, 2 lbs., S/30 minutes. LC4.

Cellular Phone (TL8). A sleek, modern phone, with a few extra functions. Good- and fine-quality phones have more features. The battery lasts for several hours of talk time and perhaps a week on standby. $100, 0.5 lb., S/6 hrs. LC4.

Also at TL8, portable radiotelephones can connect to landline telephone networks via communications satellite. Such phones can make calls from anywhere in the world! Service costs $50 a month . . . plus $1-2 a minute.

Satellite Phone (TL8). In addition to normal cell-phone service (and many of the features common to cell phones, above), this phone can relay calls through a communications satellite to reach any other phone in the world. It can also act as a modem for a computer. $1,000, 1 lb., S/4 hrs. LC4.

Satellite Videoconferencing System (TL8). A satellite phone and video screen built into a rugged, waterproof suitcase. It can transmit live video from a digital video source or use its built-in camera for videoconferencing. $10,000, 10 lbs., external power. LC4.

The ranges given for radios assume routine use. Many factors can affect the actual range of radio communication.

Radio signals propagate farther than the “effective ranges” listed – and a skilled operator can pick them up. Make an Electronics Operation (Comm) roll at -1 per 10% added to range, to a maximum extension of 100%. Some radios can use “short wave” frequencies to enjoy global range, as noted for the Short Wave modifier on p. B91.

When transmitting data or code groups (Morse code, recorded audio-video, etc.), it’s possible to lower the transfer rate or “bandwidth” and use message repetition to significantly boost range: 1/4 speed gives 2x range; 1/100 speed gives 10x range, 1/10,000 speed gives 100x range, and so on. This technique is often used for ship-to-shore communication at TL6, and for deep-space transmission at TL7-8.

The listed ranges assume that transmitter and receiver have the same range. If this isn’t true, an extra step is required. Radios are rated by size: large, medium, small, or tiny. To determine the range at which two radios with differing ranges can communicate, start with the range of the shortest-ranged radio and modify it for the size difference in as follows:

Example: Nat is flying a plane equipped with a TL8 large radio (200-mile range). Airk tries to contact him with a TL8 small radio (5-mile range). Can they communicate? The shorter range is 5 miles, but the large radio being two sizes greater gives x10. That’s a 50-mile range. Provided the radios are no more than 50 miles apart, no skill roll is needed to extend range.

Range may drop to as little as 1/10 usual in an urban environment or underground. Also divide range by 10 when transmitting real-time video or audio-video.

Landlines and radios are the most popular means of communicating over long distances at TL5-8, but other options exist.

The heliograph consists of a mirror-and-shutter apparatus atop a tripod. In sunny conditions, it can flash a signal across 30 miles, terrain permitting. The U.S. Cavalry occasionally transmitted from mountaintop to mountaintop, achieving distances in excess of 150 miles! Anyone might see the signals, but they can be encoded or enciphered. Heliographs are generally available after 1850. $100, 50 lbs. LC4.

This device uses a near-infrared laser beam to transmit signals – usually voice messages. The communicator consists of a headset and a transmitter the size of a miniature flashlight, both of which plug into a cassette-tape-sized receiver worn on the body. The unit also doubles as an IR flashlight (p. 47).

The communicator can operate in two modes: narrowbeam and wide-beam. Narrow-beam mode requires line of sight, but the communicator cannot be jammed or intercepted except by enemies directly in the beam path. Effective range is about 1 mile. In wide-beam mode, the signal is broadcast (this requires no line of sight if indoors) and thus can be intercepted; range is about 0.5 mile. $1,000, 0.75 lb., VS/4 hrs. LC4.

Sometimes called a “divecom,” this special sonar transmitter allows voice and data communications underwater. It has fittings for use with a full-face dive mask (p. 71). Divers can talk freely with each other, while those on the surface must use a base station to communicate with the divers. Hydrophones (p. 49) and sonar (pp. 45-46) can easily detect the signals. Like radio, adverse conditions (in this case, fast currents, thermal boundaries, etc.) can reduce range to 1/10 normal.

Divecom Base Station (TL8). A surface base station, mounted on a boat, pier, etc. It only works while its transceiver array is in the water. $3,000, 10 lbs., external power. LC3.

Diver Communicator (TL8). The civilian version has a range of up to 3,000 yards. The military version has builtin encryption and double the range, but cost and weight are x3. $1,000, 1 lb., S/4 hrs. LC4.