Brave travellers journey between the stars in the Traveller Starter Set, for the second edition of the science fiction role-playing game published by Mongoose Publishing. By the end of the campaign, all players will know the rules and understand how starships and technology fit into the game. They will also discover the core concept that Travellers travel for personal reasons and achieving their goals is the reward and motivation for seeking personal connections, equipment, and/or wealth.
Traveller 2E is built off of Classic Traveller from Game Designers' Workshop and the previous edition published by Mongoose Publishing. Mongoose states: "One reason for the new edition of Traveller appearing when it did was because of a request from Mr. Miller for us to do a starter box set."
The Traveller Starter Set is a boxed set (also available in PDF) that breaks down along the lines of the classic Traveller little black books and includes Book 1: Characters and Combat, Book 2: Worlds and Spacecraft, Book 3: The Fall of Tinath, a poster size blank sector map and another with just one subsector filled in so referees can fill in the rest themselves, and 6 pre-generated character cards. Books 1 and 2 contain all of the rules from the Core Rulebook (but does not include the sample subsector of Sindal) which I reviewed previously. If you already own the Core Rulebook the first two books contain the rules so you can pick up only book 3 as a PDF.
Book 3 details one planet, Tinath, and the challenges the Travellers face there when they discover the aliens called the Esseray. The 104 page book is packed with a sample subsector, a world, a new alien species, four adventures, and NPC details.
The Introduction and Getting Started is a section for referees new to Traveller. The Core Rulebook has very little advice for brand new referees. If you have wanted to referee Traveller but didn't know where to start these chapters lay out the basics of doing that job, including a discussion of why Travellers travel together. Two key elements are covered along with a short list of things referees should remember. More details cover handing out information, prepping for a game session, and what to do if someone dies.
The location for the adventure comes next. The Athwa Subsector a frontier region with no large starfaring powers nearby. The lack of FTL communications contributes to local officials being autonomous and acting on their own to solve issues. Distance and directions on the subsector map are defined and explained. A summary describes various worlds and locations in the subsector.
Next in the box is the profile of a sample world. Tinath, a colony world, is on the edge of a series of jump one planets. War is brewing between the human settlements and alien colonists who call themselves Esseray. A map of Tinath is provided along with physical data, climate and weather, social data, and points of interest including the starport.
Support for the included four adventures include details on the aliens called the Esseray, NPC stats, and a new ground vehicle. The first adventure includes suggested skill checks to help new referees while the later adventures rely more on the referee's judgment.
Tinath is a world bursting with things for Travellers to do. Referees who want to start learn Traveller and players who want to explore a science fiction universe would do well to start traveling with this boxed set. Boxed sets are rare in role-playing games in this day, and it is good to see one with everything that a group will need to play. There is even a set of dice. Everything that a group will need to create adventures and explore alien worlds is included in the Traveller Starter Set.
This article was contributed by Charles Dunwoody as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Charles is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
Traveller 2E is built off of Classic Traveller from Game Designers' Workshop and the previous edition published by Mongoose Publishing. Mongoose states: "One reason for the new edition of Traveller appearing when it did was because of a request from Mr. Miller for us to do a starter box set."
The Traveller Starter Set is a boxed set (also available in PDF) that breaks down along the lines of the classic Traveller little black books and includes Book 1: Characters and Combat, Book 2: Worlds and Spacecraft, Book 3: The Fall of Tinath, a poster size blank sector map and another with just one subsector filled in so referees can fill in the rest themselves, and 6 pre-generated character cards. Books 1 and 2 contain all of the rules from the Core Rulebook (but does not include the sample subsector of Sindal) which I reviewed previously. If you already own the Core Rulebook the first two books contain the rules so you can pick up only book 3 as a PDF.
Book 3 details one planet, Tinath, and the challenges the Travellers face there when they discover the aliens called the Esseray. The 104 page book is packed with a sample subsector, a world, a new alien species, four adventures, and NPC details.
The Introduction and Getting Started is a section for referees new to Traveller. The Core Rulebook has very little advice for brand new referees. If you have wanted to referee Traveller but didn't know where to start these chapters lay out the basics of doing that job, including a discussion of why Travellers travel together. Two key elements are covered along with a short list of things referees should remember. More details cover handing out information, prepping for a game session, and what to do if someone dies.
The location for the adventure comes next. The Athwa Subsector a frontier region with no large starfaring powers nearby. The lack of FTL communications contributes to local officials being autonomous and acting on their own to solve issues. Distance and directions on the subsector map are defined and explained. A summary describes various worlds and locations in the subsector.
Next in the box is the profile of a sample world. Tinath, a colony world, is on the edge of a series of jump one planets. War is brewing between the human settlements and alien colonists who call themselves Esseray. A map of Tinath is provided along with physical data, climate and weather, social data, and points of interest including the starport.
Support for the included four adventures include details on the aliens called the Esseray, NPC stats, and a new ground vehicle. The first adventure includes suggested skill checks to help new referees while the later adventures rely more on the referee's judgment.
Tinath is a world bursting with things for Travellers to do. Referees who want to start learn Traveller and players who want to explore a science fiction universe would do well to start traveling with this boxed set. Boxed sets are rare in role-playing games in this day, and it is good to see one with everything that a group will need to play. There is even a set of dice. Everything that a group will need to create adventures and explore alien worlds is included in the Traveller Starter Set.
This article was contributed by Charles Dunwoody as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. Please note that Charles is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! If you have a pitch, please contact us!
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