Sell me on Traveller

[Parmandur]

For some added context, 0 is good for a Skill because the default is a malus.

 

[Gradine]

For some added context, 0 is good for a Skill because the default is a malus.

I picked that up from the context. This sounds like a lot of fun!

I'm curious, for those players who come to the table with pages of background already, are there options to directly choose portions of the character generation to match the character they had in their head, or is that sort of thing discouraged and against the spirit of how the game is set up?

 

[pemerton]

I've certainly heard about Traveller, but apart from the whole "you can die during character creation" thing I know next to nothing about it

<snip>

What's the game like?

I don't know contemporary versions, but know the 1977 and 1981 versions quite well (where they differ, I generally prefer 1977). I started a campaign in 2017 that we still play intermittently, and I've also played it with my kids. Here's an actual play post which should give an idea of what I like about it

 

[pemerton]

I'm curious, for those players who come to the table with pages of background already, are there options to directly choose portions of the character generation to match the character they had in their head, or is that sort of thing discouraged and against the spirit of how the game is set up?

Not in the versions I know and enjoy. I'm not sure about the more recent versions.

 

[Parmandur]

I picked that up from the context. This sounds like a lot of fun!

I'm curious, for those players who come to the table with pages of background already, are there options to directly choose portions of the character generation to match the character they had in their head, or is that sort of thing discouraged and against the spirit of how the game is set up?

I am sure that there must be alternate rules out there for how to spec and build characters that people have pit together over the years, but the spirit of Traveller is letting the dice fall where they may, with most characters being in some degree of "failing" at life (hence being Travellers rather than having a nice house in the Space 'Burbs in their 30's).

IIRC, the Mongoose game encourages a group Session free of preconceptions over who anybody is, so that connections between characters can emerge organically. So, like, if the next player after @payn happened to roll into a career as a lawyer (entirely poasible), they could become the lawyer who helped out Ross when she was 30, and went on to be Travelling for reasons of their own...

 

[overgeeked]

I picked that up from the context. This sounds like a lot of fun!

I'm curious, for those players who come to the table with pages of background already, are there options to directly choose portions of the character generation to match the character they had in their head, or is that sort of thing discouraged and against the spirit of how the game is set up?

Traveller is very much a lifepath character creation game. Lots of stuff determined by rolling at the table to generate your character. This is emphasized by building connections with the other characters during that lifepath creation. There are optional rules in the Companion for solo character creation.

 

[payn]

I am sure that there must be alternate rules out there for how to spec and build characters that people have pit together over the years, but the spirit of Traveller is letting the dice fall where they may, with most characters being in some degree of "failing" at life (hence being Travellers rather than having a nice house in the Space 'Burbs in their 30's).

IIRC, the Mongoose game encourages a group Session free of preconceptions over who anybody is, so that connections between characters can emerge organically. So, like, if the next player after @payn happened to roll into a career as a lawyer (entirely poasible), they could become the lawyer who helped out Ross when she was 30, and went on to be Travelling for reasons of their own...

To add to this, I think you can certainly plan some generalities, but specifics are going to be difficult. For example, imaging your Traveller going to university and then medical school to become a doctor. This is pretty easy to find ways to make happen. Thinking the Traveller graduated with honors and served on a ship that they now own before rolling a single dice isnt likely to turn out (but could).

If I or some of my players like doing extensive backgrounds, Id go to the Traveller creation session as a blank slate. Maybe have an idea like I want to be a military guy, or an investigative journalist, etc.. Roll up the Traveller and afterwards, fill in the blanks with detail. Notice in my example above of Gretchen Ross that her career terms and events are pretty sparse. I could go back and make a story out of all of those. The best part, is the group chargen allows you to write backstories that demonstrate how the Travellers know each other. Its emergent and very fun.

 

[Panzeh]

I will say, while you can play traveller in a lot of different kinds of scenarios, the char gen is the one made for the rag tag team with a tramp steamer going different places on the map. If you want to play traveller on a military warship, or as a group of badass soldiers, you'll probably want to adjust the character generation to suit.

 

[payn]

I will say, while you can play traveller in a lot of different kinds of scenarios, the char gen is the one made for the rag tag team with a tramp steamer going different places on the map. If you want to play traveller on a military warship, or as a group of badass soldiers, you'll probably want to adjust the character generation to suit.

In my experience no adjustment is needed. Just ask the players to focus physical stats and have the Travellers to stick to military service during chargen. Being a bad ass solider is more about equipment than anything.

 

[Paka]

I' loving Classic Traveller, the '81 PDF is still free. It wasn't part of my early gaming years, so this is nostalgia-free.

I know the die-during-chargen has been a kind of punchline for years but if you look at character creation as the start of play, a dead character is just part of the dangerous universe. I've been enjoying it as a world-building exercise that kicks off play.

Blog posts and such about my recent foray into Traveller are here.