Sell me on (or out) Traveller

[fnordland]

If I were to run a Traveller campaign I would use Cortex Classic as that is the preferred scifi system that my group uses.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

If I were to run a Traveller campaign I would use Cortex Classic as that is the preferred scifi system that my group uses.

We all have our favorite systems For me Savage Worlds have very transparent mechanics and create competent characters while keeping combat dangerous, and it's very easy to adapt to Traveller tech levels and their consequences.

But then again, another positive with Traveller is that it's easy to adapt other systems to it.

 

[fnordland]

Little black books Traveller (and Runequest) was the first rpg I played back in the eighties, we had lots of fun.

Today Mongoose 2ed have great products, I love the Third Imperium setting and the game premisses, but I don’t enjoy the mechanics. So this fall I will start up a traditional Traveller sandbox campaign, but with Savage Worlds rules.

Your Glorantha may vary is a core theme of Runequest. So it is with Traveller & its many editions & variants. When I search on Drivethrurpg for 'System: Traveller' there 2238 items in the list.

 

[pemerton]

I'm a SF fan and I heard a lot about Traveller, but I still don't know how the game plays. What are the game loops? What kind of characters you can create? What kind of adventures and stories should I expect? What do I spend most of my time doing in a game session? If you think Traveller is a good game, what makes it good, and what should I be looking for in a game to enjoy it?

I've got a collection of Classic Traveller actual play posts: here's the first, and here's the most recent.

I really like the system. I find it produces interesting characters, makes it easy to propel the action, and has a nice collection of action resolution systems. (I much prefer the original Classic Traveller action resolution systems to the contemporary "roll 8+" approach.)

The only area where I find the system weak is when it comes to resolution of on-world exploration.

 

[dragoner]

What is the one book that one should get first to learn the game?

Mechanics or setting? Mongoose's Explorer, or Cepheus Engine SRD will give you modern mechanics, classic probably look at the Facsimile Edition. The Third Imperium is somewhat more involved, though the travellermap and wiki are the better resources there.

 

[payn]

I made a few threads on Traveller a while back.
chargen
settings
editions

The skinny, is that Traveller is a skills based game with a much flatter progression than average RPG. A long storied history of both mechanics and settings. Easy to learn and play with one of the best (al beit complicated) chargen systems.

 

[overgeeked]

What is the one book that one should get first to learn the game?

Mongoose 2E. Either, or…

QuickStart. Traveller Explorer’s Edition.

Full core. Traveller Core Rulebook Update 2022.

 

[kronovan]

If you want to run a space opera campaign where the spacecraft you travel, explore, survey or battle from is a big part of the focus, Traveller IMO a terrific TTRPG. If you want to get your feet wet with the play mechanics, I'd recommend the $1 Mongoose Traveller 2e Explorer edition. Another good way to get the gist of it for a low cost is the $10 Cepheus Deluxe Enhanced Edition + free Random Character Generation. I wouldn't recommend the Cepheus Engine SRD, as IMO it's poorly organized and it's worth it to pay the $10 for deluxe to get a better written, more organized PDF.

I'm mostly a homebrewer and like to build myu own subsectors and worlds, so I might have a different perspective on where the MgT2e rules shine and where they can be rough. I don't have time to delve in to that right now, but will comment later.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'll say it again, any game where you can die in character generation gets bonus points on the should I try it scale...of course I have issues so, /shrug

Completely valid. The character generation system is a ton of fun.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

You can also think of Traveller as Firefly the rpg.

There are a lot of games that can be described that way, not the least of which are the two different Firefly RPGs themselves.

Don't pick Traveller because it's the only way to play Firefly. Pick it because it's the way to play Firefly that otherwise best matches with your gaming tastes, or because you want to experience the game that is to science fiction what D&D is to fantasy.