Traveller?
payn
He'll flip ya...Flip ya for real...
I currently run Mongoose Traveller 2.0 in a Pirates of Drinax sandbox campaign. It doesn't stray too far from classic Traveller in feel. They have added some modern mechanics ideas like advantage/disadvantage and roll effect based on target. The chargen is still random, but they have built in some nice features to ensure a good skill package for Travellers. It is even better for session chargen than ever.
Technology like the real world? You mean like computers that dont take up an apartments worth of space, internet/Wi-Fi, and artificial intelligence? These items have not been added to the game in any great detail, but the rules provide enough you can add them in.
Outside of spaceship combat, I find the rules are fairly vague and lean hard towards rulings over rules style play. Thats up my alley, but if you want a more D20 simulation crunch heavy system, Mongoose Traveller is probably not the game you are looking for.
Technology like the real world? You mean like computers that dont take up an apartments worth of space, internet/Wi-Fi, and artificial intelligence? These items have not been added to the game in any great detail, but the rules provide enough you can add them in.
Outside of spaceship combat, I find the rules are fairly vague and lean hard towards rulings over rules style play. Thats up my alley, but if you want a more D20 simulation crunch heavy system, Mongoose Traveller is probably not the game you are looking for.
Marc_C
Solitary Role Playing
Thanks. I currently have Coriolis and The Expanse RPG. I was wondering if Traveller offered something different making it worth buying.
schneeland
Hero
I have only skimmed the rules so far, but I agree that the technology feels rather classic. There is portable computers, but they still look a bit bulky and there's no resemblance to say a foldable mobile you might buy today (and mobile communication is also not extremely compact, but neither is it so outdated that it poses a problem). For reference: this is the "portable computer" illustration from the fresh 2022 update of the core rulebook.
Regarding the level of crunch, my first impression is that it is still at the upper end of what I would play, but I tend towards lighter systems, so YMMV.
Regarding the level of crunch, my first impression is that it is still at the upper end of what I would play, but I tend towards lighter systems, so YMMV.
payn
He'll flip ya...Flip ya for real...
In my opinion, Traveller is a lot of fun. Its my favorite Sci-fi RPG. A month ago, I'd say get the PDF of the rule book because the artwork is not great, however, Mongoose is releasing an updated 2.0 rulebook with artwork that looks very much improved. Also, they revamped the classic Secrets of the Ancients campaign with new artwork too. Maybe you are aware, and it was what generated the question, but if not check it out.
darjr
I crit!
Mongoose Traveller seemed very much like the classic game to me.
One of the alternative rules during character creation is simple but profound.
At some point two characters can decide to have had a common event. They get a bonus from it and a share a chargen narrative.
for ex we had a character who was a lawyer and had defended another during their court marshals.
Another was involved in the incident that got the other character in trouble but was not deemed culpable.
One of the alternative rules during character creation is simple but profound.
At some point two characters can decide to have had a common event. They get a bonus from it and a share a chargen narrative.
for ex we had a character who was a lawyer and had defended another during their court marshals.
Another was involved in the incident that got the other character in trouble but was not deemed culpable.
Bayushi_seikuro
Hero
I like that you can lose stat points during chargen, but you buy those points back, putting you in medical debt, which increases your reasons for adventuring. I like that also, depending on your path when you take that injury, your employer will cover some of it under 'workers comp'
The skill package after chargen is a great idea. Depending on the campaign style, there are free skills you divvy up. It helps make sure you will have at least a pilot, at least a doctor, at least a mechanic, etc. If you already have PCs that have that, you have a 'spare' then.
Right now, the character I'm playing is kinda a sleaze ball. He's an accidental hero type, dabbler in skills. Going back to the discussion of characters interconnecting their backstory, he was working as a scavenger and got another PC involved, despite her being an Imperial Navy engineer. We fought another scav crew, and I herded them into an airlock with drones and I tricked the engineer into 'spacing' them.
The skill package after chargen is a great idea. Depending on the campaign style, there are free skills you divvy up. It helps make sure you will have at least a pilot, at least a doctor, at least a mechanic, etc. If you already have PCs that have that, you have a 'spare' then.
Right now, the character I'm playing is kinda a sleaze ball. He's an accidental hero type, dabbler in skills. Going back to the discussion of characters interconnecting their backstory, he was working as a scavenger and got another PC involved, despite her being an Imperial Navy engineer. We fought another scav crew, and I herded them into an airlock with drones and I tricked the engineer into 'spacing' them.
darjr
I crit!
The thing with Traveller that is always difficult for me to manager is character advancement. It's not like D&D now, or many other games. It's like D&D of old. Yea you got levels and such but real character advancement was in cash (gold), influence (titles/land/conquests) and advanced gear/ships (magic items). Taxes and fees (thieves and the cost of castle building and making magic items) helped keep a cap on things.
jdrakeh
Front Range Warlock
If you like The Expanse, you may want to check out Orbital 2100 by Paul Elliot. It's based on the Cepheus Engine, which is an open source fork of Mongoose's Traveller. Here's a link to Orbital:
Orbital 2100: Elliott, Paul: 9781326792527: Amazon.com: Books
Orbital 2100 [Elliott, Paul] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Orbital 2100
www.amazon.com
Here's a link to the Cepheus Engine SRD:
DriveThruRPG
www.drivethrurpg.com
And here's a link to the RPG-ized version of the Cepheus Engine SRD:
DriveThruRPG
www.drivethrurpg.com
?
Traveller has no levels. You do have promotions during character creation but they hardly correspond to levels. Advancement is mainly money based and a tiny bit of skill training which takes only time.
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