Traveller 5: A Space Odyssey

+++Incoming Transmission+++

The SS Tempora, Captain Firu residing, commencing recording star date 2294356, 3rd Millennium...

Out of the many editions of Traveller throughout the years I've only managed to happen upon its 5th incarnation - the first edition being published in 1977, long before I was even born; but however the Traveller series has remained a cornerstone of role playing games.

Granted, these days there's an RPG for pretty much any universe and any sci-fi setting (including Dr. Who, Warhammer 40,000, Firefly, Star Wars, Star Trek... the list goes on). However Traveller has a one advantage: it is a true generic sci-fi setting.

From the initial reading of the pocket edition of the handbook (a great re-working of the original system) very little background details are given: you have the 3rd Imperium, you have ships, you have guns and BY THE WAY there's aliens... enjoy!

Todd: First off we did have a slight issue - i.e. he's got the pocket edition, so the character sheets are a bit small, but thankfully Mongoose publishing took the Traveller system to a new dimension.

DM: No pun there.

Todd: Oh yeah... anyway they have given the player and game master alike more than enough resource background information than you can shake a PDF at!

DM: So a quick bit of printing and we're off and ready to go... you see in theory you cant argue with a game that simply requires 2D6 forever - nothing more! And trust me, when you've needed 8D4 3D10 and D8 just to calculate how much damage your 9th level monk is doing. 2D6 seems like a god send (okay, I'm exaggerating the dice, its 2 3-12 damage per hand).

Todd:... may I?

DM: If you must, character creation then?

Todd: Yeah, pretty much where I was going with this...

*ahem* Character creation: never have we and our little group had such a infuriatingly long-winded, most hysterical character creation ever! It is a thing of awesomeness!

DM: And strangely enough the only character creation where you can die.

Todd: True, damn ageing rolls!

DM: But yes, initial stats over or under a certain number equals a modifier (2D6 plus modifier)! In role playing terms the simplest system in the world.

Todd: However, rather than the classic race (although it is available we've just never bothered) and with the classes in Traveller, you roll to see what job you get, then roll to see what happens, then roll to advance, roll to change etc.

DM: Granted we've found the process slows everything down something evil - especially when you've only got one book, but the varied results are memorable.

Todd: Yeah that's true, so far we've had Dare and his character being kicked out of every military organisation including the police forces within his 2nd term.

And Babs who's Dr lost an eye after a psyonics experiment, who simply decided to go into space piracy afterwards, and soon generally became known for waving a cutlass around! ><

DM: I've managed to organise a few games, thanks to the rule book's near endless tables for rolling upon: ships, planetary politics, law levels, stocks and shares and even entire star system generators. The resources available are invaluable; however I have found sometimes its better to take a few things with a pinch of salt, especially on the system creator; but with such a generic setting, its not hard to adapt traveller for any situation or setting.

Todd: That's all very well and good, but bar character creation game play is almost sterile. Granted it can go very silly very quickly, or super serious. The only problem being unless your DM or players have a clear idea of what sort of game you're playing its basically a stock market game - move this to there get cash, try and keep ship costs down.

DM: Especially when it is entirely possible to start with a fleet of ships.

Todd: Yeah, you never let us have that one. :( Mind you 5 ships with one character, that is like WTF?

DM: But with a bit of careful planning, I think if you know what your group expects form the RPG... hell, go for it. If not even as a DM you can be left floundering.

Todd: So Star Trek style?

DM: Okay, can I be Scotty?

Dare: I claim red shirt!!

In summary:-

Rules: Easy to learn, although swamped with modifiers, I found couple of reads and it becomes second nature.
Game: Creation excellent, the ability to make in-depth worlds is extraordinary.
Playability: Good, quick and easy although not ideal for games on the fly.

+++Transmission Ends+++