One of the things I liked about the Expanse was that ships needed to have enough fuel to slow down. Breaking burns were a thing. Artificial gravity was restricted to thrust and spin gravity. Ships could only maneuver so quickly or risk harming their occupants. How difficult would it be to import these things into Traveller without breaking things?

Those of you who have run the Grendelsaga, how did it go?

Did you add/change anything - and is there anything I should look out for?

My FoundryVTT module Traveller Map Tools which provides integration to TravellerMap has had a few updates recently. The latest update provides a way to import world data from TravellerMap into a FoundryVTT Journal entry.

https://preview.redd.it/i09c1hc0dl7e1.png?width=1006&format=png&auto=webp&s=6f884cd5d6d8ce4bf8ea9109e2ad5a503c85d539

Link to Foundry module:

https://foundryvtt.com/packages/traveller-map

Quick video introducing the new journal import feature:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLH4ODKtVQY

Hay i seen that in the r20 character sheet there is options to build space ships, vichels ans more

What about robots? I have the robot handbook from the bundle and i want mybe to build one

Should i just find a xl sheet somewhere on the net thats i can use or i can use the other sheets(ship/vichels) one on r20?

Recently discovered Traveller and already bought a few PDFs (Core rulebook update 2022 and central supply catalogue update 2023) but I noticed theres quite a few other supplements and was wondering if theres a way to tell which are compatible with the current edition (Core rulebook update). For example, I noticed theres two different mercenary ones. One just labeled mercenary, and another called Mercenaries of charted space. Theres also another central catalogue looking one called Field catalogue. Are all these for the same 2022 rulebook seeing as they seem to be out about the same time-ish? Whats the difference between the two merc books? Do the field catalogue and central supply have different items or are they meant for different editions? Thanks.

This stutterwarp drive cycles 500,000 times per second, it each cycle it eliminates 1 second of time in the past around the ship. The ship ends up 1 second earlier than the previous cycle and it in normal space for 2 microseconds before the stutterwarp cycles again. This stutterwarp warps time instead of space, the ship continues in its orbit, that is to say if the ship goes back 1 second in time, it goes back to where it was 1 second ago. If the ship was actually there 1 second ago, the time traveling ship replaces what was in that space (600 meter diameter) 1 second ago. The stutterwarp creates a series of alternate timelines with each cycle second in time in travels backwards in. What was in that space 1 second ago is moved forward in time by 1 second, if it was only a part of something then that is unfortunate!

The Stutterwarp Time Machine was an experimental device, it managed to go back in time to 1990 and then broke down leaving a bernal sphere (500 meter diameter) stranded at the Earth-Sun L3 point. (There is a potential for a huge explosion with this time travel device so it was tested far away from populated areas.

Oh and the time travelers (about 10,000 of them) managed to alter the timeline and prevent the Twilight War from happening. they have 24th century technology in the Bernal Sphere. The time travel experiment was funded by the United States government in the 23rd century, and the Twilight War did not turn out well for them, so changes were made, an assassin that was supposed to kill Boris Yeltsin was eliminated, and this toppled the Soviet Union which in turn prevented the Twilight War from happening, at least the Twilight War that was supposed to start in 1997, it is currently 2025, so the time travelers have been here for 35 years raising families and trying to survive without revealing themselves up until now.

What do you think of this idea for a campaign?

I've been good ng through the rules for Mongoose Traveller 2E and am having trouble deciding how you theoretically address an individual traveller going multiple tasks.

Originally it was my understanding that a traveller doing two things at once would roll for a more difficult check.
Example:
Traveller fireing a gun. Check 1: Average (8+).
Therefore a Traveller vaulting over a railing while firing a gun. Check 1: Difficult (10+).

However in zero-G it sounds like the traveller would make 2 checks just for firing a gun.
Check 1: Average (8+) Athletics (Dex)
Check 2: Average (8+) Gun Combat.

Based on the Zero-G rules it would feel consistent to instead have the Traveller vaulting over a railing make 2 Average checks instead?

Additionally for the multiple checks in zero-G do you treat this as a solo task chain with the effect of the first check impacting the 2nd check? (in this example that is an auto fail shooting the weapon, but for a normal task chain it would simply be an impact on the second roll making it possible to fail the first but still succeed the second check.

Thanks for the help!

I can't figure out what "Effect Dice" is for? thanks!

I'm looking for a simple deck plan builder, just a line / share drawing tool that can snap to grid, preferably for free, any good suggestions, I don't need any fancy features, I just want to draw them with lines shaping to a grid.

I've been interested in traveller for a bit. I few times I've almost bought in but but between mongoose 2e and Cepheus engine and its various reiterating and hack I haven't been sure where to start.

I was looking at sword of cepheus 2e when it was on kickstarter to do a science fantasy/sword and planet game.

Currently I'm looking at and Nomad FTL. It looks to take traveller as a system and add in talents which feel more like a D&D thing and as I understand it no other traveller derivatives have these addional character features.

How good do you guys think Nomad would be for a gm and players new to traveller, coming from D&D?

So i have a bunch of books and the GM has been VERY generous and is giving is a really high level game here. I basically want to make a character with an unbelievable about of cybernetics, drones, remote weapons and robots all remote controlled by him.

Looking at cybernetics the core books are pretty good, but i have the Robot Handbook and its a lot more detailed - also i want to make some of those robots.

But i'm still not entirely clear on how to go about designing the cybernetics and robots, and i hear a lot about how people built spreadsheets for it. Does anyone have any suggestions where to start?

For context. I'm working on converting a CT animal encounter table to cepheus. apologies in advance this a potentially a TLDR

In CT ( the 1981 facsimile ) book3 animal encounters which explains how to determine an animals speed by rolling on the animal characteristic table using a formula . ( last column labelled typical speed ) for e.g.
grazer 1D-2 (2-4; minimum 2 ).
The number for speed is the multiplier of the ordinary speed

In trying to determine what ordinary speed means in terms of meters per combat round my understanding is that with later editions of traveller the range band concept was adapted to grid square that a character can walk 17 grid squares ( at 1.5m per square ) in one combat round = 25.5 round down 25m.
If the character runs they move at double speed 33 squares = 49.5 round up 50m.

imho this seems too much distance in a 6 second combat round. extrapolate to 10 seconds 10/6 * 50 ( running ) = 83m - which is only 17m short of an olympic sprinter running 100m in 10 seconds.

imho it makes more sense to divide 17 by 1.5 which reduces the distance per combat round ( walking ) to 12m - and 12 / 1.5 = 8 grid squares - which fits better with using 1.5m deckplans than 25 / 1.5 = 16.6 ( round up to 17m )

side note - in comparison with cepheus engine ( refer the section titled movement see here https://www.orffenspace.com/cepheus-srd/personal-combat.html ) The character moves up to six meters.
( so it seems that mg1e which is the basis of cepheus engine also went with a number that fits the 1.5m grid square ).

Returning back to the animal encounters table speed, assuming ordinary speed is 12m per combat round, the grazer that can move at S2-4. ( the 1D-2 die roll will result in S2 or S3 or S4 )

s2 = 24m ( 24 / 6 = 4m/s = ~14 kph )
s4= 48m ( and for context in 10 seconds is 80m = ~29kph.. a cheetah that runs at 120kph is 33m per second x 10 = 330m in 10 seconds - or 198m in 6 seconds )

The rules state a character can move at double speed ( running )

I have also seen an example animal speed table from 1977 listing speed with 2 entries for speed :

> Animals will move at ordinary speed (one column per round) or at double or triple speed. Some animals may not move (speed = none). When two speeds are specified, the first applies on a throw of 7+, otherwise the second applies. 

> Eater ... Ordinary / double

All of this has raised questions for me that I'm hoping others can help answer

1 can a character run faster than double speed ? for e.g. in other sci fi rulesets I've seen the concept of cybernetic implants that allow characters to move faster

2. for an animal, is the Sn number the maximum speed the animal can move at ? i.e. the ordinary ( or base ) speed has already had a multiplier applied.

If an animal is listed as S2 ( this already double human walking speed ) can this animal then run at double that speed, S4.?
in the example of the grazer S2, if consider double speed then the running grazer moves at S4 48m = 32 grid squares - is it only me or does this seem like a lot in a single combat ?

For context, in a wilderness encounter on an open prairie then an animal walking at 24m and running at 48m per combat round seems logical ( e.g. an antelope top speed is 80 to 90kph. 80 kph = ~ 22m/second *6 = 132m/round ).

in comparison, I've seen in the traveller adventure shadows, an amphibian grazer ( a snake basically if you look at the illustration in the adventure ) is listed as S2, ~14kph, and an online search of worlds fastest snakes, e.g. black southern racer moves at 9mph = 14kph. So to then allow the snake to be able to move at double or triple that speed seems unrealistic.

I recognize the referee should apply some logic / house rule and not blindly follow what the rolls on the table generate - but it is not clear to me from the table if the Sn was the maximum speed.

3. the example or ordinary / double on a 7+. I think in the 1977 rules instead of die roll formula the die roll on the animal table for speed gave a fixed value, or it gave 2 values separated by a /, and then a roll determined which of the 2 values to use as speed.

As I interpret this, I don't think this is suggesting the same animal is capable of 2 speeds as in walk and run. i.e. and then should my interpretation also apply to question 2? i.e. unless 2 Sn numbers or descriptions are listed, then the animal only has 1 movement speed ( which is the maximum ).

|| || |||||||||||||| <- huh ? Edit I had a 4th question and reddit has converted it into gibbersh barcode whilst submitting my post

4. ( rewriting this from memory ) - I could not find in the animal encounter tables that determines what an animals maximum speed is. if an animals base speed is S2, then double ( running ) that is S4, but can that animal then run at triple speed ( S2x3 ) or quadruple speed ?

in comparison, with reference to the CE SRD, see https://www.orffenspace.com/cepheus-srd/planetary-wilderness-encounters.html

An animal’s base speed is determined by generating a Speed Multiplier ... ( the keyword here is base )

Unless otherwise noted, animals operate just like characters in combat. ( if characters can move at running speed so too can animals )

But the CE SRD rules do not specify maximum speed.

It seems to my players that passengers and freight (nonspecified) can be both available to be trasported to any world. Is this true?

Here is the scenario - Characters are on Caladbolg, when commissioned to travel to Mithril to pick up a small package (which is not to be counted as freight as it is a case of liquor,) and then drop this small package to Wardn for a reunion of some navel buddies. So my players insisted that they were able to find 4 passengers to drop off on Steel (J-2 ship) on their trek to Wardn. My thought is "nobody wants to have passage to Steel [or Mithril, for that matter]" as the population is < 10, but the player said that he found 4 "researchers" that paid the trip to Steel.

Once on Steel he rolled, and couldn't find anyone who wanted to take passage to Mithril, so they didn't take on any more. (Which was my point of WHY would anyone want to be transported to these barren planets.)

Anyway, so to my question... is it ALWAYS possible to find passengers/freight to be transported to any location all the time? (As long as the broker rolls say that the character "finds" passengers?)

I have been a D&D player for a long time but stopped playing some time ago. I ran a few Twilight: 2000 games back in the day, so I always had some other stuff from GDW around ... including Traveller.

A co-worker at work just started playing D&D for the first time, and I've been thinking about getting back into gaming a bit. I think I am going to stay away from D&D this time, though, and try another game that I always wanted to play. Can you guess what it is?

I don't even have a set of Traveller books anymore but I went online looking for some Online groups. I hear that's how a lot of people play now. But I can not find a Traveller game anywhere.

Am I not looking at the right places?

We're still learning all the history of the Imperium, but as we play the Pirates of Drinax campaign it appears that almost all of the buffer zones between the Aslan Hierate and the Imperium are way closer than the 30 parsecs that the Peace of Ftahalr supposedly stipulates. Often the buffer zone appears to be less than half that distance. Are one or both sides just violating the Peace of Ftahalr, or is there another explanation?

Hey everyone, I've been prepping for a scifi campaign and have enjoyed discovering how easily things from one Traveller edition can be ported to another.

Now, Classic and Mongoose Traveller's catalogues are easy to look through thanks to the wiki but I was wondering what other works y'all have enjoyed using? Stars Without Number has been recommended numerous times so I've picked that up (along with it's merchant campaign book) as it looks to be another resource that I could easily bolt onto whatever system I end up using.

What other 3rd party and Cepheus books have been surprisingly useful, well written, or beneficial to your games?

Thanks!

https://preview.redd.it/opsxrylng97e1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=25ffb9f20df3d453d5ee42605574d16c1eb45e39

https://preview.redd.it/dywtu7bog97e1.png?width=1024&format=png&auto=webp&s=51337dddbcf87224eb651c8f1c13756de94125e1

I'm wondering if there already exists in Traveller out there -- possibly because of the Fifth Frontier War a planet that was totally devestated.

I'm trying to create a situation where the side that won now rules the galaxy (subsector) and the planet is almost entirely destroyed. Some still live, but there is radiation everywhere, they are back to the most hardscrabble living, their environment is trashed from being bombed and.... dun dun dun.. they want revenge!

That's roughly the idea and I'm wondering if there isn't already an existing planet that I can use....

thanks!

I've never played Traveller, but I read through the GURPS sourcebook a long time ago and found it to be an enjoyable read. I'm cosidering picking up Mongoose Traveller, though I have no idea when I'll actually start a campaign.

Besides the 2022 Core Rulebook, what other books are considered essentail? Right now I'm thinking of something Elite-like: trading, meeting new aliens along the way, and a fair amount of piracy interdiction.

EDIT: Okay, I got the newest Traveller Core Rule Book from Mongoose. I also got the newest Central Supply Catalog book as well.

It is Christmas time, and we are giving away a free present to all Travellers - Bu and Embla do the Fifth Frontier War!

https://www.mongoosepublishing.com/products/bu-and-embla-do-the-fifth-frontier-war

See what your favourite cosmic duo have been up to while conflict breaks out across the Spinward Marches!

https://preview.redd.it/ve353ny0p77e1.jpg?width=1679&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=257826be0f8d6cd155a809f75599dfd16f6576c3

I'm wanting to do a Traveller campaign. We create characters by the book, I make a sector, and then the crew plays a sandbox campaign

What version is best for that... Or maybe a better question, how would the different versions change the tone of the game, assuming I'm playing by the book

View Poll

Okay so I know about JTAS and Challenge magazines back in the day. I thought I had seen some things in the older Space Gamer magazine as published way back in the day between a couple of companies, had Traveller ideas in it as well.

I also thought I remember hearing that Dragon had a few things before it only became an in house organ for only TSR/WOTC.

So the question is what other magazines (White Dwarf, Dragon, etc) had Traveller material and is there a legal way to get that stuff acquired to either republish in a few omnibuses or is it all lost to history?

Also, has Mongoose considered taking all the older stuff from Challenge and JTAS and thought about republishing that was maybe a "Lost Archives" sort of thing with all the older articles maybe grouped together as say a book of adventures, a book of weapons, a book on xenos, a book on rule concepts, etc.

EDIT POST: I am not thinking of Traveller Specific magazines or fan-zines.

Rather I am thinking of those that were general catch all magazines about RPGs or even those magazines specific to sci-fi/space games which might have had material published for the Traveller at times.

What is the best adventure or campaign to give brand new players a good taste of Traveller?

EDIT: I’m seeing lots of praise for Flatlined as an introduction as well. So for those still looking at this post between Flatlined and High and Dry which is the best introduction for players who have never once played Traveller?

View Poll

Hey everyone,

I'm about to start a Traveller campaign where I'll be the GM for a unique player (my son). We're both fans of Firefly and we'd like to emulate this in a campaign where he'll start with a cargo ship in bad shape, a mountain of debts and one or two crew members.

I'd like to run this as some kind of sandbox campaign with a job-of-the-week structure, and I'll probably let some long-term threats emerge naturally based on the jobs.

I picked Traveller (Mongoose 2E) because I loved it in the 90s and I'd really like to see how it has evolved. I also wanted my son to discover both the system and the setting (+ the great MG2E Humble Bundle from last year).

I'm looking for any wisdom, tips, resources or tools that would help me run this kind of campaign with as little prep as possible between sessions. For context, I'm a veteran DM and don't need much to work with, but I've been disconnected from the sci-fi ttrpg scene for decades.

I'm also interested in your ideas for the best areas in the Traveller universe to set this type of campaign.

Thanks a lot in advance for your insights!

Alright, someone has 1/4th, 1/2th, 3/4th paid off as a benefit... How do you determine the mortgage -- I was thinking irrelevant of the percentage it is still 1/520th of the original ship value, and the only "benefit" of 1/4th, 1/2th or 3/4th ownership was that you only had 30, 20 or 10 years to pay left.

Some of my players are saying that you take the current value 1/4th, 1/2th or 3/4th of the factory value and divide that by 520... (they say it was refianaced) but why would the bank do that? They are "interest-free" loans, why would they say oh, we know that the ship should be paid in 40 years... now it is 70?

I like my approach -- no refi, just less time to pay. Now of course will the Travellers still be traveling in 10 years of game time? (Shrug -- not my issue?)

Thoughts?

One cool way i thought to halp to make younger characters more veible (this idea and learning skills is faster for younger characters) is pretty much using the luck variance rules but change the way you get it

In the basic rules your luck is determined by a random role like all other stats

Im this house rule:

Your luck is 12(or 13 i should mybe even)- the number of terms you have

So younger characters are more "lucky" then older characters

What do you think?

I was prepping for "Mission to Mithril" from Mongoose's "Marches Adventures", and realized that the weather procedure is super convoluted. So, I wrote a simple Python script that generates weather conditions based on all the rules outlined in the beginning of the adventure. It takes into account zones, patterns and time since the last major storm. Enjoy and feel free to use however you'd like for your table or group. And feel free to modify as you see fit for other planets and biomes. Happy Travels!

https://github.com/kirillsimin/mithril-weather

Weather on Mithril

Can anyone point me in the direction of detailed Traveller Worlds? What I'm referring to here is something like Zozer Games' Colony Wars supplement, which has four flavourful and quite detailed planets with their factions, intrigues and topography. I really like it and want more like it, but with overt Traveller universe setting, rather than Hostile.

The only MgT2e Known Space sourcebook I have is Behind the Claw and I'm less interested in entire subsectors with minimal description; I would rather just a few interesting worlds I can lift and slot into my own universe. Are the GURPS Traveller Planetary Survey books like this? Or does anyone know of content from Mongoose or in Traveller history that has more of this kind of content? I'm always happy to throw more money at FFE for legacy content.

I can and do make my own stuff using UWPs and various Sci Fi RPG tables from other games, but I really enjoy reading fully fleshed out worlds others have made too.

I don't mind which era of Traveller or which system. Thanks