The character sheet that comes stock with the edition of Traveller I own (Mongoose Traveller1st edition, 2008) leaves a lot to be desired, although that almost doesn’t matter: I don’t own a scanner and can’t find it online, so I needed to make my own anyway. With no scan available, here’s a grainy photo so you know what I’m talking about: Here’s a few issues with the built-in sheet: 1. Traveller doesn’t use hit points. Instead (like Numenera, and other RPGs), damage reduces abil...| Sir Poley
When making the table in Part I, I realized that every planet has a semi-hidden characteristic that balances melee combat. This was pretty astonishing to me, as it’s buried pretty deep, but it’s also a huge improvement to the game if implemented in your campaign. The issue is as follows: Traveller ranged and melee combat is realistically balanced (which is to say, swords simply don’t compare to laser guns). Traveller also lacks “sci-fi remedies” such as lightning swords and laser w...| Sir Poley
I just ran Session Zero (character creation and so on) of Mongoose Traveller 1st edition (2008) with my quarantine pod. This is my second Traveller campaign that I’ve run (thoughts inspired by the first you can read about here), and the fourth that I’ve been a part of. Having learned a little from my last campaign, I’ve made a few improvements to the game’s interface (not really houserules) that speed up gameplay and reduce friction. What do I mean by interface? Imagine if Travellerwa...| Sir Poley
“Can I buy a magic sword?” This is a question that seems straightforward, but is actually fraught with follow-on implications that are not obvious. It is also one that’s asked at some point in any D&D campaign. You might be thinking, as GM, that you’re making a choice about the setting of your campaign (is this a high-magic or low-magic world, a desert island, a major trade city, etc). While you are making this decision, you’re also deciding (perhaps without knowing) what money is i...| Sir Poley
In part 1 of this series, I described how Mongoose Traveller’s spaceship mortgage rule becomes the drive for adventure and action in a spacefaring sandbox, and the ‘autonomous’ gameplay loop that follows. In part 2, I talked about how Traveller’s Patron system gives the DM a tool to pull the party out of the 'loop’ and into more traditional adventures. In part 3, I talked about Traveller’s unique character creation system, and how it supports the previous two systems, and how to a...| Sir Poley
In part 1 of this series, I described how Mongoose Traveller’s spaceship mortgage rule becomes the drive for adventure and action in a spacefaring sandbox, and the ‘autonomous’ gameplay loop that follows. In part 2, I talked about how Traveller’s Patron system gives the DM a tool to pull the party out of the 'loop’ and into more traditional adventures. In this part, I’ll talk about Traveller’s unique character creation system, and how it supports the previous two systems. Brief ...| Sir Poley
In part 1 of this series, I described how Mongoose Traveller’s spaceship mortgage rule becomes the drive for adventure and action in a spacefaring sandbox, and the ‘autonomous’ gameplay loop that follows. In this part, I’ll talk about the Patrons—questgivers—that are baked into Traveller’s gameplay loop and provide opportunities for more 'traditional’ (that is, pre-scripted) adventures. Patrons Patrons are, essentially, adventure hooks. The 'default’ premise is that an NPC o...| Sir Poley
Mongoose Traveller’s starship mortgage-payment-system is the most brilliant game mechanic I’ve ever encountered, as a DM. It’s also the first rule I’d ignore if I wasn’t consciously trying to play the game exactly how it’s described in the book. A Bit of Background I’ve been involved in two Traveller campaigns in the past as a player (both with the same DM), and am currently DMing a third. All of them are using Mongoose’s first edition. I’ve never played any other edition of...| Sir Poley
Mongoose Traveller's starship mortgage-payment-system is the most brilliant game mechanic I've ever encountered, as a DM. It's also the first rule I'd ignore if I wasn't consciously trying to play the...| Tumblr