Interested in Trying Traveller

[KOLE]

Hey everyone,

I started playing TTRPGs this year with 5th edition D&D, and though I love it and don’t foresee playing anything else anytime soon, me and my group have discussed looking for a sci-fi game to try sometime. After looking around a little bit, Traveller has really piqued my interest. I really love the idea behind character building.

I will admit, however, that all the different publishings and editions is very confusing and off putting. What version of Traveller do you reccomend and why?

[Knaight]

The different versions of Traveller aren't really that different (there's various dice mechanics that have been tried and the like, but if you're not already attached to one the similarities tend to dominate), so I'd look at what is currently available for free in .pdf form (it seems to change every so often). If nothing seems to fit there's always Cepheus Engine, which is basically a retroclone but for Traveller.

[Florian]

IMHO, the first Traveller edition by Mongoose Publishing is very great. Modular design, can be expanded without a fuss to gain more depth, covers the Third Empire as well as 2300 AD, both good settings and comes with a solid number of support material. I think even a SRD is available.

That said, Traveller plays very differently from D&D5E, like, for example, no real power growth. To get started, I´d actually suggest going with Stars Without Numbers (free core rules), which is more D&D-based but builds upon the whole sandbox-gaming and -feeling needed for a Traveller game.

[Koo Rehtorb]

I'd also suggest taking a look at Stars Without Number instead. It's basically "modern" Traveler.

[Jeraa]

Hey everyone,

I started playing TTRPGs this year with 5th edition D&D, and though I love it and don’t foresee playing anything else anytime soon, me and my group have discussed looking for a sci-fi game to try sometime. After looking around a little bit, Traveller has really piqued my interest. I really love the idea behind character building.

I will admit, however, that all the different publishings and editions is very confusing and off putting. What version of Traveller do you reccomend and why?

Usually, there will be a few recommendations. Mongoose 1e/2e, the Cephus system stuff (which is based on the parts of Mongoose 1e that were released under the OGL), and the original Classic Traveller. All of those are rather simple to learn and use. Avoid Traveller 5 (a massive jumble of text & table, supposedly with a game somewhere in it) and Traveller 20 (the required d20 System version). Neither of those are really that great.

Personally, I don't recommend any of those. I would go with the GURPS Traveller stuff, as I like the detail and crunchyness of GURPS.

[Jorren]

I would recommend the 2nd edition of Mongoose Traveller. Classic Traveller or 1st Edition Mongoose will work as well if you want more of a blank slate to build from and don't mind filling in the gaps yourself.

I don't recommend any of the other versions of Traveller (I have experience will all of them) as most of them have too much errata/quirks/etc. to make a good introductory sf rpg.

If you want something in the d20/D&D in terms of system (levels, classes, etc.), Stars Without Number has already been mentioned. I have no interest in that sort of thing but it might be more up your alley.