Traveller (role-playing game)

Traveller is a science fiction role-playing game, first published in 1977 by Game Designers' Workshop. Marc W. Miller designed "Traveller" with help from Frank Chadwick, John Harshman, and Loren K. Wiseman.
Game overview.
Characters typically journey between various star systems and engage in activities such as exploration, ground and space battles, and interstellar trading. Characters are defined not by the need to increase native skill and ability but by achievements, discoveries, wealth, titles, and political power.
Key features.
Marc Miller revealed a number of books that influenced the creation of Traveller and provided its key features:
Characters.
"Traveller" uses a lifepath-style system for character generation. Characters get their skills and experience in a mini-game, where the player makes career choices that determine the character's life right up to the point before adventuring begins.
A character can be human, robot, alien, or of a genetically engineered species. A character can be civilian, military, or noble, a young cadet or a tried-and-true veteran, each with strengths and weaknesses. Death during character generation is possible in some editions, a mechanic that became infamous.
Characters have six primary characteristics: strength, dexterity, endurance, intelligence, education, and social standing. These characteristics are typically generated with a roll of two six-sided dice. Other general characteristics also exist, such as psionics and sanity. There are also variant characteristics, such as charisma and caste, which replace a primary characteristic, to add nuance to alien characters.
Psionics.
Extra-sensory perception, telekinesis, telepathy, and other psychic abilities are organized and standardized into "psionics". Depending on their choice, characters can be psionic.
Task systems.
Each edition of Traveller has its own task mechanic for resolving character actions. Some systems use two or three six-sided dice, while others use multiple six-sided dice or a twenty-sided die. Target numbers are typically determined by the referee, who takes into account task difficulty, skill level, and a characteristic. Situation and equipment used can provide a bonus or penalty to a roll. Depending on the task, a success may require rolling above or below the target number.
Equipment.
Equipment typically emphasizes wilderness exploration, hazardous environments, and combat. As a result, equipment lists are heavy on vehicles, sensor equipment, communicators, rations, personal armor, and weapons.
Low-technology: Since primitive worlds exist near technological worlds, primitive weapons are included, such as swords, shields, pikes, and bows. Characters often have some sort of blade skill for close combat.
High-technology: Cybernetics and non-sentient robots also often show up in equipment lists, as well as artifacts from ancient, vanished technological civilizations.
Hard Sci-fi Flavor: Along with energy weapons, there is also a strong presence of slug-throwing weapons such as rifles and pistols. The prevailing theory is that (usually) the most efficient way to stop someone is with kinetic energy (e.g. bullets).
Starships.
Rules for starship design and combat are like games unto themselves with a complex balance of ship components fitting within certain hull volumes, technology levels, and modifiers based upon characters' skills. It is complex enough to be able to generically represent most starships used in role-playing games, and flexible enough to support custom add-ons to the system. (GDW published several board games allowing "Traveller" space battles to be played out as games in their own right - "Mayday" using the "Traveller" rules, "Brilliant Lances" and "Battle Rider" using the "Traveller: The New Era" rules.)
Computer programs have been created to model and predict starship combat using "Traveller" rules. The most famous case involved Douglas Lenat applying his "Eurisko" heuristic learning program to the scenario in the "Traveller" adventure "", which contained rules for resolving very large space battles statistically. Eurisko exploited corner-case features, and built unusual fleets that won the 1981 and 1982 championships. The sponsor stated that if Lenat entered and won the next year they would stop the sponsorship, so Lenat stopped attending.
Worlds.
Worlds represent a wide spectrum of conditions, from barren planetoid moons to large gas giant worlds, from uncolonized territory to planets with tens of billions of people. Most worlds tend to be only modestly colonized, though some worlds may be dangerously overcrowded.
The world generation system is geared to produce a highly random mix of worlds. Extensions take star system generation into account, and modify the process depending on the fecundity and history of the targeted area of space. Similar to the use of the UPP for characters, worlds are represented by an alphanumeric Universal World Profile that encodes key physical, social, and economic properties of the world.
Setting.
The original booklets were promoted as generic rules for running general science fiction role-playing games with no official setting. However, in the 
adventures and supplements that soon followed a suggested setting began to emerge, in which the human-dominated Third Imperium was the largest interstellar empire in charted space, a feudalistic union of worlds, where local nobility operate largely free from oversight, restricted by convention and feudal obligations.
Races.
The setting features various descendants of humanity, who are collectively called "Humaniti". These include the "Solomani", humans emigrated from Earth within the last few thousand years, the "Vilani", humans transplanted from Earth tens of thousands of years ago by the Ancients (see below) who founded the First Imperium, and the "Zhodani", psychic humans ruled by psionically-gifted nobles.
Despite the thematic dominance of the human race, with most adventures taking place in human space, the "Traveller" universe is cosmopolitan, containing many technologically advanced species known as "sophonts", a term borrowed from earlier science fiction material. The setting principally concerns itself with six "major races" that developed faster-than-light travel independently. In addition to Humaniti, the standard list of major races includes the honor-bound felinoid "Aslan", the winged reptilioid "Droyne", the sixfold-symmetric and manipulative "Hivers", the centaur-like militant vegetarian "K'kree", and the uplifted wolf-hybrid "Vargr".
Additional minor races are numerous. An early publication from GDW noted that "The minor races, of which there are hundreds within the area of known space, will be largely left up to individual referees." GDW's quarterly publication, the "Journal of the Travellers Aid Society" designed by Loren K. Wiseman, sketched out about one race per quarter, starting with the Aslan in Issue 7. Taken together with aliens casually mentioned or introduced in separate scenarios or adventures—often arbitrarily—there is therefore no indication that the number of minor races is limited in any sense.
Ancients.
The Ancients were a major race in the distant past; their ruins dot planets throughout charted space and their artifacts are more technically advanced than those of any existing civilization. For unknown reasons, they transplanted humans from Earth to dozens of worlds, uplifted Terran wolves to create the Vargr and transplanted them to another world, and undertook many megascale engineering projects before destroying their civilization in a catastrophic civil war.
Publishing history.
Format.
The original gamebooks were distinctive digest-sized black pamphlets (the so-called "little black books") produced by Game Designers' Workshop (GDW). The main rules were detailed in three such booklets, sold as a boxed set while the same format was used for early support material, such as the adventures, supplements and further books. Later supplements and updated versions of the main game system introduced full sized booklets, complete re-writes of the game system and significant changes to the Third Imperium.
Editions.
Though nearly all older versions of "Traveller" are available in PDF format, "Traveller5" and "Mongoose Traveller 2nd Ed." are the two current rulesets. Both rely on six-sided dice exclusively, and both draw from the original "Traveller" rules.
"Traveller".
The original version was designed and published by GDW in 1977. This edition is also sometimes called, retroactively, "Classic Traveller". The core rules originally came as a box set of three little black books, and were later compiled into a single volume rulebook. Supplemental booklets included advanced character generation, capital ship design, robots, and more. Eight boxed wargames were released as tie-in products.
"MegaTraveller".
A major overhaul published by GDW in 1987, but designed by Digest Group Publications. The game system used revised rules developed in DGP's "Traveller's Digest" periodical. The game was set during the rebellion which shattered the Imperium. Supplements and magazines produced during this era detailed the progression of the rebellion from the initial assassination of the Emperor in 1116 to the collapse of large-scale interstellar trade in roughly 1124 (the beginning of the supplement "Hard Times").
"Traveller: The New Era".
Published in 1993, this was the final edition published by GDW. Set in the former territory of the Third Imperium after interstellar government and society had largely collapsed. "TNE" introduced "Virus", a silicon-chip life form that infected and took over computers. The game mechanics used GDW's house system, derived from ", 2nd Ed". The game used a more realism-centered approach to science fiction, doing away with reactionless thrusters, shortening laser ranges to a reasonable distance, etc.
"T4: Marc Miller's Traveller".
Published by Imperium Games in 1996, T4 is set in the early days of the Third Imperium ("Milieu 0"), with the small, newly formed empire surrounded by regressed or barbaric worlds. The mechanics and text resemble a mix of "Classic Traveller" and "The New Era".
"GURPS Traveller".
Designed by Loren K. Wiseman and published in 1998, "GURPS Traveller" uses the third edition of the "GURPS" system and takes place in an alternate timeline in which no Rebellion occurred and Virus was never released. Steve Jackson Games produced numerous supplements for the line, including details for all of the major races, many of the minor races, interstellar trade, expanded world generation, the military forces of the Third Imperium, and starships.
"Traveller20".
Published by QuickLink Interactive (QLI) in 2002, this version uses the d20 System as its base and is set at the time of the Solomani Rim War around Imperial year 990, about a century before the era depicted in the original game. The preferred setting is the "Gateway Domain" region of the Imperium. After the company's license to the "Traveller" brand and setting lapsed, the purely mechanical elements of this game were republished as the generic "SciFi20" system.
"GURPS Traveller: Interstellar Wars".
In 2006, Steve Jackson Games released "" ("GTISW", sometimes "GTIW") for the 4th edition of GURPS from 2004. The timeline was rolled back to 2170, which is several millennia earlier than the usual "Traveller" setting, to the early days of Earth's presence in space at the time when Earth first started to send out interstellar ships to include the period just after the Third Interstellar War between the Terran Confederation (Earth) and the gigantic "Ziru Sirka Empire (Vland)".
"Traveller Hero".
A port of the "Traveller" setting to the "Hero System", produced under license by Comstar Games in 2006.
Mongoose "Traveller".
Mongoose Publishing published this version both in a traditional format and as an open gaming SRD around which other games may be built. It is based heavily on the original "Traveller", with updated careers and technology. It is referred to as "MgT" or "MGT" to differentiate it from "MT", or "MegaTraveller". The core rule book was released in April 2008, with a regular series of supplements following.
"Traveller5".
In 2013, Far Future Enterprises published a new set of rules by re-working and integrating concepts from earlier rulesets. The "Traveller5" Core Rules book is a rules mechanics reference, pulled from "Traveller" adventures and toolbox material from supplements. It has a "retro" black-and-white production style. Traveller5 was reprinted in 2019 after a successful crowdfunding campaign, with errata and a new format, this time breaking down the game rules into three distinct books: Characters and Combat, Starships, and Worlds and Adventures.
Mongoose "Traveller" 2nd Ed..
A second edition of Mongoose's "Traveller" was published in 2016. It uses a full color production style while resembling the original "Traveller" rules in scope. This edition is not licensed under the Open Game License. The second edition core rules include pre-career university and military academy education options. Skills specialization have been reorganized to reduce skill bloat. Some equipment descriptions have been altered and spacecraft operations and combat now have a different approach. Additional supplements flesh out rules further, including a revision to "High Guard" to handle all starship design.
Reception.
In the April–May 1978 edition of "White Dwarf" (Issue #6), Don Turnbull gave a strong recommendation for the new game, saying, "Altogether, what is here is very satisfactory and much of it is stimulating. The presentation is exemplary, the detail impressive, the treatment exacting and the inventiveness inspired."
In the September 1978 edition of "Dragon" (Issue 18), Tony Watson complimented the game on the high production value of its components, saying, "Physically, "Traveller" is first class, a tradition with Game Designer’s Workshop. The box lid and covers of the three booklets are done in a simple but highly effective combination of red and white lettering on a black background. The interior layout and printing is also of the best quality; the printing is an entirely professional job." Watson liked that experience points were not emphasized in gameplay: "It is refreshing to see that the adventures and color of the game’s play is reward enough and the players are not channeling their energy into the rather silly chase of ethereal experience points. Too often, this chase becomes more important than actual play itself!" He concluded with a strong recommendation, saying, ""Traveller" is a unique SF game and probably the best of the role-playing variety. It offers a colorful but consistent future for players to adventure in."
In the inaugural edition of "Ares" (March 1980), David Ritchie was enthusiastic about "Traveller", giving it an above average rating of 8 out of 9 and commenting, "This game starts off where "Dungeons and Dragons" left off, but, if there is any justice, will end up being more popular than that venerable relic. For one thing, the "Traveller" rules are fairly consistent (moreso than is usual for such games)."
In the May–June 1980 edition of "The Space Gamer" (Issue No. 28), Forrest Johnson gave a good review, saying, ""Traveller" is the best game of its type, recommended for the sophisticated science fiction gamer."
In the November 1980 edition of "Ares" (Issue #5), Eric Goldberg called "Traveller" "a most impressive achievement from a design standpoint... This mark of distinction is the main reason why I consider "Traveller" the finest commercially available role-playing game." Goldberg didn't consider it perfect, criticizing the game's lack of imaginary vision of technology of the future. Although he liked the "sophisticated and elegant" character generation system, he felt that "All too often, a player will have to spend an entire afternoon rolling dice before he gains a reasonable character." Goldberg concluded with a positive recommendation: "If you have at least a casual interest in science fiction and role-playing, you should definitely invest in a copy of "Traveller""
In the October–November 1981 edition of "White Dwarf", Andy Slack reviewed the "Deluxe Traveller Edition", a compilation of the three original rules booklets, plus "Book 0 - An Introduction to Traveller", and an adventure, "The Imperial Fringe". Slack thought this edition was better laid out, and "typos have been rectified." Because he believed that this edition was not substantially different than the original set, he only rated this edition a 4 out of 10 for experienced players who already owned the original rule booklets; but for new players, he rated it a perfect 10 out of 10.
In the inaugural edition of "Games International" (October 1988), Jake Thornton gave "MegaTraveller" an above-average rating of 4 out of 5, saying, "Although there are some typos and omissions, overall, "MegaTraveller" is a success. If you like your SF on a grand, starspanning scale [...] then "MegaTraveller" is the system for you."
Chris W. McCubbin reviewed "Traveller: The New Era" for "Pyramid" #2 (July/Aug., 1993) and concluded that, despite some complaints he had about the new version, ""Traveller"'s still around and that's good. I hope it always will be."
In the August 1997 edition of "Dragon" (Issue 238), Rick Swan reviewed the fourth edition of "Traveller", and called it "a masterful effort... the best science-fiction RPG I've ever played." On the downside, Swan thought that "The inclusion of anachronistic weapons like swords and crossbows can turn combat into a bad episode of "Star Trek"." He also pointed out that character growth in the game is very slow: "PCs acquire new skills and abilities about as fast as a tree trunk acquires new growth rings." He also wanted to see more setting information. But he concluded that the fourth edition of "Traveller" was close to perfect, giving it a top rating of 6 out of 6 and saying, "Time-tested and buffed to a sheen, "Traveller" will endure as long there’s enough plastic to manufacture six-sided dice."
In a 1996 reader poll by "Arcane" magazine to determine the 50 most popular roleplaying games of all time, "Traveller" (as either "Traveller", "MegaTraveller", or "Traveller: The New Era") was ranked 3rd. The magazine's editor Paul Pettengale commented: "Although originally intended as a generic science fiction system, "Traveller" quickly became linked with the Imperium campaign background developed by GDW... This background offers a great degree of freedom for individual referees to run campaigns of their own devising, while providing enough basic groundwork to build from, and has proved to be immensely successful. Everything from political intrigue to action-packed mercenary actions, trading or scientific exploration is possible, and a lot more besides... "Traveller" [is] one of the true classics of the roleplaying hobby".
Awards.
"Traveller: The New Era" won the 1993 Origins Award for "Best Roleplaying Rules".
In 1996, "Traveller" was inducted into the Origins Hall of Fame.
In other media.
Software.
"The Imperial Data Recovery System" is a computer program published by FASA in 1981 as a play aid to speed up bookkeeping for "Traveller", and assist with sector maps, character and ship records, accounting, and encounters. John M. Morrison reviewed "The Imperial Data Recovery System" in "The Space Gamer" No. 50. Morrison commented that "I would seriously recommend that FASA take this off the market and re-write it form the ground up. There's definitely room for a "Traveller" aid program on the market, but not this one."
GDW licensee Paragon produced two video games based on the "Traveller" universe: 
Novels.
Several novels have been specifically set in the various "Traveller" universes:
Periodicals.
Gaming magazine "White Dwarf" ran a comic strip called "The Travellers" by Mark Harrison from 1983 to 1986. The strip spoofed "Traveller" and other space opera settings.
Music.
The concept album "Traveller" by heavy metal band The Lord Weird Slough Feg is based on the game.
Related role-playing games.
"Traveller: 2300" or "2300 AD".
Originally published by GDW as an updated replacement for "Traveller", eschewing classic space opera to take inspiration from the grittier contemporary hard science fiction media of the 1980s. The first edition was named "Traveller: 2300", which incited both confusion and criticism since the game carried over neither the rules nor setting of its namesake. The second edition was renamed "2300 AD", and added some cyberpunk rules and adventures. It is presented as a future extrapolation of the speculative World War III of GDW's popular military role-playing game "Twilight: 2000". In the "2300 AD" setting, interstellar travel is relatively new, Earth is still divided into nation-states, and the most powerful nations are competitively exploring and colonizing the fifty light year sphere of surrounding space. Mongoose Publishing released a sourcebook for the setting in 2012 that adapted it to their version of the "Traveller" rules.