Traveller (role-playing game)

Traveller is a game about space.

In this game, people play as characters. They travel to far star systems. They can trade goods or fight battles. One person leads the group.

You use small dice to play. These dice have six sides. They help you make choices. You might find old ruins from a lost race.

Characters can be humans or aliens. Some characters even use robots. You can explore many different worlds. It is a grand adventure in the stars.

Traveller is a tabletop role-playing game set in space.

Players act as characters who travel between star systems. They can explore new worlds or trade goods. They might even fight battles in space. One person is the referee. This person leads the game and guides the story.

In this game, people use six-sided dice. The dice help decide what happens during tasks. Characters can be humans or many kinds of aliens. Some characters are even robots. The game features many different types of life. This includes the Aslan, who are catlike. It also includes the Vargr, who are wolf-like.

Characters often live in the Third Imperium. This is a large human empire. The empire has many different social levels. Some people are nobles, like Dukes or Barons. The game also has ruins from a lost race. We call these people the Ancients. They were very advanced. They left behind artifacts throughout the stars.

Traveller first came out in 1977. It has many different versions. People still play it today using new rules. It is a classic in the world of gaming.

Traveller is a famous science fiction tabletop role-playing game.

In this game, players take on the roles of characters journeying through distant star systems. They might explore new planets, trade goods between worlds, or engage in battles in space and on the ground. One person acts as the referee or game master. This person guides the story and oversees the tasks the players try to complete. The game is known for its deep focus on commerce and how different social levels shape a civilization. It is highly regarded for its consistent rules and its sophisticated way of creating characters.

Creating a character is a special part of the game. Players use a lifepath-style system to build their character's history. This is like a mini-game where players make career choices. These choices determine what the character did before the main adventure began. Characters are defined by their achievements, wealth, and discoveries rather than just gaining new skills. A character might be a human, a robot, or even an alien. Some characters may even have psychic abilities, which the game calls psionics.

Designing the game required many talented people. Marc Miller designed Traveller with help from Frank Chadwick, John Harshman, and Loren Wiseman. It was first published in 1977 by the Game Designers' Workshop, also known as GDW. Since then, the game has changed many times through different editions. Some versions are called MegaTraveller or Traveller: The New Era. Other versions use different systems, like GURPS Traveller or Traveller20. Even today, people play modern versions like Mongoose Traveller 2nd Ed. and Traveller5.

There are many interesting facts about the Traveller universe. The main setting is the Third Imperium, a large human-dominated empire. This empire is described as feudalistic, meaning it has social ranks like Barons and Dukes. The universe is very diverse and includes many different alien races called sophonts. Some major races include the catlike Aslan and the wolf-hybrid Vargr. There is also a mysterious, highly advanced race from the distant past called the Ancients. They left behind ruins and very advanced artifacts across the stars.

Traveller is influenced by many science fiction books. Marc Miller has mentioned works like the Dumarest of Terra saga and books by H. Beam Piper. The game uses six-sided dice to handle random elements and character traits. Because there is no faster-than-light communication, messages can only travel as fast as a ship can fly. This makes the game feel very grounded and realistic. The game has won multiple Origins Awards and was added to the Origins Hall of Fame in 1996. It has even inspired novels and video games like MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracy.

Traveller is a classic science fiction tabletop role-playing game.

It was first published in 1977 by the Game Designers' Workshop (GDW). The game allows players to inhabit characters traveling through various star systems. These characters engage in interstellar trading, planetary exploration, and combat in space or on the ground. One player acts as the referee or game master. This person guides the narrative and oversees task attempts. The game is highly regarded for its consistent rules and sophisticated character generation. It has earned multiple Origins Awards and entered the Origins Hall of Fame in 1996.

Character creation in Traveller uses a unique lifepath-style system. This functions as a mini-game where players make specific career choices. These choices determine the character's history and experiences before the adventure begins. Characters are defined by their achievements, wealth, and discoveries rather than just increasing skill levels. A character might be a human, a robot, an alien, or a genetically engineered species. They may also possess psionics, which are standardized psychic abilities like telepathy or telekinesis. During this process, players roll two six-sided dice to generate six primary characteristics. In some older editions, a character could even face death during this generation phase.

The game's setting is often centered on the Third Imperium. This is a human-dominated, feudalistic interstellar empire. The social structure is highly stratified, meaning society is divided into distinct levels. A character's Social Status (SOC) is a primary attribute in this system. Affairs are often managed by independent nobility holding titles like Baron, Duke, or Archduke. Despite the human focus, the universe is cosmopolitan and includes many other sophonts. Sophonts are intelligent, sentient beings. The setting includes major races like the catlike Aslan and the wolf-hybrid Vargr. Other major races include the winged Droyne, the manipulative Hivers, and the militant K'kree.

Many different editions of Traveller have been released over the decades. The original version is known as Classic Traveller. Later, MegaTraveller introduced a setting focused on a rebellion that shattered the Imperium. Traveller: The New Era depicted a time after the collapse of interstellar government. This era introduced the Virus, a silicon-chip life form that infected computers. Other versions include GURPS Traveller, which uses the GURPS system, and Traveller20, which uses the d20 system. Modern players often use Traveller5 or Mongoose Traveller 2nd Ed. These current rulesets still rely on six-sided dice, maintaining a connection to the original 1977 design.

The universe of Traveller is shaped by specific technological and social rules. One key feature is the lack of faster-than-light communication. There is no ansible or subspace radio to send instant messages. Communication is limited to the physical speed of travel. This forces decisions to be made at a local level rather than by remote authorities. The technology level is a mix of high and low. While cybernetics and robots exist, players also use primitive weapons like swords, shields, and bows. This "hard sci-fi" flavor is supported by the use of kinetic energy weapons, such as rifles and pistols.

A mysterious presence in the setting is the race known as the Ancients. They were a highly advanced civilization from the distant past. Their ruins and artifacts are scattered throughout charted space. These artifacts are often more technologically advanced than anything currently existing. The Ancients are credited with several major events in history. They transplanted humans from Earth to many different worlds. They also uplifted Terran wolves to create the Vargr race. However, their civilization eventually ended due to a catastrophic civil war.

Traveller has influenced and been influenced by many works of fiction. Designer Marc Miller has cited several books as inspirations. These include the Dumarest of Terra saga by Edwin Charles Tubb and works by H. Beam Piper. The game's themes of commerce and social stratification reflect these literary influences. The game has expanded beyond the tabletop into other media. There have been several video games, such as MegaTraveller 1: The Zhodani Conspiracy. Additionally, GDW published board games like Mayday and Brilliant Lances to simulate space battles. This adaptability has helped Traveller remain a staple of the role-playing hobby for decades.