http://www.rpgbloggers.com The best in tabletop RPG blogs Thu, 18 Mar 2010 15:26:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/traveller-rule-2-story/ http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/traveller-rule-2-story/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:39:51 +0000 8:05 p.m. http://805pm.wordpress.com/?p=493 ]]> http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/16/traveller-rule-2-story/feed/ 0 http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/traveller-product-ideas.html http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/traveller-product-ideas.html#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:35:00 +0000 RPG Blog II tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-6803221296032328063
Uncommon Valor: Sacrifice In Space

This product takes the ideas of trading survival (and thereby success) for a nasty injury from such Flying Mice titles as In Harm’s Way. The airlock malfunctioned, endangering the whole crew. Does Petty Officer Smith improbably get it closed in time before you Jump? Yes, but at what cost?

The idea is that you either auto-succeed or get a magnificent bonus to your death-defying risk, but that in the best tradition of Admiral Nelson or Winfield Scott Hancock, that victory comes with a very personal price. I see d66 charts you roll on for your injury for Army, Navy, Marines, and Scouts. Perhaps you come away with a slight limp (-1 DEX). Or perhaps your extended recovery leaves you weak (-1 STR). Maybe you’ll need a prosthetic hand, but what’s that to a Hero of the Fleet? Besides, that facial scar makes you look dashing.

Mongoose Traveller already has an optional “death or glory” type rule for their Event tables during character generation, but this would be for more in-play.

Theoretical Size/Price: 16 pages, $1-2. This would be a pretty small pdf.


Imperial Navy Handbook

We already saw something like this with Martin J. Dougherty’s Grand Fleet (only more complex), but I’m imagining a cheap, easy-to-follow 32-page pdf here, along with some uniform ideas, rank illustrations, basic fleet structure, and so on. If you were a new recruit to the Imperial Navy, this would have everything you need. I’m thinking like a 32-page pdf here, directed towards novices and those who want easily-digestible bits about one of the services. A player decides to play a Naval character, simply hand them this. It would be cool to have the same thing for the Scouts, Marines, etc., at some point down the road.

Theoretical Size/Price: 32 pages, $3.50. Just because I like saying “three fiddy”.


Ship’s Locker

Another grab n’ go title, this book would list common equipment (with relevant values and stats, where applicable) for some of the most commonly-used ship variants. Want to know what your Free Trader will likely have in its ship’s locker—how many weapons, vacc suits, what sort of other supplies? What about a mercenary cruiser, safari ship, or lab vessel? Don’t spend hours in Central Supply Catalog outfitting your ships while forgetting the basics—simply find your ship’s type, pick whether it’s Resources Level is Poor, Moderate, or High—and record what’s onboard.

Theoretical Size/Price: 32-48 pages, maybe a bit less depending on how extensive the descriptions are and how many different types of ships are represented. $2-3 or so?


Scout Survey Series

Basically, each entry in this series details a world, gives you the world basics, complete with world hexmap, trade, government, and population information, a brief Who’s Who and planet history, and a solid collection of adventure hooks. The idea is they can be dropped right in to a game or campaign and give your characters plenty to do. There have books done like this in the past (such as the Planetary Survey line with SJ Games), and I thought they were really interesting and useful.

Theoretical Size/Price: 16 pages each, let’s say for a buck each.


Of course, if I could write worth a toss, I’d do it myself. But for now, I’ll hope someone more talented comes along with the same ideas and intentions as I have.

]]> http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/traveller-product-ideas.html/feed/ 0 http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/skill-package-washed-up/ http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/skill-package-washed-up/#comments Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:52:27 +0000 8:05 p.m. http://805pm.wordpress.com/?p=487 ]]> http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/14/skill-package-washed-up/feed/ 0 http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/finding-starship.html http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/finding-starship.html#comments Sat, 13 Mar 2010 20:35:00 +0000 RPG Blog II tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-8543486501036434374
Should have known, of course, that the Wayback Machine would come through. I found a lab ship variant of the Orca from an old site for a (now-defunct?) Zaon RPG, (warning: slow load) and I think it just might work. I still need to make a few adjustments, and I still have a little time to switch in case I find anything better out there.

(It looks like here the designer of the original ship plans is claiming copyright on the plans. I guess I'll need to PM him, though since it's for non-commercial use, it should be fine).

]]> http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/finding-starship.html/feed/ 0 http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2010-03-12_Traveller_Communication_Lines http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2010-03-12_Traveller_Communication_Lines#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 23:13:36 +0000 Alex Schroeder tag:www.emacswiki.org://a1ba53aba50e49ef137df02ce0a2178e http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2010-03-12_Traveller_Communication_Lines/feed/ 0 http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/traveller-rule-1-adventure/ http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/traveller-rule-1-adventure/#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:03:49 +0000 8:05 p.m. http://805pm.wordpress.com/?p=477 ]]> http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/traveller-rule-1-adventure/feed/ 0 http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/for-those-of-you-playing-along-at-home.html http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/for-those-of-you-playing-along-at-home.html#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:30:00 +0000 RPG Blog II tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-278279717447647896 Traveller campaign. The following are what’s being counted on as of now.

Traveller Core Rulebook OR Pocket Rulebook (Mongoose Publishing): The material in both is really the same. It’s matter of if you want to trade a smaller-sized book for bigger print. I like the Pocket Rulebook, tiny font and all, because it’s a) a bit handier of a size to port about, b) it reminds me more of the Classic Traveller Little Black Books (LBBs), and c) you can find it online for about $20 cheaper, if not more.

Book 2: High Guard (Mongoose Publishing): Since we’re running an Imperial Navy campaign, the careers in this book will be very handy and help diversify character generation a bit.

And that’s it, for now. I’m probably using some charts from the most-excellent Jon Brazer Enterprises, and eventually look at Spica Publishing’s Career Books. Traveller is in many respects the biggest stellar sandbox ever created, but it’s also important when running first-timers through it that you don’t bite off more than they can chew. A few links to the background of the Third Imperium and some recent history of the area of (non-canon) space we’ll be adventuring in should be enough for now.

Of course, I wouldn’t enjoy or run Mongoose Traveller if they hadn’t come so close to the mark of Classic Traveller. They kept it close in design and spirit, while cleaning some things up, adding some new rules without making things too complex (such as the Connections rules), and generally did a pretty nice job keeping the legacy of Traveller intact. Plus, although Mongoose is often faulted for their editing, the original Traveller book was pretty good (except for some issues with multiplication signs, though I hear several supplements had some issues in places). It’s accessible, it’s easily available, and it’s close enough to Classic Traveller where I can use ideas from modern and classic supplements if I so choose. I also like the fact that Mongoose plans on keeping the system the same for their ten-year run of the license. Planned (systemic) obsolescence is no fun if you want support for a game.

I was resistant as anyone to change in Traveller when Mongoose announced the license, but they’ve done well here.

]]> http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/for-those-of-you-playing-along-at-home.html/feed/ 0 http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/my-traveller-character-generation-rules.html http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/my-traveller-character-generation-rules.html#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 12:48:00 +0000 RPG Blog II tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-8480064611398287413 Traveller characters.

Below is my draft for my Traveller character generation rules for our upcoming Imperial Navy campaign. I think doing it this way should create some very competent, interconnected characters:

1) Each character will start with an array of numbers to put into your characteristics. Your standard array is 5,7,7,7,8,9, plus 2 points to put into a characteristic or characteristics of choice (note an average human characteristic is 6-8). Determine characteristic modifiers.

2) Choose a homeworld.

3) Record background skills. Remember, all skills start at Rank 0. If you select a skill again, it becomes Rank 1, and so on.

4) You're starting off as an 18 year-old. Since we're running a Imperial Navy-only campaign, character generation will differ a little here. For your first term, you may either a) directly enlist in the Navy (no need to roll), b) attempt to get into the Naval college, or c) try for another career field. The first option gets you going right away, but there's no chance of commission. Naval college can boost you up to a commission quickly, but if you flunk out, you're back to being a drifter for a bit. Trying for one 4-year term in something else before joining the Navy can give you some great experience, but can delay your chance for advancement. If you're going with option c) and want to make it random, declare for the draft! You'll end up in a random military-related career field for a term.

Every character will get at least one, no more than four terms in the Navy. Naval college graduates are treated as having "Crewman" path (getting the service skills from that path) before they move on to their chosen career field. Remember, if you don't like how something turned out, you get one auto-success and one reroll during chargen!

5) If this is your first time in your career, record your basic training skills. You get all skills listed under Service Skills at Level 0.

6) Choose a specialty. Choose one (and only one) of the Skills and Training tables for this career and roll. Roll on Survival to see if you make it to another term. For our purposes, if you don't make this roll, that's where your current development ends, and will be where you start the game. Good thing you have that free auto-success and reroll!

6a) If you did not succeed on your Survival roll, proceed to roll on the Mishap table. You will remain in the service, but may have some career-altering event in your past. If you made your Survival roll, disregard this step. If you had another career field before the Navy, you may roll on that career's mustering out table.

7) Roll for Events. Some players will want to take every opportunity they can to gain the highest military honours possible during character creation. As a result it is possible for players to go for glory whenever they are presented with a chance for a reward. A character may add up to 3 to the difficulty of the skill roll, making it much more likely to be injured. However, when it comes to receiving an award the modifier is added to the Effect instead.

7a) After your Events, you may optionally make a Connection with another player. For example, if you were injured in a fight against pirates, perhaps you say that Player X's character dragged yours to safety. Each player may do this once during Chargen. If a Connection is made, one additional skill roll is allowed to each player involved. No player may be involved in more than 2 Connections.

8) Roll for advancement, to see if you were promoted. Alternately, you may attempt to see if you gained commission. If commissioned, you immediately become a rank of O-1 (Sublieutenant). Note any bonuses that advancement or promotion grants.

9) After you first Naval term, you may roll to see if you qualify for one of the other Naval career paths: Engineering, Pilot, Gunnery, Command, Support, Small Craft Pilot, High Command, Naval Intelligence and Naval Research. If you fail, you may spend another term as a crewman, studying up and waiting for your big break. Note that you can also automatically join a career field if you meet the minimum number of terms required! Make sure to add 4 years to your age for each term served. If you are 34 or older, roll for Aging modifiers.

10) Each character will receive two free skill ranks to place where they wish. They may use the two ranks to buy one skill they do not have, or may increase any skills by one per rank.

11) Once everyone is done with the characters, the group takes turns selecting skills from the campaign pack. Every selects a listed appropriate skill until there are none left. The skills for your campaign are: Pilot (any) 1, Gunner (any) 1, Engineer (any) 1, Mechanic 1, Sensors 1, Medic 1, Comms 1, Astrogation 1. This represents the vital skills and minimum required training for a viable starship campaign.

12) Don't worry about equipment--weapons, armor, and other equipment are stored in the ship's locker, to be assigned as mission dictates. You don't have much personal space onboard, but you can write down a few personal effects and 1-2 tools of the trade, as needed. Yes, you get a Mulligan Stone (worth one free dice reroll for you or another, non-Referee player). You really, really want to save it in this game.

]]> http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/my-traveller-character-generation-rules.html/feed/ 0 http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/5-traveller-rules/ http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/5-traveller-rules/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:06:38 +0000 8:05 p.m. http://805pm.wordpress.com/?p=471 ]]> http://805pm.wordpress.com/2010/03/08/5-traveller-rules/feed/ 0 http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/enter-traveller.html http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/enter-traveller.html#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:44:00 +0000 RPG Blog II tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-9080886348561481099
I won't go into all the gory details, save it to say the group rolled two of the worst watch encounters back-to-back I have ever seen. The first, a vampire, they managed to mist and drive off (thanks to some quick thinking from the Friar and company). The second, however, was a Behir, and it overwhelmed the group entirely. I ran both right out of the book, and there was a small window to flee, but Friar Charles and the sorcerer Vas both went down permanently. The dwarven cleric Nalgin was rescued by Antigus the Druid, who escaped along with the (new party member) Valrayan the Ranger thanks to their (eventually) displaying the better part of valor.

I felt bad, but that's how the dice roll. It was just a matter of luck running out--no more Mulligan stones, no more d30 supercharge rolls. Just eating it, in a big way. But if there isn't the spectre of catastrophe, you don't have any suspense. I still think I'll be second-guessing a few things for a while, but to overuse a phrase, it is what it is.

Our group had already been discussing playing some different games before this all happened, and this was a pretty good to suspend the Castles & Crusades game for now. We all talked, and we were mostly all ready to try something other than high fantasy for a bit. So, next time, one of the guys will be running a one-off Deadlands session (I get to play for a change!), and the session after that, we do group character generation for Mongoose Traveller.

I'd also like to run Thousand Suns or the new In Harm's Way: StarCluster (which I'm still digesting) eventually, but almost no one in our group has played Traveller before--it's a gamer rite of passage. There's also some demand for Rolemaster, but I'm waiting on some things before I run it again, and the idea was to get away from fantasy for a little bit. I also still have my alt-history/pulp Two-Fisted Tales game under prep/research, and I think we'll get to it. I think the group agrees--there's just too many great games out there to be married to one game into perpetuity.

The basic idea is that all the players will be Imperial Navy, stationed on a science vessel that was part of a small fleet "showing the flag" in a little-traveled backwater full of warlords and hostile aliens. A surprise rebellion destroyed the entire fleet, save this one science vessel, which had to remain behind at a remote starport for vital repairs. Now, an entire sector of hostile space separates them from home.

One 600-ton science vessel vs. an entire hostile sector? A mismatch, I know. It doesn't seem fair to the sector...

]]> http://www.rpgblog2.com/2010/03/enter-traveller.html/feed/ 0 http://zho.berka.com/2010/03/07/vasaloppet-the-space-race/ http://zho.berka.com/2010/03/07/vasaloppet-the-space-race/#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:02:21 +0000 The Zhodani Base http://zho.berka.com/2010/03/07/vasaloppet-the-space-race/ http://zho.berka.com/2010/03/07/vasaloppet-the-space-race/feed/ 0 http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2010-02-28_Traveller_Subsector_Coding_Hell http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2010-02-28_Traveller_Subsector_Coding_Hell#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 22:03:54 +0000 Alex Schroeder tag:www.emacswiki.org://98a5ec78d353d63d7e3b24c91625be98 http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2010-02-28_Traveller_Subsector_Coding_Hell/feed/ 0 http://www.freespacer.com/2010/02/28/structure-is-essential-to-design/ http://www.freespacer.com/2010/02/28/structure-is-essential-to-design/#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:01:31 +0000 Free Spacer http://www.freespacer.com/?p=67 [...]]]> http://www.freespacer.com/2010/02/28/structure-is-essential-to-design/feed/ 0 http://www.heropress.net/2010/02/my-life-and-roleplaying-changing-rules.html http://www.heropress.net/2010/02/my-life-and-roleplaying-changing-rules.html#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:00:00 +0000 HeroPress tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230114691512883134.post-5820270362122786132 http://www.heropress.net/2010/02/my-life-and-roleplaying-changing-rules.html/feed/ 0 http://underabloodredsky-future.blogspot.com/2010/02/traveller-and-games-before-long-night.html http://underabloodredsky-future.blogspot.com/2010/02/traveller-and-games-before-long-night.html#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 07:00:00 +0000 Under A Blood Red Sky tag:www.rpgbloggers.com://9da1c9f447858aa8efea1856f6326f78

Traveller was one of the first role playing games I ever learned. For the longest time, science fiction role playing to me was synonymous to Traveller. Due to the unavailability of published game material where we lived, my gaming group’s exposure to Traveller was initially confined to the three little black books that comprised the Classic Traveller rules.

Needless to say, we had a smashing time gaming in our own Traveller universes. We didn’t know much about the Third Imperium, although we understood that there appeared to be a default game setting created by GDW. Neither did we care! We were too busy having fun in our own homebrewed games which I ran for most part. At that time, my games were set in game worlds largely derived from existing SF literature which I really liked. I remember running a game based loosely on Larry Niven’s World Out of Time, as well as a longer-running series set in the Fallen Galactic Empire ala Foundation, and still another one, in a junkyard planet straight out of Piper’s Cosmic Computer.

It was only in 1989 when we fully discovered what the Third Imperium was all about when Doc Ben-g, one of my regular players, brought back the Mega Traveller Boxed set from a recent trip to the U.S. We went along with the Rebellion that tore apart the Third Imperium and had our share of adventures in the Hard Times that followed. For some reason, the idea of struggling to survive and prosper amidst the ruins of a fallen empire resonated well with our gaming group. Maybe it was largely on account of our attachment to that other GDW game, Twilight 2000. In any case, we followed through with some Star Viking adventures in the New Era in the early 1990s using the Gurps system, which, for a long time, became our system of choice.

Since then, I’ve ran a few games in the canonical Third Imperium of GDW and even bought some Gurps sourcebooks for this.

The Third Imperium was quite good – it hung together well, and had a lot of support from writers and fans which continues to this date. That said, I can’t help but harken back to the the days when we didn’t know about the Third Imperium and created our own Traveller universes. Far from feeling that we missed out on something, I feel, with the benefit of hindsight, that we created something vibrant, alive and uniquely ours at the time we were gaming with only our three Little Black Books.

Reading this post from James M.'s Grognardia along with a reference to the Burgess Shale Period of Traveller found in Bat in the Attic made me think back and remember the days before we learned about the Third Imperium. If anything, it reinforced to me the point that Classic Traveller was really a versatile and potentially endless game system upon which an enterprising gaming group can bring their own gaming universe to life.

This got me started on actually planning to revisit Classic Traveller and running a few games in the future set in a non-Third Imperium game setting. I had been busily going through my latest acquisitions of Poul Anderson’s future history stories, particularly those of the Polesotechnic League and that of the Terran Empire that followed. These really ranked high on my list along with the future history stories of H.Beam Piper – thus maybe it is hardly surprising that I remain a Traveller fan after all these years. I remember trying (and mostly failing) to locate Anderson’s stories as a high school kid and only caught bits and pieces of his future history in one tattered SF anthology or another. I only lately managed to locate many of these stories in these volumes I just acquired.

Many of the Van Rijn/Falkayn and Flandry stories of Anderson revolve around intrepid characters who live in the what may be described as the Eve of Destruction – that period in time when their civilization is just about to tip over and go crashing down into the abyss of history. As a gamer I am drawn to this kind of setting and personally refer to this as gaming in an era right before The Long Night. While much of my Traveller and Traveller-inspired games were set in the Long Night, I can’t seem to recall running a game where the characters lived right before the The Fall. By analogy, Traveller-wise, my games tended to be set in the Mutant Future, rather than the Mutant Past.

Hence my current plan for a revisit to Classic Traveller begins to take shape slowly- and I have this hankering to run it differently this time. In all likelihood, instead of the Long Night, it will be set on the Eve of Destruction.

]]> http://underabloodredsky-future.blogspot.com/2010/02/traveller-and-games-before-long-night.html/feed/ 0 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2010/02/burgess-shale-traveller.html http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2010/02/burgess-shale-traveller.html#comments Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:15:00 +0000 Bat in the Attic tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-5778662888903443893 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2010/02/burgess-shale-traveller.html/feed/ 0 http://trollandflame.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-matters-most-in-sci-fi-rpgs.html http://trollandflame.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-matters-most-in-sci-fi-rpgs.html#comments Fri, 12 Feb 2010 14:00:00 +0000 Troll and Flame tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5179649506981851979.post-3384433370325185805 http://trollandflame.blogspot.com/2010/02/what-matters-most-in-sci-fi-rpgs.html/feed/ 0 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2010/02/traveller-and-computers.html http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2010/02/traveller-and-computers.html#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:00:00 +0000 Bat in the Attic tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-3459547088881212279 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2010/02/traveller-and-computers.html/feed/ 0 http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2010-02-11_Just_in_Time_and_Space_Dungeon http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2010-02-11_Just_in_Time_and_Space_Dungeon#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 01:40:00 +0000 Alex Schroeder tag:www.emacswiki.org://6325e9443d159ba5d45c680328d7bd61 http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2010-02-11_Just_in_Time_and_Space_Dungeon/feed/ 0 http://gameinthebrain.blogspot.com/2010/02/basic-traveller-templates.html http://gameinthebrain.blogspot.com/2010/02/basic-traveller-templates.html#comments Sat, 06 Feb 2010 08:10:00 +0000 Game in the Brain tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361417188517879449.post-8551806191230730116 http://gameinthebrain.blogspot.com/2010/02/basic-traveller-templates.html/feed/ 0 http://zho.berka.com/2010/01/07/t-pyxidis/ http://zho.berka.com/2010/01/07/t-pyxidis/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:07:41 +0000 The Zhodani Base http://zho.berka.com/2010/01/07/t-pyxidis/ http://zho.berka.com/2010/01/07/t-pyxidis/feed/ 0 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/12/adventures-in-nth-imperium.html http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/12/adventures-in-nth-imperium.html#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:27:00 +0000 Jeff's Gameblog tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-1164927834710445485 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/12/adventures-in-nth-imperium.html/feed/ 0 http://mostlygeek.sucanty.com/2009/12/links-on-a-thursday/ http://mostlygeek.sucanty.com/2009/12/links-on-a-thursday/#comments Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:35:32 +0000 Mostly Geek http://mostlygeek.sucanty.com/?p=983 http://mostlygeek.sucanty.com/2009/12/links-on-a-thursday/feed/ 0 http://unknownzine.blogspot.com/2009/12/so-traveller-isnt-about-going-back-in.html http://unknownzine.blogspot.com/2009/12/so-traveller-isnt-about-going-back-in.html#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:12:00 +0000 Destination Unknown tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-103348394993405916.post-2889818097157706340 http://unknownzine.blogspot.com/2009/12/so-traveller-isnt-about-going-back-in.html/feed/ 0 http://www.heropress.net/2009/12/week-in-geek.html http://www.heropress.net/2009/12/week-in-geek.html#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:00:00 +0000 HeroPress tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230114691512883134.post-1802881018781828998 http://www.heropress.net/2009/12/week-in-geek.html/feed/ 0 http://mxyzplk.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/mongoose-publishing-doing-grand/ http://mxyzplk.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/mongoose-publishing-doing-grand/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 02:21:50 +0000 Geek Related http://mxyzplk.wordpress.com/?p=1790 ]]> http://mxyzplk.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/mongoose-publishing-doing-grand/feed/ 0 http://templeofdemogorgon.blogspot.com/2009/11/youd-gm-it-if-you-could-but-probably.html http://templeofdemogorgon.blogspot.com/2009/11/youd-gm-it-if-you-could-but-probably.html#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:32:00 +0000 Temple of Demogorgon tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215377602209492275.post-5880144209940404644 http://templeofdemogorgon.blogspot.com/2009/11/youd-gm-it-if-you-could-but-probably.html/feed/ 0 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/11/starwolf-crusades.html http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/11/starwolf-crusades.html#comments Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:19:00 +0000 Jeff's Gameblog tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-6058176501760288313 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/11/starwolf-crusades.html/feed/ 0 http://dicemonkey.net/?p=1904 http://dicemonkey.net/?p=1904#comments Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:04:16 +0000 Dice Monkey http://dicemonkey.net/?p=1904 http://dicemonkey.net/?p=1904/feed/ 0 http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2009-11-18_Traveller_or_Diaspora http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2009-11-18_Traveller_or_Diaspora#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:55:30 +0000 Alex Schroeder tag:www.emacswiki.org://c1b3004f8ceb58ec66fe2e0425e32beb http://www.emacswiki.org/alex/2009-11-18_Traveller_or_Diaspora/feed/ 0 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/11/filling-billets-2.html http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/11/filling-billets-2.html#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:21:00 +0000 Jeff's Gameblog tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-65122268681157016 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/11/filling-billets-2.html/feed/ 0 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/11/filling-billets-1.html http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/11/filling-billets-1.html#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:16:00 +0000 Jeff's Gameblog tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-8472691733715300060 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/11/filling-billets-1.html/feed/ 0 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/11/travelling-continued-alternate-look-at.html http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/11/travelling-continued-alternate-look-at.html#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000 Bat in the Attic tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-3245774910310343982 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/11/travelling-continued-alternate-look-at.html/feed/ 0 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/11/travelling-alternate-vision-of-rpgs.html http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/11/travelling-alternate-vision-of-rpgs.html#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:00:00 +0000 Bat in the Attic tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-1376274485792468035 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/11/travelling-alternate-vision-of-rpgs.html/feed/ 0 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WelshPiper/~3/LzY2UqWP--Q/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WelshPiper/~3/LzY2UqWP--Q/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 20:25:56 +0000 The Welsh Piper http://www.welshpiper.com/?p=575 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WelshPiper/~3/LzY2UqWP--Q/feed/ 0 http://www.rpgblog2.com/2009/11/organized-sci-fi-play.html http://www.rpgblog2.com/2009/11/organized-sci-fi-play.html#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:32:00 +0000 RPG Blog II tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-4861150449532488300 Traveller, divide the sectors up by regions and states, and have a lot of home campaign reports sway the overall results of the conflict. Traveller’s Third Imperium would be a great setting, just for its diversity of factions, huge amount of room to roam, and how developments hex by hex can add up to a fascinating political mosaic. Then again, you could also do it with the diverse and jumbled cultures of something like Starcluster 2.

I guess I’ll just consign this idea to the dustbin of Probably Not Happening, but I still think it would rock.

]]> http://www.rpgblog2.com/2009/11/organized-sci-fi-play.html/feed/ 0 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GameCryerRPG/~3/jsNXedoNpmc/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GameCryerRPG/~3/jsNXedoNpmc/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:00:51 +0000 Game Cryer http://gamecryer.com/?p=872 ]]> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GameCryerRPG/~3/jsNXedoNpmc/feed/ 0 http://zho.berka.com/2009/11/02/twilight-sector-a-new-tu/ http://zho.berka.com/2009/11/02/twilight-sector-a-new-tu/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:00:38 +0000 The Zhodani Base http://zho.berka.com/2009/11/02/twilight-sector-a-new-tu/ http://zho.berka.com/2009/11/02/twilight-sector-a-new-tu/feed/ 0 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/from-attic-zhodani-courier.html http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/from-attic-zhodani-courier.html#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000 Bat in the Attic tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-5020632166146310481 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/from-attic-zhodani-courier.html/feed/ 0 http://d7.pipemaze.com/blog/2009/10/27/a-comment-on-pod-and-shipping/ http://d7.pipemaze.com/blog/2009/10/27/a-comment-on-pod-and-shipping/#comments Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:12:26 +0000 The Seven-Sided Die http://d7.pipemaze.com/blog/?p=686 http://d7.pipemaze.com/blog/2009/10/27/a-comment-on-pod-and-shipping/feed/ 0 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-take-on-third-imperium.html http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-take-on-third-imperium.html#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000 Bat in the Attic tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-2361932893436026097 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/my-take-on-third-imperium.html/feed/ 0 http://zho.berka.com/2009/10/25/and-the-winner-is/ http://zho.berka.com/2009/10/25/and-the-winner-is/#comments Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:07:53 +0000 The Zhodani Base http://zho.berka.com/2009/10/25/and-the-winner-is/ http://zho.berka.com/2009/10/25/and-the-winner-is/feed/ 0 http://www.rpgblog2.com/2009/10/jeff-rients-yesterday-addressed-pretty.html http://www.rpgblog2.com/2009/10/jeff-rients-yesterday-addressed-pretty.html#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:05:00 +0000 RPG Blog II tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6702508936667404812.post-1335692560376272902 addressed a pretty good question: which version of Traveller should one get if interested in the Official Traveller Universe (but lacking any experience with it)?

His answer's a pretty good one: the Classic Traveller CD-ROM not only is a steal for $35, but should set you up nicely with a look at how the Third Imperium was originally described and handled. I think looking at the manner in which it was presented in these items is interesting as well, and gives you an idea of the galactic sandbox we were given. Making your own sectors is just too much fun to ignore, in any case.

I also have a copy of the Traveller Book, which is a wonderful compiled hardback introduction for Classic Traveller. If you can find a hard copy at Noble Knight Games or in the back shelves of your local gaming store, you'll want to go for it.

For those folks that have to have a hard copy, I would pick up the Books 0-8 and Supplements 1-13 collections. If you're happy with this Third Imperium bonanza but want an updated, more polished set of the rules, Mongoose's Traveller: Pocket Edition is the right size and prize, and can usually be found on the cheap.

EDIT: I see Rob Conley has also weighed in with his recommendations. Good stuff!

]]> http://www.rpgblog2.com/2009/10/jeff-rients-yesterday-addressed-pretty.html/feed/ 0 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-best-for-gaming-in-third-imperium.html http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-best-for-gaming-in-third-imperium.html#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:00:00 +0000 Bat in the Attic tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5904133056957353312.post-2119493118361399356 http://batintheattic.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-best-for-gaming-in-third-imperium.html/feed/ 0 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/10/traveller-what-version.html http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/10/traveller-what-version.html#comments Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:24:00 +0000 Jeff's Gameblog tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-6159419096366602547 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/10/traveller-what-version.html/feed/ 0 http://zho.berka.com/2009/10/22/rull-subsector-hcs-map-with-dark-background/ http://zho.berka.com/2009/10/22/rull-subsector-hcs-map-with-dark-background/#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:51:50 +0000 The Zhodani Base http://zho.berka.com/2009/10/22/rull-subsector-hcs-map-with-dark-background/ http://zho.berka.com/2009/10/22/rull-subsector-hcs-map-with-dark-background/feed/ 0 http://rustmonsteratemysword.blogspot.com/2009/10/and-now-for-something-completely.html http://rustmonsteratemysword.blogspot.com/2009/10/and-now-for-something-completely.html#comments Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:57:00 +0000 A Rust Monster Ate My Sword tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6137072316042205607.post-5703808310124497991 http://rustmonsteratemysword.blogspot.com/2009/10/and-now-for-something-completely.html/feed/ 0 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/10/quick-trav-item.html http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/10/quick-trav-item.html#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:32:00 +0000 Jeff's Gameblog tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7652921.post-6321697006165323717 http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/10/quick-trav-item.html/feed/ 0 http://gameinthebrain.blogspot.com/2009/10/traveller-20000dton-carrier.html http://gameinthebrain.blogspot.com/2009/10/traveller-20000dton-carrier.html#comments Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:08:00 +0000 Game in the Brain tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5361417188517879449.post-5542120716475343661 http://gameinthebrain.blogspot.com/2009/10/traveller-20000dton-carrier.html/feed/ 0 http://www.heropress.net/2009/10/size-is-important.html http://www.heropress.net/2009/10/size-is-important.html#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 17:00:00 +0000 HeroPress tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5230114691512883134.post-2992055417621027489 http://www.heropress.net/2009/10/size-is-important.html/feed/ 0