Traveler (RPG)

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Traveler books with a box on the top left, three rule books, two expansions and two adventures

Traveler was one of the first pen and paper role-playing games and was published by Game Designers' Workshop in 1977 . The original work is by Marc Miller. Traveler is inspired by science fiction stories like Isaac Asimov and Frank Herberts Dune , and later Star Trek and Star Wars .

Far Future Enterprises owns the rights to Traveler . QLI / RPGRealms Publishing , Mongoose Publishing and Steve Jackson Games distribute Traveler products under license.

Plot and background

Traveler takes place in the distant future, over 3000 years after our time. Interstellar journeys are a reality made possible by the technology of space leap. Such jumps cover a distance of one to six parsecs in a week . Communication is only possible in a traditional way, there is no hyperspace communication or similar technology. Therefore, information can only travel as fast as a spaceship can travel. The known universe covers an area of ​​about 500 by 300 parsecs from the Orion arm , the center of which is ruled by the Third Human Empire.

Interstellar Feudalism

Due to the limited possibilities of interstellar communication, central control of every interstellar state is impossible. News from the capital of the Third Empire takes months to reach the outskirts, even with fast courier ships. The Third Empire therefore only rules the space between the stars and relies on feudal structures. This decentralized form of rule allows a variety of different planetary systems of government and the emergence of local powers. The space port of a planet enjoys extraterritoriality and, as a free port, is subject to imperial law.

currency

The imperial credit is a currency backed by the imperial subsidized merchant fleet. One credit corresponds to the transport of one kilogram via one parsec. Player characters usually own a small trading spaceship together, the maintenance and upkeep of which cannot be covered by normal trade due to imperial subsidies, which forces them to accept lucrative, risky and not always legal jobs.

Population and technology

The so-called population level is the rounded logarithm of the population of a planet. This is mostly between 1 and 9. (Today's earth would have 9). Without trade, this is the maximum tech level that a planet can sustainably produce and maintain on its own. From tech level 9, the construction of jump engines and thus interstellar trade is possible. The maximum tech level of a civilization is the rounded logarithm of the total population of this civilization. The third empire had a maximum tech grade of 16. In the so-called "Long Night" after the Solomaniac second empire and the so-called "hard time" after the Sylean third empire, the tech grade sank to one level on many planets of the Middle Ages or earlier industrialization, as trade between the worlds was interrupted. Planets on which no life is possible without technology have become mass graves, the structures and artifacts of which can be examined by player characters in later times.

Not a utopia

Even in the 6th millennium, people did not develop significantly psychologically or socially. In the Third Empire too, there is cheating, stealing and warfare. People's desires, goals and problems have remained the same. The predominant form of economy is capitalism . The society is therefore not fundamentally different from the western societies of the earth of the 20th century.

new technologies

Technologically, however, mankind has made great strides. But even the technology, which is far advanced by today's standards, does not allow the laws of physics to be broken - apart from the technology of space leaps and the invention of artificial gravity. But many fantastic technologies have been realized: fusion reactors, laser weapons, artificial intelligence, spaceships and anti-gravure vehicles are a common sight.

Alien intelligence

There are a variety of alien races on the borders of the Empire. In addition to humans (especially Solomani, Vilani and Zhodani), the most important peoples include the dog-like Vargr, the lion-like Aslan, the six-limbed polyp-like Hiver and the K'kree, who resemble centaurs.

Release history

  • Traveler ( CT , 1977–1986, Far Future Enterprises) - The original Traveler game system, which deals with the so-called Golden Age of the Third Empire . Some German-language books have also been published. The setting, later called Classic Traveler (CT), focuses on the Empire's spinward brands and adjacent areas.
  • Megatraveller ( MT , 1986–1991, Far Future Enterprises) - Revised version of the rule system. The time of rebellion is discussed here. Hardly any German-language material was published.
  • Traveler: The New Era ( TNE , 1992–1995, Far Future Enterprises) - The third generation of the rule system. Located about a century later as CT, the time of the renewed departure to an interstellar society is dealt with here.
  • Marc Miller's Traveler ( T4 , 1996–1998, Far Future Enterprises) - The fourth generation of the rule system. Set about 1100 years before CT, it is set in the early days of the Third Empire.
  • GURPS Traveler ( GT , since 1998, Steve Jackson Games) - The output in the GURPS control system from Steve Jackson Games uses the modified setting from CT.
  • Traveler 20 ( T20 , since 2001, QLI / RPGRealms Publishing) - The output in a modified d20 control system from Wizards of the Coast . It's about 150 years before CT and is set in the Empire's Gateway Sector rather than the Spinward Brands.
  • GURPS Interstellar Wars ( GTIW , since 2006, Steve Jackson Games) - The 4th edition of GURPS by Steve Jackson Games. It describes the early history of the earth and the first contact with the Vilani Empire.
  • Traveler 5 ( T5 , Far Future Enterprises) - The fifth generation was originally supposed to appear in June 2007, for the 30th anniversary. The deadline could not be kept. The publication could only be successfully implemented through crowdfunding in 2012, on the 35th anniversary .
  • Mongoose Traveler (since 2008, Mongoose Publishing) - Parallel to Traveler 5 , a revised version of CT was published by Mongoose Publishing in May 2008. 13Mann Verlag was the licensee of the German edition published in August 2008 until 2019 .
  • Mongoose Traveler 2nd Edition (since 2016, Mongoose Publishing) - The second edition of Mongoose Traveler, published in 2016, is essentially based on the previous edition from 2008, but has been revised, especially in the area of ​​rules and design.

The game Traveler: 2300 , which was later renamed to 2300AD , is not part of the Traveler background, but represents a separate universe with different technology, timeline and alien races. It continues the events in Twilight: 2000 , so begins on End of the Third World War, which does not appear in the Traveler timeline.

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