Fast Traveller 0.8

THE TRAVELLER UNIVERSE

These rules are a very simplified edit of the award-winning classic science-fiction role-playing game created by Marc Miller in 1977 for Game Designers Workshop.

Per Miller, the fictional universe of Traveller can be summed up in five points:

• The fastest you can get information somewhere is in a starship.
• A ship takes at least a week to get somewhere.
• The Imperium is a government of people, not laws, and it rules space. Planets rule themselves.
• The lifeblood of the Imperium is commerce. Don’t get in the way of the Imperium’s lifeblood.
• There is no Prime Directive. If you want to sell guns to the locals, go ahead. Check first to see if they have anything you want.

TIMELINE OF THE FAR FUTURE

• 3,600 years ago: 21st century on Earth.
• 3,200 years ago: The Imperium comes into conflict with the Solomani humans from Terra (Earth), sparking interstellar war. The Imperium falls and The Rule Of Man (Second Imperium) begins, dominated by the expansionist Solomani branch of humanity.
• 2,700 years ago: The Rule Of Man falls, beginning a period of regressive dark ages called The Long Night.
• 1,100 years ago: Cleon Zhunastu from the Sylean Federation founds the Third Imperium (the current interstellar empire), ending The Long Night.
• 700 to 20 years ago: Imperial and Zhodani navies fight several limited Frontier Wars in the spinward sectors.
• 100 years ago: Solomani Rim War, Imperial forces seize control of the Solomani homeworld (Terra).
• 36 years ago: Strephon Aella Alkhalikoi becomes the current Emperor of the Imperium.
• Now: Current day in Imperial Year 1107.

OTHER FEATURES OF THE FUTURE…

• It is the Imperial year 1107, or A.D. 5630 by modern Earth calendars.
• There is no faster-than-light means of communication. The fastest ships carry messages, cargo, and passengers at six parsecs per week (about 20 light years per jump).
• The feudal-based Imperium is made up of 11,000 worlds across 21 sectors; each sector has 16 subsectors containing dozens of star systems.
• “Known space” includes just a portion of the Milky Way galaxy, with six rival interstellar nations – including the psionically-ruled Zhodani Consulate beyond the “spinward” frontier – surrounding the Imperium’s claimed systems.
• Imperium society is human-centric but cosmopolitan. Hundreds of alien species freely travel the stars.
• Colonialist attitudes and capitalism dominate, but local independent worlds vary wildly in local laws, customs, lifeforms, and environments.
• The Imperium has a universal currency: credits (cr) for personal items, and megacredits (Mcr) for major transactions such as purchasing starships.
• Although robots are common, computer technology and full robotic sentience are hindered to prevent the rise of hostile artificial intelligences.
• Starships must get 100 diameters away from any planet to safely start a faster-than-light jump. Piracy during this travel is often a threat.
• Psionics such as telepathy and telekinesis are known but greatly feared and considered illegal under Imperium law.
• There are no teleporters, time machines, immortality drugs, or alternate dimensions (as far anyone knows).
• Most game campaigns focus around either a free trader crew (picking up goods and passengers to transport for profit) or a mercenary company (providing military-for-hire services where needed across the galaxy).

PLAYING THE GAME

The Game Master (GM) describes a scene and players take turns describing their characters’ responses. For resolving outcomes on tasks, use six-sided dice, often abbreviated 1D, 2D, 3D or so forth (meaning roll one, two or three dice and add them together).

The higher the total, the better the effort. The GM sets minimum totals needed for successful results based on the difficulty of the task, or the task roll total from an opposing character.

CREATING NEW CHARACTERS

Each player should create a character with a name and brief sentence describing prior life in one of the following backgrounds: army (on planets), navy (aboard starships), marines (ship-to-ground), scout (survey and exploration), merchant (trade ship), or rogue (anything else). Players and GMs are free to create totally new backgrounds as well.

By default, new characters have +1 in each trait, six bonus points across two or more skills, and 5,000 starting Imperial credits (cr).

CUSTOMIZATION OPTIONS

Players may add any of the following options to their characters, either lowering one trait to +0 to gain a trait at +2, or trade trait bonuses with skill points.

Alien or Mutant Feature: Add a minor physical or mental trait. Examples: Aslan gain the use of a dewclaw (like a dagger) retractable into each hand, while Hivers gain infra-red vision (able to see in low light conditions).

Battle-Scarred: A costly tour of duty dropped one physical trait to Strength +0, Dexterity +0, or Endurance +0, but added two more skill points from the experience.

Extra Ability: Due to an alien nature, bionics/cybernetics, elite training, an exotic native homeworld, genetic engineering, or mutation, lose two points from skills and gain one of the following: Strength +2, Dexterity +2, Endurance +2, Intelligence +2, or Education +2.

Noble: Lose two points from skills, gain Social Status +2 and add another starting 5,000cr.

Primitive: Drop to Education +0 and gain one of the following: Strength +2, Dexterity +2, Endurance +2, or two additional skill points.

Robot/Android: Drop to Social Status +0, and the character’s non-living body or mind gains one of the following: Strength +2, Dexterity +2, Endurance +2, Intelligence +2, or Education +2. Also, track damage as Structure Points, not Life Points.

CHARACTER TRAITS

Below average +0, average +1, above average +2 or more.

Strength: Physical ability, lifting, carrying.
Dexterity: Physical coordination, reflexes.
Endurance: Physical determination, stamina.
Intelligence: IQ, memory, and reasoning.
Education: Technical and academic training.
Social Standing: Recognized privilege status.

CHARACTER SKILLS

Untrained +0, veteran professional +2, expert +4, master +6, legend +8, supergenius +10.

Administration: Dealing with various officials, or briding them.

Brawling/Blades: Fighting with fists, kicks, and melee weapons such as cutlasses.

Engineering: Designing and repairing all kinds of machines, especially starship systems.

Heavy Weaponry: Using starship-mounted weapons, field artillery and squad support weapons (PGMPs and FGMPs).

Medical: Diagnosing and healing lifeforms, xenobiology, drugs, biological research.

Personal Weaponry: Shooting guns of all kinds: body pistols, assault rifles, etc.

Planetary Vehicle Ops: Driving land cars, speeders, boats, planes or air-raft vehicles.

Starship Ops: Maneuvering large and small spacecraft, plotting interstellar jumps, using sensors.

Streetwise: Socializing in urban centers, gambling, and gathering information from informal contacts.

Survival: Finding water and food, plotting navigation on a planetary surface.

Tactics: Quick, decisive leadership to coordinate squads of soldiers or fleets of starships.

Trade: Assessing cargo value, negotiating commerce deals, and conducting transactions.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL MODIFIERS

Character’s Health
-1 … at half or less Life/Structure Points

Combat
-0 … melee weapon at Reach range
-3 … shooting at weapon’s maximum range
-target’s Dex modifier … Evade action

Computer-Assisted Tasks
+1 … Moderate tech computer (Model/2 to Model/3)
+2 … High tech computer (Model/4 to Model/6)
+3 … Very high tech computer (Model/7+)
+4 … Extreme high tech computer (self aware)

Multitasking
-2 to each task check to attempt 2 tasks at once
-4 to each task check to attempt 3 tasks at once

Speed
-3 … hasty effort (cut time by half)
+3 … cautious effort (double time of task)

CHARACTER COOPERATION

Characters with the required skill at +1 or higher may cooperate together on the same task for better results. Each player rolls 2D as usual, but only the highest pair total is used. Add the highest trait modifier and the highest skill modifier from among the characters in the cooperating group.

Example: A senior engineer (Intelligence +1, Engineering +4) and a science officer (Intelligence +2, Engineering +1) attempt to fix a broken FTL jump drive. The first player rolls 2 and 4 (total 6), the second player rolls 4 and 5 (total 9). The cooperating task roll would be 9 + 2 (science officer’s Intelligence) + 4 (engineer’s skill) for a total of 15.

TASK RESULTS

Range of outcomes based on final rolled totals:

5 or less … no success possible
6 to 7 … succeed at easy tasks
8 to 9 … succeed at average tasks
10 to 11 … succeed at difficult tasks
12 to 13 … succeed as staggeringly difficult tasks
14 to 15 … succeed at “impossible” tasks
16 or more … succeed as “hopeless” tasks

OPPOSING RESULTS

In direct head-to-head character tasks, compare the opposing final rolled totals. The higher result wins; in case of a tie, both succeed or outcome is a stalemate.

CRITICAL RESULTS

Rolling a 2: If a task check 2D roll results in 2, some negative consequence happens even if the task succeeds due to high trait and skill modifiers. Examples: A tool used in the task might break, a weapon jams or runs out of ammunition, an bribe attempt buys access but gets noticed by law enforcement monitors, or a fraction of cargo turns out to be ruined or mislabelled.

Rolling a 12: If a task check 2D roll results in 12, some positive consequence happens, even if the task still fails due to high difficulty. Examples: A missed shot hits a volatile piece of machinery near the target and catches fire, a negotiator refuses an offer but likes the character enough to later offer different help, a bureaucrat refunds application fees in full, or a search for safe shelter instead finds a hidden cache of unrelated gear.

AUTOMATIC RESULTS

All space-worthy Traveller characters share the following common knowledge about getting by in the universe, typically without needing any task check to measure success:

• Basic use of a vacc suit (standard issue spacesuit).
• Recognizing the major species of sophants (the “big six” alien races).
• Familiarity with routine starport procedures (screenings, inspections, cargo handling, etc.).
• Fluency in galactic standard language (Anglic).
• Familiarity with Imperial banking standards and currencies (credits, megacredits).
• Familiarity with up to Tech Level 14 technology (recognize and understand use, even if not proficient).
• General knowledge about the Imperium (domains, broad history, social status system).

MOVEMENT

Each 15-second combat round, a character can move 20 meters (about 65 feet) while performing other actions, or simply run 40 meters (130 feet). Actions include firing a weapon, controlling a vehicle or ship, or repairing a damaged device.

Outside of combat rounds, a character can travel 5 km (about 3 miles) per hour. Higher or lower gravity, difficult terrain, or urban settings may drop this rate to half or worse.

LIFE POINTS AND STRUCTURE POINTS

The ability of characters, creatures, machines, vehicles, and buildings to survive damage and trauma is measured by Life Points (for living beings) or Structure Points (for non-living objects). Armor values subject from damage before rolling to see how many points are lost due to attacks or hazards.

For character’s maximum Life Points at full health, add up modifiers from Strength, Dexterity, and Endurance traits…

Str+Dex+End total 1 … 5 max. Life Points
Str+Dex+End total 2 … 10 max. Life Points
Str+Dex+End total 3 … 15 max. Life Points
Str+Dex+End total 4 … 20 max. Life Points
Str+Dex+End total 5 … 25 max. Life Points
Str+Dex+End total 6 … 30 max. Life Points

A tough character with Strength +1, Dexterity +1, and Endurance +2 would have a maximum of 20 Life Points.

Creatures will have Life Points set by the GM. As a rule of thumb, hand-held high-tech objects have 3 Structure Points, while larger vehicles have 20 Life Points per ton.

Wounds: Any living target at half or less Life Points, or machine below half Structure Points, suffers a -1 circumstantial modifier on task rolls. At zero remaining points, a living target becomes unconscious, while a non-living target becomes disabled (unable to function). At the full negative value of maximum Life Points, a living target is dead, while a non-living target is damaged beyond repair.

Example: An engineer with +1 in all physical traits (max. 15 Life Points) is caught in an explosion that does 3D damage, resulting in a damage roll of 3, 4, and 6 (total 13). Without armor, the blast reduces the engineer to 2 Life Points, wounded and almost knocked unconscious. If further damage reduces the engineer to -15 Life Points, the character dies.

Healing: Living beings recover lost Life Points per day equal to the total of one task check by a medic (2D + Education + Medicine), or the Tech Level of available medical care (whichever is greater). Characters may attempt Medicine checks on themselves if necessary, at a -1 modifier when at or under half maximum Life Points.

Repairing: For machines, vehicles, and other damaged targets under full Structure Points, the number of lost points repaired per day equals to the total of one task check by a character (2D + Education + Engineering), or the Tech Level of available automated damage control systems (whichever is greater).

PERSONAL COMBAT

When describing fights between characters and adversaries, play is divided combat rounds, each lasting about 15 seconds to the characters.

Actions Per Turn: Each round combatants may attempt one action and move, or take no actions other than a double move, in turns following the order of their initiative results. As an action, targets within range may be attacked to cause them damage or other specific effects. Combatants may also choose to Evade as an action, giving attackers a circumstantial penalty equal to the target’s Dexterity modifier. If attempting attacks on two targets, or attempting one attack while also doing a second action, all of a character’s task rolls suffer a -2 circumstantial modifier that turn; for three targets and/or actions, each task suffers a -4 penalty.

Initiative Task Rolls: Each combatant rolls 2D + Dexterity + Tactics. Higher rolls act before lower rolls; compare highest Tactics skill modifier to resolve ties, then highest Dexterity modifier as needed. If combatants are still tied, they act simultaneously. Keep the initiative order for the duration of the combat scene; do not reroll initiative each round.

Attack Task Rolls: The skills needed to make an attack depend on the weapon used.

• Natural weapons (fists, claws) and hand-held melee weapons (clubs, blades) use 2D + Strength + Brawling/Blades. Typically a target must be within reach (up to 3 meters), but there is no range penalty for such attacks.
• Thrown weapons (spears) and ranged weapons (bows, guns) use 2D + Dexterity + Personal Weaponry. Any attack within a weapon’s maximum range suffers a -3 circumstantial modifier.
• Certain heavy squad support weapons (portable plasma and fusion guns) use 2D + Dexterity + Heavy Weaponry. Support weapons may have special range modifiers.

Combat Circumstantial Modifiers
-1 … attacker at half or less Life/Structure Points
-0 … melee weapon at Reach range
-3 … shooting at weapon’s maximum range
-target’s Dex modifier … Evade action
-2 to each task check to attack 2 targets at once
-4 to each task check to attack 3 targets at once

Personal Weapon Ranges: Use the following distance benchmarks to set range limits on weapons. Example: A rifle can has no penalty on attacks against targets in Long or closer range (under 750 meters), and a -3 modifier against targets in Very Long range (750m to 3 km meters).

• Reach (1m to 3m) (melee weapons)
• Close (3m to 25m)
• Short (25m to 100m)
• Medium (100m to 300m) (max. shotgun)
• Long (300m to 750m) (max. pistol)
• Very Long (750m to 3 km) (max. rifle)
• Distant (3 km to 25 km) (max. artillery)

Attack Results: An attack roll of 8 or more is needed to hit a target. Any hit does a number of dice in damage, less any dice absorbed or deflected by the target’s armor or cover. Damage that gets through armor or cover reduces a target’s Life Points and/or Structure Points.

Damage By Attack Type: Dice rolled for successful hits, before figuring for target’s armor. If armor reduces damage dice to zero, the armor completely protects the target from the weapon.

• 1D: small natural attacks
• 2D: predator’s natural attacks, small melee weapons
• 3D: poisonous natural attacks, large melee weapons, light firearms
• 4D: large two-handed melee weapons, medium firearms, light lasers, light gauss coilguns
• 5D: heavy firearms and lasers, plasma weapons at long range
• 8D: grenades, light cannons
• 10D: heavy gauss coilguns, plasma weapons at medium or closer range
• 16D: fusion weapons at medium or closer range
• 20D: land artillery

Armor and Cover: Use these values to subtract dice of damage from successful attacks before rolling remaining dice for loss of Life Points or Structure Points. Only use either the higher value from armor or cover per target; don’t subtract for both. Values greater than the weapon’s damage dice completely protect the target, even from direct hits.

• -1D: light armor (jack, mesh, flak jacket) or light cover (interior walls).
• -2D: medium armor (cloth, vacc suits up to TL8) or medium cover (exterior walls, pressurized bulkheads).
• -3D: heavy armor (vacc suits of TL9 or higher) or heavy cover (vault doors).
• -4D: superheavy armor (TL 11 combat battlesuit) or superheavy cover (starship hull).
• -5D: advanced superheavy armor (TL 12/13 combat battlesuit, TL 13 battle dress)
• -9D: extreme superheavy armor (TL 14 combat battlesuit, TL 14 battle dress)

DANGEROUS HAZARDS

Armor may or may not protect from damage caused by exposure to certain threats, toxins, or extreme conditions.

Acid, Chemicals, Fire, Electricity, Poison, and Radiation: Exposure to these threats range from a light injury (1D damage) to almost certain instant death (12D damage or more). When in doubt, the GM should roll one die to determine the initial severity (1D to 6D), then apply that number of dice as damage for each combat round of exposure. A quick action to get to safety may be possible or require an average to difficult task roll using 2D + Dexterity + Tactics.

Dangerous Atmospheres (Exotic, Corrosive, and Insidious): Exotic atmospheres are unbreathable by most living beings (see Suffocation rules), but are otherwise not harmful. Living beings who breath in corrosive air, typically high ammonia, suffer 1D damage per round; this air has no immediate effect on non-living beings or equipment. Insidious air, typically containing acidic compounds, causes 1D damage to living and non-living things per round of exposure.

Disease: Viruses, exotic bacteria, and alien parasites are all out there in the universe. GMs should adjust the following numbers (chance of contagion, time to symptoms, damage per day) to make diseases more or less dangerous as appropriate:

• Exposure requires an average task roll of 8+ on 2D + Endurance + Survival to avoid contagion. If preventative medicines are taken, the appropriate Tech Level value of the treatments may be substituted for either the Endurance or Survival modifier.
• If failing the exposure check, symptoms appear 1 to 6 days later (1D).
• An infected character loses 1D Life Points per day for 1 to 6 days. If continuous rest under medical care is available for treatment, subtract the available Tech Level from the number of Life Points lost per day.

Falling: At 1G (standard Earth gravity), a falling object takes 1 point of damage per meter of height when landing onto a hard surface. (This simplified rule doesn’t account for acceleration over long distances, but it’s practical for game play. Above 140 meters or so, terminal velocity on Earth limits a falling human’s further acceleration.) Armor typically does not offer protection for falling damage unless it is equipped with jetpack thrusters or some other means of breaking the fall. In different gravity, multiply the damage by the local G and round down. Example: A character knocked off a 12-meter-tall cliff on a moon with a gravity of 0.22 G would only take 2 points of damage (12 x 0.22 = 2.64).

Intoxicants: Places across the galaxy offers many liquors and narcotics. In game terms, one “dose” is equal to 330ml (one-third liter) of beer, 175ml (quarter bottle) of wine, or 45 ml (one shot) of hard liquor. (The GM must rules on other substances.)

• 1 to 3 doses in one hour … No game effects.
• 4 to 6 doses in one hour … Reduce character’s Intelligence modifier by 1 and apply an additional -2 circumstance modifier to all task rolls.
• 7 to 9 doses in one hour … Reduce character’s Intelligence modifier by 2 and apply an additional -4 circumstance modifier to all task rolls.
• 10 to 12 doses in one hour … Apply a -6 circumstance modifier to all task rolls; character must make an easy (6+) task roll of 2D + Endurance + Streetwise or fall unconscious.
• 13 or more doses in one hour … Apply a -8 circumstance modifier to all task rolls; character must make a difficult (10+) task roll of 2D + Endurance + Streetwise or suffer 1D damage and fall unconscious.

Characters “lose” doses affecting them at a rate of 1 + Endurance modifier per hour.

Sleep Deprivation: After 24 hours, a character needs to make an easy (6+) task roll of 2D + Endurance + Survival to remain awake. This task roll must be repeated every 12 hours thereafter, with the difficulty increasing by 2 each check: average (8+) after 36 hours, difficult (10+) after 48 hours, staggering (12+) after 60 hours. Some drugs may grant conditional modifiers for these task checks.

Suffocation, Thirst And Starvation: The rule of thumb is humans can go three minutes without air, three days without water and three weeks without food. After those limits, humans must make a difficult task roll of 2D + Endurance + Survival to find at least minimal resources or endure the hardship. Rolling a 10 or more avoids damage, while a 9 or less costs the character 2D damage per additional minute (for air) day (for water), or week (for food) as appropriate. Armor gives no protection against damage from these threats.

Vacuum Of Space: Long before suffocation becomes a problem, extreme cold, rapid dehydration and tissue damage will kill a human left in space. Unprotected exposure to vacuum causes 5D damage per round to any living being not protected by a vacc suit or equivalent armor. Once Life Points drop to 4 or less, the character also suffers blindness that lasts until all Life Points are healed.

DEALING WITH LOCALS

As Traveller characters navigate the galaxy, they often need to interact with a variety of non-player characters (NPCs): customs officials, planetary magistrates, mission recruiters, alien diplomats, and more. In most cases, Intelligence will be the most appropriate trait for a task roll, but Social Status may also be used. The appropriate skill is based on the method and audience of interaction, and no one offers up help or risk for free; figure 10cr to 60cr (1D) is needed per question asked.

In terms of bribery (not always overt), including a “gift” worth 100s of credits adds a +1 circumstantial modifier to the task roll, 1,000s gives +2, ands 10,000s adds +3.

Some skill examples…

Administration: Answers or help from politicians, legal officials, police, or local nobility. Cutting through bureaucratic red tape, insuring compliance with local laws and customs, and identifying the leaders of local social factions.

Engineering: Hacking into secure data sources, encrypted information, civil robots, or local surveillance systems (almost always an illegal and risky action).

Medical: Warnings about infectious outbreaks, xenobiological threats, or unusual biohazards. Legality of various drugs. Local policies about cloning, cybernetics, and genetic engineering.

Starship Ops: Gathering details on natural science questions (atmospheric composition, land masses, orbital rates) through sensors and direct access to any locally available data repositories.

Streetwise: Answers and help from local social factions, including fringe organizations, criminals, rebels, alien minorities, and other disenfranchised groups. Also useful for finding hidden gambling sites, smugglers, and covert information brokers.

Tactics: Answers or help from military officials, mercenary recruiters, arms dealers, intelligence agencies, and local veterans. Known enemy locations, hostile regions, supply line routes, and unspoken morale issues among the rank-and-file soldiers.

Trade: Answers or help from corporate and private business executives, union leaders, and officials in charge of tariffs, duties, and local currencies. Identifying the relative value of various cargo goods to local markets. Bypassing certain embargoes and regulations. Connecting with freight and passenger ships going off-world.

OTHER INTERSTELLAR INSTITUTIONS

These organizations span the entire Imperium, though they might only be found on some worlds in major starports.

Travellers’ Aid Society (TAS): For a cr 1,000,000 lifetime fee (sometimes given as a reward for terms of service), members may enjoy one free High Passage every two months, one week of paid accommodations each month, and exclusive access to TAS lounges in more developed starports. (Travel benefits may be shared or sold.)

The Imperial Navy: Warships based from key star systems, primarily to combat piracy but also critical in interstellar frontier wars. Loyal only to the Emperor and limited in authority to space itself, not planetary-bound affairs. Related forces include colonial naval forces (loyal to local world defense), mashkim (old Vland term for constabularies or civil police), and mercenaries (irregular “for hire” or long-term contractual companies).

Imperial Interstellar Scout Service (IISS): The scouts explore Imperial frontiers, map and survey worlds to revise library data, and help carry mail through its Express Boat Network.

Megacorporations: There are a dozen interstellar corporations known to do business across the Imperium, along with thousands of smaller regional enterprises. Major megacorps and conglomerates (and their principal industries) include:

• Delgado (military harware, miniaturization, minerals, publsihing, trading, recreatinal products)
• General Products (heavy industry, starships, vehicles)
• GSbAG (starships)
• Hortalez et Cie (banking, investments, finance)
• Interstellarms (military hardware and units, strategic planning)
• Ling-Standard Products (mining, electronics, vehicles, weapons, consumer goods)
• Makhidkarun (communications, computers, entertainment, recreation)
• Naasirka (information retrieval hardware and software, robots, recreation)
• SuSAG (chemicals, pharmaceuticals, genetic engineering)
• Sternmetal (mining, manufacturing, energy supplies, food synthesis)
• Tukera (passenger and freight transport, trade speculation)
• Zirunkarlish (capital investment, real estate, insurance)

TECHNOLOGY AND EQUIPMENT

A shorthand number called a Tech Level (TL) summarizes major benchmarks of available tech in various societies. While various versions of Traveller have included whole “gadget catalogs” of items available at various tech levels, these board categories should help players imagine what is available on local worlds in broad society. Specialty sites such as a starport may have higher technology available than elsewhere on that world.

Circumstantial Bonuses: As a rule of thumb, tools designed at higher Tech Levels may grant a +1 modifier bonus when used for lower level tech. The inverse also applies, as using less advanced tools on higher levels of technology suffer -1 modifier per TL difference. Example: An engineer with Gravitic Age diagnotic gear (TL 10) working to repair a TL 8 portable sensor would gain a +1 modifier.

Expanded Ranges

For personal equipment…

• Reach (1m to 3m)
• Close (3m to 25m)
• Short (25m to 100m)
• Medium (100m to 300m)
• Long (300m to 750m)
• Very Long (750m to 3 km)
• Distant (3 km to 25 km)
• Very Distant (25km to 250 km)
• Orbit (250 km to 1,000 km)
• Far Orbit (1,000 km to 100,000 km)

Starship Ranges

For distances in space…

• Close (within 1 km)
• Short (1,000s km)
• Medium (10,000s km)
• Long (100,000s km) (civilian sensors limit)
• Distant (millions km) (military/scout sensors limit)
• Subsystem (100s millions km)
• System (billions km)
• Parsec (trillions km, 3.26 light years)
• Subsector (10s light years)
• Sector (100s light years)

TECH LEVEL DESCRIPTIONS

INTERSTELLAR TRAVEL

Starships use jump drives, devices that exploit shifting matter into jumpspace (hyperspace) and following curvatures in space-time to cross one to six parsecs (3 to 20 light years) in about a week’s time. Such drives’ navigation relies on tracking the momentum of the entire universe and large gravity wells within it such as stars, but such calculations require distancing from “distracting” smaller gravity sources such as planets.

Before safely initiating a jump, a ship must travel at sublight speeds into empty space within a star system, at least 10 diameters away from the nearest planetary body. The time this trip takes depends on the ship’s maneuvering speed.

Time To Reach Safe Jump Distance (Hours)

(In terms of UWP Codes, consider any world of Size Code 0 to be a “Planetoid,” Size Code 1 to 6 to be a “Small World,” and Size Code 7 or more to be a “Large World.”)

Jump Task Checks: Once clear of local worlds, the pilot of the starship must make an average task roll of 2D + Education + Starship Ops or Engineering. On an 8 or more, the jump happens as planned. On a 7 or less, the player must roll one die. On a 1, the ship is destroyed, otherwise nothing severe happens during the misjump.

Jump Task Circumstantial Modifiers
+2 … Military or scout starship
+1 … Moderate tech computer (Model/2 to Model/3)
+2 … High tech computer (Model/4 to Model/6)
+3 … Very high tech computer (Model/7+)
+4 … Extreme high tech computer (self aware)
-1 … Using unrefined fuel (hydrogen skimmed from a gas giant)
-1 … Per jump past a missed maintenance repair after two jumps
-5 … Starting a jump within 100 diameters of a world
-10 … Starting a jump within 10 diameters of a world

STARSHIP OPERATIONS

Life Support Standards: The majority of starship interiors set for humans will have 1.0G gravity; an air composition of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% argon, 0.1% other (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, methane, ozone, water vapor); air humidity of 60% RH (relative humidity); 1 bar/101.3kPa (14.7) air pressure; air temperature of 22 degrees C (about 72 degrees Fahrenheit); and around 1,500 lux in light.

The major sophont “alien” species in Traveller closely share these environmental standards, with these difference notes from their native homeworlds:

• Aslan (Kilrai UWP A876986-E): Tainted by human standards.
• Droyne (unknown): Close to standard, lighter gravity likely.
• Hivers (Guaran/Hive UWP A565800-F): Much lighter gravity, slightly drier; light levels will be much darker.
• K’kree (Kirur/Thirty UWP B863A03-F): Much drier; often simulates smell of the herd.
• Solomani Humans (Terra UWP A867A69-F): Earth.
• Vargr (Lair/Grnouf UWP A8859B9-F): Slightly drier.
• Zhodani Humans (Zhdant/Gaval UWP A6547C8-F): Thin air, lighter gravity.

Expenses: Commercial starships usually make two jumps between maintenance periods: one week at a departure world to gather new passengers and freight, one week in jumpspace, another week at the arrival world to refuel and repeat transfers, and then another week-long jump. Within this four-week cycle (roughly once a month), starship operations incur the following expenses:

• 1/240th starship base cost per month for mortgage payments (ignore for Imperial navy ships and most scout/courier ships)
• cr 1,000 per stateroom
• cr 1,000 per person for life support
• cr 100 per low berth in operation
• cr 500 per ton of refined fuel, or cr 100 for unrefined fuel
• cr 200 per ton for repairs and maintenance on a civilian starship, or cr 500 per ton for a military starship (including mercenary vessels)

For common starships, the following rule-of-thumb for monthly operating expenses for life support, repairs, starport berthing fees, and refueling may be used (not including NPC crew salaries):

• cr 61,000/month … Scout/Courier (in service)
• cr 184,000/month … Scout/Courier (wholly private)
• cr 243,000/month … Free Trader (private)
• cr 2,855,000/month … Mercenary Cruiser (private)

Salaries: The above costs assume all crew positions are taken up by player characters. For any NPC crew needed, the following salaries must also be paid per maintenance period:

• cr 6,000 for a pilot
• cr 5,000 for a navigator
• cr 4,000 for an engineer
• cr 2,000 for a steward
• cr 3,000 for a medic
• cr 1,000 for a gunner
• cr 1,000 for a trooper

INTERSTELLAR TRADE

The majority of passengers, freight, and mail travel from world to world in the Imperium via independent commercial starships, although the Imperial Scout Service also operates the Express Boat Network of fast courier ships. The “Pony Express” model is common, where items are relayed between starships at key stations and planets.

Revenues: For a one-parsec trip into a neighboring star system, typical starship rates are:

• cr 10,000 per High Passenger
• cr 8,000 per Middle Passenger
• cr 1,000 per Low Passenger
• cr 1,000 per ton of freight/cargo
• cr 25,000 mail drums (if fitted)

For common starships, the following rule-of-thumb for monthly operating incomes may be used, figuring full booking on two jump trips per four-week period to and from populated worlds:

• cr 60,000/period … Scout/Courier (no mail)
• cr 10,000/period … Scout/Courier (no mail)
• cr 380,000/period … Free Trader (passengers and cargo)

Obviously, scout/couriers not hauling mail on standard routes need to supplement an additional cr 50,000 per month just to break even, usually done through special missions for local governments, corporations, research institutes, or extremely wealthy individuals. Mercenary cruisers don’t make money by hauling passengers or freight, instead relying on mission contracts for income.

If a merchant starship’s monthly routine for income is interrupted (delayed by misadventure, intercepted by pirates, wasted by visiting unpopulated worlds), reduce revenues should be adjusted accordingly.

Merchant Captains: Player characters in charge of a merchant ship can make task rolls for a chance to improve revenues during a four-week period. Roll 2D + Intelligence + Trade and use these results:

5 or less … no revenue
6 to 7 … half listed revenue/month
8 to 11 … average listed revenue/month
12 to 13 … +50% listed revenue/month
14 to 15 … double listed revenue/month
16 or more … triple listed revenue/month

Cargo Speculation: Instead of just getting paid to haul someone else’s goods, some merchants purchase industrial or agricultural goods by the ton in hopes of finding buyers at destination worlds where they can make a profit. These rules assume local broker fees have been included. Characters must specify how many tons of cargo are of industrial cargo (manufactured items, raw materials) or agricultural cargo (grains, livestock, other foodstuffs).

To determine the required purchase price the merchant must pay per ton for generic cargo, make a task check of 2d + Intelligence + Trade:

5 or less … gouging: cr 20,000/ton
6 to 7 … expensive: cr 10,000/ton
8 to 11 … average: cr 5,000/ton
12 to 13 … discounted: cr 2,500/ton
14 or more … bargain: cr 1,000/ton

Purchasing Circumstantial Modifiers
-3 if buying agricultural goods on an industrial world, or industrial goods on an agricultural world
-3 on a low population world (Population factor 3 or less)
+3 on a high population world (Population factor 9 or more)

To determine the destination market selling price the merchant can get for generic cargo, make another task check of 2d + Intelligence + Trade:

5 or less … dumping: cr 1,000/ton
6 to 7 … discounted: cr 2,500/ton
8 to 11 … average: cr 5,000/ton
12 to 13 … high demand: cr 10,000/ton
14 or more … extreme demand: cr 20,000/ton

Selling Circumstantial Modifiers
-3 if selling agricultural goods on an agricultural world, or industrial goods on an industrial world
-3 on a low population world (Population code 3 or less)
+3 on a high population world (Population code 9 or more)

Illegal Cargos: If a merchant wants to risk dealing with contraband (typically drugs or weapons), task rolls gain a +3 circumstantial modifier for both purchasing and selling. However, at both the departure world and arrival world, the merchant must make a task roll of 2D + Intelligence + Streetwise against an opposing value of 2d6 + the world’s Law Level code. If the merchant ties or beats both opposed checks, the smuggling goes unnoticed. If either check fails, local authorities detect the contraband and respond accordingly (triggering a new side mission run by the GM).

STARSHIP COMBAT

Space combat in Traveller is usually not like the flashy dogfights of space opera movies, but more like slow and tense submarine warfare. Enemy ships detect each other at vast distances, thousands or even millions of kilometers away, and fire weapons that may take several minutes to silently reach their targets. Continuous hits wear down a ship’s functioning systems, and rarely does a single shot cause a starship to immediately explode. (Rarely…)

Space Combat Rounds: Unlike in personal combat where each round is about 15 seconds, a round in space combat time is usually about 20 minutes. In cases of boarding actions, players may switch back to Personal Combat rules and 15-second rounds to resolve deck-to-deck battles.

Space Weapons: These rules simply ship weapons to either beam weapons (maximum Medium range) and missiles (maximum Distant range). Lasers are described as the default beam weapon, but some GMs may allow other types of “beams” to be used (fusion guns, plasma bolts, particle accelerators, “phasers”). Likewise, missiles can be nuclear, high explosive, “photon torpedoes,” anti-matter shells, or whatever fits the players’ style of sci-fi. Regardless of description, the rules work the same.

Player Character Actions: Each player character may take one action during a space combat round, either in the Detection, Engage Or Escape, Attacking, or Ancillary phase. The player of a ship’s captain typically makes any task rolls for that ship’s NPCs unless the action is specific to other characters’ roles, such as gunners firing weapons or engineers making damage control repairs.

Computer-Assisted Tasks: Unlike characters, a ship’s computer can work on many tasks simultaneously. The computer assistance circumstantial modifier (Model/2 or better) may be applied multiple times during a space combat round. Example: A Model/4 computer may grant a -2 modifier on attacking enemies if a pilot takes the Evade action, while also granting +2 to all gunners firing weapons during the same round..

Ship-To-Ship Communications: Sending and receiving signals at Long range (100,000s km) cross a few light-seconds and suffer minor delays. Communication at Distant range (millions km) suffers several minutes delay, up to the duration of an entire space combat round.

Space Combat Ranges: For sensor signals and weapons in space, use the following simplified scale to represent distances between targets.

• Close (within 1 km)
• Short (1,000s km)
• Medium (10,000s km) (beam weapons)
• Long (100,000s km) (civilian sensors)
• Distant (millions km) (military/scout sensors, missiles)

Scales Beyond Space Combat Ranges: Used for stellar mapping.

• Subsystem (100s millions km)
• System (billions km)
• Parsec (trillions km, 3.26 light years)
• Subsector (10s light years)
• Sector (100s light years)