Traveller D20 is Done
- Thread starter Colin
- Start date
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Mongoose has a 10 year license iirc (started in 08?) so at least 2018. And I understand they have a 10 year production plan to match that.
Steve Jackson Games (GURPS) would disagree ... and then there were two.
oldgamergeek
SOC-9
Yes but some of us (like me ) will still play it just like every version before it. as long as I have some creative spark all I need are the core books. LONG LIVE T-20
Many of the out-of-print items are available as pdfs and I believe more are coming.
And you can still get Sword Worlds in dead tree format for $9.95. What more could you ask for?
Hans
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
I've gotten to a point where I actually like playing a game that is out of print. You buy the complete line, or, at least, everything you want, and then you go off and have yourself a grand old time.
That's what I've done with my Mongoose Conan game. I purchased the entire game line, at a discount, and am running one of the best campaigns I've ever had.
I like to see new products as much as the next guy, but it's also nice to look at all that's available and run from there rather than hearing about something that you think you'll really like that won't be released for 8 months.
If T20 is your thing, it never has to end as long as you enjoy playing it.
Heck, look at CT. Still my favorite Traveller version and what I play when I play Traveller.
I still love a lot of old, out of print games: Star Wars D6 version, Top Secret/SI, Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes, James Bond RPG, FASA's Star Trek game. For all of those, I have everything ever published, and I enjoy the hell out of them when the mood strikes me to play them. They're all great games. It doesn't matter that they're out of print.
That's what I've done with my Mongoose Conan game. I purchased the entire game line, at a discount, and am running one of the best campaigns I've ever had.
I like to see new products as much as the next guy, but it's also nice to look at all that's available and run from there rather than hearing about something that you think you'll really like that won't be released for 8 months.
If T20 is your thing, it never has to end as long as you enjoy playing it.
Heck, look at CT. Still my favorite Traveller version and what I play when I play Traveller.
I still love a lot of old, out of print games: Star Wars D6 version, Top Secret/SI, Mercenaries, Spies & Private Eyes, James Bond RPG, FASA's Star Trek game. For all of those, I have everything ever published, and I enjoy the hell out of them when the mood strikes me to play them. They're all great games. It doesn't matter that they're out of print.
OMG, can't believe I forgot about that one. Decades ago, good times indeed.
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
It's got to be one of the best core game mechanics ever designed. Just simply brilliant. Detailed enough to handle every situation. No charts required (popular back then). But easy enough to quickly memorize.
Remember? It's a percentage based system. Those are always easy. So, you had modifiers like this: Add Stat + Skill, then subtract 30 for (insert reason), and roll that or lower on % dice.
The brilliant part was adding in the three basic difficulty categories. Normally, you use your full total. Some situations, you use half your total. Rare, but extremely hard, situations, you use one quarter your total.
So, if you're damn good with a Walther PPK, and your Stat + Skill = 90, you'd roll 90 or less on % dice most of the time when shooting your weapon.
But, let's say your target is moving. That's a -30 penalty. So, you shoot at the moving target rolling 60 or less on % dice.
Your moving target, though, stops in a parking lot, and shoot back at you. He's covered at the waist down from the car, giving him half cover. When you return fire, your difficulty categories kick in. Half cover means you halve your chance to hit. So, to hit him, you now need a 45 or less on % dice.
You miss, and your target begins running again. That car is still between you, so you've got the difficulty category and the modifier to deal with. It's a tough shot. Bullets are pumping into cars. Alarms are going off. You shot is 15 or less on % dice.
You move up to the car to get a clear shot at your target. But, he reaches the elevator bank and uses the cement wall for full cover, exposing himself only when he whips and eyeball and his right arm around to fire back at you. This means you slip down to the Very Hard category, so your chance of 90 is quartered to 23, when you fire back, trying to hit that eyeball or exposed arm. Maybe tag his shoulder.
What a great, easy-to-use system. Portable to other games. It's too bad that system only saw use in TS/SI. It's one of my favorite mechanics I've ever seen or played with.
Higgipedia
SOC-11
Didn't The Adventures of Indiana Jones use it too?
I particularly liked the Commando supplement for it. The friction rules were light years ahead of their time.
I remember now! Made play FAST, easy and fun. I'm going on eBay and see if I can't score one. (gave mine to a friend deploying overseas ~30 years ago)
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
Did it? Never played the Indy game.
Amen. It's facinating that the system could handle the super-hero, James Bond-like action of TS/SI and then the from-the-front-page realism of Commando.
Truly an amazing, simple system.
LOL. Good luck!
Found 16 2nd ('81) edition ones.
Qstor2
SOC-13
I happen to like D20 games. I was always wishing for a full D20 Modern/Future version. Martin did a great job but the damage rules IMHO didn't fully mesh with D20 with the "subtract the dice" thing.
Wonder if Paizo does a modern Pathfinder SRD if someone would resurrect a d20-ish Traveller game?
I also was looking forward to more Gateway Domain materials. I don't think we'll see more stuff come out for the 990 era.
Mike
Wonder if Paizo does a modern Pathfinder SRD if someone would resurrect a d20-ish Traveller game?
I also was looking forward to more Gateway Domain materials. I don't think we'll see more stuff come out for the 990 era.
Mike
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
I hear a lot of good things about the d20 Star Wars game (both editions). Maybe snag that damage model?
Plus, there are some interesting variants that have come into 3.5E D&D as optional rules that could be used.
There's pretty much zero chance of more official 993 materials.
Up until last week, QLI had an exclusivity clause in their license that meant that only they could do 993 Gateway, but their license has now lapsed. That takes away that impediment, but the main one is still in place and will remain so.
Mongoose has sole rights to the OTU (other than Foreven sector) and they're focussed on 1105ish.
Conceivably someone could perhaps make a deal with Mongoose to do 993 as an ATU, but that doesn't seem very likely right now.
It's a shame; I put a lot of hooks and things-to-be-developed-later into the early books, but that's the way it goes sometimes. The ideas will probably appear elsewhere in a different form.
Up until last week, QLI had an exclusivity clause in their license that meant that only they could do 993 Gateway, but their license has now lapsed. That takes away that impediment, but the main one is still in place and will remain so.
Mongoose has sole rights to the OTU (other than Foreven sector) and they're focussed on 1105ish.
Conceivably someone could perhaps make a deal with Mongoose to do 993 as an ATU, but that doesn't seem very likely right now.
It's a shame; I put a lot of hooks and things-to-be-developed-later into the early books, but that's the way it goes sometimes. The ideas will probably appear elsewhere in a different form.
The Hinterworlds Rambler
SOC-14 5K
Top secret ruled. My knickname was "When are we playing top secret?"
That was a good run of some good products, and now I know how to effectively travellerize any kind of scifi game and use the d20 setup, which I have no problem with. Ship design, mapping, all of that is staying t20 derived.
Plus, come to think of it, I wouldn't even know this stuff was still going on were it not for t20, so well on yer, fellas!
That was a good run of some good products, and now I know how to effectively travellerize any kind of scifi game and use the d20 setup, which I have no problem with. Ship design, mapping, all of that is staying t20 derived.
Plus, come to think of it, I wouldn't even know this stuff was still going on were it not for t20, so well on yer, fellas!
by_the_sword
SOC-9
T20 was an awesome system. Good job and thanks.
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