Battlelords of the 23rd century traveller?

[iron warrior]

I know that Battlelords of the 23rd century doesn't have a solid rep as a serious hardcore SF system, but it has been around for 21 years now so it must be doing something right.

I wondered if anyone had tried running traveller with BL23C? It has a detailed combat system and a lot of weapons. If you leave out alot of the sci-fantasy/star wars level gear and powers, I think it'd make a nice traveller setting for gearheads and combat monsters.

 

[DonM]

If I remember right, one of its limitations was that Battlelords doesn't have a space combat system, right?

 

[Horatius314]

correct. BL23 is missing a space combat system.
My troubles with it involve an overly complex combat system, a weapon system that doesnt take itself seriously, and the tendency for the authors to mix up words like galaxy, cluster, solar system and spiral arm.

Other than that, its got some really good art, an interesting variety of alien species (I said interesting, not wonderful), and some good background tables.

 

[Spinward Scout]

Used the character generation background charts ('I Was Just Growing Up' and the 'Fickle Finger of Fate' charts) to make characters for a game that never went anywhere once. The Mongoose chargen uses something similar but less comical. I like those charts. The 'Living In The Future' chapter is something that could be adapted to Traveller in an introductory adventure. As far as everything else, BattleLords is a Merc game - it could be adapted to just about any Mercenary campaign.

 

[Washington]

With Battlelords, I suggest using Traveller and converting Battlelords over to it. The best thing about Battlelords is the over-the-top setting and gear. It will certainly bring some color, blood red. haha It was intended as a violent mission focused episodic game. So, it doesn’t have a complex system to trouble conversion, and it doesn’t have a complex metaplot to decipher. What it comes down to is: Does your Traveller game need a bunch of BFGs? If so, Battlelords has some cool gear and adversaries to convert to your Traveller campaign.

Battlelords is available here:

http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/manufacturers.php?manufacturerid=62

 

[Jay White]

Happened onto this thread and wanted to say I have used bits and pieces of BL, D20 Sta Wars, and T20 traveller in a current game and my players are having a good time with it...