If only we could "Restate" Classic Traveller

[Dragoner]

IMO, CT could have had an axe in melee weapons, maybe hammer and pick as well.

 

[hdan]

IMO, CT could have had an axe in melee weapons, maybe hammer and pick as well.

Definitely. Especially for the Axe Cop Special Supplement.

 

[Dragoner]

Definitely. Especially for the Axe Cop Special Supplement.

axe cop? There just aren't normal weapons like those three, and yet we get a halberd and broadsword? right.

 

[robject]

It is interesting that Classic Traveller reached out to the D&D crowd with some basic polearms.

(Granted, they're needed for low-tech worlds, but still.)

 

[Dragoner]

But we don't get the three weapons you can buy down at the corner hardware store for $20 a piece. Which all were common ancient weapons as well.

 

[estar]

Speaking as a author with some experience publishing for the D&D retro-clones, the biggest barrier to a Traveller retro-clone isn't legal, you have the Mongoose SRD to thank for that. Rather it is the ready access to the original rules through Far Future. This tends to stunt the development of any community around a retro-clone.

The second reason for a retro-clone is to be able to legally publish supplements and adventures for a game, in this case Classic Traveller. Again the Mongoose SRD takes care of this as the system is very close to Classic Traveller.

The only thing missing is free access to the Third Imperium setting. However Far Futures and Mongoose did open a sector to commercial publication. And Far Futures has a generous fan license for non-commercial projects.

So there are a lot of things working against a Classic Traveller retro-clone. What I suggest focusing on reviving Classic Traveller itself and support the revival with new supplements and new adventures.

 

[HG_B]

But we don't get the three weapons you can buy down at the corner hardware store for $20 a piece. Which all were common ancient weapons as well.

I remember reading about one of them. ~1,000 yrs ago someone in the Imperial Moot got a hold of an ancient Terran sci-fi book where somethinig called the Valerian space axe and its effects against combat armour was detailed.

The Moot then prevailed upon the Emperor to outlaw all axe type weapons.. :devil:

 

[Dragoner]

I remember reading about one of them. ~1,000 yrs ago someone in the Imperial Moot got a hold of an ancient Terran sci-fi book wheresomethinig called the Valerian space axe and its effects against combat armour was detailed.

The Moot then prevailed upon the Emperor to outlaw all axe type weapons.. :devil:

It was all a conspiracy by the laser gardening association. BTW, I want a chainsaw as well. :rofl:

 

[Baron]

What I suggest focusing on reviving Classic Traveller itself and support the revival with new supplements and new adventures.

Now you're talking!

 

[far-trader]

The nice thing about CT... it's dead easy to add something like an axe, hammer, and pick.

Axe - Cr10 - 2kg - A long handled tool for felling trees. As a melee weapon treat as Halberd with -1 on armor DMs. Str 9: +1; Str 5: -1

Hammer - Cr5 - 4kg - A long handled heavy construction/demolition tool commonly called a sledge hammer. As a melee weapon treat as Cudgel with a +2 on armor DMs and 3D damage. Str 10: +2; Str 6: -1

Pick - Cr 10 - 2kg - A long handled heavy digging tool with a double head, one side a pick the other a spade or axe. As a melee weapon treat as Axe (above) for the spade or axe head and as Axe with +1 on armor DMs for the pick head.

 

[Blue Ghost]

that's what I wanted to do with Castles and Dragons, which I have yet to publish, but the Mongoose guys didn't respond to any of my emails, and the only way to get it out is to make it available for free [which kind of defeats the purpose of craeting the thing]

I think SJ Games is still an option though. However, I'm not too sure what their license is on Traveller material. Isn't GT strictly post alternative future from the Rebellion?

I'd like to write for CT, pre-rebellion. And make some small money on the side.

Right now I'm trying to brew up up stuff for Gypsy, but their milieu is different, so it makes it a small challenge. I think I got something good for it though.

 

[Dragoner]

The nice thing about CT... it's dead easy to add something like an axe, hammer, and pick.

Which is what I did almost exactly, but it also is dead easy for players to argue it.

 

[robject]

What I suggest focusing on reviving Classic Traveller itself and support the revival with new supplements and new adventures.

Now you're talking. New CT adventures would map well to other rulesets, as well.

 

[tim_manley]

If you were going to take Classic Traveller, Books 1-3 and rewrite them to fit more modern rules layout, what parts would you clarify, what parts would you bring in from Books 4+ into the core rules, what tweaks would you make that still maintain the flavor of CT?

You just pretty much described my house rules.

I have re-created LBB 1, 2 & 3 for my rules.

I include Supp 4 and B1 characters. I do the 2 skills per term.

Combat is pretty close but armor stops damage.

At first I borrowed a lot from MGT starship design as I was very fond of the G/hour thing but I found I was doing all the math and my players didn't care (caveat been a number of years since I played Traveller). So I decided to just keep Book2 pretty much as is.

But what Book 2 was missing is a variant on weapon types (i.e. rail-gun, torpedoes, etc.). I like the old world Asimov style of SF that CT seems to give me the feel for so I wanted to keep a lot of that and not over-do the weapon selection.

But the ship design could use with some more 'stuff' (i.e. sickbay, mess, etc.).

I added skill progression (roll box cars get a check on that skill, +1 check than skill level get a level boost) -- learning a skill or studying to improve is 2 years study for each +1 skill.

I have my own house rules Psionics that I don't always use (Psi is fantasy so why have magic in a game of hard science?)

Other than that, I keep to the books as is.