Looking to start a local game, need books

[Venjenz]

All,

I am hoping to get some kind of Traveller game going with my local group, and my last big dive into the system was with MegaTraveller. I missed the recent Kickstarter thing for 5.10 big books.

With that in mind, what is a good version to play that offers actual printed/published materials and a wide array of resources? It's been so long, and Traveller is so famous for being fragmented and sketchy with publication, I am feeling kind of lost. Have no issue spending money, but even finding a spot to start that spending is proving kind of daunting atm.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[aramis]

Mongoose Traveller 2E is also in print.

To be blunt: MGT2 is a relatively good set of mechanics, but anything Third Imperium they've done has big issues with prior canon.

 

[vegas]

Actual printed books and a wide array of resources means Mongoose Traveller. T5 would disappoint you.

Only Traveller grognards (and only a subset of them) care about differences in canon between versions. If you are coming back to Traveller after a long absence, then MgT canon is as good as any to base your game on.

FYI - MgT is set in the Classic era, before the MegaTraveller rebellion.

 

[mike wightman]

Visit drivethru.rpg and download the free edition of CT Starter edition.
Link
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/80190/CTSTStarter-Traveller?cPath=21_4767
If you like it you can order the print on demand version of The Traveller Book to get a real book of pretty much the same rules but with a little bit extra.
Link
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/80192/CTTTBThe-Traveller-Book?src=hottest_filtered
I would then recommend you visit the Far Future Enterprises website store and purchase the Classic Traveller cd rom, which has every GDW rulebook, supplement, game and adventure in electronic format.
Link
http://www.farfuture.net/

 

[whulorigan]

All,

I am hoping to get some kind of Traveller game going with my local group, and my last big dive into the system was with MegaTraveller. I missed the recent Kickstarter thing for 5.10 big books.

With that in mind, what is a good version to play that offers actual printed/published materials and a wide array of resources? It's been so long, and Traveller is so famous for being fragmented and sketchy with publication, I am feeling kind of lost. Have no issue spending money, but even finding a spot to start that spending is proving kind of daunting atm.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

I know you mentioned actual printed/published materials, but if you can live with PDFs, the CDROMs put out by FFE contain everything published for a given ruleset, and can't be beat for the value:
http://www.farfuture.net/

 

[kilemall]

Cepheus Engine is another option, with a lot of flourishing third party material. It is based on MgT 1E under an OGL, but has all proprietary IP stripped out which would include the 3I stuff. Scouts are called Explorers, TAS is called something else, etc.

 

[Timerover51]

Visit drivethru.rpg and download the free edition of CT Starter edition.
Link
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/80190/CTSTStarter-Traveller?cPath=21_4767
If you like it you can order the print on demand version of The Traveller Book to get a real book of pretty much the same rules but with a little bit extra.
Link
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/80192/CTTTBThe-Traveller-Book?src=hottest_filtered
I would then recommend you visit the Far Future Enterprises website store and purchase the Classic Traveller cd rom, which has every GDW rulebook, supplement, game and adventure in electronic format.
Link
http://www.farfuture.net/

I would echo mike wightman's comment, and add that you can use the published adventures for Classic from GDW with both the Starter Edition and the Traveller Book. You might also look online for used copies of both the rule sets and the various adventures. The Far Future CD's are worth every penny spent on them.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

All,

I am hoping to get some kind of Traveller game going with my local group, and my last big dive into the system was with MegaTraveller. I missed the recent Kickstarter thing for 5.10 big books.

With that in mind, what is a good version to play that offers actual printed/published materials and a wide array of resources? It's been so long, and Traveller is so famous for being fragmented and sketchy with publication, I am feeling kind of lost. Have no issue spending money, but even finding a spot to start that spending is proving kind of daunting atm.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

What style of RPG rules does your group prefer?

 

[Spenser TR]

What style of RPG rules does your group prefer?

...the question I was waiting/hoping for

 

[AndyW]

If I were starting up a game, after a long hiatus, I would (and I am) look real hard at the CT CD ROM that FFE puts out. Yeah, it's PDF and not printed books, but I find that I prefer that to putting wear and tear on my precious book collection these days. All the new RPG books I've bought lately have been Chaosium's RQ reboot, and I love that it includes PDFs and I use them almost exclusively, while books get enshrined.

 

[Venjenz]

I went with Mongoose 2ed.

Thanks for replies.

 

[coliver988]

I went with Mongoose 2ed.

Thanks for replies.

It is also close enough to Classic that you can also use all the CT stuff available as well. I do like the character generation in Mongoose (and Cepheus) as it can link the players together before the games begin. And the optional background information can lead to some interesting characters (which is implied in the Classic character generation: somewhere on this forum someone does an excellent example of reading between the lines during generation to really create an interesting background. Additionally, the T-5 Imperial Lines does a similar generation work up twice using the same rolls, but with different interpretations.)

Long winded way of saying - have fun!

 

[vegas]

I went with Mongoose 2ed.

Thanks for replies.

Great choice. You will not be disappointed.

I second everyone who has posted about CT because you can crib a dton from it for your MgT game, if you care to purchase it too. Great value there.

 

[Taythorian]

Also consider that if you go with Mongoose Traveller, then any Physical books purchased directly from them and from some physical stores also come with free PDF's of the same book.