SciFi20

[whartung]

If I were going to do an update of T20 I would use the 5eD&D SRD, the OGL stuff from T20, d20 Modern OGL stuff and the MgT 1e OGL stuff (or the Cepheus Engine word document version).

So, just curious, after you've tossed all of that in to the blender and hit the "Frozen Smoothie" button, how would whatever has come out be related or distinguishable at all as "Traveller" vs "Sci Fi Game with ships and stars and stuff".

 

[rich4421972]

So, just curious, after you've tossed all of that in to the blender and hit the "Frozen Smoothie" button, how would whatever has come out be related or distinguishable at all as "Traveller" vs "Sci Fi Game with ships and stars and stuff".

Much of the artwork and product identity stuff from T20 are, I believe still private property. So Sci Fi game with ships/stars/stuff" may be the only option. Somewhat like the relationship between HERO Traveller and Star HERO from herogames

We might need to find direct feedback from one or more of the designers or contributors to SF20 to see how the two versions relate to each other.

 

[estar]

So, just curious, after you've tossed all of that in to the blender and hit the "Frozen Smoothie" button, how would whatever has come out be related or distinguishable at all as "Traveller" vs "Sci Fi Game with ships and stars and stuff".

Because of the reuse of elements of MongTrav 1e SRD, it would be in effect a yet another edition of Traveller.

What has to be decided is the goal to make a open d20 version of Traveller?

Or

To recreate Traveller20 as closes as we legally can to produce new product for Traveller20.

There is no right or wrong answer.

And for the purpose of this set of rules what is Traveller is defined as the set of weapons, tech, gear, world generation, and starship creation similar to what the majority of Traveller edition featured. For example Jump Drive are Jump Drive in most editions of Traveller. The base stats for worlds are largely compatible from edition to edition. Traveller features guns and bullets more than beams and lasers.

Obviously there not going to be anything specific to the Third Imperium.

If the goal is to make an open d20 version of Traveller than it makes sense to try to adapt the D&D 5e SRD or the Pathfinder PRD using the open content of Traveller 20 as a guide. Hell you could do both as two separate but related version of a d20 base Traveller. D&D 5e and Pathfinder are both THE d20 system of the present day. Not D&D 3.5e which Traveller20 is based on.

If the goal is to reignite support of Traveller 20 then you need to use the open content of Traveller 20 and fillin the gaps with the Mongoose Traveller SRD.

Either are doable projects.

 

[mike wightman]

I've run a few sessions of a 5ED&D/Traveller mash up.

Generate character using CT.

Convert to 5E proficiencies/skills (the bit I borrow from d20Modern are the three different character types). Trick is to really trim the skill list.

Plays better than it sounds.

 

[whartung]

And for the purpose of this set of rules what is Traveller is defined as the set of weapons, tech, gear, world generation, and starship creation similar to what the majority of Traveller edition featured. For example Jump Drive are Jump Drive in most editions of Traveller. The base stats for worlds are largely compatible from edition to edition. Traveller features guns and bullets more than beams and lasers.

Which I think really summarizes the question.

"What is Traveller"

What makes, for example, TNE "Traveller" vs T2K and DC, with the same mechanics.

Outside of the Imperium, with the Vilani, and other Alien races.

Is it simply the Jump drive? Is that really the distinguishing characteristic of Traveller?

For me, it's the Hard Tech of it, the Jump Drive, and the trade system. I think FFW is as close as we're going to get to view of high level operations in a Jump drive based universe. I would like to have more detail on wilderness refueling, and some day run some tactical attacks on a gas giant to better understand that battle space, since I think that is key to understanding the operational game. I'd like to see the fleet train better documented, some supply guidelines (I know there have been some comparative stabs at that in the recent past). Better understanding of the economy would be good too. In the end, I still feel that battle is extraordinarily expense, very, very lethal, and clashing empires will stand still very quickly as their fleets are destroyed and become too costly to risk and field. I think what happened in the Rebellion is pretty "realistic" in the abstract, all told.

Miller can claim it's "Space Opera" all he wants, but if so, he sure let Chadwick overshadow the bulk of the design elements, shrouding that aspect of the game. Perhaps politically and culturally it's more Space Opera-ish.

The imperium and politics are really a far second for me. I've never been much of a Canonista in that regard.