Good news for every Traveller fan - the Traveller Companion has been finalised!
Everything has now been written (we asked Martin to add some more chapters), edited, and is now awaiting layout. We are in the process of drafting in more graphical artists to help us with this, so expect a veritable salvo of Traveller books in 2019 (more on that in the forthcoming State of the Mongoose 2018)!
Anyway, the two things you will want to know...
When will you be able to get hold of it (ebook in Q1 next year, the printed edition in Q2), and what are the final contents?
This is what the Contents list looks like...
Characteristics (very high characteristics, and new ones such as WLT, MRL, STY and LCK)
Alternate Traveller Creation (point-buy creation lives here, as well as alternate dice rolling methods and package-based creation - we have added Bwaps too!)
Allies, Contacts, Rivals and Enemies (seriously fleshing these people out)
Pre-Career Options (want to go to the Merchant Academy, join a Psionic Community, or simply graduate from the School of Hard Knocks?)
Additional Careers (add Truthers and Believers to your crew for added spirtualness)
Training and Experience (does what it says on the tin)
Broad Skills and Specialities (a new look at skill specialities)
Alternate Play Styles (adding the Narrative Task Resolution system, Recognition of Competence, and the Mundane Events Check)
Combat (a streamlined system for ammunition, using END to shrug off damage, material destruction, new Initiative systems, wound effects, weapon scans, and combat mishaps)
Gravity and Related Effects (both high and low - don't fall off anything on a high-g world...)
Atmosphere and Vacuum (including decompression, what happens to a starship under serious pressure, and how to function underwater)
Diseases, Toxins and Chemicals (lots of new hazards to inflict upon Travellers)
Starvation and Thirst (or you can just deprive them of food...)
Effects of Temperature (...or boil/freeze them)
Terrain, Conditions and Movement (from trying to drive an ATV through a jungle to navigating in cluttered airspace)
Animal Encounters (loads more animals, and loads more traits for animals)
Vehicle Damage (fed up with Travellers punching out an air/raft? We have solutions here)
Refereeing Traveller (become the best referee in the universe...)
Interpreting UWP Data (...and figure out how to cope with weird UWPs to make fascinating environments for your adventures)
Travellermap and the Wiki (a how to guide to getting the best out of web resources)
Starports and Spaceports (learn the difference between the two, and add unique features to make every landing memorable)
Legalities and Lawbreaking (you will be using this chapter a lot, if your group is anything like ours)
Slower Than Light (who needs a jump drive?)
The Jump Drive (jump masking, precipitation and variance, mis-jumps and bad jumps, and just what is jumpspace?)
Travelling in Normal Space (orbital mechanics and interplanetary travel made simple)
Mine Warfare (creating an artificial hazard in space)
Gas Giant Operations (this one is an adventure in itself - how to travel through the many atmospheric layers of a gas giant)
Transponders, Registry and Mortgages (this answers the question 'so, why don't we just skip the mortgage payment?')
Missiles and Torpedoes (escorts, interceptor missiles, container-launchers, and more)
Starship Automation (build ships that need way less crew - or way more)
Gravitic Shielding (the ultimate in protection against kinetic weapons)
Starship Weaponry (antimatter streamers, plasma carronades, hullcutters, disintegrators, ground defence guns, GP mass drivers, and torpedo-interceptor clusters)
As mentioned before, Martin still has plenty of ideas for 'cool things to do in Traveller' so do not be surprised if Traveller Companion Volume 2 becomes a thing in years to come...
Everything has now been written (we asked Martin to add some more chapters), edited, and is now awaiting layout. We are in the process of drafting in more graphical artists to help us with this, so expect a veritable salvo of Traveller books in 2019 (more on that in the forthcoming State of the Mongoose 2018)!
Anyway, the two things you will want to know...
When will you be able to get hold of it (ebook in Q1 next year, the printed edition in Q2), and what are the final contents?
This is what the Contents list looks like...
Characteristics (very high characteristics, and new ones such as WLT, MRL, STY and LCK)
Alternate Traveller Creation (point-buy creation lives here, as well as alternate dice rolling methods and package-based creation - we have added Bwaps too!)
Allies, Contacts, Rivals and Enemies (seriously fleshing these people out)
Pre-Career Options (want to go to the Merchant Academy, join a Psionic Community, or simply graduate from the School of Hard Knocks?)
Additional Careers (add Truthers and Believers to your crew for added spirtualness)
Training and Experience (does what it says on the tin)
Broad Skills and Specialities (a new look at skill specialities)
Alternate Play Styles (adding the Narrative Task Resolution system, Recognition of Competence, and the Mundane Events Check)
Combat (a streamlined system for ammunition, using END to shrug off damage, material destruction, new Initiative systems, wound effects, weapon scans, and combat mishaps)
Gravity and Related Effects (both high and low - don't fall off anything on a high-g world...)
Atmosphere and Vacuum (including decompression, what happens to a starship under serious pressure, and how to function underwater)
Diseases, Toxins and Chemicals (lots of new hazards to inflict upon Travellers)
Starvation and Thirst (or you can just deprive them of food...)
Effects of Temperature (...or boil/freeze them)
Terrain, Conditions and Movement (from trying to drive an ATV through a jungle to navigating in cluttered airspace)
Animal Encounters (loads more animals, and loads more traits for animals)
Vehicle Damage (fed up with Travellers punching out an air/raft? We have solutions here)
Refereeing Traveller (become the best referee in the universe...)
Interpreting UWP Data (...and figure out how to cope with weird UWPs to make fascinating environments for your adventures)
Travellermap and the Wiki (a how to guide to getting the best out of web resources)
Starports and Spaceports (learn the difference between the two, and add unique features to make every landing memorable)
Legalities and Lawbreaking (you will be using this chapter a lot, if your group is anything like ours)
Slower Than Light (who needs a jump drive?)
The Jump Drive (jump masking, precipitation and variance, mis-jumps and bad jumps, and just what is jumpspace?)
Travelling in Normal Space (orbital mechanics and interplanetary travel made simple)
Mine Warfare (creating an artificial hazard in space)
Gas Giant Operations (this one is an adventure in itself - how to travel through the many atmospheric layers of a gas giant)
Transponders, Registry and Mortgages (this answers the question 'so, why don't we just skip the mortgage payment?')
Missiles and Torpedoes (escorts, interceptor missiles, container-launchers, and more)
Starship Automation (build ships that need way less crew - or way more)
Gravitic Shielding (the ultimate in protection against kinetic weapons)
Starship Weaponry (antimatter streamers, plasma carronades, hullcutters, disintegrators, ground defence guns, GP mass drivers, and torpedo-interceptor clusters)
As mentioned before, Martin still has plenty of ideas for 'cool things to do in Traveller' so do not be surprised if Traveller Companion Volume 2 becomes a thing in years to come...
