Wanderer is a shorthand term for the idea of using Traveller for fantasy, and represents a number of unfinished drafts on paper with different goals. For example, how magic is used and implemented depends on the person, and the setting is indeterminate. My preference is a low-fantasy (approximately earthlike, and without dragons and wizards) setting, perhaps like the Argonautica, Odyssey, Conan, and Sinbad the Sailor.
The mockup which inspired Wanderer threads is on the web somewhere, and has this fictional product listing:
Book 1: Characters and Combat
Human Character Generation. Human characters are generated by rolling two dice for each of the six basic characteristics: Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, and Social standing.
Careers. After rolling characteristics, the player selects a career for his character from the provided list. Careers are resolved using the Traveller 5 character generation pages, with substitutions given in the following pages for each career. If a character fails to enter the selected career, he is submitted to fate and his career is determined by rolling two dice, matching the result with the career list.
Note The term 'barbarian' is a Modifier, not a Career (The Barbarian Librarian). Strictly speaking, a barbarian is someone foreign to The Culture. Thus, a Scholar can be considered a Barbarian Scholar if he's from Beyond the Westward Marshes.
02 - Academician
Scholars are few and far between, and generally gather into enclaves or guilds. They are architects, healers, and scribes.
03 - Muse
A muse is a bard, composer, court jester, or shaman.
Muses have supernatural skills, and use them to entertain, enrich, improve, fascinate, convince, intimidate, deceive, confuse or overwhelm. More disciplined muses are sometimes called mages, and are in demand in courts. Aggressive muses are sometimes called sorcerers, and are in demand on the battlefield.
04 - Freeman
The lowest respectable rung of civilization. The people who do hard labor on their own land. Some are Wanderers, traveling alone or in clans, living on no one’s land for long, trudging highly trafficked routes, eking out an existence where various skills are needed.
05 - Ranger (Scout, T5 p87) Adjustments:
ADAPTED SKILLS
Mustering Out Benefits. Low Passage = Steerage. Basic amenities, typically with limited toilet use, no privacy, and poor food. And so on for the various benefits. Life Insurance is an actual Life Insurance policy, as in "your designees get all your junk when you die", rather than the Traveller-style policy. A Wafer Jack is replaced with an Abacus, Compass, or other useful piece of equipment.
06 - Merchant
07 - Sailor
A member of a state navy, the seafaring arm of a merchants guild, or pirate ship. They are skilled in sailing various kinds of ships.
Service Branches: Explorer, Pirate, Trader, Navy
08 - Warrior
The fighting member of a tribe or clan, or a member of a state’s military forces, secular or religious. The Crusader, the Barbarian, the Ronin. Warriors are known for their loyalty and honor, and are morally bound to protect their homeland. Warriors are often seen embarking on lost causes, escorting holy relics, or slaying large numbers of hostile animals (or opponents) in a methodical way. Clan elders or a royal court are the Warrior's provider and patron.
The Warrior, when removed or cut off from state or clan ties, becomes a soldier of fortune, a sword for hire, a barbarian, a wandering ranger, or a member of a mercenary guild.
Service Branches: Soldier, Cavalry, Assassin, Berserker
Ranks
E1 Recruit
E2 Pikeman
E3 Militia
E4 Guard
E5 Swordsman
E6 Veteran
O1 Capora
O2 Steadholder
O3 Colonna
O4 Lokhos
O5 General
O6 Warlord
09 - Emissary
The emissary is seen running fool’s errands; travelling to a foreign land in order to represent one's city-state, or king, or nation; delivering ultimatums to hostile foreign or supernatural powers; carrying out very small tactical missions (one to four people); and infiltrating enemy camps to gather information.
Vizier, Paladin, Agent, Spy
10 - Rogue
A member of the urban street survivalists, the low-lifes, the pickpockets, people who have slipped through the cracks of society and culture: the truly desperate.
The rural rogue is the pirate: the highwayman, the sea-scourge, the semi-civilized oceanic nomad. Pirates usually travel in groups and are usually up to no good. Some Pirates are ex-Marines who have been cut off from their state support. The pirate often talks with bizarre accents and owns parrots or monkeys.
11 - Noble
Nobility live in service of their kingdom, whether or not said kingdom still exists. They also belong to secret societies, with high aims or base purposes. Nobles trained in warfare belong to organizations like the Knights Templar, whose deeds hint at deep, perhaps unknowable, perhaps supernatural purposes, good or evil.
12 - Marine
The mockup which inspired Wanderer threads is on the web somewhere, and has this fictional product listing:
Wanderer Mockup said:
Book 1: Characters and Combat
Human Character Generation. Human characters are generated by rolling two dice for each of the six basic characteristics: Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, and Social standing.
Careers. After rolling characteristics, the player selects a career for his character from the provided list. Careers are resolved using the Traveller 5 character generation pages, with substitutions given in the following pages for each career. If a character fails to enter the selected career, he is submitted to fate and his career is determined by rolling two dice, matching the result with the career list.
Code:
02 Academician
03 Muse
04 Freeman
05 Ranger
06 Merchant
07 Sailor
08 Warrior
09 Emissary
10 Rogue
11 Noble
12 MarineNote The term 'barbarian' is a Modifier, not a Career (The Barbarian Librarian). Strictly speaking, a barbarian is someone foreign to The Culture. Thus, a Scholar can be considered a Barbarian Scholar if he's from Beyond the Westward Marshes.
02 - Academician
Scholars are few and far between, and generally gather into enclaves or guilds. They are architects, healers, and scribes.
03 - Muse
A muse is a bard, composer, court jester, or shaman.
Muses have supernatural skills, and use them to entertain, enrich, improve, fascinate, convince, intimidate, deceive, confuse or overwhelm. More disciplined muses are sometimes called mages, and are in demand in courts. Aggressive muses are sometimes called sorcerers, and are in demand on the battlefield.
04 - Freeman
The lowest respectable rung of civilization. The people who do hard labor on their own land. Some are Wanderers, traveling alone or in clans, living on no one’s land for long, trudging highly trafficked routes, eking out an existence where various skills are needed.
05 - Ranger (Scout, T5 p87) Adjustments:
- Couriers do NOT avoid risk and reward. Instead, Academics avoids risk and reward.
- Overall text: replace "world" and "worlds" with "land" and "lands".
- The Scout's Duties: replace "ship" with "ship or cart".
ADAPTED SKILLS
- Astronomer (was: Astrogator)
- Communications (heliograph, semaphore, whistle-language)
- Mathematician (was: Computer) (trigonometry, trajectory, calendrics)
- Rider (was: Driver)
- Gears and Power (was: Electronics)
- Builder (was: Engineer)
- Hydraulics (was: Fluidics)
- Glider (was: Flyer)
- Mason (was: Gravitics)
- Cannon (was: Gunner)
- Catapult (includes Ballista, Onager, etc) (was: Heavy Weapons)
- Heavy Lifting (was: Hi-G)
- Body Awareness (was: Hostile Environment)
- Optics (was: Photonics)
- Pilot/Galley Regulator (drummer)
- Botanist (was: Polymers)
- Loom Card Designer (was: Programmer)
- Tracker (was: Sensors)
- Diving Bell (was: Vacc Suit)
- Free-diving (was: Zero-G)
Mustering Out Benefits. Low Passage = Steerage. Basic amenities, typically with limited toilet use, no privacy, and poor food. And so on for the various benefits. Life Insurance is an actual Life Insurance policy, as in "your designees get all your junk when you die", rather than the Traveller-style policy. A Wafer Jack is replaced with an Abacus, Compass, or other useful piece of equipment.
06 - Merchant
07 - Sailor
A member of a state navy, the seafaring arm of a merchants guild, or pirate ship. They are skilled in sailing various kinds of ships.
Service Branches: Explorer, Pirate, Trader, Navy
08 - Warrior
The fighting member of a tribe or clan, or a member of a state’s military forces, secular or religious. The Crusader, the Barbarian, the Ronin. Warriors are known for their loyalty and honor, and are morally bound to protect their homeland. Warriors are often seen embarking on lost causes, escorting holy relics, or slaying large numbers of hostile animals (or opponents) in a methodical way. Clan elders or a royal court are the Warrior's provider and patron.
The Warrior, when removed or cut off from state or clan ties, becomes a soldier of fortune, a sword for hire, a barbarian, a wandering ranger, or a member of a mercenary guild.
Service Branches: Soldier, Cavalry, Assassin, Berserker
Ranks
E1 Recruit
E2 Pikeman
E3 Militia
E4 Guard
E5 Swordsman
E6 Veteran
O1 Capora
O2 Steadholder
O3 Colonna
O4 Lokhos
O5 General
O6 Warlord
09 - Emissary
The emissary is seen running fool’s errands; travelling to a foreign land in order to represent one's city-state, or king, or nation; delivering ultimatums to hostile foreign or supernatural powers; carrying out very small tactical missions (one to four people); and infiltrating enemy camps to gather information.
Vizier, Paladin, Agent, Spy
10 - Rogue
A member of the urban street survivalists, the low-lifes, the pickpockets, people who have slipped through the cracks of society and culture: the truly desperate.
The rural rogue is the pirate: the highwayman, the sea-scourge, the semi-civilized oceanic nomad. Pirates usually travel in groups and are usually up to no good. Some Pirates are ex-Marines who have been cut off from their state support. The pirate often talks with bizarre accents and owns parrots or monkeys.
11 - Noble
Nobility live in service of their kingdom, whether or not said kingdom still exists. They also belong to secret societies, with high aims or base purposes. Nobles trained in warfare belong to organizations like the Knights Templar, whose deeds hint at deep, perhaps unknowable, perhaps supernatural purposes, good or evil.
12 - Marine
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