MGT Only: Who's using MgT v1 stats and info with MgT2E?

[Spinward Scout]

Has anyone been mixing and matching with the two different versions of Traveller?

Specifically, have you been pulling over stats and info from version1 into the latest Mongoose Version 2?

I've wondered what the difference is, if any. I know Characters don't have Homeworld skills in version 2.

But if you throw a Character from version 1 up against a character from version 2, how well does that work? Can characters in version 2 use equipment from version 1 without any changes? I just think that it's such a big resource, I'd hate for it to go to waste. 760 Patrons should work, right? But what about 1001 Characters?

Would this go better in the 'Ask Mongoose' forum?

 

[Daidoji Dave]

Number-wise, characters are fully compatible between editions. Careers award the same number of skills, stats are on the same scale. There is no conversion formula you'd ever apply. Even homeworld skills always came out of your Background Skills budget, so there's been no change in how many are awarded. So I've used my old 1e NPCs and custom careers freely in 2e.

You do need to know a few skills have changed, but that's mainly in changing cascade skill categories, which will be captured just by copying onto a 2e character sheet. Then watch out for Zero G (change to Athletics-Dex) and Engineering-Electronics (change to Mechanic or an appropriate Electronics specialty),

The 1e career books are more compatible than they seem. They all introduced one or two new skills, a decision that has hurt their staying power. But those skills weren't in 1e core either, and it's straightforward to replace with an appropriate core book skill in either edition. (Persuade instead of Recruiting from Mercenary, or Stealth in place of Security from Rogue.)

Creatures changed a little, but not so much you can't convert on the fly. Add 1e creature Str and End to generate 2e creature hits (and remember that 2e creatures may flee at 50% damage, go unconscious at 90% and die at 100%) and you'll be close enough.

The above means the 1e core creature generator is still useable in a 2e campaign, until they get around to a 2e version. It's got a couple extra steps that a native 2e generator wouldn't have since you're using it then converting, but not terrible, and mechanically compatible.

1e Central Supply Catalog weapons are basically on the same scale as 2e weapons, but 1e CSC had some abuseable break points. So the rewrite was a selling point for 2e. Pick a horse and stick with it, and better to stick with 2e. But pulling weapons from other 1e sources won't break anything.

Vehicle design was simplified slightly in 2e, which I prefer overall. But they're similar enough under the hood you can use 1e options that didn't survive simplification into 2e. This might change in the forthcoming rewrite of Vehicles, but it's too early to say. I wouldn't run out and buy either old Vehicles book now, but use whatever you have freely.

Ship design has probably changed the most. They're still close enough you can use 1e deck plans and drive ratings for regular Travelling without changing anything, but if you're doing ship combat you'll want to know that 1e designs will be unoptimized compared to 2e designs.