Yeeehaww!!! I got it!! I got a copy of T20!

[yaskoydray]

I commence my second post here with a good start: I got 1 of 2 copies of the new T20 Handbook the arrived at my FLGS here in Montreal. That's right, T20 has reached Canada just last weekend.

I have a great deal of material to digest from this tome, but a couple of things jumped out at me (going from memory now).

1) Races: Droyne, Hiver, and K'kree are mentioned in passing (a paragraph each) but their rules material was replaced by some minor races, both human off-shoots, and aliens--like the Virushii!

2) Designs: gearheads will like the fact that there's a huge chapter on vehicle and ship designs. Its goodness will take some time to assess--but I like it so far.

3) Prestige Classes: there are 4! Ace Pilot, TNS Reporter, Big Game Hunter, and Psionicist! (I'm going on memory here.)

4) Referee Stuff: Solar System generation, Campaign setting materials, a small adventure IIRC, and gobs of technology info. I guess that's to be expected.

5) Most of the interior is b/w with coloured pages showing up in small groups with nice inspirational pics! Layout is quite readable. It's a heavy book too!

6) The material on Psionics is a small chapter. Like CT it covers basic stuff--nothing too wild or fancy--and abilities harken back to Traveller's classic roots. Nice. Subtle but capable. And you can skip psionics altogether I suppose. YMMV.

Sorry if I seem imprecise. I lent my book to my best friend for a few days--he nuttier about Traveller than I am

--so I will get back later with more details ASAP.

Post your questions here if you like, I'll answer them very soon unless others beat me to it. Surely, I can't be the only one on Earth with this book!

-Y.

 

[Tarn]

Yeap T20 is out in Canada -- Got it in a shore on Friday past. Bought half of what they had (Okay there were only two).

 

[GBoyett]

Originally posted by Yaskoydray:
1) Races: Droyne, Hiver, and K'kree are mentioned in passing (a paragraph each) but their rules material was replaced by some minor races, both human off-shoots, and aliens--like the Virushii!

What races are available for character generation?

Originally posted by Yaskoydray:
3) Prestige Classes: there are 4! Ace Pilot, TNS Reporter, Big Game Hunter, and Psionicist! (I'm going on memory here.)

What about regular classes?

Originally posted by Yaskoydray:
Sorry if I seem imprecise. I lent my book to my best friend for a few days--he nuttier about Traveller than I am

--so I will get back later with more details ASAP.

Wait a sec. Are you saying you lent the book before reading it cover to cover at least three times?

 

[valen]

Don't rub it in... I'm still waiting for my pre-order book

 

[Shadowdancer]

You LENT your brand-new T20 book to a friend?

I see the makings of a bad movie here: "Dude, Where's My Book?"

 

[lord irial]

Originally posted by Paraquat Johnson:
You LENT your brand-new T20 book to a friend?

[D&Dspeak]If alignment were a Traveller convention, I'd hope your friend is Lawful Good. Of course, by loaning it, you certainly would be Chaotic Good, which is a cool thing to be.[/D&Dspeak]

 

[tenntrav]

Huzzah!!!

I pre-orderd 2 copies and I just bought one at the FLGS. I swiped it (after paying for it) out of the shipping box. Peanuts were still on it....

I guess my pre-order is going to become a birthday present to hopeful player.

tenntrav

 

[Liam Devlin]

That Lads, is why I ordered two (one by land, one by ether)! Still haven't gotten called by either. Expect ether order tomorrow or thursday perhaps.
patiently...sort of

My daughter will appreciate the prestige class TNS reporter! Hahaha! Has eaves dropping down pat (like right now..!)

 

[yaskoydray]

On D&Disms: My friend is rather Chaotic Good too--even though he often plays Lawful Neutral

To answer some questions...

Races: IIRC Vargr, Aslan, and Humaniti are all written up for play. One of the minor races that is a an off-shoot of Humans a water breathing experiment of the Ancients (unfinished it seems)--imagine humans with discrete webbed hands and feet and gills(?). It made me think of that old Man from Atlantis series. Minor races, it is implied, are not ubiquitous, they are meant to be very regional...

Classes: There are Service and Core Classes.
IIRC Service ones are Army, Navy, Mercenary and Scouts. I believe service classes may only be entered in the first term--except the Scouts. Service classes get some benefits and assume some restrictions/risks the core classes never experience...
Core classes include Merchant, Professional, Academic, Belter, Barbarian, Noble, and a host of others...
Starting age varies by class of your first term, frex: the Barbarian starts at 14 years while the Navy at 18, and the Professional at 23... (95% sure IRC.) Race will also affect starting age.

That's it for now folks!

-Y.

 

[GypsyComet]

Originally posted by Yaskoydray:
Classes: There are Service and Core Classes.
IIRC Service ones are Army, Navy, Mercenary and Scouts. I believe service classes may only be entered in the first term--except the Scouts.

Hmm. Not quite (says the playtester, working on memory). These classes may only be taken if you are enlisted in the related service (ie. using the previous service tables for that service). You don't HAVE to take that class while in its related service, but it's the only time you can, so...

 

[yaskoydray]

Yeah. Sorry. My remarks concerning the classes were not that thorough. There's a whole prior service concept to T20 where you "roll through" tables, determine outcomes, earn XPs and acquire skills, feats (not sure there), and cash--sound familiar? My reading of T20-Lite and my memory of skimming the T20 Handbook, tells me one allots class levels and their benefits to a developing PC as soon as XPs allow between 4 year terms. (I better get my book back fast!) But if there are separate tables, as was in CT, per service, that would explain my error... I'm certain though, that I read the Scout Service was easier to get into later in life than the other 3 services.

What's too is it looks like you can multiclass as you run your PC through the prior service process!

This rules set has great stuff guys! WEEEEEEE!

(Ever thought Grandfather would say 'WEEEEE'? Neither did I until now

)

Later,
-Y.

 

[Nurd_boy]

Originally posted by valen:
Don't rub it in... I'm still waiting for my pre-order book

me too...but I wish I knew if it was coming ups, fedex or U.S.Snail...

 

[hunter]

Originally posted by Nurd_boy:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by valen:
Don't rub it in... I'm still waiting for my pre-order book

me too...but I wish I knew if it was coming ups, fedex or U.S.Snail...

</font>[/QUOTE]Priority Mail if you are in the US, most likely AirMail if you are overseas. Stocks are in, shipping starts tomorrow (Wed).

Hunter

 

[Liam Devlin]

Priority Mail if you are in the US, most likely AirMail if you are overseas. Stocks are in, shipping starts tomorrow (Wed).

Hunter

--------------------
HavaCola(TM)
The soft drink of choice for billions of sophonts around the Universe!
Wanna cola? HavaCola! HavaCola? Have another!
HavaCola is a trademark of Glenn-Dehaivilland Works
________________________________
And those of us on the N.AMERICAN Continent say--THANK YOUSE! (does my best imitation of certain "happy Dance" sans cheeseburger)

 

[PapaGolfWhiskey]

I got mine today.

Totally by surpise. my FLGS was acting like I had two heads when I talked about it. so I downloaded the online request form and filled it out. Thanks QLI!!

MWUHUHUHUH!... it's a good thing I wasn't responsible for anyone's medications today. I was a little distracted...

As far as I can tell service classes (with the exception of scouts who can ALWAYS level up as scouts) can only be leveled up in either:

A) while generating prior history in that service.
B) during adventures in an 'active service' campaign.

basically once your prior service ends you multi-class into some other class. (ie traveller)

The Belter and The Barb start their careers at 14. and MUST take a term in their career before multiclassing.

The various academies are subsumed into a generic university and OTC.

Anyone can go to university anytime. (Assuming their edu is high enough and the make their admission roll)

Overall and so far I'm very impressed.

though: I can't FIND the psionist. though there's clear and interesting psioncs. heh.. it's a trade off. have psionics or have other feats.

The feel from reading it is WAY more traveller than D&D. we'll see how it plays....

SOON!

Mwuhahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahah!!!!!

 

[hunter]

The Psionicist class was dropped from the book, but will likely appear in a future Psionics supplement. Currently Psionics are gained through taking the appropriate feats or finding a PSI Institute.

Hunter

 

[PapaGolfWhiskey]

Ah yes... the feats described, work for that very well.

and a nice trade too.. do you really want that weopan familiarity? or more more psi talent?

Along with psionics, hopefully more detailed t20 rules for Zhodants, especially zho spies?

 

[hunter]

Originally posted by Garf:
Ah yes... the feats described, work for that very well.

and a nice trade too.. do you really want that weopan familiarity? or more more psi talent?

Along with psionics, hopefully more detailed t20 rules for Zhodants, especially zho spies?

Haven't outlined such a supplement yet, but given the subject matter I would imagine we would include specific information about the Zhodani.

Hunter

 

[Shadowdancer]

Originally posted by hunter:
Priority Mail if you are in the US, most likely AirMail if you are overseas. Stocks are in, shipping starts tomorrow (Wed).

Some of us could have it by the weekend. Though next week is more likely.

I feel like Ralphie's old man in "A Christmas Story," when he gets the telegraph about winning "a major award."

<dances a jig around the room while singing: "Tonight, tonight, it's coming tonight, hot damn, it's coming tonight.">

 

[GBoyett]

I am one second from drooling over my laptop.

With all this T20 goodness...

I CAN'T WAIT!!!

I NEED MY T20!!!!