Traveller D20 Questions

[tjoneslo]

Marc, Hunter:
I have a few questions about this new D20 Traveller.

Product Support:
After the core book is published, are you planning any support books?
Sector books?
Redoing books like Scouts or Merchant Prince for D20?
World Books?

Who might write these books? Internal people? previously published greats from the Traveller past? Anyone who shows up with a manuscript?

How much playtesting is in your plans for the Core (and possibly other) books?

What other kinds of support are you planning for this version of Traveller?

How much, if any are you planning on supporting the other existing, in (or out) of print versions of Traveller?
CT Conversions?
MT Conversions?
TNE Conversion?
T4/T5 Conversion?
GURPS Traveller Conversions?

How much of the non-D20 rules are you going to keep? From which version? And which are you going to update?
Universal World Profile? Trade Rules? Extended system Generation? Starship/vehicle construction rules? Starship combat rules?


Setting Support:
The domain you are using was originally licened to Judges Guild, decannonized then rebuild (partly) in Atlas of the Imperium. The internal data for these sectors was (IIRC) generated by DGP, who's randomizers has some problems.
Are you even going to publish the astrographic data?
Which version of the astrographic data are you using, one of these or are you generating all you own?
Are you going to make an effort to overcome some of the limitations of generating an entire domain by random?

From the material posted on the T20 site, I can see you have at least on minor human race plus one alien race planned for the area. How many more MHR and Aliens are planned?

How predominatly has the Astrography of the surrounding space been calculated into your plans?
For example, the K'Kree empire is not more than one sector beyond outer edge of the domain. And the Vargr, and the Hivers

And what about the pocket empires, some of which have been canonized?

Are you going to delibertly downplay the presence and role of the Aslan, Zhodani and Solomani because they are on the other side of the Imperium?

 

[hunter]

Wow, big list! Let me see what answers I can give you!

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Product Support:
After the core book is published, are you planning any support books?
Sector books?
Redoing books like Scouts or Merchant Prince for D20?
World Books?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We are already at work on the first of the source books in addition to the D20 book. We will be doing Sector Quadrant books, starting with Ley Sector. A quadrant is a grouping of 4 subsectors, 2x2. We will detail one subsector in full, and leave the other three subsectors open for Referee development and customizing. The source books will be BOTH d20 and Classic Traveller compatible with character stats for both.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Who might write these books? Internal people? previously published greats from the Traveller past? Anyone who shows up with a manuscript?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We are already speaking with a few folks with prior Traveller publishing background, and since the announcement we have begun to get even more offers. So basically the answer is we will be accepting some outside development, as budget allows.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
How much playtesting is in your plans for the Core (and possibly other) books?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'll be posting information on playtesting later this weekend.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
What other kinds of support are you planning for this version of Traveller?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Supplements, sourcebooks, adventures, etc…

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
How much, if any are you planning on supporting the other existing, in (or out) of print versions of Traveller?
CT Conversions?
MT Conversions?
TNE Conversion?
T4/T5 Conversion?
GURPS Traveller Conversions?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We plan to fully support Classic Traveller. GURPS conversions and stats are up to the folks at SJG as to if they will allow us to do so.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
How much of the non-D20 rules are you going to keep? From which version? And which are you going to update?
Universal World Profile? Trade Rules? Extended system Generation? Starship/vehicle construction rules? Starship combat rules?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Starship design and construction will be as per High Guard, worlds will be as per Book 3. UWPs, Trade Rules, etc… are Classic Traveller. Starship combat will likely follow the High Guard steps and procedures, but replace the To Hit and Penetration tables with D20 style tasks.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Setting Support:
The domain you are using was originally licened to Judges Guild, decannonized then rebuild (partly) in Atlas of the Imperium. The internal data for these sectors was (IIRC) generated by DGP, who's randomizers has some problems.
Are you even going to publish the astrographic data?
Which version of the astrographic data are you using, one of these or are you generating all you own?
Are you going to make an effort to overcome some of the limitations of generating an entire domain by random?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

We, QuikLink, now own all rights and trademarks to all of the former Judges Guild science-fiction material, including the Traveller stuff. The base UWP information for Gateway Domain is culled from Atlas of the Imperium, and we will be modifying it as necessary.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
From the material posted on the T20 site, I can see you have at least on minor human race plus one alien race planned for the area. How many more MHR and Aliens are planned?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That will be in the core rule book. Likely new races and minor humans will be introduced as needed or desired. Possibly in the form of an Aliens volume.

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
How predominatly has the Astrography of the surrounding space been calculated into your plans?
For example, the K'Kree empire is not more than one sector beyond outer edge of the domain. And the Vargr, and the Hivers
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

They factor in quite decidedly for as you mention they are quite near the Gateway Domain. The Hiver and K'kree will not be as large a factor in Ley sector and Glimmerdrift, but will be an increasing factor as we develop the regions closer to those cultures. The Vargr and Solomani will also play a significant part in the development of this region, with the Solomani Rim and Julian Protectorate almost as close as the Hiver and K'kree.


<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
And what about the pocket empires, some of which have been canonized?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

If they are mentioned in the Atlas, they will be included and documented. Are their any in particular you are interested in?

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>
Are you going to delibertly downplay the presence and role of the Aslan, Zhodani and Solomani because they are on the other side of the Imperium?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The Zhodani yes, they will have little factor other than being 'in the news' for the most part due to the distance from the Consulate. The Aslan will not have much of a presence, but the Solomani most certainly will be a big factor in things in Gateway with the Solomani Rim War raging only a couple of sectors away.

Whew! If you have any more question, or need more details let me know!

Hunter
The D20 Traveller Team

 

[ShaneHenry]

I know Traveller D20 (as a hard SF setting) must have a different 'feel' from Star Wars D20, but I'd hope that the majority of the mundane SF-relevant rules from SWD20 will be compatible with T20. I'm thinking of things like stats for generic equipment, weapons, and vehicles. Also, please take into account the minor variations between D&D3E and SWD20, such as in the human age categories, primitive weapon stats, and the treatment of the speak/read/write language skill(s) (with yet another, more detailed version in the upcoming Weird Wars D20 game). Since one of the claims of Traveller is that it's usable for any SF milieu, I think it'd be a good thing if the D20 versions of Traveller and Star Wars (and Farscape) were as compatible as possible (while still maintaining the flavor of the Travller universe). I hope the T20 design team keeps abreast of new and upcoming D20 rules developments, such as those in Star Wars Gamer, SW Alien Anthology, SW Starships of the Galaxy, Farscape D20, D20 Magazine, Call of Cthulhu, Weird Wars, and Deadlands D20 (as these latter games may have rules relevant to low-tech worlds), and new uses of existing D20 skills from the Sword & Fist/Defenders of the Faith line. Maybe you guys could get your hands on a preview copy of all those materials which haven't been released yet. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing Traveller, the premiere SF RPG, given a D20 treatment. Thanks.

Shane

 

[The Shoveller]

I don't have anything to do with the design team, but I can answer some of this.

All a D20 system game can include from works such as Star Wars and D&D3e is what WotC puts into the D20 Open License. There is basically NO Star Wars stuff in that license and and very little from D&D supplemental books either. That stuff is all under WotC copyright and can't be copied until WotC puts it in the open license. If you want all that stuff you mentioned, bug WotC about including it in their Open License.

 

[Takei]

Hunter, can you give us any idea when we can expect to see the T20 core book?

Also, on the RPGRealms site it mentions that you intend to support CT with future releases. Presumably that now means by including CT game specific info in T20 books?

Finally, I wish you the best of luck with T20. Anything that spreads the Trav Good Word gets my support!

Cheers
Paul Bendall