What is the point of 5e Traveller

[spank]

Just a quick aside, If you want a more linear response from the task check you can substitute 1d11+1.
It will provide the same range, but with a higher deviation, 3.16 vs 2.42

AnyDice

AnyDice is an advanced dice probability calculator, available online. It is created with roleplaying games in mind.

anydice.com

The OP starting out this thread with the question "what is the point of Traveller 5e?" Here is my answer:

1. I like playing Traveller, cutting my teeth with classic Traveller.
2. I have realized that 2d6 is an unfortunate choice as the main roll for a game system. (Obviously this is a minority opinion here.) I don't want to start a big debate about it, but for me it results in too many average results of 6-8, and the only good rolls are 9 and 10, and then 11 and 12 are very rare. The same happens on the low side. It just doesn't give enough spread of results.
3. I solved this for Traveller by using GURPS: Traveller.
4. However, over the years I have realized that flat rolls are a better foundation to build a RPG system. Again, I know this is a minority opinion. I agree a bell shaped curve is more realistic. However, much gaming has convinced me that flat probabilities lead to a more fun, less predictable, and all around better games.
5. I value support in a game. That means I want lots of materials available to play the game. I want lots of forums to discuss the game. I want lots of games at conventions and at game shops. (Even if I don't play organized games, I still think they add to a game by attracting people and supplemental materials.)
6. Therefore, I'm interested in Traveller 5e, but my interest in conditional on these things happening:

• It supports the Traveller Universe (because otherwise it is not Traveller for me).
• It feels like Traveller to me. This is why I'm so interested in how Traveller 5e handles levels and lethality of character advancement. These things are hard to convert to D&D and impact the "Traveller feel".
• It has a lot of support (because otherwise I might as well use GURPS).
• It is straight forward to convert materials from other versions of Traveller to 5e (again,because otherwise I might as well use GURPS). It is easy to convert Traveller material from other systems in to GURPS.

So that is why I'm interested in, and following, Traveler 5e. To answer those four bullet points above. I think they have already made one mistake: using D&D 5e (2014) as the base, rather than 5.5e (2024). However, that alone is not fatal to the project as far as I'm concerned (but it is dumb).

Joshua

 

[Black Vulmea]

The OP starting out this thread with the question "what is the point of Traveller 5e?"

Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.

 

[mike wightman]

The OP starting out this thread with the question "what is the point of Traveller 5e?" Here is my answer:

1. I like playing Traveller, cutting my teeth with classic Traveller.

Me too, I still use mostly CT to run games, with what I consider improvements taken from all over the place. But you would still recognise it as CT.

1. I have realized that 2d6 is an unfortunate choice as the main roll for a game system. (Obviously this is a minority opinion here.) I don't want to start a big debate about it, but for me it results in too many average results of 6-8, and the only good rolls are 9 and 10, and then 11 and 12 are very rare. The same happens on the low side. It just doesn't give enough spread of results.

This is a great point. Once you stack DMs the 2d6 system starts to fail.

1. I solved this for Traveller by using GURPS: Traveller.

2d10 works well in practice too, but the real fun is with 2d12

1. However, over the years I have realized that flat rolls are a better foundation to build a RPG system. Again, I know this is a minority opinion. I agree a bell shaped curve is more realistic. However, much gaming has convinced me that flat probabilities lead to a more fun, less predictable, and all around better games.

I have found that the majority of people I have gamed with over the years do not understand the probability distrubution of Nd systems and do not comprehend how a DM of +1 or +2 can have a considerably bigger effect than in a linear system. d20 and d100 systems do have much easier understood probability.

1. I value support in a game. That means I want lots of materials available to play the game. I want lots of forums to discuss the game. I want lots of games at conventions and at game shops. (Even if I don't play organized games, I still think they add to a game by attracting people and supplemental materials.)

Wekk the CotI boards and the Mongoose boards see a lot of traffic.

1. Therefore, I'm interested in Traveller 5e, but my interest in conditional on these things happening:

• It supports the Traveller Universe (because otherwise it is not Traveller for me).
• It feels like Traveller to me. This is why I'm so interested in how Traveller 5e handles levels and lethality of character advancement. These things are hard to convert to D&D and impact the "Traveller feel".
• It has a lot of support (because otherwise I might as well use GURPS).
• It is straight forward to convert materials from other versions of Traveller to 5e (again,because otherwise I might as well use GURPS). It is easy to convert Traveller material from other systems in to GURPS.

These are all good points to make.

So that is why I'm interested in, and following, Traveler 5e. To answer those four bullet points above. I think they have already made one mistake: using D&D 5e (2014) as the base, rather than 5.5e (2024). However, that alone is not fatal to the project as far as I'm concerned (but it is dumb).

Joshua

I for one am glad they stayed away from the wokefest that is the latest version of the rules, the first incarnation of D&D I will not be buying.