What is next?

So I have Pocket MongT (PockMongT- isn't that a pokemon???) now. What book should I get next and why?

Let me set this up by saying that my sci fi setting is completely homebrew. I'm not going to detail it much because it is the primary setting of a novel I am half way through, but a good ballpark would be Star Trek with harder science and cyberpunk elements mixed with a healthy dose of Lovecraft and Howard. If that makes any sense to you at all, then, please: What Traveller books should I get next and why?
 
Hey first see what is planned to be released in the next coming months and from my own experience just buy it all. Yes buy it all because elements in one book or another can always be used in some setting in the future. Build a library of all the Traveller books and you can always pick and choose any given element to add in a campaign at anytime.

Penn
 
howardfanatic said:
but a good ballpark would be Star Trek with harder science and cyberpunk elements mixed with a healthy dose of Lovecraft and Howard. If that makes any sense to you at all, then, please: What Traveller books should I get next and why?

Well, based solely on that broad description and how I perceive it, I would say you should look at Traders and Gunboats and High Guard to cover the ship and naval aspects; Scout for the exploratory, and Probably Psion for the Lovecraft side. Mercenary has a number of additional enhancements and augments for a Cyperpunk feel but it is mostly a military/Merc book.

In the interests of full disclosure, I don't have Scout or Psion yet as they haven't made it down under to my FLGS.
 
Walker said:
Well, based solely on that broad description and how I perceive it, I would say you should look at Traders and Gunboats and High Guard to cover the ship and naval aspects; Scout for the exploratory, and Probably Psion for the Lovecraft side. Mercenary has a number of additional enhancements and augments for a Cyperpunk feel but it is mostly a military/Merc book.

In the interests of full disclosure, I don't have Scout or Psion yet as they haven't made it down under to my FLGS.

Well, it would be hard for Psion to not being scheduled for release until next month.
 
AndrewW said:
Walker said:
Well, based solely on that broad description and how I perceive it, I would say you should look at Traders and Gunboats and High Guard to cover the ship and naval aspects; Scout for the exploratory, and Probably Psion for the Lovecraft side. Mercenary has a number of additional enhancements and augments for a Cyperpunk feel but it is mostly a military/Merc book.

In the interests of full disclosure, I don't have Scout or Psion yet as they haven't made it down under to my FLGS.

Well, it would be hard for Psion to not being scheduled for release until next month.

Fair point! :oops:
 
The essentials are all there in the core rulebook. You don't need anything else, because all the rest of the series are just gravy.

However ...

While the role of Mercenary is optional, as is Scout, both being as they are sourcebooks dealing with a particular career type, one essential book is already out. High Guard is the essential guide to starship design, a valuable addition to the core rulebook's starship design rules. High Guard enables you to create vessels ranging from the likes of X-wing fighters through to mighty battleships. Indeed, it can be said that the basic starship creation rules alone might not be sufficient to design some of the more exotic types of starship you are likely to encounter, such as million ton sublight generation ships and solar sail pleasure yachts.

Will your campaign have a heavy Belter emphasis and presence? The adventure Beltstrike has the Belter career paths, and a close look at that particular career and at Belter culture. Asteroid mining is given a good, long look, and asteroid habitats are described in Beltstrike in detail (something to consider if you have a capital world set in an asteroid belt like Glisten in the Spinward Marches).

If you are planning on having your characters thrust into the back end of the legal system as convicts in a prison setting, Prison Planet is your best bet here. This adventure details a fully working prison with optional Ancient alien base, for a plot twist or two. Prison Planet explores prisoners' culture, gang warfare, explains the Reputation character development system, looks at how to run gangs as collectives using a modified version of the Reputation rating covering each gang as a single entity, and it goes through a list of useful tech and equipment, including narcotics (if you're running a law enforcement story, you might want to look at that list as inspiration).

If your characters are going to be thrown into an "Across The Bright Face" - style survival story, Scout is your best guide: this book takes a long look at what Survival really means, introduces the Stress rating (a system revisited in Prison Planet) and outlines exactly how, and where, Survival skill is most useful to wilderness-exploring Travellers.

Every book has at least one useful article in it, whether it's something about the real world elements which a character might want to go prospecting after (either asteroid mining or mining on a planet like Tarkwall in Prison Planet) or lists of equipment and vehicles which scout service personnel can call upon, such as ground effect flycycles and ManPac sensor packages (think modular tricorders, and you'll have a fairly good idea).

Psion? Hasn't come out yet. Don't worry. If you like your scenarios to ramp up the weirdness an order of magnitude, this looks like your best starting point. Apparently mental trauma is described in this book, so if you want your characters to enjoy your very own home brewed flavours of madness, you might want to wait till Psion comes out first.

Oh, and Agent (a book that's a long, long away compared to Psion) is being touted as the book for all those high tech hijinks and Q Division shenanigans that serve to blur the line between spy thriller, SF and cyberpunk. Mission: Impossible in space with a hint of Burning Chrome? That, I believe, is Book 5, publication date TBA (but eagerly awaited).

Vehicle guides are in the pipeline, as is the World Builder's book (which allows you to detail every hunk of rock and gas giant in your systems) and, I believe, another adaptation of a CT adventure, Murder on Arcturus Station, which will allow you to plan and run a classic Whodunnit murder mystery scenario, where logic and investigation will be the characters' strongest weapons.

They're all absolutely essential, and yet they're all also entirely optional. Each one gives you one small facet of the world of Traveller according to Mongoose, but you only really need the core rulebook to run a full and complete Traveller game.

The core rulebook, and High Guard. (You'd need High Guard to fathom out the ship designs in Traders & Gunboats and also Fighting Ships. If you're looking at these two books, High Guard is essential).

Ite. Missa est.
 
The completionist in me wants to get them all.

High Guard would be the most valuable because of the expanded ship design rules. I bought the pocket book and while I was impressed by it, I thought the ship design rules left a lot to be desired.

I personally want to run a ATU with differences between the OTU (some major, some minor). I've had my mind on a Scout campaign, so I thought I would pick up Scout but can't seem to come across it (plus most stores where I'm from seem to up the price on these books considerably). But I also like to design my own ships, and High Guard is needed for that.
 
alex_greene said:
Psion? Hasn't come out yet. Don't worry. If you like your scenarios to ramp up the weirdness an order of magnitude, this looks like your best starting point. Apparently mental trauma is described in this book, so if you want your characters to enjoy your very own home brewed flavours of madness, you might want to wait till Psion comes out first.

Psychic trauma is covered. Along with various psion orientated careers, some new equipment, new talents, mind ships, ect.

alex_greene said:
Oh, and Agent (a book that's a long, long away compared to Psion) is being touted as the book for all those high tech hijinks and Q Division shenanigans that serve to blur the line between spy thriller, SF and cyberpunk. Mission: Impossible in space with a hint of Burning Chrome? That, I believe, is Book 5, publication date TBA (but eagerly awaited).

With both of them due in May, 2009 I wouldn't say that far away from the release of Psion.

alex_greene said:
Vehicle guides are in the pipeline, as is the World Builder's book (which allows you to detail every hunk of rock and gas giant in your systems) and, I believe, another adaptation of a CT adventure, Murder on Arcturus Station, which will allow you to plan and run a classic Whodunnit murder mystery scenario, where logic and investigation will be the characters' strongest weapons.

Scheduled for a December 2009 release. Also Tripwire is scheduled for a June 2009 release.

And there's Aslan for the first of the alien modules scheduled for a June 2009 release.

Which also brings Central Supply Catalogue.

And don't forget the books that expand Traveller to other settings. Babylon 5, Judge Dredd, Hammer Slammers.
 
I bought the MGT books in an order similar to the order the CT books came out.

So it was first the Core Rules, then both High Guard and Mercenary, then recently Spinward Marches.

On that basis I'll probably buy Scout soon.

In part I'm also supporting my friendly local gaming shop to see if I can help it survive the recession. I also want to support Mongoose so they publish Judge Dredd, and maybe some other 2000AD titles, for Traveller.
 
I tell you anymore at 45 yrs old, with two sons (ages 13/10), wife, Victorian home from 1839, job, and etc...I don't have the time to travel to the gaming stores anymore. It is easier to just buy the stuff online anymore. For me buying the new releases via Pre-Order from Mongoose is just fine. I also buy from FRP games as well too. At this point I buy everything Traveller, Conan, and Hero Systems v5 via the net/online. I look forward to all the new Traveller products planned to come out in the up and coming months and have Pre-Order most of them.

Just have to have them All...!!!

Penn
 
What do you think of Hero 6 that has been announced? I've never played Hero, but I have to admit a book thick enough to stop a bullet is tempting. :twisted:
 
If your after a book that will stop bullets try the hardback of Starblazer its so thick its sure to stop artillery.
 
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