; Traveller HERO

The Traveller Universe: Traveller HERO brings the Traveller universe to the HERO role-playing game The universe of Traveller is one of the rules system. It includes the following: most fully realized game settings ever created. Adventures take place against the background Traveller HERO Book 1: Adventurers in Charted Space of a vast, star-spanning empire, with a history Traveller HERO Book 2: Adventure in Charted Space dating back over a thousand years. Locales Traveller HERO Book 3: Starship Construction In Charted Space can range from a crowded spaceport to a Traveller HERO Book 4: Starships in Charted Space lonely frontier outpost. Characters can be mer- Traveller HERO Book 5: Psionics in Charted Space chant princes, diplomats, soldiers, politicians, HERO Fifth Edition: System Reference criminals . . . or all of them at once. Political HERO Fifth Edition: System Basics intrigues, trading schemes, mind-wrenching al- HERO Fifth Edition: System Wikipedia ien enigmas, mercenary raids, wars . . . almost HERO Sixth Edition: Character Conversion Summary anything is possible. First published by Game Designers’ Golden Age Starships 1: Fast Courier Workshop in the summer of 1977, Traveller Golden Age Starships 2: Sword Worlds Patrol Cruiser was one of the first roleplaying Golden Age Starships 3: Archaic Small Craft, Launches and Gigs games (indeed, it was one of the first RPGs of Golden Age Starships 4: Ship’s Boats and Pinnaces any sort). Traveller rapidly became the stand- Golden Age Starships 5: Cutters and Shuttles ard against which other SF roleplaying games Golden Age Starships 6: LSP Modular Starship were judged, and influenced many other Sourcebook 1: Grand Fleet designs in many other genres. Spinward Marches Cluster Book 1: The Bowman Arm Spinward Marches System Guide 1: Datrillian Spinward Marches System Guide 2: Flexos Spinward Marches Adventure 1: Call of the Wild Spinward Marches Adventure 2: Range War

Special Supplement 1: Robots of Charted Space Special Supplement 2: Robot Adventures Special Supplement 3: Patron Encounters ;F Special Supplement 4: One Crowded Hour Special Supplement 5: Short Adventures TNE-Operation Dominoes 1: Moonshadow Traveller HERO Book 1 Traveller HERO Book 2 Adventurers in Charted Space Adventure in Charted Space The universe is a big place, and one of the challenges Traveller as a science fiction genre has many sub- faced by many GMs is creating that universe, or genres that GM’s may wish to select from, based on the at least the part of it that’s important to the campaign. timeframe of the campaign, the version of Traveller that is Traveller Hero Book 2 is a sourcebook for playing Star being played, as well as the GM’s vision. Hero campaigns in the Traveller setting using the HERO The information presented here describes each sub- System 5th Edition rules. genre, some of the options within the subgenre, and the Section One, Traveller Across Time, provides history typical Heroic campaign level for that subgenre. and a timeline of adventures. Section Two, Imperial Life, discusses some of the Traveller Hero is the reference for playing Star facets of life and travel in charted space. Hero campaigns in the Traveller setting using the HERO Section Three, Equipment and Technology, pro- System 5th Edition rules. Traveller has been around in vides a large resource of equipment encountered in the various incarnations since 1977, and was one of the first reaches of charted space. Discussed technology includes science fiction role-playing games. It is a popular back- computers, sensors and communications, medical, sur- drop for many science fiction RPG campaigns. vival, and miscellaneous equipment. Section Four, Mechanical Men, provides a selection Traveller Basics of robots that may be encountered. Traveller is science-fiction adventuring in the far Section Five, Transportation, provides a selection of future, in or after the Third Imperium. The Traveller vehicles from speeders to hovertanks. universe does not have the lofty ideals of works like Star Section Six, Starships, discusses starship construc- Trek; it parallels the European discovery and conquest of tion and provides a selection of starships, including free the Americas. Many of the parallels are intentional. traders, scout ships, and military craft. Traveller isn’t Star Trek, and there’s no Prime Direc- The GM Vault includes information on World Genera- tive. You can sell laser pistols to primitives, and advanced tion and Cybernetics. computers to railway-age nations at war; just make sure you can make a profit on the deal, and that you don’t get caught in the crossfire. Traveller HERO Book 3 Traveller HERO Book 4 Traveller HERO Book 5 Starship Construction Starships Psionics In Charted Space in Charted Space in Charted Space

Imperial starships in the Traveller This chapter contains information This collection of kludges is to universe are different from starships in from the simplified construction chap- facilitate the few characters still in play Terran Empire or Star Trek. ter, and adds additional information, that have access to Traveller style Standard starship designs are writeups, more gadgets, and some Psionic Talents but who have been specified by navies or corporations, alternatives GMs may use when build- migrated out of their starting cam- while individuals require the services ing starships. paigns. There may also be one or two of a naval architect to prepare plans. cases where characters who were not Starships (ships with jump drives) from a Traveller campaign have may be built in the shipyards of any learned to use PSI Talents. The use class A starport. Spaceships (ships of PSI Talents comes in two parts: the without a jump drive) may be built character’s Psionic Strength Rating in the shipyards of any class A or B (PSR), and the Psionic Talent groups starport. the character can use. HERO Fifth Edition HERO Fifth Edition HERO Fifth Edition System Reference System Basics System Wikipedia Widely regarded as the best role- The is unique be- Distilled from Wiki, the basic infor- playing game system ever created, the cause it’s the only game on the market mation youneed to know about HERO. HERO System has become even bet- offering players and GMs the means The Hero System (or HERO ter with this Revised version of the to create any character they want, System) is a generic roleplaying game 5th Edition rules! and yet keep that character balanced system that developed from the super- Unlike any other roleplaying game, the against other characters and threats. hero RPG Champions. It is used as HERO System provides you with It’s a point-build system based around the underlying mechanics of other unfettered flexibility, allowing you to the concept of special effects. The role-playing games such exercise your own creativity without rules are written generically, allowing as , , hindrance. Build any character, power, the gamer himself to decide exactly Star Hero, and Pulp Hero. It is char- gadget, skill, weapon, ability, or what a power or ability does, and then acterized by point-based character vehicle you can think of! It’s the define it in game terms. creation and the rigor with which it ultimate gamer’s toolkit, allowing you This is the official FAQ about the measures character abilities. It uses to do what you do best: create great system. only six-sided dice. characters and games. This sheet provides more informa- tion on the System Reference for the HERO system.

HERO Sixth Edition Character Conversion Summary Many of you have run or played in HERO System games for so long that you’ve got dozens, maybe even hundreds, of characters. You’ll probably want to convert them over to the Sixth Edition. Here’s some guidance on the easiest way to do that. Golden Age Starships 1: Golden Age Starships 2: Golden Age Starships 3: Archaic Sword Worlds Small Craft, Fast Courier Patrol Cruiser Launches and Gigs This booklet contains complete This booklet contains complete This booklet has three sections. information and deckplans for the Type information and deckplans for the The first section covers extensions CF Fast Courier, a starship that has 600 ton Sword Worlds Patrol Cruiser, to the High Guard starship design se- been operating with the Scout Ser- a standard design used by various quence and vehicle design sequence vice for hundreds of years and can be member worlds of the Sword Worlds to allow Traveller players to design found throughout the Imperium. This Confederation for at least two cen- “archaic” TL-6-8 rocket propelled small starship is also suitable as a character turies. The Cruiser is suitable as a craft, including small space capsules, ship, as it is used on merchant routes ship that could be encountered by planetary landers, space stations and to transport priority cargos and VIPs characters if they are travelling in or rocket launch vehicles. Some example as well as acting as a mailship. In around the Sword Worlds subsector, craft are presented, including deck- addition, seven adventure seeds are and sometimes beyond in non-aligned plans. This section will be particularly presented based on the Fast Courier. star systems. A sample NPC crew is useful in the post-Third Imperium 1248 included, as well as tactics adopted by Milieu where technologically regressed the Patrol Cruiser. societies abound. In some cases those regressed societies may only have ac- cess to data on primitive rocket power, despite having a nominal tech level of 7-8. Therefore they may use rockets Starships are the lifeblood of the as opposed to the standard maneu- Traveller Universe. Most campaigns ver drives found at those same tech will revolve around at least one star- levels. ship – the character’s. If characters The second section covers 10 and do not possess one, they will likely 20 ton small craft, including deckplans travel on starships many times in the and variants on the standard craft. course of a campaign. Starships run Classic Traveller statistics are includ- by characters take on a life of their ed. While the small craft in this book own as they are husbanded between are defined using those statistics, the star systems, illegal operations, and statistics and deckplans may be used overdue overhauls. Properly detailed with little modification for Traveller small starships add color to any games based on other Traveller rule campaign, even if they are used as sets. Full deckplans are included, as encounters rather than PC starships. are adventure seeds based around the Hence this line of booklets for small craft in this booklet. Traveller HERO. Golden Age Starships 4: Golden Age Starships 5: Golden Age Starships 6: Ship’s Boats Cutters and Pinnaces and Shuttles Corsair This supplement continues the This booklet concludes the small This booklet contains complete small craft theme in the Golden Age craft trilogy. The Traveller Universe is information and deckplans for the Buc- Starships series. These small craft filled with vast numbers of small craft caneer class 400 ton corsair, a stand- can be used in any Traveller era or of all types, and some of the most ard design that has been used for timeline. interesting and useful are the Modular centuries throughout charted space. 30 ton ship’s boats and slow Cutters and Shuttles that undertake Five corsair bands are also pre- boats, and 40 ton pinnaces and slow valuable roles both in civilian and sented, all operating somewhere in pinnaces are outlined, with Clas- military spheres. This supplement the Spinward Marches. Some corsair sic Traveller High Guard statistics. outlines 50 ton civilian Cutters and 65 bands are new to the piracy game, Deckplans and variants on the stand- ton military Cutters, with a selection of some have been operating for dec- ard craft are also included. Adventure 8 30 ton Cutter modules designed for ades beyond the long arm of the Impe- seeds are also included based around both types of Cutter. rial Navy, making their bases deep in these small craft. An additional High This supplement also details 7 non-aligned territory. Each corsair is Guard item has been specified for different types of 95 ton shuttle found presented with background information these designs - a missile magazine. throughout known space. Specialised on the group and likely systems the The magazine has an armored hull, Shuttles are detailed, including Tugs, corsair will be encountered in. displaces 1 dton, can carry 20 mis- passenger Shuttles and mining Shut- The course of the encounter is siles in secure storage, and costs tles. also outlined, which is determined by Cr100,000 per ton. Smaller and larger Classic Traveller statistics are the attitude and tactics of the cor- magazines are possible. included, including deckplans for all sair band in question. Two additional This booklet outlines airframe vari- Cutters, Shuttles and Cutter modules. Adventure seeds are also presented ants of pinnaces. Airframes are winged which the Referee can use to provide control surfaces added to existing further interaction between the corsair configurations. Since no High Guard bands and the characters. equivalent exists, the Referee should These five corsair bands can consider that an airframer Pinnace will easily be transplanted to other areas be able to outrun/overtake any craft of charted space, and placed in times with no airframe in an atmosphere other than the late “Golden Age” of the which has the same G rating as the Third Imperium. Pinnace. While the small craft in this book are defined using High Guard statistics, the statistics and deckplans may be used with little modification for Traveller games based on other Traveller rule sets. Golden Age Starships 7: Golden Age Starships 8: Sourcebook 1: LSP Modular Starship Armed Free Trader Grand Fleet This booklet outlines Ling Stand- One of the most common star- The Third Imperium covers a vast ard Product’s 300 ton modular star- ships in the Imperium, the Type A free region of space; a region that must be ship, The ship designed to be a trader has remained unchanged for defended against internal and external multi-purpose workhorse capable centuries. Built throughout the Impe- enemies. The Imperial Navy carries of easy customisation through the rium and beyond by the thousand, this out that role in the name of the Em- changeout of standard 30 ton Cutter small 200 ton cargo ship continues to peror. Modules. ply the trade routes and mains, pick- Its ships are often the only rep- The ship is seem throughout ing up small cargoes and engaging in resentatives of the Imperium in a the Imperium, and with its 6 module speculative trade. The primary variant system, carrying the burden of de- capacity is used in roles as diverse as of the free trader is the Jump-2 capa- fense and law enforcement in far-off military support, cargo hauling, explo- ble far trader, also used throughout places. Small wonder, then, that the ration and research. Known Space. Enterprising merchant Imperial Navy is the “senior service” captains starting their own businesses and inextricably tied with the Imperial usually start with a free trader and Nobility. For the Navy is not merely the work their way up from there. The free tool of Imperial power. Its personnel trader is a simple, cheap design with are drawn from thousands of worlds. minimal specifications that will be built Its ships are constructed in dozens of for centuries to come. yards; systems are supplied by hun- Variants of the free trader exist – all dreds of corporations. Its leaders are have the same characteristics but the great nobility of the Imperium. differ slightly in shape and internal lay- In a very real way, the Imperial Navy out. The design outlined in this book IS the Third Imperium. Normally, even is the armed Liberty class free trader, official documents refer to the “Impe- a standard design mainly found in the rial Navy”. However, in highly formal frontier areas of the Imperium. Due circumstances, the navy is given a to the regions they operate in, Liberty rather more impressive title – the class ships are designed from the Grand Fleet of the Third Imperium. ground up with some form of arma- That Grand Fleet is the focus of this ment, and have a slightly enlarged book. Its vessels and personnel, its powerplant to power ship’s weapons. allies and its enemies, the missions it undertakes and the regulations it obeys.

Spinward Marches Spinward Marches Spinward Marches Cluster Book 1: System Guide 1: System Guide 2: The Bowman Arm Datrillian Flexos The Bowman Arm lies in District Lying at the “entry point” to the Flexos is a backwater world 268 of the Spinward Marches, on the Bowman Arm, Datrillian is an obvious whose vast deserts, exotic atmos- very outer fringe of the Third Impe- candidate for investment and devel- phere, primitive starport, low popula- rium. This book is an overview of the opment. This will however require tion, and inconvenient location make region and details one world within it. winning over the ruling caste, who are it an unlikely stop except for ships It also stands alone as a game setting. opposed to expansion on the sensible plying the jump-2 route from Tarkine grounds that they might lose control of and Noctocol to Walston and the Bow- their world. man belt. The planet does have some undeveloped potential, however, in the form of its fluid oceans and unique plant life, and it is well-known in the xenobiology departments of universi- ties in the Spinward Marches for the extensive ruins left by a long-extinct primitive race.

Spinward Marches Adventure 1: Call of the Wild Call of the Wild is set in the Spin- ward Marches of Official Traveller Uni- verse, in the period just after the end of the Fifth Frontier War.

Spinward Marches Adventure 2: Range War Range War is set in the Spinward Marches of Official Traveller Universe, in the period just after the end of the Fifth Frontier War. Special Supplement 1: Special Supplement 2: Special Supplement 3: Robots Robot Patron of Charted Space Adventures Encounters Robots have the potential to add Robot Adventures, is a collec- There are times when any Travel- great depth to any Traveller cam- tion of adventure material for use in a ler Referee needs to generate a quick paign. Traveller campaign. adventure.

Special Supplement 4: Special Supplement 5: TNE-Operation Dominoes 1: One Short Crowded Hour Adventures Moonshadow This adventure is designed to be This book presents two kinds of This adventure is designed as a dropped into any Traveller Hero game ready-made adventure seeds, each series of missions for members of an or to be played as a one-off scenario. with enough detail to get started RCES team (marines), straight away.