At 188 pages, this new production of the Traveller rules offers players who don’t wish to play GURPS a means to play Traveller.

Like a predecessor, The Traveller Book, which it bears a strong resemblance to, this book contains all the rules that a referee needs to create and run Traveller adventures. Within its pages, players will find the character generation system, equipment, vehicles, and starships needed to tackle those adventures. In short, it is a stand alone product.

This rule set seems to be based on CT with perhaps a few nods to later editions. The character generation is similar enough to CT that those who have played that system could flip right to a career page and get started, although I would recommend reading the overview first. There are 12 careers and each of those has 3 sub careers. These careers cover the 6 basic careers found in CT plus the ones found in Citizens of the Imperium, which would later be absorbed by MT.

This book includes the familiar alien species and information needed for creating an alien character.

The career section has some new systems, like the connection system, that helps players build connections between their characters during character generation. Another new system is that of the skills packages. Once the PC’s group is assembled and has determined what sort of adventures they would like to pursue, the referee gives them a package of skills that they can divide among themselves to ensure that the basic skills needed for those adventures are covered.

Unlike CT, this set of rules includes a task system to help define success or failure with a skill. Rather than an escalating target number with increased difficulty, the difficulty of the task provides a die modifier for the accomplishment of the task, with 8 being the constant number for success. Like MT, a modifier based on the player’s characteristics can be applied, but which characteristic is used is situational.

For combat, this system moved away from CT’s matrix of weapon verses armor. Attacks are made like other tasks with range and other circumstances modifying the roll. Weapons do a d6’s of damage and armor can reduce the amount of damage taken. Like CT, damage is taken from the characters abilities, but always starts with Endurance.

Combat is run in initiative order (based on Dexterity DM) and someone with Tactics can provide an initiative DM for all characters. During each character’s turn, he or she can perform a significant action (like shooting), a minor action (like moving or using a skill), reactions as needed, and free actions within reason.

Included in the combat section is a vehicle combat system that is simpler than Striker, but seems sufficient for most adventures a referee might run.

The next section is primarily for referees and has information on encounters and dangers. It gives some detailed samples of patrons and a several pages of basic NPC’s. It includes a section on animal creation and encounters and tables for random encounters.

The equipment section, which often gets the short end of the stick in many RP books, is reasonably extensive. One thing I would like to have seen along with the weapons’ tables is a paragraph explaining what each of the characteristics are, at least the ones like Heft (in melee weapons) and Recoil (in Slug Throwers). I shouldn’t have to go to the combat section to determine that the numbers there are DM’s.

After equipment, there book has a section on starship design. While it does include some bits from design processes that followed CT, such as armor and sensors, it is at its heart the same design system that was in CT.

The system is simple enough that a referee could design a ship in less than an hour, probably less. One benefit of using the CT method is that a referee could take any ship that was published for CT, add a few items like hull armor and sensors, and have a vessel usable for this system.

At the end of the chapter are sample ships – with deck plans, which I see as a big help for the beginning referee or even experienced referees with little time on their hands. I would like to have seen a bit on small craft design, but the ones provided are the ones most frequently used.

The next chapter has a section on space operations. The information here is helpful for players and referees alike.

The following chapter deals with space combat. Like other combat, it is initiative based and task driven, although the computer’s programming provides DM’s, like it did in CT.

The rest of the book is filled out with chapters on Psionics, including a career path for psionic characters. Following that is a chapter on Trade which is essentially the same as we saw in CT. The final chapter is for World Creation. This chapter follows CT with some additional information like determining trade routes and an optional temperature chart. It has a sidebar that suggests minimum tech level based on conditions on the world. Another sidebar has some variations for world creation for those who like their games more like space opera or want a harder science feel to their worlds.

The book has sidebars throughout the book. Some present options that the referee can use, some have encyclopedic information, and some are fluff. The fluff is not significant enough to be intrusive.

The biggest disappointment of this book is its art. While the deck plans are very well done, most of the other art in the book leaves much to be desired. I feel that good art helps sell a book and also helps establish the style of the setting. It was the art that kept me from buying this book the first several times I took it off the shelf and gave it a look. I can only hope that subsequent books have better art.

Overall, this is a good set of Traveller rules. It may debatable as to whether there is enough new content in this book to call it a completely new edition. If anything I am liable to refer to it as CT.5.

However, I could design and run a Traveller campaign with just this book. This may be what we need to start a Traveller Revival.