Science Fiction Saturdays

For my second solo play, my science fiction Saturdays, if you will, I will be using the venerable Traveler ruleset, now owned by Mongoose. I am doing this largely to examine the differences between Traveler and Dungeons & Dragons and how they influence gameplay. In Dungeons and Dragons, a character starts as a first (or third) level character who has a great deal to grow before they become full-fledged heroes, a “zero to hero” set up, if you will. While a character in Traveler is generally in their middle age, often at the start of their second careers, and for some of the older characters, adventuring will be a step down in prestige. A character may even start the game as an expert in a field or two when they take up adventuring. Most of the rules and character abilities are focused on combat, and the most current ruleset has little support for things outside of combat. In comparison, Traveler has chapters that deal with trade, rules for the ever-looming mortgage, and combat uses the same action resolution system as other activities. Also, while most situations in Dungeons and Dragons can be resolved with combat, in Traveler, any combat encounter is likely to be the character’s last.

I will be using Zozer’s excellent Solo supplement for Traveler and Cepheus (Traveler’s generic counterpart) to set up the action and the events. This is an explicit journaling type of solo roleplaying, where a problem is presented, a plan created, and rolls are made to see how the plan goes. Also, the Zoser Solo system is designed for multiple characters, and I plan to run four characters with a mission to accomplish, one I am not privy to yet. Also, a unique part of this solo system, and something I think should be present even in person groups, is that one’s background is not necessarily filled out; it is something that can be discovered through play.

I anticipate the next two entries will be character creation, which uses a procedural life path system, likely the first, to create fairly well-rounded characters. Then, based on the characters I get, I will work out the details of their ship, if they have one, or what they are doing in the Spinward Marches, if they lack a ship.