Characters and Combat/Content

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Characters are the central focus of Traveller; they are the alter-egos of the players, and all activity is centered on them. Each character has abilities and characteristics which define their actions and reactions. The character is the Traveller personality; the player is the person engaged in playing the game. Once a character is generated, they continue to live and adventure until killed in action, or until too old and decrepit to keep up.

Character Generation

• Initial Character Generation
  • Characters are generated through a series of six 2D throws that determine the basic characteristics affecting abilities and reactions. A newly generated character is singularly unequipped to deal with the adventuring universe, having neither the expertise nor the experience necessary for the active life.
• Prior Career
  • In order to acquire some experience, it is possible to enlist in a service. During each term of service, a character has the opportunity to acquire personal skills and expertise. Allowances are made for the acquisition of new skills based on service, duty, commission, and promotion.
• Mustering Out
  • When a character leaves their chosen service, they are eligible for mustering out benefits. Two mustering out tables indicate the nature of these benefits: one provides travel, education, and material benefits, while the other provides cash severance pay. When mustering out of the service, a character is allowed to consult these tables based on total terms of service and on final rank.

Personal Combat

As adventurers journey through the cities and the wilds of the worlds they visit, they will encounter both men and beasts. At times, the only way such encounters can be dealt with is by force. To this end, a combat system is provided.

• Combat System
  • Combat is based on successive attacks by each character involved (blows if brawling, swings with blade weapons, and shots with guns). A basic throw is required to obtain a hit; that throw is subject to DMs for such considerations as range between the two parties, attacker and defender expertise in the weapons they are using, the types of weapons used, surprise, and other factors. If a hit is obtained, wounds are inflicted based on the type of weapon which made the hit.
• Combat Rounds
  • Each combat round lasts 15 seconds. Combat continues until one party is vanquished, flees, dies, or surrenders.
• Wounds
  • Wound points are applied to the defending character's physical characteristics on a temporary basis. Each die of wounds thrown is taken as a single wound or group of hits, and must be applied to a single characteristic. The first wound received by any character, however, can be sufficient to stun or daze him or her, and is handled differently. This first wound is applied to one of the physical characteristics determined randomly. As a result, first blood may immediately incapacitate or even kill.