Technology Level

Technology Level or Tech Level, commonly abbreviated TL, is a measure of technological capability.

• Usually this is used in the Universal world profile to indicate the overall technology of the planet.
• A planet may have large sections, and/or populations at a more primitive or advanced level than listed.

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Please refer to the following AAB library articles for related information:

• Technology
  • Technological Research
    • Ancients Foundation
    • Biotechnology
    • Imperial Research Station
    • Technology Incubator
  • Technological Systemics
    • Technology Level
    • Tech Level Comparison Chart
    • Three Prime Technologies
    • Universal Technological Profile

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Please see the following AAB articles for more information:

• Proto-Tech
  • TL-0 Found Tools Period
• Ur-Tech
  • TL:1-3 Tool Making Epoch
  • TL:4-6 Division of Labor Epoch
  • TL:7-9 Processor Epoch
• Stell-Tech
  • TL:10-12 Gravitics Epoch
  • TL:13-15 Biologicals Epoch
  • TL:16-18 Artificials Epoch
• Ultra-Tech
  • TL:19-21 Matter Transport Epoch
  • TL:22-24 Transformations Epoch
  • TL:25-27 Psionics Epoch
• Dei-Tech
  • TL:28-30 Trans-galactic Epoch
• Omni-Tech
  • TL:31-33 Pocket Universe Epoch
• Post-Technological Period
  • Singularity

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Description (Specifications)

Technology level (abbreviated tech level or TL) is a rating. It rates the capability of typical equipment used by the average citizen on his or her world.

The tech level of a star system has a significant effect on its economy and the extent of its interstellar trade. Technology can be a tremendous multiplier for economies of any size as well as a source of enormous prosperity. However, while many technologies have the capacity to bring great prosperity and economic wealth to planet, technology also has the capacity to be tremendously disruptive of local cultures, societies, and peoples.

Generally, technology tends to increase the quality of life for the average sophont, but it is not a guarantee. It is very possible for a sophont on a very low-tech world to have a higher quality of life than a sophont in a high-tech star system.

Epochal Technological Periods

On a very broad level, Imperial historians, scientists, and scouts have divided contemporary history into technological epochs and periods. This chronological periodization also projects where future technological trends might be found as evidenced by Ancients technology and that of other Precursors:

Epochal Technological Periods Overview

Period Name (Multi-Epoch)	Periods (TL's)	Technology (Kardashev)	Scope	Key Technologies	General Period	Remarks
Proto-Sophontic (Emergent Period)	TL-0	Proto-Tech (K= Type n>0) [Hemisphere Mastery]	Very early societies with basic "found object" tools and a planetary (world) scope.	Tools, mysticism, proto-science, proto-culture, proto-art, band societies, caves, etc.	Alpha Period	These species have made the jump from creature to sophont. They are new to technology, and are beginning to use it to develop new societies and civilizations. Some call them Stone Age.
Low Sophontic (Foundational Period)	TL:1-3 TL:4-6 TL:7-9	Ur-Tech (K= Type 1) [World Mastery]	Foundational technologies with planetary-systemic (intrastellar) scope. "Tools making tools or made objects."	Steam engines, celestial navigation, urban sanitation, factories, interchangeable parts, ICE engine, electronics, spacecraft, fission power (nuclear), etc.	Ur Period	Minor Races frequently establish successful civilizations in this range, often with very capable spaceflight programs and sleeper ships. Some call them Space Age.
Meso-Sophontic (Interstellar Period)	TL:10-12 TL:13-15 TL:16-18 (A to J)	Stell-Tech (K= Type 2) [Star System Mastery]	Interstellar technologies with an polystellar (intragalactic) scope.	FTL, fusion power, advanced manufacturing (Makertech), advanced medicine, cloning, lethetic robotics, early nanotechnology, advanced artificial intelligence, etc.	Stellar Period	All of the Major Races possess interstellar technology within this range, with the current vanguard at TL-15. Some call them Interstellar Age.
High Sophontic (Ultra Period)	TL:19-21 TL:22-24 TL:25-27 (K to T)	Ultra-Tech (K= Type 3) [Galaxy Mastery]	Galactic technologies with a polygalactic scope.	Transgalactic FTL, antimatter power, highly advanced biotechnology, advanced nanotechnology, true artificial intelligence, etc.	Galactic Period	Some believe that the Kursae, despite their lack of a Jump Drive were able to achieve many of these advances. Some call them Galactic Age.
Transcendent (Astrodeific Period)	TL:28-30 (U to W)	Dei-Tech (K= Type 4) [Universe Mastery]	Astrodeific technologies with a universal scope.	Planet-bending, geneering (sophont creation), nano mastery, etc.	Transgalactic Period	Most technological researchers believe that most of these technologies were within reach of the Ancients. Some call it the Age of Space Gods.
Ascendant (Bhodhisattivan Period)	TL:31-33 (X to Z)	Omni-Tech (K= Type 5) [Polyuniversal Mastery]	Bhodhisattivan technologies with a polytemporal, trans-dimensional scope.	Chronotaxis (time travel), dimension-hopping, reality mastery, etc.	Omega Period	Most technological researchers believe that most of these conjectural technologies were beyond even the Ancients. Some call it the Age of Elder Races.
Singularity (Post-Technological Period)	TL-34+	PTP (K= Type 'Post-Omega') [Unimaginable]	This sort of technology is beyond imagination.	This sort of technology is beyond imagination.	Post-Omega Period	This sort of existence is beyond imagination. Often known as the hypothetical Post-Technological Period (PTP).

Average Tech, Mastered Tech & Research Tech Levels

Average technologies in common use within the Third Imperium are very often considerably lower than the high end of (TL-15 or TL-F).

• Each of the polities of the major races has a different average, sustainable technology level, but most systems and worlds average in the TL:10-12 range, with the most capable, higher tech worlds averaging in the TL:13-15 range.

Tech Levels 0 through 21

This TL table is a list of technological levels and short descriptions. The descriptions correlate TL's to periods in history or alternately, future technology.

• Note: GURPS: Traveller uses GURPS scales for tech levels. The table shows the mapping from GURPS TL's to Traveller TL's.

Technological Level Table

Traveller TL	Historical Era	GURPS 3e TL	GURPS 4e TL
0	Stone Age (fire)	0	0
1	Bronze Age (3500 BC)	1	1
1.3	Iron Age (1300 BC)	2	2
1.6	Medieval Age (600 AD)	3	3
2	Age of Sail (1500 AD)	4	4
3	Industrial Revolution (1730 AD)	5	5
3.3	Circa 1800 AD	5	5
3.6	Circa 1850 AD	5	5
4	Mechanized Age (1900 AD)	5	6
5	Broadcast Age (1930 AD)	6	6
6	Nuclear Age (1940 AD)	6	7
7	Space Age (1970 AD)	7	7
8	Digital Age (1990 AD)	8	8
9	Early Stellar (2050 AD) / Fusion Age	9	9^
10 (A)	Early Stellar (2120 AD) / Gravitic Age	9	10^
11 (B)	Average Imperial (Year Zero)	9	10^
12 (C)	Average Imperial (Year 1105)	10	11^
13 (D)	Average Stellar / Geneering Age	10	11^
14 (E)	High Stellar	11	12^
15 (F)	Imperial Maximum (Year 1107)	12	12^
16 (G)	Artificial Persons Age	13	12^
17 (H)	Personality Transfer Age / Republic of Regina (Year 1902).	13	12^
18 (J)	Exotics Age	13	12^
19 (K)	Matter Transport/Antimatter Age	13	12^
20 (L)	Skipdrive Age	13	12^
21 (M)	Stasis Age	13	12^

• The table used this symbol "^" to indicate superscience according to the GURPS understanding, which differs from the Traveller understanding of the term.
• In Standard GURPS 4e, each TL above your own is -5 Penalty to current TL skill with TL four levels beyond your own being "impossible" without actually learning the skill (G4 Basic Set pg 168). Since early 21st century Earth is at TL-8, TL-12 would be impossible to understand without a teacher and so the GURPS 4e TL scale caps out at 12. GURPS 4e also has its own superscience category for technology that that violates our current understanding of physical laws (relativity, conservation of energy, etc.).

Tech Levels 22 through 33

Levels above 21 are the Accelerating Tech Levels: each of them tends to be of shorter duration and each leads at an ever-accelerating pace to the next. The technologies addressed by TL's above 21 are frighteningly powerful and exceptionally susceptible to disaster. As a society progresses to each new Accelerating Tech Level, the focus shifts to a different technology.

The Singularity (TL-34+)

When the society moves beyond TL-33, it reaches the Singularity. The technologies focused on for the past thirty-three TL's are strong indicators of the fate awaiting the culture. A focus on more warlike technologies points the society towards destruction, while a focus on engineering disciplines tends to point the society towards survival. A balance of the various technologies available may result in ascension.

History & Background (Dossier)

The Third Imperium's most advanced technologies in common use are (TL-15) technologies. Some cutting-edge worlds have achieved an unsustainable, theoretical (TL-16) rating, but are not yet in wide usage. The Darrians or Daryen are a prominent example of such a society with access to TL-16 technologies.

Technological Epochs

The scientists of Charted Space have, more or less, agreed upon a vision of the future outlined below. Who knows if the future of Charted Space will resemble these projections?

Technological Epochs

TL's	Hierarchical Technology Epoch	Epoch Hallmark	Sophontic Period	Smelchakian Period	Key Indicators	Remarks
TL-Negative	Pre-Sophontic Period	Pre-Sophontic Period	Pre-Sophontic	Pre-Sophontic Period	Pre-Historic Period (PHP)	The Rise of Life. Creatures. Pre-technology lifeforms.
TL-0	Proto-Sophontic Period	Found Tools Period	Proto-Sophontic	Proto-Sophontic Period (Alpha Period)	Stone & Fire.	Development of a ur or proto level culture, society, and civilization. Found objects. Before tools making tools.
TL:1-3	Vlow Tech Epoch	Tool Making Epoch	Early Sophontic	Foundational Period, Early	Sail & Steam.	Development of a modern scientific culture, society, and civilization. Made objects. Tools making tools.
TL:4-6	Low Tech Epoch	Division of Labor Epoch	Early Sophontic	Foundational Period, High	Atom & Factory.	Development of increasingly efficient communication, power generation, and transportation technologies. Standardization of scientific method and efficient manufacturing.
TL:7-9	Mid Tech Epoch	Processor Epoch	Early Sophontic	Foundational Period, Late	Rocket & Computer.	Development of advanced processors allowing for an exponential increase in scientific research and engineering breakthroughs.
TL:10-12	High Tech Epoch	Gravitics Epoch	Meso-Sophontic	Interstellar Period, Early	Jump Drive & Contragrav.	Practical gravity manipulation and its associated transportation systems revolutionize travel and the movement of goods. The Jump Drive opens up interstellar colonization and exploration to a degree never before known.
TL:13-15	Vhigh Tech Epoch	Biologicals Epoch	Meso-Sophontic	Interstellar Period, High	Geneering & Wafer.	The High Interstellar Epoch brings about increasingly capable jump drives, fusion weapons, cloning & geneering technologies, and advanced robot intelligences that are bordering upon true artificial intelligence.
TL:16-18	Xhigh Tech Epoch	Artificials Epoch	Meso-Sophontic	Interstellar Period, Late	Robots & Lethetic AI	The Late Interstellar Epoch brings about increasingly capable artificial intelligence, affordable robotic labor, and increasingly advanced FTL jump drives.
TL:19-21	Uhigh-1 Tech Epoch	Matter Transport Epoch	Late Sophontic	Ultra Period, Early	Antimatter & Matter Transport.	The availability of elemental matter portals (transporting raw materials across AU distances efficiently) transforms concepts of physical value. The Skip Drive and it successors allows sophonts to finally explore other galaxies.
TL:22-24	Uhigh-2 Tech Epoch	Transformations Epoch	Late Sophontic	Ultra Period, High	Postsophontism & Goo.	The lines between individuals blur as bodies become customizable, replaceable, and disposable. Post-Sophontism (individualized transformation) and the development of practical nanotech, often called the “Goo.”
TL:25-27	Uhigh-3 Tech Epoch	Psionics Epoch	Late Sophontic	Ultra Period, Late	Psionic Engineering & Intertialess Drive.	Psionic engineering, practical societal engineering, effective psychohistory and others now allow not only individuals to be transformed, but entire societies and civilizations.
TL:28-30	Dei Tech Epoch	Trans-galactic Epoch	Hyper-Sophontic Epoch	Astrodeific Period	Megastructures	Technology develops capabilities to manipulate worlds and stars: to move them, harvest them for their matter and energy, and convert them to other large scale objects. The ability to visit other universes changes society profoundly. Entirely different astronomical environments engenders new viewpoints.
TL:31-33	Omni Tech Epoch	Pocket Universe Epoch	Trans-Sophontic Epoch	Omnipotential Period (Omega Period)	Chronotaxis & Transuniversalism.	The ability to create and manipulate pocket universes infinitely expands available resources and turns all but the most adventurous inward. Time travel heralds the Singularity. Technological existence is forever transformed. Multiple possible existences motivates sophonts to seek existence beyond technology.
TL-34+	The Singularity	PTP	Post-Sophontic	(Post-Omega Period)	The Singularity & PTP.	Society reaches a critical point in its development. Beyond imagination. Beyond technology. Beyond any previous definition of life.

Technological Metrics

The Technology Levels of the Third Imperium are measured in the range 0-15 (0-F), with 0 representing extreme primitive levels (hunter/gatherers), and 15 the height of Imperial technology.

• However, there is technology more advanced than that of the Third Imperium as evidenced by ancient sites (e.g. Rosette worlds are TL–21 and Rigid Dyson Spheres TL–27). This kind of technology, more advanced than the present, are represented by TL's 16 to 33.
• Traveller⁵ aka T5 has introduced a new theoretical maximum to the TL System of TL–33.

Chronological Periodization

In proper IISS parlance, the following terms are used. Historians and journalists often use them in a more figurative or extended sense.

Smelchakian Chronological Periodization

Chrono-term	TL's	Remarks	Example/s
Age	1	Synonymous with a TL or a passing paradigm and society. Zeitgeist. There is no set chronological span of time for this technological evaluation.	(Age of Nomadism → Age of Farm & Village → Age of Town & Market)
Epoch	3	The typical longevity of a mature society before it undergoes paradigmatic change through revolution and societal evolution. An epoch almost always is composed of three ages. There is no set chronological span of time for this technological evaluation.	(Agricultural Epoch → Industrial Epoch → Information Epoch → Interstellar Epoch)
Period	9	Part of the development of a maturing civilization. In late periods, less than 9 TL's may be involved due to a quicker pace of knowledge acquisition. Typically 9 TL's although some periods may encompass fewer, but a longer chronological span with less technological advancement. This typically encompasses three epochs. There is no set chronological span of time for this technological evaluation.	(Foundational Period → Interstellar Period → Ultra Period)
Era	28 to 30+	The typical lifespan of a mature, technological civilization. Typically 30 TL's although some eras may encompass fewer or more TL's depending on the civilization and their rate of technological advancement. This typically encompasses three periods and a transition epoch. There is no set chronological span of time for this technological evaluation.	(Sophontic Era → Trans-Sophontic Era → Technological Singularity)
Eon	31 to 33+	The typical lifespan of several mature and advanced technology civilizations. Typically 33 TL's although some eons may encompass fewer or more TL's depending on the civilization and the Singularity. This typically encompasses one era and a transition epoch. There is no set chronological span of time for this technological evaluation.	[Pre-Sophontic (Creature Existence) → Sophontic (Technological Civilizations) → (Technological Singularity) → Post-Sophontic]

Paradigm & Period

Each period represents a loose set of standards and cultural mores for a civilization. More than one period ahead represents a severe change of societal possibilities that significantly less advanced societies would probably think of as "magic" or the "work of the gods."

• One period ahead represents the dreams or near-technology science fiction of a preceding people, what one might call a paradigmatic shift. Significantly more advanced societies will often appear exceedingly strange or difficult to comprehend to peoples with lesser technologies.
• Higher technology societies and civilizations will very often find lesser technology peoples to be backward and primitive.
• Please see Detextualized Paradigmatic Problem and Clarkian Postulates for related ideas.

References & Contributors / Sources

This article was published in JTAS Online and you need to be a subscriber to see the article. You may view the entire original article here.

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Marc Miller. Worlds and Adventures (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), 14-15.Marc Miller, Robert Eaglestone, Don McKinney. Worlds and Adventures (Far Future Enterprises, 2019), 14-15.
• Marc Miller. Referee's Companion (Game Designers Workshop, 1988), 28-29.
• Geir Lanesskog. World Builder's Handbook (Mongoose Publishing, 2023), .Joe Fugate, J. Andrew Keith, Gary L. Thomas. World Builder's Handbook (Digest Group Publications, 1989), .
• Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. Fire, Fusion, & Steel (Game Designers Workshop, 1994), 7.
• Citation Missing - Traveller D20
• Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 502-507.
• External Link: GURPS 3rd Edition Lite
• External Link: GURPS 3rd Edition TL
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science