Tech Level Comparison Chart

The Tech Level Comparison Chart was developed by the IISS, based upon research dating back to the earliest First Imperium publications. This has recognized the importance of technology and developing a comprehensive system of classifying technology.

Area Technology Levels

The default Technology Level scale describes a general advancement of technology. However, few cultures follow the exact pattern of technical achievement in theoretical science implied by the standard TL system. The Technological Profile divides the Technology Level into several areas (known as Area Tech Level or ATL), each assigned an individual level index.

The Comparison tables divide the general technology level into four broad areas, which are then further divided into related technologies. While the system presented here is widely used in the Imperium, it is by no means universal. There are several alternative profile systems in use.

Theoretical Technology

The Theoretical technologies underlie all the other advancements. In the condensed form, the Technology Level combines the knowledge of the workings of the physical universe with the ability to use that knowledge to produce valuable goods and services. Within the technological profiles, these two items have been split into separate items.

Where the theoretical technologies exceed the base TL of the other areas of technology, there have been breakthroughs in understanding which have not yet been produced in changes to society.

Physical Science

The fundamental theoretical understanding of the physical universe. Covers the areas of physics and chemistry.

Material Science / Manufacturing

The technology of material processing and manufacturing. The processes required to take raw materials and process them into functional and usable goods.

Biological Science

The theoretical workings of biology and life forms.

Cultural Science

The workings of how a society is organized and works together to produce and use tools. Include education of the next generation of workers to extend and expand technology.

Theoretical Technologies
TL	Physical Science	Material Science	Biological Science	Cultural Science
0	Animistic explanations	Found materials: Stone, wood, grasses, bone, fur	Useful animals are domesticated	Tribal gatherings, Barter
1	Engineering by estimates, Astronomy	Metalworking, quarried stone, glass, cement, concrete	Selective breeding	Kingdoms, Written Law, Universal religions
2	Telescopes, Navigation	Hard steel	Understanding of Anatomy, microorganism	Cities, Nations, Widespread literacy
3	Laws of motion, engineering by math	Steel as a structural material	Theory of evolution, germ theory of disease	Democracies
4		Aluminum, Skyscrapers, armored vehicles	Medical theories are further advanced
5	First estimates of Quantum mechanics and relativity	Plastics and other synthetic materials	Biochemistry, discovery of viruses	Dictatorships
6	Theory of Electronics	Fiberglass, Titanium		Superpowers, global nation states
7	Classification of quantum mechanics	Composite and advanced ceramics	Discovery of DNA, Genome mapping, Artificial Organs
8	Grand Unified theory for gravity control, Photonics	Micro-level manufacturing, advanced composites	Gene therapy, Systems ecology
9	Detailed gravity manipulation, Jump space described	Crystaliron, industrial composite metals, Fluidics	Introduction of Cybertechnology
10				Non-geographic communities
11		Magnetics	Computer implantation
12	Unified theory to manipulate solid and weak forces	Superdense materials	Nanosurgery, brain implants
13	Completed theory of biologics		First detailed theory of aging	Widespread robotic workforce
14	Creation of gravity fields at a distance	Industrial Nanotechnology, Bonded Superdense	Theory of memory, Geneering, Personality Transfers
15	Unifying theory for normal and jump spaces		Full understanding of immune systems and aging
16	Discovery of Hop space	Collapsed Crystalline		Artificial persons
17		Coherent Superdense
18		Enhanced Coherent Superdense
19	Discovery of Skip Space
20
21				Deconstruction of Cities

Quality of Life Technology

Quality of Life technologies are essential to the world's quality of life. These are the basics of technology building on the Theoretical technologies.

Energy

Energy technologies are the ability to produce, store, and make use of energy for all purposes.

Information

Technology involving information processing, including computer technologies and robotics

Communications

Technologies involving communications processing, including gathering, storing, and disseminating information.

Medicine / Life sciences

Technology involving the care and healing of living things, applied biological sciences, and genetics.

Environment

Technology involving the maintenance of ecosystems. This includes the ability to avoid damaging the environment, reconstruct damaged ecosystems, and Terraforming planets.

Quality of life Technologies
TL	Energy	Information	Communications	Medicine / Life sciences	Environment
0	Muscles, Domestic Animals	Memorization	Spoken Word	Mystics/Herbology	Simple Structures, Primitive Agriculture
1	Water wheels, Wood and Charcoal, Windmills	Abacus	Writing, Paper	Basic Diagnosis	Settlements, Cities, Irrigation, Canals
2	Clockworks	Advanced Mathematics	Printing presses	Internal Anatomy	Advanced Agriculture
3	Steam Engines, primitive batteries		Photography, Telegraphy	Crude Surgery	Cement Structures
4	Electricity	Mechanical Calculators	Motion Pictures, Telephone	Antiseptics, Anesthetics, Vaccination	Skyscrapers
5	Petrochemicals, Steam Turbine, Electrical grid	Electric Calculators	Radio Broadcasting, Audio Recording	Internal Imaging, Crude Prosthetic	Sealed/Conditioned Cities
6	Nuclear Fission	Electronic Computers	Television, Video Recording	Reconstructive Surgery	Weather Prediction, Underground Cities
7	Geothermal, Solar, Primitive Fuel Cells, Radiothermal generators	Desktop Computers, Expert systems	Computing Networks, Satellite communications	Organ Transplants, Slow Drug	Early orbital stations
8	MHD Turbine, Superconductors,	Voice Transcription, Massive Parallel computers, Low Data Robots	Hand Computer, Ubiquitous networking, Fiber optic communications	Full functioning prosthetics, Artificial Organs, Metabolics	Orbital Settlements, Early Weather Control
9	Early Fusion	Non-volatile data storage, High Data robots, Voice command	Holovideo recording and transmission	Cyrogenics suspension, Limb Regeneration	Arcologies, Orbital Cities
10	Practical Fusion	Early Synaptic processors		Anti-Virals, Growth Quickening, enhanced prosthetics	Practical weather control, Artificial Gravity, Under sea cities
11	Fusion+	Synaptic Learning Processors		Nerve Refusion, Direct computer implantation	Gravitic Structure Support
12	Advanced Fuel Cells	Low Autonomous Robots, Positronic Brain	Real-time Multilingual Translators	Anti-geriatrics, Broad Spectrum Anti-toxins, Personality Recording	Major Terraforming, Advanced Weather Control
13		High Autonomous Robots, Holographic storage		Effective Cloning, Wafer Technology
14	Exotic Collectors	Augmented Reality		Genetic Engineering, Memory erasure, Temporary Personality Transfer	Ecopoiesis
15		Pseudo-Reality Computers,	Meson Communicators, Pseudo-Reality Communications	Anagathics	Complex Terraforming
16		Low Artificial Intelligence robots		Brain Transplants	Global Terraforming
17	Early Antimatter Plants	High Artificial Intelligence, Self-Aware Robots		Intelligent Antibodies, Permanent Personality Transfer
18		Robots become Society's Basic Workforce
19				Non-cryogenic suspension, Advanced Bio-engineering	Total Terraforming
20
21				Early Total Rejuvenation

Transportation Technology

Technologies for moving goods and people, including the design of vehicles and other transport systems.

Land Transportation

Motive transportation on the Ground, including wheeled and tracked vehicles, walkers of all types, and sleds.

Water

Motive transportation on water, including rafts, boats, and submarines.

Air

Motive transportation through the air, including planes, helicopters, balloons, and Grav craft.

Space

Motive transportation through the depths of space.

Transportation Tech Comparison
TL	Land	Water	Air	Space
0	Foot - Animals	Raft / Canoe	-	-
1	Wheel - Carts/Chariots	Rowed Galleys, Small Sailing Vessels	-	-
2	Advanced Wheels, Stagecoachs	Multi-Mast Sailing, Oceangoing sailing ships, Crude Navigation	Experimental Kites	-
3	Extensive Roads, Trains, Railroads	Steamships, Navigation	Manned Hot Air Balloons	-
4	Self-propelled vehicles	Ironclads, World wide navigation	Dirigibles, Early Gliders	-
5	Ground Cars, Tracked Vehicles	Personal Self-Propelled Boats, Steel hulls, Early Submersibles	Airplanes, Seaplanes	Unmanned Rockets, Satellites
6	Amphibian Vehicles, ATVs, AFVs	Submersibles, Scuba, Amphibian Vehicles	Early Jet, Helicopters	Orbit capable Rockets
7	Hovercraft, High-Speed Trains	Hydrofoils, Hovercraft	Supersonic Jet, Hang Gliders	Unmanned Space Probes, Gravitic Drive 1,2,3,4
8	Triphibian Vehicles	Triphibian Vehicles, Early Artificial Gills	Triphibian Vehicles, Hypersonic Jet	Orbital shuttles, Space Stations, Gravitic drive-4, Maneuver Drive-1
9	Early Grav Vehicles, Ultra High-Speed Trains	Early Grav Vehicles, Artificial Gills	Early Grav Vehicles, Rocket Assist Suborbital	Jump-1 possible, Sublight Stellar - NAFAL Drive, Maneuver Drive
10	Grav Vehicles		UH Grav Modules	Gravitic Maneuver , Jump-1 certain
11	Personal G-Tubes, HV Grav Modules			Jump Drive-2, ThrusterTechnology
12	Personal Grav Belts, LT Grav Modules			Jump-3
13	Grav Vehicles Merge with Orbital Spacecraft			Jump-4
14	Grav Mobile cities			Jump-5
15	Jump-6
16	Raw Material Only Short Range Matter Transport
17	Inanimate Only Short Range Matter Transport
18	Self-Aware Starships, living being portal based Matter Transport
19
20	-			Mobile Planets
21	Multi Parsec Range Starship-Sized Matter Transport Portals			Mobile Planets via Jumpspace

Military Technology

Military technology combines the quality of life technology area of a precise nature with Transportation technology. This covers weapons from personal-sized to starship-mounted weapons systems, defensive systems, and sensor systems.

Weapons Technology

The offensive portion of military technology.

Defensive systems

The defensive portion includes armor, camouflage, active defensive systems, and screens of various sorts.

Sensors

Sensors systems are the eyes of military technology, combined with vehicle systems and computer technology to make robots.

Military Tech Comparison
-	Personal		Heavy
TL	Weapons	Armour	Weapons	Armour
0	Club, Spear	Fur	-	-
1	Early Weapons (Bow, Sword)	Jack Armour	Catapult	Wood, Bronze, Iron, Crude Steel
2	Early Guns		Small Cannons
3	Rifled Weapons		Cannons
4	Cartridge	Mesh Armour	Howitzers, Gatling gun	Soft Steel
5	Explosive Grenade, Shotgun	Filter Mask	Mortars
6	Automatic (SMG)		Nuclear Weapons, Missiles	Hard Steel
7	Grenade Launchers	Cloth Armour, Flack Jacket	Beam Lasers	Composite Laminate
8	RAM Grenade Launchers, Early Laser Carbine		Particle Accelerators, Target Designated Missiles
9	Laser Weapons	Ablative Armour, Electrostatic Armor		Light Weight Composite Laminate
10	Advanced Combat Rifle	Reflec, Combat Environment Suit	Plasma Guns, Repulsors	Crystaliron
11		Combat Armour	Meson Guns
12	PGMP-12, Gauss Rifle		Fusion Guns	Superdense Armour, Nuclear Dampers
13	PGMP-13, X-Ray Lasers	Battle Dress	X-Ray Lasers
14	FGMP-14			Bonded Superdense
15	FGMP-15			Early Black Globes
16	FGMP-16, Plasma Rifle, Neural Gun	Neural Shield	Tractor Beam	Black Globes
17	Fusion Rifle, Plasma Pistol		Disintegrators, Antimatter Warheads	Coherent Superdense
18	Disintegrator Rifle, Fusion Pistol	Personal Damper	Long Range Disintegrator/Tractor Beam
19	Disintegrator Pistol			Proton Screen, Plastic Metal Armour
20			Relativity Beam	White Globes, Proton Beam
21	Relativity Rifle	Personal White Globe	Jump Projector	Jump Damper

See also

Technology levels

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

• Technological Systemics
  • Technology Level
  • Tech Level Comparison Chart
  • Technological Epoch
  • Technological Period
  • Universal Technological Profile
• Foundational Period
  • Tool Making Epoch
    • TL–0
    • TL–1
    • TL–2
    • TL–3
  • Division of Labor Epoch
    • TL–4
    • TL–5
    • TL–6
  • Processor Epoch
    • TL–7
    • TL–8
    • TL–9
• Interstellar Period
  • Gravitics Epoch
    • TL–10
    • TL–11
    • TL–12
  • Biologicals Epoch
    • TL–13
    • TL–14
    • TL–15
  • Artificials Epoch
    • TL–16
    • TL–17
    • TL–18
• Galactic Period / Accelerating Tech Level
  • Matter Transport Epoch
    • TL–19
    • TL–20
    • TL–21
  • Transformations Epoch
  • Psionics Epoch
  • Trans-galactic Epoch
  • Pocket Universe Epoch
  • Post-Technological Period

References & Contributors (Sources)

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GURPS Traveller Notes: An array of notes regarding the similarities and differences between Traveller TL and GURPS TL can be found here: Tech Level Comparison Chart/meta

This article has two or more sources with conflicting information. Because the conflict has not been resolved, all sources are linked to this article.

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.

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• Marc Miller. Scouts (Game Designers Workshop, 1983), 26.
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• Herb Petro. "Tech Level Expansion." Imperium Staple 07 (1986): 3.
• Loren Wiseman. "Twisting Tech Levels: A Traveller Variant." Challenge 31 (1987): 27.
• Marc Miller. Referee's Companion (Game Designers Workshop, 1988), 26-34.
• Geir Lanesskog. World Builder's Handbook (Mongoose Publishing, 2023), 58,83-86.Joe Fugate, J. Andrew Keith, Gary L. Thomas. World Builder's Handbook (Digest Group Publications, 1989), 58,83-86.
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• K. David Ladage, "Alternate Technological Paths", JTAS Online (2001)
• K. David Ladage, "Alternate Technologies II: Relativity", JTAS Online (2001)
• Martin Dougherty, Hunter Gordon. The Traveller's Handbook (QuikLink Interactive, 2002), 378.
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• Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 502-507.
• Marc Miller, Robert Eaglestone, Don McKinney. Starships (Far Future Enterprises, 2019), 223-237.
• Marc Miller, Robert Eaglestone, Don McKinney. Worlds and Adventures (Far Future Enterprises, 2019), 19.
• External Link: Technology Ages of Traveller (in MTU) by Admiral Savage