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 a number of areas (known as Area Tech Level or ATL), each assigned an individual level index.

Theoretical technologies

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 useful goods and services. Within the technological profiles, these two items have been split into separate items.

Where the theoretical technologies exceed the base TL or the levels of other

Physical Science

The real theoretical understandings 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.

Quality of Life

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 / Communications

Technologies involving information processing and communications. This includes computer technologies and the core technologies for robotics.

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.

Transportation

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.

Military

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

Weapons Technology

The offensive portion of military technology.

Defensive systems

The defensive portion including armor, camoflauge, active defensive systems, and screens of various sorts.

Sensors

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

Technology Comparison Tables

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

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
1	Engineering by estimates, Astronomy	Metal working, quarried stone	Selective breeding	Settlements, Towns, Ethic groups, Kindoms
2	Telescopes	Hard steel, cement, concrete	Understanding of Anatomy, microorganism	Cities, Nations
3	Laws of motion, engineering by math	Steel as structural material	Theory of evolution, germ theory of disease	Democracies
4	Medical theories are further advanced	Skyscrapers
5	First estimates of Quantum mechanics and relativity	Plastics and other synthetic materials	Biochemistry, discovery of viruses	Dictatorships
6	Theory of Electronics			Superpowers, global nation states
7	Classification of quantum mechanics	Composite and advanced ceramics	Discovery of DNA, Genome mapping
8	Grand Unified theory for gravity control, Photonics	Mico-level manufacturing, advanced composites	Gene therapy, Systems ecology
9	Detailed gravity manipulation, Jump space described	Crystaliron, industrial metals, Fludidics	Introduction of Cybertechnology
10				Non-geographic communities
11		Magnetics
12	Unified theory to manipulate strong and weak forces	Superdense materials	Nanosurgery, brain implants
13	Completed theory of biologics		First detailed theory of aging	Widespread robitic workforces
14	Creation of gravity fields at a distance	Industrial Nanotechnology	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			Artificial persons
17
18
19	Discovery of Skip Space
20
21				Deconstruction of Cities

Tech Level	Written Word (News & Entertainment)	Audio/Visual (News & Entertainment)	Distribution/Storage (Education & Entertainment)	Consumption (Personal Communication & Entertainment)
0	-	Spoken Word	Town Crier / Oral Tradition/Storytelling	-
1	Handwriting/Calligraphy	Music	Paper/handwritten media	-
2	Printing Press/Typesetting	-	-	-
3	-	Etch Printing, Photography	Telegraphy	Community/commercial/government telgraphy offices
4	Linotype Printing (mass printing, illustrated printing	Motion Pictures, Telephony	Motion Picture film	Community or home telephone sets, community motion picture theaters
5	-	Radio Broadcasting	Teletype	Home Radio Receivers
6	-	Advanced Audio Recording, Television	-	Home Television Receivers
7	-	Videotape Recording	Institutional Computer Networks, Satellite Distrbution, Personal Computing	Personal Computers
8	"Electronic Paper", rudimentary text translation	-	Ubiquitous Electronic networking	Hand-held devices
9	On-Demand Text Translation	Universal personal video	-	Ubiquitous embedded devices
10	Real-time Transcription	Holovision	-	Holoviewers
11	-	Integrated infostreaming	-	Personal Global Communications
12	-	Real-time audio language translation	-	-
13	-	Ubiquitous holovideo recording	-	-
14	-	-	-	-
15	-	Meson Communication	-	-

Quality of Life Technology

Quality of life Technologies
TL	Energy	Information / Communications	Medicine / Life sciences	Environment
0	Muscles	Spoken Word, Memorization	Mystics/Herbology	Simple Structures

Quality of life Technologies
TL	Energy	Computers/Robotics	Communications	Medical	Environment
0	Muscles	Fingers and sticks	Runners	Mystics/Herbology	Natural (Caves, Huts)
1	Water	Abacus / Geometry, Trigonometry	Long Distance Signaling	Diagnosis	Settlements, Towns (Irrigation)
2	Wind, Clockwork	Algebra	Printing press	Internal Anatomy	Cities (Canals, Roads)
3	Coal / Steam	Calculus	Telegraph, Audio Recording	Surgery	Cement Structures
4	Electricity	Mechanical Calculators	Telephone	Vaccination, Antiseptics, Anesthetics	Cities in Rugged/Desert Terrain, Crude Terraform
5	Petrochemicals, Internal combustion	Electric Calculators	Radio, Radar	Mass Vaccination, X-Ray	Sealed/Conditioned Cities
6	Nuclear Fission	Electronic Computers (Large Model/1 bis)	Television / Advanced Audio Recording	Virus, Crude Prosthetics	Skyscrapers, Weather Predict, Underground Cities
7	Solar energy, early Fuel Cells	Desktop Computers, Expert systems, Model/2	Early Satellite, Video recording	Organ Transplant, Slow Drugs	Cities in Jungle Terrain
8	Geothermal	Massive Parallel / Low Data, Model/2 bis	Fibre optics	Artificial Organs, Metabolics	Orbital Settlements, Early Weather Control
9	Early Fusion, Improved Batteries	Non-Volatile / High Data, Vocal I/O, Model/3	Video Telephone, Flat Screen	Limb Regeneration, Cryogenics, Fast Drugs	Arcologies, Orbital Cities
10	Fusion Plants	Early Synaptics, voice transcription, Model/4	Holovision, Text Transcription	Antiviral Vaccines, Cancer Cure, Growth Quickining	Under-Sea/Under Ice Cities
11	Fusion Plants	Synaptic Learning Processors, Hand Computers, Model/5	Personal Global Communications	Nerve Refusion, Artificial Eyes	Gravitic Structure Support
12	Fusion Plants, Advanced Fuel Cells	Low Autonomous Robots, Model/6	Real-time Multilingual Translators	Broad Spectrum Anti-toxins, Enhanced Prosthetics	Major Terraforming, Advanced Weather Control
13	Fusion Plants, Miniature Super-Batteries	Holocrystal Storage, High Autonomous Robots, Model/7	Holovideo Recorders	Cloning of Replacement Parts, Reanimation	Non-mobile Gravitic Cities
14	Fusion Plants	Computer/Brain Implants, Model/8	Early Meson Communicators	Genetic Engineering, Memory Erasure	Mobile Gravitic Cities
15		Pseudo-Reality Computers, Pseudo Robots, Model/9	Meson Communicators, Pseudo Reality Communications	Anagathics, Advanced Pseudobio Prosthetics	Complex Terraforming Possible
16		Low Artificial Intelligence, Robots in all Facets	Personal Meson Communicators, Personal Holovideo	Brain Transplants, Crude Memory Transfer	Global Terraforming, Hostile Worlds
17	Early Antimatter Plants	High Artificial Intelligence, Self-Aware Robots	Pocket Meson Communications	Selective Memory Erasure, Intelligent Anitbodies	Total Terraforming to 800Km worlds
18		Robots become Society's Basic Workforce		Permanent Memory Transfer	Total Terraforming to 4000Km worlds
19				Elemental/Limited Matter Transport	Total Terraforming
20			Global Matter Transport	Total Memory Transfer	Mobile Worlds (Sublight)
21			System-wide Matter Transport	Early Total Rejuvenation	Mobile Worlds (Jump Space) & Rosettes
25	"Capsule" Dyson Spheres
27	Ability to create Ringworlds, access pocket universe
29	Rigid Dyson Spheres
31	Create Pocket Universe

Transportation Technology

Transportation Tech Comparison
TTL	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 Road, 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	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
21	Multi Parsec Range Starship-Sized Matter Transport Portals

Military Technology

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 Desginated Missiles
9	Laser Weapons	Ablative Armour		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, Plama 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

Non-Canon Technologies

News Media and Information Dissemination Technology

History & Background (Dossier)

Technology is the distinguishing feature of advanced civilizations. It underlies what being a sophont is.

IISS Chronological Periodization

• Technological Age (1 TL) → Technological Epoch (3 TLs) → Technological Period (9 TLs) → Technological Era (30 TLs) → Technological Eon (33+ TLs) → Singularity (Post-Technological Period)

Technology Comparison Chart

The Scout Service is responsible for categorizing the technological ability of a society. They rate this ability by the assigning of Technology Levels.

See also

Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information:
Technology:

• Technological Research
  • Ancients Foundation
  • Biotechnology
  • Imperial Research Station
  • Technology Incubator
• Technological Systemics
  • Accelerating Tech Level
  • QREBS
  • Tech Age
  • Tech Eon
  • Tech Epoch
  • Tech Era
  • Tech Level Comparison Chart
  • Tech Period
  • Technology Level
  • Three Prime Technologies
  • Universal Technological Profile

---

Charted Space Technological Spectrum:

• 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

References & Contributors (Sources)

This article has metadata.

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.

• This article is an amalgamation of many different materials published since 1977.
• Marc Miller. Worlds and Adventures (Game Designers Workshop, 1977), 7-8, 14-15.Marc Miller, Robert Eaglestone, Don McKinney. Worlds and Adventures (Far Future Enterprises, 2019), 7-8, 14-15.
• Herb Petro. "Tech Level Expansion." Imperium Staple 07 (1986): TBD.
• Loren Wiseman. "Twisting Tech Levels: A Traveller Variant." Challenge 31 (1987): 27.
• Marc Miller. Referee's Companion (Game Designers Workshop, 1988), 28-29.
• Geir Lanesskog. World Builder's Handbook (Mongoose Publishing, 2023), TBD.Joe Fugate, J. Andrew Keith, Gary L. Thomas. World Builder's Handbook (Digest Group Publications, 1989), TBD.
• Frank Chadwick, Dave Nilsen. Fire, Fusion, & Steel (Game Designers Workshop, 1994), 7.
• Leighton Piper. Signal-GK 13 (Signal-GK, 1997), TBD.
• 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.
• Marc Miller. T5 Core Rules (Far Future Enterprises, 2013), 502-507.
• EXTERNAL LINK: Traveller 5e to GURPS TL conversion
• Traveller Wiki Editorial Team
• Author & Contributor: Lord (Marquis) and Master of Sophontology Maksim-Smelchak of the Ministry of Science