I am currently obsessed with Mongoose Traveller 2E. I’d say this is odd, because I’ve run the system at this point one time, but I think that nails it, I’m hungering to play it more. The system which was created in the late 70’s as a science fiction response to D&D by legendary game designer Marc Miller has gone through a number versions by a number of owners, but currently the most supported and popular version would be Mongoose Traveller which is in it’s 2nd edition.
It appears rather than start a new edition (thankfully), Mongoose Publishing has been updating certain key titles in the Traveller library starting last year with the Core Rules, and now opting to take a pass at the High Guard book. I’ll preface this, by saying I don’t have the original to compare to, but having spent some time with this book, and knowing what I know of the system this is a marvelous entry into the Traveller landscape.
High Guard 2022 is basically a guide into designing or customizing your own ship for the Traveller RPG. The book is broken down into 15 chapters (counting the introduction). The first chapter goes into detail on “Ship Design” This is a 13 step process which starts with Creating a Hull, Installing Drives, Power Plants, Fuel Tanks, a Bridge, Computer, etc. The process takes into account cost, weight, size of ship, and beyond. It is a complex system, but when it’s done you should be able to have something that fits your parties needs (should you be able to afford it).
The next few chapters continue on this process, but give more customization options such as weapons and screens and “spacecraft options”. This latter part deals with things like hulls, bulk heads, common areas, and drives on a more specific level. The book then segues into building space stations, before getting into more customizing options for ships themselves, and into the ship’s computer, sensors, more exotic technology, and then into crew roles, and deck plans. After this we get into some combat oriented chapters, first on fighters, which goes into squadrons, performance, combat, and then into performing dogfights and recovery from.
The follow up from that is “fleet battles”. The expectation for the most part is that battles in Traveller are more small scale, and can be handled with space combat options from the core rulebook, however, this section deals with the minutiae of running a full on fleet battle which is just AWESOME (and also very crunchy) The concluding chapters deal with boarding actions which can be simple, or involve fighting sections. The most detailed section of the book details Spaceships of the Third Imperium, and gives a breakdown of many of the most common ship types you will find in the Traveller universe.
While High Guard Update 2022, is not necessary at the start of Traveller play the options are much too varied to keep away from it for long. Just for the section on Spaceships of the Third Imperium alone I’d say it’s worth a purchase, but if your game ends up in a longform campaign, I would definitely suggest it. Like the rest of the Mongoose Traveller series I’ve laid my hands on the layout, graphics, and illustrations are top notch, and the accessibility of information is easy to grasp. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.