Traveller to GURPS Conversions

by David P. Summers

[Permission is granted for strictly non-commercial use provided this notice is retained. GURPS, GURPS Basic Set, GURPS Space and GURPS Vehicles are trademarks of Steve Jackson Games. Traveller, Marc Miller's Traveller, MegaTraveller, and T4 are trademarks of Imperium Games]

Like many gamers, I was weaned on science fiction roleplaying by GDW's Traveller. Even today you still hear people talk about Traveller's "little black books". Today, with Imperium Games' publication of "Marc Miller's Traveller" (T4), there is renewed interest in the Traveller setting. New material will be published covering new periods in the setting history. For those of use who love the Traveller background, but prefer GURPS mechanics, playing "GURPS Traveller" is a natural. How well does Traveller work with GURPS? Great! So, without further to do, let me present my own modest contibution to SF gaming, GURPS Traveller.

It is assumed in this article that the reader has access to Traveller rules, GURPS Basic Set, and GURPS Space (However, Space is not strictly necessary). These rules can be combined with settings and mechanics from "Classic" Traveller, MegaTraveller, and "T4". In particulalar Traveller rules can be used intact for ship generation, ship combat, world generation and world economics. To convert . . .

Classic Traveller &ndash GURPS skills levels are related to Traveller skill levels by the formula:

Traveller Skill = (GURPS Skill &ndash 10) / 2.

Mega Traveller &ndash Skill levels are related as above.

For stats use:

GURPS stat = Traveller stat + 3.

Traveller task difficulties are used in GURPS as skill roll modifiers . . .

Easy         +2
Routine       0
Difficult    -4
Formidible   -8
Impossible  -12

T4 &ndash As above.

Task difficulty roll modifiers are . . . .

Easy          +3
Average        0
Difficult     -3
Formidible    -6
Staggering    -9
Impossible   -12

Characters

To retain some of the flavor of Traveller, where most people are an ex-military or ex-merchant something or the other, "careers" are used. This is essentially a grouping of skills into background areas so that what a character has learned matches what he used to be. Careers are not mandatory and there is no "point break" associated with careers. However, some skills are only available to characters using the appropriate careers (see below). They impose some minimal requirements on a character. For characters with backgrounds not covered by the listed careers; a) no career is necessary if no skills with career requirements are used, b) a similar career can be modified or c) the GM can simply look at the character to make sure that the character's background matches the skills he/she has learned.

Each career comes with a list of required skills. A character must take at least 3 required skills from the career. They must have one each at a level of at least 11, 12 and 13. At least 1/4 of all points put into skills must be in required skills. Also, the PC's skill list should be constant with their background, years of service, and specialty (if any) within the profession. Characters may combine careers provided they meet all requirements. Careers are listed at the end of the Article.

Advantages

Rank

New Advantages

Former Rank &ndash 5 points/level

Level     Former Rank
1         Rank 2 or 3
2         Rank 4 or 5
3         Rank 6
4         Rank 7

Education &ndash 5 points/level

Level     Description            Modern equivalent
0         Basic education        High School/Trade school
1         Higher education       College
2         Advanced education     Graduate/Professional School

Free Trader &ndash 20 points

Scout &ndash 30 points

(Note: A GM may wish to allow players to pool points toward ownership of a ship)

Travellers' Aid Society Membership &ndash 10 points.

Skills

New GURPS Skills

Steward &ndash M/E; Training in the care, feeding, and management of passengers.

Forward Observer &ndash M/A; Training in calling on, and adjusting fire from, batteries and orbiting ships. Includes knowledge in the capabilities of such weapons in various roles.

Interstellar Astrogation &ndash M/H (Requires Astrogation); Making sure your ship jumps to the right place. A normal failure means you ended up further out from the system than intended. On a critical failure, another skill roll is made. Making the roll gives the same result as given above for a normal faliure. A failure means you ended up 4d days out from the nearest Gas Giant or Starport. A critical failure means you jumped to the wrong spot.

Engineer, Jump Drive &ndash M/VH; Building and servicing Jump Drives.

Jump Drive Operaration &ndash M/H (Defaults to Engineer, Jump Drive &ndash 3); Operating a Jump Drive so the ship will jump correctly. A normal failure means the jump failed and you have to wait 1 hour, for each point you missed by, before you can jump again. On a critical failure, another skill roll is made. Making the roll gives the same result as given above for a normal failure. Missing means were able to abort in time and your ship was thrown 4d days travel in a random direct (you use half the fuel you would otherwise have used). A critical failure means you have misjumped. (Note: A ship in poor repair, too close to a planet, etc., may also require a misjump roll as specified in Traveller).

Zero-G Combat &ndash M/A (Requires Free Fall); All combat skills in free fall are at the minimum of either combat skill level or Zero-G Combat.

GURPS Specializations

Driving &ndash Car, ATV, Hovercraft, Tank

Electronics/Electronic Operations &ndash Communications, Computers, Holographics, Medical, Security Systems, Sensors, Grav Vehicles (for repair only, operation is piloting).

Engineer &ndash Spaceship Powerplant, Maneuver Drive, Jump Drive, Combat.

Guns &ndash Pistol(Body, Auto, Snub and Revolver), Rifle (Carbine, Assault Rifle, Rifle, Auto. Rifle, ACR), Light Automatic (Submachine Gun), Shotgun, Gauss Rifle, Accelerator Rifle, Grenade Launcher.

Beam Weapons &ndash Laser, Plasma Gun

Gunner (Vehicle, Field Guns) &ndash Grenade Launcher, Machine Gun, Autocannon, Howitzer, Gauss Gun, Mortar, Plasma Gun, Rocket Launcher, Meson Accelerator

Gunner (Ship Weapons) &ndash Beam Laser, Pulse Laser, Plasma Gun, Missile, Sandcaster, Particle Accelerators, Meson Gun.

Mechanic &ndash Fuel Cell/Electric Engine, Gasoline Engine, Jet Plane, Robotics, Hovercraft, Spaceship (Covers Airlocks, Hull,etc.).

Piloting &ndash Jet, Helicopter, Grav Vehicle, Grav Belt, Hovercraft, Spaceship, Interstellar.

New requirements for skills

Career Requirements

 Astrogation NST
 Battlesuit AM
 Demolition AM
 Engineering (Spaceship Powerplant, Maneuver Drives, Jump Drives) NST (all req. 1 level educ.)
 Combat Engineering  AM
 Forward Observer  AN
 Free Fall NMST
 Gunner, "Ships Guns" NST
 Gunner, "Field Guns" A
 Intelligence Analysis NAM
 Interrogation NAM
 Intersellar Astrogation NST (N and T require 1 level education)
 Leadership NAM
 Piloting (Spaceship) NST
 Piloting (Interstellar) NST (N is officers only,  T requires 1 level of education)
 Steward T
 Strategy  NA (officers only)
 Tactics  NAM
 Underwater Demolition  AM
 Vacc Suit NASTM
 Zero-G Combat NM.

Education Requirements (See also Career Requirements)

• Administration requires 1 level Education.
• Scientific/Professional skills, unless otherwise noted, require 1 level of Education. (The GM may allow a "passing knowledge", putting a 0.5 point or so into a skill, in one or two cases, to reflect amateur interest. All GM decisions are final).
• Computer Operation does not require Eduction.
• Two Electronics Operation skills can be taken without a level of Education.
• The following require 2 levels of Education to have more than a passing knowledge;
  • Archeology
  • Biochemistry
  • Botany
  • Chemistry Diagnosis
  • Genetics
  • Geology
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Nuclear Physics
  • Physics
  • Physiology
  • Zoology
  • Xenobiology
  • Xenology
  • Planetology
• Physician and Surgery require 2 levels eduction.

Tech Levels

TTL   0   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15
GTL   0   1-3   4   5   5   6   7   7   7   8   8   9   9   10   10   11

Psionics

A player may buy powers without the background and attempt to be trained in skills after character creation. The character gets one IQ roll a year to realize that he/she is potentially psionic and then must find the Psionic Institute (as per Traveller rules) to try and get training (paying appropriate fees).

Characters who start without psionics will, if they successfully contact the Psionics Institute, have a chance of buying psionics (character will have to pay all necessary points at that time). The roll is up to the GM. One possibility is an IQ-3 roll on a power to see if any talent exists (if successful, roll again, at a cumulative -1 penalty, on a new power). For each success, roll 2d6 for the number of levels (with a successive -1 each time after the first one).

The following powers and skills are designed to match those given in the Traveller rule book. GMs shouldn't feel inhibited from adding additional abilities if it fits their campaigns.

Power          Skill
Telepathy      Mind Shield
               Life Detection
               Emotion Sense
               Telereceive
               Telesend
               Mental Blow
               Mental Stab

ESP            Clairvoyance
               Clairaudience
               Seekersense

Psychokinesis  Levitation
               Telekinesis

Teleportation* Autoteleport
               Combat Teleport

Healing**      Healing
               Suspended Animation

** The limitation, self only, is mandatory

Life Detection &ndash works with the same modifiers as Emotion Sense but detect living organisms. User can "ignore" bacteria or unimportant animals in the area. +1 for intelligent minds, -1 for unintelligent minds, Shielded minds are not detectable.

Suspended Animation &ndash works like metabolism control. Character can last for 7 days without the need for food or water and with minimal air (5% normal). May be stopped at any time provided with external stimulus (alarm, slap, etc.) but there is no "internal alarm". Cost 1 Fatigue (when you wake up). Cannot be used to fool lie detectors.

Equipment

Weapons

• Dagger
• Blade (Heavy Knife)
• Foil (Rapier)
• "Cutlass" (Broadsword but single bladed with basket hilt)
• Sword (Shortsword)
• Broadsword (Bastard Sword)
• Polearms
• Spear
• Club

In addition to description given in Traveller, ranged weapons have the following GURPS stats . . . .

Submachinegun &ndash Can be fired one handed (add 3 to SS, subtract 3 from ACC, double Rcl).

ACR (Advanced Combat Rifle) &ndash Takes either high density discarding sabot ammo (HDDS) or high explosive ammo (HE). HDDS rounds divide DR and damage after DR by 3. HE rounds double DR, it does 5d damage + 1d explosive damage (x5 if buried in meat,no blow through).

Snub Pistol &ndash Characters with Zero-G combat at 12+ can use one in free fall with just a -1 recoil penalty. Takes tranquillizer, armor piercing explosive (APE), and high explosive (HE) rounds. Shots are very low velocity and may be blocked as per arrows. APE rounds explode with a small shaped charge as the hit the target doing an extra 1d of damage (DR is halved as is damage). HE rounds are as per ACR HE rounds (but you must do at least 1 point of damage to "bury" the round).

Accelerator Rifle &ndash Characters with with zero-G combat at a 12+ can use one in free fall with just a -2 recoil penalty.

Gauss Rifle &ndash Round is a dense armor piercing core surrounded by a softer metal covering ending in a hollow point. Divide armor by 3 but damage that penetrates by 2.

Grenade Launchers &ndash Grenades from both kinds of grenade launchers do 5dx2 damage. A RAM Grenade Launcher can be fired on a flat trajectory like a gun. Character uses guns skills but can also use telescopic sights, etc.

Ranged Weapon Table

Weapon       Type   Dam. SS  ACC  1/2D   Max  RoF Shts ST Rcl LC
Body Pistol     cr 1d+2  10   2     50    200  3~   6   7  -1  5
Auto. Pist.     cr 3d+1  10   3    200  2,000  3~  15   9  -2  5
Revolver        cr 3d+1  10   4    275  2,750  3~   6  10  -2  5
Shotgun         cr  4d   12   5     25    150  3~  10  12  -3  4
Submachinegun   cr 3d+1  10   7    200  2,000  10  30  10  -1  3
Carbine         cr  6d   10  10    500  3,000  3~  10   8  -1  4
Assault Rifle   cr  6d   10  10    500  3,000  10  30   8  -1  2
Rifle           cr  8d   12  11  1,000  4,500  3~  20   9  -1  3
Auto. Rifle     cr  8d   12  11  1,000  4,500  10  20   9  -1  1
ACR (HE rnds)   cr  5d    9  15  1,000  4,500  10  20   9  -1  0
ACR (HDDS rnds) cr  8d    9  15  1,250  6,000  10  20   9  -1  0
Snub P. (HE)    cr 1d-3  14   2     25    100  3~   6   &ndash   0  2
Snub P. (APE)   cr 1d-2  14   2     25    100  3~   6   &ndash   0  2
Accel. Rifle    cr  5d   12   9    500  3,000   8  15   7   0  2
Laser Carb.    imp  11d  10  11    750  1,200  3~  50   &ndash   0  1
Laser Rifle    imp 2dx10 12  13  1,500  2,000  3~  50   &ndash   0  0
Gauss Rifle     cr  8d   11  18  1,750  7,500  20  40   9  -1  0
PGMP-12        imp 4dx10 14   4    200    750   1  40 14/T -5  -1
PGMP-13        imp 4dx12 15   2    300   1000   1   &ndash   *  -5  -2
PGMP-14        imp 4dx12 15   3    300   1000   1   &ndash   9  -1  -3
FGMP-14        imp 6dx10 15   2    300   1000   1   &ndash   *  -5  -4
FGMP-15        imp  8dx8 15   3    300   1000   1   &ndash   9  -1  -5
Grenade Launcher &ndash    &ndash  13   4      &ndash    400   1   1   8  -1   0
RAM GrenadeL.    &ndash    &ndash  10   6      &ndash   1000   1   3   8   0   0

Support Weapons

Weapon         Type  Dam     SS  ACC  1/2D   Max   Wt. RoF Shots ST  Rcl
Light Mach. Gun cr    8d    12  10  1,000  4,500    12  20 100  12/T  -1
Auto-Can. (API) cr   4dx5   20  15   1 mi   3 mi  >660  40   &ndash    &ndash   -
Auto-Can. (HE)  cr  4d(10)  20  15 1.5 mi   3 mi  >660  40   &ndash    &ndash   -
VRF Gauss Gun  imp  6dx3(3) 14  16   1 mi 4.5 mi 4,400  60   &ndash    &ndash   -
Auto G. L.       &ndash    &ndash     13   4     &ndash     400    13  12  16  14/T  -1
Auto RAM G. L.   &ndash    &ndash     10   6     &ndash    1000  14.5  12  20  14/T  0

Armour

Armor      PD   DR   Wt  Cost (Cr)
Jack        1    1    1      50
Mesh        2    4    2     150
Cloth *
  Light     2    8    7     250
  Medium    2   16   12     375
  Heavy     2   24   16     500
Ablative ** 4   24   40      75
Reflect *** 6    2    2    1500
Combat Armor ****    60  20,000
  Torso     6  100
  Arms/Legs 4   85
  Hands/Feet 3  60
  Helmet    6   85
  Face      4   70
Battle Dress*****   105  200,000
  Torso     6  125
  Limbs/Head 6 100
  Face      6   75

** Every hit of >3 reduces DR by 1. Every three hits reduce PD by 1.

*** PD 0, DR 0 against non-lasers.

**** Can provide life support. These are general stats as armor will vary by source.

***** Powered Armor with a mount to hold a heavy weapon. Gives ST 20-25. DX is at a -1. Requires the Battlesuit skill. Will provide life support. Stats will vary from army to army.

Other Equipment

• Telescopic Sights &ndash 32x power, variable.
• Shoulder Stocks &ndash For pistols, 2.5 Lb, add +4 to Acc and +2 to SS and you use Guns, Rifle instead of Guns, Pistol.
• Vacc Suit &ndash Provides PD 2, DR 3.
• Computers &ndash For personal computers use GURPS rules, GTL 8, $1 = 2 Cr. Ship computers use Traveller rules.
• Slow Drug &ndash Allows user to take 2 actions/round. Takes 4 seconds to take effect. Last for 30 second when the user makes a HT-4 and take 1 point of damage for each point the roll was missed by. Hypo form only.
• Medical Slow Drug &ndash Renders the subject unconscious for one day, during which 30 days of healing occurs. Requires medical supervision to be used safely. Attending physician makes a roll and then the character makes a roll against HT+2+amount physician roll was made to avoid side effects (GM's judgement).
• Fast Drug &ndash Character uses 1 day of food/oxygen/water every 60 days. One dose lasts 60 days unless countered by an antidote. Requires a HT+2 roll to avoid side effects (GM's judgement).
• Combat Drug &ndash Increases ST temporarily (30 seconds). Takes 2 rounds to take effect. When it wears off the subject makes a HT-total bonus roll and takes 1 point of damage for each point the roll was missed by. Doses can be bought that provide a +1 to +3.
• Truth Drug &ndash Subject is compelled to answers questions truthfully. Lasts 2 minutes. Subject then goes unconscious for 1 hours and makes a HT-7 roll, taking 1 point of damage for each point to roll was missed by.

The following drugs out of Space are also suitable ($1 = 4 Cr) . . .

• Antirad
• Analgine
• Hypercoagulin
• Superstim

Aliens

Aslan, 31 points

Droyne ,Variable

      ST  DX  IQ  hitpnts other                      Total Package Cost
Leader  -3  -2  +4  -2                                    72 points
Tech    -4  +1  +1  -4    Lacks Initiative*               32 points
Worker  +1  -1  -2  -3    Lacks Initiative*               37 points
Warrior -1  +2  -2  -2    Lacks Initiative*               52 points
Drone   -3   0   0  -3    Obedient**                      37 points
Sport   -3   0   0  -3    Obedient**                      37 points

** A mild form of slave mentality. Character will care for itself and be able to pursue task in natural directions. He/she will not take on new task or make fundamental decisions about where the project should go. When a task is finished, or when a reaches a point where a fundamental decision needs to be made about direction, the character will need the direction of a leader. -20 points.

Droyne have the following additional available Telepathic skills; Boost, Mindwipe, Link. Link is part of the permanent bond between members of a dreskay. For 15 seconds the character will see and hear everything the linked character experiences and knows his direction and distance. Costs 1 fatigue. Boost allows another psi to draw from the character's fatigue. Costs subject 2 fatigue per point of fatigue drawn. Each activation allows the other psi to draw fatigue for 10 minutes. Failure costs 1 fatigue.

Hivers &ndash 39 points.

*All five legs/arms have manipulators. However, you need 2 to stand on (and that's like standing on one leg).

**+1 to skills involving manual dexterity.

K'kree, 15 points

*The net effect is to give a K'kree a split ST. You buy ST normally. For task using the lower body only the ST is (ST-2)x2.

Vargr, 14 points

Zhodani

Animals

One can come up with rough guidelines as to what a Traveller animal should look like in GURPS. PD/DR would be similar to that of the armor listed under the "armor" column (Jack = PD1/DR1, Mesh = PD2/ DR3, Cloth = PD3/DR6). Damage is similar to 1d-4+(wounds/2) (where every +4 is replaced by a second dice, ie 1d+5 = 2d-1). For hit points, take the number of hits it takes to render an animal unconscious and dead, then add them together (which we will call "total hits", TH). TH/2 to TH seems to be the range, with numbers generally closer to TH (particularly for larger animals).

Careers

Required Skill List

Navy , Scouts, and Merchant all have . . .

• Astrogation
• Computer Operations
• Electronics
  • Communications
  • Computers
  • Medical
  • Sensors
  • Weapons
• Electronics Operations
  • Communications
  • Sensors
• Engineering
  • Spaceship Powerplants
  • Maneuver Drives
  • Jump Drive
• Free Fall
• Gunner
  • Pulse Laser
  • Beam Laser
  • Missiles
  • Sandcaster
• Mechanic (Spaceship)
• Piloting
  • Grav Vehicles
  • Spaceship
  • Interstellar
• Vacc Suit

For Navy, add . . .

• Administration (officers)
• Electronics (Gravitics)
• Forward Observer
• Intelligence Analysis (officers)
• Interrogation (officers)
• Interstellar Astrogation (officers)
• Leadership (officers)
• Medical skills (any)
• Strategy (officers)
• Tactics (officers)

Other Requirements

• IQ>9
• 1 level of Education for officers

For Scouts, add . . .

• Driving (ATV)
• Guns (Any one from equipment list)
• Interstellar Astrogation
• Mechanic (Ground Vehicles)
• Survival

Other Requirements

• IQ>9
• ST>8
• Must have Piloting (Interstellar).

For Merchant , add . . .

• Administration
• Interstellar Astrogation
• Law
• Mechanic (Ground Vehicles)
• Merchant
• Steward
• Streetwise

Other Requirements

• IQ>9
• Rank First Officer and above must have Piloting (Starship)

Marines, Army both have . . .

• Armoury (Guns
• Beam weapons)
• Administration (officers)
• Computer Operations
• Demolition
• Driving (ATV)
• Electronics
  • Communications
  • Sensors
  • Gravitics
• Electronics Operations
  • Communications
  • Sensors
• Engineering (Combat Engineering)
• Melee Weapon (any listed in equipment)
• Guns (any listed in equipment)
• Beam Weapons (any listed in equipment)
• Intelligence Analysis (officers)
• Interrogation (officers)
• Leadership (officers)
• Mechanic (Ground Vehicles)
• Medical skills (any)
• Piloting (Grav Vehicles)
• Strategy (officers)
• Tactics

Marines, add . . .

• Free Fall
• Vacc Suit
• Zero-G combat

Other Requirements

• ST>10
• IQ>9
• Character must have skill with a cutlass and gun/beam weapon.

Army, adds . . .

• Forward Observer
• Gunner
  • Rocket Launcher
  • Field Laser
  • Tank Cannon
  • Machine Gun
• Piloting (Fighter Jets)
• Survival

Other Requirements

• DX>9
• HT>9
• Character must have at least one weapon skill

Other Careers

• Mercenary &ndash Uses the same requirements and skill list as Army.
• Pirate &ndash Use either/both Navy or Marines.
• Belter &ndash Use Scouts but replace Guns and Gunner with Prospecting.
• Barbarian &ndash Just take appropriate and available skills and several of levels of Primitive.
• Noble &ndash Must have Status 3+, and Wealthy. May take Piloting, Navigation, Engineering, Medical, and Computer skills not otherwise available.
• Scientist &ndash Requires two levels of education. May take Engineering and Medical skills not otherwise available.
• Diplomat , Doctor, Flyer, Bureaucrat &ndash Just take appropriate and available skills.

Note . . .

First you take the volume of the ship you are designing and look up the volume, or volume and mass, of a jump drive big enough to give the proper jump rating. Then you look up the amount of fuel the jump drive needs. (This is so the logistics of travel, trade, and war work the way they do in the Traveller universe). At this point you can . . .

1. Just proceed under GURPS rules, using the Traveller stats for the size and volume of the Jump unit and the fuel it needs.
2. Proceed under GURPS rules, but assume that the power plant requires as much fuel as given in Traveller for a maneuver drive on a ship that size. (GURPS Fusion plants are efficient enough that they almost never need refueling and the GM may not want to relieve the players of the worry of running out of fuel).
3. Look up the Traveller stats for the power plant, maneuver drive, and manuver fuel requirements and use those (along with jump drive stats) to design a ship. (You pretty much just ignore power requirements because it is assumed that, once you have powered the manuever drive, any other power requirements are not significant.)

You will need at least on of the following conversions . . . .

• One Ton (of disp. of hydrogen) = 18 cubic yards
• One Ton (of disp. of hydrogen) = 13.5 kiloliters
• One Ton (of disp. of hydrogen) = 486 cubic feet

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