From Mongoose Publishing, this line presents military vehicles from the Second World War (1939-1945) under the Traveller ruleset, something that's a bit odd when you first think about it.

Whilst the vehicles found in these books could potentially form the basis of a campaign set in the Second World War, they may also be of interest to those who are simply curious as to how real-world vehicles can be implemented using the Traveller vehicle design system. However, it's likely that many more players will want to actually use them in their games, even on planets far in the future and hundreds of light years away!

The books contain game mechanics for many vehicles, from the humble BMW R75 motorcycle with sidecar, to the mighty Tiger II but, at the end of the day, a Tiger II need not look like a Tiger II if it were built to these specifications on an alien world. It could end up looking very different but have the same characteristics listed in this book. By this token, what thses books provide is a solid set of military vehicles available at Tech Level 5. A referee can use them to fully flesh out a military force on a Tech Level 5 world and provide interesting variations on themes in order to give his world more depth.

For example, a referee creating a military force for a new world may simply design a single main battle tank for it before moving on to the artillery piece, the fighter plane, and so on. With any one of these books (or several, if preferred), he can present a military force that has a defined timeline with the development of its vehicles, so there is not just one main battle tank but several, each a replacement of the one before though with all still in service, with the very best units getting the latest generation of tank.

Players can have fun with this book as well, especially if they are engaging in paramilitary actions or running their own mercenary force. What these books will provide them is a list of Tech Level 5 vehicles that, while outmatched by more sophisticated enemies, will be perfectly serviceable (and at a cheaper price!) on more primitive worlds and will be capable of standing up against infantry from higher Tech Levels - at least, until plasma weaponry and missiles become prevalent.

Setting Page last updated: 10 May 2015