Aurora vs Traveller
Compare Aurora and Traveller side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Aurora | Traveller | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi | Scifi |
| Play Style | Crunchy, Combat-Heavy, Skill-Based, Mission-Based, Base-Building, Deadly, Random Character Creation, Superhero | Sandbox, Simulation, Exploration, Deadly, Character Building, Faction Play |
| Core Mechanic | Roll d100 equal to or under skill value for a standard success. Degrees of success scale with the margin: standard (full value), difficult (half value), very difficult (quarter value), legendary (01 only). Misfortune triggers on rolls of 96+ (99+ for skilled characters). Combat uses initiative based on Dexterity, with major actions, minor actions, and reactions (number limited by Dexterity / 30). Defenders choose to dodge, parry, counterattack, or maneuver as reactions. Superpowers cost energy points and risk destabilizing the dimension when used in front of witnesses. | Roll 2d6 + skill + modifier ≥ 8 to succeed. Character generation is a mini-game. |
| Dice | d100 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | High | Medium |
| Accessibility | High | High |
| Runnability | Medium | Very High |
| License | All Rights Reserved | Traveller Fair Use Policy |
| Cost | $$ | $$ |
| Publisher | GrubyBang | Mongoose Publishing |
| Year | 2024 | 2022 |
| Best For | Groups who want a crunchy BRP-based sci-fi game where superpowered agents travel to other dimensions on tactical missions, build up a shared base between operations, and face detailed combat with location-based wounds. | Hard sci-fi sandbox campaigns with trading, exploration, and realistic space travel. |
| Highlights | Dimension-hopping premise supports any genre or historical period within a single campaign. 16 superpowers with leveled upgrades and a risk-reward discretion system. Base-building expands Facility 13 with modules like the Isomer Forge (iconic weapons) and Nanite Workshop. 120+ weapons spanning primitive, modern, and futuristic eras. Detailed wound tables by body location and weapon type. | Comprehensive sci-fi toolkit, lifepath character creation, detailed trade/travel systems |
| Considerations | 11-step character creation process is detailed but lengthy. Translated from Polish: occasional language inconsistencies. No free rules or SRD available. | Lifepath character creation rolls for aging and career mishaps, so a Traveller can leave chargen weakened or pushed onto an unwanted path. Subsystem rules are spread across multiple supplements, so the core book leaves several procedures without full depth. Characteristics are recorded as a hexadecimal Universal Personality Profile string, an unusual notation newcomers must learn before they can read a stat block. |