Lasers & Feelings vs Traveller
Compare Lasers & Feelings and Traveller side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Lasers & Feelings | Traveller | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi | Scifi |
| Play Style | Rules-Light, One-Shot Friendly, Beginner-Friendly, Low-Prep, Comedy, Collaborative, Fiction-First, Open Source, Tag-Based | Sandbox, Simulation, Exploration, Deadly, Character Building, Faction Play |
| Core Mechanic | Pick a number from 2–5. Roll 1–3d6 depending on preparation and expertise. Rolls under your number succeed at Lasers (science, tech, reason); rolls over succeed at Feelings (intuition, diplomacy, passion). Rolling exactly your number triggers Laser Feelings: a special insight where you can ask the GM one question. | Roll 2d6 + skill + modifier ≥ 8 to succeed. Character generation is a mini-game. |
| Dice | d6 dice pool | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Very Low | Medium |
| Accessibility | Very High | High |
| Runnability | Medium | Very High |
| License | CC BY 4.0 | Traveller Fair Use Policy |
| Cost | Free | $$ |
| Publisher | One Seven Design (John Harper) | Mongoose Publishing |
| Year | 2013 | 2022 |
| Best For | Quick one-shots with zero prep: the crew of the interstellar scout ship Raptor must save the day while the captain is out of commission. | Hard sci-fi sandbox campaigns with trading, exploration, and realistic space travel. |
| Highlights | Entire game fits on one page, zero prep needed, character creation takes seconds, free and Creative Commons licensed | Comprehensive sci-fi toolkit, lifepath character creation, detailed trade/travel systems |
| Considerations | GM carries most of the creative and structural load, single stat means characters can feel mechanically identical, no structured scenario framework beyond the initial hook | Lifepath character creation can produce unplayable results, subsystem rules are spread across multiple supplements, steep buy-in if using official sourcebooks |