Stars Without Number vs Traveller
Compare Stars Without Number and Traveller side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, cost, and more.
| Stars Without Number | Traveller | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Scifi | Scifi |
| Play Style | Sandbox, Exploration, Low-Prep, Faction Play, Tactical, Ascending AC, Vancian Casting | Sandbox, Simulation, Exploration, Deadly, Character Building, Faction Play |
| Core Mechanic | 2d6 + skill + attribute ≥ target for skills; d20 + modifiers for combat. OSR-inspired. | Roll 2d6 + skill + modifier ≥ 8 to succeed. Character generation is a mini-game. |
| Dice | 2d6 / d20 | 2d6 |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Accessibility | Very High | High |
| Runnability | Very High | Very High |
| License | Proprietary | Traveller Fair Use Policy |
| Cost | Free | $$ |
| Publisher | Sine Nomine Publishing | Mongoose Publishing |
| Year | 2017 | 2022 |
| Best For | Sandbox sci-fi campaigns with comprehensive GM tools for faction turns, sector generation, and adventure creation. | Hard sci-fi sandbox campaigns with trading, exploration, and realistic space travel. |
| Highlights | Free version is generous, comprehensive sandbox tools, faction system | Comprehensive sci-fi toolkit, lifepath character creation, detailed trade/travel systems |
| Considerations | OSR combat can feel flat compared to modern tactical systems, B/X heritage means limited mechanical support for social or narrative play | 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. |