Traveller vs Worlds Without Number
Compare Traveller and Worlds Without Number side by side. See differences in complexity, dice, genre, and more.
| Traveller | Worlds Without Number | |
|---|---|---|
| Genre | Sci-Fi | Fantasy |
| Tags | Sandbox, Simulation, Exploration, Deadly, Character Building, Faction Play | Sandbox, Exploration, Faction Play, Strong GM Support, Gritty, Classic Fantasy, Random Tables, Hexcrawl, Low-Prep, Domain Management |
| Core Mechanic | Roll 2d6 + skill + modifier ≥ 8 to succeed. Character generation is a mini-game. | Skill checks roll 2d6 plus the relevant skill level and attribute modifier against a difficulty. Attacks roll d20 plus base attack bonus, combat skill, and attribute modifier against the target's Armor Class. A missed melee attack can still inflict Shock damage when the target's AC is low enough. |
| Dice | 2d6 | 2d6 / d20 |
| Complexity | Medium | Medium |
| Availability | Free quickstart | Free core rules |
| Runnability | 5 of 5 book tools | 5 of 5 book tools |
| License | Traveller Fair Use Policy | CC0 1.0 Universal (SRD 1.0); proprietary core books |
| Third-Party Publishing | Not yet researched | Commercial publishing allowed — Worlds Without Number System Reference Document (SRD 1.0) under CC0 1.0 Universal |
| Summary only, not legal advice. Check current terms before publishing. | ||
| Publisher | Mongoose Publishing | Sine Nomine Publishing |
| Year | 2022 | 2021 |
| Languages | English, German, French | English |
| Best For | Hard sci-fi sandbox campaigns with trading, exploration, and realistic space travel. | Groups who want an open fantasy sandbox where their own goals drive play. Faction turns and campaign-building tools keep the world moving between sessions. |
| Highlights | Comprehensive sci-fi toolkit, lifepath character creation, detailed trade/travel systems | The campaign chapter turns worldbuilding into procedures, with tags and tables that keep sandbox preparation to one session ahead. Faction turns let rival powers act between sessions, so the setting changes even when the players are elsewhere. Shock damage keeps melee misses meaningful and makes armor and shields matter in close combat. |
| Considerations | 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. | Combat resolution is deliberately simple, with positioning and Shock carrying most of the tactical weight. The rules assume a sandbox campaign and offer little structure for pre-planned story arcs. Social conflict is handled by skill checks and GM judgment rather than a dedicated subsystem. |