Traveller: This Is Free Trader Beowful: A System History of Traveller

A box bearing those words first went on sale on July 22, 1977, at the Origins III Game Fair, marking the debut of the Traveller roleplaying game from GDW. While it wasn’t the first science-fiction RPG, its innovative design and the creation of the rich universe of Charted Space made it the longest-running SFRPG in the industry.

However, the journey was not straightforward. After reaching its peak just four years in, Traveller would encounter a series of challenges over the decades. Key questions arose: Why did GDW decide to dismantle their Imperium? What prompted them to seek outside help for the game's second edition? Why did they abandon the Traveller system with their next revision? How did a successful publisher face bankruptcy just two decades later? What happened to Imperium Games, QuikLink Interactive, and others who inherited Traveller's legacy? And how did Mongoose Publishing revive the game, restoring Traveller to its status as the most beloved SFRPG in the industry?

This volume answers these questions and more, tracing Traveller from its early inspirations in the 1970s, through its original publication, and across seven editions of its 2d6 system. It uncovers the stories behind the three main publishers—GDW, Imperium Games, and Mongoose—along with various licensees. Most importantly, it tells the tale of how Traveller fell into obscurity before emerging once more as a phoenix.

From the author of Designers & Dragons, which chronicled the history of the roleplaying industry, comes the in-depth history of a single game, drawn from hundreds of primary sources and interviews.