We’re taking a week off from our Classic Traveller campaign this week. I need a bit of rest. I love running it on a weekly basis, but combining that with running a weekly D&D game and it’s a lot.

I’ve been fiddling around with various ideas of using experience points in a Classic Traveller campaign. I’m conflicted. I do think it is nice when characters can improve their skills. The original game made this very difficult. We’ve been playing this campaign for over six years, though we’re only coming up on Session 37.

I’m having the PCs each pick one skill to work on gaining or improving, or one characteristic to work on. The original idea was that they get an immediate +1 on that skill since they are actively practicing it (or have skill 0 for new skills for 6 months then skill 1), when after two years of in-game time that increase is permanent. It is clear to me that is too long. Six years into our campaign only 414 game days have elapsed.

Rather than go to an XP system, I think I’m going to just change from two years in-game to one year to make the skills permanent. I feel like gaining XP is kind of antithetical to Traveller. I don’t want them worrying about that. What I do want is for the process to be formalized so it isn’t just the Ref decreeing everything.

The real “power increases” in a long-term Traveller should be in the areas of wealth, political/social power, influence, and reputation.