I was, frankly, more than a bit surprised to see a Moon Toad Publishing product show up in the Traveller’s Aid Society (TAS), the community content program run by Mongoose Publishing in support of Mongoose Traveller 2nd Edition (MgT2e). Moon Toad has been, and continues to be, a strong supporter of Cepheus Engine, an OGL-driven roleplaying game (RPG) system that powers many 2d6 sci-fi products. My first guttural reaction to seeing Traveller’s Tales Vol. 1from Moon Toad Publishing restricted to TAS was to (almost) scream, “Traitor!”
For longtime Traveller RPG player, the Traveller’s Aid Society is known as an in-game organization dedicated to helping travellers across the galaxy. Out of game, TAS is the community content program run through DriveThruRPG. As such, there are more than a few rules that authors and publishers must abide by. The rule that offends me the most is that TAS is “closed” to the Mongoose Traveller (MgT) editions of Traveller only—and then to only the “current edition Traveller books published.” It’s there in the legal mumbo-jumbo, but that means if you play in TAS you can only play with MgT 2nd Edition which does not use an Open Game License (OGL).
Rules
Your work can use any of the game system rules and game terms found in the current edition Traveller books published by Mongoose Publishing.
Settings
You are allowed to use the Traveller setting as presented in the current Traveller edition books published by Mongoose Publishing as well as any Mongoose-published book covering the official Third Imperium setting (for example, Spinward Marches). This includes the names of all characters, races, and places and all gear, equipment and vessels; the capitalized names and original names of places, countries, creatures, geographic locations, historic events, items, ships, and organizations presented in those books.
To be clear, the setting of 2300AD is not open for use at this time.
Allowable Media
- Roleplaying game materials only.
- No fiction except short vignettes in an rpg work
- No software or comics
Art
No art can be used from Mongoose publications (or any other Traveller publication). Art packs containing art that is allowed to be used in community content works may be made available by Mongoose to TAS creators.
AI Content Policy
Mongoose Publishing follows DriveThru Marketplace Guidelines in regards to AI-Generated Writing, Editing, and Art.
Update March 24th, 2023: The following policy applies to DriveThru Marketplaces, including Community Content Programs and Supported Marketplaces. DriveThruRPG defines “AI-Generated art” as images created through the use of artificial intelligence algorithms and techniques trained on pre-existing data sets. (Examples: Midjourney, Artbreeder).
- At this time, DriveThru Marketplaces require partners to set their own AI-generated artwork policies on Game, Rulebook and Adventure products. Any products that utilize AI-generated artwork must be tagged as such.
- At this time, DriveThru Marketplaces do not accept standalone artwork products that utilize AI-generated art.
Titles that do not comply are subject to removal from the marketplace. Repeat offenders may have their publishing permissions revoked. A full statement of intent regarding our policy update can be found here.
Update July 19th, 2023: While we value innovation, starting on July 31st 2023, Roll20 and DriveThru Marketplaces will not accept commercial content primarily written by AI language generators. We acknowledge enforcement challenges, and trust in the goodwill of our partners to offer customers unique works based primarily on human creativity.
Tales of many
Written by Neil Grant, Traveller’s Tales Vol. 1 is a digital sourcebook that delivers 300 vignettes in 180 pages. As the publisher’s blurb promises, “Each of the vignettes comes with gaming notes, full of ideas for using the vignette as an NPC, Patron, plot seed or location that could be incorporated into your own games with minimal effort.” Here is one example:
Vignette 018
“Scoops open” the navigator announced. “We’ll be fully tanked in…seventeen minutes.” the patrol cruiser’s hull creaked like an old wooden windjammer in a gale as she dropped deeper into the atmosphere. The only way to fuel in the uninhabited Gaverus system was to skim hydrogen from the atmosphere of its sole gas giant, a tense-but-routine- process for the crew.
A light clicked to life on her console. “That’s odd…I’m getting a faint sensor return. Range about fifty thousand and lower in the atmosphere, just above crush depth. It might be a sensor ghost off particularly dense atmospheric currents. Or it might not be?”
(Author’s note – This is obviously a scenario starter. What is down in the gas giant’s atmosphere is obviously up to the referee. It might be a pirate hiding from sensors, an ancient derelict, or even some kind of life form living in the dense atmosphere.)
Traveller’s Tales, Vol. 1, p. 14
Obviously, this vignette, like many (all?) others, has no direct references to the MgT2e rules. Nor does it directly use any of the Third Imperium setting from MgT2e. Grant even mentions such in the introduction:
They [vignettes] are set in a “generic” traveller universe, rather than tied to particular sectors, to allow them to be deployed wherever your campaign happens to be set. I’ve used world names consistency within vignettes, however, so you can link the multiple vignettes set on Duchaine or about the revolution on Kashan and its aftermath.
Traveller’s Tales, Vol. 1, p. 2
Given the lack of dependence on MgT2e I don’t understand why Moon Toad elected to publish the product via TAS. Then again, given the generic nature of Traveller’s Tales, perhaps this is Moon Toad challenging my thinking and showing how non-restrictive the TAS agreement can be.
Ultimately it doesn’t matter. Traveller’s Tales Vol. 1 is out there available for Traveller referees to use—whether you play MgT2e or not. With 300 vignettes to chose from it is almost certain that at least one will inspire adventure.
Feature image courtesy DTRPG
The opinions and views expressed in this blog are those of the author alone and are presented in a personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of U.S. Navy or any other U.S. government Department, Agency, Office, or employer.
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