during character generation is possible in some editions, a mechanic that became infamous. Characters have six primary characteristics: strength, dexterity, endurance, intelligence, education, and social standing. These characteristics are generated by a roll of two six-sided dice. Other general characteristics also exist, such as psionics and sanity. There are also variant characteristics, such as charisma and caste, which replace a primary characteristic, to add nuance to alien characters. Some characters have extra-sensory perception, telekinesis, telepathy, and other psychic abilities, which are organized and standardized into "psionics". Equipment Equipment emphasizes wilderness exploration, hazardous environments, and combat. As a result, equipment lists are heavy on vehicles, sensor equipment, communicators, rations, personal armor, and weapons. Low-technology Since primitive worlds exist near technological worlds, primitive weapons such as swords, shields, pikes, and bows are included. Characters often have some sort of blade skill for close combat. High-technology Cybernetics and non-sentient robots also show up in equipment lists, as do artifacts from ancient civilizations. Hard Sci-fi Flavor Along with energy weapons, there is also a strong presence of slug-throwing weapons such as rifles and pistols. The prevailing theory is that (usually) the most efficient way to stop someone is with kinetic energy (e.g. bullets). Starships Starships range from small one-person scouts, to giant planetoid colony ships. Design rules balance power, life support, and defenses for consistent ships. It is complex enough to be able to generically represent most starships used in role-playing games and flexible enough to support custom add-ons to the system. (GDW published several board games allowing Traveller space battles to be played out as games in their own right - Mayday uses the Traveller rules, while Brilliant Lances and Battle Rider use the Traveller: The New Era rules.) Worlds Worlds range from barren planetoid moons to large gas giant worlds, from uncolonized territories to planets with billions of people. The world generation rules produce a random mix of worlds. Setting The original booklets contain generic rules for running science fiction role-playing games with no official setting. But in the adventures and supplements, a suggested setting emerges. In this setting, the human-dominated Third Imperium is the largest interstellar empire in charted space, a feudalistic union of worlds, where local nobility operate largely free from oversight and restricted by convention and feudal obligations. Races The setting features descendants of humanity who are collectively called Humaniti. These include the Solomani, humans emigrated from Earth within