The Spinward Extents is a relatively new setting supplement for Mongoose Publishing’s Traveller. At 364 pages or more, it a is a big book covering two exciting sectors of space: Beyond and Vanguard Reaches. I mean, even the names sound cool! They are found on the fringes of Chartered Space, in the top left zone of the Third Imperium centred view of astrography. As such they are framed by the old great powers of Zhodane, Imperium, Aslan and Vargr, but also independent, awash with vibrant polities, corsairs, stange new worlds, aliens and danger!
I am hugely impressed with this book. Both sectors come with a full sector map, subsector maps with standard world profiles. Each sector has overview text to give history and context for what you will discover within. The subsctors are further detailed with some pull out worlds that receive text detail and the occasional flavour image. The combination of information gives you a grounding in which to run a game in any par tof the sector, whilst leaving plenty of room for your own creativity, because, you know, space is BIG.
There’s more though. Aliens, governments, corporations and starships are all given some airing and detail, which will enhance your gameplay no end. Seeing so many new sophonts detailed is such fun and further give s asense of place to the sectors. These are not just barren subsectors waiting for colonisation (though that happened), but instead places where sophonts were already living. Some have since developed further through Jump technology, others remain true to their home ecosystems.
On skimming through the detail, I concluded that, as with any large setting tome, you really just need to find your corner. Build out from a start system and zone in on the information that applies to there. This approach will give you a start and dramatically focus the game. One subsector (or maybe two if polities transcend)a few new aliens and powers, so classic stories and you are off.
In amongst the highly playable detail and inspiration, I am reminded how unplayable Traveller starships become once they transcend a certain size. Whereas I accept that Traveller goes up to 11 with regard to starships, I think at above 10Kt they become, from a game perspective, the most impressive and unweildy pieces of narrative scenery. In practice all those batteries won’t be rolled in any space conflict, unless you’ve got a day free and a good recording system. But that’s fine, they can indeed sit there filling up your sensor scan results and glower at you. I’ve made up some simple, one dice throw, rules to deal with anything that big.
So, a great supplement, with an evocative slice of the Official Traveller Universe, away from the big powers but not free of their influence, and infused with the joys of the weird, the alien and the unknown. Inventive chancers wanted; see you out there!
