Whilst a range of adventure types can be played in Traveller, one of the greatest delights can be exploring the universe and finding out about different planets. Here are five fairly new colonies (they've only been established ten years or less) for your party to drop in on.

The work starts off by detailing the Dade subsector and all 14 worlds therein, and then moves on to discuss the colonies. There were six originally, but one disappeared and nobody quite knows what happened to them.

For each extant colony, we read about the system in which it is located. Detail is quite spectacular even down to maps of the uninhabited planets never mind the one that's actually lived on, so parties who enjoy astrophysical exploration have plenty to point their sensors at. Then we get down to business with copious material on the inhabited world - maps, physical data, geography, even some notable flora and fauna. All you need to make a visit come to life.

First up is Dashwood. A very Greek-style democracy operates here with debate intended to find concensus on any issue with a vote if concensus cannot be reached. This results in political debate being a popular pastime even outside of the decision-making process. Laws are outwardly quite lax too, designed around a basic concept of personal responsibility... hmm, the average Traveller party is none too good at that, should make for an interesting visit.

Next is Arnemuiden. This system almost seems designed for space piracy, although the actual colony itself is law-abiding... abiding by the dictates of the Builder family who funded and founded the colony here, that is. Many weapons and most drugs (except alcohol) are illegal and it is said that the colony's gaol is not a nice place... not that your characters are going to transgress and see the inside of it, right? Personal privacy and personal space are seen as important, and woe on anyone who intrudes either physically or by prying into someone's affairs. The planet has a thick atmosphere at high pressure so most folk prefer to stay indoors when possible, with filter masks being required when outside.

The third colony is Osiris. The system's resource-rich. Here is another experiment in governance, based on the writings of Solon and based on time in the colony and land ownership - but while the more land you own the more votes you have, it also means you pay more tax! Newcomers (5 years or less resiodence) with no land cannot vote, but the taxman does not come calling either. Some laws are applied differently based on your status, others apply to all the same. Non-citizens - and that means vistors - have few rights, and may find that even if a crime is committed against them by a citizen that citizen will not be arrested. Status is very important, a caste system almost, and influences virtually all activities.

Next is Dade, the colony after which the whole sub-sector is named. Orisris and Dashwood are none too happy about this, even producing charts naming the area after themselves. Dade is a 'company planet' which is owned and operated by the Dade Development Corporation. There is little atmosphere so vacc suits are required except in the domed pressurised cities. No weapons heavier than a pistol may be carried, and concealed carry is banned. So are any substances that need to be set on fire, although alcohol and drugs you don't smoke are allowed. Law enforcement prefer, however, to deport visitors who break the rules rather than prosecute them.

The last colony is Sarawak, on the sole planet in a binary system. Seas are very salty here, thought to be the remnants of a larger ocean that is now gone. The single settlement is small - less than a thousand souls - and they govern themselves by everyone voting on any issue that needs to be decided. Anyone can vote, even visitors, provided they turn up on the town square when a vote is called. They don't believe in 'government' - the wellbeing of a society, they say, is the shared responsibility of everyone living in that society. There isn't much in the way of formal law, and no law enforcement except by people taking exception to whatever is going on... but they can get quite emphatic in their objection and execution may result!

There is a table for creating characters from any of these colonies, should you desire to do so; and quite a few ideas for adventure based around visitors to them. These include random encounters should you wish to wander around any of the planets holding colonies, rather than stay in the settlements. Finally, there's a bestiary, should you be interested in local wildlife.

In all, a fascinating and well-developed area just ripe for a visit. Where's my starship?

Space is big, really big... and there's room for many new places. Gypsy Knights Games have settled to develop their own sector, and all the worlds they've published so far are somewhere in it (although you can of course put them anywhere you like in YOUR Traveller universe). This latest offering is no different, and contains details of a whole sub-sector although there are but three colonies, and those recently-planted, within it.

The sub-sector is named Superior, as is the first planet to be colonised. It's in the Gichigami system, which is presented in full detail before we get down to a description of the colony itself and the world on which it is to be found. The entire population live in and around a single settlement called Valequez, and they arrived some six years ago following an individual called Esteban Chowler who left his homeworld in a dispute over genetic engineering. Chowler wants to improve mankind through genetic engineering and selective breeding but also wished to force the process forwards by euthanasing 'unfit' stock from the gene pool. As both the government and populace of his homewold, Chennai, found this unacceptable, he left and set up his own colony in which he intended to prove the merits of his theories.

Whilst Superior ostensibly welcomes visitors, it's essential to fit in - or at least appear to do so - with some ideas which will prove quite foreign to the average Traveller character! This should prove quite entertaining for the Referee, and fortunately off-worlds who transgress are generally banished rather than the worse fates that await indigeneous dissidents.

The second colony is named Tupolev, and is found in orbit around the world of that name in the Zhukovski system as it is far too hot and dry to live on. Exploration in search of the ores that Tupolev is rich in is conducted by remote vehicles. Tupolev Station is a 'company town' belonging to a corporation called Bridges Unlimited, and is somewhere most characters will feel at home: indeed it has been designed by the corporation to be the sort of place travellers, merchants and others will flock to in search of rest and relaxation! Provided it does not harm others, visitors can do pretty much what they please although company employees are far more restricted.

The final colony is that of Brunson, the third planet of the Fisher system. Here there is a large ocean with a single supercontinent. The atmosphere is breathable and temperatures at the equator quite balmy, although polar regions are chilly. Settlement was driven by religious belief, the colony being founded by one Arthur Kincaid who found an alien artefact through which God told him to set one up somewhere so far unvisited by sentient beings as a 'promised land' for him and his followers. Acting as God's spokesman, Kincaid remains the leader. Interestingly, it is left to the individual Referee to decide if Kincaid is a charlatan or a true prophet (or merely deluded). Suffice it to say that visitors are barely tolerated...

Suggestions for likely reasons to visit any of these colonies are given, as are random encounters if travelling on the surface of Brunson or Superior and a few native beasties. Overall, should your travels bring you into this sub-sector, you will have a few tales to tell on your return! A nice, well-developed resource.

Fun little romp of an adventure involving a manhunt for a security expert who made off with the cash. Soon players are drawn web of intrigue and high politics. Which is when players go from a standard bounty hunting job to something darker. Players are directed in a pretty uni-linear path but through gentle nudges and prods - so I would not say that players are railroaded in any significant way but it still remains a One-Shot (max Two-Shot) adventure to be played over a single night (or as indicated two). Certainly, the Referee could expand this whole process out a great deal. So, the manhunt requires both problem solving skills and interactive role playing opportunities abound.

The author creatively pairs up pregens with NPCs creating a nice matrix and although not required - this adventure can be linked up with the previous Cascadia Adventures.

Where this adventure needs some improvement is the colour and description of NPCs and environs, as nothing in the adventure takes advantage really of the science fiction, aspect to the game - this could equally played as a Modern adventure without significant modifications. So, hopefully when these adventures are culled together in a single print form there more options and more futurist colour (i.e. Chrome) is added.

A nice little adventure that involves investigation of a missing young woman that can be played out over the course of a one-shot or a convention game, players will have an ample opportunity for a full range of actions but role playing is certainly advised over gun play. Not to say, that the players will not have the opportunity for a firefight but the opposition is easily over able to overcome any party’s weaponry. Nicely comes with pregens that play well into the storyline, as important contacts, in different locales is ascribed to each character pairing them up with a possible NPC helper. Adventure reminded a bit of Firefly and Dollhouse at the same time; which is not a bad thing, as I liked both series. High quality maps of important locales are provided. My only criticism, and that is beyond the writer’s control is that the OGL did not allow him to explore a darker and grittier narrative...but that can be for individual Referees to cater and make their own adventure out of the sketch provided. Another adventure is promised and hopefully we will see a few more plots twists and turns but if players often don the white hat, they will have to get their hands dirty in Classic Traveller traditions, if they are to save the day.

Adventure seeds that give the 1D6 range of possibilities gives the Referee who is pressed to insert an encounter while busy preparing the main adventure for the game the following session are always handy. GKG has come up with 21 more seeds for the Referee to use with or just change the data to suit either a 3I or Home Brew campaign. The only thing that this is missing, as the plots series seem to be growing is an index (and better yet a cross index with previous offerings) of Who (Patron types), Where (locales), What (job, as described entailed) and WTF (what the job may actually be). However, I am given to understand that the publisher might be incorporating this idea at a future date. So, kudos again for GKGs for coming up with a believable and enjoyable set of adventure hooks that do not deal ultimate MacGuffins or recycle old Science Fiction tropes from familiar movies or TV shows. Looking forward to the ultimate assembled volume when it will be 21 to the power of 21 plots...

Yet another collection of worlds from the good folks at Gypsy Knight Games, however, this one is a marked shift from previous offerings… it is better than the previous Space Operish submissions (if that is your Schick then you still will have two Sectors to play with) – this subsector has a Hard SF foundation giving it almost a 2300AD feel. The worlds described could easily be ported over to 2300AD with minimal adjustments thus providing a new set of adventures for players to engage it.

The real question – how? Well, if you follow Gypsy Knights’ campaign setting – an unstable wormhole was discovered in Earth’s local neighborhood that allowed humanity to cross a vast distance in a short period of time and build up a civilization where the grass was greener. With the collapse of the wormhole, these isolated worlds fell back and created new polities somewhat derived from old Earth and somewhat new creations. And, this what makes Gypsy Knights’ products so great – they present entire worlds as wholes each replete with their own dating system, cultures, and history plus the obvious astrography for each system. Traveller tends to focus upon what is commonly referred to as the Main World but Gypsy Knight gives us the whole planetary system. Previous contributions, more or less followed the classic Traveller mold of having largely nice worlds (i.e. Earth-like and Earth-surrogates) with very few hellholes but this product outlines worlds that would be difficult to settle and present a real sense of a frontier.

Gypsy Knights is a company that is actively involved in learning throughout all its products delivering higher and higher quality products. Therefore, if you are looking to expand your Traveller game especially in the 2300AD direction without the baggage of the “official” history this product would product a convenient side step into a truly Alternative Traveller Universe. Complaints? Few… one of the things that the revised Mongoose version of 2300AD highlights is that even in 2300AD, the colonization of space will still include outposts, isolated colonies on potentially inhospitable places. This supplement wonderfully gives us the world but not so much the feeling of the frontier colony. One way to do this is merely have a system composed of a tin can (i.e. a Space Station) over an inhospitable world – its placement can be strategic (either military or resource-wise). Yes, colonies would try to make the best of it but essentially creating relationships of dependence between different worlds thus stitching the background more closely together.

A good Referee can already do this with this product but trade routes are not highlighted owing to the origin of this product being individual worlds that a Referee can select to their Traveller Universe and the desire of Gypsy Knights Games not to burden the reader with too much background (i.e. forcing players/Referees to adopt their history). This is a balancing act that they have managed to succeed in doing with this product. So, if want an excursion into Hard SF and do like the premise of lost Earth colonies growing up amongst the stars – then you should definitely check this product out. If your tastes veer more toward Space Opera and quasi fantastical settings – then the other Gypsy Knight products will give you an entire Sector to play in. However, this subsector, for me shows growing level maturity in their setting and is tune with the current market which is more Hard SF oriented than to have one dimensional worlds in which players enact the role of “tourists in trouble” rather than genuine Travellers. For contained within are hundreds of adventure seeds waiting to blossom into full fledged adventures/campaigns.

A nice little adventure that involves search and rescue for a lost ship and an important personage. The adventure can be adapted to any Traveller setting but is best suited the Gypsy Knights own milieu for it fits hand and glove. That said there are plenty of interesting NPCs and offers also a non-violent or a violent solution which is commendable to the end of the adventure.

The drawback of the adventure is that it is rather linear best suited for Convention-style play and the PCs do not have character protraits - my ongoing beef with most game publishers - for my players choose characters as much on appearance as stats...it is a power trip fantasy that they are seeking and portraits do just that. Similarly, NPCs portraits are also absent. So, were it possible notch this review half a notch toward good. For it is good but not very good. There is some sandbox play but it is curtailed by meeting important NPCs which is fine.

Inclusion of the playtest notes as a separate PDF would have been a nice touch, as sometimes I got lost who is doing what to whom. But, overall an excellent first adventure that dovetails and uses effectively all GK Games published materials to date.

I just have too say this was amazing. I have not played your setting but just reading this setting can fire up all kinds of potential scenarios. You take Traveller to a new meaning and it is really nice to see these great alternatives to the OTU.

Much better than previous offerings because it is more realistic. More care was put even into the artwork (ie - they the gas giants and Tech Level right). As with previous Gypsy Knight subsector guides - great care and thought goes into mapping out the worlds within by providing an elaborate social structure and relationships between the citizens of the world and particular uniqueness of the world. There are no cookie cutter worlds in this volume. My only hope is when this goes to print all the volumes regarding Hub get put into one book. Otherwise, great stuff.

A Careers book for the Hub Federation that take the standard Traveller career chargen and overlay a specific set of modifications to make the fit with the Hub Federation (the less than vast interstellar polity) that GKG has been building. An excellent little volume but just wish that it could been combined with the main Hub Federation book for the same price of the latter.

At last, Gypsy Knight Games has revealed their setting to the public. And, the suggestions that have been planted along the way now make sense. This rather small offering is meant to act as the matrix to view their Quick World series and purely optional which is its strengths. There is no attempt to foster the Hub Federation onto players and referees but rather it is a tool for understanding this campaign better. Its history is plausible and fits well with the Quick Worlds. The drawback of this book/campaign is that the worlds are rather underpowered compared to the extent of power projection needed to hold an Empire or Federation together. The art and text would suggest a much more higher powered Federation than TL A,B. But, that is a quibble more than a complaint. It resembles the OTU in many ways, so much, so that it could serve a parallel to a modified OTU (ie no Vilani at Bernard's Star - rather have them further Coreward and a 2300AD setting dominate until some time into the future). Thus, I can see, if one wants to leave the OTU, this product allows you do so. However, it has much softer edges than Outer Veil so not compatible with that fine product and yet is not as soft as Terra-Sol. So, if Referees and Players are longing for a lower powered Traveller Universe - this represents an excellent compromise.

Extremely poor. The planet is barely described, we don't know much about the climate, plants or lifeforms, economic activities or anything. Just a bunch of data thrown on pages. There is no ambiance, no charm at all. Also, the map of the planet is a joke. At least it is free so you can see for yourself.

Loved the detail. I wished more mainstream products would do it. I have to do a lot of that sort of thing myself. I run a naval campaign, and it is important some time for the players to know this kind of stuff. The descriptions gave a good framework without saying do it our way or else. Plenty of seeds. I did miss some of the trade info and the fact they have no bases on a world was a little off.

In this short supplement Gypsy Knight Games goes again to producing excellent adventure hooks that are resolutely grounded in a stout Traveller feeling. The format is the consistent with previous 21 Plots, a small basic setup for the scenario then the Referee can choose one of the outcomes or roll 1D6 and wholly freeform it or put together a comprehensive “one shot” replete with maps, stats and whatnot. What makes these adventure seeds so Traveller is that they grounded in a down-to-earth and unclean future where people’s jobs may be in space, but, they still remain jobs – everyday smoes who have a possibility at becoming local heroes.

Another fine collection of worlds that puts another puzzle piece in place for this Alternative Traveller Universe. Filled lots of adventure hooks and interesting locales guaranteed to inspire any Referee when the brain rot sets in...and they need to come up with a ready made subsector for adventure. Once again, excellent art (with one exception noted below) dominates the work as does clear and entertaining writing. The book is significantly bigger than the previous one but still gives lots of excellent coverage of the numerous worlds in question - no real duds just familiar tropes gently spoofed or retreaded upon. However, if there is one criticism is the repeated use of the stock art for some of the worlds especially that of Saturn whose orbital tilt, colouration and prominent ring system is obvious that is Saturn - no matter what they call it. I would suggest putting it through different colour filters and changing the orbital tilt to make it less recognizable when the final print version appears. Otherwise, can hardly wait for the print.