Journey across the light years exploring the uncharted systems of the frontier; watch your two shadows under a double star; war against the unfathomable Kafers amid the exotic enviroments of alien worlds; ride the beanstalk down to the towering cities of Earth, the economic center of an ever expanding human civilization. Be a part of the new age in Traveller: 2300-the state-of-the-art in science fiction role-playing.HistoryTraveller: 2300 plays against a background of Earth 300 years after the cataclysm of the Third World War. Set in a world where nations still clash, civilization has crawled back to its pre-war levels, and then beyond. The world is dominated by the Third French Empire. Earth's hundred nations have colonies among the stars. First contact happened long ago, and commerce with aliens in now commonplace.But exploration still goes on! The conquest of the stars has just begun. The Near Star CatalogThe Traveller: 2300 universe deals with star systems within 50 light years of Earth. Extensive research and analysis has produced the most accurate star map ever made. Never before has such a monumentouts task been undertaken, either in gaming or in science fiction: over 700 stars in over 500 systems, on a 22" x 25" color map. Location, special type, size and magnitude are documented in a separate star catalog.The local neighborhood of stars contains white dwarves, red giants and warm yellow stars like our own. The map extends far beyonf the furthest reaches of human settlement, into the realms of aliens and the unexplored. Also printed on the moa are the three prinicpal trade routes of human space. The Chinese arm from Sol to Tau Ceti, the American arm from Sol to Ellis and the French arm from Sol to Xi Ursae Mahoris. Traveller: 2300 maps out the local neighborhood in detail never before accomplished, helping to make it what it was designed to be - the ultimate in playable realism.Game SystemsPlayable realism. Many games which are realistic cannot be played; most playable systems aren't terribly realistic. Traveller: 2300 is both at once, balancing exquisite detail with simple, accurate game systems.The heart of Traveller: 2300 is its task resolution system. With it, the referee has a plethora of examples and precedents to use in any situation, and the players have a reasonable idea of what their options will be on any given task. Rules covers all aspects of conflict resolution, from arguments to all-out battles. Detailed character generation, starship operations and combat, and economics make Traveller: 2300 the state-of-the-art in science fiction role-playing.