GURPS Traveller Behind the Claw: The Spinward Marches Sourcebook (GURPS Traveller) [Paperback]

Martin Dougherty (Author), Neil Frier (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Steve Jackson Games; illustrated edition edition (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556343531
• ISBN-13: 978-1556343537
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 8.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #504,950 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have for traveller fans, July 14, 2000

By 

PAULO V S ALVES "Paulo Vicente" (Rio de janeiro, RJ Brazil) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: GURPS Traveller Behind the Claw: The Spinward Marches Sourcebook (GURPS Traveller) (Paperback)

This module covers the spinward marches sector in detail. This is the region of traveller universe where most adventures were designed for along the almost 30y of the game existance. The sector has been covered twice before. First in a classic traveller module in the usual UWP (universal world profile) database without much detail. Second as an appendix of megatraveller Library data, also in a UWP database. Now SJ games covers them in detail giving a small text for each planet yet allowing many misteries for each game master to develop his own adventures. Also detailed are the major politics between the states and the corporations of the region. The versions differ from each other in world profle and even frontiers, but that is easy to be solved by the Game master. It's an excellent book lacking only a colored map in the old traveller style. This can be done by buying Megatraveller boxed set, which unfortunately is rather rare to find. Hopefully someone at SJ games will read this review and solve this...

4.0 out of 5 stars The Heart of Traveller, December 8, 2011

By 

Jason S. Taylor "Marco's Realto" (Portland Oregon) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: GURPS Traveller Behind the Claw: The Spinward Marches Sourcebook (GURPS Traveller) (Paperback)

Traveller is in my opinion the best developed sci-fi setting ever. The Spinward Marches in the Reign of Emperor Strephon are the default time and place, the setting where everyone goes back to sooner or later. They are the heart of traveller.

Traveller is an RPG in a heroic setting like a traditional space opera. It is medium level sci-fi, not "hard"(as realistic as can be) or "soft"(mostly romantic) . There is plenty of room derring do and so on, but the derring do is made believable by the incredible work gone into drawing up the setting. Though little known, I believe Traveller is a work of genius and can be compared with Dune in complexity and surpasses almost any other work ever written.

The Spinward Marches are a vast hostile border between the Third Imperium and the Zhodani Consulate, a semi-civilized area of wars large and small. Here you can find worlds that are the pinnacle of wealth and technology, and backwater worlds where nature still holds sway. This volume gives an encyclopedic description. From the political structure to the numerous business interests, to the various races and ethnic groups that inhabit the region, as well as history both recent and ancient. Added to this are short descriptions of every planet in the region. For any Gamemaster planning a campaign here there is more then enough. And for those like me that don't play but simply devour information for it's own sake there is more then enough. The information here can suit for an epic campaign, or a low key adventure or anywhere in between. For those starting into Traveller Behind the Claw is one of the best volumes they can get.