Traveller Book 7: Merchant Prince (Traveller Sci-Fi Roleplaying)

The supplement is broken down into 7 chapters. The first is the various careers (like with all other green supplements) and the last is equipment, which includes space faring ships. The middle five are: Commerical success in ten steps (A guide to making a corporation), The Merchant Lines (An array of megacorporations for use in campaign), Trade in the Galactic Market (Detailed rules on trading(Also the biggest chapter)), Privateers (Legal piracy), and Trade Goods (Expanded from the original.)I'm not going to detail each chapter. What I will do is say the only parts of the book I have used are the character creation chapters, galactic trade, and trade goods. I didn't come looking for the other stuff when it was bought, so there hasn't been a need. So if you're looking for expanded tables on merchants, supplemental trade rules and further detail on trade goods, this book is excellent for you. With some slight caveats.I'll get to those caveats last. First thing that is noticed when looking at the book is the improved art. Drastically improved from, say, Scoundrel. The layout is also better, there aren't too many white spaces here. Finally, the ship plans are great. Simply fantastic. The trade rules are good too, and it adds two new elements : Junk trading and slaving. The banks don't care how the Travellers pay their mortgage...Both chapters are good, though I doubt they will be used personally.Time for the caveats. Like with most of the other green supplements, they add extra characteristics to creation. Like influence and the buyer/seller dynamic. I ignore these, and so did my players. There's also the matter of a license fee for the careers in the book. How is it paid? Why? To whom? No idea. Book doesn't tell me either. I assume its a flat fee required to do the job, but I would like to know more details. Or a simple explanation.My final complaint is blandness. The Traveller universe is big and broad, and the books have to be generic. So I can see how it all kind of ends up like a gruel. It fills you and gives you sustenance, but you're not exactly fond of it either.A good book. Get it if you have any interest in mercantile campaigns. Every Traveller needs credits.

Its all there; Merchant branch characters, Merchant Companies, more on Speculative trade and even corporate privateering. Great Book!

This is a solid book. If your gaming group is focused on the trading, and merchanting aspect of Traveller, this is going to enhance that fun. If your gaming group is bent on creating their own company and making their mark on known space, then this book is a must have. If corporations play a large role in your adventures, and you want to breathe additional life into their goings on, this is a great book. If none of those statements are true, this book won't offer any benefit to you.Of particular interest, it provides rules (really a mini-game) whereby players can create a company, make corporate decisions and see their company grow as time goes on. Companies effectively get character sheets, tracking resources, their abilities to perform, and what actions they take on a quarter by quarter basis. Actions can include activities like producing goods, transporting goods, engaging in corporate espionage, hiring employees, etc. This mini-game looks to integrate well into role playing, with key corporate events playing out in game using the player characters as the main movers and shakers.Another way to use this book, is to establish company character sheets for important corporate entities in your game. Many good examples are provided, and you will more than likely be able to use or customize one of these. It isn't hard for a game master to "play" these entities, and decide courses of actions for them. Then use these decisions as the basis of adventures where the player characters effect the outcomes and interactions of these corporations. Alternatively, the outcomes can be decided without the player character's interventions and the results become a well fleshed out realistic backdrop of the player's adventures.

great