Spacer: Interstellar Roleplaying In The Far Future is now available for free and an art-included paid version. It has received a couple of updates since release and will be getting a POD version when I am happy with its overall look and polish. For those who are interested in knowing what has been updated since it was released on October 1st 2026, you can see the errata document here.
Having said that, this post is here to help answer some questions people have expressed regarding WHAT Spacer is and why it was made.
What is Spacer?: Spacer is an RPG inspired by Classic Traveller (CT) by Marc Miller, which was originally published by Game Designers’ Workshop in 1977 but is now under license by Mongoose Publishing in the UK. The intent here was to make my own 2d6 Sci-fi game that uses Classic Traveller (CT, published 1977-1987) as the main inspiration while also using modified concepts I developed independently and release it under the Creative Commons ShareAlike License.
Why make Spacer when x/y/z games exist?: The goal with Spacer was to make a free and accessible version of a 2d6 sci-fi game that people can use as a gateway into the larger legacy of material out there while also making it available for people to hack, modify, and release their own material. Spacer is not intended to replace those other games, just to supplement them and get new people into this side of the hobby. A major issue I’ve encountered is new people don't know where to start, so Spacer can act as a stepping stone. Much like how Old School Essentials (OSE) is based on B/X D&D and promotes old-school D&D to a newer audience while making modifications- Spacer is like that but for Classic Traveller.
Why should I get Spacer over Traveller?: You Shouldn’t- go support Traveller if you want Traveller- its fantastic and Classic Traveller is free! Mongoose 2nd Edition has a free Starter Pack, and Cepheus Engine is free as well! My intent isn’t to replace those games, but to supplement what already exists while encouraging people to support the material owned by Mongoose Publishing and Far Future Entertainment (FFE).
I am already happy with the x/y/z game, so why should I care about Spacer?: You shouldn't. If you are happy and enjoy your preferred system then there is no reason to change! Again, Spacer is for those who are new to this side of the hobby, or are returning, or are looking for additional inspiration for their 2d6 space-focused sci-fi game.
Why are there two versions of Spacer?: I always intended Spacer to be free for everyone, and intended it to be released as a pdf and also as a basic text version people can copy-and-paste from. I also wanted to make a book-style version with artwork as a $5 dollar PDF to help recoup expenditures of hiring artists, professional editors, lawyers, etc. The rules-only version; which I view as a “draw-your-own-art” edition; is the exact same as the paid edition except without any visual artwork.
Will there be a Print Edition?: As stated earlier- yes, I am currently finishing my POD edition. I plan on having it on the major print-on-demand platforms. For the record, I also encourage people to use cheap printing services to make copies for friends if they want. I don't care if you photocopy or print out Spacer using services like printme1.com or similar.
How is Spacer different from x/y/z edition?:
Licensing: If I wanted to make name-brand Traveller material and/or use their setting then I would have used two main licensing options out there with specific rules. Mongoose and FFE are pretty generous in this regard between the Fair-use and TAS program on DTRPG. However my intention wasn't to make a game using the Traveller branding, setting, lore, etc. but to make a generic Sci-fi RPG as a gateway into this side of the hobby. I also didn’t want to or need to release Spacer using Cepheus Engine (CE) since CE uses the OGL and its SRD is based on Mongoose 1st edition. This makes Spacer a standalone product that didn't fit into the existing license options. Spacer did not use any existing SRD or resources provided by other publishers in its creation or use any AI. Most importantly- Spacer is released under the Creative Commons ShareAlike license so other creators are free to use it for their own products. This is important to me as a creator to allow a resource for others to have fun making their own sci-fi game material and release it.
Formatting: I have difficulty navigating paragraphs of rules, especially during gameplay so everything is formatted to be readable and usable at the table by using bullets, bold text and other cursory aids. This is modeled after OSR games that provide rules and adventures which I find very helpful. Rules were laid out in two page spreads when possible to make navigation easier.
Usability: Spacer is designed to be used as a toolbox for a referee to procedurally run a game as needed without needing to do intensive prep. Spacer is designed to be open-ended and driven by player choices so the focus was to provide the tools to help aid with that style of game. Spacer also assumes the referee will develop their own material using the examples provided in Spacer to fit the type of sci-fi campaign they want.
No Formal Campaign Setting: there isn’t any IP campaign material, names, setting lore, etc. There's an “implied” setting that can be inferred within the rules but it's only used to describe common game terms and mechanics. Spacer assumed the referee will develop their own campaign setting with their players.
Mechanics: While Spacer uses CT as the inspiration, It's essentially an amalgamation of house rules and ideas I've had running my own game over the years..
What does Spacer do differently?: I modified a lot of ideas found in CT (and to a much lesser degree Mg2e) while elaborating and expanding what the ideas that they introduce. Here are some notable changes:
Streamlined Resolution: I streamlined the core mechanic to 8+ because I didn't want to get into the weeds with fiddly variations of this number that could instead be changed with a +/-DM by a referee's ruling which I found easier to do on the fly in my referee experience. This also allows me to easily teach the game mechanic very quickly to new players so they can grasp the fundamentals of play more readily.
Character Creation: Character creation is based on CT, but modified and slightly simplified. I rebalanced some careers and their skill amount to prevent skill bloat or becoming extremely skilled during creation. Dying in character creation is harder but still possible, and characters can become injured causing a Stat decrease. Scouts don't gain double skills and military benefits are altered to make those careers more focused and functional for draftees or characters that dip into them without needing to rank or gain commission. I added a Civilian career to replace “Other” in CT and made it more applicable to making a well-rounded character. Life Events have been added as an optional procedure, since I enjoyed the idea of them in Mg2e but changed what they are and how they work.
Characteristic Modifiers, Skills, and Training: It's possible to develop less high skill expertise in Spacer during character creation by design. This is because I added modifiers for each characteristic which can be used for rolls in addition to a skill rank. I included characteristic modifiers to fill in gaps that specific skills may not grant but narratively the character could potentially perform with a level of risk but offset the -3DM untrained skill penalty. CT has elements of characteristic modifiers as situational DMs so I made them universal. This also allowed me to eliminate some more specific or focused skills to provide more wiggle room for player and referee interpretation when paired with characteristic modifiers. Finally, I wanted skill training to be more usable so players could reasonably invest in character improvement. Players can also improve their characteristics over time, but SOC improvement can't be improved through training- it can increase or decrease based on their actions in game as determined by the referee.
Combat: Combat is based on CT but with slight changes. I made END be the first physical characteristic to drop to zero to speed up gameplay and to heighten the risk of engaging in combat instead of rolling to reduce one of three stats with every hit. Another stand out is that I made Armour have its own number to beat instead of using a to-hit matrix based on weapon and range for ease of play. There is still range DM that can affect weapon accuracy which stacks with the armour’s difficulty.
Vehicle Combat: I added a very simple vehicle combat system that assumes it will be alongside typical combat. It's written from the perspective of landcraft and how they might impact combat with NPCs and characters. I kept it simple so people can expand on it and for a possible future expansion. The rules have been updated since release to clarify and fix some errors.
Starship Combat: I did not use vector-based space combat in favor of a more roleplaying-focused experience by having players all contribute to the encounter by acting with specific roles onboard. So I wanted to capture the feeling of naval/submarine combat but in spaaaaace.
Starship Operations: I expanded upon starship operations and added more options for acquiring starships. I streamline some of the math so tables can be referenced instead of needing to calculate the travel time, but I offer those options if desired.
Starship Construction: This is very similar to the mechanics in CT with some minor tweaks such as pricing and some functions.
Trade: I made a new and expanded trade table with some added trade codes and categories inspired by Mgt2 but modified and elaborated on.
Tech Level: tech level is modified and changed with different sample tech to reflect an assumed milieu based on current day from the examples given in CT which was base don a late 1970’s perspective.
Weapons and equipment: Many weapons are changed or modified in small ways, in addition to expanded equipment options.
Star System Generation: There is a star system generation with its own hexadecimal code. Spacer assumes that an inhabited system would have additional locations occupied by humans and sophonts and not just one world.
Planet Generation: The core idea is the same but there are slight tweaks and expanded material here including law level examples, gravity amount and more.
Encounters: I made encounter tables for all types of encounter types and locations and are designed for providing the players interactive experiences if they choose to engage.
Rumours, information, and NPCs: I simplified the tables for gathering rumours and information from the tables presented in CT and provided more tools for interactivity with NPCs.
Planetside Adventures: Spacer has a whole section dedicated to travelling and exploring the surface of a planet with encounters, settlements, weather, and more.
Psionics: Psionics is organized in a similar way to CT, but Spacer expanded the amount of abilities including the “special” category. I kept how the different psionic abilities were organized for legacy reasons even if some categories could have been combined or abilities shuffled.
Alien Animals: I like how CT presented alien animals and their behavior but changed how they are generated and added animal traits inspired by how Mg2e presented animals.
Remember: You are a referee and can alter any part of Spacer that doesn't work for you. If you don't like a change I made- don’t use it!
Is Spacer Compatible with x/y/z?: I wanted to make Spacer compatible with resources and adventures made over the past 49+ years of CT material and allow players to use their CT characters in Spacer. However, Spacer does have some skill changes which assume the use of characteristic modifiers for characteristics so some very minor conversions will be needed in that regard. In broad Strokes; Spacer is compatible with other 2d6 sci-fi RPGs but is intended to be the easiest to convert from or to CT; much like how other OSR retroclones are compatible with B/X D&D.
Spacer seems cool, but are there other Sci-fi RPGS that are similar mechanically or are worth checking out? Sure! Here are some recommendations!
There are countless sci-fi RPGS and it's best to find the ones that inspire you! I only listed ones I’ve found very cool in my own experience as a player or referee but I know there are plenty more that deserve to be on this list.
Bryan
