Traveller RPG skills in 60 seconds—quick guides for new players and returning veterans.
Traveller RPG Skills Explained in 60 Seconds (Complete Guide)
Ever wondered how skills actually work in Traveller RPG? From plotting risky jumps to persuading shady underworld contacts, skills define whether your crew survives or falls apart. To make it simple, I’ve created a series of 60-second explainer videos—each one breaking down a skill with examples and roleplay tips.
This is your complete index of Traveller Skill Shorts. Bookmark this page, because I’ll be adding new videos every week!
Skill Index
🚀 Starship & Technical Skills
- Astrogation – [Watch Short]
- Engineer (J-drive, M-drive, Power, Life Support) – [Coming Soon]
- Mechanic – [Coming Soon]
- Pilot (Small Craft, Spacecraft, Capital Ships) – [Coming Soon]
- Electronics (Computers, Sensors, Comms, Remote Ops) – [Coming Soon]
- Navigation – [Coming Soon]
- Seafarer (Ships, Submarines, Personal craft) – [Coming Soon]
- Vacc Suit – [Coming Soon]
💼 Social & Professional Skills
- Admin – [Watch Short]
- Advocate – [Watch Short]
- Broker – [Coming Soon]
- Carouse – [Coming Soon]
- Deception – [Coming Soon]
- Diplomat – [Coming Soon]
- Gambler – [Coming Soon]
- Investigate – [Coming Soon]
- Jack-of-All-Trades – [Coming Soon]
- Language (Vilani, Zhodani, etc.) – [Coming Soon]
- Leadership – [Coming Soon]
- Persuade – [Coming Soon]
- Profession (Cook, Miner, Belter, Journalist) – [Coming Soon]
- Science (Physics, Biology, Psionics, History, etc.) – [Coming Soon]
- Steward – [Coming Soon]
- Streetwise – [Coming Soon]
⚔️ Combat Skills
- Athletics (Coordination, Endurance, Strength) – [Coming Soon]
- Explosives – [Coming Soon]
- Gun Combat (Slug, Energy, Archaic) – [Coming Soon]
- Gunner (Turret, Bay, Ortillery, Screen) – [Coming Soon]
- Heavy Weapons – [Coming Soon]
- Melee (Unarmed, Blade, Bludgeon, Natural) – [Coming Soon]
- Tactics (Military, Naval) – [Coming Soon]
🌍 Exploration & Survival Skills
- Animals (Handling, Riding, Training, Veterinary) – [Watch Short]
- Art (Writing, Visual Media, Holography, etc.) – [Watch Short]
- Drive (Wheeled, Tracked, Walker, Hover, Mole) – [Coming Soon]
- Flyer (Grav, Rotor, Wing, Ornithopter) – [Coming Soon]
- Recon – [Coming Soon]
- Stealth – [Coming Soon]
- Survival – [Coming Soon]
- Medic – [Coming Soon]
Each of these skills can turn the tide of an adventure:
- Starship roles like Pilot and Astrogator keep your crew alive in space.
- Social skills like Persuade or Streetwise help you survive negotiations and underworld deals.
- Combat skills determine whether your crew walks away from a firefight.
- Exploration skills let you thrive on alien worlds.
For each skill, I provide:
✅ A 60-second explainer video.
✅ In-game examples you can use at your table.
✅ Roleplay tips to bring your character to life.
Join the Crew
👉 New to Traveller? Start with the Astrogation Short and see how a single skill can make or break a mission.
👉 Already a veteran? Browse the index and discover new roleplay hooks for your favorite skills.
📺 Subscribe on YouTube for future skill breakdowns
💬 Join the Discord to share your funniest skill check fails
🎲 Support on Patreon to get early access to new videos
🔔 Want to See More Behind the Scenes?
No hype. No spam. Just honest insights, new releases, and tips for creators and players.
👉
🔠 Complete Alphabetical Skill Index (Quick Reference)
Looking for something specific? Here’s a full A–Z list of Traveller RPG skills with quick notes:
- Admin – Bureaucracy, permits, red tape navigation
- Advocate – Law, contracts, legal maneuvering
- Animals – Handling, Riding, Training, Veterinary
- Art – Writing, Visual Media, Holography, etc.
- Astrogation – Jump plotting, navigation through jumpspace
- Athletics – Coordination, Endurance, Strength
- Broker – Trade deals, cargo haggling
- Carouse – Partying, mingling, informal socializing
- Deception – Lying, impersonation, forged credentials
- Diplomat – Peacekeeping, negotiations
- Drive – Wheeled, Tracked, Walker, Hover, Mole
- Electronics – Computers, Sensors, Comms, Remote Ops
- Engineer – J-drive, M-drive, Power, Life Support
- Explosives – Building/disarming bombs, demolition
- Flyer – Grav, Rotor, Wing, Ornithopter
- Gambler – Card games, betting, probability
- Gun Combat – Slug, Energy, Archaic
- Gunner – Turret, Bay, Ortillery, Screen
- Heavy Weapons – Vehicle weapons, mortars, rocket launchers
- Investigate – Searching, analyzing clues, interviews
- Jack-of-All-Trades – Use untrained skills with fewer penalties
- Language – Each language is a separate skill (Vilani, Zhodani, etc.)
- Leadership – Issuing commands, team cohesion
- Mechanic – Maintenance, jury-rigging, general repairs
- Medic – First aid, surgery, trauma stabilization
- Melee – Unarmed, Blade, Bludgeon, Natural
- Navigation – Overland/space navigation (non-jump)
- Persuade – Convincing NPCs, diplomacy, performance appeals
- Pilot – Small Craft, Spacecraft, Capital Ships
- Profession – Civilian jobs (Cook, Miner, Belter, Journalist)
- Recon – Spotting hidden dangers, ambushes
- Science – Physics, Biology, Psionics, History, Philosophy
- Seafarer – Ships, Submarines, Personal craft
- Stealth – Moving silently, hiding
- Steward – Passenger service, etiquette, hospitality
- Streetwise – Criminal underworld, urban intel gathering
- Survival – Foraging, tracking, surviving harsh terrain
- Tactics – Military, Naval group combat bonuses
- Vacc Suit – EVA operations, zero-G, vacuum survival
