I just got the new Traveller game from Mongoose and so far it's looking to be just like the Traveller of old - only better. The rules are clean, simple, and look to work better than those found in Classic Traveller while still being mostly compatible. How compatible? Take a look at the character I just rolled up and you'll see.

Drake Tungsten - 38yo retired Scout (5 terms)
STR- 7
DEX- 7
END- 9 (+1)
INT- 8
EDU- 11 (+1)
SOC- 4 (-1)

Astrogation- 3, Pilot(spacecraft)- 1, Pilot(smallcraft)- 1, Mechanic- 1, Comms- 1, Energy Pistol- 1, Xenology- 1, Vacc Suit- 1, Streetwise- 1, Jack of all Trades- 1, Navigation- 1, Computer- 0, Trade- 0, Drive- 0, Carouse- 0, Survival- 0

50,000 Credits, TL11 Laser Pistol

He left the service after his ship was found drifting in space and has no memory of the event. Now he's looking for a job- anything to get him back on his feet and maybe a way to find out what happened out there.

The 4th edition of Dungeons & Dragons will soon be upon us, but what if you don't want to go down that path? Will you be forever stranded playing an unsupported edition of D&D? Fear not for there's lot of choices out there and chances are one of them will give you just the flavor of D&D that you're looking for.

• Basic Fantasy - free OGL adaptation of Basic D&D
• Castles & Crusades - OGL AD&D-like game
• HackMaster - AD&D turned up to 11
• Labyrinth Lord - free OGL version of Basic D&D
• Microlite20 - free, tiny version of D20 D&D
• OSRIC - free OGL version of AD&D
• Pathfinder - Paizo's d20 system
• Perfect 20 - free, streamlined d20 system
• True20 - Green Ronin's d20 system

Jeff Rients has pointed out some HackMaster 5th edition info over on the Kenzerco forums. I've begged for a basic version of HM for years now so I really hope they'll deliver on this.

The Armour Problem: Exploring Potential Abuses in Traditional Roleplaying Games

It would have really helped me when I was running my WFRP2 game. WFRP was fun and combat was interesting up until over half the party got equipped with plate armor. Then they were invincible tanks smashing their way through every encounter that didn't involve them fighting other tanks. This is an issue with most games that models armor as damage resistance, but with WFRP it is made worse by the very poor scaling of monster strength. By the end of the campaign, my group of still first career adventurers could kill any monster in the game short of a dragon - all due to their armor.

Yes I know I'm a horrible WFRP GM because I actually didn't railroad them into constant abject poverty, but I really didn't see any other way of keeping them from buying what they wanted without pissing them off. They were going to get money one way or another simply due to them killing people and taking their stuff and if they had to fight someone with armor- bingo, instant armor upgrade for someone when the fight was over. It's not like I could reasonably say that armor was scarce seeing how they were in Middenheim after a major battle so there would have been lots of surplus armor to be had. Hell, Warhammer even has a series of books about scrounging for treasure from the corpses after battles. Sigh...