The new Adventure Class Starship Geomorphs book is finally complete and ready for download. Unlike the previous book of geomorphs, the components of this book were specifically designed to recreate the feel of the smaller, classic Traveller starship designs. The original geomorphs still have their uses, and can even be incorporated into adventure class designs, but I believe this collection is a vast improvement both aesthetically and functionally. I took your constructive criticisms to heart. Now deck plan layouts look less blocky, and the smaller size means most geomorphs are function specific, meaning fewer multi-purpose geomorphs.
Click [HERE] to download the new Adventure Class Starship Geomorphs PDF.
Click [HERE] to download the Starship Geomorphs 2.0 PDF.
(Update: anyone with the above link should have access to the file.)
Other than size and shapes, there's not too much new here. I've omitted instructions on how to print for cutouts and miniature use, which are included in the Starship Geomorphs 2.0 PDF. This new PDF is layer enabled, allowing more print/viewing options. For example, you can turn off the A-TEXT layer to hide room names if you like nameless maps for player handouts. You can turn off the A-SHADE layer to eliminate the gray fuel and engineering areas to save on ink. You can turn off the A-GRID layer if you prefer gridless deck plans. Note that each page of the PDF has its own layers, so this type of editing is cumbersome and non-intuitive, but it is possible.
There are a few people I need to thanks publicly that really made a difference in this project:
Eric B. Smith - You might remember Eric from his conversion of literally thousands of geomorphs into individual graphic files, not to mention the addition of his own designs, for use with virtual table tops and other graphic software to more easily create geomorph layouts. Eric is back at it again, currently converting the new geomorph. Expect to see individual graphic files to be made available sometime in late January or so. Thanks for your hard work, Eric!
Jon Daniels - Jon had been sharing some of his work with me which included his own ship designs with High Guard stats. I wanted to include ship stats as part of the Ship Gallery, but was not looking forward to it, having lost the love of that level of ship creation decades ago. Jon took that aspect of the project over and did a great job and also did some Traveller related ChatGPT training which was immensely helpful. His contributions helped me get out of a bad funk and created a renewed sense of enthusiasm for the project in me. He shared his LinkedIn profile with me and it reads like the best of Traveller character generation. Thanks for pushing me over the finish line, Jon!
Tom Mouat - I'd lost my 10 year old workhorse of a computer a couple of month ago. I didn't lose any project data, fortunately, but I did lose ALL my creative software. I struggled with various PDF editors when Tom recommended FoxIt PDF to me. This recommendation may seem like a small thing, but when you're trying to get all your ducks lined up in the eleventh hour, a good PDF editor is critical. If you are looking for a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat, consider checking out FoxIt. Those who've seen Tom's work on Facebook know Tom is a great Traveller content creator in his own right. He also sets the finest gaming table I've ever seen. Thanks, Tom!
So what's next?
Future updates: I'm always open to constructive criticism, so if you see something you feel needs correcting, please comment below. As part of Eric's file conversion he has also been kind enough to point out some graphic errors. I'll post an updated version of this PDF if I feel it is warranted.
Blank Geomorphs PDF: I'm working on a book of blank geomorphs based on the two starship geomorph books. I'll probably have that done within a week.
Community Generated Starship Layouts PDF: I've been playing with the idea of creating a book of geomorph-based deck plans created by the Traveller community. Users would submit at minimum a geomorph layout and minimal ship stats, but could also include a ship write-up, history, adventure hooks, full High Guard stats, and/or an illustration to flesh it all out. I'd create a cleaned up deck plan and format the information. Let me know if this is something of interest and I'll set up some guidelines for submissions.
I'm pretty sure I've stated this before, but I'd really like to get back to regular blog posts with a smaller scope. I'll try to make that a more regular occurrence in 2025.
Enjoy the new book and the upcoming holidays!
