PRESS RELEASE FROM BADASS PR
Only five days after launching its Kickstarter campaign for the near-future Pioneer tabletop roleplaying game by Mongoose Publishing, the project has already reached 325% funding. Built on the immensely popular Traveller rules system, Pioneer lets players take on the roles of the first true space explorers, roughly 10 to 20 years into the future. Uniquely, this stand-alone TTRPG was designed by Dr. Sandy Antunes, a veteran game designer and graduate of Boston University with dual degrees in astronomy and physics, a master’s degree in astronomy from Penn State, and a PhD in computational astrophysics from George Mason University.
Dr. Antunes has contributed to NASA-related projects and published works on space science and astronautical engineering. He designed mission-scheduling software for NASA and served as the science scheduler for the NASA/ISAS ASCA mission from 1992 to 1994.
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Using rules derived from one of the most recognised and beloved SF TTRPGs ever, Traveller, Pioneer is set 10 to 30 years in the future. It invites players to create characters who are ready to take on mankind’s next bold move: to explore the solar system, including our own Moon, Mars, asteroids, and the planets that lie beyond. Uniquely, this near-future tabletop experience lets them play in a setting that easily mirrors some of the best films, series, and books out there, such as The Martian by Ridley Scott, Mission to Mars by Brian De Palma, Ad Astra by James Gray, The Expanse, Ascension, Red Mars, The Moons of Jupiter, Aurora, and much more.
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With recent discoveries made public, Pioneer seems to be more relevant than ever, as we are discovering our solar system holds many more opportunities and that the building blocks of life are genuinely present mere light-minutes from our home planet.
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Pioneer doesn’t need any additional rulebook. Rooted in the legacy of Traveller but entirely standalone, it holds all of the mechanics you need to experience the thrill of human space exploration within the reach of plausible science—without the clutter of overly complicated rules, but still with enough crunch to allow for fully immersive play at the table.
Amazingly, Mongoose Publishing has managed to assemble an author/designer dream team, as award-winning Traveller veterans Geir Lanesskog and Chris Griffen have teamed up with none other than Dr. Sandy Antunes, who has worked on multiple high-level NASA projects.
FIND THE KICKSTARTER HERE
What is Pioneer?
Pioneer is a near-future space exploration RPG set just 10–30 years ahead.
Though mechanically inspired by Traveller, Pioneer is a fully standalone system – no prior Traveller books or rules are required.
Players (the ‘Pioneers’) take on daring firsts: building permanent bases on the Moon, establishing a Martian outpost, mining asteroids, and more.
A free preview scenario is included: an emergency rescue in Low Earth Orbit. The Pioneers have just 24 hours to launch and save three billionaires – and a pop star (and her dog!) – stranded in a capsule whose heat shield has failed.
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Character options come from diverse backgrounds: military, engineering, science, but also influencers, media personalities, and billionaire patrons.
Pioneers design their own spacecraft via modular components, choosing boosters, capsules, and interior systems to suit mission needs.
The greatest threats are not sinister conspiracies or alien invasions – the biggest danger is the harshness of space itself: radiation, vacuum, equipment failure, and exposure.
Successfully completed missions grant Pioneers the ability to mentor a new generation, advancing exploration further into the solar system.
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At launch, Pioneer will be offered with:
The Core Rulebook
A Referee’s Screen
The Pioneer Companion (variant rules, side missions, modular add-ons)
The first full campaign: humanity’s inaugural manned mission to Mars
Plus any additional stretch goals that might get unlocked
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The game is authored by Dr. Sandy Antunes (with experience working on NASA projects) and developed by Traveller veterans Geir Lanesskog and Chris Griffen.
Buy now at Ebay
Don’t miss out on this exciting addition to your game! #MagicThe #FinalFantasy #CCG #SealedBox #GamerLife
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