First Impression: Hammer's Slammers Traveller Supplement

David Drake penned his first Hammer's Slammers stories in the early 1970s, after his stint in Vietnam with the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment (ACR).

Several years later,  Traveller , the science fiction role playing game (RPG), designed by Marc Miller, Rich Banner and Frank Chadwick, through their company, Game Designer's Workshop (GDW).  When GDW closed in 1996, Traveller experienced an intermittent publication run, until 2008, when Mongoose Publishing released the latest version of this ever-popular RPG.

So it was only a matter of time before classic sci-fi literature and the classic sci-fi RPG merge.  The result is the Hammer's Slammers Supplement by Gareth Hanrahan and edited by Charlotte Law.

This 206-page supplement, along with the Traveller Core Rulebook, provides everything players need to assume roles as soldiers in the Slammers Regiment, or some other mercenary unit.  The book is divided into 15 chapters which include sections on--character creation, vehicles and equipment, combat and the history of the Slammers, to name a few.  Two military-style campaigns are also included, along with a forward by David Drake.  One of my favorite chapters is the Character Roster, which provides bios and sketches of some of the notable characters in the Slammers series. 

This is book is a definate buy for anyone who is both a Traveller and Slammers fan.