Freelance Traveller

Type SA Solomani Free Trader

reviewed by Joe Adams

This article originally appeared in the May/June 2025 issue.

Type SA Solomani Free Trader. Kerry Mould, Timothy Collinson, Ian Stead
Moon Toad Publishing https://dtrpg.com/en/publisher/5791
56pp, PDF
US$12/UK£9.05

Type SA Solomani Free Trader is a Travellers’ Aid Society supplement by Moon Toad Publishing. This book provides a detailed description of the Sundowner, a 400-dTon Solomani ship class. Timothy Collinson and Ian Stead are well-known in the Traveller community; Kerry Mould brings decades of experience writing for HârnWorld, creating immersive settings and characters.

The Sundowner is notable for its discus-like design and forward-mounted 20-dTon launch. While primarily a Far Trader, it also serves as a lab ship, yacht, auxiliary hospital ship, or merchant decoy.

Each variant includes color exterior elevations and two deck plans—one for the referee, keyed with location descriptions, and another for players without numbered locations. The authors also provide a ship design page, variant-specific crew descriptions, and adventure hooks to help referees integrate the Sundowner into campaigns.

Type SA Far Trader Variant

The Far Trader is the most detailed, as it’s the most likely configuration for player groups. In addition to standard plans and descriptions, this section includes three example ships:

• Bring Home the Bacon: The most fully developed example, featuring a rich backstory, six crew members, and six adventure hooks.
• The Written Word: A missionary ship, providing insight into how religious groups might use this vessel to minister to far-flung planets.
• The Venture: An aging ship with quirks, ideal for groups seeking a budget-friendly vessel—if they can handle its unpredictable nature.

Type LC Lab Conversion Variant

For exploration-focused campaigns, the Lab Conversion variant streamlines the ship’s design and features a more efficient maneuver drive compared to standard torus-shaped lab ships. The example ship, Quest, includes adventure hooks specific to its role, as well as more general lab ship scenarios.

Type YC Yacht Variant

If your group includes a sector-level oligarch or noble with a taste for luxury, the Sundowner’s yacht variant is an excellent choice. More akin to a cruise ship than the 200-dTon Type Y from High Guard, the Type YC offers five-star accommodations for its owner and their entourage.

The example ship, Change Order, is on an eight-month tour of the Imperium, with adventure hooks tailored to its journey, plus three additional hooks for other yacht-based adventures.

Type AH Auxiliary Hospital Ship Variant

Modeled after real-world MASH units, the Haven-class auxiliary hospital ship variant is perfect for campaigns where players need or want to provide advanced medical support. These ships are equipped with patient rooms, surgical suites, medical robots, and laboratories.

The sample ship, MASH 4077, is a nod to the M*A*S*H film and television series. While its crew takes inspiration from later seasons of the show, the adventure hooks are firmly grounded in a Traveller setting, particularly a Solomani campaign.

Type MQ Merchant Decoy Variant

The final Sundowner variant takes deception to the next level. While it superficially resembles the Type SA Free Trader, its interior has been reconfigured to add armor and weapons at the cost of fuel and cargo space. These ships operate as anti-piracy vessels or commerce raiders, relying on their appearance to lure unsuspecting targets.

As with the other variants, this section includes a sample ship, Atlantis, along with its crew and adventure hooks.

Launch Variants

Beyond the Sundowner itself, the supplement provides details on its launches. Each variant—basic, survey, luxury, medevac, and assault—comes with color deck plans, location descriptions, and ship design pages, adding depth and versatility to the Sundowner class of ships.

Final Thoughts

This book is packed with playable content. The detailed ship plans and variant descriptions alone make it worthwhile, but the inclusion of adventure hooks and sample ships takes it to the next level. The authors have crafted an immersive and practical resource that referees can easily integrate into their campaigns.

Full disclosure: I have collaborated with Kerry Mould on various RPG writing projects over the years. He sent me a copy of this supplement as a gift, and I enjoyed it so much that I decided to write this review.