When it comes to spelling the name of the world’s oldest sci-fi RPG still in publication, is it proper to use one L or two? That depends.
Traveller vs Traveler
Whether you spell traveller with one L or two depends on where you are from.
Folks from the USA spell traveler with one L.
Folks from the UK spell traveller with two L’s.
A quick check of the rulebook shows "armour" and "colour".
So, the Traveller RPG must be a game from the UK, right?
Well, yes and no.
Mongoose Publishing, the current licensee and publisher for Traveller, is located in the United Kingdom, but they didn’t come up with the name.
There is actually a story behind why Traveller has two L’s.
In an interview I conducted with Marc Miller for the “Mayday! 2019” event, he explained that Traveller was largely inspired by the saga of Dumarest, known as Dumarest of Terra; a 33-volume science fiction series of novels.
Edwin Charles Tubb is the author of the Dumarest series. He was born in London, England. Marc adapted Edwin’s use of the UK double-L for Traveller and the name just carried forward.
So that’s how an American game created by an American author ended up with the British spelling.
Which Is Correct: Traveller or Traveler?
Though you may have seen it spelled both ways, and even called “Travellers” (plural), the correct way to spell the name of our favorite sci-fi role-playing game is with two L’s.
So now you know the story behind the American game with the British name.
Interested in learning more about the Dumarest Saga?
Check it out here:
The Saga Of Dumarest of Terra in eBook format.
The Saga of Dumarest (and other titles by E. C. Tubb) in paperback format.
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