MGT Only: What happened to Zero-G Combat skill ?

[CaptRet]

I recently purchased the Mongoose Traveller Core Rulebook 2d ed and noticed that the Zero-G Combat skill is no longer in there. What happened ?

Also noted that Battledress is no longer a separate skill - now takes Vacc 2 to operate battledress.

[AnotherDilbert]

No special skill, hence just Dex:

Originally Posted by Core, p77, Zero Gravity

Every time the Traveller uses a ranged weapon that does not have the Zero-G trait or any close combat weapon, he must make an Average (8+) Athletics (dexterity) check or not only automatically miss his target but start to spin helplessly out of control.

[Xerxeskingofking]

it appears that its been folded into athletics (dexterity), as that is the skill you roll for to use non-recoilless weapons in zero G (ref pg63 example tasks, and pg77, environmental dangers).

when they did 2nd ed they changed a few skills around to simplify and streamline the skills needed (im guessing to make it easier to have all the skills needed to be effective in combat*). the Gun Combat skill got a major overhaul, and a few other skills got a few tweaks as well. I'm guessing the removal of Zero G Combat and Battle Dress as separate skills is part of that move. It might also be a way to reduce the penalties on a "non combat" character forced to fight.


quite of a lot of these changes seem to be "rationalisations", in that in 1E a PC could be a Olympic level gymnast, but be just as off balance as a PC with no athletic skill, or even worse off if that other PC has Zero G combat. since most of what the Zero G Combat skill covers is just gymnastics to move and fight in Zero G, it kinda makes sense to fold the two together.

*in 1e, a marine character with many years of experience using and fighting in BD would need Gun combat 1, Zero G Combat 1, Battle Dress 1, and probably Vacc suit 1, just to cover the basics, and wouldn't be able to use those fancy zero-g acrobatics in 1g. in 2e, that goes down to three skills, (athletics (dex)1, Gun1, vac suit2), and can use those acrobatic in normal gravity.

[CaptRet]

Makes sense. Given that a Traveller only obtains a limited number of skills when rolled-up, that was a lot of skills needed just to be able to function normally in what would have been a character's military occupational specialty (let alone the risk that you wouldn't roll up the crucial skill).

Given the possible negative results in zero-g of using a weapon w/o the zero-g factor (snub pistol, laser, accelerator carbine, etc.), query if there should also be a positive factor if your character has magnetic grapples on his/her vacc suit or combat armor (it is a possible add-on in the CSC - only costs 100 Cr aftermarket).

[ShawnDriscoll]

I told Matt that I liked the idea of Athletics having DEX added to it. Opens up a lot of new things while removing the old hard-wired stuff.

[CaptRet]

And I also like that there are no longer separate skills for every kind of slugthrower (e.g. rifle, carbine, smg, etc.). Again, takes up too many skills to use effectively weapons that are very similar. The first attempt at improvement was the old "Combat Rifleman" cascade skill, but the current system (slugthrowers, energy weapons, and zero-g weapons) is simpler.

[Condottiere]

Nausea minimization, I would think, would be the big benefit.