2320 progress report

[Colin]

Just wanted to provide a little note to let people know where the project is at.
Character generation is finished. Starship design rules are nearly finished. Vehicle design rules (modifications) are finished. Kafer War has been plotted out.

Background has been largely finished. Equipment finished. Weapons finished. Starting on world design and animal encounters next. Need to test starship design and vehicle design. Working on colonies, and new areas to explore. Started section on enclaves and outposts.

Yes, I work on more than one thing at a time. Lets ideas percolate in the back of my head until its time for them to come to the fore.

Thanks.

Colin

 

[kaladorn]

Originally posted by Colin:
Just wanted to provide a little note to let people know where the project is at.
Colin

Thanks for the update.

I think I have 1st Ed 2300. The thing that struck me about that game was the great art, especially the line-art drawings of the equipment. Hopefully the art maintains this spartan and realistic standard, rather than a more cinematic or surreal style.

 

[Ganidirsii O'Flynn]

Spiff, Colin. Always loved the the 2300 setting, and I'm looking forward to seeing your guy's work.

One thing to consider, if you please: Keep the "Electronic Battle" phase in Starship Combat... that is something woefully missing in most space combat games. I always loved the tension for players who have a bandit (unidentified) craft inbound and they don't know if they've been pinged yet...

"Ah, to launch or not to launch... that, THAT is the question. Whether to risk one's career on a quickie kill, or play dice with outrageous fortune on a positive ID...."

Diary log of the Kafer Commander, "Maker of Deli Sandwiches" codenamed "Jarod"

 

[Colin]

That's the basic idea. Combat will largely use the T20 rules <ducks> but with changes made for movement and sensors.

 

[siefertma2]

Originally posted by Colin:
That's the basic idea. Combat will largely use the T20 rules <ducks> but with changes made for movement and sensors.

I don't mind T20 space combat rules. I just wish someone would explain them to me is all.

 

[duran.goodyear]

Colin.
how much is the character level combat like T20 modern?

I've only played T20 for D&D, but am very curious to see what I should expect from the new 2300 based on the T20 rules for guns and lasers, and the such.

Again, thanks for the update, and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

 

[Colin]

I can't answer that off-hand. I use the Traveller D20 rules, which seem to take their cue from D&D 3e. I imagine combat is pretty similar, though. Damage is different, because of the Traveller D20 Lifeblood rule (download the T20 lite file found on this site. It explains a lot of this). I have D20 Modern, but mostly for the sake of completeness. I don't use it. The Lifeblood rule overrides the Massive Damage rule from D20, making Traveller and 2320 combat more deadly. Lifeblood is simply your CON. Take more damage than that, and you begin dying. And a laser like the F-19 does something like 3d10 damage, for an average of 16.5...

Better wear armor.

Colin

 

[duran.goodyear]

I just got back from flipping through the ULTRAMODERN FIREARMS book for D20. lots of 9mm guns that do 2d6 damage.

are there any rules for penetration?

for instance, the 9mm pistols were doing 2D6, and had a "range increment of 20" and the 5.56mm rifles were doing 2D8, and had a range increment of 50, or 60... I think.

last time I checked. a 5.56mm rifle goes through a lot more armor then a 9mm pistol round.

I know 2300ad was simply a "subtract damage, if anytthing is left, thats what you use..." rule set, but with a more "die rolling to see how much damage is done" I kinda hope for something to account for penetration.

maybe I'm going way overboard here. but I know that a "Laser Armor" something, that his ablative to heat and photonic damage, (a thick foam covering) wouldn't do anything against a projectile round.

just somethoughts. I regularly tweek out rules for my own world, but its good to see you using the life blood standards. guns kill people fast, and 2300ad was never about super heroes taking multiple rounds.

I love playing my small 2300ad USMC on Aurore campaign, and watching as the PC's (first time 2300ad players) start to do the math on how easy it is to die...

makes for very smart players actually, and suprisingly enough, no one has come THAT close to dying yet.

Thanks again!

 

[Kzintosh]

Originally posted by Colin:
I can't answer that off-hand. I use the Traveller D20 rules, which seem to take their cue from D&D 3e. I imagine combat is pretty similar, though. Damage is different, because of the Traveller D20 Lifeblood rule (download the T20 lite file found on this site. It explains a lot of this). I have D20 Modern, but mostly for the sake of completeness. I don't use it. The Lifeblood rule overrides the Massive Damage rule from D20, making Traveller and 2320 combat more deadly. Lifeblood is simply your CON. Take more damage than that, and you begin dying. And a laser like the F-19 does something like 3d10 damage, for an average of 16.5...

Better wear armor.

Oooooh...I like the sound of it. Looking forward to a d20 2300. I basically bought the Traveller d20 so I could run a d20 for 2300 (not that I had much of a problem with the 2300 rules...just all my players went to d20).
Colin

 

[Yojimbo]

How compatible will 2320AD be with d20 Modern or d20 Future (the forthcoming sci-fi expansion for d20M for those not in the know)?

Unlike most of the replies in this forum I'm not a great fan of the T20 rules (this ENWorld review pretty much sums up my gripes with the book) but I'd be very interested in revisiting 2300AD, a game I really enjoyed from the mid 80s.

While I understand that you guys want to promote sales of the Travellers Handbook, is there any chance I can use 2320 with d20M?

 

[hunter]

Originally posted by Yojimbo:
How compatible will 2320AD be with d20 Modern or d20 Future (the forthcoming sci-fi expansion for d20M for those not in the know)?

It won't be. It will use the T20 ruleset.

Hunter

 

[EvilDrGanymede]

Does it actually make any practical difference what ruleset you use with it anyway? Does T20 have any rules in it that you can't simulate with the other games?

(BTW, surely 2320AD isn't going to use the same classes as T20, is it?).

 

[Erik Boielle]

**(BTW, surely 2320AD isn't going to use the same classes as T20, is it?)**

I don't totally see why ir shouldn't.

Not many Barbarians, and I guess one should call the Nobles Politicians if you want there to be many of them, but the rest work, mostly.

That said, replacing them wouldn't take many pages and nothing says D20 total conversion like a set of new classes* (and I like thinking about this), I say

Academic
Spacer - takes over ship crews and space colonists
Soldier
Professional
Rogue
Explorer
Colonist - basically 'farmer' or 'inbred hick'
Underemployed City Dweller
Er, something like 'Politician' or 'Faceman' or ‘Manager’ or ‘Salesman’ or 'Social Skills Based Character'

Cause you don't really get the same serving terms in the navy then mustering out and going adventuring in middle age thing in 2300 that you get in Traveller, so you don't need the additional army/marines/navy/scout split.

For prestige classes you have, er

Legionnaire
Ace Ship Captain
Special Forces Trooper
Corporate Troubleshooter
Kaffer Killing Dude Who Looks Like Rambo And Has A Bandanna

No, looks like I'm out.

*And ‘This lacks Backwards Compatability’

 

[EvilDrGanymede]

I don't recall the chargen in 2300AD... did it even have anything like classes in the first place?

 

[mike wightman]

2300 has careers much like Traveller. Characters serve a 1d10 term and then must pass a turning point task, much like reenlistment. One change of career is allowed.

So there are no character classes, there are careers. I'm just guessing here but I would imagine T20-T2320 will stick to the T20 classes.

Wasn't there a post a while ago that Hunter was looking for volunteers to playtest a skill based levelless version of T20? I wonder if that has made any progress and if any new ideas will pop up in T2320 character gen?

 

[Colin]

2320AD is a sourcebook for T20, and relies on it for many of the mechanics, including character generation, vehicle and starship design, and world creation. These mechanics are often modifed, but are definitely based off T20. 2320 is a setting sourcebook, not a stand-alone game. But is does have lots of cool stuff in it.

The original 2300 had a career-based chargen, which ports rather easily over to the T20 classes. 2320AD uses a streamlined character generation system that is very similar to the that of the original game, however, though it can make use of the Prior History character generation of T20, and that system is recommended if you prefer more detailed characters.

Colin

 

[Spire]

So I will have to own a copy of T20 to play T2320. Do I have to own a copy of the D20 Core Rulebooks to boot? Sorry, don't own a single thing for D20 system. Seen it played and thought it was the weirdest ruleset I had ever seen. How do you need a 34 to hit and then roll a 42 on d20 anyway????

Will the T2320 book be compatible with the original 2300AD system, containing a conversion guide perhaps or dual stats? If you only play the original 2300AD system will this make a good book for source material?

Thanks for you time!

 

[Colin]

The upcoming Traveller Guidebook will have all you need to play 2320. You won't need another D20 book. For a Director, the current T20 Handbook would be a good idea as well, as all the design sequences require that book.
There will be a fair bit of new information, which is mechanics-independent, but it is designed as a sourcebook for T20.
D20 is relatively straightforward, once you get used to it. All systems have their quirks.

Colin

 

[Cymew]

Spire,

In d20 systems you always add your skill and bonuses from high stats to the die roll. It's not that different from Traveller of old actually.

Roll, say, 15 and add 15 from your very well developed skill and add 3 for having a high stat -> suddenly you have "rolled 33" with a d20.

 

[Colin]

Here's where I'm at now:

Introductory short story

Introduction to 2320

Character generation

History

Kafers – Alien Race including chargen. Need ships and vehicles

Pentapods – Alien Race including chargen. Need ships and vehicles

Vehicle Design
Starship Design
Bionics and Cybernetics
Organizations and Corporations
Starship Operations
Weapons and Equipment
Personal Armor
Combat rules additions
Personal and Vehicle
Outposts and enclaves

To be done:

Spreadsheets for starship and vehicle design
Pentapod, Sung and kafer starships design rules, to be integrated into the respective racial sections. No more than a few paragraphs each.
Revison of Earth and Tirane information
Revision and editing of colonial information
Computers and hacking
Sung, Xiang, Klaxun, Ylii and Little Guys Each about half finished.
Animal encounters
World design modifications
Starship encounters
Trade and economics modifiers.

Later,

Colin
2320AD writer and certified nutcase