Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
Say what you will about the d20 system (I'm certainly not a fan), but what is has going for it is mystery.
Remember, back in the day, playing D&D? You roll your d20...and then wait for the GM to respond. You had no idea whether you hit. The bastard GM kept the target number secret. He also kept the number of hit points the enmey had secret as well. So, not only did you wait to see what happened after you rolled your attack....you also kept swinging and swinging, rolling damage when you could, and listening closely to the GM's description of how the bad guy looked. Was he winded? What did that 12 hit points you just took off of him do to him? Is he bleeding?
Mystery.
That's what we're talking about here, folks. Drama.
And, it's accomplished in an rpg simply by keeping target numbers and health points secret. Instead of dry, clinical readings of dice, the player immerses himself in the story, seeing what his character sees via the description the GM delivers.
If you have a good game master, there's nothing better. This is the way to game.
For all it's "incredible-ness" (Traveller is definitely my favorite rpg of all time), Traveller is one of those games where the player usually knows what the target number is before the throws.
It's subtle, but this can really hurt a game. Why? The drama is gone. The player isn't sitting on the edge of his seat waiting to "learn something" in the way the GM describes the action. Instead, the Traveller player knows instantly if he hit in combat ("Is my total greater than 8?").
Well, I have two suggestions for you Traveller GMs out there. These two suggestions should put a little more boom in your zoom-zoom.
My first suggestion is obvious. Whenever you can keep something secret from the players, do so. Don't let them see enemy character sheets. Don't tell them how many points an opponent has in his STR rating. Don't let them know how many swings the character has until he is considered fatigued and must begin to use weakened blows.
Just don't do it.
Instead, describe what the character could see. Make the answers to these types of questions in a game cinematic.
Put a little more mystery in your game.
Your players will think you're being a hard-ass at first, but you will notice something in a session or two. The players will become more interested. They'll be more involved in the action.
And, everybody will have more fun. Including you.
It's called drama, folks. And, we humans love good drama, whether we're talking about a good book, movie, song, play, opera, ballet...or even a role playing game.
Drama is where It's at.
Now, my second suggestion for zoom-zoom in your boom-boom is akin to the first one. Many times you can keep target numbers secret. Since Traveller uses an unstructured task system (see Rule 68A in my sig), the GM often creates a target number on the fly as the game progresses.
This is a boon, folks! It's much better than a structured task system where the players already know what the target numbers are! It allows you to throw in more mystery!
Let'em hang on your every word! Create a picture in their heads instead of just telling them, "Oh, yeah, you hit." Try something else. Try something like this, "With all your might, you swing the chair, and your bones rattle when you connect. You just broke the chair over the guy's back. Roll damage, and let's see what happened to him."
When you can't hide the target number, as in Traveller combat, where everybody knows that an 8+ hits, what you may want to do is go with averaged target numbers.
What is an averaged target number? It's a to-hit number in Traveller that is likely to be 8 but may not be. This works best when you use two or more dice to determine the result (because of the bell curve, centering on 8).
So, if you wanted to use one die, you could use: 1D +5.
Roll 1D +5, and let the result be your true target number. This gives a range of 6-11. (But, it's linear, due to the one die.)
A better choice might be to use two dice: 2D +1.
Now, your result averages 8, because of the bell curve (or pyramidal slope with the two dice). But, your range is much wider: 3-13.
If you really want to get funky, try three dice: 3D -2.
Now, we're using a true bell curve with an average of 8. Your range, though, is quite wide: 1-16.
One way to lower the range is to only implement the averaged target number after the player throws his to-hit. This way, only actual throws of 8+ are considered.
Thus, if the 3D -2 averaged throw were used, the character would have to roll 8+ first on his to-hit. If successful, the GM would roll, secretly, for the actual target number, rolling 3D -2. This will result in a range of 8-16, since no low number is ever checked for.
An even lower range would be created if this method was done using the 2D +1 roll (resulting in a range of 8-13 ....which is 6 places....with the emphasis on the lower end of the range because of the curve....which is nice). This makes a target number of 13 possible but 8 likely.
How do you explain this to your players? Luck. Wind velocity. An itch of a sneeze right when the character was holding his breath to squeeze the trigger. However you'd like.
The point is: Players won't be so certain about their abilities. Mystery will prevail. More immersion in the game will result.
And, more fun by all will be had.
Here's an example of how this might be useful in your game....
Johnni has an SMG he stole from the Army during his time there. Johnni is skilled with SMG-1. Johnni's DEX is 7.
Johnni's target is at Medium range and is wearing no armor.
This means Johnni gets two chances to hit per the autofire rule, and each of those shots has: +5 for No Armor and +3 for Range.
At +9 to-hit, Johnni's player is feeling pretty confident that he can roll 8+ using 2D +9.
o:
Really, all he needs to do is roll damage for both shots.
"Not so", says the GM. "Roll your to-hit."
Johnni's player does, and he rolls snake eyes. Then he laughs, "Ha! I still rolled 11! I hit! I hit no matter what!"
But, the GM, using averaged rolls, rolls 3D -2. Which ends up summing to 13.
"Nope, 'fraid not." The GM says. "Your burst is close, but the bad guy ended up stepping left just as your burst of ammo ripped into the door frame next to him. He's a lucky guy. Roll for your second attack."
You see. It's all about uncertainty. It's all about mystery. It's all about drama.
There are more ways to vary the target number than what I've shown here. I'm sure you can come up with some on your own. My point in this post was to remind you that you might want to add some uncertainty to your games.
For a quickie rule, you might want to simply do something like this: When a to-hit throw is thrown, check to see if it is even or odd. If the attack roll is even, then leave it alone. It stands. When the attack roll is odd, then roll a 1D3 (use a D6).
When the D3 roll is odd, subtract the number from 8 to find the target number. When the D3 roll is even, add the number to 8 to find the target number. This results in a 8 +/- 3 points situation.
Two Steps:
-----------
1. If the attack roll is odd, then roll D3.
2. D3 provides range of 5-11, excluding 8.
Thus, 50% of the time, the target number will remain 8. The other half of the time, the true target number will be moved up or down 1-3 points.
However you do it, you should definitely try something like this if you don't already do it in your game.
I'm always amazed at how a little mystery can help an otherwise sagging game.
Try it. You'll be amazed too!
Remember, back in the day, playing D&D? You roll your d20...and then wait for the GM to respond. You had no idea whether you hit. The bastard GM kept the target number secret. He also kept the number of hit points the enmey had secret as well. So, not only did you wait to see what happened after you rolled your attack....you also kept swinging and swinging, rolling damage when you could, and listening closely to the GM's description of how the bad guy looked. Was he winded? What did that 12 hit points you just took off of him do to him? Is he bleeding?
Mystery.
That's what we're talking about here, folks. Drama.
And, it's accomplished in an rpg simply by keeping target numbers and health points secret. Instead of dry, clinical readings of dice, the player immerses himself in the story, seeing what his character sees via the description the GM delivers.
If you have a good game master, there's nothing better. This is the way to game.
For all it's "incredible-ness" (Traveller is definitely my favorite rpg of all time), Traveller is one of those games where the player usually knows what the target number is before the throws.
It's subtle, but this can really hurt a game. Why? The drama is gone. The player isn't sitting on the edge of his seat waiting to "learn something" in the way the GM describes the action. Instead, the Traveller player knows instantly if he hit in combat ("Is my total greater than 8?").
Well, I have two suggestions for you Traveller GMs out there. These two suggestions should put a little more boom in your zoom-zoom.
My first suggestion is obvious. Whenever you can keep something secret from the players, do so. Don't let them see enemy character sheets. Don't tell them how many points an opponent has in his STR rating. Don't let them know how many swings the character has until he is considered fatigued and must begin to use weakened blows.
Just don't do it.
Instead, describe what the character could see. Make the answers to these types of questions in a game cinematic.
Put a little more mystery in your game.
Your players will think you're being a hard-ass at first, but you will notice something in a session or two. The players will become more interested. They'll be more involved in the action.
And, everybody will have more fun. Including you.
It's called drama, folks. And, we humans love good drama, whether we're talking about a good book, movie, song, play, opera, ballet...or even a role playing game.
Drama is where It's at.
Now, my second suggestion for zoom-zoom in your boom-boom is akin to the first one. Many times you can keep target numbers secret. Since Traveller uses an unstructured task system (see Rule 68A in my sig), the GM often creates a target number on the fly as the game progresses.
This is a boon, folks! It's much better than a structured task system where the players already know what the target numbers are! It allows you to throw in more mystery!
Let'em hang on your every word! Create a picture in their heads instead of just telling them, "Oh, yeah, you hit." Try something else. Try something like this, "With all your might, you swing the chair, and your bones rattle when you connect. You just broke the chair over the guy's back. Roll damage, and let's see what happened to him."
When you can't hide the target number, as in Traveller combat, where everybody knows that an 8+ hits, what you may want to do is go with averaged target numbers.
What is an averaged target number? It's a to-hit number in Traveller that is likely to be 8 but may not be. This works best when you use two or more dice to determine the result (because of the bell curve, centering on 8).
So, if you wanted to use one die, you could use: 1D +5.
Roll 1D +5, and let the result be your true target number. This gives a range of 6-11. (But, it's linear, due to the one die.)
A better choice might be to use two dice: 2D +1.
Now, your result averages 8, because of the bell curve (or pyramidal slope with the two dice). But, your range is much wider: 3-13.
If you really want to get funky, try three dice: 3D -2.
Now, we're using a true bell curve with an average of 8. Your range, though, is quite wide: 1-16.
One way to lower the range is to only implement the averaged target number after the player throws his to-hit. This way, only actual throws of 8+ are considered.
Thus, if the 3D -2 averaged throw were used, the character would have to roll 8+ first on his to-hit. If successful, the GM would roll, secretly, for the actual target number, rolling 3D -2. This will result in a range of 8-16, since no low number is ever checked for.
An even lower range would be created if this method was done using the 2D +1 roll (resulting in a range of 8-13 ....which is 6 places....with the emphasis on the lower end of the range because of the curve....which is nice). This makes a target number of 13 possible but 8 likely.
How do you explain this to your players? Luck. Wind velocity. An itch of a sneeze right when the character was holding his breath to squeeze the trigger. However you'd like.
The point is: Players won't be so certain about their abilities. Mystery will prevail. More immersion in the game will result.
And, more fun by all will be had.
Here's an example of how this might be useful in your game....
Johnni has an SMG he stole from the Army during his time there. Johnni is skilled with SMG-1. Johnni's DEX is 7.
Johnni's target is at Medium range and is wearing no armor.
This means Johnni gets two chances to hit per the autofire rule, and each of those shots has: +5 for No Armor and +3 for Range.
At +9 to-hit, Johnni's player is feeling pretty confident that he can roll 8+ using 2D +9.
o:Really, all he needs to do is roll damage for both shots.
"Not so", says the GM. "Roll your to-hit."
Johnni's player does, and he rolls snake eyes. Then he laughs, "Ha! I still rolled 11! I hit! I hit no matter what!"
But, the GM, using averaged rolls, rolls 3D -2. Which ends up summing to 13.
"Nope, 'fraid not." The GM says. "Your burst is close, but the bad guy ended up stepping left just as your burst of ammo ripped into the door frame next to him. He's a lucky guy. Roll for your second attack."
You see. It's all about uncertainty. It's all about mystery. It's all about drama.
There are more ways to vary the target number than what I've shown here. I'm sure you can come up with some on your own. My point in this post was to remind you that you might want to add some uncertainty to your games.
For a quickie rule, you might want to simply do something like this: When a to-hit throw is thrown, check to see if it is even or odd. If the attack roll is even, then leave it alone. It stands. When the attack roll is odd, then roll a 1D3 (use a D6).
When the D3 roll is odd, subtract the number from 8 to find the target number. When the D3 roll is even, add the number to 8 to find the target number. This results in a 8 +/- 3 points situation.
Code:
D6
----
1 Target number is 7.
2 Target number is 9.
3 Target number is 6.
4 Target number is 10.
5 Target number is 5.
6 Target number is 11.Two Steps:
-----------
1. If the attack roll is odd, then roll D3.
2. D3 provides range of 5-11, excluding 8.
Thus, 50% of the time, the target number will remain 8. The other half of the time, the true target number will be moved up or down 1-3 points.
However you do it, you should definitely try something like this if you don't already do it in your game.
I'm always amazed at how a little mystery can help an otherwise sagging game.
Try it. You'll be amazed too!
