Atmospheric Turbulence

[Hemdian]

I was looking at the rule for Atmospheric Turbulence (T5 p365, T5.09 p325, or T5.1 Bk2 p103) which states:

T = Flux + HullStability + Pilot + (World Size if StormWorld)
If T less than Zero, a Turbulence Crisis occurs.

... and I think this can be rewritten as a more standardised task roll.



Here are my steps so you can follow my logic (and catch any flaws):

A Turbulence Crisis occurs when 0 > Flux + HullStability + Pilot + (World Size if StormWorld)

Since Flux gives +/-5, it can be on either side of the equation.

A Turbulence Crisis occurs when Flux > HullStability + Pilot + (World Size if StormWorld)

Flux is usually 1D-1D but could also be 2D-7.

A Turbulence Crisis occurs when 2D - 7 > HullStability + Pilot + (World Size if StormWorld)

Add 7 to both sides.

A Turbulence Crisis occurs when 2D > HullStability + Pilot + (World Size if StormWorld) + 7

Now flip the condition and the equality symbol.

A Turbulence Crisis is avoided when 2D <= HullStability + Pilot + (World Size if StormWorld) + 7

Let's reorder (you'll see why in a moment if you haven't already).

A Turbulence Crisis is avoided when 2D <= 7 + Pilot + HullStability + (World Size if StormWorld)

Next, consider that a typical task has C+S+K, we have S=Pilot, the usual C for Pilot is Dex, but while we don't have Dex, we do have a 7. Then remember that a 'phantom' C is 7 ... could we not substitute the 7 with Dex?

A Turbulence Crisis is avoided when 2D <= Dex + Pilot + HullStability + (World Size if StormWorld)

Or

To avoid a Turbulence Crisis:
2D <= Dex + Pilot + HullStability + (World Size if StormWorld)

The remaining question is ... is 'Pilot' just the skill or is it skill plus knowledge?

I'd also be inclined to remove StormWorld as a modifier and instead add an extra 1D difficulty for StormWorlds.

To avoid a Turbulence Crisis:
2D <= Dex + Pilot + [Knowledge] + HullStability
+1D difficulty if StormWorld

(An added bonus here is the possibility of invoking the This-Is-Hard rule for low-skilled characters, which wasn't present in the original form of this equation.)



Thoughts?

 

[Bartleby]

This is really cool. Replacing the 7 from Flux with Dex is pretty ingenious. I like it.

 

[The Pakkrat]

I believe that the Turbulence purposely left out Knowledge because the exact nature of each Turbulence planet or Gas Giant is an unknown and varies with each body. Winds will be random, atmospheric pressure variable, storms, electrical discharge, and the like. This is too much for Knowledge to be included in the Task as one cannot know, remember, and recall the minutiae of each Turbulence behavior of a given world. This is a seat-of-pants kind of Task. The Pilot has to "wing it". Stability is the Pilot's friend here. So is the hull configuration. Avoiding Stormworlds is another.

For me as the Referee, I checked Turbulence for take-off, re-entry, and fuel skimming. 90% of the time, an aerodynamic hull is going to laugh this off. It's the blocky, bulky, orbit-only vessels that are going to have some hardship in atmosphere. This Turbulence Task supports that these ships were not meant to endure planetary and Gas Giant weather. Again we see sub-craft and smallcraft performing planetary landings and fuel skimming for these hulking hulls.

So long as Turbulence rose above zero (0), the formula was moot. My players will never know how much I wanted a Turbulence Crisis and judged that a Piloting Task was necessary. I think it happened only once during the Holoi Hajj and again in Rote To Dzuerongvoe.