Cascade or include skills game mechanics

[jaz0nj4ckal]

Folks, I just got a copy of MegTraveller and I need a little help understanding the mechanics and how the following skill types work. How do the Cascade and Includes skills work? For example: Academic and Combat Rifleman on p.28. From my understanding – I have to select one skill from a Cascade; however, every skill under the Combat Rifleman gets a skill point, but I’m not sure if that is correct, since I’m not sure how this works.

Thanks,
JJ

 

[aramis]

you don't record levels in an included skill.

Included skills are actually functionally a subset of "Serves as", not cascades. Also, is, for some reason (Combat Rifleman vs Rifleman) you have both, you do not add the levels, using only the higher skill. If the narrower is lower, it may be deleted to allow for the total skill limit.

 

[McPerth]

A cascade skill is a list of skill among which you have to choose one.

Skills that include others allow you to use all included skills at the level you have it. As Aramis says, it's read as serves as for all the skills in its list.

e.g. Your character is being generated in the Army basic tables and recives Special Combat skill. Being a cascade, he has to choose among Battledress, Combat Engineering, Combat Rifleman, Demolitions, FA artillery, Fordward Observer, Grav belt, Heavy weapons, High-Energy Weapons, High-G Environ, Stealth and Zero-G-Environ (and if using consolidated MT errata, Reccon).

Your character chooses Combat Rifleman at 2 (he had already level 1 as basic training). Now he can use ACR, Assault Rifle, Carabine, Gauss Rifle and Rifle (and, if using MTCE Accelerator Rifle, Autorifle, Autoshotgun, Shotgun and SMG) at skill level 2.

See that (if using MTCE) if after that your character is promoted to lieutenant, he receives SMG 1, it's not clear what happens, but logic says his SMG skill will be useless unless he latter raises it above his Combat Rifleman skill (this problem arises in all included and serves as skills, as if your character attends the flight school and receives Ship's Boat 1 and Pilot 3).

 

[jaz0nj4ckal]

A cascade skill is a list of skill among which you have to choose one.

Skills that include others allow you to use all included skills at the level you have it. As Aramis says, it's read as serves as for lla the skills in its list.

e.g. Your character is being generated in the Army basic tables and recives Special Combat skill. Being a cascade, he has to choose among Battledress, Combat Engineering, Combat Rifleman, Demolitions, FA artillery, Fordward Observer, Grav belt, Heavy weapons, High-Energy Weapons, High-G Environ, Stealth and Zero-G-Environ (and if using consolidated MT errata, Reccon).

Your character chooses Combat Rifleman at 2 He had already level 1 as basic training). Now he can use ACR, Assault Rifle, Carabine, Gauss Rifle and Rifle (and, if using MTCE Accelerator Rifle, Autorifle, Autoshotgun, Shotgun and SMG) at skill level 2.

If I understand this correctly, I can think of this as related group skills that fall under the catagory. Now, what happens if for any reason, SMG gets the ability to raise by 1-point. Would the character have Combat Rifleman lvl 2, but SMG lvl 3?

I understand in your last paragraph -

See that (if using MTCE) if after that your character is promoted to lieutenant, he receives SMG 1, it's not clear what happens, but logic says his SMG skill will be useless unless he latter raises it above his Combat Rifleman skill (this problem arises in all included and serves as skills, as if your character attends the flight school and receives Ship's Boat 1 and Pilot 3).

the SMG skill was raised to "SMG lvl 1"; however, Combat Rifleman has that covered already due to "Combat Rifleman lvl 2". I see where the latter is getting confusing.

 

[McPerth]

Now, what happens if for any reason, SMG gets the ability to raise by 1-point. Would the character have Combat Rifleman lvl 2, but SMG lvl 3?

As I understand, if your character has Combat Rifleman 2 and SMG 1, he may use any of them (of course, Cbt Rifleman would be the skill of choice) when using a SMG. To be better with the SMG than with other categories, he must raise SMG to 3 without raising Cbt Rifleman skill.

Same happens with the example I gave about the Flight School graduate that has Pilot 3 and Ship's Boat 1. As his Pilot skill may be used as Ship's Boat 2, he must raise it to 3 or more without raising Pilot skill for it to have any value. And the same would happen with Navigator and Sensor Operations, etc...

 

[jaz0nj4ckal]

As I understand, if your character has Combat Rifleman 2 and SMG 1, he may use any of them (of ocurse, Cbt Rifleman would be the skill of choice) when using a SMG. TO be better with the SMG than with other categories, he must raise SMG to 3 wihtout raising Cbt Rifleman skill.

Ame happens with the example I gave about the Flight School graduate that has Pilot 3 and Ship's Boat 1. As his Pilot skill may be used as Ship's Boat 2, he must raise it to 3 or more without raising Pilot skill for it to have nay value. And the same would happen with Navigator and Sensor Operations, etc...

Thanks for clearing that up. Also, in your example - why would Ship's Boat lvl 2, when you have Pilot 3 and Ship's Boat 1? I thinking I am startin to understand it.

 

[aramis]

Thanks for clearing that up. Also, in your example - why would Ship's Boat lvl 2, when you have Pilot 3 and Ship's Boat 1? I thinking I am startin to understand it.

Pilot Skill can serve as Ship's Boat at one level less than pilot skill.

 

[McPerth]

This Serves as xxxx -1 is in several skills in MT (a way to give characters more skills, I guess). There's even one instance on a cascade skill where all the skills you may choose among are Serves as -1 among them: Field Artillery Gunnery (though it's one of the skills I've seen used the least).