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T20 Cliff notes?

Hi all,

Long term CT player/GM/Hobbyist here..

I love pouring over the various rules books for history and setting details. The continuing imagination and imagry are great.

But right now I just need to learn the T20 system. I do not have the time to comprehensivly read the D20 basics and then read the T20 mods right now but want to get into a T20 game. so what i am wondering is..
Are there any "cliff's notes" like documents that just explain the system mechanics in basic terms? While I am crtain I will enjoy readuing the T20 books eventually, right now I need to get up to speed. The detail reading can come later.

Anyone able to help me with this?

Thanks!
Marc
 
There's the D20 system reference document, which basically has the core D20 rules that apply to any and all D20 games. That's probably buried somewhere in WOTC website. Google it, you could get lucky.

Then there's the T20 Lite .pdf which is available here for free. It contains some of the bare-basic rules for T20.
 
I wil look for the refereance document, thanks! The issues with the T20 lite doc are [1] that it is still only the Traveller side and you still need to learn the D20 system(as I understand the reltionship) and [2] that there is still a 10 to one or worse relationship in what is in the document and what you have to know to from each subject play the system.
 
The D20 system is summarised quite easily as:
when in doubt roll a d20, add/subtract relevent modifiers from attribute, skill, feat, equipment, and situation/environment. Compare the final result to the target number.
In combat the target number is your opponent's Armour Class, in other circumstances the referee has to determine the difficulty number (usually 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35) for progressively more difficult tasks.
 
heheh, so what are "Feats"?..

The questions are legion and can mount up. Lucky for me, I have been looking at the reference document on and off as I work(12 hour shift today) and I notice that it can very easily be compressed to a "so far" less than one page document. Perhaps I will make that another of my too many projects >


Thank you all for your help though :D
 
Feats can be alternatively described as special abilities or advantages...

someone at rpgnet or enworld has probably condensed the d20 system to a single page...
 
The best online source of d20 rules is Sovelior and Sage's hypertext SRD (search Google for "sage 3.5 srd"). Plus the T20 Lite you can download for free from the T20 site has a pretty good coverage of the basic rules.
 
Does the T20 "replace" the need to read the D20 system? I have been under the impression that I should read the D20 mechanics, if not the skills magic and other stuff, before checking out T20 or buying the book?

Am I incorrect?
 
If you have experience of other rpgs, then about the only thing missing from T20 is a way to randomly generate your starting characteristics (which are in the 3-18 range for a standard human ;) ).

If you do want a d20 core book to read first I'd go for either d20Modern, d20StarWars, or d20Call of Cthulhu (my personal favourite).
 
Again.... Are we talking T20 or T20 Lite?

Can I read T20 lite and then move up to the Full T20 book for the added data or do I need to read a d20 Core book to understand the system before reading either T20 lite or T20?

Thanks for helping!
 
With other rpg experience you could probably get away with T20 lite and then move up to T20.

If you get stuck with anything you can always ask around here.
You'll find them a useful, friendly bunch
 
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