T5 - 2D Higher Is Better

[mike wightman]

Not to mention many skills can be used even with no skill level at no penalty - you just didn't get a bonus.

 

[Supplement Four]

Even so, limited to 6 stats, they must be quite broad, while tto many more specific stats make the game too clumsy to play.

My point is that CT uses them in a wide variation of ways. Sometimes no Stat is referenced for a task. Sometimes the entire stat is referenced (as with throwing a blade--entire DEX used as a DM). Sometimes, a certain level of stat gets you a certain bonus.

IMO, this is much better than one-size-fits all bonuses where +1 to EDU increases every task that EDU governs.



As for Skill-0 in CT, I think it was used A LOT.

First off, all of the careers in Book 1 provided a Level-0 skill for every weapon in that book. That's a lot of skills right there.

Defaults skills, like Air/Raft, ATV, Forward Observer, Steward, and Vacc Suit are encouraged as free Level-0 skills, if the Ref thinks it appropriate for the character.

That's a decent amount of skills.

 

[Echo]

I’m amazed at how much effort is still going into making a T5-shaped square fit into a Traveller-shaped hole…

 

[rancke]

My point is that CT uses them in a wide variation of ways. Sometimes no Stat is referenced for a task. Sometimes the entire stat is referenced (as with throwing a blade--entire DEX used as a DM). Sometimes, a certain level of stat gets you a certain bonus.

In other words, it's a hodge-podge of special cases that have to be memorized separately. At such a cost it had better be versatile.

Generally it's a question of simplicity and versatility: pick one. That said, some rules are unneccessarily rigid in their simplicity and some are unnecessarily complicated in their versatility. And CT is IMO unnecessarily complicated (Also too coarse-grained).

IMO, this is much better than one-size-fits all bonuses where +1 to EDU increases every task that EDU governs.

Um... what else does it mean that EDU 'governs'? If EDU doesn't affect the skill then what makes it an EDU skill? Do you get bonusses to improve it (as you do in my house rules)? Are there talents that affect all EDU skills rather than a very limited subset of skills? Do you lose points off all EDU skills if you suffer a brain injury? Does EDU limit the number of skill levels in EDU skills? Just what is an EDU skill in the first place?


Hans

 

[McPerth]

Not to mention many skills can be used even with no skill level at no penalty - you just didn't get a bonus.

That also exists in MgT (skills that have no untrained penalty), and it's (IMHO) different from level 0 (though in this case level 0 have little sense, if any).

My point is that CT uses them in a wide variation of ways. Sometimes no Stat is referenced for a task. Sometimes the entire stat is referenced (as with throwing a blade--entire DEX used as a DM). Sometimes, a certain level of stat gets you a certain bonus.

IMO, this is much better than one-size-fits all bonuses where +1 to EDU increases every task that EDU governs.

AFAIK this happens in all versions of Traveller...

This said, in CT the stats modifiers used not to be progressive, but usually more than +1 if you reached a treeshold, being 0 if lower tan it, or negative modifiers (also usually more than -1) if they were too low. Personaly, I prefeer a more progresive stats DMs (and in this way T4/T5 achieve it better).

Also remember that a +1 modifier is significant in 2d6, while quite less so when you roll more dice (lesser significant the more dice you roll).

As for Skill-0 in CT, I think it was used A LOT.

First off, all of the careers in Book 1 provided a Level-0 skill for every weapon in that book. That's a lot of skills right there.

Defaults skills, like Air/Raft, ATV, Forward Observer, Steward, and Vacc Suit are encouraged as free Level-0 skills, if the Ref thinks it appropriate for the character.

That's a decent amount of skills.

While CT (LBB1, pg 22) talked about level 0 skills, no rules were given for them, being enterily at referee's discrection. So you could not attain steward 0, yet it could be given to you by the referee, if he/she felt it adequate.

Personally, when I refereed CT/MT, I assumed every character to have all the skills listed in his service (for basic CharGen) or MOS (for advanced Chargen) tables as level 0 (unless they had them higher, off course). Imagine my surprise when I say MgT doing exactly this same thing...

 

[Ulsyus]

My latest project is hacking 5e D&D into some semblance of Traveller.

Have you just tried Traveller-ising the current Star Wars rules?

 

[mike wightman]

You mean the one with the silly dice? Nope, haven't bought it, I don'y mind polyhedral dice, but I can't be bothered with learning a load of weird new symbols.

 

[cuTTer]

You mean the one with the silly dice? Nope, haven't bought it, I don'y mind polyhedral dice, but I can't be bothered with learning a load of weird new symbols.

Verily, they are the devil's chestnuts.

 

[atpollard]

The only 'bad die' that I ever encountered was a d30 with rounded corners ... it usually rolled off the table and under the couch.

 

[Supplement Four]

The only 'bad die' that I ever encountered was a d30 with rounded corners ... it usually rolled off the table and under the couch.

Not crazy about the d30, the d100, or T4's Half-die.

 

[aramis]

You mean the one with the silly dice? Nope, haven't bought it, I don'y mind polyhedral dice, but I can't be bothered with learning a load of weird new symbols.

I suspect he meant WotC's Star Wars Saga Edition... and is ignorant of the last 3 years of events in both D&D and Star Wars developments...

Not everyone does (nor should) pay attention to current events.

That said, I've been thinking how to apply Bounded Accuracy to T20.

And I think, maybe, I've got an idea...

 

[Ulsyus]

You mean the one with the silly dice? Nope, haven't bought it, I don'y mind polyhedral dice, but I can't be bothered with learning a load of weird new symbols.

Yeah, the earlier one that just used regular polyhedral dice. I haven't seen the latest versions, and wasn't aware of the use of "funny dice". Though, I've got to say, the funny dice in SAGA are a bit of fun :]