MGT Only: A couple of questions for Referees

[Spinward Scout]

(I'm asking for Mongoose v2, but if someone knows the answer for other versions of Traveller, don't hesitate to post)

1.) How would you handle hitting someone with the butt of a rifle?

2a.) If someone is walking in front of you down a corridor, are they providing you cover?
2b.) How would you handle a bank robber using a hostage as a 'Human' shield?

3.) Would you put a Darts skill under Carouse or Athletics: Dexterity?

I think that's enough for now.

Thanks if you give it a shot answering these.

 

[Grav_Moped]

(I'm asking for Mongoose v2, but if someone knows the answer for other versions of Traveller, don't hesitate to post)

1.) How would you handle hitting someone with the butt of a rifle?

Improvised weapon, or club.

2a.) If someone is walking in front of you down a corridor, are they providing you cover?

Concealment. Cover to the extent that they're armored.

2b.) How would you handle a bank robber using a hostage as a 'Human' shield?

Who am I, what's my role, and what are the local Law and Tech Levels?

3.) Would you put a Darts skill under Carouse or Athletics: Dexterity?

Classic, I'd call it Carouse with Dex mods unless someone has it as a weapon skill. Not sure how it works in MgT.

I think that's enough for now.

Thanks if you give it a shot answering these.

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Referee's judgement:

1.) How would you handle hitting someone with the butt of a rifle?

Club.

2a.) If someone is walking in front of you down a corridor, are they providing you cover?

Yes, but he would be hit instead.

2b.) How would you handle a bank robber using a hostage as a 'Human' shield?

Lots of cover, the hostage would be hit on a miss.

3.) Would you put a Darts skill under Carouse or Athletics: Dexterity?

Athletics, or separate skill. Thrown weapons?
Put a bit of poison on it, and it's a weapon...

 

[McPerth]

1.) How would you handle hitting someone with the butt of a rifle?

As a club, but if the but is not solid (as the one of an UZI, to give an example) it may break

2a.) If someone is walking in front of you down a corridor, are they providing you cover?
2b.) How would you handle a bank robber using a hostage as a 'Human' shield?

(For both cases) I'd apply as cover. Assume a percentage of the target surface covered, and apply the pertinent DM. If missed due to this DM, the covering person is hit instead (depending on the kind of round and damage done, it may go all way through him and hit also the covered person, albeit with reduced damage, not unlike Serious Firepower sidebar in MgT1 rules, page 102)

3.) Would you put a Darts skill under Carouse or Athletics: Dexterity?

Depending on the intent. If the intent is to have a good time, winner notwithstanding, carouse. If a competition, DEX (unless he has some applicable weapon throwing skill)

 

[Spinward Scout]

Who am I, what's my role, and what are the local Law and Tech Levels?

This is the Referee Lounge. You're a Referee and have to decide what a Bank Robber gets as a bonus for using a hostage as a 'Human' shield. Is the Hostage Cover, Concealment, or a type of Dodge, or something else?

 

[Grav_Moped]

This is the Referee Lounge. You're a Referee and have to decide what a Bank Robber gets as a bonus for using a hostage as a 'Human' shield. Is the Hostage Cover, Concealment, or a type of Dodge, or something else?

Oh. Entirely different question than I thought you were asking.

What's the dramatically-optimal outcome I'm trying to create for the situation?

 

[kilemall]

Very IMTU I shall caution….

1) Club with chance to damage the gun. I would think bayonet is a better option.

2) Since I use location hits, I would figure what you were exposed to and what the preceding hallway/hostage is blocking. It say both heads are exposed then a die roll between each one. Pluses for taking more time to aim to hit the right person.

3) Darts would be more of an athletics type roll, with carousing eliminating no skill negative DMs.

 

[mike wightman]

1- depends on the rifle, on a wooden stock I would treat it as a club with brawling skill for improvised weapon. Do not attempt this with a modern polymer stock or you are likely to need a new stock.
2 - someone walking through a crowd or even just walking behind one person is obscured enough to get the concealment DM.
Deliberately holding a hostage would count as cover and so the full-4DM, but you could choose to shoot through the hostage...
3 - Datrs - athletics/dexterity, darts have been known to be weaponised so you could invent a weapons skill for yjrm.

 

[Dragoner]

For MgT2
1) A club.
2a) No, in general such as with most pistol, rifles, and shotguns.
b) Both take equal damage. Maybe mitigated by an aimed shot.
3) "... any other weapons that are thrown will use Athletics (dexterity)."

 

[Condottiere]

For human shielding, penetration matters.

If the other side has gauss weapons, insist your human shield wear body armour.

 

[Baroun Tardis]

(I'm asking for Mongoose v2, but if someone knows the answer for other versions of Traveller, don't hesitate to post)

1.) How would you handle hitting someone with the butt of a rifle?

Isn't this where "Cudgel" comes in ?

2a.) If someone is walking in front of you down a corridor, are they providing you cover?

Possibly, depends on what's happening. If you're trying to use them for cover, I'd reduce your target size. (I'm a T5 Ref) or give an extra point of difficulty in the other guy trying to hit you, and if they got enough for a hit but not enough to hit you, then it hits the bystander

2b.) How would you handle a bank robber using a hostage as a 'Human' shield?

Same as above, but bigger change in target size

3.) Would you put a Darts skill under Carouse or Athletics: Dexterity?

I'd ask the player if they were playing as part of good natured camraderie and fun, or playing to win. If the goal is to have fun and lure the other people into your circle of friendship, Carouse. Playing to win, it's either Dexterity or if they have some kind of thrown weapons skill or ... whatever. Treat it as ranged attacks.

 

[Condottiere]

Darts would be hand eye coordination, so defaults to dexterity.

Practice and muscle memory, I would suppose would be a boon; I'm dubious about athletics.

On the other hand, profession/dart player could be a skill.

 

[frankm]

1) club seems like a pretty good default here

2a) Concealment from basic weapons, but if someone started shooting heavy weaponry, concealment doesn't help much. Misses could hit the target (if missed by 2 or more), but have some chance of just plain missing.

2b) Personally, I'd use a stun weapon or stun/tranq grenade instead of a lethal option. Hitting the hostage doesn't matter too much in this case.

3) I can see either Carouse or Athletics or thrown weapons, all with Dex. This is where intent probably plays a major role. If it's a social game, drinking and chatting, carouse. If it's a competitive game, people cheering, etc, I'd probably go with Athletics or thrown weapon, with the player able to choose either skill. May as well take advantage of a flexible skill system when you can...

 

[Grav_Moped]

) I can see either Carouse or Athletics or thrown weapons, all with Dex. This is where intent probably plays a major role. If it's a social game, drinking and chatting, carouse. If it's a competitive game, people cheering, etc, I'd probably go with Athletics or thrown weapon, with the player able to choose either skill.

I like this. Is the PC/NPC playing to win, or to have fun? In the latter case, not winning might actually be a personal victory condition! (That is, "task success" at Carousing wouldn't necessarily mean winning at darts, but having the most fun possible while playing -- and perhaps also getting desired results from the interaction with the other players.)

 

[Hairy Jim DeGriz]

2a.) If someone is walking in front of you down a corridor, are they providing you cover?

You might consider applying this rule from High Guard 2022, p. 132

Armed combat aboard a ship has two important features that require further description: stacking and missed shots. Stacking is the order in which the boarding party or ship’s crew – or segment thereof – are arranged. Depending on which side an attack comes from, the first or last person in line receives the bulk of the attacks.

After a successful roll to hit, roll 2D. On a 9 or less the first target in the stack is hit. On a 10–12, the round hits another member of the group. Likewise, if a specific target is desired in a group, the attacker must overcome the stacking. Use a variation of the same mechanic: the attacker must roll 10+ on 2D to aim at anyone other than the front target in the stack; otherwise, the front person becomes the target before rolling to hit.

See also Common Modifiers (Aiming, Cover) from Core Rulebook 2022, p. 74



You could also inerpolate a head shot as being a "small" target from the beast size traits, Core Rulebook 2022, p. 89 I generally use -3 if trying to hit the open faceplate area of a vacc suit.