Rules Only: Adding new characteristics.

[mike wightman]

I have come to the conclusion that I have to add two new characteristics.

A characteristic should be something innate to a character, and something that is rolled against or influences saving throws.

So with that, the two new characteristics I find that I am fudging other characteristics and skills to cover are...

perception and determination.

Perception to notice things gets rolled all the time, and determination is a very useful stat for resisting stress, concentrating on a task or just general pigheadedness.

It also allows me to string the characteristics into

physical - Str, Dex, End
mental - Int, Per, Det
social - Edu, Soc

I would like to add another social stat - any suggestions?

 

[Condottiere]

I don't know, what I don't know, but what I should know.

 

[McPerth]

I would like to add another social stat - any suggestions?

Maybe PSR (the forgotten stat)?

BTW, determination existed as a derivated stat in MT, and was quite important for retrials of failed tasks...

 

[whulorigan]

I have come to the conclusion that I have to add two new characteristics.

A characteristic should be something innate to a character, and something that is rolled against or influences saving throws.

So with that, the two new characteristics I find that I am fudging other characteristics and skills to cover are...

perception and determination.

Perception to notice things gets rolled all the time, and determination is a very useful stat for resisting stress, concentrating on a task or just general pigheadedness.

It also allows me to string the characteristics into

physical - Str, Dex, End
mental - Int, Per, Det
social - Edu, Soc

I would like to add another social stat - any suggestions?

What about Charisma (TNE used it).

 

[aramis]

My house ruled MT variant edition adds Charisma, and Charisma goes in the Mental cascade and Interpers cascade.
I've always used Int as the governor for perceptive actions.
Determination I prefer as a derived stat - from End +Edu, definitely a 2300/MT bias on my part - but I can see why one would want it separate.

 

[Condottiere]

Animal magnetism, and silver tongue.

 

[McPerth]

What about Charisma (TNE used it).

Personally, I see Charisma (as used in other games, as D&D) covered by skills (Leader, Liason, Carousing)

 

[mike wightman]

BTW, determination existed as a derivated stat in MT, and was quite important for retrials of failed tasks...

It is also required for the experience rules in CT.

Since adding a stress mechanic I find Det rolls cropping up quite regularly, not to mention when players attempt extended tasks.

 

[mike wightman]

What about Charisma (TNE used it).

Charisma would fit, but I dislike the word

Would Empathy or Communicative fill the same niche I wonder?

physical - Str, Dex, End
mental - Int, Per, Det
social - Edu, Soc, Cha (Emp) (Com)

I know it's a bit daft but which has the best esthetics?

 

[McPerth]

IMHO Empathy, while probably the best word, may be confused with the PSI power of the same name...

 

[whulorigan]

Charisma would fit, but I dislike the word

Would Empathy or Communicative fill the same niche I wonder?

physical - Str, Dex, End
mental - Int, Per, Det
social - Edu, Soc, Cha (Emp) (Com)

I know it's a bit daft but which has the best esthetics?

What about (Personal) Magnetism?

 

[Tobias]

Charisma would fit, but I dislike the word

Would Empathy or Communicative fill the same niche I wonder?

physical - Str, Dex, End
mental - Int, Per, Det
social - Edu, Soc, Cha (Emp) (Com)

I know it's a bit daft but which has the best esthetics?

Empathy sounds best for the objective/descriptive Traveller approach, but is not entirely synonymous with "Charisma".

Sociability would work IMHO, but collides with the abbreviation for Social Status. As an alternative, you could just rename the latter "Status" (Sta) and use Soc for Sociability.

Alternatively alternatively, Appeal (App) or Affability (Aff) might also work.

 

[mike wightman]

IMHO Empathy, while probably the best word, may be confused with the PSI power of the same name...

Good point - so Charisma (Cha) or Communicative (Com)?

 

[mike wightman]

Empathy sounds best for the objective/descriptive Traveller approach, but is not entirely synonymous with "Charisma".

Sociability would work IMHO, but collides with the abbreviation for Social Status. As an alternative, you could just rename the latter "Status" (Sta) and use Soc for Sociability.

Alternatively alternatively, Appeal (App) or Affability (Aff) might also work.

Hmm, so split Social Status (Soc) into sociability (Soc) and status (Sta)

I quite like that.

 

[Grav_Moped]

IMHO Empathy, while probably the best word, may be confused with the PSI power of the same name...

Liaison skill?

 

[aramis]

Charisma would fit, but I dislike the word

Would Empathy or Communicative fill the same niche I wonder?

physical - Str, Dex, End
mental - Int, Per, Det
social - Edu, Soc, Cha (Emp) (Com)

I know it's a bit daft but which has the best esthetics?

linguistically, no.
Empathy is receptive/passive
Charisma is active/impositional
Communicative is a bit of both, but lacks a strong reason to be separated from Int and Per.

 

[mike wightman]

Except you can have highly Intelligent people who are are not good communicators, nor do they demonstrate awareness of other's feelings.

I am weighing up Edu, Com, Soc (Social Status) vs Edu, Soc, Sta (Sociability, Status)

 

[McPerth]

Maybe social aptitude?

Of course, this would neet to refer to Social Standing as SS, no longer being SOC...

 

[Grav_Moped]

Hmm, so split Social Status (Soc) into sociability (Soc) and status (Sta)

I quite like that.

All of this points to an interesting division of social proficiency in the game.

A character's place in the social hierarchy is set as a stat.

That character's interpersonal capability is largely comprised of a set of skills that can be trained/learned.

There are no "natural leaders." Want to be the life of the party? You can learn how to do it!

 

[McPerth]

That character's interpersonal capability is largely comprised of a set of skills that can be trained/learned.

I also understand Traveller this way, as alredy stated above, but that does not preclude Mike to have the right to think otherwise, and if he needs a name, I try to help...

Even so, I also understand some skills use to be tied to SOC in the versions stat and skill count, and some cases it seems me odd... I can believe a Duke (SOC 15) can command better than a poor quarter scum (SOC 4) when using leadership. When using steward, I'm not so sure the same Duke will be better, as his commanding and imposing attitude may be counterproducent.

There are no "natural leaders."

That's not entirely true in MT, as leader can be learned from the Inborn cascade skill, representing development of natural capacities (so, if you receive it 3 times and end up as leader 3, you're a true natural leader)...

Of course, what you say is true in the way of stats vs skills.