Catch-22: First time Traveller and Fantasy Grounds

[IamGrays]

I have played many RPG's over the years but never Traveller and my friends and I are keen to start. So far so good, but sadly we are all now dispersed around the UK and Ireland and so our RPG needs have been meet over recent years but using Fantasy Grounds II for both D&D v3.5 and recently Pathfinder both having good FG2 rulesets available for them and so we are able to jump right in. However no such ruleset exists for Traveller NE (at least that I can find). So my generous brother suggested "Why don't you create one?". I have some programming skill (of old) and some time on my hands so I thought why not....

Now to the catch-22 - I have read the rules (well sort of skim read them) and created a character but of course I have never actually played the game and can't until have created the ruleset but I have a whole load of questions (or soon will have) about the rules and how to implement them in the FG2 ruleset but no one to ask. Are there folks out there that will put up with my stupid noob questions on Traveller basics?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[MCEvans]

I personally don't have any programing or the like but, The War Dogs Dinner has used Table Master and has tables made up for that for Traveller. This might help you, that and the fact he is in the UK might speed this up for you.
I think he posts here also but I don't know his user name if he does.

 

[IamGrays]

I personally don't have any programing or the like but, The War Dogs Dinner has used Table Master and has tables made up for that for Traveller. This might help you, that and the fact he is in the UK might speed this up for you.
I think he posts here also but I don't know his user name if he does.

Thanks for this I will check it out.

I don't need any programming help (well I do but I can get that at in the Fantasy Grounds community) what I actually need to Traveller New Era advice.

Here's an example that displays my lack of knowledge...

I'm modifying an existing FG2 ruleset for Classic Traveller (CT) to Traveller New Era (TNE). Now it looks like in the CT ruleset that a character can only be in one service during his career but my reading of the TNE rules leads me to think that you could do different terms in different services if you wanted to and qualified for them (this might not be the best thing to do but you could). If my thinking is correct then I need to make changes to the TNE ruleset to incorporate this.

I hope this makes sense and gives you some idea of the help I need. None of my friends have read the rules yet so I can't ask them.

Thanks again for any help.

 

[epicenter00]

TNE uses a different system than CT/MT, one that traces its lineage through Twilight: 2000.

While certain concepts, such as terms of service and re-enlistment and so on exist in TNE, it's pretty different, right down to the type of die used (d20 instead of 2d6). So you're probably better off just thinking of TNE as a separate game.

As for your question, yes you can career hop in TNE.

 

[aramis]

TNE uses a different system than CT/MT, one that traces its lineage through Twilight: 2000.

While certain concepts, such as terms of service and re-enlistment and so on exist in TNE, it's pretty different, right down to the type of die used (d20 instead of 2d6). So you're probably better off just thinking of TNE as a separate game.

As for your question, yes you can career hop in TNE.

TNE also has a different tech paradigm for n-space space travel...
... and somewhat different assumptions about missiles and lasers, too.

 

[IamGrays]

TNE uses a different system than CT/MT, one that traces its lineage through Twilight: 2000.

While certain concepts, such as terms of service and re-enlistment and so on exist in TNE, it's pretty different, right down to the type of die used (d20 instead of 2d6). So you're probably better off just thinking of TNE as a separate game.

As for your question, yes you can career hop in TNE.

Thanks for this career hopping info it was as I suspected.

Where do you use d20 in TNE? From what I read difficulty checks and attacks are done with 2d6?

I had planned to limit dice rolls to d6, 2d6 and d66.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[IamGrays]

I just realised I have been using the term Traveller New Era when I meant Mongoose Traveller!!!

Sorry all, I thought the Mongoose Traveller was New Era. See, such a noob.

To clarify I am developing the FG2 ruleset for Mongoose Traveller (MT).

 

[aramis]

Thanks for this career hopping info it was as I suspected.

Where do you use d20 in TNE? From what I read difficulty checks and attacks are done with 2d6?

Not in TNE. The d20 is rolled as for aging saves... as if it's a d16-1.
It's rolled as a d20 for all task rolls - vs (Stat+Skill)*(difficulty modifier) or less.
It's rolled for ship hit locations.

d6's are used for damage, but many people, in an effort to have combat actually pose risk to PC's with ST 6+ Con 6+, switch them for d10's.
d6's are used for stat generation and character generation rolls.

CT doesn't have a singular task mechanic; MT and MGT use 2d6 task systems (that don't mach), 2300 uses a 1d10 task system otherwise identical to MT's. T4 and T5 use Xd6 vs Stat+Skill or less.

 

[IamGrays]

Not in TNE. The d20 is rolled as for aging saves... as if it's a d16-1.
It's rolled as a d20 for all task rolls - vs (Stat+Skill)*(difficulty modifier) or less.
It's rolled for ship hit locations.

d6's are used for damage, but many people, in an effort to have combat actually pose risk to PC's with ST 6+ Con 6+, switch them for d10's.
d6's are used for stat generation and character generation rolls.

CT doesn't have a singular task mechanic; MT and MGT use 2d6 task systems (that don't mach), 2300 uses a 1d10 task system otherwise identical to MT's. T4 and T5 use Xd6 vs Stat+Skill or less.

Wow not complicated at all!

Sorry to confuse the whole piece it is Mongoose Traveller I am trying to do not Traveller New Era or Mega Traveller. Mongoose Traveller is all d6 based, correct and you can career hop?

 

[nDervish]

Mongoose Traveller is all d6 based, correct and you can career hop?

Correct on both counts.

 

[IamGrays]

Correct on both counts.

Wahoo!!! Finally getting somewhere

 

[McPerth]

To clarify I am developing the FG2 ruleset for Mongoose Traveller (MT).

Just a note here. Mongoose traveller is usually refered as MGT. MT is usualy used to mean MegaTraveller.

I had planned to limit dice rolls to d6, 2d6 and d66.

Thanks again for the help.

I'm afraid in MGT you'll need to allow more d6 (3d6, 4d6, etc., and even Xd6+Y), at least for damage rolls (both personal and space combat).

EDIT: Maybe you could ask a moderator to move this thread to MGT forum (if that may be done), once you realized it's about it you are talking...

 

[aramis]

Wow not complicated at all!

Sorry to confuse the whole piece it is Mongoose Traveller I am trying to do not Traveller New Era or Mega Traveller. Mongoose Traveller is all d6 based, correct and you can career hop?

Actually, if one isn't looking for a Traveller feel, TTNE is pretty damned good.

You pre-calculate your 5 difficulty levels on your sheet, since skills are permalinked to one attribute.
Simple: (Stat+Skill)x4
Routine: (Stat+Skill)x2
Difficult: (Stat+Skill)x1
Formidible: (Stat+Skill)/2
Impossible: (Stat+Skill)/4

Aging saves in TNE are roll 1d20 for hight than attribute to avoid loss, rerolling on 16, 17, 18, or 19. (Or, break out a d16 if you have one.)

The hit location tables all use 1d20.

TNE is a great system - but it was a nasty setting change, and not compatible with other editions.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-​

Mongoose, you'll just need your 2d6 for tasks, and up to about 8d6 for damages.

 

[IamGrays]

Just a note here. Mongoose traveller is usually refered as MGT. MT is usualy used to mean MegaTraveller.

I'm afraid in MGT you'll need to allow more d6 (3d6, 4d6, etc., and even Xd6+Y), at least for damage rolls (both personal and space combat).

EDIT: Maybe you could ask a moderator to move this thread to MGT forum (if that may be done), once you realized it's about it you are talking...

Thanks for this. In FG2 once you have a die type (d6) you can select multiple numbers of it so that's ok.

I think I might just start this post again on the MGT forum and avoid all the confusion.

 

[LeperColony]

Actually, if one isn't looking for a Traveller feel, TTNE is pretty damned good.

You pre-calculate your 5 difficulty levels on your sheet, since skills are permalinked to one attribute.
Simple: (Stat+Skill)x4
Routine: (Stat+Skill)x2
Difficult: (Stat+Skill)x1
Formidible: (Stat+Skill)/2
Impossible: (Stat+Skill)/4

Aging saves in TNE are roll 1d20 for hight than attribute to avoid loss, rerolling on 16, 17, 18, or 19. (Or, break out a d16 if you have one.)

The hit location tables all use 1d20.

TNE is a great system - but it was a nasty setting change, and not compatible with other editions.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-​

Mongoose, you'll just need your 2d6 for tasks, and up to about 8d6 for damages.

I actually think the TNE system has major problems. My home campaign is TNE setting, but JumbleTrav system.

TNE is really, really wonky. For one thing, combat is bizarre. Lasers are not very effective (even TL 2 armor can preven 100% of the damage from any small arms laser), higher TL ammo types are usually the same or worse than lower TL, and characters can take an insane amount of damage.

TNE skill checks are also very odd. "Average" is 2x skill+attribute. When we played TNE, we generally only bothered rolling for Hard (x1) and worse. To the best of my knowledge, there's also no skill that actually governs piloting a spaceship. We ended up using Pilot (Gravitics), even though TNE uses HEPLAR.

Character creation is actually my favorite part of the TNE system, because the basic book has a large number of careers (though subsequent books didn't add any, sadly, except for a few in the Regency, and rules for aliens are pretty sparse) and the careers give you more skills per term, and you actually get to make choices rather than roll off charts.

 

[aramis]

LeperColony - you might want to look at Survival Margin - several cases of "missing" skills aren't missing - they're rolled into inobvious others that the conversion notes make clear.

 

[aramis]

Thanks for this I will check it out.

I don't need any programming help (well I do but I can get that at in the Fantasy Grounds community) what I actually need to Traveller New Era advice.

Here's an example that displays my lack of knowledge...

I'm modifying an existing FG2 ruleset for Classic Traveller (CT) to Traveller New Era (TNE). Now it looks like in the CT ruleset that a character can only be in one service during his career but my reading of the TNE rules leads me to think that you could do different terms in different services if you wanted to and qualified for them (this might not be the best thing to do but you could). If my thinking is correct then I need to make changes to the TNE ruleset to incorporate this.

I hope this makes sense and gives you some idea of the help I need. None of my friends have read the rules yet so I can't ask them.

Thanks again for any help.

Reanswering this in light of the revelation that it was MgT that you're using, not TNE.

Yes, you CAN career hop in MgT. (And in TNE, T4, and T5.)
If you want to code them in, there are 7 levels of difficulty in MGT:
Simple +6
Easy +4
Routine +2
Average +0
Difficult –2
Very Difficult –4
Formidable –6

tasks are always 2d6+(Stat Modifier)+(Skill Level)+(Difficulty Level Modifier)+(Situational Modifier)+(Time Adjustment) for 8+

The Situational modifier is the GM's call. The Time Adjustment is the player's call.

So you want to set up the task interface for one stat, one skill, and one difficulty, plus a single additional numeric modifier, or you may just want Stat+skill+modifier.