Classic Traveller: The Lost Rules

[Supplement Four]

That seems pretty clear. And before someone jumps in with "Well that wasn't carried over to edition x... " there are other examples of dropped clarifications that lead me to believe that they are simply editing and/or formatting errors and not a deliberate attempt to change the rules. But that may just be me and a few others

There is a small question of it was intentional to change the rules (as the Book 2 and TTB discrepancy you and I found the other day*), or if it was just a paragraph shortened by one sentence for space reasons--or somehow didn't make it over during the cut-n-paste.

It looks to me like the clarifying sentence was just not carried over into second edition.

But...there is some evidence that it was an intended actual rule change between first and second editions.

For example, the skill levels were left in, yet the chart was reformatted. Why do that? Why not just have skill names like the rest of character generation?

Also, look at this wording from TTB (which seems to have been deliberately changed from first edition): At the point when the character achieves the indicated rank or service, he or she gets the indicated skill.

One could read that as meaning the exact, indicated skill. If it's Pilot-1, then it's only "Pilot-1".

Maybe...just maybe...this was an intentional change.

Also note, if you look through the various Traveller chargen pages from various books, you see the wording changed, slightly, a few times, and all of them can be read as meaning the exact skill listed in the chart.

This could very well have been a measure to decrease skills that was implemented when Traveller went into its second edition--a measure not unlike the Experience Limit that was placed into the game later in its second edition versions.



*That discrepancy we found between Book 2 and TTB in the Experience section should probably be reported in this thread.

 

[mike wightman]

There is no intent to limit basic character to fewer skills in revised edition - the trend has always been to increase the number of skills granted by basic character generation.

Revised allows scouts 2 skills per term to get them on par with other chareers.

MT allows all basic characters at least 3 more chances to get a skill per term.

 

[Supplement Four]

There is no intent to limit basic character to fewer skills in revised edition - the trend has always been to increase the number of skills granted by basic character generation.

The Traveller Book includes the Experience Limit. Those are only Basic Careers in that book. I'd say that's a pretty big skill limiting factor.

Revised allows scouts 2 skills per term to get them on par with other chareers.

MT allows all basic characters at least 3 more chances to get a skill per term.

I addressed both of these things in the other thread where you mentioned them first.

 

[mike wightman]

It's getting complicated following both these threads

I love the wording of the skill cap in TTB - "As a general rule of thumb..." - this suggests to me that it is not necessarily a hard and fast rule to appply universlly across the board.

And as I said...

what was I saying again?

 

[DonM]

I've send a draft out for comments to a couple of people...

In the meantime, I've made some discoveries (which I'm sure all of you know about already), but given the nature of them, I wanted to post them here. I've divided the list into errata (well, at least I think they are errata) and "Interesting Changes". I've left out things like whole systems changing, like the metric changes.

ERRATA

LBB81 has incorrect -DMs for the Cutlass and Submachinegun in the tables in the Skills and Benefits section of Characters. TTB has these correct, but the LBB81 Weapons Tables have the right values at the end of the book for required Strength and Dexterity.

TTB messes up the DMs in the referee section of the Ship's Boat skill description. LBB81 has the correct values (DM +2 based on the skill).

TTB corrects an error in LBB81, showing Jamison as having Cr31,200 in starting cash, instead of Cr33,200.

TTB misprints the Terrain DMs table for Combat; it shows Arctic as -4, rather than Arctic +2, City -4.

LBB81 left out the length, weight and price line from the description of the Submachinegun: "Length: 450mm. Weight, unloaded: 2500 grams (loaded magazine: 500 grams). Base price: Cr500 (loaded magazine: Cr20)."

TTB corrected (from LBB81) the damage of the Cutlass (from 2D to 3D) and the Body Pistol (3D to 2D).

LBB77 misprints the modifier for Body Pistol against reflec as 4; should be -4.

TTB shows the Type R Subsidized Merchant as carrying 13 low passengers but having only 9 low berths; Starter Traveller corrects the low passengers to 9.

TTB drops part of the Type M Subsidized Liner description: "Adjacent to the bridge is a computer Model/3. There are thirty staterooms and twenty low berths."

LLB81 leaves out of the Type C Mercenary Cruiser description that the eight turrets are triple turrets, and that eight tons is reserved for fire control.

LBB81 misprints the information for Non-Agricultural worlds in the Trade and Commerce section; it should be "Non-Agricultural: atmos 3-, hydro 3-, popul 6+."

LBB81 changes the Hydrographics formula to 2D-7+atmos, but the World Generation Checklist in LBB81, TTB and Starter Traveller still show LBB77's 2D-7+size.

Starter Traveller indicates the once per day throw for Legal Encounters is Law Level or more; it should be Law Level or less, as TTB.


INTERESTING CHANGES

Morale: The point when a party had to start making morale throws was 25% in LBB77; this changed to 20% in LBB81 and TTB, but Starter Traveller changes BACK to the 25%.

TTB changes the TL of the shotgun to TL4.

LBB81 changes the Advantageous Dexterity DM for rifles from +2 to +1.

Starter Traveller changes the DM for being past the annual maintenance overhaul date from +1 per week to +1 per month.

LBB77 misjumps don't have a chance of destroying a ship.

Missiles could not hit turrets in LBB77, because you applied a DM of -4 when consulting the Hit Locations table for missiles.

LBB77 indicates the quantity for petrochemicals is 6Dx5, but LBB81 shows 1D. {I keep wondering if this is an LBB81 error.}

LBB77 indicates the base price for Mechanical Parts is Cr75,000, but LBB81 changes this to Cr70,000.