CT Only: CT-Plus 2D12 task mechanic

[robject]

Here's a mechanic I've wanted to do for years now, but haven't had the random spare time and wild inclination to chase down and actually WORK on:

2d12 < Characteristic Mod + Skill Mod - Difficulty.

"Characteristic Mod" is the controlling characteristic. An average characteristic of 7 produces a mod of +7.

"Skill Mod" is three times the listed DM from the skill descriptions in CT Book 1. For example, many skills at level 1 produce a mod of +2. Thrice that is a +6. A mod of +3 balloons to a +9. Vacc Suit may get ridiculous at these rates, so some moderation may be called for...

"Difficulty" is based on the scale:
Easy: +5
Average: +0
Difficult: -5

The curve is gentler than 4d6, and has two more entries to boot.

2: 1 0.7%  spectacular success
3: 2 1.4%
4: 3 2.1%
5: 4 2.8%
6: 5 3.5%
7: 6 4.2%
8: 7 4.9%
9: 8 5.6%
10: 9 6.2%
11: 10 6.9%
12: 11 7.6%
13: 12 8.3%
14: 11 7.6%
15: 10 6.9%
16: 9 6.2%
17: 8 5.6%
18: 7 4.9%
19: 6 4.2%
20: 5 3.5%
21: 4 2.8%
22: 3 2.1%
23: 2 1.4%
24: 1 0.7%   fumble

 

[Supplement Four]

I wrote a mechanic for CT a long time ago that I called "CT Plus". I'm sure, if I dug, I could find it around here somewhere--though it may have been lost with the old forum.

IIRC, it went something like this....

(and-a-one-and-a-two...)




1. Throw 1D

2. If total less than or equal to skill, then throw an extra die.

3. If total less than or equal to stat, then throw an extra die.

4. Compare to difficulty number for success.





So, if you have Pilot-2 and DEX-7, and you were trying to manually dock with a derelict spacecraft (Difficulty 10+), then you'd throw 1D.

If your throw was 1 or 2, then throw another die.

If your throw (with the extra die, if it was thrown) is 7-, then throw another die.

Dock complete if total 10+.





WHAT I LIKED ABOUT CT PLUS (My version).

What I liked about this system was that it kept the results low. Skill (or stat) did not add in to make hard-to calculate numbers (at least hard to calculate for me).

Characters benefited from natural aptitude and experience on the low end--the skill and stat checks kept very low rolls from happening. Skill and Experience/Stat and Aptitude meant a character was 100% competent at a certain minimum level.

- Throw 1D. If Skill or less, throw another 1D.

- If total less than Stat, then throw another 1D.





You can throw a minimum of 1D: If you have Stat-5 and Skill-1, then throw 6 on your first 1D throw, you're done.

You can throw a maximum of 3D. If you have Stat-5 and Skill-1 and throw 1 on the first die and then throw 3 on the second die, you get to throw a third die because your total is less than Stat-5. You'll throw 3D total.

Most of the time, you'll throw 2D. Because your initial 1D throw will be higher than your CT skill level, or you'll get a second die because you threw less than skill. But, your total now is higher than stat, leaving you with a total 2D throw.





I never did much with this task system because, as I was developing it, I also got the idea for the UGM (which was more popular of the two).

But, I always kinda liked this system.



EDIT: I FOUND THE LINK TO THIS OLD SYSTEM. I FORGOT THAT YOU RE-ROLL 6's, TOO.

Also, in that thread, I'm calling the system "CTI" for "Classic Traveller Improved". I changed the name to that from "CT Plus" because, when I came to the CotI forum, there was already a system being talked about called CT Plus. So, I changed the name of my task system to avoid confusion.

 

[robject]

Similarly, I never went anywhere with 2d12. I was toying with it for a 2300-like game thought up by Ron Brown... I mean, once the task roll changes, character generation changes, and you've got a different UPP, UWP, and so on.

The "problem" with rolling just two d6s is ameliorated by a spread wide enough to accommodate larger DMs - DMs which can map better to the game's level of abstraction. TL could be a target number. Range can be a DM.

Success. In CT, success was calibrated at about 45%. In CT+12, success is therefore 12- or 14+, depending on the task requirements.

Characteristics and Skills. Using a Mongoose-like DM for characteristics, and a skill range of 0 to 6, the task asset can run from a small negative number to +9 (or perhaps a rules-imposed maximum of +6).

World Importance. On a strategic scale, "Importance" also ranges from a small negative number to around +5 or +6, making it perfect for a direct task DM for performing tasks in a "strategic" wargame.

Tech Levels. T5 shows me that TL makes a perfect base target number. Therefore, it seems to me that the only changes to make are beyond Imperial TLs, as the low TLs look good enough to use as-is. Truncating TLs at 24 doesn't seem to hurt anything; it just compresses. TL [21, 22, 23, 24] map to TL [23, 26, 29, 32], plus or minus.

Ranges. Assuming TL is the base target number for technological attacks, then Range is a DM. The "Typical" ranges have a DM of Zero. "Close range" is +5 to the target number. "Long range" is -5 to the target number. And other values can be interpolated, extrapolated, or just mapped.

Example 1. On the Beowulf (TL 9), Eneri (Dex Mod +2, Gunnery-2) fires a beam laser at a corsair. Task: 2d12 < 9 (TL) + 2 (Dex Mod) + 2 (Gunnery), or 2d12 < 13.

Example 2. On the Beowulf (TL 9), Eneri (Dex Mod +2, Gunnery-2) fires a pulse laser (DM-1) at a corsair at Close Range (DM+5). Task roll is 2d12 < 9 (TL) +2 (Dex Mod) +2 (Skill) -1 (Pulse Laser) +5 (Close Range), or 2d12 < 17.

Example 3. On the Sutnyasnark (TL 22), Eneri (Dex Mod +2, Gunnery-2) fires a pulse disruptor (DM-1) at a corsair at Extreme Range (DM+10). Task roll is 2d12 < 22 (TL) +2 (Dex Mod) +2 (Skill) -1 (pulse disruptor) - 10 (Extreme), or 2d12 < 15.

 

[aramis]

Ken, I think that's the slickest one you've come up with. Unlike UGM, it doesn't flatten stats out.

It almost maintains your oft stated goal of every point of stat mattering (like the UGM, it breaks down for stat 13+ without exception based handling). With 6's open ending, even that isn't a total wash.

It does seem a little attribute heavy, tho...
and you can shortcut by using 2 colors of dice, say, read in order red & white. If governing att is more than 6+skill, you roll 2 dice ALWAYS, and if red is under skill and red and white are under attribute, roll a third. If red is over skill, no third. if the sum is over attribute, no third.

 

[Ulsyus]

S4, forgive me if I'm not getting your intent, but did you want to roll more dice or less?

If a player rolls the first dice and it comes at or under the skill level, they have to roll another dice. This means that the higher the skill level, the more likely they are to have to test again with another dice roll. Doesn't this penalise higher skill levels? Or is it that if they roll over the skill level they've failed?

 

[Supplement Four]

It does seem a little attribute heavy, tho...
and you can shortcut by using 2 colors of dice, say, read in order red & white. If governing att is more than 6+skill, you roll 2 dice ALWAYS, and if red is under skill and red and white are under attribute, roll a third. If red is over skill, no third. if the sum is over attribute, no third.

I suppose if Skill is 6+, then that's an automatic extra die, so you can throw 3D.

I'm not sure if I addressed that. Heck, I wrote the thing back in 2006.

I called the first die the "Skill Die" and the second die the "Task Die", which, of course, you could throw with different colors.

 

[Supplement Four]

S4, forgive me if I'm not getting your intent, but did you want to roll more dice or less?

It's a higher is better system.

But, the way the system is set up, the number of dice doesn't matter as much as the result. For example, if you throw 3D and get 1, 1, 2, your total is 4. If you threw 1D and got a 6, then throwing the 1D is better.

The way the system works, if you throw low, your skill level and stat will help you raise lower throws.

If a player rolls the first dice and it comes at or under the skill level, they have to roll another dice. This means that the higher the skill level, the more likely they are to have to test again with another dice roll. Doesn't this penalise higher skill levels? Or is it that if they roll over the skill level they've failed?

No, you're looking to roll high.

Here's a quote from the old thread that explains the system via examples.

You reference Skill first.

Then, you reference stat.

And, always re-roll 6's.

------------------------------

So...

Skill-2 Stat-4 character.

Throw 1D and get a 5.

That's it. You're done. Your total is 5.

(Lickety-split DAMN fast!).

Your die was higher than your skill, so no re-roll there.

Your total was higher than your stat, so no re-roll there.

You didn't roll a 6, so no re-roll there.

You rolled 1D, and ended up with a five.

Boom. Your task is over.

------------------------------


Skill-3 Stat-10

Roll 1D, get a 2.

Re-roll because of skill, get a 5.

Re-roll because of stat, get a 6.

Re-roll because of the 6, get a 3.

Your total is 16.

Good roll!

------------------------------

One more...

Skill-1 Stat-7

Roll 1D get a 6.

Re-roll 6, and get a 1.

Roll once more because of Stat, get a 3.

Your total is 10.


And, you're done.


FAST, baby, FAST. VROOM, VROOM!

 

[Supplement Four]

So...

You roll 1D.

You re-roll and add if your result is equal to or lower than your Skill (and 6's automatically re-roll).

You also re-roll if your total is equal to or lower than your Stat.

Always re-roll 6's.



There are two threads I wrote about this.

See THREAD ONE HERE.

See THREAD TWO HERE.

 

[Ulsyus]

Okay, got it now, that all makes sense.

Though I've got to say, I like the idea of throwing less dice and the low roll allowing the player to do that. It also gives primacy to the skill involved, and relegated the characteristic to a secondary back-up role. I think you may have come across a great idea...

 

[Supplement Four]

Okay, got it now, that all makes sense.

Though I've got to say, I like the idea of throwing less dice and the low roll allowing the player to do that. It also gives primacy to the skill involved, and relegated the characteristic to a secondary back-up role. I think you may have come across a great idea...

Thanks! Almost a decade ago!

It still allows for really crappy throws, though. You can have Skill-4 and Stat-10, which is a really great CT character. Throw 1 on the skill die, then throw 1 again on the task die, and your total is still 2.

But, it's more likely that a character with high skill and high stat will roll higher because he's rolling more dice, on average.

Also....CTI (or my version of CT Plus "CT+") works best with CT characters. With another Traveller edition, it will not work as well as the skill levels are higher than what you get with CT.