CT with Success Levels for Combat and Skills

[ShapeShifter]

I really like the success level mechanic from Eden Studio's Buffy and Angel games and wondered if anyone's tried the mechanic with CT. It seems simple enough but I'm chary of introducing anything potentially game-busting.



roll...............success lvls
8......................0
9-10.................1
11-12...............2
13-14 ...............3
15-16...............4
17+..................5


Ex:

A PC, Dirk Danger, wants to shoot his blaster at a mean, nasty alien.
Dirk has gun cbt-5. He rolls a 6. The total is 11, and therefore the PC gets 2 success levels.
Dirk rolls damage on 4d6 (=14) and adds his 2 success levels to damage (=16).

Was this mentioned at all in any JTAS article or WD article?

 

[far-trader]

I seem to recall S4's work had some success level mechanic to it. Or I'm thinking of someone else. S4 has the links in his sig, I'll see if I can snag them here...

His Rule 68A:

Rule 68A

And his UGM:

UGM

Both CT but I'm vague on the details, not my cuppa, this is neither an endorsement nor a slam. And they may not be what you're after but might provide some ideas at least.

 

[Supplement Four]

Just take a look at MT. They don't call 'em success levels, but that's what they are. (Look at the Penetration and Damage rules).



EDIT: Another thought for you...

With CT, you might be better off applying success levels to damage rather than the attack throw. Here's the reason. Many people criticise CT because some weapons will sometimes have a 100% chance to hit. What these people fail to consider is that, in CT, one cannot look at the attack throw alone. One must also look at damage.

For example, you've got an SMG, and the modifiers make it a 100% chance that you will hit. You can't fail to hit.

Does this mean that you will automatically shoot the target? No.

You've got to look at damage.

If you reduce two stats to zero, then you've shot him. If not, you've only inflicted a minor wound (a bullet graze, at worst, but more likely even less damage).

Let's say you have a 100% chance of hitting a target, then roll damage and don't do enough damage to reduce even one stat to zero? What have you done to the guy? Hardly anything. He'll be completely healed with 3 days of rest or just 30 min with a medic.

At best, you've bruised him.

For this reason, I'd tie your success levels to damage...but, if you think about it, you've already got success levels built into the game. Damage that doesn't take two stats to zero is a MINOR WOUND. Damage that does take stats to zero is a SERIOUS WOUND.

There's your success levels right there. And in one stat at zero for Unconsciousness, and you're rtg.





You may also want to look at the Striker or AHL combat mechanics, where penetration is added to the attack throw. That may be easier to achieve success levels (or figure they're already built into that system, too).

 

[CosmicGamer]

Moving away from combat, the success levels of skill rolls does make sense to some people. In Mongoose Traveller, it is called effect. Some GMs may already do something similar without thinking about it. Just barely succeed at a repair task and maybe the equipment breaks down again. Fail badly enough and not only did you not repair it, you made it worse, now it can not be repaired and must be replaced. That kind of thing.

 

[aramis]

For comparison:
MT Personal/Vehicle combat used stages of TN+0 x0.5, TN+1 x1, TN+2 x2, min 1, TN+4 x4 min 2, TN+8 x8 min 3 for damage. Since a MT damage point is equivalent to a CT damage die...

In non combat, fail by 2+ with nat 2, fail by 2+ fail by 1, made by 0 to 1, made by 2+

 

[Supplement Four]

Moving away from combat, the success levels of skill rolls does make sense to some people.

I'm not saying that they don't. Don't get me wrong...I was just trying to point you into some directions that might help.

The old James Bond rpg uses a fantastic system that hinges on quality ratings. You may have a 115% chance of making the roll, but what you're really looking to do is roll a QR 1 (as opposed to a QR 4).

It seems to have disappeared from the net, but there was a fan-made version of the Bond rpg rules called Double Zero. If you do some searching, you may still be able to find it.

I've used some systems that use quality ratings of throws, and that system, is, by far, the system that's made the best use out of QRs.



EDIT: One of the problems with using QRs with CT, though, is its granularity. The 2d6 system won't work well with several categories. I think three categories is ideal (fail, pass, super-duper pass). But, you can sneak in a few more as Aramis explains with MT.