CTI - Classic Traveller Improved

[Supplement Four]

(Everything you need to know about CTI is in this one post.)


Like all of you here, CT is my favorite as well. It's the best RPG I've ever played.

The one thing the old girl lacks, though, is a task system. A character's stats, in CT, aren't used that much.

This is a task system I devised specifically for Classic Traveller. If you've been on the TML lately, you've seen this (and a lot of other stuff about it--this is just the core mechanic).

It's simple, and meshes extremely well with CT, plug-n-play. You might want to give it a test drive in your games.


TASK THROW

Throw 2D.

(Use different colored dice, or different sized dice, or even one six-sider with regular numbers and one with dots, designating one of the die as the Skill Die and the other as the Task Die).


Three Influences on the Task Throw:

1) Influence of character expertise: If the Skill Die results in a "6", or a number that is equal to or less than the level of the skill used for the task, then count the Skill Die result towards the Task Throw total. Otherwise, ignore it, and count the Task Die alone.

One more thing: Skill-6 improves the governing attribute used on the Task Throw by +1; Skill-7 by +2; Skill-8 by +3, etc.


2) Influence of pure luck and circumstance: Always re-roll "6's" that appear on the Task Die--which will increase the Task Throw total.


3) Influence of character natural ability: If the Task Throw total is less than or equal to the characteristic governing the task, then throw the Task Die one extra time (remembering to always re-roll "6's".


DIFFICULTY

Very Easy 4+

Easy 6+

Routine 8+

Difficult 10+

Formidable 12+

Staggering 14+

Impossible 16+


And, that's it. I'll give you a couple of examples of the task system in use in a followup to this post.

==============
EDIT
==============

Later in this thread, you will see that I have changed the names of the difficulty categories. The mechanics of CTI stays the same. I've only changed the names to these--

DIFFICULTY

Easy 4+

Routine 6+

Difficult 8+

Challenging 10+

Formidable 12+

Staggering 14+

Impossible 16+

 

[Supplement Four]

(Everything you need to know about CTI is in this one post.)


Like all of you here, CT is my favorite as well. It's the best RPG I've ever played.

The one thing the old girl lacks, though, is a task system. A character's stats, in CT, aren't used that much.

This is a task system I devised specifically for Classic Traveller. If you've been on the TML lately, you've seen this (and a lot of other stuff about it--this is just the core mechanic).

It's simple, and meshes extremely well with CT, plug-n-play. You might want to give it a test drive in your games.


TASK THROW

Throw 2D.

(Use different colored dice, or different sized dice, or even one six-sider with regular numbers and one with dots, designating one of the die as the Skill Die and the other as the Task Die).


Three Influences on the Task Throw:

1) Influence of character expertise: If the Skill Die results in a "6", or a number that is equal to or less than the level of the skill used for the task, then count the Skill Die result towards the Task Throw total. Otherwise, ignore it, and count the Task Die alone.

One more thing: Skill-6 improves the governing attribute used on the Task Throw by +1; Skill-7 by +2; Skill-8 by +3, etc.


2) Influence of pure luck and circumstance: Always re-roll "6's" that appear on the Task Die--which will increase the Task Throw total.


3) Influence of character natural ability: If the Task Throw total is less than or equal to the characteristic governing the task, then throw the Task Die one extra time (remembering to always re-roll "6's".


DIFFICULTY

Very Easy 4+

Easy 6+

Routine 8+

Difficult 10+

Formidable 12+

Staggering 14+

Impossible 16+


And, that's it. I'll give you a couple of examples of the task system in use in a followup to this post.

==============
EDIT
==============

Later in this thread, you will see that I have changed the names of the difficulty categories. The mechanics of CTI stays the same. I've only changed the names to these--

DIFFICULTY

Easy 4+

Routine 6+

Difficult 8+

Challenging 10+

Formidable 12+

Staggering 14+

Impossible 16+

 

[Supplement Four]

(an example of a CTI task)


Here's a couple of examples showing CTI being used.

Here's the format I'll use in the examples:

SD, TD X, X, X = T

"SD" is the result rolled on the Skill Die. "TD" is the same for the Task Die. "X" represents any re-rolls of the Task Die. And "= T" will show you the total of the Task Throw.


Example 1: Johni the Scout attempts to unjam his accelerator rifle during a firefight in zero G. Johni has Zero-G Weapons-2 and EDU-7. This is a Easy task.

2, 6 4 = 12

Johni threw a "2" on his Skill Die, and we keep that, because it's less than or equal to his Skill level. On the Task Die, we threw a "6", so we get to re-roll it. Our total is 12, and we easily made the 6+ Easy task. Johni un-jammed his weapon.

 

[Supplement Four]

(an example of a CTI task)


Here's a couple of examples showing CTI being used.

Here's the format I'll use in the examples:

SD, TD X, X, X = T

"SD" is the result rolled on the Skill Die. "TD" is the same for the Task Die. "X" represents any re-rolls of the Task Die. And "= T" will show you the total of the Task Throw.


Example 1: Johni the Scout attempts to unjam his accelerator rifle during a firefight in zero G. Johni has Zero-G Weapons-2 and EDU-7. This is a Easy task.

2, 6 4 = 12

Johni threw a "2" on his Skill Die, and we keep that, because it's less than or equal to his Skill level. On the Task Die, we threw a "6", so we get to re-roll it. Our total is 12, and we easily made the 6+ Easy task. Johni un-jammed his weapon.

 

[Supplement Four]

(more CTI examples)


Example 2: Prenn is a riot guard on Roup, and he's attempting to fire a cannister of tear gas into a crowd of starving refugees. DEX-8. Grenade Launcher-1. This an Easy task.

6, 2 1 = 9

We threw a "6" on our Skill Die, so we get to keep it. The Task Die is a "2", but our total, at this point, is only 8, so we get to throw the Task Die once more. Our grand total is a 9, and we make the 6+ Easy task.


Example 3: Jitt is a prisoner on Roup, having been dunked in the slammer for stealing food. Now, he's trying to trade a half-eaten troma berry for a pack of smokes. Trader-1. INT-6. The old codger he's talking to is stubborn about giving up his smokes, so this task is Staggering.

1, 6 5 = 12

The "1" on the Skill Die let's us keep that in the throw. The "6" on the Task Die let's us re-roll it. Our total is 12, which isn't enough to convince the old dude to give up his smokes--we needed a 14+ to succeed on a Staggering task.


Example 4: Stev Moag is a corpsman on an Imperial naval vessel in orbit around Roup. One of the crew has gotten sick on something (troma berries), and Stev is trying to diagnose the patient. EDU-A. Medical-3. This is a Difficult task.

5, 3 3 = 6

Since we threw a "5" on our Skill Die, we can't use it. Our total is 3, but we can re-roll the Task Die once because our total is below the task's governing attribute. Since we threw a total of 6, Stev has mis-diagnosed (or not diagnosed) the crewman's ailment.


Example 5: Aeghez is a Vargr operating with the Kforuzeng Corsair band. Right now, he's trying to force his way into sickbay aboard Stev Moag's Imperial Naval vessel (just after the big fight and clash of boarding parities), but the hatch is stuck. Maybe Stev has somehow barred the hatch. Aeghez doesn't have a skill to use on this task (he's considered as having some Zero-Level default skill), but Aeghez does have STR-6. This is a Routine task.

1, 6 1 = 7

Since this task uses a Level-0 skill, the only way the Skill Die will be useful is if a "6" is thrown. Now, we did roll a "6" on the Task Die, so we roll that one again. But, our total is 7, so we are not allowed an extra throw on the Task Die (since our total is more than the governing characteristic). The 7 on the task roll is not quite good enough to beat the 8+ required for a Routine task.

 

[Supplement Four]

(more CTI examples)


Example 2: Prenn is a riot guard on Roup, and he's attempting to fire a cannister of tear gas into a crowd of starving refugees. DEX-8. Grenade Launcher-1. This an Easy task.

6, 2 1 = 9

We threw a "6" on our Skill Die, so we get to keep it. The Task Die is a "2", but our total, at this point, is only 8, so we get to throw the Task Die once more. Our grand total is a 9, and we make the 6+ Easy task.


Example 3: Jitt is a prisoner on Roup, having been dunked in the slammer for stealing food. Now, he's trying to trade a half-eaten troma berry for a pack of smokes. Trader-1. INT-6. The old codger he's talking to is stubborn about giving up his smokes, so this task is Staggering.

1, 6 5 = 12

The "1" on the Skill Die let's us keep that in the throw. The "6" on the Task Die let's us re-roll it. Our total is 12, which isn't enough to convince the old dude to give up his smokes--we needed a 14+ to succeed on a Staggering task.


Example 4: Stev Moag is a corpsman on an Imperial naval vessel in orbit around Roup. One of the crew has gotten sick on something (troma berries), and Stev is trying to diagnose the patient. EDU-A. Medical-3. This is a Difficult task.

5, 3 3 = 6

Since we threw a "5" on our Skill Die, we can't use it. Our total is 3, but we can re-roll the Task Die once because our total is below the task's governing attribute. Since we threw a total of 6, Stev has mis-diagnosed (or not diagnosed) the crewman's ailment.


Example 5: Aeghez is a Vargr operating with the Kforuzeng Corsair band. Right now, he's trying to force his way into sickbay aboard Stev Moag's Imperial Naval vessel (just after the big fight and clash of boarding parities), but the hatch is stuck. Maybe Stev has somehow barred the hatch. Aeghez doesn't have a skill to use on this task (he's considered as having some Zero-Level default skill), but Aeghez does have STR-6. This is a Routine task.

1, 6 1 = 7

Since this task uses a Level-0 skill, the only way the Skill Die will be useful is if a "6" is thrown. Now, we did roll a "6" on the Task Die, so we roll that one again. But, our total is 7, so we are not allowed an extra throw on the Task Die (since our total is more than the governing characteristic). The 7 on the task roll is not quite good enough to beat the 8+ required for a Routine task.

 

[Supplement Four]

(even more CTI examples)


Example 6: Shenn is a belter piloting a shuttle out in the Patinir system. She's attempting a tricky maneuver in-between two asteriods that are just about to collide (Star Wars style). Since this is more real-world Traveller rather than Star Wars, Shenn is attempting an Impossible task (16+). But, Shenn is also a damn good shutle pilot with Ship's Boat-6 and DEX-6.

Since Shenn's Ship's Boat skill is so high, Shenn is afforded a +1 modifier to her DEX for purposes of this task roll, making her effectively DEX-7.

3, 6 5 = 14

With Shenn's Ship's Boat skill so high, ANYTHING thrown on the Skill Die will be counted. And, we got lucky on the Task Die, allow us to throw it again. Still, though, we came up short of throwing an Impossible throw (those damn things are hard!) I'm afraid Shenn is no Han Solo.


Example 7: Noq is Shenn's boyfriend (now ex-boyfriend), and he's a bit of a slippery character. He's not family. They weren't married, but he's still trying to cash-in on Shenn's belter insurance, and he's trying to fool the insurance company that he's entitled to of Shenn's left over action. This is a Difficult task. Noq has Legal-3 and EDU-8.

5, 4 3 = 7

Noq's expertise in legal matter did him no good--is roll of "5" on the Skill Die we can't use. But, the roll of "4" on the Task Die is below his EDU-8, so we can roll that die one more time. Our grand total is 7--which leaves Noq without a milicredit of Shenn's insurance money. He didn't beat the 10+ Difficult task.


Example 8: Scavenger of the Patinir wastes, Pre-mem-DARR is not well educated. But, he's found Shenn's wreckage, and he's trying to salvage something useful from it for sale in the populated parts of the system. Salvaging something from Shenn's decimated shuttle is a Formidable task. Pre-mem-DARR is EDU-3, but has Mechanical-2. Good luck, Pre-mem-DARR. You're going to need it.

2, 6 4 = 12

Oh! He did it! I really rolled these dice, folks! The "2" on the Skill Die is counted because it's equal to his Mechanical skill. Pre-mem-DARR got luck on his Task Die by rolling the "6", because that extra roll afforded by always re-rolling "6's" resulted in a "4"...which totals to exactly what Pre-mem-DARR needed to salvage something from Shenn's ship. We've got one happy scavenger making his way, right now, to one of Patinir's populated Trojan points, shiny new piece of junk to sell in hand.


Example 9: Old Pete is a grouchy ex-merchantman who lost his legs during the Fifth Frontier War. Today, he can't walk, but he occupies a permanent seat at the Stellar bar in one of the stations of Patinir's Trojan points. Right now, he's trying to evaluate a piece of junk Pre-mem-DARR has brought him. This is a Difficult task. Pete has EDU-8 and Trader-1.

2, 1 2 = 3

Well, Old Pete did a piss poor job of realizing just what it was Pre-mam-DARR has just brought him. His "2" on the Skill Die is useless because Pete only has Trader-1. The "1" on the Task Die can be re-rolled because of Old Pete's EDU-8, but when it is, it's only a "2", giving Old Pete a total of 3. He hasn't got a clue about the worth of Pre-mem-DARR's junk.


Example 10: A noble happened to be walking buy just when Old Pete was rejecting Pre-mem-DARR's piece of junk, and he recognized the junk as a piece of Darrian technology--something he'd like to get his hands on for his R&D people to look at. So, he stops Pre-mem-DARR and attempts to purchase the Darrian piece, but Pre-mem-DARR huff's up, shakes his head, and says, "No! Mine!" Like any noble would do, this noble resorts to bribery, flashing his credits in front of Pre-mem-DARR's nose. Still, it's a Difficult task. The noble will use his SOC-B and Bribery-2 skill on this task.

2, 3 4 = 9

Pre-mem-DARR thinks hard, but then resists. The Skill Die is good, and we get to re-roll the Task Die, but the total of 9 is just not going to hack it--we needed a 10+ for the bribery task to suceed.

That's OK, though. Pre-mem-DARR is happy with his piece of junk. He takes it home and places it next to the runny round coin and solid black energy thing he took out of that wierd pyramid structure he found deep within the Patinir system.

 

[Supplement Four]

(even more CTI examples)


Example 6: Shenn is a belter piloting a shuttle out in the Patinir system. She's attempting a tricky maneuver in-between two asteriods that are just about to collide (Star Wars style). Since this is more real-world Traveller rather than Star Wars, Shenn is attempting an Impossible task (16+). But, Shenn is also a damn good shutle pilot with Ship's Boat-6 and DEX-6.

Since Shenn's Ship's Boat skill is so high, Shenn is afforded a +1 modifier to her DEX for purposes of this task roll, making her effectively DEX-7.

3, 6 5 = 14

With Shenn's Ship's Boat skill so high, ANYTHING thrown on the Skill Die will be counted. And, we got lucky on the Task Die, allow us to throw it again. Still, though, we came up short of throwing an Impossible throw (those damn things are hard!) I'm afraid Shenn is no Han Solo.


Example 7: Noq is Shenn's boyfriend (now ex-boyfriend), and he's a bit of a slippery character. He's not family. They weren't married, but he's still trying to cash-in on Shenn's belter insurance, and he's trying to fool the insurance company that he's entitled to of Shenn's left over action. This is a Difficult task. Noq has Legal-3 and EDU-8.

5, 4 3 = 7

Noq's expertise in legal matter did him no good--is roll of "5" on the Skill Die we can't use. But, the roll of "4" on the Task Die is below his EDU-8, so we can roll that die one more time. Our grand total is 7--which leaves Noq without a milicredit of Shenn's insurance money. He didn't beat the 10+ Difficult task.


Example 8: Scavenger of the Patinir wastes, Pre-mem-DARR is not well educated. But, he's found Shenn's wreckage, and he's trying to salvage something useful from it for sale in the populated parts of the system. Salvaging something from Shenn's decimated shuttle is a Formidable task. Pre-mem-DARR is EDU-3, but has Mechanical-2. Good luck, Pre-mem-DARR. You're going to need it.

2, 6 4 = 12

Oh! He did it! I really rolled these dice, folks! The "2" on the Skill Die is counted because it's equal to his Mechanical skill. Pre-mem-DARR got luck on his Task Die by rolling the "6", because that extra roll afforded by always re-rolling "6's" resulted in a "4"...which totals to exactly what Pre-mem-DARR needed to salvage something from Shenn's ship. We've got one happy scavenger making his way, right now, to one of Patinir's populated Trojan points, shiny new piece of junk to sell in hand.


Example 9: Old Pete is a grouchy ex-merchantman who lost his legs during the Fifth Frontier War. Today, he can't walk, but he occupies a permanent seat at the Stellar bar in one of the stations of Patinir's Trojan points. Right now, he's trying to evaluate a piece of junk Pre-mem-DARR has brought him. This is a Difficult task. Pete has EDU-8 and Trader-1.

2, 1 2 = 3

Well, Old Pete did a piss poor job of realizing just what it was Pre-mam-DARR has just brought him. His "2" on the Skill Die is useless because Pete only has Trader-1. The "1" on the Task Die can be re-rolled because of Old Pete's EDU-8, but when it is, it's only a "2", giving Old Pete a total of 3. He hasn't got a clue about the worth of Pre-mem-DARR's junk.


Example 10: A noble happened to be walking buy just when Old Pete was rejecting Pre-mem-DARR's piece of junk, and he recognized the junk as a piece of Darrian technology--something he'd like to get his hands on for his R&D people to look at. So, he stops Pre-mem-DARR and attempts to purchase the Darrian piece, but Pre-mem-DARR huff's up, shakes his head, and says, "No! Mine!" Like any noble would do, this noble resorts to bribery, flashing his credits in front of Pre-mem-DARR's nose. Still, it's a Difficult task. The noble will use his SOC-B and Bribery-2 skill on this task.

2, 3 4 = 9

Pre-mem-DARR thinks hard, but then resists. The Skill Die is good, and we get to re-roll the Task Die, but the total of 9 is just not going to hack it--we needed a 10+ for the bribery task to suceed.

That's OK, though. Pre-mem-DARR is happy with his piece of junk. He takes it home and places it next to the runny round coin and solid black energy thing he took out of that wierd pyramid structure he found deep within the Patinir system.

 

[Supplement Four]

(expanding CTI for use with Classic Traveller combat)


Old School: Armor will protect you from damage, therefore you are harder to hit (keeping you from being damaged).

Modern School: Armor really has no bearing on whether you're hit or not. It might even be easier to hit an armor-encumbered target. But, if you are hit, armor will protect you from some of the damage.


Classic Traveller was written under the Old School of thought above. It's like D&D. If you've got plate mail on, you're harder to hit. In developing CTI (Classic Traveller Improved), I wanted to shift more towards the Modern School of thought--in that armor will protect you if you are hit but really doesn't influence the enemy's to-hit attack roll.

If you're a CT GM, and you've been following these CTI posts, you may be interested in just using CTI when you need a task system during your game session, leaving all other rules, even the combat rules, as they are written.

But, this post is for those others of you who want to use CTI to your Classic Traveller game from the Old School frame of reference into the Modern School.


What is the CT combat mechanic? It's a 2D throw, plus modifiers, for 8+.

Or, in other words, it's a Routine CTI Task Throw with combat modifiers.

Notice that I did not include the Armor modifier from CT. In order to shift CT from the Old School of thought to the Modern School of thought, the Armor modifier from CT is used to modify the DAMAGE roll instead of the attack roll.

So, in CTI terms....


ATTACK ROLL: Routine CTI Task Throw + Range Modifier + Ability Adjustment

DAMAGE ROLL: Weapon Damage + Armor Adjustment


And, that's it. That's all you have to do to start using the CTI (Classic Traveller Improved) system during your combat rounds--and you'll no longer follow the Old School method of allowing armor to make your targets harder to hit.

 

[Supplement Four]

(expanding CTI for use with Classic Traveller combat)


Old School: Armor will protect you from damage, therefore you are harder to hit (keeping you from being damaged).

Modern School: Armor really has no bearing on whether you're hit or not. It might even be easier to hit an armor-encumbered target. But, if you are hit, armor will protect you from some of the damage.


Classic Traveller was written under the Old School of thought above. It's like D&D. If you've got plate mail on, you're harder to hit. In developing CTI (Classic Traveller Improved), I wanted to shift more towards the Modern School of thought--in that armor will protect you if you are hit but really doesn't influence the enemy's to-hit attack roll.

If you're a CT GM, and you've been following these CTI posts, you may be interested in just using CTI when you need a task system during your game session, leaving all other rules, even the combat rules, as they are written.

But, this post is for those others of you who want to use CTI to your Classic Traveller game from the Old School frame of reference into the Modern School.


What is the CT combat mechanic? It's a 2D throw, plus modifiers, for 8+.

Or, in other words, it's a Routine CTI Task Throw with combat modifiers.

Notice that I did not include the Armor modifier from CT. In order to shift CT from the Old School of thought to the Modern School of thought, the Armor modifier from CT is used to modify the DAMAGE roll instead of the attack roll.

So, in CTI terms....


ATTACK ROLL: Routine CTI Task Throw + Range Modifier + Ability Adjustment

DAMAGE ROLL: Weapon Damage + Armor Adjustment


And, that's it. That's all you have to do to start using the CTI (Classic Traveller Improved) system during your combat rounds--and you'll no longer follow the Old School method of allowing armor to make your targets harder to hit.

 

[Supplement Four]

(a CTI combat example)


So, here's a quickie combat example--


COMBAT EXAMPLE (using optional CTI task)
Gheaghzs is a Kforuz mercenary operating on Aramanx. He's a scout, carrying a Vargr laser carbine, and right now, he's got an enemy in his sights. The target is at 50 meters (Medium Range). Gheaghzs is DEX-B, reduced to DEX-A because he's encumbered by the weight of his weapon's backpack-powerpack, and he's a beginner with a laser carbine with his skill of Laser Weapons-0.

TL 8 Vargr Laser Carbine

DEX 10+ provides a +2DM
DEX 5- requires a -3DM

Close Range: -2DM
Short Range: +1DM
Medium Range: +1DM
Long Range: +1DM (+5DM with electronic sight)
V. Long Range: +0DM (+4DM with electronic sight)

Damage 5D

vs Nothing +2DM
vs Jack +2DM
vs Mesh +1DM
vs Cloth +1DM
vs Reflect -8DM
vs Ablat -7DM
vs Cmbt Armor -6DM


ATTACK ROLL:
1, 4 6, 6, 6, 3 = 25 (+3 for combat modifiers = 28)

Wow! I'd say he HIT! Geez! Yep, I really just rolled that for real--got a little run of "6's" going there. OK, so why a total of 28? I rolled a "1" on the Skill Die, but that's no help with Gheaghzs' zero-level skill. Only a "6" on the Skill Die would be counted. With the Task Die being a 4, we can still re-roll one time because our total of 4 is lower than our governor attribute of 10 (DEX-A). So, we re-roll it one time and get a "6". And, we always, always re-roll 6's...and lucky me, I rolled two more of 'em. Then the "3", for a total of 25. But, Gheaghzs has +3 for combat mods (+2DM for range and +1DM for advantageous attribute), giving us a grand total of 28! It's a hit!

Now, we'll roll damage. Gheaghzs' target is a poor old human lady running from her burning farm house (dirty, stinking, Vargr mercenaries!). She's wearing no armor.

DAMAGE ROLL:
5D +2

The Laser Carbine has a damage rating of 5D, and that damage is modified with a +2DM due to the laser carbine's effectiveness vs no armor at all.

I roll my 5D and get 1, 1, 2, 2, 5, for a total of 11 points of damage, which is increased to 13 points of damage due to the armor adjustment. This damage will be applied to the old lady using the usual CT method.

Classic Trav has that beautiful method of applying whole die's of damage on a character's stats, and CTI DOES NOT mess with that beautiful method by adding in the damage. The "+2" damage showin in this example will be treated like an extra die of of damage that resulted in a roll of "2". So, the damage rolled in this example is: 1, 1, 2, 2, 5, 2.

Apply damage normally.

You will run into situations where armor will do its job and reduce damage. Say the old lady in the example above, for instance, was wearing Reflec under her nightgown. That would provide a -8 damage modifier, according to CT.

When this happens, treat the negative number as an extra stat (from which to take damage from), and apply damage normally.

So, if the Old Lady's physical stats were STR-5 DEX-6 END-4, she'd have one more stat at STAT-8 from which to take damage. Once you consider this, just apply damage normally.

 

[Supplement Four]

(a CTI combat example)


So, here's a quickie combat example--


COMBAT EXAMPLE (using optional CTI task)
Gheaghzs is a Kforuz mercenary operating on Aramanx. He's a scout, carrying a Vargr laser carbine, and right now, he's got an enemy in his sights. The target is at 50 meters (Medium Range). Gheaghzs is DEX-B, reduced to DEX-A because he's encumbered by the weight of his weapon's backpack-powerpack, and he's a beginner with a laser carbine with his skill of Laser Weapons-0.

TL 8 Vargr Laser Carbine

DEX 10+ provides a +2DM
DEX 5- requires a -3DM

Close Range: -2DM
Short Range: +1DM
Medium Range: +1DM
Long Range: +1DM (+5DM with electronic sight)
V. Long Range: +0DM (+4DM with electronic sight)

Damage 5D

vs Nothing +2DM
vs Jack +2DM
vs Mesh +1DM
vs Cloth +1DM
vs Reflect -8DM
vs Ablat -7DM
vs Cmbt Armor -6DM


ATTACK ROLL:
1, 4 6, 6, 6, 3 = 25 (+3 for combat modifiers = 28)

Wow! I'd say he HIT! Geez! Yep, I really just rolled that for real--got a little run of "6's" going there. OK, so why a total of 28? I rolled a "1" on the Skill Die, but that's no help with Gheaghzs' zero-level skill. Only a "6" on the Skill Die would be counted. With the Task Die being a 4, we can still re-roll one time because our total of 4 is lower than our governor attribute of 10 (DEX-A). So, we re-roll it one time and get a "6". And, we always, always re-roll 6's...and lucky me, I rolled two more of 'em. Then the "3", for a total of 25. But, Gheaghzs has +3 for combat mods (+2DM for range and +1DM for advantageous attribute), giving us a grand total of 28! It's a hit!

Now, we'll roll damage. Gheaghzs' target is a poor old human lady running from her burning farm house (dirty, stinking, Vargr mercenaries!). She's wearing no armor.

DAMAGE ROLL:
5D +2

The Laser Carbine has a damage rating of 5D, and that damage is modified with a +2DM due to the laser carbine's effectiveness vs no armor at all.

I roll my 5D and get 1, 1, 2, 2, 5, for a total of 11 points of damage, which is increased to 13 points of damage due to the armor adjustment. This damage will be applied to the old lady using the usual CT method.

Classic Trav has that beautiful method of applying whole die's of damage on a character's stats, and CTI DOES NOT mess with that beautiful method by adding in the damage. The "+2" damage showin in this example will be treated like an extra die of of damage that resulted in a roll of "2". So, the damage rolled in this example is: 1, 1, 2, 2, 5, 2.

Apply damage normally.

You will run into situations where armor will do its job and reduce damage. Say the old lady in the example above, for instance, was wearing Reflec under her nightgown. That would provide a -8 damage modifier, according to CT.

When this happens, treat the negative number as an extra stat (from which to take damage from), and apply damage normally.

So, if the Old Lady's physical stats were STR-5 DEX-6 END-4, she'd have one more stat at STAT-8 from which to take damage. Once you consider this, just apply damage normally.

 

[Supplement Four]

(expanding CTI combat even further)


OK, so if you're a CT GM, and you like what see in CTI, you may want to...

...#1...Use CTI to resolve non-combat tasks only, keeping all other Classic Traveller rules as officially written.

...#2...Or, you may want to start using CTI with your combat as well--just rolling a Routine CTI task instead of the 2D for 8+ mechanic used in CT.

...#3...Or, you may want to start using armor to protect characters from damage but not make them harder to hit, as I have outlined in the previous CTI post.

...#4...Or, you may want to go even a step further by implementing #3 above and what I'm about to mention here...

Classic Traveller is a deadly game (probably the most deadly rpg I've ever played). If you want to use option #3 above, but you also want your armor to provide more protection for your players (keeping them alive, to everybody's enjoyment, allowing the show to go on), then we can take a tip from one of the games in the Classic Traveller family: Striker.

Striker provides armor values for every type of armor listed in CT (these same armor values were later used, in a different fashion, in the MT rules set, and, in another fashion, in the T4 rules set).

CTI can make use of these armor values too. And, CTI does that by using the AVs as a negative modifier to the damage roll.

So, if you want to use this in your game, your attack and damage rolls will look like this:

ATTACK ROLL: Routine CTI Task Throw + Range Modifier + Ability Adjustment

DAMAGE ROLL: Weapon Damage + Armor Adjustment - Armor Value

I'll list AVs for all of the armor types featured in Book 1.

AV(1) Jack
AV2 Mesh
AV5 Cloth
AV[10] Reflec
AV1 [6] Ablat
AV5 Vacc Suit
AV8 Combat Armor
AV10 Battle Dress

You can pencil these armor values in next to the description of each type of armor in Book 1. AV in ( ) designates that the AV applies to melee damage only. Av in [ ] designates that the AV applies to laser fire only.

If you refer to the example above, where the Vargr merc with the laser carbine fired at the Old Lady wearing Reflec under her robes, this new rule provides the Old Lady with a bit more protection (enough so that her Reflect reflected the entire damage from the laser beam).

Vargr Damage roll: 1, 1, 2, 2, 5

Old Lady Protection: -8 (Laser Carbine vs Reflec); -10 (AV of Reflect vs laser fire).

You can treat both those modifers as two more stats from which to take damage from, or, you can treat them as one big one of a 18 value. Either way, the Old Lady is completely protected from from the laser hit.

If you think this might be a bit too much protection, let me remind you that the reflect vs laser fire aspect of the example uses the some of the best damage modifiers possible in CT. Your slug throwers and the like won't see damage reduction like this normally (unless targets are wearing combat armor).

For example, an AutoRifle does 3D damage (and two attack rolls are possible under the AutoFire rule), and Cloth armor has only a -1 damage modifier vs the weapon plus the AV5 (for a total of 6 points of protection vs a possible 6D damage).

As I said at the beginning of this post, all this stuff is optional if you decide to go with CTI. That's the beauty of CTI--it's like the original CT rules. You can mix and match until you get the perfect balance for your game.

I've got several other rules I could post, if anybody is interested, but I'm going to let this sit for now and see if anybody here is interested in looking at it.

Cheers!

 

[Supplement Four]

(expanding CTI combat even further)


OK, so if you're a CT GM, and you like what see in CTI, you may want to...

...#1...Use CTI to resolve non-combat tasks only, keeping all other Classic Traveller rules as officially written.

...#2...Or, you may want to start using CTI with your combat as well--just rolling a Routine CTI task instead of the 2D for 8+ mechanic used in CT.

...#3...Or, you may want to start using armor to protect characters from damage but not make them harder to hit, as I have outlined in the previous CTI post.

...#4...Or, you may want to go even a step further by implementing #3 above and what I'm about to mention here...

Classic Traveller is a deadly game (probably the most deadly rpg I've ever played). If you want to use option #3 above, but you also want your armor to provide more protection for your players (keeping them alive, to everybody's enjoyment, allowing the show to go on), then we can take a tip from one of the games in the Classic Traveller family: Striker.

Striker provides armor values for every type of armor listed in CT (these same armor values were later used, in a different fashion, in the MT rules set, and, in another fashion, in the T4 rules set).

CTI can make use of these armor values too. And, CTI does that by using the AVs as a negative modifier to the damage roll.

So, if you want to use this in your game, your attack and damage rolls will look like this:

ATTACK ROLL: Routine CTI Task Throw + Range Modifier + Ability Adjustment

DAMAGE ROLL: Weapon Damage + Armor Adjustment - Armor Value

I'll list AVs for all of the armor types featured in Book 1.

AV(1) Jack
AV2 Mesh
AV5 Cloth
AV[10] Reflec
AV1 [6] Ablat
AV5 Vacc Suit
AV8 Combat Armor
AV10 Battle Dress

You can pencil these armor values in next to the description of each type of armor in Book 1. AV in ( ) designates that the AV applies to melee damage only. Av in [ ] designates that the AV applies to laser fire only.

If you refer to the example above, where the Vargr merc with the laser carbine fired at the Old Lady wearing Reflec under her robes, this new rule provides the Old Lady with a bit more protection (enough so that her Reflect reflected the entire damage from the laser beam).

Vargr Damage roll: 1, 1, 2, 2, 5

Old Lady Protection: -8 (Laser Carbine vs Reflec); -10 (AV of Reflect vs laser fire).

You can treat both those modifers as two more stats from which to take damage from, or, you can treat them as one big one of a 18 value. Either way, the Old Lady is completely protected from from the laser hit.

If you think this might be a bit too much protection, let me remind you that the reflect vs laser fire aspect of the example uses the some of the best damage modifiers possible in CT. Your slug throwers and the like won't see damage reduction like this normally (unless targets are wearing combat armor).

For example, an AutoRifle does 3D damage (and two attack rolls are possible under the AutoFire rule), and Cloth armor has only a -1 damage modifier vs the weapon plus the AV5 (for a total of 6 points of protection vs a possible 6D damage).

As I said at the beginning of this post, all this stuff is optional if you decide to go with CTI. That's the beauty of CTI--it's like the original CT rules. You can mix and match until you get the perfect balance for your game.

I've got several other rules I could post, if anybody is interested, but I'm going to let this sit for now and see if anybody here is interested in looking at it.

Cheers!

 

[Fritz_Brown]

You really shouldn't let it build up inside you like that, WJP. Your only posts in three years are all within one hour, and long to boot!

Interesting ideas, though. I'm not sure I like the idea of keeping low rolls when you're trying to roll high, but I shall cogitate more before commenting further. Edit: I do see the rationale, though. end edit

 

[Fritz_Brown]

You really shouldn't let it build up inside you like that, WJP. Your only posts in three years are all within one hour, and long to boot!

Interesting ideas, though. I'm not sure I like the idea of keeping low rolls when you're trying to roll high, but I shall cogitate more before commenting further. Edit: I do see the rationale, though. end edit

 

[Whipsnade]

Gents,

Just to break in before things go too far...

All of this and more was previously posted to the TML. You can read it for free right here at the COTI site.

On the COTI page, select 'Mailing Lists', then 'TML', then 'TML Archive'. Once in the archives you can read the messages by thread, author, or date. Look for a series of posts by 'Communique'.

You'll also get to read other people's comments concerning 'CTI' plus Communique's explanations for the whys and hows behind CTI. That give and take is more interesting than the CTI rules, IMHO.

Anyway:

- If WJP is not Communique, he's a plagarist.

- If WJP is Communique, he's repeating himself for some reason.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Whipsnade]

Gents,

Just to break in before things go too far...

All of this and more was previously posted to the TML. You can read it for free right here at the COTI site.

On the COTI page, select 'Mailing Lists', then 'TML', then 'TML Archive'. Once in the archives you can read the messages by thread, author, or date. Look for a series of posts by 'Communique'.

You'll also get to read other people's comments concerning 'CTI' plus Communique's explanations for the whys and hows behind CTI. That give and take is more interesting than the CTI rules, IMHO.

Anyway:

- If WJP is not Communique, he's a plagarist.

- If WJP is Communique, he's repeating himself for some reason.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Bill Cameron:

- If WJP is not Communique, he's a plagarist.

- If WJP is Communique, he's repeating himself for some reason.


Have fun,
Bill

WJP is Communique.

I posted here because CotI have (some) different viewers than the TML. For example, I don't usually follow CotI (but I may start).

After the private e-mails I received from the posting on the TML, and the invite to do a complete write-up of it for Freelance Traveller, I guessed that there might be other CT GMs out there who appreciate the system as we do. So, I gave it a thread here (although this thread is a bit muted to what I posted to the TML).

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Bill Cameron:

- If WJP is not Communique, he's a plagarist.

- If WJP is Communique, he's repeating himself for some reason.


Have fun,
Bill

WJP is Communique.

I posted here because CotI have (some) different viewers than the TML. For example, I don't usually follow CotI (but I may start).

After the private e-mails I received from the posting on the TML, and the invite to do a complete write-up of it for Freelance Traveller, I guessed that there might be other CT GMs out there who appreciate the system as we do. So, I gave it a thread here (although this thread is a bit muted to what I posted to the TML).