Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
One of the neatest and most useful aspects of Grand Survey is that it brings sensor rules to Classic Traveller.
Several different types of sensors are discussed: Active EMS, Passive EMS, Densitometer, Neutrino, and Neural Activity sensors. Use of various models, from large starship sensors to handheld models are discussed, along with the technology behind them and an extensive section on Scouts' Survey Procedures.
All sensors are used basically the same way: The GM and the Sensor Operator make opposed task rolls, with the GM's roll secret. If both rolls succeed, then the GM gives the sensor operator good information. If one succeeds and one fails, then the GM will taint the information the sensor operator gets, mixing good info with bad. And, if both rolls fail, the GM will have a fun time giving the PC sensor operator ghost-false information.
I'll give you a quick example of how these sensors work in the rules. Although this example uses a handheld sensor, a starship's sensors are handled the same way.
Let's say a landing party wants to avoid contact with any local sentient life. They've got a TL-14 neural activity sensor to use as they lookout for locals.
The GM's knows, though, that there's a group of five Vargr corsairs about 75m away in a wooded area east of the party.
When the player wants to conduct a scan, he simply makes his sensor roll (with DMs and all that). The GM secretly makes the same roll, as outlined above. Let's say both rolls succeed.
Well, typically, the sensor operator would be given good info, but the scan range of a TL-14 neural activity sensor is only to MEDIUM range (50m), so the GM reports to the player that no neural activity is detected.
So, the Vargr start making their way, sneaky, towards the party. And, the player, knowing the limitations of the device, decides to make another scan.
Let's say the sensor operator's skill is good, giving him a good DM on the roll, and again, we see both the player and the GM succeed on the sensor task.
The AREA SCAN of a Neural Activity Sensor can give results something like this:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">AREA SCAN with Neural Activity Sensor
ALTITUDE unknown
above
level
below
PATTERN unknown
simple
complex
cluttered
NUMBER unknown
single
multiple
horde
RANGE unknown
short
medium
long
MOTION unknown
none
away
parallel
toward
SPEED unknown
Speed 1
Speed 2
Speed 3
Speed 4
DIRECTION (approx. direction)</pre>[/QUOTE]If, during the sensor opposed roll, one roll succeeds and one fails, the GM should pick some correct answers and some incorrect answers on the chart above.
But, since both rolls succeeded in our example, the GM will give the sensor operator 100% good information.
He'll mark:
Altitidue as level.
Pattern as complex.
Number as multiple.
Range as Medium.
Motion as toward.
Speed as Speed 1.
Direction as direction 2 (90 degress to the right).
Now that the sensor operator has a contact, he'll swing the sensor in the direction of the contact and do a directional scan.
On a directional scan with a neural activity sensor, there are only two scan criteria being measured:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">DIRECTION SCAN with Neural Activity Sensor
NEURAL CLASS unknown
human/vargr
aslan
droyne
k'kree
hiver
other
INTELLIGENCE unknown
lower form
not intelligent
semi-intelligent
intelligent</pre>[/QUOTE]Our player character sensor operator is good. He makes his roll for the directional scan. The GM makes his secret roll as well.
The GM tells the sensor operator, "Your scan picked up human/vargr neural class, intelligence shows as 'intelligent'".
And, that's how the sensor rules work.
I think they'd be fun to use in a game....especially with the Passive EMS sensors during starship combat.
The GM is basically "roleplaying" the results of what the characters see in the readings. The GM doesn't place a pencil mark on the map and say, "You find five Vargr signatures here." Instead, the roleplays the readings gained in the example above, allowing the player to act on them as he sees fit.
Notice that this example of the NAS sensor didn't show exact location of the approaching vargr--only general direction. That's a limitation of a NAS.
Sometimes, especially during starship combat, different sensors will be used to find different types of data.
I like this. And, next time I get a chance to test drive a sensor scan in my game, I'm going to try out these rules and see how they play.
-S4
Several different types of sensors are discussed: Active EMS, Passive EMS, Densitometer, Neutrino, and Neural Activity sensors. Use of various models, from large starship sensors to handheld models are discussed, along with the technology behind them and an extensive section on Scouts' Survey Procedures.
All sensors are used basically the same way: The GM and the Sensor Operator make opposed task rolls, with the GM's roll secret. If both rolls succeed, then the GM gives the sensor operator good information. If one succeeds and one fails, then the GM will taint the information the sensor operator gets, mixing good info with bad. And, if both rolls fail, the GM will have a fun time giving the PC sensor operator ghost-false information.
I'll give you a quick example of how these sensors work in the rules. Although this example uses a handheld sensor, a starship's sensors are handled the same way.
Let's say a landing party wants to avoid contact with any local sentient life. They've got a TL-14 neural activity sensor to use as they lookout for locals.
The GM's knows, though, that there's a group of five Vargr corsairs about 75m away in a wooded area east of the party.
When the player wants to conduct a scan, he simply makes his sensor roll (with DMs and all that). The GM secretly makes the same roll, as outlined above. Let's say both rolls succeed.
Well, typically, the sensor operator would be given good info, but the scan range of a TL-14 neural activity sensor is only to MEDIUM range (50m), so the GM reports to the player that no neural activity is detected.
So, the Vargr start making their way, sneaky, towards the party. And, the player, knowing the limitations of the device, decides to make another scan.
Let's say the sensor operator's skill is good, giving him a good DM on the roll, and again, we see both the player and the GM succeed on the sensor task.
The AREA SCAN of a Neural Activity Sensor can give results something like this:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">AREA SCAN with Neural Activity Sensor
ALTITUDE unknown
above
level
below
PATTERN unknown
simple
complex
cluttered
NUMBER unknown
single
multiple
horde
RANGE unknown
short
medium
long
MOTION unknown
none
away
parallel
toward
SPEED unknown
Speed 1
Speed 2
Speed 3
Speed 4
DIRECTION (approx. direction)</pre>[/QUOTE]If, during the sensor opposed roll, one roll succeeds and one fails, the GM should pick some correct answers and some incorrect answers on the chart above.
But, since both rolls succeeded in our example, the GM will give the sensor operator 100% good information.
He'll mark:
Altitidue as level.
Pattern as complex.
Number as multiple.
Range as Medium.
Motion as toward.
Speed as Speed 1.
Direction as direction 2 (90 degress to the right).
Now that the sensor operator has a contact, he'll swing the sensor in the direction of the contact and do a directional scan.
On a directional scan with a neural activity sensor, there are only two scan criteria being measured:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">DIRECTION SCAN with Neural Activity Sensor
NEURAL CLASS unknown
human/vargr
aslan
droyne
k'kree
hiver
other
INTELLIGENCE unknown
lower form
not intelligent
semi-intelligent
intelligent</pre>[/QUOTE]Our player character sensor operator is good. He makes his roll for the directional scan. The GM makes his secret roll as well.
The GM tells the sensor operator, "Your scan picked up human/vargr neural class, intelligence shows as 'intelligent'".
And, that's how the sensor rules work.
I think they'd be fun to use in a game....especially with the Passive EMS sensors during starship combat.
The GM is basically "roleplaying" the results of what the characters see in the readings. The GM doesn't place a pencil mark on the map and say, "You find five Vargr signatures here." Instead, the roleplays the readings gained in the example above, allowing the player to act on them as he sees fit.
Notice that this example of the NAS sensor didn't show exact location of the approaching vargr--only general direction. That's a limitation of a NAS.
Sometimes, especially during starship combat, different sensors will be used to find different types of data.
I like this. And, next time I get a chance to test drive a sensor scan in my game, I'm going to try out these rules and see how they play.
-S4
