Rules Only: Enhancements that add dice or rerolls

[Nathan Brazil]

More magic items for CT:

• THE BANNER: The most sacred artifact of power in the aresenel of the K'kree. When wielded by a Patriarch class leader during battle and exhaulting the sacred words "FOR THE HERD" in their native labguage, all K'kree within Short Range regardless if they hear the call or not come under the effects of the equivilent of taking Slow and Combat Drug and will not break morale for any reason. The effects last until death of the trooper, combat ends, or 10 rounds have occurred whichever comes first. After 10 combat rounds, the Patriarch dies if combat has not ended.

• (Weapon) of Strength: This weapon grants no extra bonuses to characters with high Strength. Its function is to act as though you have the Reqiured Strength to prevent a penalty to hit due to a low characteristic.
• (Weapon) of Accuracy: This weapon grants no extra bonuses to characters with high Dexterity. Its function is to act as though you have the Reqiured Dexterity to prevent a penalty to hit due to a low characteristic.
• (Weapon) of Prowess: Provides no bonus "to hit" per se. What it does do is every round you make a combat "blow or swing" using the weapon in combat does not count as a "blow or swing" towards Fatigue. If you are already "Fatigued" then you gain no benefit. The more powerful ones allow you to never make a weakened or fatigued swing using that weapon.
• Deep Duffel Bag: Allows you to carry more stuff, say 2x/3x/4x STR in kilos for light medium and heavy loads instead of the usual 1x/2x/3x STR in kilos.

 

[bookwyrm]

I did a test of the drop the high/low to see how it would look for my rule set, and was impressed with the results. I thought that for some Ability scores, using this method might be good for Characters from low/high gravity worlds, in addition to any other reasons I'd use this method.

I can feel the Horizon of my Traveller experience expanding!

 

[sekalo]

Magic, by implication, breaks the rules as we know them. Since you are in the Classic Traveller forum, it is whatever you make it.

If you are looking for a systemic approach, you are using the wrong approach because you are complaining of applying what sounds like an inherently linear bonus style as in d20/3.5/3.0/Modern single die rolls (no bell curve) to an inherently curved dice roll style of 2d6 (or whatever).

You need a different approach or way of thinking. Since you put this in the Classic Traveller:

There are other things that give far greater bonuses or penalties to start with, like in the range or armor "to hit" matrices. A +1 bonus is no big deal. Telescopic sights provide greater bonuses given the correct range. Armor provides far greater penalties. So a +1 is no big deal for weapons and armor.

Magic can have any limits you set. Maybe it always acts at a specified level like a "smart" Expert System tool, But it is of magic origin.

• A set of lockpicks that works at Mechanical-2 , (not add +1 to your Mechanical Skill). For someone with No skill whatsoever, this is a godsend. A true genius in the field does not need it.
• A monocle that grants Broker-0 in evaluating gems allowng you to add bonuses from your personal stats to the roll

I selected the Classic Traveller forum, since I am using Classic Traveller rules and the Mecator supplement. However, I do not want to use a single die roll, and wants the benefits of 2d6 bell curve; however, I lack the needed math skills to understand the impact of what a 2d6 keep highest 2 or keep lowest 2. What I didn't know is the how the math compared to a flat +/- add to your dice roll since modifiers are in a smaller range.

Thank you for your insight.

 

[sekalo]

Hey, that's handy. I knew about anydice, but I hadn't dug into the documentation, there's more there than I realized.

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It's worth about a +/-2 when you're looking at most common result. Then you can see it clusters other results closer to 5 or 9 compared to the pyramid shaped curve of 2d6, so the exact math is a little fuzzier than a simple + or -, but I just think of it as +/-2. Which would be a very solid modifier on 2d6, but still not crazy.

Thank you for doing the math. This skill I lack, and do really appreciate your time.

 

[sekalo]

More magic items for CT:

• THE BANNER: The most sacred artifact of power in the aresenel of the K'kree. When wielded by a Patriarch class leader during battle and exhaulting the sacred words "FOR THE HERD" in their native labguage, all K'kree within Short Range regardless if they hear the call or not come under the effects of the equivilent of taking Slow and Combat Drug and will not break morale for any reason. The effects last until death of the trooper, combat ends, or 10 rounds have occurred whichever comes first. After 10 combat rounds, the Patriarch dies if combat has not ended.

• (Weapon) of Strength: This weapon grants no extra bonuses to characters with high Strength. Its function is to act as though you have the Reqiured Strength to prevent a penalty to hit due to a low characteristic.
• (Weapon) of Accuracy: This weapon grants no extra bonuses to characters with high Dexterity. Its function is to act as though you have the Reqiured Dexterity to prevent a penalty to hit due to a low characteristic.
• (Weapon) of Prowess: Provides no bonus "to hit" per se. What it does do is every round you make a combat "blow or swing" using the weapon in combat does not count as a "blow or swing" towards Fatigue. If you are already "Fatigued" then you gain no benefit. The more powerful ones allow you to never make a weakened or fatigued swing using that weapon.
• Deep Duffel Bag: Allows you to carry more stuff, say 2x/3x/4x STR in kilos for light medium and heavy loads instead of the usual 1x/2x/3x STR in kilos.

These are great ideas. I have not created many magical weapons so far; however, I did have an example of your "Deep Duffel Bag" which was very similar to what you describe.

The very few magical weapons I have created, really provide no +/- benefits, but do similar features as you point out in your description. Usually provides some benefit to the user. I am finding it hard to customize weapons without them all looking the same. However, that is ok... I just apply the stats to another another weapon. For example: created a dagger that uses the sword stats, but the weight of the dagger. To keep it restricted some what, I made the required strength still the needed values for sword.

 

[Commander Truestar]

So I got thinking earlier this week about creating some magical items that could/would enhance the character.

To be entirely honest, I refuse to use magic in Traveller or allow it IMTU.
Admittedly, I do allow psionics, but I allow them within a framework of the physics of mental energy.
(Don't ask here, there is a LOT of data hidden behind that innocuous statement, which even considered the nature of neural energy)

So, I advise you design the idea of the effects you want
Then, consider the physics, physical mechanics and power requirements for what you want
No, you don't have to be a full blown theoretical physicist to do this
There are a number of programs with groups of episodes like NOVA, "How the Universe is Made", etc....

The more you learn the better you can model the universe you want to design...
...and then, you should have a firm basis for how to build your desired effects into that universe using science that only "looks like magic" to the uneducated...

 

[Condottiere]

And yet wizards would be the ones that most benefit from a Travelleresque character generation.

 

[Ildefonse]

And yet wizards would be the ones that most benefit from a Travelleresque character generation.

How so? In the fantasy takes on Traveller I'm familiar with (Sword of Cepheus, Westlands, Worlds Apart, Of Realms Unbounded) wizards are treated like any other career. What do you see as giving them the most benefit over other careers?

 

[Condottiere]

It takes time to research spells, and improve magic effects.

Essentially, the older they get, the more powerful, in combat, they become.

At some point, aging throws become meaningless.

 

[kilemall]

It takes time to research spells, and improve magic effects.

Essentially, the older they get, the more powerful, in combat, they become.

At some point, aging throws become meaningless.

I was thinking no damage tanks. Fighters would have to have crazy to hit/AC mods once their levels get going.

 

[Condottiere]

For warriors, there's probably a sweetspot between physical prowess and experience, before aging throw attrition starts.

In theory, magic items augment performance, henchmen create a buffer, and experience tells you where your opponent's weak spots are, and how to cover your own.

 

[Grav_Moped]

How so? In the fantasy takes on Traveller I'm familiar with (Sword of Cepheus, Westlands, Worlds Apart, Of Realms Unbounded) wizards are treated like any other career. What do you see as giving them the most benefit over other careers?

You'd kill more magic-users in chargen than Scouts, but you'd be starting them in play with years of what would have been level-grinding (experience) in other chargen systems.

 

[Ildefonse]

I guess I'm missing the point: the systems I'm familiar with treat "wizards" like any other career, and they tend to wind up with just a few spells at the end of chargen.

 

[Grav_Moped]

I guess I'm missing the point: the systems I'm familiar with treat "wizards" like any other career, and they tend to wind up with just a few spells at the end of chargen.

That seems odd for rules grounded in Traveller. The point of its character generation is that player characters at the end of chargen and the commencement of play, are adult-to-middle-aged (or older!) and have nearly all of the skills and abilities that they are going to get.

I've seen Traveller referred to as a system for former military personnel to role-play their retirement years... in space!

 

[Condottiere]

Living out their respective midlife crisis(es).

Divorced, empty nest, lifelong bachelors.

 

[Ildefonse]

That seems odd for rules grounded in Traveller. The point of its character generation is that player characters at the end of chargen and the commencement of play, are adult-to-middle-aged (or older!) and have nearly all of the skills and abilities that they are going to get.

I've seen Traveller referred to as a system for former military personnel to role-play their retirement years... in space!

Yes, that does seem to be the general grounding: and for a game like Sword of Cepheus (the one I'm most familiar with) it balances all characters with the same chargen, resulting in "normal" characters in a swords & sorcery setting. The heroic and epic characters of AD&D aren't produced by the chargen, much like Classic Traveller's chargen (either basic or advanced) won't result in fictional characters like Kim Kinnison, Darth Vader or John Carter.

 

[sekalo]

Yes, that does seem to be the general grounding: and for a game like Sword of Cepheus (the one I'm most familiar with) it balances all characters with the same chargen, resulting in "normal" characters in a swords & sorcery setting. The heroic and epic characters of AD&D aren't produced by the chargen, much like Classic Traveller's chargen (either basic or advanced) won't result in fictional characters like Kim Kinnison, Darth Vader or John Carter.

I like how in Traveller and "Sword of Cepheus" creates a balance character at start from the career tables. I also, like how the career tables is a way to build a character's background oppose to a class/level design.

Sure - in D&D class/level works and provides a rich game; however, I like the way Traveller does character creation. It might just be due to me liking 2d6 game systems more then d20. I have always wanted to turn GURPS/The Fantasy Trip into a simple 2d6 system; however, a lot of the bonus/penalties would need to be scaled back for 2d6. Maybe one day! ::evil Ming laugh::

 

[kilemall]

Yes, that does seem to be the general grounding: and for a game like Sword of Cepheus (the one I'm most familiar with) it balances all characters with the same chargen, resulting in "normal" characters in a swords & sorcery setting. The heroic and epic characters of AD&D aren't produced by the chargen, much like Classic Traveller's chargen (either basic or advanced) won't result in fictional characters like Kim Kinnison, Darth Vader or John Carter.

I think they did valuate those characters in two of the books, one being COTI. Very hard to roll them RAW but within possibility.

 

[Ildefonse]

I think they did valuate those characters in two of the books, one being COTI. Very hard to roll them RAW but within possibility.

Yes, they did: that's why I used them as examples of fictional characters which partly inspired Traveller, but aren't possible to roll up RAW. I have them all compiled here, and used them to base my heroic and epic Traveller rules on.