I've been thinking about how to use the various flavors of the NDS with Traveller...
For those not familiar, the basis of the NDS is symbols, rather than numbers, and division of dice into 3 kinds in each of good dice and bad dice.
Not going into the probabilities, but will note that "critical" type results (Triumph and Despair) are only on d12's, but many of the functions can be done with lots of advantage. All three types of good dice have successes, advantages, and combined success/advantage sides.
Bad dice have failures and threat.
Success: more successes+triumphs rolled than failures+despairs
Beneficial side effects: more advantage than threat
Failure: successes+triumphs ≤ failures+despairs
Bad side effects: more threat than advantage.
The number of successes (after cancelling), the number of advantage or threat (after cancelling), the number of triumphs, and the number of despairs all contribute to the outcome.
Advantage has a bunch of mechanics it can trigger - some good for the character, some bad for their target (if any); threat is spent by the opponent on bad-for-the-rolling-character options and good-for-the-opponent options.
Triumphs are super-advantage, despairs super-threat.
Traveller has 6 or 7 difficulty levels in rules, and atts on a 1-15 scale for humans, and skills generally under 5 levels (excepting T5). FFG NDS uses 1-6 for attributes, 1-5 for skills...
So... Attribute conversions...
FFG
1 is weak
2 is average
3 is good
4 is high
5 is very high
6 is wookie maximum strength... (and human, as well)
2 should map to 6-8... so maybe 1-4 = 1, 5-8=2, 9-11=3, 12-14=4 15-16=5, 17-18=6 19-20=7... (just to cover K'kree)
Difficulties...
There is an option for a 6th... but it's legendary...
vs Traveller's
Simple... —
Routine ♦
Difficult ♦♦
formidable ♦♦♦
Staggering ♦♦♦♦
Impossible ♦♦♦♦♦
Yeah, that looks workable...
FFG SW has no unskilled penalty... but traveller usually does. So, if unskilled, add a challenge die ⬢.
Normal good dice are lower of attribute or skill in proficiency ⬡ dice... and difference in ability dice. This looks pretty easy.
Upgrade Difficulties: if there is a purple in the pool, swap it for a red; if not, add a purple instead.
If task isn't safe, upgrade difficulty once
Is hazardous or fatefull: upgrade twice (total)
Is hazardous and fateful: upgrade thrice
Opposed rolls, same as usual: use challenge dice equal to the proficiency dice they'd roll, and difficulty dice equal to the ability dice they'd roll.
Most modifiers should be one boost die or one setback die; big mods (±3 or more) should be 2...
Given the damage scale... and that FFG damages are fixed, with humans normally having 12 HP... while Traveller PC's normally have 21+...
I think it should be 2+CT/T4 Damage Dice... That puts plasma only at 14... a bit low... but add vicious 4 and Armor piercing 3, crit rating 2. Fusion should be AP 5 and Vicious 6, crit rating 1. Maximum ranges match up well.
CT = FFG
C = Engaged
S = Short
M = Medium
L, VL = Long
Dist+ = Extreme
Just some initial thoughts.
Note that WFRP3 dice are different... as is the balance of good and bad dice.
L5R5 has only skill and ring (attribute) dice, and they simply add, vs fixed TN's. Would be a different (and simpler) conversion, tho'.
For those not familiar, the basis of the NDS is symbols, rather than numbers, and division of dice into 3 kinds in each of good dice and bad dice.
| Good die | size | Bad Die |
| Proficiency | ⬡ d12 ⬢ | Challenge |
| Ability | ◇ d8 ♦ | Difficulty |
| Boost | ◻︎ d6 ◼︎ | Setback |
Not going into the probabilities, but will note that "critical" type results (Triumph and Despair) are only on d12's, but many of the functions can be done with lots of advantage. All three types of good dice have successes, advantages, and combined success/advantage sides.
Bad dice have failures and threat.
Success: more successes+triumphs rolled than failures+despairs
Beneficial side effects: more advantage than threat
Failure: successes+triumphs ≤ failures+despairs
Bad side effects: more threat than advantage.
The number of successes (after cancelling), the number of advantage or threat (after cancelling), the number of triumphs, and the number of despairs all contribute to the outcome.
Advantage has a bunch of mechanics it can trigger - some good for the character, some bad for their target (if any); threat is spent by the opponent on bad-for-the-rolling-character options and good-for-the-opponent options.
Triumphs are super-advantage, despairs super-threat.
Traveller has 6 or 7 difficulty levels in rules, and atts on a 1-15 scale for humans, and skills generally under 5 levels (excepting T5). FFG NDS uses 1-6 for attributes, 1-5 for skills...
So... Attribute conversions...
FFG
1 is weak
2 is average
3 is good
4 is high
5 is very high
6 is wookie maximum strength... (and human, as well)
2 should map to 6-8... so maybe 1-4 = 1, 5-8=2, 9-11=3, 12-14=4 15-16=5, 17-18=6 19-20=7... (just to cover K'kree)
Difficulties...
| Simple | — | Routine, with the outcome rarely in question Usually not rolled unless the GM wishes to know the possible magnitude of success, or Setback dice indicate the possibility of complications. |
| Easy | ♦ | Picking a primitive lock, tending to minor cuts and bruises, finding food and shelter on a lush planet, shooting a target at close range. |
| Average | ♦♦ | Picking a typical lock, stitching up a small wound, finding food and shelter on a temperate planet, shooting a target at medium range or trying to strike a target while engaged. |
| Hard | ♦♦♦ | Picking a complicated lock, setting broken bones or suturing large wounds, finding food and shelter on a rugged planet, shooting at a target at long range. |
| Daunting | ♦♦♦♦ | Picking an exceptionally sophisticated lock, performing surgery or grafting implants, finding food and shelter on a barren desert planet, shooting at a target at extreme range. |
| Formidable | ♦♦♦♦♦ | Picking a lock with no comprehensible mechanism, cloning a new body, finding food and shelter on a planet without breathable atmosphere. |
vs Traveller's
Simple... —
Routine ♦
Difficult ♦♦
formidable ♦♦♦
Staggering ♦♦♦♦
Impossible ♦♦♦♦♦
Yeah, that looks workable...
FFG SW has no unskilled penalty... but traveller usually does. So, if unskilled, add a challenge die ⬢.
Normal good dice are lower of attribute or skill in proficiency ⬡ dice... and difference in ability dice. This looks pretty easy.
Upgrade Difficulties: if there is a purple in the pool, swap it for a red; if not, add a purple instead.
If task isn't safe, upgrade difficulty once
Is hazardous or fatefull: upgrade twice (total)
Is hazardous and fateful: upgrade thrice
Opposed rolls, same as usual: use challenge dice equal to the proficiency dice they'd roll, and difficulty dice equal to the ability dice they'd roll.
Most modifiers should be one boost die or one setback die; big mods (±3 or more) should be 2...
Given the damage scale... and that FFG damages are fixed, with humans normally having 12 HP... while Traveller PC's normally have 21+...
I think it should be 2+CT/T4 Damage Dice... That puts plasma only at 14... a bit low... but add vicious 4 and Armor piercing 3, crit rating 2. Fusion should be AP 5 and Vicious 6, crit rating 1. Maximum ranges match up well.
CT = FFG
C = Engaged
S = Short
M = Medium
L, VL = Long
Dist+ = Extreme
Just some initial thoughts.
Note that WFRP3 dice are different... as is the balance of good and bad dice.
L5R5 has only skill and ring (attribute) dice, and they simply add, vs fixed TN's. Would be a different (and simpler) conversion, tho'.
