Fields of Experience

[Supplement Four]

...An idea for Traveller...



The 007 game has skills, then it also has Fields of Experience, which have no level ratings. The FoE act as qualifiers, adding a level of subtlety to how a character's skills are used.

Thus, you have a basic skill like Fire Arms. The FoEs a character has governs how that basic skill is used.

I wonder how this system might be brought to Traveller. Here are some thoughts...



Skills (in CT and 007) are typically quite broad (although broader in 007 than CT). Let's take this skill, Fire Arms. The skill level represents the characters ability to handle weapons. Now, there can be several Fields of Experience that can apply to that skill. If the character has the FoE of Handgun, for example, then the character's Fire Arms skill will be used at its full value when the character uses handguns.

Maybe the character has an FoE in Heavy Weapons as well. Thus, he'd receive the same benefit with those weapons.

If a character uses a skill for which his FoEs don't apply, then he'd to it at a negative, or without a bonus, or maybe not at all (we're talking about how to apply this concept to Traveller--having the FoE is better than not having it).

Off the top of my head, let's say that not having the appropriate FoE means a -3 DM will be applied to the throw.







Three things are neat about Fields of Experience.

First, when the skill goes up, it helps all areas associated with that FoE. As in the example above, if the character improves his Fire Arms skill, then he'll be better at both Handguns and Heavy Weapons.

This seems very logical to me. In Classic Traveller, if one improves his AutoPistol skill, his AutoRifle skill remains uneffected. Under this set of rules, even if the character doesn't have the FoEs of Hanguns and Rifles, he'll still be better in both because the FoE's are based on one skill: Fire Arms. If Fire Arms goes up, then his chance with every FoE that uses the skill (whether the character has the FoE or not) will also receive a bonus.

Does that make sense?

For example, the character has Fire Arms - 1. And, he's got the Handguns FoE, but not the Rifle FoE. The penalty for not having an FoE is -3. So, when this character fires a handgun, he's +1 on the throw (no -3 penalty because he has the FoE). When this character fires a rifle, he's -2 on the throw (Skill 1 - 3 penalty).

If the skill is improved to Fire Arms - 2, then this character is +2 with handguns and -1 to hit with rifles.

Make sense?



A second thing that I like about FoEs is that they can get as specific (or as generic) as you like. Instead of a handguns FoE, it could be an FoE with a particular weapon. There could be an FoE for reparing weapons.

The character has Fire Arms - 2. He's also got two FoE's, Handguns and Heavy Weapons. When he uses a handgun, he's +2 on the dice (skill level). If he tries to use an SMG, he's -1 on the dice. And, if he wants to repair that handgun, he's also -1 on the task (no FoE).

Get it? Kinda neat, huh?

So, the point here is: You can have Fields of Experience for all sorts of things. Weapon repair can be a separate FoE.



Third, I like how Traveller skills can be boiled down to a small number of skills using this system. There'd be a set number of skills, and then there'd be any number of FoEs. GMs can make up new FoE's if necessary. Remember, Fields of Experience only guide a character on how a skill is used. But, the skills will remain what they are--no need to invent new skills when an FoE will do.







Also...

The penalty for not having the correct FoE doesn't have to be a blanket number for all situations. This can be FoE defined, or defined by the GM.

For example, let's say the character has a skill: Medical - 1. The penalty for not having the Surgery FoE when conducting surgery may be a -6 DM. The Diagnosis FoE may have a standard -3 DM. Thus, a character without either of these FoEs would be +1 of usual first aid throws. He'd be -2 on a throw to make a diagnosis for a sick character. And, he'd be -5 on a the throw if he ever attempted surgery.

Another good example to point out what I'm describing here is to focus on the Demolitions skill. The FoE required to dismantle a nuclear weapon may have a stiffer penalty on it than the FoE required to dismantle a handgrenade booby trap.

The same thing goes for the Engineering skill. There may be one penalty if the characer doesn't have the correct FoE to fix the Jump Drive, and a less stiff penalty if the character is trying to use his Engineering skill to fix the grav fork lifter in the cargo bay.







Long story short: This system would turn Traveller skills into basic skills. Fields of Experience are methods for using those skills in different situations.

Many of the skills in Traveller now would be turned into FoEs.







EDIT: BTW, if interested in the 007 game system, check out this slightly altered free version of the rules (in generic format) here: http://www.unclebear.com/wiki/images/7/7b/Doublezero.pdf

And, you may want this table here: http://www.unclebear.com/wiki/downloads/doublezerotable.pdf

 

[Supplement Four]

More on FoEs

The DoubleZero game (linked above) provides some ground rules for using Fields of Experience in a game. I'm copying that section here for this discussion...



(Quote)

A game master can put a Field into play in one of three ways.



The first is the Field Caveat: a character with a Field of Experience knows things, or how
to do things, and no rolls are required. If a character has a Language, they just know
how to speak it. If they have a Profession Specialty they know the basics of the job;



The second is the Field Advantage. Anyone with the appropriate skill can make a roll to
perform actions or make knowledge checks related to a Field of Experience, but
characters with the relevant Field gain a +2 Edge Factor bonus. For example, on a check
with an Edge Factor of 5, a character with a relevant Field will use Edge Factor 7.



The third is Field Exclusivity: Certain skill checks, defined by the game master, can only
be performed by characters with a particular Field. This helps differentiate the player
characters and makes their individual Fields more valuable. For example, when looking
for information about Botany the game master will normally call for a Science skill
check. If one character has Botany as a Field of Experience, however, the game master
can declare that only a specialist will have that knowledge, so only the character with​

the relevant Field can make a check.

(End Quote)



If FoEs were used in Traveller, I think these three methods of implementing them are something to look at.

The Field Caveat just means the Traveller character knows something automatically based on his FoE.

The Field Advantage allows a bonus if the character has the appropriate FoE. I suggest to change this to a penalty. Classic Traveller's 2D6 system works much better if penalties are used rather than bonuses (in order not to break the 2D6 throw). Thus, I suggest, as I do in the above post, that a penalty be assigned if the appropriate FoE is not available. See the post above for examples.

The Field Exclusivity option of the FoE is something I was discussing in the last part of my post above. I suggest different penalty DMs for not having the appropriate FoE. Also, Field Exclusivity can be used as the Field Caveat above--except we're speaking to expert information instead of basic information.

 

[DaveChase]

Check out the Harn Master RPG

for another way of skill based experience.
Also there are no real Hit Points (HP) like most games either.

Basically, If you use a skill you get a chance to increase it's ability. The more use the more chances.

If you use the skill and achieve a critical success you get another chance.

The higher your skill the more difficult it is to increase its rating. I.e. it takes lots of lucky rolling each chance to increase each time or lots of rolls. Of course if you are unlucky in rolls you never will increase much.

I always like Harn skill experience system. I have modified it for several different games that I have run in the past.

Dave Chase

 

[Icosahedron]

Ah, the lure of houserules, S4.

I can already see wisps of Strawberry Ripple appearing in your 'Vanilla CT'

I like the Double Zero rules, there is some stuff I can adapt - but I'm happy to do that, my Traveller is houerule heavy already.

 

[Supplement Four]

I can already see wisps of Strawberry Ripple appearing in your 'Vanilla CT'

Naw, I'm just diddling, here. Putting up stuff for discussion. I have no plans to change my CT game from Vanilla when I get back to it.

 

[BlackBat242]

I fail to see how one manages to increase one's skill in weapons one has never been trained with (which would happen all the time in your set-up).

Gain another level in fire-arms... you can fire a Plasma rifle at level 2 now. What, you have never even held one? No problem, Firearms covers it, so you can do it.

 

[Supplement Four]

I fail to see how one manages to increase one's skill in weapons one has never been trained with (which would happen all the time in your set-up).

Gain another level in fire-arms... you can fire a Plasma rifle at level 2 now. What, you have never even held one? No problem, Firearms covers it, so you can do it.

Not quite.

Let's say the skill is Brawling. Your character has just moved from Brawling-1 to Brawling-2.

Your character does not have the Martial Arts Field of Experience.

If the blanket penalty for not having the FoE is kept, then, yes, the character does go up a bit in Martial Arts even though the character hasn't been trained. He's +2 on the dice for normal Brawling, and he's -1 for Martial Arts attacks.

This makes sense to me, though, as you go up in Brawling, you're bound to learn a hold or two, a pressure point or two...things that will help you with Martial Arts.

If FoEs don't use blanket penalties, then the penalty for not having the Martial Arts FoE may be too steep to matter.

 

[atpollard]

I fail to see how one manages to increase one's skill in weapons one has never been trained with (which would happen all the time in your set-up).

Gain another level in fire-arms... you can fire a Plasma rifle at level 2 now. What, you have never even held one? No problem, Firearms covers it, so you can do it.

'Combat Rifleman' already does this (except that it ASSUMES that you have at least tried all of the weapons in basic training).

 

[BlackBat242]

Except "Combat Rifleman" skill only covers "rifle, carbine, assault rifle, advanced combat rifle, and gauss rifle". Mercenary, page 12

In other words, the primary military long arm of the basic infantryman for TL 5 (rifle, carbine), 7 (assault rifle), 10 (advanced combat rifle), & 12 (gauss rifle).


Nothing else. No machine guns, no grenade launchers, no laser weapons, no energy weapons, not even shotguns.

Just those 5 rifles.

 

[Supplement Four]

Except "Combat Rifleman" skill only covers...

Well, what I've written above is only a sketch. If one wanted to use it in his game, he would only have to put the limits on the skill that he thinks necessary.

You could, say, have a skill for handgun, and the FoEs could get more specific. That way, if you improved with handgun, it wouldn't effect Rifles or PGMPs. The FoEs could be specific weapons, or maybe things like "target shooter" and the like.

 

[casquilho]

I have to pass on this idea. When I first read it, it sounded interesting. But after reflecting on it and trying out a few ideas I think it is a level of book keeping and complexity that is not needed in my game.

Thanks for sharing though S4!

Daniel

 

[Supplement Four]

I have to pass on this idea. When I first read it, it sounded interesting. But after reflecting on it and trying out a few ideas I think it is a level of book keeping and complexity that is not needed in my game.

Thanks for sharing though S4!

I'm not going to use it in my CT game either. I just thought it was a great concept in the 007 game and might fire someone's imagination.

It's a great system for a great game (007), but I still like my CT in the vanilla flavor.

I'm not taking CT ideas over to the 007 game either :rofl:.

 

[casquilho]

I am glad you brought it up though, I think it is fun some o fth etimes to ask how a rule might change another game. This helps to both understand how the various rules combine and i9mpact each other in a system, but once in a while it does also help create a better game.

I think it is worth the asking.

Daniel

 

[Icosahedron]

I find these discussions of other rule systems useful.

My 'Traveller' game is so heavily houseruled and out-sourced that it's effectively an in-house Grand Unified Role Playing System.

Too many 'borrowings' ever to be publishable, though many of my house-rules are original. But I just like to tweak things - and then tweak the tweaks, then...

If only so much good material wasn't out of print or otherwise unavailable.

That's what makes these discussions so useful - resurrecting useful ideas.

 

[DaveChase]

If you are looking at grouping skills that are cross related

And don't want to do some of the work of figuring out which ones are.
You might look at RPG game systems by Blacksburg Tactical Research Center

WarpWorld
TimeLords
C.O.R.P.S.

They use the type of system that Sup4 mentioned.
With flow charts even and more.

There are several games that use cross related skills similar to what has been mentioned here.

Dave Chase

 

[Supplement Four]

Good example

As I'm preparing my Bond game, I came across a good example for this thread.

Let's say the characters need to parachute into enemy territory. A skill called "parachute" would be wasted in Traveller. It wouldn't be used very often. This is where the FoE's come in.

Some type of DEX based throw can be used for parachutes. Should the character have a Field of Experience in parachuting (maybe he was a paratrooper in the Army), then he gets a bonus on this throw. And, some specialists (maybe a commando in his previous life) may have the HALO FoE (and the HALO FoE requires the individual already have the Parachute FoE).



In the Bond game, it works out like this:

1. If the character does not have the parachute FoE, then he makes a DEX roll at a -3 Ease Factor penalty.

2. If the character does hae the parachute FoE, then he makes the DEX roll normally, without the penalty.

3. If the drop happens to be a HALO drop, then the HALO FoE is required (along with the parachute FoE). Characters making HALO drops without the HALO FoE but with the parachute FoE do so at a -3 EF penalty. Characters making HALO drops without either FoE is at an extreme -6 EF penalty (which makes the HALO drop extremely dangerous--about a 5% chance of survival).


I like how the basic activity (the DEX throw) is "colored" or "filtered" by the FoEs. The FoEs, themselves, don't have levels. But, if you have the correct FoE, then it could mean bonuses or the absence of penalties to your throw.

 

[Icosahedron]

But the Parachute FoE is just as wasted as the Parachute Skill - it affects the character's success and you either have it or you don't. Too many FoEs will have the same effect as too many Skills - I don't see the advantage/difference.

 

[Supplement Four]

But the Parachute FoE is just as wasted as the Parachute Skill - it affects the character's success and you either have it or you don't. Too many FoEs will have the same effect as too many Skills - I don't see the advantage/difference.

Not really.

If you're doing a paradrop, you can roll a DEX check at Ease Factor 2 if you don't have any FoE's. At DEX 10, this is a 20% chance of success.

If you're doing a paradrop and have the Parachute FoE, your DEX check is at an Ease Factor of 5. At DEX 10, this is a 50% chance of success.

In order to get the HALO FoE, you must already have the Parachute FOE. You cannot get the HALO FoE otherwise (you must learn how to skydive before you can attempt the dangerous HALO technique).

If you are going to do a HALO drop, and don't have either the Parachute or HALO FoE, then, at DEX 10, you'll be working with an Ease Factor of 0.5, which means you have a 5% chance of success.

If you have the Parachute FoE, but not the HALO FoE, when doing the HALO drop, you'll have a -3 EF applied, giving you, at DEX 10, a 20% chance of success.

If you have both the Parachute and the HALO FoE, then your EF is 5, giving you, at DEX 10, a 50% chance of success.



So, to recap: DEX 10 character making a normal paradrop...

No Parachute FoE means 20%.

With Parachute FoE means 50%.



DEX 10 character making a HALO drop...

No Parachute or HALO FoE means 5%.

With Parachute FoE means 20%.

With Parachute and HALO FoE means 50%.



That's all in Bond rpg terms. To translate to Classic Trav, one would just have to change the Ease Factors into die modifiers.

 

[Supplement Four]

Too many FoEs will have the same effect as too many Skills - I don't see the advantage/difference.

You can have as many FoEs as you want. It pays to keep them broad, though.

The advantage is that the character doesn't need a bunch of skills. He only needs a few. The FoEs filter the way the skill is used.

FoEs should be titled so that, really, no "text" is needed to describe them. If you read an FoE of Gunsmith or Antique Collector or Sharpshooter, all of those really have no need of a description (a line or two, at most, if any at all), and all of them will filter the way a character uses his Handgun skill.

An FoE of Gunsmith allows modification and repair of handguns. An FoE of Antique Collector means the character has an eye for the value of ancient weapons. The Sharpshooter FoE means that the character gets a bigger bonus than normal when taking his time and aiming his weapon.

But, the character only has the one skill: Handgun.

It's the FoEs that show how to express that skill.

 

[Icosahedron]

What I'm saying is that having Pilot skill plus Parachute FoE, plus HALO FoE is no less cluttered than having Pilot skill plus Parachute skill, and both methods will be a 'waste' because they will be seldom used.

The only 'advantage' I can see to the FoE system is that FoE's don't use up your limited number of skills - unfortunately, that just leads to skills proliferation, and you end up with your Pilot skill including FoEs in Parachute, HALO, Instrumentation, Aerodynamics, Aerobatics, Fixed Weapon Firing, Targeting, Mapreading, Meteorology, Navigation, Geography, etc, etc.