Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
Without being actual house rules, there are several ways of governing certain mechanics in Classic Traveller that makes the GM's life easier, his universe more believable and intriguing.
This thread is meant for you to post like ideas here in order to share them with other CT GMs.
Am I talking about house rules?
No!
I'm talking about ways of looking at Classic Traveller rules that might make them make more sense or fit better into your gaming universe.
For example, Rule 68A, linked in my sig, is a GM gaming tip-o-the-trade. It's not a house rule, but it does help GMs master the non-structured task system that is used in Classic Traveller.
CREATIVE DAMAGE
Another idea, that border on being a house rule, admittedly, can be found in this post: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showpost.php?p=324989&postcount=1 . When doubles are thrown on a successful attack throw, this signals the GM to make some creative aspect of the damage occur. This allows for broken teeth, excessive blood loss, sprained ankles, swollen eyes, hearing loss, broken bones, and other specific details absent from the game's damage system. Read the post to get a better idea of how it works.
STUN CHECK
Another tip that also borders on the threshold of being a house rule (actually, this one probably is a slight house rule, but it changes little about the game, which is why I mention it) is that of a Stun check.
I notice that there is no way a character can be stunned for a short time during combat. If one physical stat goes to zero, then the character is incapacitated/unconscious for a good while.
The Stun check is a throw of 2D for END or less. Anytime a single stat goes to zero, the character is allowed to roll for a stun. END is used at its wounded level (and the check is impossible if END is 1 or 0). If successful, the character is stunned for a round or so (that's up to the GM), unable to act, but with the zeroed stat raised to half its normal value after the stun wears off. This is basically a shorter period of unconsciousness as described in the game and dependent on a check.
Note that one could combine this idea with the one immediately above it, having stuns come into the game after an attacker rolls doubles on a successful attack throw. These are all just ideas, here, meant to help the Classic Traveller GM run his game better. Take what you will, leave the rest.
ORDER OF ACTION
As reminded in this post: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showpost.php?p=324993&postcount=2
Classic Traveller combat rounds are simultaneous and not instantaneous, which means all combatants are allowed to act during the round. And, damage is applied at the end of the round.
One superior feature of the simultaneous combat round is that initiative throws are not needed. That's one less throw to keep the free-form flow of the game moving, in an exciting, GM described, fashion.
Most times, its of no consequence who moves first and who moves last because everyone is going to get their turn and no one will be killed or incapaciated before they are able to act (as happens in an instantaneous game).
Sometimes, though, a character's actions are dependent on another's. For example, note the action taking place at the end of this post: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showpost.php?p=325005&postcount=5 .
Gvoudzon is trying to shoot and kill the engineer, while the engineer is trying to move out of range. Every round, the Vargr fires, and every round, the engineer runs two range bands.
Well, if Gvoudzon fires first hits the enginner, there may be an issue if the engineer moves, crossing over a range band line, taking the Long Range penalty and making it the Very Long Range penalty. Gvoudzon, before he fires, needs to know what the range penalty will be. It could mean the difference between a hit and a miss.
One can easily just run this logically, but a simple little tip to employ when running Classic Traveller combat rounds is this: allow the characters with the lowest END scores to move and act first (and use lowered END scores if the characters are damaged) follow by the characters with higher END scores.
This will help you govern combat rounds quickly (it's a way of using initiative without adding a dice throw) and allows the fresher characters a slight advantage over the more tired ones (because they can react to the other's movements going later in the round). It also makes END a fairly important stat whether in blade or gun combat (STR being important for blade combat; DEX important for gun combat; Now END important for both.)
QUICK CHECKS
Many things can be decided in a Classic Traveller game by throwing 1D, 2D, or 3D for a stat or less. Force open a stuck hatch? Throw 2D for STR or less. Balance on a beam over blazing oil? Throw 3D for DEX or less. Remember the name of a famous explorer? Throw 2D for EDU or less. Notice a giant alien spider hanging on the ceiling? Throw 2D for INT or less.
Typically, 2D is a good choice. If you want to make it hard, then throw 3D. Super easy throws (almost automatic in most cases) should throw 1D.
Don't be afraid to attach modifiers, either. Maybe a skill applies. Remember where a cities is that you traveled to 20 years ago on a world? Throw 2D for INT or less, use Navigation as a DM (either increase INT or decrease the throw).
DON'T STANDARDIZE MODIFIERS
Remember that modifiers in Classic Traveller aren't standardized among all tasks as in other Traveller systems. A Skill-1 does not always mean a +1 DM. This is one of CT's strengths in that it allows you to customize tasks to the situation.
Skill in medicine is somewhat helpful when reviving a low berth passenger, but, pretty much, those units are automated. Anyone can handle them--no medical training necessary. Notice that reviving a low berth patient with Medical training of Medic-2 or better nets you a +1 DM on the throw. You don't get a better DM for having higher medical training, and you don't get a bonus at all if you only have Medic-1.
That's one example. There are several strewn throughout the rules.
Sometimes, skill training is paramount to a task throw. For example, using a Vacc Suit will sometimes net you a +4 DM per level of skill. If your target number is 10+, Skill-2 makes this throw automatic.
That's how to handle throws where training is the most important factor: Trained indivduals can do the task in their sleep, but those without training are pretty much doomed to fail.
The same ideas as these can be applied to a character's attributes, too. Pick a number that seems appropriate and give it a modifer. "Throw 10+ to scale the wall, +2 DM if DEX 11+."
Read the section in the Traveller Book about creating throws for the game. That's a fantastic section written by Marc Miller.
CUSTOMIZATION
Don't be afraid to customize things in the game if appropriate. Use the examples in the game to guide you. Read Loren Wiseman's Management article in JTAS#2 that describes designing a laser pistol from the stats provided in the game. That article is very telling.
If you need to customize a character generation chart, then do it. Maybe, if characters are from a water world, then the Swimming skill should be readily available a couple of times on the chart. You can either replace a skill on the generic list or give the new skill as an option, "If a physical bonus is thrown then you may pick Swimming skill instead."
In this post: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showpost.php?p=325005&postcount=5
I customized an autopistol on the spot as I was writing the example. Inspired by the picture on the cover of the Traveller Adventure, I decided the pistol had a stock, scope, and a 30 round extended clip, as well as being fully automatic, firing 5 round bursts.
You can create all sorts of toys for your players to acquire during their travels this way. Maybe a company on Regina is known for thier sniper rifles. Look at the rifle stats and improve the Long and Very Long range modifiers by one.
This company also makes gyrostable upgrades for most autorifles. On the Advantaged DEX chart, improve the bonus by 1 point. You'll have your players seeking out "Regina Arms" merchandise in the game instead of never batting an eye at generic equipment.
Make this type of equipment specific rather than generic, too. Call it a Crafter Longlense 7000 binoculars instead of just a pair of binoculars. Consider the equipment in the book to the be average, standard example of that type of thing, but make slight differences in the equipment the players get. In this fashion, you can have an M-16 perform differently than an AK-47, rather than both having the same stats as a generic autorifle.
In speaking about character generation again, you can also effect slight changes that will make some characters known for a certain type of thing. Troop quality, for example, can be crafted. A character who goes into the Marines on one planet may be different from the Marine trained on another, just as if a soldier trained by Iraqi trainers is different from US Marines. The police forces on Jewel, for example, may be of higher quality than most because of the constant attacks of the Ine Givar.
If you have tips like this for a GM running a Classic Traveller game, this is the place to post them. I'm sure other things will come to me. As they do, I'll write follow ups.
This thread is meant for you to post like ideas here in order to share them with other CT GMs.
Am I talking about house rules?
No!
I'm talking about ways of looking at Classic Traveller rules that might make them make more sense or fit better into your gaming universe.
For example, Rule 68A, linked in my sig, is a GM gaming tip-o-the-trade. It's not a house rule, but it does help GMs master the non-structured task system that is used in Classic Traveller.
CREATIVE DAMAGE
Another idea, that border on being a house rule, admittedly, can be found in this post: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showpost.php?p=324989&postcount=1 . When doubles are thrown on a successful attack throw, this signals the GM to make some creative aspect of the damage occur. This allows for broken teeth, excessive blood loss, sprained ankles, swollen eyes, hearing loss, broken bones, and other specific details absent from the game's damage system. Read the post to get a better idea of how it works.
STUN CHECK
Another tip that also borders on the threshold of being a house rule (actually, this one probably is a slight house rule, but it changes little about the game, which is why I mention it) is that of a Stun check.
I notice that there is no way a character can be stunned for a short time during combat. If one physical stat goes to zero, then the character is incapacitated/unconscious for a good while.
The Stun check is a throw of 2D for END or less. Anytime a single stat goes to zero, the character is allowed to roll for a stun. END is used at its wounded level (and the check is impossible if END is 1 or 0). If successful, the character is stunned for a round or so (that's up to the GM), unable to act, but with the zeroed stat raised to half its normal value after the stun wears off. This is basically a shorter period of unconsciousness as described in the game and dependent on a check.
Note that one could combine this idea with the one immediately above it, having stuns come into the game after an attacker rolls doubles on a successful attack throw. These are all just ideas, here, meant to help the Classic Traveller GM run his game better. Take what you will, leave the rest.
ORDER OF ACTION
As reminded in this post: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showpost.php?p=324993&postcount=2
Classic Traveller combat rounds are simultaneous and not instantaneous, which means all combatants are allowed to act during the round. And, damage is applied at the end of the round.
One superior feature of the simultaneous combat round is that initiative throws are not needed. That's one less throw to keep the free-form flow of the game moving, in an exciting, GM described, fashion.
Most times, its of no consequence who moves first and who moves last because everyone is going to get their turn and no one will be killed or incapaciated before they are able to act (as happens in an instantaneous game).
Sometimes, though, a character's actions are dependent on another's. For example, note the action taking place at the end of this post: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showpost.php?p=325005&postcount=5 .
Gvoudzon is trying to shoot and kill the engineer, while the engineer is trying to move out of range. Every round, the Vargr fires, and every round, the engineer runs two range bands.
Well, if Gvoudzon fires first hits the enginner, there may be an issue if the engineer moves, crossing over a range band line, taking the Long Range penalty and making it the Very Long Range penalty. Gvoudzon, before he fires, needs to know what the range penalty will be. It could mean the difference between a hit and a miss.
One can easily just run this logically, but a simple little tip to employ when running Classic Traveller combat rounds is this: allow the characters with the lowest END scores to move and act first (and use lowered END scores if the characters are damaged) follow by the characters with higher END scores.
This will help you govern combat rounds quickly (it's a way of using initiative without adding a dice throw) and allows the fresher characters a slight advantage over the more tired ones (because they can react to the other's movements going later in the round). It also makes END a fairly important stat whether in blade or gun combat (STR being important for blade combat; DEX important for gun combat; Now END important for both.)
QUICK CHECKS
Many things can be decided in a Classic Traveller game by throwing 1D, 2D, or 3D for a stat or less. Force open a stuck hatch? Throw 2D for STR or less. Balance on a beam over blazing oil? Throw 3D for DEX or less. Remember the name of a famous explorer? Throw 2D for EDU or less. Notice a giant alien spider hanging on the ceiling? Throw 2D for INT or less.
Typically, 2D is a good choice. If you want to make it hard, then throw 3D. Super easy throws (almost automatic in most cases) should throw 1D.
Don't be afraid to attach modifiers, either. Maybe a skill applies. Remember where a cities is that you traveled to 20 years ago on a world? Throw 2D for INT or less, use Navigation as a DM (either increase INT or decrease the throw).
DON'T STANDARDIZE MODIFIERS
Remember that modifiers in Classic Traveller aren't standardized among all tasks as in other Traveller systems. A Skill-1 does not always mean a +1 DM. This is one of CT's strengths in that it allows you to customize tasks to the situation.
Skill in medicine is somewhat helpful when reviving a low berth passenger, but, pretty much, those units are automated. Anyone can handle them--no medical training necessary. Notice that reviving a low berth patient with Medical training of Medic-2 or better nets you a +1 DM on the throw. You don't get a better DM for having higher medical training, and you don't get a bonus at all if you only have Medic-1.
That's one example. There are several strewn throughout the rules.
Sometimes, skill training is paramount to a task throw. For example, using a Vacc Suit will sometimes net you a +4 DM per level of skill. If your target number is 10+, Skill-2 makes this throw automatic.
That's how to handle throws where training is the most important factor: Trained indivduals can do the task in their sleep, but those without training are pretty much doomed to fail.
The same ideas as these can be applied to a character's attributes, too. Pick a number that seems appropriate and give it a modifer. "Throw 10+ to scale the wall, +2 DM if DEX 11+."
Read the section in the Traveller Book about creating throws for the game. That's a fantastic section written by Marc Miller.
CUSTOMIZATION
Don't be afraid to customize things in the game if appropriate. Use the examples in the game to guide you. Read Loren Wiseman's Management article in JTAS#2 that describes designing a laser pistol from the stats provided in the game. That article is very telling.
If you need to customize a character generation chart, then do it. Maybe, if characters are from a water world, then the Swimming skill should be readily available a couple of times on the chart. You can either replace a skill on the generic list or give the new skill as an option, "If a physical bonus is thrown then you may pick Swimming skill instead."
In this post: http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showpost.php?p=325005&postcount=5
I customized an autopistol on the spot as I was writing the example. Inspired by the picture on the cover of the Traveller Adventure, I decided the pistol had a stock, scope, and a 30 round extended clip, as well as being fully automatic, firing 5 round bursts.
You can create all sorts of toys for your players to acquire during their travels this way. Maybe a company on Regina is known for thier sniper rifles. Look at the rifle stats and improve the Long and Very Long range modifiers by one.
This company also makes gyrostable upgrades for most autorifles. On the Advantaged DEX chart, improve the bonus by 1 point. You'll have your players seeking out "Regina Arms" merchandise in the game instead of never batting an eye at generic equipment.
Make this type of equipment specific rather than generic, too. Call it a Crafter Longlense 7000 binoculars instead of just a pair of binoculars. Consider the equipment in the book to the be average, standard example of that type of thing, but make slight differences in the equipment the players get. In this fashion, you can have an M-16 perform differently than an AK-47, rather than both having the same stats as a generic autorifle.
In speaking about character generation again, you can also effect slight changes that will make some characters known for a certain type of thing. Troop quality, for example, can be crafted. A character who goes into the Marines on one planet may be different from the Marine trained on another, just as if a soldier trained by Iraqi trainers is different from US Marines. The police forces on Jewel, for example, may be of higher quality than most because of the constant attacks of the Ine Givar.
If you have tips like this for a GM running a Classic Traveller game, this is the place to post them. I'm sure other things will come to me. As they do, I'll write follow ups.
