CT Only: How to deal with skills that give different bonuses based on rank

[jaz0nj4ckal]

Folks,
I am getting confused and forgetting the different skills and their bonuses based on ‘skill rank’. For example: Air Raft gives a +4 per skill rank, while other skills give +2 per rank.

Do you folks remember all the different skills and their rank? Do you use a spreadsheet with the skill already defined? Make notes on your character sheet?

Currently I make side notes on my character sheet; however, I was away for 4 months, and didn’t have my books with me, and forgot all the skill/rank/bonus details, so I just made it up on the fly.

Want to hear how you handle the different skill ranks. In addition, if you add a new skill, how do you determine the ‘skill rank’ bonus? Due to the latter, I want to add the skill ‘scuba dive’ since I have my ‘crack team of commandos’ going into a water world, so they are training up aboard a ship before being sent on a mission.

Thank you
JJ

 

[mike wightman]

Two choices, make a prompt sheet with all the skills and their resolution mods or get the player to record the info for each of their skills on their character sheet.

But note that the vast majority of the skills can be used/attempted even if the character has no skill levels in it.

Alternatively scrap looking up each skill for some sort of universal skill resolution mechanic. There are many out there to choose from.

I personally go with two target numbers, it's either an 8+ or 12+ on 2d6 to succeed.
+1DM per skill level
+1DM if the character has a high relevant characteristic (I decide how high the stat must be to qualify for the bonus)
+1 if player role plays the skill attempt really well.
+1 if character has specialist tools for this particular skill attempt.
+1 if the character takes a lot of extra time to attempt the task

-1 if specialist tools are needed and the character doesn't have them
-1 if skill attempt is rushed under pressure
-1 per additional hindrance (my decision)

 

[kilemall]

I take those rules to be suggestions and utterly ignore them in favor of a chars + skills vs. difficulty check. That way I am concentrating on reffing the throw fast instead of looking everything up.

 

[jaz0nj4ckal]

I personally go with two target numbers, it's either an 8+ or 12+ on 2d6 to succeed.

Hmmm... Interesting – so you only have two target numbers? 8+ is for normal task resolution and ’12+’ is for hard tasks? How do you or when do you decide on an 8+ or 12+ target number? Can you give an example because I am excited to hear more, since you have caught my interest?

Thank you

 

[jaz0nj4ckal]

I take those rules to be suggestions and utterly ignore them in favor of a chars + skills vs. difficulty check. That way I am concentrating on reffing the throw fast instead of looking everything up.

What are some of your 'difficulty check' target numbers?

 

[kilemall]

What are some of your 'difficulty check' target numbers?

Oh dear.

Well its

Simple- 11+
Easy- 13+
Routine- 15+
Challenging- 17+
Difficult- 19+
Impossible- 21+

They would roughly correspond to 468ACE in most people's systems.

Then add characteristic + skill.

A Striker effective range attack is routine, that would be 15 to hit, an average Dex 7 + Rifle-1 would be +8, so 7 to hit, just like an average person with a rifle-1 skill in the CT resolution.

The difference is a Dex A with Rifle-3 would have a +13 to hit, making it impossible for him to miss (except I have a critical failure at 2 rule). A Dex 4 with the default 0 skill would hit on 11+ only.

The Dex A/3 is a talented, skilled sniper, so likely some or all of the Rifle skill could be put into increasing the damage chances.

With all 3 Rifle skill on the damage roll the to hit would be +10 so 5 or higher, but the payoff is a 44% chance of 5D damage, almost guaranteed full 3D damage, etc.

I also allow a knowledge roll, where the character can reduce the difficulty if they pass an education + skill/know check.

This mechanism also allows for physical checks rather easily such as jumping an open space or forcing a door.

For a quick comparison check the 68A rule thread, I believe many people are fans of it's relative simplicity.

 

[Timerover51]

Folks,
I am getting confused and forgetting the different skills and their bonuses based on ‘skill rank’. For example: Air Raft gives a +4 per skill rank, while other skills give +2 per rank.

Do you folks remember all the different skills and their rank? Do you use a spreadsheet with the skill already defined? Make notes on your character sheet?

Currently I make side notes on my character sheet; however, I was away for 4 months, and didn’t have my books with me, and forgot all the skill/rank/bonus details, so I just made it up on the fly.

Want to hear how you handle the different skill ranks. In addition, if you add a new skill, how do you determine the ‘skill rank’ bonus? Due to the latter, I want to add the skill ‘scuba dive’ since I have my ‘crack team of commandos’ going into a water world, so they are training up aboard a ship before being sent on a mission.

Thank you
JJ

Hmm, somewhere I have the Keith's book on the Undersea Environment. Does anyone have a copy readily handy? I am not sure where mine is in my basement. The other option would be the adventure Nomads of the World Ocean.

 

[jaz0nj4ckal]

Oh dear.

Well its

Simple- 11+
Easy- 13+
Routine- 15+
Challenging- 17+
Difficult- 19+
Impossible- 21+

They would roughly correspond to 468ACE in most people's systems.

Then add characteristic + skill.

A Striker effective range attack is routine, that would be 15 to hit, an average Dex 7 + Rifle-1 would be +8, so 7 to hit, just like an average person with a rifle-1 skill in the CT resolution.

The difference is a Dex A with Rifle-3 would have a +13 to hit, making it impossible for him to miss (except I have a critical failure at 2 rule). A Dex 4 with the default 0 skill would hit on 11+ only.

The Dex A/3 is a talented, skilled sniper, so likely some or all of the Rifle skill could be put into increasing the damage chances.

With all 3 Rifle skill on the damage roll the to hit would be +10 so 5 or higher, but the payoff is a 44% chance of 5D damage, almost guaranteed full 3D damage, etc.

I also allow a knowledge roll, where the character can reduce the difficulty if they pass an education + skill/know check.

This mechanism also allows for physical checks rather easily such as jumping an open space or forcing a door.

For a quick comparison check the 68A rule thread, I believe many people are fans of it's relative simplicity.

I am currently using the 68A rule, which always seemed simple to me (something I can remember) since it is a +2 or -2 modifier off the base target number; however, since I am still new to Traveller – wanted to see and weight in on more established players have to say.

The best part about Classic Traveller – is it is rules light compared to other systems. Due to the latter, I am able to focus on the story and roleplay.