CT Only: JOT plus FLUX

[Supplement Four]

Here's an idea, as people are usually trying to mod CT's use of the JOT skill.

I was thinking that JOT could be used in place of any skill as long as the player accepts the FLUX modifier.

For those that don't have T5, FLUX is a mechanic where two different dice are thrown (usually different colored dice), and one is subtracted from the other, resulting in a modifier that runs from +5 to -5 but is also skewed towards 0.

The idea is that the player would throw his task normally, using JOT as a modifier on the throw.

The Ref would throw 1D - 1D, then add the result to the throw.

The higher the JOT skill, the less negative influence the FLUX roll can have. For example, with JOT-1, the FLUX result, really, can be -4 to +6.

Just thinking out loud here.

Thoughts?

 

[BlackBat242]

Yes, lets add as many different dice rolls and formulae as possible - Classic Traveller is too simple to run and play.



No, while the people I played Traveller (only CT) with always did allow JOT to add to one's skill in performing a task, as well as in case of a skill the character did not have, I see no need for extra dice rolls and added calculations, just because some other edition does.

Just add JOT (or 1/2 JOT if you prefer) to the other skill level and roll the single normal skill success roll!

 

[Supplement Four]

I was never crazy about the certainty of JOT in CT. It shouldn't be a stand-in for just about every other skill in the game. It should be a chance to work out a problem where a character isn't skilled.

Now, maybe the method in the OP isn't the way to go. I"m not sold on it. I just slapped it up for discussion.

But, JOT continually gets house ruled and changed in different editions. I thought I'd add this to the choices.

 

[Marchand]

JoaT 3 or 4 would make for a very highly powered character - at JoaT-4, -1 to +9 on any task (before other mods) on a 2D scale. Admittedly 4 is a very high level for a CT character.

Here's a recent idea I had on JoaT: for each level, the character picks a field of activity for it to apply to. This could be a cluster of related skills (say up to 4), like electronics, engineering and mechanical; or all laser weapon skills; or all watercraft skills. The character has level-0 in all these skills (or level-1 if weapon skills, which PCs have at 0 anyway). (You could use the skill clusters from MT or T4 for inspiration.)

Alternatively the character could choose to apply it to a context, like ship tech, or desert survival, or formal social functions. Any task attempted in the context is at +1. The mod could also apply to situation and reaction rolls.

 

[whulorigan]

Another option:

Let JOT grant the ability to attempt any skill as a zero-level skill (regardless of JOT-level), but allow each JOT level be the number of times per day/session/situation that a character may attempt a re-roll of a failed skill attempt at zero-level, regardless of whether the task roll for the character was zero-level or skilled level.

 

[Supplement Four]

JoaT 3 or 4 would make for a very highly powered character - at JoaT-4, -1 to +9 on any task (before other mods) on a 2D scale. Admittedly 4 is a very high level for a CT character.

That's true. And, as you say, JOT-4 is not that easy to get, if you play CharGen by the rules. Pick the table, but then roll 1D on the table.

I don't think I really like the idea, either. I was just thinking.

Here's a recent idea I had on JoaT:

One of my favorite ideas (when playing CT) was to do this...

1. Whenever a player wanted his character to apply the JOT skill to a problem, he'd roll 1D and compare it to his JOT skill. If successful, the task could be attempted as if the character has Skill-0.

Thus, the attempt would only be attempted on tasks where there was a penalty for not having the skill.



2. JOT-6 or better automatically gave the character a Skill-0 attempt.



3. JOT skill level is used to meet Skill level requirements for an attempt, but the benefit of having JOT is never more than Skill-0.

Thus, if the character wanted to write a Multi-Target-3 program, then he could attempt it without having Gunnery-3 as long as he had JOT-3. The attempted would be made as if the character had Computer-0.





Example:

PC has JOT-3

PC wants to write Multi-Target-3. He rolls 1D, looking for 3- (because JOT-3). If successful, the character can attempt to write the program as if he had Computer-0 (Gunnery-3 requirement is waived because he has JOT-3).