Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
INTRODUCTION:
In the other thread, I was basically thinking out loud. Here, I want to clean it up a bit and present something that can serve as a starting point--something that T5 players can use to play Traveller 5.
I think this system as some real merit. It's easy to use and easy to teach. And, it fits the feel and mechanics established by T5, to some degree.
I got the idea for this system in looking at the original Babylon 5 RPG. I recognized the use of Flux, and I marveled at a well designed set of rules.
T5 needs that--rules that work. Although based on B5, this is a different animal. I saw the idea then merged it with T5.
This isn't a completed task system or rule set. It's a starting point. It will probably need to be adjusted.
But, take a look...this is cool....
DIFFICULTY:
There are only three Difficulty Categories for tasks. But, each category is malleable in that it can be modified to fit any target number.
When you roll a task, the task is either Easy for you, of Average difficulty, or a Hard task for you to find success.
Easy and flexible.
ABILITY:
Add a character's skill and primary attribute together. This will give you the character's Ability. Sometimes, modifiers are placed on Ability.
For example: Jacen Stigal has stats 876954. And, he has the skills Animals-3, Teamster-2, Computer-5.
When urging a horse-pulled wagon to greater speed, it is a INT based skill using the character's Animals skill and Teamster knowledge: Ability 14.
A computer lock must be broken, or the correct code entered, within 10 seconds. This task would use Jacen's Computer skill and DEX attribute. Ability 12.
FLUX - ROLLING A TASK:
To roll a task, you roll Flux, add the result to the character's ability, and compare the total to the task difficulty.
FLUX, as defined in T5, is the process of rolling 2D. Roll two different color dice (or different size dice), and consider one die to produce positive numbers while the other produces negative numbers. To roll Flux, simply roll the two dice, add them together, then apply that modifier to the character's Ability.
If the modified Ability is equal to or higher than the difficulty number, then the task succeeds.
If the modified Ability is lower than the difficulty number, the task fails.
For example, Jacen Stigal, above, must make a Hard teamster test.
-- He has Teamster Ability 14.
-- Roll Flux, getting a result of 0, which means Ability is modified by +0.
-- Jacen fails the task because he needed a 15+ to beat a Hard task.
Another example, Jacen is attempting to dig into a computer database for some obscure data. It is an Average task.
-- Jacen has Computer Ability 12
-- Roll Flux, getting a result of -2, which means Ability is modified by -2.
-- Jacen succeeds on the task because he made 10 on the 10+ Average task.
In the other thread, I was basically thinking out loud. Here, I want to clean it up a bit and present something that can serve as a starting point--something that T5 players can use to play Traveller 5.
I think this system as some real merit. It's easy to use and easy to teach. And, it fits the feel and mechanics established by T5, to some degree.
I got the idea for this system in looking at the original Babylon 5 RPG. I recognized the use of Flux, and I marveled at a well designed set of rules.
T5 needs that--rules that work. Although based on B5, this is a different animal. I saw the idea then merged it with T5.
This isn't a completed task system or rule set. It's a starting point. It will probably need to be adjusted.
But, take a look...this is cool....
DIFFICULTY:
There are only three Difficulty Categories for tasks. But, each category is malleable in that it can be modified to fit any target number.
When you roll a task, the task is either Easy for you, of Average difficulty, or a Hard task for you to find success.
Easy and flexible.
ABILITY:
Add a character's skill and primary attribute together. This will give you the character's Ability. Sometimes, modifiers are placed on Ability.
For example: Jacen Stigal has stats 876954. And, he has the skills Animals-3, Teamster-2, Computer-5.
When urging a horse-pulled wagon to greater speed, it is a INT based skill using the character's Animals skill and Teamster knowledge: Ability 14.
A computer lock must be broken, or the correct code entered, within 10 seconds. This task would use Jacen's Computer skill and DEX attribute. Ability 12.
FLUX - ROLLING A TASK:
To roll a task, you roll Flux, add the result to the character's ability, and compare the total to the task difficulty.
FLUX, as defined in T5, is the process of rolling 2D. Roll two different color dice (or different size dice), and consider one die to produce positive numbers while the other produces negative numbers. To roll Flux, simply roll the two dice, add them together, then apply that modifier to the character's Ability.
If the modified Ability is equal to or higher than the difficulty number, then the task succeeds.
If the modified Ability is lower than the difficulty number, the task fails.
For example, Jacen Stigal, above, must make a Hard teamster test.
-- He has Teamster Ability 14.
-- Roll Flux, getting a result of 0, which means Ability is modified by +0.
-- Jacen fails the task because he needed a 15+ to beat a Hard task.
Another example, Jacen is attempting to dig into a computer database for some obscure data. It is an Average task.
-- Jacen has Computer Ability 12
-- Roll Flux, getting a result of -2, which means Ability is modified by -2.
-- Jacen succeeds on the task because he made 10 on the 10+ Average task.
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