Ok, let me clarify my earlier post. I think CT does have an implied task system, it is just missing a table like the one I posted to give GM's and players a basic framework. I’d say that since Striker increases difficulty by 2 for each range increase that it makes sense to set the gradation of difficulty at 2 and use separate target numbers and keep 2d6.
It might make sense to add an extra die for extra characters assisting, since how much help someone may actually be is hard to predict (in fact, in some cases it might be negative, but that’s a totally different issue).
It makes sense to have some common tasks mapped out ahead of time, like combat, which is in CT, or even the interpersonal tasks in MT, but my experience is that most things that have to be resolved are going to come up on the fly, at least initially. Part of my problem with a more elaborate task system is the “task catalog” that it implies. The impression I’ve always had is that the task catalog gets people into the mindset of “this is what you can do.”
I think CT was always about flexibility and creativity on that part of the GM and players. They even encouraged people to design their own skills and provided templates to design your own prior service careers. The person who said that the kind of CT task system people we’re talking about requires a lot of note taking is absolutely correct, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. The players are going to develop a repertoire of things they are comfortable with, then, return to it. Each group will be different, and each campaign may have a different feel, requiring a different way of dealing with the same “tasks”, so it makes sense to me develop your task catalog as the campaign progresses.
There will also be a lot of other tasks in a game that will be one time deals based on the situation. Some are adventure specific, like the ones already mentioned in the specific adventures. The rest are going to get worked out as they come along.
Here’s an example of what I mean. You have a party that is doing a “job” for a patron of somewhat questionable legality to make some cash before lifting off. Maybe they accepted the job because they were short and needed the money, or maybe this group is just living on the edge, but anyways, they are going to do this job. Since it’s illegal, they decide to do it at night. IMTU they would have to rent a vehicle, since all off world vehicles are restricted to the space port and the star town unless you want to pay a local licensing fee to get a local plate (which most people won’t do unless they are running a regular rout and know they will be on this particular world often. Even if they took their own air raft though, they wouldn’t want to fly to the meeting, as leaving street level would activate their transponder and result in their movements being logged on the local air traffic control system, and they are trying to stay under the radar (literally and figuratively).
So, they are doing the job at night in a rented vehicle. Due to some difficulties doing the job they fall behind and are running very late. They are going to have to go really fast to get to the link up with the patron to get paid. Now, here is the impromptu task, make it to the meeting without incident. Normally this would be a routine task (2+) but they now have some adverse conditions, so let’s see what the new target is. It’s night, so that’s a -1, and they are in a relatively unfamiliar place, so that’s another -1. That’s essentially the same as increasing the difficulty level to easy (4+). Now they have some choices to make. Do they want to drive fast? If so, that would be another -1. What about weather, if you wanted to add another wrinkle the GM could make it start to rain, so another -1. Now our intrepid adventurers are facing a 6+ to get to the meeting without any problems. Now the characters get to plead for their bonuses. The driver has a skill level of 1 in ground vehicle, to that’s a +1, then, they argue that he has a high Dex let’s say 9, so that’s another +1. If one of the players had Tactics as a skill I would give them another bonus because a sound plan would have factored in this contingency or they might have rehearsed the rout back to the link up the night before so they would have eliminated the penalty for an unfamiliar place. If the GM didn’t want to mess with the players, he wouldn’t add the dramatic flair of the rain, but you could have another -1 for unfamiliar vehicle (the rental car).
So, the driver has to roll a 4+ to avoid some complication on the way to the meeting. If he fails the roll, the GM has to figure out what the problem is. I’d say, off the top of my head, probably three possible issues: Some kind of accident (maybe not even them, just an accident along the rout that slows them down), they attract police attention (probably from the speeding) or the get lost. If they fail the task roll, then roll one die, 1-vehicle accident for the group, 2-accident on the road stops traffic, 3- police stop for speeding, 4-6 lost. Any of these results in them missing the meeting with the patron, which may or may not be a big deal depending on who the patron is.
That’s the kind of situation you’re not going to find in a task catalog, but that’s really how I see the CT task system working in the game. And, in that sense, it is a system. It has a logic, and can easily be applied to any situation, it just isn't expressly explained that way in the rules.
Just my thoughts...
It might make sense to add an extra die for extra characters assisting, since how much help someone may actually be is hard to predict (in fact, in some cases it might be negative, but that’s a totally different issue).
It makes sense to have some common tasks mapped out ahead of time, like combat, which is in CT, or even the interpersonal tasks in MT, but my experience is that most things that have to be resolved are going to come up on the fly, at least initially. Part of my problem with a more elaborate task system is the “task catalog” that it implies. The impression I’ve always had is that the task catalog gets people into the mindset of “this is what you can do.”
I think CT was always about flexibility and creativity on that part of the GM and players. They even encouraged people to design their own skills and provided templates to design your own prior service careers. The person who said that the kind of CT task system people we’re talking about requires a lot of note taking is absolutely correct, but I don’t see that as a bad thing. The players are going to develop a repertoire of things they are comfortable with, then, return to it. Each group will be different, and each campaign may have a different feel, requiring a different way of dealing with the same “tasks”, so it makes sense to me develop your task catalog as the campaign progresses.
There will also be a lot of other tasks in a game that will be one time deals based on the situation. Some are adventure specific, like the ones already mentioned in the specific adventures. The rest are going to get worked out as they come along.
Here’s an example of what I mean. You have a party that is doing a “job” for a patron of somewhat questionable legality to make some cash before lifting off. Maybe they accepted the job because they were short and needed the money, or maybe this group is just living on the edge, but anyways, they are going to do this job. Since it’s illegal, they decide to do it at night. IMTU they would have to rent a vehicle, since all off world vehicles are restricted to the space port and the star town unless you want to pay a local licensing fee to get a local plate (which most people won’t do unless they are running a regular rout and know they will be on this particular world often. Even if they took their own air raft though, they wouldn’t want to fly to the meeting, as leaving street level would activate their transponder and result in their movements being logged on the local air traffic control system, and they are trying to stay under the radar (literally and figuratively).
So, they are doing the job at night in a rented vehicle. Due to some difficulties doing the job they fall behind and are running very late. They are going to have to go really fast to get to the link up with the patron to get paid. Now, here is the impromptu task, make it to the meeting without incident. Normally this would be a routine task (2+) but they now have some adverse conditions, so let’s see what the new target is. It’s night, so that’s a -1, and they are in a relatively unfamiliar place, so that’s another -1. That’s essentially the same as increasing the difficulty level to easy (4+). Now they have some choices to make. Do they want to drive fast? If so, that would be another -1. What about weather, if you wanted to add another wrinkle the GM could make it start to rain, so another -1. Now our intrepid adventurers are facing a 6+ to get to the meeting without any problems. Now the characters get to plead for their bonuses. The driver has a skill level of 1 in ground vehicle, to that’s a +1, then, they argue that he has a high Dex let’s say 9, so that’s another +1. If one of the players had Tactics as a skill I would give them another bonus because a sound plan would have factored in this contingency or they might have rehearsed the rout back to the link up the night before so they would have eliminated the penalty for an unfamiliar place. If the GM didn’t want to mess with the players, he wouldn’t add the dramatic flair of the rain, but you could have another -1 for unfamiliar vehicle (the rental car).
So, the driver has to roll a 4+ to avoid some complication on the way to the meeting. If he fails the roll, the GM has to figure out what the problem is. I’d say, off the top of my head, probably three possible issues: Some kind of accident (maybe not even them, just an accident along the rout that slows them down), they attract police attention (probably from the speeding) or the get lost. If they fail the task roll, then roll one die, 1-vehicle accident for the group, 2-accident on the road stops traffic, 3- police stop for speeding, 4-6 lost. Any of these results in them missing the meeting with the patron, which may or may not be a big deal depending on who the patron is.
That’s the kind of situation you’re not going to find in a task catalog, but that’s really how I see the CT task system working in the game. And, in that sense, it is a system. It has a logic, and can easily be applied to any situation, it just isn't expressly explained that way in the rules.
Just my thoughts...
