Thoughts... Talents

[Supplement Four]

TRAVELLER - 1001 Talents


As I mention above, if you want to use Talents in your CT, then looking at d20 Feats is a great place to look for inspiration (although by no means the only place to look).

Here is a list of Traveller T20 Feats.

And, here is a netbook that you can download that includes over 1000 d20 Feats. Many of them have a fantasy focus (rather than scifi), but with 1000 freakin' feats, there are still many that are useable in any genre.

As I implement this Talent idea into my CT game, I like to peruse the d20 Feats. Change them up a bit, make them compatible with CT, and then start implementing them in my game...letting my players "discover" (without telling them outright) what new ability I've decided to reward them with.

Heck, I'm not sure if my players will even catch on that I've introduced this new mechanic into the game, disguised as it is as just the GM doing some neat stuff with the characters.

 

[Supplement Four]

TRAVELLER - 1001 Talents


As I mention above, if you want to use Talents in your CT, then looking at d20 Feats is a great place to look for inspiration (although by no means the only place to look).

Here is a list of Traveller T20 Feats.

And, here is a netbook that you can download that includes over 1000 d20 Feats. Many of them have a fantasy focus (rather than scifi), but with 1000 freakin' feats, there are still many that are useable in any genre.

As I implement this Talent idea into my CT game, I like to peruse the d20 Feats. Change them up a bit, make them compatible with CT, and then start implementing them in my game...letting my players "discover" (without telling them outright) what new ability I've decided to reward them with.

Heck, I'm not sure if my players will even catch on that I've introduced this new mechanic into the game, disguised as it is as just the GM doing some neat stuff with the characters.

 

[Jeffr0]

Sup4--

This idea is just right.

GURPS Advantages overwhelm me-- there's so many I can't keep up with the interactions. Gamma World's Mutations were lots o' fun back in the day, but many were fidly and unbalanced. CT is a little dry with its raw Stat/Skill system... and tacking on a whole new 'system' is a little much. The fact that this is GM controlled and plot dependent means that there's no need to burden new players with the details of this system....

I eagerly await further development on this rule!

 

[Jeffr0]

Sup4--

This idea is just right.

GURPS Advantages overwhelm me-- there's so many I can't keep up with the interactions. Gamma World's Mutations were lots o' fun back in the day, but many were fidly and unbalanced. CT is a little dry with its raw Stat/Skill system... and tacking on a whole new 'system' is a little much. The fact that this is GM controlled and plot dependent means that there's no need to burden new players with the details of this system....

I eagerly await further development on this rule!

 

[Golan2072]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
Traveller is a scifi game. Talents allow a little of the "fiction" to be used along with the science.

This is exactly what I've meant.

Talents should add descriptive traits to characters that don't fit well into the Characteristic/Skill system. For example, if a character is ambidexterous, well-used to cold weather, has a good night-vision, has an attractive face, is particularly unlikely to panic under pressure and so on, this would be represented by a Talent.

 

[Golan2072]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
Traveller is a scifi game. Talents allow a little of the "fiction" to be used along with the science.

This is exactly what I've meant.

Talents should add descriptive traits to characters that don't fit well into the Characteristic/Skill system. For example, if a character is ambidexterous, well-used to cold weather, has a good night-vision, has an attractive face, is particularly unlikely to panic under pressure and so on, this would be represented by a Talent.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Employee 2-4601:
Talents should add descriptive traits to characters that don't fit well into the Characteristic/Skill system. For example, if a character is ambidexterous, well-used to cold weather, has a good night-vision, has an attractive face, is particularly unlikely to panic under pressure and so on, this would be represented by a Talent.

We're speaking the same language, Omer. I, like you, believe that Talents shouldn't cross over into the domain of skills.

Sometimes (if the GM allows), it could get a little blurry, though. That Talent I suggest about the psionic character (animal empathy) could definitely grow into a psionic skill. I'm kinda using the Talent as the method by which the character acquires the skill.

Right now, as a Talent, the character can't use the ability at will. It's something I will do, as GM, from time to time with no player input.

If the player "digs" this about his character, I'll grow it, gradually allowing the player more control. And, at some point, the Talent may disappear and a new psionic skills appears on his sheet: Animal Empathy or Animal Telepathy or something like that.

When the Talent disappears and the skill appears, I'll right it up as an official CT psionic skill with psionic str cost and range cost and the whole bit.

Not all Talents will be precursors to skills, though. I mean for Talents to be versatile...something a GM can use to add creativity, mystery, and excitement to his game...something the GM can use in his game to reward the players for great play by increasing character ability...a tool the GM can use in a number of ways to make his game "cool".

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Employee 2-4601:
Talents should add descriptive traits to characters that don't fit well into the Characteristic/Skill system. For example, if a character is ambidexterous, well-used to cold weather, has a good night-vision, has an attractive face, is particularly unlikely to panic under pressure and so on, this would be represented by a Talent.

We're speaking the same language, Omer. I, like you, believe that Talents shouldn't cross over into the domain of skills.

Sometimes (if the GM allows), it could get a little blurry, though. That Talent I suggest about the psionic character (animal empathy) could definitely grow into a psionic skill. I'm kinda using the Talent as the method by which the character acquires the skill.

Right now, as a Talent, the character can't use the ability at will. It's something I will do, as GM, from time to time with no player input.

If the player "digs" this about his character, I'll grow it, gradually allowing the player more control. And, at some point, the Talent may disappear and a new psionic skills appears on his sheet: Animal Empathy or Animal Telepathy or something like that.

When the Talent disappears and the skill appears, I'll right it up as an official CT psionic skill with psionic str cost and range cost and the whole bit.

Not all Talents will be precursors to skills, though. I mean for Talents to be versatile...something a GM can use to add creativity, mystery, and excitement to his game...something the GM can use in his game to reward the players for great play by increasing character ability...a tool the GM can use in a number of ways to make his game "cool".