Using T5 in a CT Game

[Supplement Four]

I've noticed a lot of little bits that a CT Ref might want to steal from T5. Despite its problems, there are some very neat, very good, ideas in the new game.

One of the barriers (for me, anyway) is the mechanics. I don't think the T5 task system fits well with a CT based game. Sure, you could make it work. Anything goes in CT. But, I would prefer to keep my CT game having a CT feel.

To that end, I've created a conversion of the T5 task system for use with just 2 dice. And, I've got a few versions to choose from, depending on your taste. There's a LOWER IS BETTER version, and there are three types of the HIGHER IS BETTER version.

This is CT. Pick was best fits your taste.





Here's just one example of how a CT Ref might benefit from this: Let's say the Ref is looking to get away from Rule 68A and creating his own throws on the spot. He wants to use a task system. There are plenty to choose from, of course. The UGM and the task systems used in MT and MGT are popular choices. But, if this Ref is also interested in using sections of the T5 book, but prefers 2D, Higher is Better systems, he now has a choice to do that.

As I said above, there are currently three types of the 2D HiB conversion. This Ref likes having a target number for all tasks (like the 8+ required for all types of shots in CT combat), so he picks the version of the 2D HiB conversion that I call the E System.





E System: Here's How It Works

Every task succeeds on a roll of 14+. That's where the "E" comes from (hexadecimal notation). Roll 2D, looking for 14+.

Standard modifiers to the 2D roll are Characteristic, Skill, and Difficulty. Add the character's full characteristic, full skill level, and the Difficulty modifier to the 2D roll. Success happens when the total is 14+.

[B]E SYSTEM Difficulty Modifier Table[/B]

[I]Add +3 DM if the task is Easy.  No DM is used if the task is Average.[/I]

 -3  Difficult
 -7  Formidable
-11  Staggering

-15  Hopeless
-19  Impossible
-23  Beyond Impossible

-27  Hasty Beyond Impossible
-31  Double Hasty Beyond Impossible

[B][SIZE="5"]2D + Char + Skill - Difficulty > 14[/SIZE][/B]

 

[Ulsyus]

S4, you make it sound so easy.

No, really, this seems much easier than the other alternative I read about the other day (that you contributed to). We've got our game on tonight: i'm pretty tempted to try this out...

 

[Supplement Four]

S4, you make it sound so easy.

It is easy!

In the version I cite above, the E System, just throw 2D looking for 14+. Add your modifiers to the dice roll.




For example, if you are doing combat, your modifiers are:

+ Characteristic

+ Skill

+ Apparent Size* (Size - Range)

- Target Speed** (-0, -1, or -2)

- Difficulty (from table above)

*No shot possible if Apparent Size is a negative number.

**Target Speed is Speed=0 if target moving away or toward shooter







See that example on the right hand bottom of page 213? If using the E System, your throw is:

2D + 8 + 3 + 2 - 0 - 3 for 14+

2D + 10 for 14+

No, really, this seems much easier than the other alternative I read about the other day (that you contributed to).

Probably because I was trying to explain the system in depth. Plus, early postings was me brainstorming outloud. I do that a lot.

We've got our game on tonight: i'm pretty tempted to try this out...

I'd really like to hear how it goes. Please report back!

Yours will be the first game test of the E-System!

Let me know what you think!



EDIT: If you think it might help, print out that Difficulty box in the OP and keep it for easy reference until you get used to the system.
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[mike wightman]

Any task system which is based on 2d6 and can have a modifier of +15 thanks to a characteristic to the basic roll is critically broken IMHO.

This is the main reason for my dislike of T4 and T5 task system, the ridiculously high weighting of characteristics.

 

[Supplement Four]

Any task system which is based on 2d6 and can have a modifier of +15 thanks to a characteristic to the basic roll is critically broken IMHO.

It's not broken. It works. The math works.

I understand what you are saying, though. The numbers are odd, scary, and big. And, if I were to create a 2D system for T5 from scratch, it would not look like the conversions that I've made.

But, making a brand new task system wasn't the goal. I wanted a viable conversion for T5. You can't just throw any task system in there. For example, you can't use the MT task system with T5. The success chance needs to be about the same.

The E-System delivers success chance about the same as the T5 system. That's why the modifiers look the way they do. And, a T5 Ref can use the 2D E-System and feel confident that he's not radically altering the game--that a Stat-7, Skill-2 character has the same success chance on a Difficult throw whether he uses T5 or the E-System.

This is the main reason for my dislike of T4 and T5 task system, the ridiculously high weighting of characteristics.

The This Is Hard! rule from T5 can still be used to offset the over weighting of attributes. With the E-System, just up the difficulty level once if Skill level is not equal to or greater than the difficulty number.

In other words, Easy tasks require Skill-1. Average tasks require Skill-2. Difficult tasks require Skill-3, etc. If the skill requirement is not met on a task, then up the difficulty level on step.





EDIT: Personally, I'll most likely stick with CT the way it is. But, if I ever need something from T5, I can integrate it using the E-System. Plus, I think there are CT players out there intrigued by T5. The E-System should help those folks.

I could see some going with the more interesting Careers in T5, developing T5 characters with more and higher skill levels, and using the E-System for use with a T5/CT hybrid. The E-System will work great for those people.





2nd EDIT: As far as the big, scary numbers go, take the example I wrote above:

See that example on the right hand bottom of page 213? If using the E System, your throw is:

2D + 8 + 3 + 2 - 0 - 3 for 14+

2D + 10 for 14+

This is a combat task from a T5 example.

The modifiers above are, in order: Dex-8, Weapon Skill-3, Target Apparent Size Modifier +2, Target Speed Modifier -0, and a -3 modifier for a Difficult task.

Which all works out to 2D + 10 for 14+

Take that one more step, and it's easy to see that the final throw is really just 2D for 4+. Now, that's a pretty simple CT throw, eh?





This is Hard!

Give the character Weapon Skill-2, and the TiH rule would kick in. We'd kick the difficulty up a notch from Difficult to Formidable. The modifiers would then look like this:

The modifiers above are, in order: Dex-8, Weapon Skill-2, Target Apparent Size Modifier +2, Target Speed Modifier -0, and a -7 modifier for a Formidable task.

2D + 8 + 2 + 2 - 0 - 7 for 14+

2D +5 for 14+

2D for 9+

As you can see, the TiH rule works quite well to equalize the importance of skills vs. stats. Without the TiH modifier, the 2D for 4+ task has a 92% chance of success. Here, with the TiH rule at work, we're saying that Skill-2 is not experienced enough to easily handle Difficult tasks. The TiH rule kicks in. And now, the 2D for 9+ task has just a 28% chance of success.

The This is Hard! rule makes skills quite important.