Tim C Koppang
SOC-1
I may be driving myself a bit nuts here, and I apologize if this has been covered elsewhere. However, when generating UWPs in CT (I have the 1981 Deluxe rules), there are a few oddities that don't seem to add up regarding the range of each of the six stats. Specifically, the rules don't tell you want to do if you generate results outside of the described ranges for each stat.
First you have Planetary Size and Population. These are easy enough: 2D-2 without any modifiers. That'll always give a range of 0-10.
Similarly, Hydrographics is supposed to be percentile range in increments of 10%, so a range truncated to a max of 10 makes sense regardless of the modified roll (although that does seem to favor water worlds, doesn't it?).
It's the other derived stats that are giving me a headache, especially Atmosphere. Atmosphere is 2D-7+size, and if size equals 0, so does atmosphere. That gives a potential range of -4 (2 - 7 + 1) all the way through 15 (12 - 7 + 10). I assume any number less than 0 should just be 0. However, what about on the high end? The descriptions only go up through C (insidious), but I know there are extended description tables available. That's no problem.
But what do you do about the Tech Level Table on page 12? The Atm column only lists a range up through E with a DM +1 for determining the tech level. F is left blank, which supposedly means that a atmosphere of F is impossible to generate using the system.
Did I make an error somewhere? Or is the table wrong, and if so, should the DM for atmosphere F be +1?
For comparison, government is derived in a nearly identical way: it's 2D-7+population. Population will always be 0-10, which gives a possible range for government of -5 (2 - 7 + 0) through 15 (12 - 7 + 10). Round up to 0 for anything less than 0, and the Tech Table confirms a range of 0 - F.
So what's up with Atmosphere?
First you have Planetary Size and Population. These are easy enough: 2D-2 without any modifiers. That'll always give a range of 0-10.
Similarly, Hydrographics is supposed to be percentile range in increments of 10%, so a range truncated to a max of 10 makes sense regardless of the modified roll (although that does seem to favor water worlds, doesn't it?).
It's the other derived stats that are giving me a headache, especially Atmosphere. Atmosphere is 2D-7+size, and if size equals 0, so does atmosphere. That gives a potential range of -4 (2 - 7 + 1) all the way through 15 (12 - 7 + 10). I assume any number less than 0 should just be 0. However, what about on the high end? The descriptions only go up through C (insidious), but I know there are extended description tables available. That's no problem.
But what do you do about the Tech Level Table on page 12? The Atm column only lists a range up through E with a DM +1 for determining the tech level. F is left blank, which supposedly means that a atmosphere of F is impossible to generate using the system.
Did I make an error somewhere? Or is the table wrong, and if so, should the DM for atmosphere F be +1?
For comparison, government is derived in a nearly identical way: it's 2D-7+population. Population will always be 0-10, which gives a possible range for government of -5 (2 - 7 + 0) through 15 (12 - 7 + 10). Round up to 0 for anything less than 0, and the Tech Table confirms a range of 0 - F.
So what's up with Atmosphere?