There's a preview of Riki-Tiki-Traveller in the latest Signs & Portents magazine from Mongoose. Link below:

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/home/detail.php?qsID=1533&qsSeries=13

Not much concrete detail given, but I'm heartened by what there is. The mechanic is very similar to the one Decipher used for its Lord of the Rings RPG, but how close they are is impossible to tell with so little info. I found with LotR that using 2d6 as a base didn't give enough of a range of randomness for my taste.

Nothing there jumps out as me as horrid and awful, save maybe the addition of a point-based chargen (HERESY!), but at least that's optional.  I can still see the choice of which to use in a game becoming a point of contention, so I'm kinda hoping they jsut stick with random.

The die mechanic is not far off from most of the houseruled Classic Traveller skill check systems I've seen, so it's good that all the rumors about wierd die pool systems and such will be shitcanned.

It's not clear in the article what's happening to Miller's T5 though.  It sounds like they're working with Marc Miller to consolidate the line back down to a single core, which owuld seem to contradict earlier hintings at a Basic/Advanced-like split, so maybe they changed their mind on that.

I'm still skeptical a bit, because it's Mongoose, but there's nothing there that sounds overtly awful or anything.

Good: using 2d6 instead of the craptastic T4 style dice pool system.

Perhaps not so good: Char - 7 is too big a modifier for 2d6. Hope they tone that down.

Quote from: Caesar SlaadGood: using 2d6 instead of the craptastic T4 style dice pool system.

Perhaps not so good: Char - 7 is too big a modifier for 2d6. Hope they tone that down.

I've been seriously thinking about whether an attribute modifier setup similar to D20 or CODA would work well with CT.

Quote from: Caesar SlaadGood: using 2d6 instead of the craptastic T4 style dice pool system.

Perhaps not so good: Char - 7 is too big a modifier for 2d6. Hope they tone that down.

Agreed. If it's not 2d6, it isn't Traveller in my book.

The Char -7 sounds wonky. Reading their explanation, it seems they feel the same way, but haven't found a better answer yet. My guess is it will be tweaked before final release.

Quote from: J ArcaneI've been seriously thinking about whether an attribute modifier setup similar to D20 or CODA would work well with CT.

 Arcane - why don't you just try to homebrew that yourself for TRAVELLER - and let us all know how it works out ?


I'd be interested.


- Ed C.

Folks it´s SOOO easy:

x = skill + roll

If you roll under your attribute you get +1
If you roll under twice your attribute (starting with attributes that have an A), you get +2.

Think about the sheer elegance and smartness of this totally ripped off house rule. I stole it from Freelance Traveller, I think.

Quote from: SettembriniFolks it´s SOOO easy:

x = skill + roll

If you roll under your attribute you get +1
If you roll under twice your attribute (starting with attributes that have an A), you get +2.

Think about the sheer elegance and smartness of this totally ripped off house rule. I stole it from Freelance Traveller, I think.

I'm confused. The system they are going with is roll over. Are you suggesting a roll under instead?

It´s roll over. Read it again and think of the implications.

You roll a twelve. Good!
Your attribute is eight. No additional bonus.

You roll a seven. Mediocre, but you get a bonus from your attribute.

Quote from: SettembriniIt´s roll over. Read it again and think of the implications.

You roll a twelve. Good!
Your attribute is eight. No additional bonus.

You roll a seven. Mediocre, but you get a bonus from your attribute.

Ok I see what you mean. I dont think I like it though. While I see how a higher attribute makes it easier to get a bonus. Which make sense. But it still sort of rewards a shitty die roll which I dont like. It would seem to me to either base it off the attribute itself. Which is obviously not a good idea here. Or a fixed bonus derived from the attribute, like in D&D.

Quote from: SettembriniIt´s roll over. Read it again and think of the implications.

You roll a twelve. Good!
Your attribute is eight. No additional bonus.

You roll a seven. Mediocre, but you get a bonus from your attribute.

Gah. Too fidgety.

Gimme a modifier I can roll, add, and get it over with.

In the CT game I ran from November through March, we used Paul Elliot's task system:

It's roll 2d6 + skill vs TN, with a possible bonus from an applicable attribute (determined by the GM).

If the attribute is > the TN, you get a +1.  If the attribute is 2x the TN, you get a +2.  If the attribute is half the TN, you get a -1.

He has a couple of complications for similar skills and such, but that's the gist.

Simple, elegant, and does its job very well.

MT's task system worked well enough for my group.  after a while i could get any of them to understand "difficult, gravitics, education" on the fly (or the like).  and some of the guys are "what do i need to roll?", contantly, types.

at least this new ed. comes out before 4E, fingers crossed.  one new system at a time, pls

i liked seeing the simple mock-ups of the covers in the signs & portents article.  

Quote from: KenHRIn the CT game I ran from November through March, we used Paul Elliot's task system:

It's roll 2d6 + skill vs TN, with a possible bonus from an applicable attribute (determined by the GM).

If the attribute is > the TN, you get a +1.  If the attribute is 2x the TN, you get a +2.  If the attribute is half the TN, you get a -1.

He has a couple of complications for similar skills and such, but that's the gist.

Simple, elegant, and does its job very well.

Perhaps I'm repeating myself, but to me, the necessity additional attribute/TN comparisons don't seem too "elegant" to me.