Alternative Rules for learning new skills.

[Marachai]

Before I get started on this I just want to say ahead of time, I realise what I want to do breaks out of the mold that Traveller is set in and will change the balance of player characters. I understand this

I have a small gaming group that has three people. They did well in character creation and with a few rule changes I put in place, managed to cover a fairly decent amount of skills. My problem is, that for the kind of game I am running, which is fairly wide in scope, they can't quite cover enough.

I've thought on this matter and what I want to introduce to my game is a new way that allows players to train / be trained up to 0 in a skill in a shorter time. I don't want to change the standard rules for skilling up, but it would be useful if players could be trained in the basics of skills to help them deal with more situations.

So far I thought about allowing the players to make an INT roll once per week in a untrained skill that they can show they have actively been attempting to learn / be trained in. If they are successful, then the minus improves one, but doesnt allow for the skill to go beyond 0. So the untrained skill would start at -3 and on his first week he makes his roll and it goes to -2 on skill rolls ... second week he makes the roll and it goes to -1 on skill rolls .. and finally his third successful week takes him to 0, and he knows the basics of the skill. After this he abides by the standard rules for leveling up skills.

With this system I realise a lucky player could pick up a 0 in a skill every three weeks, and obviously my concern is maybe that is a wee bit too fast. On the other hand it would allow my group to work towards covering the weaknesses they have.

Like i said above at the start, I know this changes the power balance of player characters. I accept that, but I need something to allow my players to cover more, but also to feel like they are improving week to week in game. I thought the above might give me a little of both.

Any comments or thoughts ? . I'm not new to gaming, but fairly new to traveller, so wanted to pass it by those more experienced with the system.

 

[AndrewW]

I have a small gaming group that has three people. They did well in character creation and with a few rule changes I put in place, managed to cover a fairly decent amount of skills. My problem is, that for the kind of game I am running, which is fairly wide in scope, they can't quite cover enough.

Another possibility is to introduce an extra character or two that may travel along with the players.

1 level-0 skill every 3 weeks could be a bit much. Maybe a limit to be able to learn a maximum number of skills this way?

 

[Marachai]

I had considered adding in a few npc's or additional pc's for the players to use but neither option was acceptable to the players. They didn't want to play additional characters ... and they weren't keen on watching npc's do sections of the adventure for them heh .

Yup a maximum could be a good way to go to stop it from getting to out of hand. I doubt most players will learn a skill as quickly as 3 weeks since they need to make a roll for it, but either way a limit would be good.

thanks for the advice.

 

[AndrewW]

I had considered adding in a few npc's or additional pc's for the players to use but neither option was acceptable to the players. They didn't want to play additional characters ... and they weren't keen on watching npc's do sections of the adventure for them heh .

Maybe an occasional 'helper' if they need a specific skill they don't have? You have to get this hacker into the security complex so that he can access a restricted terminal? That way their part of the adventure is that part of the mission and not the hacking part.

Yup a maximum could be a good way to go to stop it from getting to out of hand. I doubt most players will learn a skill as quickly as 3 weeks since they need to make a roll for it, but either way a limit would be good.

Need to make 3 rolls, probably isn't going to happen every week but it does leave a possibility.

thanks for the advice.

No problem.

 

[Klaus Kipling]

I dole out 'weeks' as experience points, to add to any weeks spent training...

 

[JimG]

I dole out 'weeks' as experience points, to add to any weeks spent training...

I do the same thing (in fact, I think I stole the idea from Klaus) but I've altered the training costs a bit and wrote up some house rules for improving stats as well.

 

[Marachai]

I actually quite like this idea I can see the players being rather keen on me handing out a sort of experience. They quite like games where they feel their character can improve over time, and this would fit the bill.

What scale do you use for this ? . Between 1 week and ... is your typical to a player ?

 

[whtknght]

I can see the players being rather keen on me handing out a sort of experience. They quite like games where they feel their character can improve over time, and this would fit the bill.

If you want your player to get experience points and improve their character, then look at T20. That uses the D20 system in the Traveller Universe. MGT is like CT where you generate a character and play it. No levels, no experince points.

 

[Marachai]

I wasn't a massive fan of T20 to be honest. I like the d20 system enough for fantasy, but always felt it sucked for modern or sci fi.

I do like the traveller system, just was wanting to add on to it some was all

But thanks for the suggestion.

 

[BP]

... They didn't want to play additional characters ... and they weren't keen on watching npc's do sections of the adventure for them ...

How about a robot(s) - ala R2D2 & CP3O style (or Marvin from Hitchhiker's Guide)= the players can order it around and it can have numerous 'skills' - you play it so they don't have to, but they still maintain some control. Perhaps the robot is an 'Ancient technology or Alien artifact' acquired via a Life Event. [There I go crossing the streams again!]

Also, consider temporary, on demand skills (ex: in Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds, one of the characters learns French and German temporarily via nano-tech).

 

[Klaus Kipling]

I actually quite like this idea I can see the players being rather keen on me handing out a sort of experience. They quite like games where they feel their character can improve over time, and this would fit the bill.

What scale do you use for this ? . Between 1 week and ... is your typical to a player ?

I tend to hand them out one at a time, on the fly. Last 20+ hour of game, the players got about 5 each, one for each plot achievement or cool rping moments. Then they got 4 weeks of downtime training too. I might make them, say, put a week on Gun Combat, if they've been especially hot at shooting.

JimG, what's your formula? I use, for skills, 20 + skill level to be achieved squared. For Attributes, the level to be achieved squared. so, to get level 2 mechanic, 29 weeks. To get 10 End, 100 weeks

 

[JimG]

JimG, what's your formula? I use, for skills, 20 + skill level to be achieved squared. For Attributes, the level to be achieved squared. so, to get level 2 mechanic, 29 weeks. To get 10 End, 100 weeks

Umm, I'll have to check my notes later... I do know that I factored in the total number of skill levels as well as the new skill level, but I don't think I squared it. For most of my players (who have fairly high skill totals after 6 terms of service) they needed around 15 weeks to pick up a new level 0, and approximately 35 to go from level 1 to level 2.

For attributes, I created a table roughly based on the square of the target attribute, but I'll have to look it up.

I also allow the players to buy training aids, which will allow them to gain extra points during a week of training.

We've had 12 sessions so far, including at least 6 weeks of training (during jumps) and not one skill or attribute has been increased yet, so I don't feel the pace has been too fast.

 

[Last_Starfighter]

I had the same issue with XP (the players !).

So, I use 'Fate Points' (brownie points, hero points, etc).

Each fate point allows: 1d6 to be re-rolled for an in game check, AFTER they have already tried it (they are hero's after all) OR 1d6 to be rolled against a skill (equal to or higher and the skill gets a level, to a max of 6) OR 2 points allows 2d6 to be rolled against a Stat (equal to or higher and the stat gains one NOTE a natural 12 automatically gives a stat increase, racial Max still stands).

I have also implimented the old Trav standard of the total skill levels not exceeding INT and EDU combined ... 0 skill count as 0.

It seems pretty simple so far, and I control how many 'Fate Points' they get per session, and the players *feel* they can keep track of how well they are doing ...

 

[Merxiless]

Interesting.

I'm more of a fan of hiring someone to do the job, or taking extra time, or helping each other plus toolkits to get better skill performance.

If the PC is unskilled, there it is. Good luck. Hire an NPC, if you don't know how to work the drive.

Opens up possibilities of trust, etc, and tensions with the crew...or can.

 

[AndrewW]

There is also the instruction skill in Mercenary.

 

[Marachai]

In the past I have used npc's to cover area's that the players are lacking in. It can make for an extra complication and some interesting opportunities in gaming. I would still do that now too, if it was a one off need for a very specific skill.

My concern and my players desire is to be able to more easily pick up at least the basics in skills which they themselves need, which they failed to pick up in character creation. For example, none of them managed to get stealth. Not really the sort of skill they can bring someone in for. Now I know in this particular case they can get access to equipment to help compensate, but they don’t always have access to such.

The style of game we are playing is Traveller come cyberpunk to a degree. So infiltration and the likes does come up. Add to this its mostly ground based on one planet, so the players don’t yet have access to all those weeks in jump space to train up, and the chances of the players acquiring a new skill, or a skill up very remote, least under the standard rule.

I appreciate all the advice for ways to supplement the standard rules for this. Thanks a lot I am sure my players would want to thank you too.

 

[Marachai]

I had a look at the Instruction skill in Mercenary when it first came out. Maybe I misunderstood how it worked, but doesnt it still require almost the same amount of time as normal to improve, i think its like a week less or something, but you have to make a roll at the end ?

I don't have my Mercenary book on me, so thats just from memory, so I maybe remembering it wrong

 

[AndrewW]

I had a look at the Instruction skill in Mercenary when it first came out. Maybe I misunderstood how it worked, but doesnt it still require almost the same amount of time as normal to improve, i think its like a week less or something, but you have to make a roll at the end ?

I don't have my Mercenary book on me, so thats just from memory, so I maybe remembering it wrong

1-6 days less. Education or Intelligence 8+.

 

[Donkeykong]

My concern and my players desire is to be able to more easily pick up at least the basics in skills which they themselves need, which they failed to pick up in character creation.

I don't think a poor precedent is being set.
If I understand the Core Rulebook Characters get all their Service Skills at level 0 in addition to their usual skill rolls during their first term in any Career.
It seems to me that level 1 skill represents a period of extended study (eg a diploma) while level 0 (x6) seems to be basic training.
Assuming the induction period for a career is half a year (noting that basic military training is less at about 6 weeks) it seems reasonable to work with the idea that a level 0 skill can be achieved in a month or less.
_____________________________________________________________
"Why buy one when you can buy two at twice the price."

 

[drnuncheon]

If I understand the Core Rulebook Characters get all their Service Skills at level 0 in addition to their usual skill rolls during their first term in any Career.

That is true only for the first career. For each subsequent career you only get to choose one of the Service Skills to get at 0. (p8, Basic Training)