An allegedly official erratum re: neurotoxin INT loss that is missing a stat value or range... help?

[kaladorn]

Page 76, Neurotoxin INT Damage
If a mental characteristic reaches, make the player roleplay it. The Traveller will be all but brain dead.

This was marked in a document as [Official] for MgT2.

Read the sentence. Does it not appear that there should be a number or range following the word "reaches"?

e.g. A proper answer would be "If a mental characteristics reaches {0, 1, 3-, whatever!, pick one!}, make the player roleplay it. The Traveller will be all but brain dead."

I infer that the missing value might be 0 or 1-. I don't know at what INT level one loses the ability to communicate, but that could be another valid answer.

Mind you, 'brain dead' means a lot less less in a high tech setting than it does in a lower tech setting. You might lose memories, but the raw brain tissue and neuronic pathways could be rebuilt or at least recreated.

Is there an official number or range that could finish off his erratum so that it is usable?

 

[JustEastOfTheEdge]

This was marked in a document as [Official] for MgT2.

Read the sentence. Does it not appear that there should be a number or range following the word "reaches"?

e.g. A proper answer would be "If a mental characteristics reaches {0, 1, 3-, whatever!, pick one!}, make the player roleplay it. The Traveller will be all but brain dead."

I infer that the missing value might be 0 or 1-. I don't know at what INT level one loses the ability to communicate, but that could be another valid answer.

Mind you, 'brain dead' means a lot less less in a high tech setting than it does in a lower tech setting. You might lose memories, but the raw brain tissue and neuronic pathways could be rebuilt or at least recreated.

Is there an official number or range that could finish off his erratum so that it is usable?

What book is this from? Can't find it in the current Core Rules version.

 

[kaladorn]

What book is this from? Can't find it in the current Core Rules version.

It's an errata for the MgT2 Core Rules version (c 2016). The Erratum has its own Erratum...

Mongoose Traveller 2nd Edition Erratum

docs.google.com

This doc supposedly contained all of the Errata up until 28-Sep-2018.

I don't have the 2022 MgT2.

The world has kept escalating - labour, fuel, heating, housing and groceries. It's really slowed down my shopping.

 

[JustEastOfTheEdge]

Very little in the new version about it, But neurotoxin is noted as "damage" so I can only assume it works like any other damage, when reduced to 0 bad things happen... It would be strange if "1" was intended, as its 0 for the physical ones

 

[Reisender]

This was marked in a document as [Official] for MgT2.

Read the sentence. Does it not appear that there should be a number or range following the word "reaches"?

e.g. A proper answer would be "If a mental characteristics reaches {0, 1, 3-, whatever!, pick one!}, make the player roleplay it. The Traveller will be all but brain dead."

I infer that the missing value might be 0 or 1-. I don't know at what INT level one loses the ability to communicate, but that could be another valid answer.

Mind you, 'brain dead' means a lot less less in a high tech setting than it does in a lower tech setting. You might lose memories, but the raw brain tissue and neuronic pathways could be rebuilt or at least recreated.

Is there an official number or range that could finish off his erratum so that it is usable?

Since it has an effect if a physical characteristic reaches 0 I would assume that it should read "If a mental characteristic reaches 0 ...".

 

[MonkeyX]

Yup. I’d say 0 too.

 

[kaladorn]

Since it has an effect if a physical characteristic reaches 0 I would assume that it should read "If a mental characteristic reaches 0 ...".

Hmm, this is interesting. What you say makes sense... except.... you can be functional without END at 0. You can still do some stuff. INT down to 0? Or EDU if that is memory? I'd think you'd be inviable to function well before 0.

Maybe INT and EDU should be treated differently?

 

[Reisender]

Hmm, this is interesting. What you say makes sense... except.... you can be functional without END at 0. You can still do some stuff. INT down to 0? Or EDU if that is memory? I'd think you'd be inviable to function well before 0.

Maybe INT and EDU should be treated differently?

1. A characteristic at 0 induces a DM-3 for any related tests.
2. Yes, when END reaches 0 you still can be functional but any additional damage is then deducted from STR or DEX, which is getting serious. That is the effect when END reaches 0.
3. According to the errate you have quoted INT is treated differently as it states that you should roleplay the effect. So I don't understand what you want in addition to that. To me a character with INT 0 is basically a zombie.
4. We have rules on how to recover the physical characteristics called healing. But how to you recover INT or EDU? Maybe at a very high TL this is possible.

 

[CordwainerFish]

You know, the first two neurotoxins I can think of absolutely destroy very small parts of the brain. The results are permanent and completely debilitating (in very different ways). The effect of one of them can be reversed by medicines... for a few years, then the medicines stop working. Permanently. In both cases, the victim will eventually end up in care. Permanently.

This table entry isn't from an equipment list; it is not How Neurotoxins Work in Traveller; it is a f'instance. A referee will have to make up their own mind, on a case by case basis, what the effects are, and how and if recovery is achieved, of/from any particular substance they place in their game.

 

[JustEastOfTheEdge]

Yes exactly, the one my players got wrecked their co-ordination so they lost DEX, not INT.