Combat and Social Conflict Options for Traveller

[SnowDog]

Based on the poll it seems like there is a need for more combat options. Personally I would like to see various ways to handle wounds in personal combat but it seems like customers would welcome other rules for combat as well.

As not all conflicts are physical in nature, maybe some sort of expanded social conflict rules set?

Maybe these could be addressed in S&P articles, too?

 

[Nathan Brazil]

I would like to see more combat options as well. However, there are functional limitations within the current rule set. Without replacing existing rules, the only items one can manipulate are skill levels, initiative and substution of signigicant action for more minor actions.
Somethings could be added in like flanking and rear attacks, reducing skill levels to achieve a new effect (add a second weapon in an off hand with a DM primary attack by -2, second by -4 or something like that), but others would be impacts in re-writing the existing rules and more add-ons.

Judge Dredd and SD have something like that with special techniques, but they replace a skill level that would otherwise be earned? Woah, that seems a bit much. Four years so I can use a second off-hand weapon, maybe. Four years to get a +2 DM on grapples (I am a Expert Wrestler!), not so sure...

I am all for the idea of more combat options. It is just I want to buy a book with "look at what else you can do", not a revised book of "What you knew was wrong. Do this, instead."

Some would be more problematic to introduce. I think would make it more like d20 with feats and class benefits.

 

[TrippyHippy]

'Social combat', whilst in my view something of a contradiction in terms, can easily be done in Traveller, by making the INT, EDU and SOC scores as pool amounts that can be lost in the same manner that STR, DEX and END can be in physical conflict.

The recent Dr Who game does something like this already. You don't really need anything elaborate, just a penalty consequence on each respective score due to whatever 'social maneuvers' you deem to be applicable as an attack. The notion that these things could be reduced in any permanent way is questionable, but it could be viewed as losing personal confidence in one's own Intelligence, Education and Social Standing respectively.

 

[SnowDog]

'Social combat', whilst in my view something of a contradiction in terms, can easily be done in Traveller, by making the INT, EDU and SOC scores as pool amounts that can be lost in the same manner that STR, DEX and END can be in physical conflict.

The recent Dr Who game does something like this already. You don't really need anything elaborate, just a penalty consequence on each respective score due to whatever 'social maneuvers' you deem to be applicable as an attack. The notion that these things could be reduced in any permanent way is questionable, but it could be viewed as losing personal confidence in one's own Intelligence, Education and Social Standing respectively.

I used the term social conflict

Good suggestions on how to do that. I agree that it is all about loosing confidence and also arguments. Still, SOC is a bit problematic stat to use as in some non-OTU settings it is not in use.