Combat Jumps

[Rockymountainnavy]

References: CHAPTER 2 SKILLS AND TASKS - TIMEFRAMES - Timeframes Table/Going Faster or Slower (p. 60); CHAPTER 7 SPACECRAFT OPERATIONS - Jump Travel - Preparing for Jump, p. 147-148; CHAPTER 8 SPACE COMBAT - ACTIONS STEP - Jump (Engineer), p. 160

Discussion: As part of the Action Step in SPACE COMBAT, a Engineer can make a "combat jump" within one combat round (6 minutes). In the "combat jump" procedure, changing the Timeframe from 1D x 10 minutes (see Preparing to Jump p. 147) to 1D minutes (one space combat round) causes a DM-2 on the Astrogation and Engineer (J-Drive) checks. This is in contrast to the Going Faster or Slower mechanic on p. 60 where changing Timeframe results in Boon/Bane (in this case Bane for moving UP the Timeframes Table).

Recommendation: For CONSISTENCY in rules, when Going Faster or Slower use Boon/Bane vice DMs.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Combat Jump is a hard-wired thing. You want to do it even quicker? Bane roll then, instead of 2D roll.

 

[Rockymountainnavy]

My problem is deciding what should be "hard-wired" and what not.

Throughout the rules, in order to change the Timeframe of a task, one uses Boon/Bane; except for combat jump?

Looking over the Skill List in Chapter 2, I see the following DMs:

• Astrogation - Plotting a Standard Jump: DM- equal to the Jump distance (p. 63)
  Electronics - Specialties - Comms - Jamming a Comms System: opponent gains DM+1 for every TL of difference (p. 64)
  Jack-of-All-Trades: Reduces unskilled penalty by one level (p. 66)

None of these "skill check DMs" are the result of changing timeframe.

Other SPACE COMBAT - Actions Step have DMs for multiple attempts like Overload Drive (Engineer), Overload Plant (Engineer), or Repair System (Engineer). Again, none of these change timeframe. To me that makes the combat jump "exception" all that more exceptional; and I argue it is unnecessary when the Go Faster or Slower Boon/Bane mechanic is already established.

 

[Samcollins]

I saw this too, and it had me shaking my head. The boon/bane seems like it should apply

 

[Samcollins]

I saw this too, and it had me shaking my head. The boon/bane seems like it should apply