Heroic Characteristics?

[Kautsu]

Hello,

Another suggestion for optional rule (until we get the companion allowing assignment based character generation), is Heroic characteristic generation giving player Boon on all characteristic roll. That is 3D, drop smallest. (This would be nicely put into small box or as paragraph option).

Yours Kautsu

 

[TrippyHippy]

That'll only be in the Companion if it gets through.

 

[Reynard]

Heroic characteristics are far too common to Traveller, just let the players roll their characters out of sight of the other gamers. Also amazing how these characters also are on the heavy side of skills too.

If the referee is cool with it, let the players munchkin the characters and have a good time otherwise one compromise is to let players reroll their characteristics if the total falls below an agreed on minimum or no characteristic can be below a minimum such as '7'. Players that are at least 'average' are better than the rest of the universe.

There is a mention for alternate generation in the Companion so we can wait and comment when that comes out. I'd like to see a point based system.

 

[-Daniel-]

Heroic characteristics are far too common to Traveller, just let the players roll their characters out of sight of the other gamers. Also amazing how these characters also are on the heavy side of skills too.

I think this has a lot more to do with who you are playing with rather than the rules. I have had groups that would adjust and "cheat" even at the table and I have had groups that would come to the table and the characters were average and "expected". Good and bad events for example. Or stats that were not heroic. Or skills that didn't allow them to be combat monsters, but rather interesting and odd mixed skills that feel random.

People are going to do what they will regardless of the rules. I would leave the CRB at the roll six attributes and assign as desired. Then in other sources, offer the odd optional stuff.

 

[AndrewW]

Or skills that didn't allow them to be combat monsters, but rather interesting and odd mixed skills that feel random.

I've done that. Had one where we used a point buy and I had zero combat skills.

 

[-Daniel-]

Or skills that didn't allow them to be combat monsters, but rather interesting and odd mixed skills that feel random.

I've done that. Had one where we used a point buy and I had zero combat skills.

I find that often the Character a person generates/creates says more about what kind of game they want to play then about the rule set they used or abused. :mrgreen:

 

[AndrewW]

I find that often the Character a person generates/creates says more about what kind of game they want to play then about the rule set they used or abused. :mrgreen:

In this case it was a good fit for the character, he wouldn't have had any use for combat skills in his prior life.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I want the Companion book to have a Boon/Bane chapter. I've never rolled up a heroic character for Traveller, unless I tweaked the dice roll for Characteristics to make some.

 

[Reynard]

My last character played Pirate of Drinax. Lousy physical characteristics and Social Standing and only carried a stun gun so she couldn't cause too much damage to her fellow Travellers when she misses. Rather than weep that she was neither heroic or average (I was told I could redo her because of her stats and refused) I made sure she stood out for what she could do and the antics she would make renown. It's not always about fantastic stats, it's about a well run game.

 

[MongooseMatt]

I've done that. Had one where we used a point buy and I had zero combat skills.

Me too In fact, I tried very hard to create the most useless character possible on point buy - which is where the whole idea of high SOC characters also being dilettante celebrities came from!

 

[-Daniel-]

Me too In fact, I tried very hard to create the most useless character possible on point buy - which is where the whole idea of high SOC characters also being dilettante celebrities came from!

The idea of a High SOC celebrity always makes me think of the scene from Romancing the Stone where the main characters go to the Drug Lords home and he recognizes the author because he is a fan of her books and helps them just because she is "the Joan Wilder". :lol:

 

[FallingPhoenix]

Me too In fact, I tried very hard to create the most useless character possible on point buy - which is where the whole idea of high SOC characters also being dilettante celebrities came from!

The idea of a High SOC celebrity always makes me think of the scene from Romancing the Stone where the main characters go to the Drug Lords home and he recognizes the author because he is a fan of her books and helps them just because she is "the Joan Wilder". :lol:

That's a great flick!

 

[Infojunky]

I've done that. Had one where we used a point buy and I had zero combat skills.

Me too In fact, I tried very hard to create the most useless character possible on point buy - which is where the whole idea of high SOC characters also being dilettante celebrities came from!

Heck we had an entire campaign where all the characters were useless idiots.... From that game we got the "Form-o-Matic 3000" a semi automated from generator for all your Form Needs.... Wielded by a Junior Bureaucrat, who managed to bring several combats to a screeching halts through diligent issuance of appropriate forms for both sides.....

 

[matthra]

Isn't the problem one of expectation, people who are expecting high DM values and get them are going to bork the system. Because even a modest +1 in the current rules system is notable, as a one point shift on a bell curve as tight as 2D6 makes a large difference in outcome. For instance, to make a diff 7 roll with a DM +0 is a 58% chance of success, with a DM + 1 it's 72%. By the time you are getting into +3 or +4 DMs your are starting to regularly achieve feats that are almost impossible for normal people who have a +0 or +1, and more importantly other PCs.

The rules seem created with the default traveler setting in mind. It assumes you are competent individual, that is well within the norms for humanity. Characters such as batman, conan, and/or the winchester brothers would quickly break the bell curve.

 

[-Daniel-]

Isn't the problem one of expectation, .....

Yes, that is always part of the problem. Despite those who say they have played below average characters in the past, I have found most players are only willing to play a below average character for a short period. Most players want to be a heroic character and that does include the attributes to match. The fun I have is helping them set their expectations that a 6-8 are good stats. I also have some understanding for those who are less than excited about attributes in the 2-4 range. I try to work with them.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

By the time you are getting into +3 or +4 DMs your are starting to regularly achieve feats that are almost impossible for normal people who have a +0 or +1, and more importantly other PCs.

The rules seem created with the default traveler setting in mind. It assumes you are competent individual, that is well within the norms for humanity. Characters such as batman, conan, and/or the winchester brothers would quickly break the bell curve.

There is more than just Characteristic Modifiers to take into account when doing a supers game.

 

[denis]

Isn't the problem one of expectation, people who are expecting high DM values and get them are going to bork the system.

...

The rules seem created with the default traveler setting in mind. It assumes you are competent individual, that is well within the norms for humanity.

The subject is "heroic characteristics"? There are different styles of play. Playing below average characters is one style, playing heroic characters is another style.

It only borks the system is you don't throw heroic opposition/problems at the group

 

[Nerhesi]

Isn't the problem one of expectation, people who are expecting high DM values and get them are going to bork the system.

...

The rules seem created with the default traveler setting in mind. It assumes you are competent individual, that is well within the norms for humanity.

The subject is "heroic characteristics"? There are different styles of play. Playing below average characters is one style, playing heroic characters is another style.

It only borks the system is you don't throw heroic opposition/problems at the group

Agreed.. and even then, I have a player that prefers everything to be trivial. The same player ofcourse who cheats in all his PC games, but I just wanted to illustrate that even the formula of "make super heroes, and have them fight super villains" doesn't necessarily represent the end scale...

I wish it did though!