I am about to buy Judge dredd and need some things clarified

[Jamescuk]

Hi i am about to take the plunge and buy this version of the game plus the traveller main rule book, i have looked and looked for a review of the game and not found any review at all, I have owned both previous version of the game.

The workshop one is so dated now days and you can really feel it in its clunky system, and dated tables and rules, the d20 version i could not stand mainly because of the d20 system, i have always hated the levelling system in d20 (yes call me what ever, but i just cant stand the system never have never will) and i always fell back on the Dated workshop version, mostly because it was more fun, and it felt it captured the feeling of JD better.

Now i would like to know from anyone who has played it what is it like, how does it play is it fast, does it capture the feeling of JD and MC-1, how do you advance your character as i remember hearing in the original traveller system no rules for advancing your character, does it have rules for using miniatures for combat, is combat fast, can you run the game without a load of dice rolling, is the system rules lite or can it be played rules lite, does it have a nice break down of the laws as for my players sentencing a perp or a group of perps was always the fun part, i just want to know, i so want to get this but i don't want to be disappointed.

James

 

[SnowDog]

Disclaimer, I am yet to run Mongoose Traveller or Traveller JD (although I used to run GW version quite a lot).

From what I have read it does play pretty fast as does MongTrav in general (I believe). Characters get 1 experience point (improvement point or whatever) per game year. I think it is possible to improve a bit faster if you have a chance to train (but then again Judges won't have much down time). I don't remember seeing any rules for using miniatures but I don't see why you couldn't. After all there were no real miniatures rules in the old GW version but there were those paper minis included in the box.

I suppose the combat is fast (and much more deadly than it was in d20 or even in GW version). Traveller system is quite light, I think the heaviest part is character generation. There are the break down of the law like in the previous versions (failing that I would have used the one found in the previous versions). You can get at least part of that from a preview http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/pdf/travjdpre1.pdf.

I hope this helps. I am sure someone with actual experience on the system and the setting can help you more.

 

[ned-kogar]

Yep. I've run two Hotdog Runs (breaking into character creation after Term 3...). Combat's nice and fast, the hardest thing is finding a good way of tracking changes to initiative, which I've now got on top of. It's fairly deadly, and Justice Dept equipment's a real advantage, as it should be. Cover and stance are important factors in firefights.

The skill resolution system is simple and flexible. There's a trade-off between the speed a skill is attempted in and ease of achieving the result you need... we had some nice results when cadets tried to outride a radstorm and ended up careering their bikes into giant gopher holes as a result of overhastiness.

There's a good section on The Law and application of proper sentences.. and characters have a law skill which denotes how on well they know the legal system.

It's the best system I've played for JD, of the three. Not too heavy on the dice rolls, almost all 2d6..

Experience has not yet been an issue, but I intend to figure out my own system for it. Having finished the Hotdog Runs, I'm allowing the Cadets to select particular training for their final term, so that they'll come out with the skills they want, allowing for a degree of specialisation.

 

[Rex]

Yep you can't really go wrong with it. Granted I'm biased because the Traveller System and it's satellite games are the main things I run for Demo's, but also having gone through all the previous versions of the game, this is the one that Fits the Best, and presents the best replication of the Comics to me.

~Rex...The Black Hand

 

[Dredd Times]

A full review of Judge Dredd as well as Bad Moon Rising and Strontium Dog will be up on the new Dredd Times site in the new year.

 

[Jamescuk]

wow it sounds good, i may go get a copy tomorrow but what do you mean by

the hardest thing is finding a good way of tracking changes to initiative, which I've now got on top of.

SnowDog can you enlighten me?

What about using minis for combat is there no rules or anything?

 

[SnowDog]

It was ned-kogar who mentioned the problem with initiative. Without a proper experience with the system, I can only speculate. MongTrav uses a sort of dynamic initiative where you roll for initiative at the start of the combat and it stays the same (so you don't roll it again each round) but it can change due to recoil, hasting and probably due to wounds (possibly for other reasons, too). I suppose ned-kogar referred to that.

I think there is a Traveller dev pack under Traveller where you can check out the SRD (and how combat works).

I don't see any problem using minis with MongTrav rules if you choose to do so. Just determine the scale (like 1" = 5 m or something like that). Then move your minis like in the non-mini rules. We have done something like this with other games but distances have been quite arbitrary or we have used large grid paper to position our minis. In those cases miniatures have been there just to help visualize the situation and have never been mandatory. In fact we have played our games without minis as well...

 

[Jamescuk]

right i am of to buy JD now from my local comic shop (yes they carry a small selection of rpg's) still waiting for Traveller to arrive from amazon

 

[Jamescuk]

Ok just got home from the comic shop and my traveller rules had arrived, only had a quick look through Jd book love the way you make characters it just fleshes them out. I still need to sit down and read traveller and jd book.

Is there anything i can leave out of the traveller book?

 

[Loz]

The main Dredd rules give you pretty much most of what you need. You'll need the Traveller rules for:

Skill descriptions
General Game Mechanics, skill mods, etc
Combat
Creature stats and rules

Otherwise, everything's included within the Dredd book. If you want to create some civilians - citizens, perps and so on, then the Traveller careers and ready-made NPCs will help; just equip them with weapons and items from the equipment lists in Dredd.

 

[Jamescuk]

thanks guys you all been a great help, I am going to enjoy reading this, I already started to come up with a plot

 

[AndrewW]

Also the upcoming Judge's Handbook includes some ships for Judge Dredd, so you might look into that section if you are going to make use of ship combat or something. But not really needed otherwise.

 

[Jamescuk]

Hi everyone again, My best mate and i just ran through character gen for judges and we both loved the way it works bloody brilliant, i am so far loving the system, and the rules.

I do have one gripe with it, and that the Experience, every four years! That seams extreme 4 years! i cant see a campaign lasting four years, surly there is another way to do it!

Also what are the two pre written stories Bad Moon Rising an Democracy Falls like? how do they handle xp do they do it differently at all? Are they easy to use?

 

[Loz]

You need to bear in mind a few things about the Traveller system when considering experience.

First, your character isn't a fledgling adventurer who's just left home and starting out at first level; he's just spent 15 years going through the Academy of Justice and emerges with far more experience than just about anyone else of a similar age.

Second, think about the Traveller skill system: roll 8+ on 2d6 with characteristic and skill modifiers. Now, look at the rate skills are accrued in Traveller. A +1 or +2 bonus on a 2d6 roll is actually a fair tip of the balance. A skill level of 2 also, generally, represents someone who is extremely competent in their field. Level 3 is considered expert and level 4 world renown.

So, if the experience system was allowed to impart skill rewards at a high rate, soon you're going to have judges that are levels 5, 6, 7 or 8 quite rapidly. The vast bulk of street judges are good - but not that good. They still outclass typical citizens in most respects. The experience system is as it is to prevent runaway skills inflation and maintain parity within the core game mechanic: 8+ on 2d6.

'Bad Moon Rising' certainly doesn't handle experience any differently. I doubt 'Democracy Falls' does either. Traveller and Dredd just aren't like some games where accruing XP to rapidly buy another skill level is of prime importance. Your characters already start well equipped with skills and maturity. The focus - the reward - is the story and other ways of advancing.

 

[SnowDog]

Yes, I call it 'character development' where the personality of the character develops and he gets more background from actual game play.

While a campaign won't last for four years (real time) who's to say that you have to play each and every day of your characters' lives? Personally I have ditched that approach some time ago and allocated down time or in this case behind the scenes time. Not all routine cases have to be played instead you can jump even months between sessions and adventures. MC-1 is a busy place but there are plenty of Judges to handle things

Now that I come to think of it, I think that this is the way I handled my GW Dredd campaign oh so many years ago.

 

[Jamescuk]

Your characters already start well equipped with skills and maturity. The focus - the reward - is the story and other ways of advancing.

Oh yes i see that now, i haven't ran the system yet, but what i think you mean is the judges could make an ally or a contact, or a enemy or two. They could mess up with sentencing someone and the have the sjs breathing down his neck, you mean stuff that enrich the characters and add more flavour to the campaign.

Have any of you run a campaign that has an underlining plot that goes through the entire season, like everything the Judges are doing has ties or affects a crime boss, and there foreshadowing with in the campaign.

see i want to run something like that, yes there will be fillers like a patrol or two and one of cases, but it will build to a semi epic end which i would make almost 4 years of in game play, Sorry i am rabbiting.

I also came up with a few fleding idears for stories only two so far ones an indepth case, and ones a survial horror lol

1st) Bodys found, in an apartment, its the robot, they have had an radio control device put it, it been burnt out so to hide what it is, but teck will find and report that the robort seam to have an extra system thats has been burnt out, a few more deaths maybe, the will follow up on neighbours and everything standard, i know it needs work.

2nd) piece full grop, lock there city block up, a zombie out break kicks off inside, judges some how get locked in or find a way in yep needs work too

 

[The Greek]

I often use recurring bad guys in my Dredd campaign, with stoyr lines following on from one another.

Best way I have found to do this is introduce the bad guy indirectly (through runours at the Secotr House, News Broadcasts, the daily briefings or messages from control). Then I tend to introduce disposable underlings. (Think the Pit, or Scorpion Dance for the Frendz).

The big bad tends to show up for something spectacular, having avoided the Judges up to then (otherwise he would be unlikely to survive long...)

I also have used my own weird cult on repeated occassions, kind of similar to the way the Branch Moronians keep appearing in stories.

 

[numanti]

I've always played my Dredd campaigns in similar time to the comics - if we have a year's break (because, for example, we're playing another game...) then when we come back a year has passed. The only exception really being if we have a complicated game that's going to take about 12 sessions to run, that can take up whatever amount of time the plot demands it takes - so a game we're playing for 3 months might represent 2 days of the character's lives. It all depends. When my group return to Dredd, in about 5 weeks when we have finished up our Warhammer RPG game, it's going to be 2132, and I'm hitting them straight with Bad Moon Rising.

I'm not using Traveller rules, though - but I have integrated the academy of Law system into my house rles (based on GW rules, with a lot of the skills and abilities of the D20 added, and now a lot of the new stuff added, too - my players are too keen on the idea of experience and progression, and we're all too old and grumpy to learn new rules... and I disliked the D20 version so much that I'm unwilling this time to pay an extra £25 for another game (Traveller) to be able to play a game I just payed £30 for, when I have a perfectly usable and familiar set of rules of my own already.

The Dredd rulebook and BMR are both excellent, though

 

[Jamescuk]

f we have a year's break (because, for example, we're playing another game...) then when we come back a year has passed.

so how do you deal with down time and what they have been up to?

 

[Loz]

Have any of you run a campaign that has an underlining plot that goes through the entire season, like everything the Judges are doing has ties or affects a crime boss, and there foreshadowing with in the campaign.

see i want to run something like that, yes there will be fillers like a patrol or two and one of cases, but it will build to a semi epic end which i would make almost 4 years of in game play, Sorry i am rabbiting.

'Bad Moon Rising' is designed to be run in exactly this way.