Ideas for Personel Sheilds

[Infojunky]

The Central Supply Catalog has rules for normal shields.

Depending on the size there is a DM to the attack and then if hit, the shield has an Armor Value.

I'll go look at that book again, though I tell you it makes my eyes bleed, needs an index....

Yea it does...

Page 42-44.

Unfortunately those shields aren't quite what I mean...

 

[Infojunky]

The secret of the ancients campaign has rules for personal shields, they are in part 6 of the campaign. The basic mechanic is if hit by a weapon, roll 2d6, if you roll 3+ the hit is ignored, but hits after the first apply a -1DM, so to stop the second hit would require 4+ and so on. The fuller rules are in the mentioned part in a side text box (page 11).

Ok, I now have read those rules... I am thinking they are a little robust for what I am thinking, but maybe I should toss them in the playtest pot....

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

The point is what does "your" setting require?

Don't try and make the rules "flavour" bind you (which are largely a legacy of the past settings 'Traveller''s publishers have produced)... work out what you want your setting to be like and use the rules that enable your vision.

So if you want TL12 shield belts... go for it. You might have to work out a new TL progression though (which would be fine, if that's what you want, or need for your TU).

 

[alex_greene]

So if you want TL12 shield belts... go for it. You might have to work out a new TL progression though (which would be fine, if that's what you want, or need for your TU).

TL 12 sounds like a good starting point for the idea of shield belts. Make them progressively smaller, until they are wristwatch sized at TL 15 or so. Maybe ring sized at TL 18+.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

But if the setting has TL12 shield rings... it's OK too.

Use the rules to do what you want for your campaign.

 

[Infojunky]

The point is what does "your" setting require?

More leakage, I think, hence the original dice idea....

Don't try and make the rules "flavour" bind you (which are largely a legacy of the past settings 'Traveller''s publishers have produced)... work out what you want your setting to be like and use the rules that enable your vision.

Thematically is am ponder the existing mechanics within the game and avoiding too many special cases. And that is my concern...

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

You are right, as I see it, not wanting to invent some new rules mechanism as a "special case".

I wouldn't invent anything totally new, however, there are a number of mechanisms in 'Traveller'... so what I'd do is find one that works the way you want it to. It might be in a totally different part of the rules, doing something else entirely... but still usable as a previously used method.

 

[dragoner]

How about giving shields AV until a total point value is absorbed? Direct and simple, imo.

 

[Infojunky]

How about giving shields AV until a total point value is absorbed? Direct and simple, imo.

Well that would be the simplest wouldn't it.... Maybe, I am being too convoluted in my thinking....

The idea occurs combining the 2d6 ablative roll with a fixed AV bonus though external hit points is nice and simple as well....

Great Question! Thanks!

 

[Infojunky]

You are right, as I see it, not wanting to invent some new rules mechanism as a "special case".

I wouldn't invent anything totally new, however, there are a number of mechanisms in 'Traveller'... so what I'd do is find one that works the way you want it to. It might be in a totally different part of the rules, doing something else entirely... but still usable as a previously used method.

Yes, I agree, trying tweak and fit things is sometimes a chore. Right now when I work on adding things to any game I try to be as reductionist as possible, the fewer special rules and mechanics, mu goal is the speed of play. Which one of the reasons I have always loved the 8+ on 2d6 core mechanic of some editions Traveller.

 

[Infojunky]

The artwork appears to be by artists who have never read any of the books. So bad in a couple of instances it seems like the artist didn't even read the basic description of the item/scene being draw.

Ok I picked up the PDF last night, mostly because it was on sale on RpgNow, the art amused me, especially the vehicles, all of the vehicle art was made using Old Crow Model's Hammer's Slammers licensed vehicle miniatures. And some of the troops art looked to be inspired heavily by Ground Zero Games Slammers troops...

Case in point the artwork for the powergun ammo. In Hammer's Slammers the powergun ammo is described as being disks and the artwork in the RPG is clearly ovoid. Based on the artwork alone it is kinda hard visualizing the amount of ammo held in a magazine given in the text. IMO, artwork in an RPG should complement the text, not contradict it.

Yes I agree some of the cutaways where done by someone who hadn't ever been inside a AFV or stripped a gun, they weren't so much bad, but a good display of the artists unfamiliarity with the subject matter.

A lot of the fluff seems to be written by someone who either never read the book, just read a synopsis or cliff notes of it. Or if it was done by a fan, then it is someone who is just a bad writer. Now, I haven't played it, just read most of it, but that one read was enough to turn me off of it. For all I know it plays Ok, but as a Slammer's fan, I wasn't happy with the overall presentation of it.

That remain's to be seen, to be honest I tend to read mechanics 1st, and I am not sure if I love or hate the expanded vehicles combat rules. And the rules on Power Guns need some play as well to see how they work, they look interesting, but heaven forbid a firefight in a jungle....

On the Topic it look like the 1st candidate for Personnel Shields (and by extension vehicular and installation shields) is going to be external Hit Points that recharged by die roll.

 

[Greylond]

That remain's to be seen, to be honest I tend to read mechanics 1st, and I am not sure if I love or hate the expanded vehicles combat rules. And the rules on Power Guns need some play as well to see how they work, they look interesting, but heaven forbid a firefight in a jungle....

Me also, but I'm not going to pass judgement on a rules system without attempting to play it at least once.

 

[Infojunky]

Me also, but I'm not going to pass judgement on a rules system without attempting to play it at least once.

Me too.... But often you get a feel for rules by reading them.

 

[JRoss]

Little late to the party, but I was thinking about this thread. If you want to make an FPS-style campaign, I'd recommend buying Cyborg, as it has all sorts of Master Chief/Samus-ish goodies inside.

 

[Infojunky]

Little late to the party, but I was thinking about this thread. If you want to make an FPS-style campaign, I'd recommend buying Cyborg, as it has all sorts of Master Chief/Samus-ish goodies inside.

Got it.....

Just got sidetracked with a related project called Warp Shuttle, which is basically a beating of the High Guard small craft construction rules into something that can be used for small warp ships.... With Shields too...