NPC attribute DM included in official NPC stat blocks?

[alkibiades]

It may sound trivial, but I want to be sure about attribute DMs already included in NPC stat blocks published in official material. I purchased Gods of Marduk seconds ago and there is an NPC stat block shown with attributes and skills. Are the pure attribute DMs already included in the skill DMs or would I have to add them additionally? Would be cool if they are already included. In creature stat blocks they are, if I read correctly.

 

[Jeraa]

It may sound trivial, but I want to be sure about attribute DMs already included in NPC stat blocks published in official material. I purchased Gods of Marduk seconds ago and there is an NPC stat block shown with attributes and skills. Are the pure attribute DMs already included in the skill DMs or would I have to add them additionally? Would be cool if they are already included. In creature stat blocks they are, if I read correctly.

They shouldn't be added, because the attribute used isn't always the same. Using the example from the book:

Shooting a gun would use the appropriate Gun Combat skill and the Traveller’s DEX Dice Modifier.

Repairing a damaged gun might use Gun Combat and EDU.

Trying to work out what sort of gun caused a particular wound might use Gun Combat and INT (or perhaps Investigate and INT).

Examples of Gun Combat using DEX, EDU, and INT. Or this:

For example, a brilliant but unschooled mechanic might fix a ship using Engineer and INT, while a trained mechanic might follow the procedure in the book by rolling Engineer and EDU.

With the Carouse skill, drinking someone under the table is END. Gathering rumors at a party is SOC however. Normally repairing the jump drive is INT, but maybe the part that needs replaced is really tiny and really hard to get to, making it more of a DEX check instead. They same could be said for many things - knowing how to do it may be INT or EDU, but actually being able to do it could be STR or DEX.

Unlike some other games, Traveller doesn't assign a single attribute to a single skill. IT is up to the GM to determine just what attribute would be appropriate in a given situation.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Over time, you just know what a Characteristic Modifier is for a Traveller's or NPC's Characteristic value. I start with 6 7 8 being +0 (average), then going up or down from there three at a time for +1 or -1, and so on.

 

[alkibiades]

That makes sense. Was just curious if there was any difference between creature, where only skill DMs ar listed and NPCs with actual attributes listed.

 

[Jeraa]

That makes sense. Was just curious if there was any difference between creature, where only skill DMs ar listed and NPCs with actual attributes listed.

Animals don't have attributes at all, which is one of the ways 2e fails. You don't know how much an animal an carry, or if a creature can break down the door you are hiding behind. There is nothing indicating how intelligent an animal is.

1e animal design gave them Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, and Intelligence attributes. Instinct replaced Education, and Pack replaced Social Standing. You could determine just what an animal was capable of in a given situation. 2e removed all of that.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

That makes sense. Was just curious if there was any difference between creature, where only skill DMs ar listed and NPCs with actual attributes listed.

Let me look at my bug I made for those rules...

ADDED:
In my hardcover 2nd Edition corebook, animals just have hit points, skills, and trait DMs. No characteristics or characteristic modifiers. So I would guess the animal you're looking at in the other book can be made to have a block like the corebook uses.

Most players didn't bother using the 1e animal generator, so it was wasted space in the book for Referees. Since players were throwing D&D animals in their 1e games, 2e simplified the animal generator so referees could maybe spawn critters on the fly faster during game sessions.

You hardly see posts on these forums about animals or animal rules. They're just not a thing in most peoples games.

Animals don't have attributes at all, which is one of the ways 2e fails. You don't know how much an animal an carry, or if a creature can break down the door you are hiding behind. There is nothing indicating how intelligent an animal is.

I show players a picture of an animal, so they know those things about it.