Playing out a tug-of-war?

[To Tha Moon!]

MgT2e+

I've been thinking about:

• Do you have to run a tug-of-war as a Task Chain?
• Or do you just add each side's STR rolls together and compare them?

How would you run a tug-of-war?

 

[Saladman]

The GM can, and should, always call for whatever kind of roll makes the most sense.

How would you run a tug-of-war?

Probably add together all Str mods and Athl-Str ranks on each side, and do one roll on each side. Maybe an additional +1 per extra person on one side, if there was one.

(I also can't imagine a tug of war coming up in play organically, but who knows?)

 

[rinku]

I'm good with task chain rules here. The Anchor is the main and most important team member, but the others are able to help or hinder.

There's a case to be made for a Leadership roll in there somewhere, too, definitely using skill chaining.

 

[MongooseMatt]

You could really get into the weeds with rules for this

Ideally, you want it to be skill (tactics?) based as well as STR...

 

[swordtart]

Wouldn't the tactics be bundled up in an Athletics check?

I would view a STR check as raw STR, and Athletics(STR) check is using that STR effectively to achieve a sporting outcome.

So for me tug of war is an opposed Athletics(STR) check with a working together task chain from the rest of the team Athletics(STR) checks.

 

[Condottiere]

Seems pretty linear.

Collective strength, endurance, athletics, and, probably leadership.

Less sophisticated than rowing.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Wouldn't the tactics be bundled up in an Athletics check?

I would view a STR check as raw STR, and Athletics(STR) check is using that STR effectively to achieve a sporting outcome.

So for me tug of war is an opposed Athletics(STR) check with a working together task chain from the rest of the team Athletics(STR) checks.

If playing team sports is Athletics, then yeah, Athletics it is.

 

[swordtart]

Leadership is a good addition, but it wouldn't be in the task chain, it would just be a check and the normal DM+1's distributed through the team. Of course as it normally takes the place of that persons significant action it might be something that the coach provides rather than someone on the rope itself unless they can handle the Multiple Action penalty.

Endurance might be required if the tug of war went on long enough, but we also already have that covered by the fatigue rules. It seems unlikely that it would really become in issue in the average match (but might play a part if there were heats that followed on quickly from one another). I am using the examples under Athletics as my guide here. END specialism is for long-distance events. Short sprints are covered by DEX specialism and Arm-Wrestling is covered by STR specialty. Most sports require all of them to one extent or another.

Of course with Athletics you could also have hybrids where Athletics(STR) is the skill check but the stat modifier is END or DEX for some sports. In that way you combine three parameters into a single skill check (with maybe a leadership modifier on top).

For example Soccer in my opinion is mostly DEX but as games are over an hour long and there is a lot of running there is an element of END. So I would say Athletics(DEX) with an END DM. Snooker is also a DEX game. If we are willing to accept all sports are covered by Athletics then It would also be Athletics(DEX) however as a more cerebral game it might use INT or EDU as the modifier. Throwing the Javelin is Athletics(STR) as it is mostly about distance rather than accuracy, but a DEX modifier might be appropriate as you still need to get angles right and coordinate movements. American Football has so many specialised roles that different players might have different skill checks. The Defence might be Athletics(STR) and the Quarterback and Kicker use Athletics(DEX). Some might use an END modifier by EDU might also play a part in the more specialised roles.

This is both the strength and weakness of the Traveller system, you can plausibly argue that almost any stat can be used for any skill. Ultimately it will come down the the referees take on what a stat represents and how well the player can argue their approach using a particular skill. Since the referee also has to arbitrarily choose a difficulty it is a lot of work for them and can seem unfair to a player that doesn't agree with that interpretation. Some players cannot even get their head round a game that doesn't have a single clearly defined check for all the normal activities that might occur. This can result in a lot of conversation about rules rather than actual roleplaying, story building and problem solving, which is why these forums are useful to hammer out your thoughts before the rubber hits the road.

 

[Condottiere]

I came across something similar.

You might say that switching out specified characteristics or skills, with something that is applicable, is how, or in what style, the task is resolved.

Well, it had to do with leadership and charisma in a Vargr pack.

 

[MasterGwydion]

I came across something similar.

You might say that switching out specified characteristics or skills, with something that is applicable, is how, or in what style, the task is resolved.

Well, it had to do with leadership and charisma in a Vargr pack.

Getting Vargr to work together is always difficult. lol

 

[Condottiere]

What looks simple, becomes needlessly complex.

Despite starting with the premise that the Vargr have a military, I don't think they actually have one as we would understand it.

 

[Endie]

Athletics(STR) at first and needing to accumulate a net effect of say 6 over several rounds. If it goes to a third round then Athletics(END) instead.