Sunday, I ran a "big brawl"... group a of 4 cutlass wielding psychos (888??? Melee-LBlade 1) and a 5 round delayed group of 3 "Betters" (AFC66B Melee-LBlade 3, GunCbt-SlugPist 3, Cloth; 888CC9 LBlade 1, CG-SP 3, Tactics 2, CLoth; 888777 M-LBd 1 GC-SP 3, cloth) vs 6 PC's...
Best PC weapon skill was Melee-2 (2 PC's), 2 more had melee 1, and one had no skill at all; the 6th is a "do no harm" doc...
I using the 1st draft's "Stats don't add to effect nor timing, only to base success"
Lowest Effect die was a -1 success (due to high stat but bad mods); highest was a 10. Median was about 6.
The feel was right out of my SCA and other armed western martial arts melee experiences. I could see the battle ebbing and flowing much like an SCA melee. With two RBG's...
Mr Big Bad got unlucky and slowed down by tag-teaming...
The second group had SMG's (Autopistols with 5d autofire, really, since SMG's are missing) stashed in the area... both got theirs. Mr Buff lost his to a well placed kick. Other guy got shot with Mr Buff's.
Missing Rule (I can't find it, at least): disarming.
I used the disarm as a melee attack, but rather than damage, the effect is resisted by a rolled Str & Weapon. (Mr. Buff FAILED! Nat 2.)
Damage to End
We almost all (in my group, except DK) agree that it is not feeling right to always hit end until end zero's... we want randomization on all hits.
going to randomization would also allow some first hits to be telling even if they don't incapacitate... by hurting dex first. Or weakening, by hitting Str first.
Damage process
The damage rules as written provide a very narrow band of damage per weapon, starting near the median of the CT damage. No grazes can occur with rifles, and it's pretty rare even with blades, to cause one. All 7 of us agreed this is a problem.
The multiplicative process would have solved this. And would have made most of the first group go dead, rather than KO'd.
Initiative
It isn't intuitive as written, but it rapidly becomes quick and easy; the separation of movement from combat actions was confusing for 4 of the 6 players for the first 3 turns.... after which they caught on.
Putting out a D20 or D12 with dex scores near the dice for initiative works REALLY well. Dropping a counter on initative six dice before the "up the initiative" to mark an available interrupt helped immensely.
I need to make some "Acted/waiting" tokens for my players. It really would help.
Movement
Standard Traveller movement is in 1.5m squares (ecxept TNE). Tics under Draft 2 are 2m of movement.
UPP's
Backwards compatibility requires having at least a sidebar on "Travellerecimal" and UPP's. it's a fast way to track NPC's and write them down....
Best PC weapon skill was Melee-2 (2 PC's), 2 more had melee 1, and one had no skill at all; the 6th is a "do no harm" doc...
I using the 1st draft's "Stats don't add to effect nor timing, only to base success"
Lowest Effect die was a -1 success (due to high stat but bad mods); highest was a 10. Median was about 6.
The feel was right out of my SCA and other armed western martial arts melee experiences. I could see the battle ebbing and flowing much like an SCA melee. With two RBG's...
Mr Big Bad got unlucky and slowed down by tag-teaming...
The second group had SMG's (Autopistols with 5d autofire, really, since SMG's are missing) stashed in the area... both got theirs. Mr Buff lost his to a well placed kick. Other guy got shot with Mr Buff's.
Missing Rule (I can't find it, at least): disarming.
I used the disarm as a melee attack, but rather than damage, the effect is resisted by a rolled Str & Weapon. (Mr. Buff FAILED! Nat 2.)
Damage to End
We almost all (in my group, except DK) agree that it is not feeling right to always hit end until end zero's... we want randomization on all hits.
going to randomization would also allow some first hits to be telling even if they don't incapacitate... by hurting dex first. Or weakening, by hitting Str first.
Damage process
The damage rules as written provide a very narrow band of damage per weapon, starting near the median of the CT damage. No grazes can occur with rifles, and it's pretty rare even with blades, to cause one. All 7 of us agreed this is a problem.
The multiplicative process would have solved this. And would have made most of the first group go dead, rather than KO'd.
Initiative
It isn't intuitive as written, but it rapidly becomes quick and easy; the separation of movement from combat actions was confusing for 4 of the 6 players for the first 3 turns.... after which they caught on.
Putting out a D20 or D12 with dex scores near the dice for initiative works REALLY well. Dropping a counter on initative six dice before the "up the initiative" to mark an available interrupt helped immensely.
I need to make some "Acted/waiting" tokens for my players. It really would help.
Movement
Standard Traveller movement is in 1.5m squares (ecxept TNE). Tics under Draft 2 are 2m of movement.
UPP's
Backwards compatibility requires having at least a sidebar on "Travellerecimal" and UPP's. it's a fast way to track NPC's and write them down....
