Rolling Dice

[MasterGwydion]

How do you all handle rolling dice in Traveller. Unless it is dramatically important, I assume an auto-success if the character can clear an Average Diff with a roll of 7. Higher Difficulties would require higher bonuses in order to auto-succeed. If it is dramatically important, or if the penalty for failure is significant, then they can roll.

Note: I do not use this for combat rolls. I also do not make My players make a piloting roll every time the try and dock with a starport. As long as they have a +1 bonus, they can hit Diff 8 regularly.

 

[Sigtrygg]

Every dice roll increases the chance of failure.

I finally came to understand the CT saving throw system so this is how to do it.

I consider the situation. I look at the resume of the character the player is using to interact with the game situation.

A character has characteristics, skills, experience within a career, they may have tools that could help with the situation.
I consider the challenges within the situation.
1- No need to roll - character achieves what the player wants
2- It's too hard - think of something else
3- Let's say there is a random chance of success but it is challenging.

Only roll dice for situation 3.

I then decide a target number, or roll 2D to randomise the target number, or 3d if I think it is hard.

The player rolls the dice - does skill count? How much for? Does a characteristic help? Specialist tools? Is there a bonus for prior career, does the player role play their character well?
How much of a DM does the situation circumstance provide? Is it helpful or a hinderance?
Does the roll warrant boon or bane?

It sounds really complicated but it comes down to lots of roleplaying, problem solving and occasional dice rolling.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Every dice roll increases the chance of failure.

I finally came to understand the CT saving throw system so this is how to do it.

I consider the situation. I look at the resume of the character the player is using to interact with the game situation.

A character has characteristics, skills, experience within a career, they may have tools that could help with the situation.
I consider the challenges within the situation.
1- No need to roll - character achieves what the player wants
2- It's too hard - think of something else
3- Let's say there is a random chance of success but it is challenging.

Only roll dice for situation 3.

I then decide a target number, or roll 2D to randomise the target number, or 3d if I think it is hard.

The player rolls the dice - does skill count? How much for? Does a characteristic help? Specialist tools? Is there a bonus for prior career, does the player role play their character well?
How much of a DM does the situation circumstance provide? Is it helpful or a hinderance?
Does the roll warrant boon or bane?

I forgot about Boons and Banes. Whoopsie!

It sounds really complicated but it comes down to lots of roleplaying, problem solving and occasional dice rolling.

 

[Arkathan]

My players like to roll dice.
I let them.
If it is something harder than simple and they fail, then they can roll again in most cases, costing them time.
"You got distracted and entered the wrong number/misspelled a command"
"You got butter fingers and the tool slipped."
That sort of thing.
If it is harder, or they have limited skill, then a setback occurs... like in their second game where their Driver zero guy is attempting to maneuver a wheeled van down a muddy dirt road with large ditches on either side at normal street driving speeds.
Into the ditch. Everyone piles out gives combined strength checks, get showered with mud and the van is free.
OK, roll again. 2. Right into the ditch on the other side. Two years later, that character STILL gets ragged on over it.
Or they are in a chase in a grav vehicle. They fail a roll. Another vehicle comes at them out of nowhere - collision alarms blaring - roll with Dex mods to avoid it, and then roll to require the target. If the roll was really bad, then maybe that was an accomplice of some sort, or lackey paid to distract a tail that got spotted and positioned in advance somewhere the target could lead the players. Then they have to contend with THAT first.

If there are no REAL consequences, then it depends on the mood at the table and how close to time to pack it in for the night it is.
If you have the time, and there is an opportunity to introduce external tension, even if YOU know it is only cinematic window dressing, let them think their bad roll almost doomed them.

In a nutshell, if your players love rolling dice, let the dice set up situations for additional role playing that you hadn't considered before.

 

[Condottiere]

when things aren't nice
roll a dice
pay a price
and do it twice