Just wondered if anyone has mentioned about the podcast which is using Mongoose's version of Traveller.
Apologies on the delay!
http://closetheairlock.com/
Apologies on the delay!
http://closetheairlock.com/
RPG Podcasts: Close the Airlock
- Thread starter Hopeless
- Start date
Just started listening, and I hear this...
"You won't hearing a whole lot of profanity"
"all combat does double damage"
Sorry, but these to sentences are mutually exclusive. Traveller combat is short and brutal as it is and normal damage causes plenty swearing in my game. Double damage is going to result in something akin to tourettes. Hopefully there is plenty of spare character sheets about.
Renski
"You won't hearing a whole lot of profanity"
"all combat does double damage"
Sorry, but these to sentences are mutually exclusive. Traveller combat is short and brutal as it is and normal damage causes plenty swearing in my game. Double damage is going to result in something akin to tourettes. Hopefully there is plenty of spare character sheets about.
Renski
Black Chakram
Mongoose
Hi folks, my name is Josh. I'm the one actually running and recording the podcast. (I found this post through a Google Alert I had set up.)
We've played a few more sessions than are uploaded and I would love some feedback on the double damage thing.
Before recording, we played a few very short sessions to make sure we had the rules down. Even then, we felt that combat could end up being slow (mostly, we fear it becoming as slow as Dungeons and Dragons combat). With the few sessions ahead that we've recorded, even we've been a little surprised at how much different combat is in Traveller.
So my question is: is doing the double damage thing truly going to just end in death? With normal damage, does anyone see their players fight tactically instead of just rushing in guns blazing? Since we're new to Traveller, I'd love to hear from people more experienced
. It's still early enough for us to change that houserule.
Thanks, and hope you guys enjoy.
We've played a few more sessions than are uploaded and I would love some feedback on the double damage thing.
Before recording, we played a few very short sessions to make sure we had the rules down. Even then, we felt that combat could end up being slow (mostly, we fear it becoming as slow as Dungeons and Dragons combat). With the few sessions ahead that we've recorded, even we've been a little surprised at how much different combat is in Traveller.
So my question is: is doing the double damage thing truly going to just end in death? With normal damage, does anyone see their players fight tactically instead of just rushing in guns blazing? Since we're new to Traveller, I'd love to hear from people more experienced
. It's still early enough for us to change that houserule.Thanks, and hope you guys enjoy.
The first traveller game i ran i limited their hp to their endurance and by the end almost lost 1 pc whilst losing mainly npc's.
That was before I realized my mistake but I posted the link and message because other than the SS Clark podcast on the Gamer's Haven site there have precious little traveller podcasts so it caught my interest immediately.
Looking forward to seeing what those pesky metal golf balls have done to your player characters!
That was before I realized my mistake but I posted the link and message because other than the SS Clark podcast on the Gamer's Haven site there have precious little traveller podcasts so it caught my interest immediately.
Looking forward to seeing what those pesky metal golf balls have done to your player characters!
Black Chakram
Mongoose
Thanks! Just wait till episode 5 or 6. You'll get to hear the "explosion" sound effect along with some planetary surface ones. 
I got most of my sound effects through Soundsnap.com. I'd gladly post some of the sounds I use, but the site is "pay per download" and I don't want to do any illegal postings...
Just finished processing episode 3. I think I got the sound quality to be way better than episode 2. I just wish the first 4 episodes weren't so slow. Things'll really pick up fast soon.
Oh, and if people are wondering, I'm not using the standard 3rd Imperium setting. I always make my own settings!
I got most of my sound effects through Soundsnap.com. I'd gladly post some of the sounds I use, but the site is "pay per download" and I don't want to do any illegal postings...
Just finished processing episode 3. I think I got the sound quality to be way better than episode 2. I just wish the first 4 episodes weren't so slow. Things'll really pick up fast soon.
Oh, and if people are wondering, I'm not using the standard 3rd Imperium setting. I always make my own settings!
GamerDude
Cosmic Mongoose
Well maybe in *your* games - any one at my table knows that would get them invited to find a seat somewhere else immediately (it's not the vulgarity itself so much as the unnecessary level of it. A Walt Whitman said: vulgarity is the last refuge of the unintelligent)renski said:
Black Chakram said:Thanks! Just wait till episode 5 or 6. You'll get to hear the "explosion" sound effect along with some planetary surface ones.
I got most of my sound effects through Soundsnap.com. I'd gladly post some of the sounds I use, but the site is "pay per download" and I don't want to do any illegal postings...
Maybe you could add a links section to your website, and link to the sounds and other software you used there?
Black Chakram
Mongoose
Most of you probably have podcast managers, but if not, episode 3 is available for download. Next episode will be on Monday
Black Chakram
Mongoose
The audio quality in parts of episode 4 is a bit low. Apologies. I accidentally applied some of my clean-up filters out of order and didn't realize the mistake until after I had saved the final version.
Episodes 5-8 sound much better.
Enjoy
Episodes 5-8 sound much better.
Enjoy
GamerDude
Cosmic Mongoose
Ok, just a personal "soapbox issue" - Combat in D&D is no longer or shorter than the equivalent situation in Traveller or most any other game.Black Chakram said:
What makes it 'slow' are things that make combat in any system be 'slow' things like:
- Not paying attention when it is *not* their turn, hence having to get caught up when it *is* their turn.
- Not knowing the character's abilities having to look them up *on* their turn.
- Not knowing what spell they want to cast, let alone what it does and having to look it up
- Deciding to *now* debate a rule, not knowing what page it is on let alone what book it is in.
People do stay on their toes after that happens a few times.
Black Chakram
Mongoose
GamerDude said:
I've found that this isn't 100% true. Different systems are designed to place emphasis on different things. One of the big things DND is built to do is combat. Hence, the mechanics for combat are fairly complex. We've found most of the time consumption comes from that. Looking through large lists of options and reading complex options.
Traveller, on the other hand, is a much simpler system in terms of combat. With more limited options, things are sped up a bit.
(Although I will totally agree with you that a lot of the slowdown in any system comes from players not being ready or not thinking about what they want to do.)
Hell yes. In the first combat we played, a player (ex Imperial Marine, no less) decided that heroically holding his ground, telling the other player that he'd 'deal with this problem'. The ganster's bodyguard pulled a gauss carbine from the side door of the groundcar and let him have it
One Gauss Carbine fired on full auto. Two hits, one with effect 1 and one with effect 2, doing 14 and 13 damage respectively. Despite cloth armour, he still suffered 17 damage, meaning he collapsed unconsious from system shock. This was the toughest, best armoured fighter in the party.
The thing to understand is that that isn't unusual. Most guns - gauss, flechette, shotguns, etc, do 3D6 damage or thereabouts. since your END is a 2D6 rolls, even assuming you've put one
of your better rolls into it, one gunshot flattens that stat. A second either takes out your DEX/STR, leaving you unconcious, or halves both stats, leaving you horribly injured and with a negative DM to doing pretty much anything. A third kills you. And that's with slightly below average rolls - with the average of 3d6 being ten-and-a-bit, and adding effect to the damage often increasing damage done by a point or two, a two-hit-kill is quite doable, especially since a lot of travellers might not have any body armour.
Agreed. Paranoia is the same, whilst (at higher level) Dark Heresy/Deathwatch is more like D&D. If you find yourself pulling out lots of special multiple attacks and special rules (I roll X dice and pick the best Y, make Z attacks at half accuracy), then things take a long time.
Personally, I use the Paranoia rule to keep things moving. I ask you what your character is doing. You tell me. If the response is "um....er....ah..." then your character is momentarily confused and standing round like a lemon for the turn!
Episode 7 is up now by the way, really enjoying listening to this series.
I love traveller combat. My players have just finished a 5 hour (split over two sessions) combat where they assaulted a slaving camp.
This involved four fights against enemies in very light armour (1 or 2 points) armed with TL9 laser carbines and 9mm pistols, plus four aliens wearing reflec and improved cloth armed (5 or 15 points) with Advanced Combat Rifles. Each fight lasted 2-3 combat rounds, which is the way it should be IMO.
The PCs + Minions were 5 Marines, 1 Doctor, and the ship's pilot all tooled up with lasers and around 9 points of armour. The medic managed to keep people pretty well patched up throughout the fight by making 10-60 second medic checks (-1 DM). No one took more than a couple of hits, and despite this several characters are seriously injured. The alien slavers escaped in their shuttle (because the PCs wasted too much time stopping for first aid checks). Just as they were boarding their ship, the Aliens fired a couple of bursts from two Advanced Combat Rifles against one of the NPC marines. He's a tough guy and was wearing 9 points of armour, but took exactly enough damage to take his physical stats to 000.
Next week the Dr. Knox uses her last trauma pack to try and save Marine Ricky Burns.
http://dmcdonald.net/scifi-avatars/Marines/Ricky%20Burns-Full.png . Even if she succeeds the I've rolled on the 'Cybernetics Following Trauma' table and his Kidneys, Liver, and Lower Spine are all mangled beyond repair. Being TL 9, and in a setting where they know of no more advanced medical facilities. Poor Marine Burns is going to require a liver and kidney transplants to survive (Implant organs are TL10), and will never walk again (though not explicitly mentioned in cybernetics, all packages that include the spine are TL11.
To compound all this they're still stuck on TL1 world. The starship (and the nearest med bay) is refuelling three days travel away, a dangerous surgical procedure the back of the shuttle is going to required. Real medical facilities are four weeks jump travel away, so he needs to survive a low birth trip too. Ricky's chances don't look good.
Another marine, the pilot, and the medic are also in bad shape and will most likely need to rest for the next three days. The landing party is now down to 5 effective marines. With a strange plague effecting the palaeontologist, and native stories of vicious flying predators, things are about it get much worse for the Crew of the Oculus!
As nasty as all that sounds, the players love it, it was exciting. So much better than D&D 4th edition were you rest for 15 minutes, and bam, you've got all your hit points back. Combat should be dangerous, with a serious risk of death and injury, otherwise where is the excitement?
Renski
I love traveller combat. My players have just finished a 5 hour (split over two sessions) combat where they assaulted a slaving camp.
This involved four fights against enemies in very light armour (1 or 2 points) armed with TL9 laser carbines and 9mm pistols, plus four aliens wearing reflec and improved cloth armed (5 or 15 points) with Advanced Combat Rifles. Each fight lasted 2-3 combat rounds, which is the way it should be IMO.
The PCs + Minions were 5 Marines, 1 Doctor, and the ship's pilot all tooled up with lasers and around 9 points of armour. The medic managed to keep people pretty well patched up throughout the fight by making 10-60 second medic checks (-1 DM). No one took more than a couple of hits, and despite this several characters are seriously injured. The alien slavers escaped in their shuttle (because the PCs wasted too much time stopping for first aid checks). Just as they were boarding their ship, the Aliens fired a couple of bursts from two Advanced Combat Rifles against one of the NPC marines. He's a tough guy and was wearing 9 points of armour, but took exactly enough damage to take his physical stats to 000.
Next week the Dr. Knox uses her last trauma pack to try and save Marine Ricky Burns.
http://dmcdonald.net/scifi-avatars/Marines/Ricky%20Burns-Full.png . Even if she succeeds the I've rolled on the 'Cybernetics Following Trauma' table and his Kidneys, Liver, and Lower Spine are all mangled beyond repair. Being TL 9, and in a setting where they know of no more advanced medical facilities. Poor Marine Burns is going to require a liver and kidney transplants to survive (Implant organs are TL10), and will never walk again (though not explicitly mentioned in cybernetics, all packages that include the spine are TL11.
To compound all this they're still stuck on TL1 world. The starship (and the nearest med bay) is refuelling three days travel away, a dangerous surgical procedure the back of the shuttle is going to required. Real medical facilities are four weeks jump travel away, so he needs to survive a low birth trip too. Ricky's chances don't look good.
Another marine, the pilot, and the medic are also in bad shape and will most likely need to rest for the next three days. The landing party is now down to 5 effective marines. With a strange plague effecting the palaeontologist, and native stories of vicious flying predators, things are about it get much worse for the Crew of the Oculus!
As nasty as all that sounds, the players love it, it was exciting. So much better than D&D 4th edition were you rest for 15 minutes, and bam, you've got all your hit points back. Combat should be dangerous, with a serious risk of death and injury, otherwise where is the excitement?
Renski
Black Chakram
Mongoose
That sort of thing is exactly what I'm looking forward to running in coming sessions. I have a list (which I may share) of about 50 one-shot side plots I want to run.
Plus, it's pretty obvious we haven't had a ton of combat yet, but so I'm looking forward to throwing a serious amount of it at the party soon.
Plus, it's pretty obvious we haven't had a ton of combat yet, but so I'm looking forward to throwing a serious amount of it at the party soon.
Solomani666
Mongoose
Black Chakram said:Hi folks, my name is Josh. I'm the one actually running and recording the podcast. (I found this post through a Google Alert I had set up.)
We've played a few more sessions than are uploaded and I would love some feedback on the double damage thing.
Before recording, we played a few very short sessions to make sure we had the rules down. Even then, we felt that combat could end up being slow (mostly, we fear it becoming as slow as Dungeons and Dragons combat). With the few sessions ahead that we've recorded, even we've been a little surprised at how much different combat is in Traveller.
So my question is: is doing the double damage thing truly going to just end in death? With normal damage, does anyone see their players fight tactically instead of just rushing in guns blazing? Since we're new to Traveller, I'd love to hear from people more experienced
Thanks, and hope you guys enjoy.
Traveller combat is NOTHING like D&D combat!
Damage is taken to the characters actual stats.
Additional penalties are added as the stats approach 0.
Check the rules on Fatigue, Encumbrance, and the Dexterity Modifiers
Average total character hit points: 3 * (2d6) = 21
Average hit points to unconscious for first damage = 14
Average damage from a 9mm pistol: (3d6-3) = 8 + Effect - Armor
[My house rule is that 1/2 damage is scored if the attack has a +0 effect]
Doubling the damage will basically result in nearly every character being knocked unconscious or killed on the first shot.
Note that the above example was with a common low tech pistol. Change the above to an assault rifle and instant death is almost a certainty. Then if you add burst fire...
I've just discovered this podcast and am enjoying it a lot. Josh, you might find my combat flowchart of some use.
Solomani666
Mongoose
Josh:
Are you adding effect to the damage roll.
Also: I have a house rule that a 0 effect does 1/2 damage
Are you adding effect to the damage roll.
Also: I have a house rule that a 0 effect does 1/2 damage
