running first combat tomorrow, any tips ?

[captainjack23]

Hey.

I'm planning to ambush my players with Vargr, and play it out under the 2.0 rules. Likely just snub pistols & bar fighting. Any suggestions on running the rules ?

-Cap

 

[AKAramis]

use 2 dice for characters: a d12 (or 20 if needed) to show dex, and a d6 for current initiative.

Use a map, with counters or minis. Grid optional.

Note that on "Traveller Standard" 1.5m square maps, a diagonal is about 2m, and straight line gives 3 spaces for 2 tics.

1tic: 2m (1 space)
2tic: 4m (2-3 space)
3tic: 6m (4 space)

Noting NPC's: if using notebook paper, I use a layout like this:

A:   8  8  8  6  6  6  GC-SP 2 MC-LB 1


B:   10 15 12 6 6 11 GC-SP-1 MC-LB-3

Note the blank spaces under.. cross off and pencil new values underneath as damage comes in.

A:   8  8  -  6  6  6  GC-SP 2 MC-LB 1
           4

B:   10 -- -- 6 6 11 GC-SP-1 MC-LB-3
         6  0

[/code]

 

[Andrew Whincup]

Read the rules again. Take notes on anything you think might come up, write them out so they're at your fingertips. Especially range bands, autofire, aiming, hurried shots.

Make sure the players know what modifiers to apply when. Make sure they know the stats for their weapons (particularly damage, range & recoil).

Having a picture of what's going on will help too.

You've got to have a lot of information at your fingertips and forgetting any of it when it's needed will lead to things breaking down.

andy

 

[captainjack23]

Thanks guys !

Lets see how it goes.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

So, how'd it go?

 

[captainjack23]

So, how'd it go?

waiting for the players to send me feedback - we ran pretty late.

It was.....interesting at the very least. We used the xeffect+n damage capped at 6 rules, and banned autofire. Man, just as well, blood everywhere.

Quick notes:
1. Longarms trump pistols.
2. Don't bring cloth to a combat armor fight.
3. Combat isn't super deadly, but it is super painful.
4. A GM should very very careful about saying "sure, what the heck, lets see where the bullet goes".

Cap

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Well, it sounds about right then.

Longarms SHOULD trump pistols at anything but point blank range.

Cloth armor is a civilian armor, I would expect Combat Armor to be much better.

Super Painful but not Super Deadly sounds about where I would want it to be. You can still die, but rather than kill every character in every fight, wounding them severely sounds good to me.

Watchout for that number 4, it's a killer.

 

[SableWyvern]

Cloth armor is a civilian armor, I would expect Combat Armor to be much better.

Based on the terminology and descriptive text in TNE, where it is referred to as ballistic cloth, and it's tech level, I have always assumed Traveller cloth armour is equivalent to modern ballistic cloth -- which is what most modern body armours are composed of, at least in part.

 

[AKAramis]

Cloth armor is a civilian armor, I would expect Combat Armor to be much better.

Based on the terminology and descriptive text in TNE, where it is referred to as ballistic cloth, and it's tech level, I have always assumed Traveller cloth armour is equivalent to modern ballistic cloth -- which is what most modern body armours are composed of, at least in part.

CT implies much the same.

Cloth: A heavy duty body suit tailored from ballistic cloth.
The fabric absorbs impact energy and distributes the blow over
the body, which possibly results in bruising. Nevertheless, cloth
armor is almost the best and the most versatile available.

 

[captainjack23]

Well, it sounds about right then.

Longarms SHOULD trump pistols at anything but point blank range.

It was in a factory, on the production floor (courtesy of a prepaint minis game I will forebear to mention). Mix of open and close areas. 2vs 4 with 4 extra opponents sneaking in in back. The guards set off the alarm, took cover, returned fire, and planned to close the distance with overwatch.

Which turns out doesn't work worth a spit if the player figures out he cannot be harmed...

The Encounter
Guards 3 & 4 to Guards 1 &2. "Cover us, we'll close on him around the flank. "
BLAMBLAM BLAM. BLAM BLAM
Guard 1. "This isn't working ! Man, he didn't even DUCK"
Guard 2 "Actually, he just stood up...and is aiming...."

Just for maximum fun, the ACR weilder turned out to have a VERY good martial arts skill.

Guard #1 -"we need to rush him with our pistols !"
Guard #2,3,4 "At HIM ! HA HA"
Guard 5 "oops, my ankle"

Player"Ah, so, foolish grasshoppers..."

(Chop chop kick kick kick, sound of head handing, arse whipping, ownage, etc)

Guard #5. "Okay, new plan: beg for mercy, cower in terror."

Cloth armor is a civilian armor, I would expect Combat Armor to be much better.

It was. Despite paramilitary opponents, the guy in CA was essentially invulnerable - which is much better than just generally safe. The local security had Cloth, pistols(x+4) and stun sticks. They were hosed, although the one intruder with cloth armor was chewed up some. The CA made the difference entirely.

It was very eerily remenicent of a bank robbery/standoff/shootout in LA a few years back - the two guys had military grade armor and AutoRifles - the LAPD with police weaponry (Pistols, Shotguns) could not take them down, and really took it on the chin. Snipers were the final solution, and even they had big problems. It was grim.

Super Painful but not Super Deadly sounds about where I would want it to be. You can still die, but rather than kill every character in every fight, wounding them severely sounds good to me.

Yes, that is about right from my viewpoint, too. Keeps players from shooting as a first resort ("Ships manifest ?" BLAMBLAMBLAM), and avoids ALWAYS rolling up new characters. ( we have call of cthulhu and paranoia for that...)

Watchout for that number 4, it's a killer.

All I'll say is that the resultant player roll was #!@#$#@ Boxcars. After all these years, You'd think I would know to say 'no, its impossible'.....before they're even finished asking.

Cap

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

When I said that Cloth Armor was a civilian armor, I meant that it was what civilians can wear in Traveller. Most PCs will not have any better armor than that, but almost every group of PCs I ever dealt with, or was a part of had the old "Cloth and Reflec" armor combo...

 

[AKAramis]

The new damages are just plain TOO LOW for melee weapons.
A broadsword's barely a threat.

 

[Hopeless]

When i ran my first trial of Traveller it consisted of about 8 or so marines in full battle dress and about 4 civilians and a firefight against an entire ship full of combat armoured foes with either laser carbines or rifles.

By the end of that game all the npc's who left the ship accompanying the senator and his bodyguard were killed and almost 1 PC Marine too who they went back for as it was near enough the end of the game before they forced their way back out of the enemy ship hangar aboard their ship's boat (which had its own shields and weapons, ok that was a mistake on my part but it was still fun!) and flee back aboard their own mothership right through a bitter dogfight between the warships' and their fighter contingents!

In the game I'm running now only one player has combat armour the rest have vacc suits' although one player doesn't have the skill presently but so far no combat, yet.

That will probably happen next time though!