Strontim dog, Pursuing warrants rules

[Mr_Scream]

I wanted to clarify the process you go through according to these rules. Problem is I like how loose the traveller system is as it lend itself more to roleplaying than dice rolling. It just has an efficient system to work out most problems (roll 2d6 and beat 8)

When I got to this part of the SD book however I began to feel hemmed in and that I was getting fed through a big dice rolling process to find and capture the warrants rather than roleplaying it out. It seems like a wasted opportunity.

So anyway, correct me if I am wrong. You roll for the difficulty etc of finding the suspects starting, or last known location (until you reach effect 18 + or 12 + depending on how you find them). Then you need to roll all over again to track them to where they are now (unless you miss them and then you do it all over again). After this there is yet more rolling to track them on a planets surface on onboard a ship or wherever they are hiding out?

That seems like a big way to kill the thrill of the chase if you ask me. Thats as long as I am reading it right.

I will be using these checks at points when my pc's are questioning leads etc but not going thru the whole system which seems a bit to abstract and linier to me.

One last thing. Say my pc's take 11 rolls to get there effect 18 to track the warrant to the starting point, they then have to roll even more to actually get to him and capture him. this means I have to come up with endless people to question and probe until they manage to roll up enough effect. That also seems broken.



By the way I love this game and the SD comics (appart from the final solution ) its just this one bit thats niggling me.

 

[Loz]

The Pursuing Warrants system (and you're reading it right) isn't intended to replace the roleplaying through of chasing down a target. Its there to act as that background stuff that might need to be resolved as a part of downtime or in the lead-up to action. Its an abstract system that can be used in part or whole, to give characters clues, red-herrings, the right or the wrong course, or useful/useless information. By far the best way is to roleplay this stuff; but some players don't like the chase and prefer to cut straight to the action - this little system helps those kinds of players get to where they want to be faster.

The system comes from the Scoundrel book and I included it in Strontium Dog because, sometimes, systems like this can be a god-send to a ref setting up a scenario and players who like that element of chasing down leads. It also maintains continuity between the 'core' Traveller rulebooks and Strontium Dog as a setting.

If this section just doesn't float your boat then by all means ignore it completely: it won't wreck anything else!

 

[Mr_Scream]

The Pursuing Warrants system (and you're reading it right) isn't intended to replace the roleplaying through of chasing down a target. Its there to act as that background stuff that might need to be resolved as a part of downtime or in the lead-up to action. Its an abstract system that can be used in part or whole, to give characters clues, red-herrings, the right or the wrong course, or useful/useless information. By far the best way is to roleplay this stuff; but some players don't like the chase and prefer to cut straight to the action - this little system helps those kinds of players get to where they want to be faster.

The system comes from the Scoundrel book and I included it in Strontium Dog because, sometimes, systems like this can be a god-send to a ref setting up a scenario and players who like that element of chasing down leads. It also maintains continuity between the 'core' Traveller rulebooks and Strontium Dog as a setting.

If this section just doesn't float your boat then by all means ignore it completely: it won't wreck anything else!

Thanks, I think I may fudge it a bit for now to fit how we play, its not a bad system at all, it made good sense but I just prefer to play it out.

It was just instances like this in other games where there was a different system for every eventuality that spoilt them for me. I like that traveller keeps it simple but gives you enough to control the action.

When you say its meant as background stuff to be resolved in downtime it sounds like it would be more usefull for me. How exactly would you use this? In-between sessions or just to cut to the chase and speed up the tracking down warrants part? Any examples?

By the way I freaking love this book, cant put it down, Ive just been reading sorcerry and now Im overloaded with options for my PC's.

Great job of capturing the mood and pacing of the comics.

Cant wait for warrants + bounties.