Traveller/T20 D&D 5E ?

[domingojs23]

Dear Friends,

I'm not so sure if I'd want to invest in MGT2. What I am eagerly anticipating instead is a new "D20" modern/future framework for Dungeons & Dragons 5E, and a corresponding "T20" sort of conversion. There is already much fan-created D20 for 5E floating around, but I would rather see an official version.

So, in the mean time, I am revisiting my T20 and other sci-fi D20 material in preparation, particularly Prime Directive D20M. The incessant delays in the release of PD Traveller, apparently due to waiting for MGT2, pretty much put me off the Mongoose track I'm afraid.

But I'd be among the first to buy a new T20-5E even if Mongoose-produced.

Gary

 

[Reynard]

Good luck...

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

So there is a T20 player/customer out there. I'm still waiting for the HERO Games 7 version of Mongoose Traveller 3rd Edition.

 

[TrippyHippy]

If there is a 5E OGL out then it's news to me.....

 

[Reynard]

Yeah, 4E and 5E have become far less communal. There is mention about mechanics for 5E modern though.

I have the T20 version. Quite frankly, I like my Traveller classic. I see absolutely nothing wrong with the game system. It's clean and simple making it fun.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

Yeah, 4E and 5E have become far less communal. There is mention about mechanics for 5E modern though.

I have the T20 version. Quite frankly, I like my Traveller classic. I see absolutely nothing wrong with the game system. It's clean and simple making it fun.

Yet it uses only one kind of dice. To simulate a d10 you roll 2d6-2, not perfectly mind you, to get a 10, you have a 1 in 36 chance, to get a 5 there is a 1 in 6 chance.

 

[Reynard]

They are not simulating a d10, they are creating a bell curve from 0 to 10 (that's 11 digits, not 10) with an average at about 7. FAR different than equal chance for all numbers between 1 to 10. That's Traveller and not that difficult to grasp. Remember D&D was always about multiple dice. The D20 mechanic is relatively recent but still relies on lots of different dice. Traveller, like many other RPGs, found d6 works just fine. I play both equally well and enjoy the flavors each mechanics system give.

Like I said, I have T20 and it really didn't make the game better just more D20ish. Some might actually prefer the familiarity of D20 but, personally, I don't see the necessity. 35+ years of d6s works well.

 

[Tom Kalbfus]

3d6 produces a more bell shaped bell curve. I believe GURPs uses 3d6 throws instead of 2d6 throws, the main problem with GURPs is that there are so many rule books. Perhaps someday there could be a version of Traveller that uses 3d6. Problem with 3d6 is that the probability of getting an 18 is 1 in 6-cubed or 1 in 216, if you use the rule that an 18 is an automatic success, then your chances of getting that automatic success are much smaller than if you roll a d20.

Suppose they substituted d10s for d6s. If you rolled 2d10 you would get a range of 2 to 20, or you could roll them as percentage dice instead of using d66s. d100s are more mathemathically compatible with the decimal system.
2d10 result Prob Percentile
2 0.01 1%
3 0.02 3%
4 0.03 6%
5 0.04 10%
6 0.05 15%
7 0.06 21%
8 0.07 28%
9 0.08 36%
10 0.09 45%
11 0.1 55%
12 0.09 64%
13 0.08 72%
14 0.07 79%
15 0.06 85%
16 0.05 90%
17 0.04 94%
18 0.03 97%
19 0.02 99%
20 0.01 100%

 

[Reynard]

This is why Traveller has 8+ for success when using 2d6. Fits a bell curve better. 'Success' is relative to the system.