Where to find Flora and other charts?

[Grubsnatcher]

I have recently invested in Traveller. I'm planning to a game in a custom subsector on the fringes of space. I've really enjoyed the planet randomization and having to justify the results with narrative and logical leaps. I cannot get enough charts and generators! I want more that helps me fill out more of the details by the use of charts.

Let's assume I have all the base books and supplements. I've flipped through many of them, but which of the charts do you consider the best for creating random situations? I just recently picked up a copy of Animal Encounters, and would like to find an article and charts that makes random flora generation a little easier.

Besides that points, what do you consider to be a great resource for charts and generators? Where can I locate your favorite charts and generators? I'm looking for both manual charts and computer generated applications.

Also optional rules on character advancement would be great. The current rules look to not fit my vision.

As a side-note, I am a very seasoned Gamemaster, so I do not need ideas on skinner box techniques or how to apply them to the game. I need charts. And generators.

Edit: I meant flora, not fauna.

 

[hdan]

I don't believe there are any flora rules, unfortunately.

The new campaign guide might include more of the sorts of tables you're looking for, but it's not out yet so there's no way to be sure.


One optional character advancement rule that I've been playing around with (and attempting to formalize into an article) is inspired by MgT's party skill packages system (p 38), and goes something like this:

Before a significant adventure begins, the ref makes up a "skills package" or chooses one of the standard ones from the main rule book. Each player picks a skill to have for the course of the adventure.

When the adventure is over, if you used the skill more times successfully than unsuccessfully by as many times as the skill's level, then you get to keep it. In other words, keep the skill if Level <= (Success - Failure). If you picked a skill you did not have before, you get to keep it at Level 0 if you fail, otherwise the skill goes back to the previous level.

And then, the Referee presents the next skill package set, and off you go again. I would allow each character to choose any skill on the list, not just skills nobody else has chosen. But a smart party might figure out that if you're offering "Seafarer", that maybe someone should take it, just in case. :twisted:

The standard packages are all listed as "skill-1", which means you get one level of that skill if you don't have it. However, I imagine that Adventure Packages will just allow you an extra RANK of that skill in most cases. So if you are a Pilot-2 and "Pilot" is available, you can temporarily get Pilot-3, and maybe keep it.

This framework is based on the idea of adventures that will span many gaming sessions, and action that would take months to play out in-game. If you do "adventure per night" type engagements, then I would just choose arbitrary "Waypoints", possibly based on game time (like every game year or something).

The rationale is that characters are likely to be trying to learn new things as they go along. They get the new rating by personal interest, but until that new skill is tried in the field, they may or may not really have it down.

Sure, it's a very different system than most RPG's "collect XP, level up" mechanism, but then again, Traveller isn't like other RPGs in many other respects, why should advancement be any different? Classic Traveller had a very loosely similar system, where every 4 years a character could choose to be studying a skill, and temporarily get that skill at +1. At the end of the "term", the character had to make a roll to see if they kept the skill. Four years is too arbitrary, and I prefer to tie skill retention with use rather than "dedication".

 

[Grubsnatcher]

I don't believe there are any flora rules, unfortunately.

The new campaign guide might include more of the sorts of tables you're looking for, but it's not out yet so there's no way to be sure.

Looks like this is a job for custom charts!

Before a significant adventure begins, the ref makes up a "skills package" or chooses one of the standard ones from the main rule book. Each player picks a skill to have for the course of the adventure.

...snip...

I like this idea. In a sandbox game, the skill packages give the players a direction. You will go out of your way to increase your skills and values; perhaps maybe ever going into dangerous and unusual circumstances.

I'm imagining something in the vein of Burning Wheel (if you are familiar). You need to make a certain number of checks that match and exceed your skill rolls. For example, a character with a skill of 0 might require 10 rolls period to gain the ability, half of those rolls must be at no bonus. Now to get to rank 1, you might require 12 rolls, half of those must be at a -1 DM. Rank 2 requires 14 rolls and a -2 penalty.

A per-session/per-month per-tick system might work best. You can only gain step towards advancement per month. The game does lack the "Let It Ride Rule" in Burning Wheel. More or less, in Burning Wheel, you make one roll period for a task. If you are trying to sneak into a castle, you make one check. You use this value until you complete your task. You cannot spam skill checks, nor can the DM force you to roll multiple times. This doesn't work for Traveller, but it can be adapted. If the system had a bit more granularity, it might work out.

I'll sit and think on it.