QUICK REFERENCE (CEPHEUS ENGINE)

Basic Task Roll

Roll 2 six sided dice + Relevant skill   =  8+ Succeed, otherwise failed

Possible adjustments for difficulty of Task           Recommended DMs

Simple           +6                                                     for Characteristics

Easy              +4                                                     C+ (12+)    +2

Routine          +2                                                     9-11           +1

Average - normal 8+ roll                                           6-8              0

Difficult           -2                                                     3-5             -1

Very Difficult   -4                                                       2               -2

Formidable      -6

A roll 6 or more above the required score is considered an 'Exceptional Success' and 6 or more below an 'Exceptional Failure'.

The difference between the score required and the score actually rolled is called the Effect.

In opposed tasks, the character with the highest Effect is successful.


NPC Reaction (Classic Traveller)

NPC Reactions may be determined by the scenario. Otherwise this may prove useful. The referee will need to interpret the nature of an attack (eg. verbal or physical).

2  Violent. Intermediate attack
3  Hostile. Attack on 5+
4  Hostile. Attack on 8+
5  Hostile. May Attack
6  Unreceptive
7  Non-committal
8  Interested
9  Intrigued
10 Responsive
11  Enthusiastic
12  Genuinely friendly

Skills relevant will depend on the situation. Liasion is normally useful, Carousing, Streetwise or other relevant skill might be useful depending on the situation.

Animal behaviour is determined by their own characteristics.

Encounter Range (Classic Traveller Rules)

If it is helpful to establish an encounter range roll on the following table.

1-    Short              Terrain DMs:                               Ranges
2     Close               Clear, Open, Road        +3            Close            0-3 metres
3     Short               Plains, Steppe, Praire   +3            Short           3-12 metres
4     Medium            Rough, Hills                +2            Medium       12-50 metres
5     Short               Broken, Highlands        +2           Long          50-250 metres
6     Medium            Mountains                   +3           Very Long 250-500 metres
7     Medium            Forest, Woods             +1
8     Long                Jungle, Rainforest         -
9     Medium            River, Stream, Creek    +1
10   Very Long         Swamp, March, Bog     -4
11   Long                Desert, Dunes             +4
12   Very Long         Maritime Surface         +2
13+ Very Long         Maritime Subsurface     -1
                               Arctic                         -4
                               Building Interior, Cave -5

Surprise

For each party roll 1D6. If one roll is 3+ greater than the others, the higher roll has surprise, otherwise neither party does.

DMs: Appropriate skills including Leader, Tactics, Recon, Stealth, Hunting, or if urban Streetwise.
If in vehicle, a group of 8 or more or 10 or more animals -1
If a Pouncer animal +1

Escape and Avoidance

Personal Combat

Initiative If have surprise 12+Dexterity DM, otherwise 2D6 +Dexerity DM. Take action is initiative order.

Each character may take One Significant Action and one Minor Action

One Significant Action

Attack

Melee Attack= 2D6 +Appropriate Melee Skill + Strength or Dexterity DM (attacker's Choice)
Ranged Attack=2D6 + Gun Combat Skill+ Dexterity DM
Thrown Arrack= 2D6 + Athletics+Dexterity DM

Two Minor Attacks
Skill Check requiring over 6 seconds

One Minor Action

Aim - +1 to next attack on unmoving target, up to +6 for 6 minor actions
Aim to Kill - No to hit bonus but +2 damage bonus per action up to +6
Change Stance - Between standing, couched and prone.
Draw or Reload
Movement - Up to 6 metres if standing, 3 metres if crounched
Miscellaneous

Base difficulties to hit with different weapon types and different ranges

Weapon/Range     Personal    Close         Short      Medium     Long         V. Long      Distant

 Metres                    0           1-3m        3-12m    12-50m     51-250m   251-500m    500+
1.5m Squares           0            2               2-8        8-         54-  

Short Weapon    Average   Difficult             -            -                   -             -           -

                             8+          10+

Long Weapon     Difficult    Average            -            -                   -             -           -

                             10+          8+

Thrown Weapon     -           Average      Difficult      Difficult          -              -          -

                                              8+             10+          10+

Pistol                 Difficult     Average      Average     Difficult     V.Difficult      -           -

                           10+          8+              8+           10+           12+

Rifle                   V.Difficult   Difficult      Average     Average     Average   Difficult   V.Diff

                            12+        10+             8+              8+            8+          10+      12+

Shotgun              Difficult    Average       Difficult     Difficult      V.Difficult     -          -

                            10+          8+             10+          10+           12+           -          -

Assault Weapon   Difficult     Average      Average     Average     Difficult    V.Difficult Form.

                            10+          8+              8+             8+           10+         12+        14+

Rocket                V.Difficult   Difficult       Difficult     Average     Average   Difficult   V.Diff

                            12+        10+             8+              8+            8+          10+      12+

Common Modifiers

Aiming                      +1 per Aim action                  Intelligent Weapon                      +1 of total DM within program's tolerance
Cover                         0 to -6                                 Laser sight                                 +1 if aiming
Environmental Effects  -1 to -2                                Weapons with  Recoil in Zero-G    -2 (Gyrostabilised -1)

Movement                 -1 per 10m movement                     Target Prone   -2 at Medium range or more
Target Dodges           -1                                                                       +2 At Personal range
Target Parries            - Defender's melee Weapon skill

Common Weapons

Melee         Damage           Ranged Weapons     Type                  ROF    Damage  Recoil

Short Weapons                  Bow                       Assault Weapon    1          2D6      Yes
                                       Crossbow                Rifle                     1          2D6      Yes
Unarmed       1D6
Cudgel          3D6              Revolver                 Pistol                   1          2D6      Yes
Dagger*        1D6              Auto Pistol              Pistol                   1          2D6      Yes
Spear*          3D6              Body Pistol              Pistol                   1          2D6      Yes
Pike              4D6              Snub Pistol              Pistol                   1          2D6      Yes
Sword           3D6              Laser Pistol              Pistol                   1          4D6      No
Broadsword   4D6
Halberd         4D6              Carbine                   Assault Weapon    1          2D6     Yes
Bayonet        1D6               Rifle                       Rifle                     1          3D6     Yes
Blade            2D6              Shotgun                  Shotgun               1          4D6     Yes
Cutlass         3D6               Submachinegun       Assault Weapon   0/4        2D6     Yes
Foil               3D6              Auto Rifle                 Rifle                   1/4        3D6     Yes
                                        Assault Rifle             Assault Weapon   1/4       3D6      Yes
                                        Laser Carbine           Assault Weapon    1         4D6      No
                                        Accelerator Rifle       Rifle                    1/3       3D6      No
                                        ACR                         Rifle                    1/4      3D6      Yes
                                        Gauss Rifle               Rifle                    1/4/10 4D6      No

                                        Grenade                  Thrown                1
                                        Grenade Launcher    Shotgun               1
                                        Rocket Launcher       Rocket                 1       4D6    No
                                        RAM GL                   Assault Weapon   1/3
                                        PGMP                       Rifle                   1/4    10D6   Yes
                                        FGMP                       Rifle                   1/4    16D6    Yes

Armour
                                        TL   Armour Value   Required Skill
Jack                                   1         3                    -
Ballistic Cloth                      6         9                    -
Mesh                                  7         5                    -
Vacc Suit                            9         6                 Zero-G
Reflec                                10        0/14              -
Combat Armour                  11       11                Zero-G
Hostile Environment Suit      12       8                 Zero-G
Battle Dress                       13       18                Battle Dress

Damage Results

Damage is number of dice of damage + Effect (score above basic score to hit)

Damage is taken first against Endurance then Strength or Dexterity (Player's choice)

2 Characteristic at zero and the character is unconscious
3 Characteristic at zero and the character is dead
One characteristic reduced and the character is wounded
Two characteristics reduced and the character is seriously wounded

Successful Endurance check to recover consciousness. May be taken every 5 minutes.

Referee's Guide: Trade and Commerce

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Referee's Guide: Starship Operations

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Referee's Guide: Starship Design

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Referee's Guide: Animal Encounter Tables

When the designers of Traveller came to designing 'Animal Encounters' they could have approached it in a number of ways...because let's be clear we are talking about 'all alien life' here...apart from actual intelligent alien races, in this category falls just about any living thing you could find on a planet...

...not exactly a small subject!

Now they could have gone the route of 'Starseeker' its competitor at the time being developed by TSR, creators of Dungeon & Dragons, and gone for 'pulp sci-fi' monsters...four eyes...six limbs sort of thing...

But instead they decided to go a whole different route. A sort of 'pseudo-science' route where they did not in fact tell you anything about what the animal looked like, whether it was like a starfish, insect, reptile or mammal. Rather they would stick to how big the animal was, whether it flew, swam or walked and what its position was in the eco-system, which would dictate its behaviour when encountered.

So the Traveller Animal Encounter table let it up to you whether it looked like a centipede, six-legged lizard, bear-dog or some sort of dinosaur analogue and just worried about whether it was a Hijacker Scavenger or a Grazer.

Now before we get too heavily drawn into a heavy biology/ecology class it is worth asking the question what do we actually need Animal Encounters for in a role-playing game.

There is a variety of answers to that....

Referee's Guide: Encounter Tables....Part 4

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Referee's Guide: Encounter Tables....Part 3

UNDER CONSTRUCTION