Stuffed Crocodile on Nostr: [Traveller] Reaction Rolls and Morale for MGT 2e Reaction Rolls and Morale for MGT 2e ...
[Traveller] Reaction Rolls and Morale for MGT 2e
Reaction Rolls and Morale for MGT 2e
I am prepping for a Pirates of Drinax campaign right now, and as the current version of that is for Mongoose Traveller we are going to use that edition. There is something to be said about the way the newer edition (now even with a refreshed look for this 8 year old game) doesn’t have the stark black and white art and design that made me fall in love with the system back in the day. There’s glossy paper and colors all over the books! Imagine that, Traveller books in color…
Anyway, the rules definitely have a better layout than in first edition, even if I am missing the simplicity of the old design.
But as I was going through the game to relearn the system (it really is incredibly similar to MgT1 in so many ways you can basically convert basic stats on the fly) when I realized it was missing reaction rolls and morale checks. At least any that I could find.*
A quick check in my old MgT books actually showed that no, that one had them neither.
Weird, despite trying to emulate Classic Traveller as close as it could with how it worked, these parts didn’t make it through.
As both of these have become one of my favorite tools over the last few years I decided to put them in again. Reaction rolls and morale allow me to run NPCs that do not always react the way I would personally react.
So here is an attempt to make a new table, based very roughly on Classic Traveller, Cepheus Deluxe, and my D&D houserules for NPC reactions. .
NPC Reaction Table
This table is to be used for meaningful encounters only. Most people encountered in daily live will ignore the PCs and be ignored. Sometimes they will acknowledge the other side briefly, but go back to ignoring them right after (e.g. a shop clerk taking their payment, a guard taking note of their presence).
This table is for those encounters where Travellers are brought into a an encounter situation that does not allow to go back to ignoring each other.2d6Reaction1-Immediate Attack2Violent (immediate attack on successful morale check of 9+)3-5Unfriendly. Will do anything short of attacking.6-8Indifferent, largely uninterested in PCs9-11Friendly, will help12Helpful13+Enthusiastic friendship
DM +1 if character served in armed forces for 5+ terms**
DM -1 if world population is 9+
DM -1/-2 if biased (racially or otherwise) against characters
Depending on environments mods can be used as DMs, e.g. EDU mod for academic setting, SOC for social setting
Follow up checks also use the DMs above and should take into accounts measures to defuse situation.
Morale Table
This table is used to determine how a side in a fight keeps it together once casualties start.2d6Result5 or lessBreaks/Surrenders6-8Fighting Withdrawal9-15Keeps Fighting16+Fight to the Death
Calls for morale of one sides in a fight can be called by the referee:
* when first death in fight happens
* 25% of one side is incapacitated (dead or otherwise out of fight)
* 50% of one side is incapacitated (dead or otherwise out of fight)
* if changes in battle situation change outlook drastically (e.g. someone shoots a gun in a knife fight)
Dice modificators that can apply:
DM -2 if the 25% and 50% are reached in the same combat round
DM -2 if leader dies (for 2 rounds, until new leader takes over)
DM +1 if side is military/mercenary
DM +1 if leader skill present
Optional: this rule can affect both NPCs AND PCs.***
Notes:
* yes, it turns out Morale is in the Companion on pages 6/7, but in a way that introduces a new stat.
**does this makes sense? Maybe not, but it was in the original Traveller rules
*** this was actually how it works in CT, and it might not be a bad ideaRate this:
#reactionRoll #traveller #ttrpg
Reaction Rolls and Morale for MGT 2e
I am prepping for a Pirates of Drinax campaign right now, and as the current version of that is for Mongoose Traveller we are going to use that edition. There is something to be said about the way the newer edition (now even with a refreshed look for this 8 year old game) doesn’t have the stark black and white art and design that made me fall in love with the system back in the day. There’s glossy paper and colors all over the books! Imagine that, Traveller books in color…
Anyway, the rules definitely have a better layout than in first edition, even if I am missing the simplicity of the old design.
But as I was going through the game to relearn the system (it really is incredibly similar to MgT1 in so many ways you can basically convert basic stats on the fly) when I realized it was missing reaction rolls and morale checks. At least any that I could find.*
A quick check in my old MgT books actually showed that no, that one had them neither.
Weird, despite trying to emulate Classic Traveller as close as it could with how it worked, these parts didn’t make it through.
As both of these have become one of my favorite tools over the last few years I decided to put them in again. Reaction rolls and morale allow me to run NPCs that do not always react the way I would personally react.
So here is an attempt to make a new table, based very roughly on Classic Traveller, Cepheus Deluxe, and my D&D houserules for NPC reactions. .
NPC Reaction Table
This table is to be used for meaningful encounters only. Most people encountered in daily live will ignore the PCs and be ignored. Sometimes they will acknowledge the other side briefly, but go back to ignoring them right after (e.g. a shop clerk taking their payment, a guard taking note of their presence).
This table is for those encounters where Travellers are brought into a an encounter situation that does not allow to go back to ignoring each other.2d6Reaction1-Immediate Attack2Violent (immediate attack on successful morale check of 9+)3-5Unfriendly. Will do anything short of attacking.6-8Indifferent, largely uninterested in PCs9-11Friendly, will help12Helpful13+Enthusiastic friendship
DM +1 if character served in armed forces for 5+ terms**
DM -1 if world population is 9+
DM -1/-2 if biased (racially or otherwise) against characters
Depending on environments mods can be used as DMs, e.g. EDU mod for academic setting, SOC for social setting
Follow up checks also use the DMs above and should take into accounts measures to defuse situation.
Morale Table
This table is used to determine how a side in a fight keeps it together once casualties start.2d6Result5 or lessBreaks/Surrenders6-8Fighting Withdrawal9-15Keeps Fighting16+Fight to the Death
Calls for morale of one sides in a fight can be called by the referee:
* when first death in fight happens
* 25% of one side is incapacitated (dead or otherwise out of fight)
* 50% of one side is incapacitated (dead or otherwise out of fight)
* if changes in battle situation change outlook drastically (e.g. someone shoots a gun in a knife fight)
Dice modificators that can apply:
DM -2 if the 25% and 50% are reached in the same combat round
DM -2 if leader dies (for 2 rounds, until new leader takes over)
DM +1 if side is military/mercenary
DM +1 if leader skill present
Optional: this rule can affect both NPCs AND PCs.***
Notes:
* yes, it turns out Morale is in the Companion on pages 6/7, but in a way that introduces a new stat.
**does this makes sense? Maybe not, but it was in the original Traveller rules
*** this was actually how it works in CT, and it might not be a bad ideaRate this:
#reactionRoll #traveller #ttrpg