Post by providence13 on Jul 15, 2013 8:14:56 GMT -8
Now that my group is 4-5th Rank, we're starting to understand what a Rank means for game play.
It seems to me that it's around this time, the characters are maturing and just starting to be able to survive in/affect their world.
I thought the caste system of skills was a great idea, but it is arbitrary. Sure, part of the charm for us playing TME is the total randomness of it all. With that said, the group is definitely on an uneven level in skills. Part of my job as GM is to give each player something to do and enjoy doing it! We play 1/month and I want them interested in making the 30 min drive. Still, some players are able to do less than others.
For chargen, I used TM-1-5b Starting Skill Set Rolls. This might not be enough for our group.
When they Rank, I give them max on the Skill Point Bonus. Random chargen is one thing but I would be disheartened as a player if I rolled 1 extra skill point for 2 consecutive Ranks when someone else rolled 4 or 3.
We do go totally random on the Rank Gain Bonus Matrix, for extra Traits, skill points, etc.
New Skills:
Then there's skill acquisition and advancement. I understand the ruling that you can only increase a skill that you used on the previous Rank. It's a nice, simple mechanic. I do think it's an introductory mechanic and I need something for more experienced players. If you Rank each time you game, then only increase what you use, it happens so fast that you can easily skip skills.
Right now, I'm allowing them to pick up a few new (GM ok'd) skills, if they have the points to spend, without training. However, they are stuck at that one point until they've had the requisite training time, (modified by Int as Madwill posted) spent the cash/found a trainer (pg 35). After the 6 mnths, they can add more points.
Skill Advancement:
It's great that almost every skill table lists the chance of success for someone Untrained, but with an increasingly limited number of skills to improve, the players feel a bit stuck.
Advancement is pretty fast. They Rank 1/game on average. In that game, they may not have had an opportunity to use a skill they desperately want to increase. I've started allowing them to increase skills they didn't use by one point, if they have it to spend. I feel they can still think about how to do it better or see examples of how not to perform the skill. So, if they can give me a role playing reason, they can put 1 point in any skill they have if they got the points to spend.
First Aid and Stabilization:
In the first few Ranks, they increased weapons and combat skills in order to survive. Technician skills are starting to catch up but they are finding a basic First Aid skill would be handy. Sure, even untrained they could perform some basic First Aid, but ticks and splinters sounds pretty elementary for people surviving by wits and toughness in this strange, new world. Pg 111 mentions First Aid being able to stabilize someone Incapacitated and Dying and that it's able to be performed by anyone who's smart enough to apply pressure.. etc. But according to the Medic table, it reads like they can't do this unless at least Erotic Arts level of ability.
In my games, I think I'll make stabilization for the untrained an Int HC, probably B or C with total damage as a penalty to the roll.
Slower Rank Advancement:
This might seem overly generous and be way too fast for some games. I will off-set this a bit by using the Slow Rank Advancement posted by xhaosdaemon. (http://mutantepochforum.boards.net/thread/61/xhaosdaemons-revised-rank-advancement-matrix)
After we play a while, we might make more changes or go back to the RAW (rules as written).
Does anyone else have different/similar/RAW rules they use?
It seems to me that it's around this time, the characters are maturing and just starting to be able to survive in/affect their world.
I thought the caste system of skills was a great idea, but it is arbitrary. Sure, part of the charm for us playing TME is the total randomness of it all. With that said, the group is definitely on an uneven level in skills. Part of my job as GM is to give each player something to do and enjoy doing it! We play 1/month and I want them interested in making the 30 min drive. Still, some players are able to do less than others.
For chargen, I used TM-1-5b Starting Skill Set Rolls. This might not be enough for our group.
When they Rank, I give them max on the Skill Point Bonus. Random chargen is one thing but I would be disheartened as a player if I rolled 1 extra skill point for 2 consecutive Ranks when someone else rolled 4 or 3.
We do go totally random on the Rank Gain Bonus Matrix, for extra Traits, skill points, etc.
New Skills:
Then there's skill acquisition and advancement. I understand the ruling that you can only increase a skill that you used on the previous Rank. It's a nice, simple mechanic. I do think it's an introductory mechanic and I need something for more experienced players. If you Rank each time you game, then only increase what you use, it happens so fast that you can easily skip skills.
Right now, I'm allowing them to pick up a few new (GM ok'd) skills, if they have the points to spend, without training. However, they are stuck at that one point until they've had the requisite training time, (modified by Int as Madwill posted) spent the cash/found a trainer (pg 35). After the 6 mnths, they can add more points.
Skill Advancement:
It's great that almost every skill table lists the chance of success for someone Untrained, but with an increasingly limited number of skills to improve, the players feel a bit stuck.
Advancement is pretty fast. They Rank 1/game on average. In that game, they may not have had an opportunity to use a skill they desperately want to increase. I've started allowing them to increase skills they didn't use by one point, if they have it to spend. I feel they can still think about how to do it better or see examples of how not to perform the skill. So, if they can give me a role playing reason, they can put 1 point in any skill they have if they got the points to spend.
First Aid and Stabilization:
In the first few Ranks, they increased weapons and combat skills in order to survive. Technician skills are starting to catch up but they are finding a basic First Aid skill would be handy. Sure, even untrained they could perform some basic First Aid, but ticks and splinters sounds pretty elementary for people surviving by wits and toughness in this strange, new world. Pg 111 mentions First Aid being able to stabilize someone Incapacitated and Dying and that it's able to be performed by anyone who's smart enough to apply pressure.. etc. But according to the Medic table, it reads like they can't do this unless at least Erotic Arts level of ability.
In my games, I think I'll make stabilization for the untrained an Int HC, probably B or C with total damage as a penalty to the roll.
Slower Rank Advancement:
This might seem overly generous and be way too fast for some games. I will off-set this a bit by using the Slow Rank Advancement posted by xhaosdaemon. (http://mutantepochforum.boards.net/thread/61/xhaosdaemons-revised-rank-advancement-matrix)
After we play a while, we might make more changes or go back to the RAW (rules as written).
Does anyone else have different/similar/RAW rules they use?
. 