If you're trying to be combat-focused then yes, you want to know how to shoot. You're currently being signed on in somewhat that context.

If you're not combat-focused then knowing how to shoot is optional (several of us have no gun training). It's nice to be able to contribute somehow when things go south, but that can be from support actions rather than killing things actions.

Someone whose background is as a broker/merchant probably won't be expected to be a master of the battlefield, Varca's in-character expectations notwithstanding.


As for getting close enough to use a blade, bear in mind that fights will rarely take place in a completely flat, featureless space...

He did state he was a Merchant Marine and under his description Broker and Melee (Blades) are stated to be his primary skills. Either case, better to plan for the worst and hope for the best, because I doubt a table will provide much cover, but every bit helps.

I’ll look into these, or I can always.. re-roll…

     Well, now, see!  I did not know that!  When Varca asked about guns, he was talking about trained Gun skills.  So, when Ghent said he could "use" a Gun, Varca assumed he was saying he was "trained" -- My Bad about that.

     However...

     While, yes, anyone can pick up a gun, point it at a target, and figure out how to pull the trigger--in other words, "use" a gun--the greater issue, here, is to "use" a gun to successfully hit the target you're aiming at ... not some poor schmuck standing 2-meters to the left of where you thought you were aiming...

     In all the various incarnations of the Traveller game, the game mechanic has always been that anybody can use any skill at any time--whether they have it on their character's skill list, or not.  It's all about the DMs (Die Modifiers).

     Ghent is--if I got that abouve statement correct--Unskilled with "guns"--that's the Official word that the game uses, "Unskilled"--that means he has No Skill Level with the Gun Combat skill.  This means that if Ghent picks up any kind of "gun"--smallarm, longarm, firearm, energy weapon, blackpowder, whatever--then if he does anything with that gun, other than stare it, he will have a -3 DM.  You'll roll 2d6-3 to determine success.

     Or...think of it like this...Untrained means you're a danger to yourself and others.

     Know, also, that "No Skill Level" is not the same as "Zero Level" in Traveller.

     Zero Level (0-Level) means you are "Trained" in the Skill (well, you've been taught the "basics") and so you are no longer "Unskilled".  You lose that -3 DM, when you roll your 2d6, and now get a +0 DM!!  Yay!

     Zero Level in a skill means you know enough about the skill to only be a danger to yourself!  Hopefully...

     Varca, being the violence prone maniac combat-oriented person that he is, is just trying to assess what actions he can expect from the folks he's with, during the firefight.

     And right now, Varca is certain that he does not want to be anywhere near Ghent, if Ghent is packing a pistol...

     But that's not saying that Varca won't respect Ghent, if Ghent chooses to bring a Knife to a Gunfight!

(okay, you all need to stop laughing--just because you know that Varca will absolutely rag on Ghent for bringing a Knife to a Gunfight!  I'm trying to be supportive, here!  Really!  Stop laughing!!)

Zhouth isn't really even bringing a knife to it. Sure, his suit has some built in, but the odds of him running in to try to use them hover somewhere around -273C...

In reply to Zhouth (msg # 13):

     We gotta get Zhouth to start carrying Nerve Gas Grenades or Incendiary Flash-Bangs or some such, y'know?

     Zhouth tosses a few grenades out ahead ... the rest of us rush in and get slaughtered mop up what's left...

I do have a level in Vac Suits, didn't realize they counted as armour as most Vac Suits I have seen in d20 only help keep air in.

Have several knives on me too, which I intended as ranged attacks, though I am not sure that could work now...

In reply to Ghent Bel-Andis (msg # 15):

Our hazard suits have some protection, a regular vacc suit, not so much.

Indeed, vacc suits can be armor, in fact much of the game takes place in space after all, and the last thing you want in space is to interact with vacuum or solar radiation personally, so armor that can't protect you against either is rather limited in its utility unless you're playing a planet bound game.

Also, the cheapest vacc suit which is a TL10 Vacc Suit provides +8 pro, which is as much as TL10 Cloth. So never discount a good vacc suit, it could save your life from multiple threats, both enemy and terrain alike. In fact, looking at the Central Catalogue, there is more armor with vacc suit reqs than without.

Most of the d20 games that would have vacc suits or space suits have basic armor as just a leather jacket, so, since that's the basis, it follows that vacc suits would be at least the equivalent and probably slightly better do to protection from radiation it needs to have.

Yep, I mean that's exactly what Jack is, with its +1 Pro.

     So ... Idiot Boy (me) finally went and bought a New Laptop.  Oh, and not just a new laptop -- oh no! -- I went and bought an up to date, current technology laptop.  Super-duper Processor, fast as a rabbit internet, more graphics power than I'll ever need, and it even has Windows 11 installed ... this thing is something the NSA would be jealous of.

     So of course, I have no idea how to make this damn thing do any of the things I want it to do!  I keep giving it commands ... it keeps refusing ... I keep hitting the Run button ... it just runs around my house, yelling "Nyaa-nyaa" ... I keep chasing after it, waving a 3-pound ball peen hammer ... sigh ...

     So please bear with me, until I beat some obedience get through the learning curve of this new machine.

In reply to Varca Lexand (msg # 20):

Winblows Eleven, good luck with that Vince!

Yep, pretty much avoid any updates for as long as I can, had windows seven for the longest time, and XP before that, don't pay to be a first adopter.

Sorry, had to discuss with the GM before posting.

No it doesn't. Windows 11 requires hardware to run too, so I'd have to buy a new computer. Not going to happen.

Zhouth's concern isn't strictly limited to landmines, Theodore: he's concerned about booby traps in general!

In reply to Zhouth (msg # 25):

If you were aboard Vultan when we landed on Theev you might be wearing one of the Boarding Suits we bought on Drinax.

Varca did ask before we left the ship, and only Theo, Ingrid & Zhouth specifically said they were wearing the Boarding Suits assigned to them from Vultan's lockers.  Varca is wearing his personal Hazard Suit, and BB was wearing her personal Battle Suit (or whatever it is).

Rayjaynul, as you have been aboard since Torpol, you would have had a Drinaxi suit from stores assigned to you, so you could be wearing that suit if you wanted, or you are wearing your own protection.  Viridian hadn't said one way or the other, but I assume he's wearing a Drinaxi suit.  Ghent, you've bought a Boarding suit here, on Theev (pretty sure I read that)--and that can be a good or bad thing.  Just beat it out of ask StarMaster to give you the suit's Tech Level of manufacture.

Remember!  Tech Level Difference with your gear can be an Advantage--or a Disadvantage--that might gain you a DM to dice rolls.  Always beat the GM over the head with remind the GM about the TL of your gear, if you think it might be of significance!

Why do I bring this up now...?

If you are wearing one of the Drinaxi suits, then you have onboard PRIS "goggles"--as well as other sensor systems--as part of your equipment.  PRIS is a multi-spectrum radiant energy "detector"--it can scan pretty much the entire electromagnetic energy spectrum and present the results to you in a visual format--including some limited x-ray "vision".

Everyone with a Drinaxi Boarding Suit and the Electronics(sensors) skill should post that they are scanning.  Anyone not wearing a Drinaxi Boarding Suit should also make similar rolls if you have any kind of sensor equipment that you think might help.  Anyone with a Death Wish, please charge forward now...

As there is the potential for "Dire Circumstances" in the resultant finding--or not finding--of traps or alarms, I'm gonna guess that we will need to make rolls for this.


Oh...and just in case anyone was wondering ... this is why Varca is wearing his Hazard Suit and not his Drinaxi Boarding Suit ... ^_^

I'd suppose that Recon works for this as well? Zhouth is actually half-decent at that given the vargr racial.

It looks like almost everyone would count as having Electronics/Sensors 0 due to specializations elsewhere, so between us we should collectively be able to see if there actually are any problems lying in wait.

Yep, I did state a while back that I was putting on one of the boarding suits back before we actually left the ship. That was when I reminded everyone that worn armor is a quarter the listed weight and stated that even my old weak ass could wear the armor with the rest of my kit without issue. Hence why most everyone decided to wear theirs as well.

Though nice of you to remind me what PRIS stands for, sadly however I don't have Sensors, but I suppose I could still roll Electronics and Int.

Hey, Zhouth isn't wearing armor because it's lightweight. He's using it because he has an aversion to being shot!

I ain't gonna get into it in any detail, right now.

If you're wearing a Drinaxi Boarding Suit, the onboard Computer/2 has the Expert-Electronics(sensors)/1 on it.

They also must have Intelligent Interface program running (yes, the Suit talks--when you were first "fitted" to the Suit, the voice was programmed to mimic your own voice.  Blame Varca).

Computers are rated by "Processor" power (Computer/# = Processor value).

Programs are rated by "Bandwidth" requirement (Program Name/# = Bandwidth value).

A Computer can only "Processor" value is the total amount of "Bandwidth" that the computer can handle.

Intelligent Interface uses Bandwidth/1.  Expert-Electronics(sensors)/1 uses Bandwidth/1.  The Computer has Processor/2.  1 + 1 = 2.  We're golden.

If YOU do not have the Electronics(sensors) skill (you're Untrained), then using the Suit Computer to run the Expert-Electronics(sensors) program will let you make a skill check as if you do have the skill (as if Trained) at the software’s Bandwidth -1 -- in this case, as if you have Electronics/0. Only INT and EDU-based skill checks can be attempted

If YOU do have the Electronics(sensors) skill, then the Expert-Electronics(sensors) software will grant you a DM+1 to your skill roll (just DM+1, regardless of the actual Bandwidth of the Expert program).

Odd voice choice there I suppose.

But don't think you mentioned the software it was running, just that the suits have a TL 13 Electronics Suite which includes:
Computer /2, Eye Protection, Geiger Counter,
IR Goggles, Light Intensifier Goggles,
PRIS Binoculars, Radio Transceiver, Scope

But good to know.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:52, Sat 26 Feb 2022.

     Well, to Varca's arrogant way of thinking, there is no other voice that anyone trusts more than their own!


      Actually, I did make up a "Base Program List", back in the day... But it was in a different file and ... well, um ... I kinda ... misplaced that file ...

     But, according to the CRB, all computers (non-ship computers) are sold with:
        Interface (the very basic version of an Operating System--it sounds like Stephen Hawking)
        Security/0 (the very basic anti-hacking software)

     And, being me, I would have had all these suits outfitted with at least:
        Expert-Electronics(sensors)/1
        Expert-Electronics(comms)/1
     Plus, to run an Expert Program we'd need the Intelligent Interface program installed.

     So, at minimum...
          Interface (superseded by Intelligent Interface)
          Intelligent Interface
          Security/0
          Expert-Electronics(sensors)/1
          Expert-Electronics(comms)/1

     And I've always meant to install Database ... and probably should add Expert-Science ... so we can make better sense of all those Sensor readings ...

I'm pretty sure that Science software would be discipline-specific. You can always add one for each, but that adds up, cost-wise, pretty quickly.