Thinking about running a 3rd Edition game

[gbmaz]

After carefully purchasing and reading the 4th edition book and reading all sorts of stuff I think I am going run some 3rd edition instead. Besides the awesomeness of using the same book I used in high school in the '80's, it is "rules light" by comparison.

The gaming group I am in (Pathfinder in a modified Eberron setting) is pretty into roleplaying and non combat resolution, so having a bunch of extra weapons related rules will just complicate things and won't add to the story telling.They are pretty used to some hand wavy Going since our usual GM is a writer and and actor who is mostly winging it all the time (he does it very well).

Given that this is likely to just a diversion and a chance to give the regular GM a chance to play for once, I want to keep things simple. It also means that I don't have to do any conversions if I am going to run any of the published modules (of which I own all).

Have most of you gone 4th edition, or are there still a bunch of 3rd edition hold outs?

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by gbmaz

Have most of you gone 4th edition, or are there still a bunch of 3rd edition hold outs?

I am not a fan of 4th to say the least.

[gbmaz]

ArmySGT-

Would you be willing to answer some questions for me on 3rd Edition stuff?

There are a number of things I am unclear on.

I am planning to use the "Roleplaying Expansion" that removes the ACC stat and explicitly adds skills.

It is unclear to me how you determine a characters skills. I get that everyone gets a degree and that there are minimum skill levels required to be on a Recon, Mars or Science team.

What I don't get is how you would determine what level those skills (combat, technical, knowledge, agility) are at? I understand that stats can give bonuses, but how are the base numbers derived?

Is there a pool of "skill points" based on something that you can divide out to different skills as you see fit for your character?

I think if I can get this sorted out in my head the other stuff will fall into place. IIRC this is something we never figured out back in high school and all our characters were probably PhD Navy Seal Sniper Ninjas.

Given that my group has taken to referring to TMP as "Post Apocalypse Social Workers with Guns" when I mention it, I think they get the idea of the project much better than we did in high school. It helps that everyone is over 30, 1 is a psychiatrist, 2 have PhDs (chemistry & psychology), and 2 are teachers.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by gbmaz

ArmySGT-

Would you be willing to answer some questions for me on 3rd Edition stuff?

There are a number of things I am unclear on.

I am planning to use the "Roleplaying Expansion" that removes the ACC stat and explicitly adds skills.

It is unclear to me how you determine a characters skills. I get that everyone gets a degree and that there are minimum skill levels required to be on a Recon, Mars or Science team.

What I don't get is how you would determine what level those skills (combat, technical, knowledge, agility) are at? I understand that stats can give bonuses, but how are the base numbers derived?

Is there a pool of "skill points" based on something that you can divide out to different skills as you see fit for your character?

I think if I can get this sorted out in my head the other stuff will fall into place. IIRC this is something we never figured out back in high school and all our characters were probably PhD Navy Seal Sniper Ninjas.

Given that my group has taken to referring to TMP as "Post Apocalypse Social Workers with Guns" when I mention it, I think they get the idea of the project much better than we did in high school. It helps that everyone is over 30, 1 is a psychiatrist, 2 have PhDs (chemistry & psychology), and 2 are teachers.

Page R3 of the supplement.

Players roll a d6... 1,2,3 equals a B.S or BA degree with a base 20% skill. 4, 5 equals a M.A or M.S with a base 40%, and 6 equals a Ph.D with a base 60% . This is the education focus of the PC. The players can choose or the P.D can choose for a better spread or specialist relevant to a Module or team position.

Players have a college Degree (One) and then skills.

Page R4 and R5 have the base skills levels from Morrow Project training at varying levels be specialty (Recon, Mars, Science). This is a chart with Categories of Combat, Technical, Knowledge, and Agility. These are the base levels for PCs as they complete training at Morrow facilities.

Page R1 has the percentage chance a Morrow Project member is a military or Law enforcement Veteran. This gives a bonus to certain skills (listed there) determined whether enlisted or commissioned. Roll D6 on a 1,2,3,4 enlisted. 5,6 and commissioned.

Bonuses for skills related to high/low strength, dexterity, intelligence are on page R2 as well.

[gbmaz]

Thanks!

I thought I was missing something. So it is just the base minimum skill levels + bonuses due to service + bonuses due to stats. The degree thing was pretty straight forward.

[ArmySGT.]

Originally Posted by gbmaz

Thanks!

I thought I was missing something. So it is just the base minimum skill levels + bonuses due to service + bonuses due to stats. The degree thing was pretty straight forward.

Yes, that is it. Then once per game session a player can roll for one skill (one!) that they used successfully to possibly increase.

Subtract the base skill from 100 to determine what one must roll less than to gain a 5% increase to that skill.

Example Drive MPV. Normal operation does not "test" a skill. The player did not need to roll against their base skill to perform the action. During the course of the game the player has to drive a MPV over a ice covered 150 year old bridge. Player makes to rolls and two saves (brakes safely, and controls steering) against the negative modifiers. Base skill is 40% for Recon.

100% - 40% =60%. The player must roll less than 60% to receive a 5% increase to their base skill. This can only be done for one skill per game session.

PCs and Non PCs can also gain a skill or skill increase by learning from someone with a 90% or higher base skill by studying for 10 hours per day for seven days without interruption. Any break in this period and the process must start over. At the end of the week, the PC or NPC rolls against like the example and gains a new skill or increases a known skill by 5%.