North Star SF TTRPG ,convention is coming in May. With that in mind, I have returned to the possibility of using the Comae Engine to power my ‘old’ GDW 2300AD game. A light and quick application of the Comae Engine on top of GDW’s skill structure has given me something to work with. The 2300AD skills have become Focus, grouped under the main Comae skills. You could, of course, simplify it further, by just sticking with the core skills, but I wanted to bring in the big list in a manageable way, and this seemed the most elegant way of doing it.
I expect that the 2300AD Career Paths, will provide recommendations for Core Skills and a number of Focus equal to Terms in service (or some such). Body Type will also affect Resource pools and maybe starting skill levels with core skills. I’ll work that out when I get to create the player characters.
Here’s the skill list.
Awareness. Sight, hearing, scent, taste – anything related to our senses are collected under this skill, as well as tracking.
Forward Observer, Reconnaisance, Sensors, Tracking
Combat. The Combat skill is used for any situations featuring physical violence: swashbuckling, bar brawls, demolitions or firing a gun.
Combat Rifleman, Demolitions, Gunner, Heavy Weapons, Melee, Sidearm, Thrown Weapon
Deception. Covers sneaking and hiding, but also typical thievery crafts, like lockpicking, pick pocketing, forgery and sleight of hand.
Disguise, Forgery, Hunting, Security Systems, Stealth, Streetwise
Knowledge. This broad skill covers various knowledge-based proficiencies, like languages, research and bureaucracy.
Bureaucracy, Computer, First Aid, History, Information Gathering, Linguistics, Tactics
Move. This skill covers all physical skills, like climbing, jumping, running, swimming and dancing.
Riding, P-Suit
Science. Science, like Knowledge, is a broad skill, covering all natural sciences, including Medicine.
Anthropology, Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Engineering, Geology, Medical, Physics, Psychology, Ship Drive Engineering, Theoretical Sciences
Social. All social activities are collected here. If you need to tell a convincing lie or entertain at a cocktail party, this is the skill to use. Also, bribery, acting and oratory fall under Social.
Appraisal, Bargain, Leader, Trader
Tech. The character understands how mechanical and electronic objects work and knows how to hot-wire, repair and build them. Also covers the handling of vehicles.
Aircraft Pilot, Combat Walker, Electronic, Ground Vehicle, Hover Vehicle, LTA Vehicle, Mechanical, Pilot, Prospecting, Remote Pilot, Sea Vehicle
Willpower. Any time your grit and mental resilience comes into play, Willpower is used. Examples include resisting the influence of a charismatic speaker or stay cool in frightening situations.
Coolness Under Fire, Survival
I had wondered about giving each Focus a level of 1-4, with each level proivding a cumulative +10%, but that’s further elaborating, so I kept my Coolness Under Fire.
Without much worry of playtest(!) I will probably just go with some guts on simple conversions.
Guns
Sidearms 1d, Rifles 2d, Heavy weapons 3d
Close range +1d Far away -1d
Heart hits +1d6 to any damage caused.
Area Fire Value (In range 1-5) wil give additional targets that can be endangered with area fire. Each burst a cumulative -10% to hit (or perhaps a flat -20%).
Armour Piercing (n) = number of armour ignored at Close Range.
Armour will absorb in standard BRP fashion.
Here’s a simple Google Doc character sheet.
