On Sunday, October 27, 1996, David Smart announced his T4 Errata Contest on the TML. I had already compiled an errata list and sent it to Imperium Games, and, lucky for me, I kept a copy. I sent my contest entry to David on October 28, after incorporating a few minor changes.
I'm glad to see, as of this writing (12 January 1997), that a copy of David Smart's TML Errata List is now available at Imperium Games's Web Site.
Here is a copy of my contribution to David Smart's T4 Errata contest.
The Academic Skills description states, "... roll for two skills on the Academic Skills table."
The Commando School Academic Skills table on Page 27 states, "roll one per year."
Which page is correct?
The Academic Skills description states, "A Character gets two skills ..."
The Flight School Academic Skills table on Page 28 states, "roll one per year."
Which page is correct?
The description states, "Each military career has a draft number on the Draft Table."
Should this read, "Several careers have a draft number ...", since the Merchants can be construed to be predominantly non-military?
The description states, "Each military service has a commission number..."
Should this state, "Each service has a commission number...", since several non-military services have commision numbers (i.e., Merchants and Nobles)?
The description also states, "If the commission is received, the character receives Rank O1 in the service."
The Table of Ranks for Nobles on Page 33 lists Soc B, Soc C, and so on. Are these equivalent to Rank O1, O2, etc.?
The Retirement Pay description states, "The table indicates the rate of pay, ..."
Should this state, "The Retirement Pay Table indicates ...", since the table appears on a different page?
The Perseverance description states, "DM+2 if Int 9+5".
Should this state, "DM+2 if Int 9+"?
The Flunked Out description states, "Enlistment in Nay as enlistee."
Should this state, "Enlistment in Navy as enlistee"?
Also, should the rank received upon Graduation be "Rank O1"?
The Mental skills table gives entry 6. "Science" in bold text.
Should this entry be printed in plain text?
Alternatively, should all references to skill clusters be in bold text whenever presented in a table?
Should all table references to cascade skills be in italic text?
Comment: Most of the charts preceeding the career charts use bold text when referencing a skill cluster. I found it very easy to use those charts.
Careers with Commissions and Promotions state, "1 skill per term per Commission" and "1 skill per term per Promotion".
Should this read, "1 skill for Commission" and "1 skill for Promotion" or something similiar?
The DMs for the Cash Tables and the Benefits Tables are buried in earlier text.
Is there enough room to add "DM+1 if Gambling-1+" and "DM+1 if O5+" at the bottom of the appropriate tables for all careers?
If a player is allowed to roll or select "+1 Soc" from the Social skills table, why bother with a Promotion roll of "2-; DM+1 if Int A+"?
Should Social skills table entry 6. be replaced with something like "+1 Dex"?
The Mustering Out Tables Benefits Table entry 7 is "Weapon".
How is a Scholar supposed to get a +1 DM to this roll considering that there are no ranks for this career?
Should entry 7 be changed to "-"?
The Forensics skill description states, "Crude forensic instruments are available at a tech code of Industrial; equipment from higher tech codes is..."
Should this read, "Crude forensic instruments are available at a tech level 4; equipment from higher tech levels is..."?
The description states, "A malfunction is only dangerous when..."
What about wheeled vehicles of less than four wheels, like motorcycles and three-wheelers?
Is a blowout while driving a motorcycle more dangerous than a blowout while driving an automobile?
The third paragraph of the description reads, "A character can convey to other characters any skill he knows.with Instruction The referee ..."
Should this read, "... knows with Instruction. The ..."?
The description states, "End is sometimes applicable with the skill, particularly when resisting psionic attacks."
Which psionic abilities can be resisted using psionicology? Chapter 11 doesn't give any examples.
Should the description match the other wound descriptions by beginning with something like, "If two characteristics are reduced to zero, the character is seriously wounded."?
Should Range Number 5's Range Name be "V. Long" instead of "V. .Long"?
The description states, "... items in it are not readily accessible (requiring one full combat round to get at them)."
Should this read, "... (requiring at least one full round ...", since there are any number of factors that affect item accessibility?
The description states, "Vac Suits normally have a video comm and a regional range radio, ..."
What is the distance covered by regional range in T4?
The last paragraph of the description states, "An antidote is available for drug drug."
Should this read, "slow drug"?
The description states, "The kit also includes stimulants, sedatives, anitbiotics, metabolic enhancers, and (as a last resort) metabolic reducers ..."
Does this refer to slow, medical slow, fast, combat, medical, anagathic, and truth drugs and antidotes described in the preceeding paragraphs or to something else?
Which is the correct weight of a loaded TL12 Laser Pistol, 2kg, 5kg, or something else?
"Rifel"?
Should the title read "cR776/cR898" instead of "cR898/cR898"?
On Page 56 the Autofire description states, "Five rounds of ammo are used up per figure attacked ..."
On Pages 73-75 some of the Combat Gear descriptions state that three-round or four-round bursts are fired by certain weapons (for example, ACRs & SMGs).
Which rule is correct?
Also, throughout the equipment descriptions the tech level is sometimes given as "TL7" or "TL11" and other times as "TL 7" or "TL 11".
Which format is preferred?
Are the Mass and Price for the Rebreather Replacement Cartridge listed in the correct columns of the equipment table?
How much space do Sursats and Survey Shields take up when stowed in a starship's cargo bay?
Does the price of a Medkit include all needed drugs, or should there be prices listed in the table where there are blank spaces?
Also, where is Medical Slow Drug on the table?
Is there room for descriptions of each table column on this page?
Is Mass for an unloaded weapon or a loaded weapon?
The entry for Laser Pistol shows a reload mass greater than the mass of a loaded weapon, but the entry for Laser Rifle looks okay.
Is it possible some of the other weapon data is also mixed up?
The description states, "The on-board computer can maintain medium orbital range communications with the ground, continental range radar."
What distance is medium orbital range?
What distance is continental range for the ground radar?
The description states, "The vehicle has... ...medium-range communications and radar, ..."
Should that read, "medium orbital range", or is the commo portion limited to 150m?
What distance is regional range?
The description states, "Such a maneuver is possible for streamlined and partially streamlined hulls (configurations 1 to 6)." and "Dispersed structures and planetoids, however, cannot land ..."
Where is a table describing hull configurations 1 to 6, dispersed structures, and planetoids?
The description states, "The sandcaster operator uses laser warning sensors installed in the sandcaster to detect fire control locks and anticipate incoming beam fire."
If a sand cloud is interposed between a defending ship and incoming attacks, and sand blocks beam weapons (including lasers), how do the defender's laser-based sensors penetrate the cloud to detect incoming attacks?
The description states, "The Improved package increases the range of the basic sensors."
What is the range for basic sensors?
What is the range for improved sensors?
The description details three ranges used by the QSDS communications packages: 3000km, 30,000km, and 1000AU.
Are there space combat range equivalents for these distances?
The description states, "All cargos are carried at Cr4,000 per ton."
The Ships Revenues Table on Page 113 quotes a rate of Cr1,000 per ton.
Which reference is correct?
The last sentence states, "... also serves as an introduction to the recipient trustworthy person."
Huh? Missing words?
Where is the referenced diagram?
Should "second2" be seconds-squared (i.e., superscript 2)?
Miniatures rules?
The USP gives a Fuel Rating of 6, the description states, "... carries 1 ton of fuel tankage".
Which figure is correct?
Should "Controls: Civilian Standard" be aligned with the "Passengers" column?
The USP gives a Fuel Rating of 6.5, the description states, "... carries 1.8 tons of fuel tankage".
Which figure is correct?
The USP gives a Fuel Rating of 8.4, the description states, "... carries 2 tons of fuel".
Which figure is correct?
Should the description read, "Passengers Low 0"?
The USP gives a Fuel Rating of 5, the description states, "... carries 1 ton of fuel tankage".
Which figure is correct?
Should the Subsidized Merchant have one ship's vehicle: a 20-ton Launch?
The USP gives a Fuel Rating of 13.5, the description states, "... carries 2 tons of fuel".
Which figure is correct?
The description states, "... the craft has 2.5 tons excess space available for ..."
Is this in addition to or part of the cargo space?
Also, how is it possible that the cutter is a 50 ton vessel if it carries a 30 ton module, 13.5 tons of fuel, and 15 tons of cargo, which totals to 58.5 tons excluding maneuver drives, crew spaces, power plants, et al.?
Does the Subsidized Liner carry a 30-ton Ship's Boat or a 20-ton Launch?
The USP gives a Fuel Rating of 10, the description states, "... carries 1 ton of fuel tankage".
Which figure is correct?
Also, if the Light Fighter is 10 tons, how is it able to carry 10 tons of fuel plus weapons, power plant, drives, et al.?
If the Patrol Cruiser carries 162.2 tons of fuel, a 30-ton Ship's Boat, and an 8-ton GCarrier (which totals 200.2 tons excluding drives, et al.), how does it manage this with a 200 ton hull?
Should the Patrol Cruiser have a 400 ton hull as indicated by the illustration on Page 103?
Also, how is it possible to have 10 crew?
The command crew section of the QSDS on Page 95 implies that a regular crew of 8 would have 1 command crew member (for a total crew of 9) and a regular crew of 9 would have 2 command crew (for a total crew of 11).
If there are two command crew, should there be a bridge?
Should the Scout/Courier carry one ship's vehicle: an air/raft?
Should the Mercenary Cruiser have 3G acceleration?
Should the Far Trader carry one ship's vehicle: an air/raft?
Should all USPs list ship's vehicles as shown in the USPs for the Subsidized Liner and the Patrol Cruiser (both on Page 101)?
Also, where in a USP is the electromagnetic masking rating recorded?
Some of the Config descriptions have trailing "...."s
Should the first six entries be TL9, the next ten entries be TL10, the following six entries be TL11, and the remainder of the table remain unchanged?
There is an USP entry giving a rating of "9-5-3-12". Is this correct?
Also, that USP rating seems weaker than the preceeding entry (except for the long range part of the USP). Should that be so?
The USP for the TL12 Meson Gun is given as "3-2-0 0." Is this correct?
Does this imply that a ship with a complement of 120 or more that installs a sickbay must commit 480 tons or more space for the sickbay?
"Bunk ......"?
"Pilot-1 .."?
"If scout ship --2"?
Is it possible to correctly build the standard ship designs using the QSDS?
Also, are there any limits on how many turrets, barbettes, or bay weapons that may be installed in a ship? For example, could twelve (12) turrets be installed in a 100-ton ship? At one time there was a limit of one (1) hardpoint per 100 tons of ship. Is this no longer true?
What is the Minimum Skill Level skill for Stewards?
What is the Monthly Salary for Stewards?
What package from Chapter 8 must be installed in a ship to allow the use of the masking DM?
Does this imply that a 0 Sensor Rating gives no chance for detection?
Page 21 states that enlisted ranks advance according to a predetermined scheme and that enlisted ranks never rise above 9 (should this read E9?). The first nine ranks for Psionicist appear to be enlisted ranks.
Why is there a Promotion roll given?
Also, how does a Psionicist advance to Rank 10, since the maximum enlisted rank is E9 and there is no Commission roll available?
Should the Psioncist ranks be given as O1-O10 with either a Commission roll or automatic commission for all Psionicists?
Both pages mention tables that detail the technology available at various tech levels.
Where are the tables?
"7. Note trade classifications (page
)"?
The description states, "In all cases, only military troops and leaders will wear combat armor or battle dress."
Combat armor?
Should the Patron section be labeled "Patron Encounters", the Adventure section be labeled "Adventure Encounters", and the Animals section be labeled "Animal Encounters"?
The description states, "The encounter checklist provides ..."
Where is the encounter checklist?
Should this section be labeled, "Creating Wilderness Encounter Tables" or "Creating Animal Encounter Tables"?
The description reads, "For example, an animal listed on the Animal Size and Weaponry Table as taking 2D hits..."
Should this be "2D/2D hits"?
The description also states that weapons are limited to 1D damage per 50kg of creature mass.
If humans are approximately 100kg, does this imply that wounds to humans should be limited to 2D instead of 3D?
Also, "... animals can be either much smaller or much lager"?
Should these three tables be labeled, "Patron Encounter Matrix", "Patron List One", and "Patron List Two", to match the description on Page 138?
Should this section be labeled, "Using Wilderness Encounter Tables" or "Using Animal Encounter Tables"?
"... inflicting wounds of ID per ..."?
The description reads, "... the referee may include one or more events in his encounter tables."
Could this be changed to, "... wilderness encounter tables."?
The first description uses #- for attack/flee response rolls. The second description uses #+ for attack/flee response rolls.
Which is correct?
The description reads, "If possible indicates that a filter will..."
Should this read, "... that an animal will..."?
The description reads, "... the tempo of the rest of the galaxy the..."
Should this read, "... of the rest of the galaxy is the..."?
Would these tables be easier to read and use if each table is presented in a single column much like the Random Encounter List on Page 150?
"Patron Encounter Matrix DMs"?
If the format for attack/flee responses should be "#-", the rolls on the Animal Characteristics Table might be changed to the following.
Old "#+" Format New "#-" Format 1D-1 1D+8 1D 1D+7 1D+1 1D+6 1D+2 1D+5 1D+3 1D+4Also, should rows be corrected as follows so that it matches the description on Page 145?
Type To Attack Pouncer surprise Trapper surprise Siren surpriseLastly, are the columns out of alignment?
The description states, "... data about a planet if the character has Navigation skill."
Should this read, "... Astrogation skill" or possibly use some other skill?
The last sentence of the description reads, "... to check another skill."
Should this read, "... to test another skill."?
The description reads, "... for example "TL8 Lo Ni Po Ba," meaning..."
Should this also include the starport type, instead of TL only?
For example, "D-8 Lo Ni ..."
The description reads, "For example, a Cr7,00 cargo from ..."
Should this read, "... Cr7,000 ..."?
The descriptions and charts on Pages 132 & 135 are missing entries for Low Population and Fluid Oceans.
Should these trade classifications be included in Chapter 12, World Generation?
"The world is unable,to ..."?
Should both descriptions read, "Each two levels of Bribery add DM +1 and costs a kickback of 7% of the final price."?
Other than the specific effects details for Performance, are there any other specific game effects for carrying these cargos?
Is this table formatted strangely?
Should there be rows giving DMs for Non-agricultural (Na) and Non-industrial (Ni) worlds?
The Market Price Table almost, but not quite, matches the Market Price Tables from Classic Traveller Book 7, Merchant Prince and MegaTraveller.
Is the current date "001" as shown in the heading or "300-1105" as described in the text?
Is all of this equipment detailed in Chapter 6?
For example, which pistol is the automatic pistol?
Is this the same design as given in Chapter 8?
"... potential to assist them. whether ..."?
"CrI50"?
"There is no specific locations ..."?
"... who relish every chance to test new design on the other..."?
Are Trannis (0606) and Lishilli (0607) considered Low Population worlds?
No mention is made in the Remarks regarding that particular Trade Classification.
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TRAVELLER is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises.
Portions of this material are Copyright ©1977-1997 Far Future Enterprises. |
Joseph Heck
(joe@mu.org)
21 August 2000