Fun with Palladium's Old System/New System and other differe

[KillingMachine]

I'm having the same problem macksting described with the After the Bomb and Road Hogs classes in the mutation background sections of each book. The problem being that I'm using the TMNT Revised edition and these supplements only list skills using the old system.

I don't have access to an older edition of the TMNT book to use for reference, so I don't really feel like I'd even know enough about the old system if I were to attempt to convert them myself. I've searched the internet far and wide to see if could find some type of solution to this, but I've come up with absolutely nothing.

So now I'm begging. Does anyone know if there has been a conversion for this made available? Even some information you could point me towards that would enable me to make an attempt at converting them myself would be quite useful.

[glitterboy2098]

a few suggestions that might be useful.

for Mutants down under, some of the Aboriginal skills can be substituted with their RIFTS WB:19 equivilents.
this would have the effect of spreading them out over several catagories instead of being a new catagory in itself.

so "find and prepare bush tucker" can be replaced by the wilderness skill "outback survival" (which gives a good reason for it being seperate from the wilderness survival skill. in short, down under is a much more hostile place to survive in.)
"Didjeridoo" becomes the domestic skill "play aboriginal instruments". which covers a range of simple aboriginal instruments, including the Didjeridoo, bush whistles, and beat sticks.
"dreamtime lore" can be replaced by "Lore Aboriginies" and "lore: dreamtime culture"
"songlines" can be replaced by "use songlines" if desired, but the RIFTS version is much more mystical in nature so that may not work well. (it's possible Songlines could be replaced by Lore: Dreamtime culture" i guess...not sure about that one.)

i'd leave Aboriginal medicine and Austrilain nature lore as is, moving the first to the medical catagory and the other to technical.

some of the skills from WB19 would also be useful in MDU. like Blend, Corroboree, rock painting and Engraving, Brewing, Language: Aboriginal, Language: Austrialian english, and Dowsing. these should probably be left in their WB19 catagories.

[glitterboy2098]

a few suggestions that might be useful.

for Mutants down under, some of the Aboriginal skills can be substituted with their RIFTS WB:19 equivilents.
this would have the effect of spreading them out over several catagories instead of being a new catagory in itself.

so "find and prepare bush tucker" can be replaced by the wilderness skill "outback survival" (which gives a good reason for it being seperate from the wilderness survival skill. in short, down under is a much more hostile place to survive in.)
"Didjeridoo" becomes the domestic skill "play aboriginal instruments". which covers a range of simple aboriginal instruments, including the Didjeridoo, bush whistles, and beat sticks.
"dreamtime lore" can be replaced by "Lore Aboriginies" and "lore: dreamtime culture"
"songlines" can be replaced by "use songlines" if desired, but the RIFTS version is much more mystical in nature so that may not work well. (it's possible Songlines could be replaced by Lore: Dreamtime culture" i guess...not sure about that one.)

Actually, you've got me very curious about the Rifts versions of those skills. Since I intend to learn a bit more about Dreamtime and Palladium's interpretation of songlines. Reading the Wiki page on songlines is pretty intriguing!
Sadly, I've not the time right now. What kind of mystical is the songlines skill described in Rifts? Bear in mind, I do intend to make clear that the world of AtB is at least a bit magical.

with the exception of songlines, they're prettym uch the exact same, just with more description attached. Outback survival for example explains why regular wilderness survival is less useful in Austrialia (drier than most places, more venomous and toxic species, less edible plants and animals...basically the outback is much more barren in regards to edibles than most places, so regular wilderness survival is -15% in the outback)

Aboriginal instruments covers all the instruments not just the Didjeridoo but also the other ones they use, all three of which are different than most of the "play musical instrument" options and thus require the special skill.


use songlines has the knowledge of using songlines for navigation and such, but also adds in things like getting PPE from them, or using them to transmit the voice of the person anywhere along them. this is why i was hesitant to say "just use this skill", since it's much more anchored into the "songlines = leylines" bit of Rifts.

i'd leave Aboriginal medicine and Austrilain nature lore as is, moving the first to the medical catagory and the other to technical.

re: Aboriginal Lore, nah. Aboriginal Lore as it stands is part of multiple classes, but its difficulty to non-native mindsets is illustrated in the differing percentiles these classes use when working with it.
Aboriginal Medicine as a Medical skill is an interesting idea. It's already closed off to most classes, but its availability as a medical skill would offer an important paramedic option in the wilderness. Even so, very few classes are allowed to pick up medical skills either, so one's mileage would vary. I would consider this change principally because of how little it changes things.

see below for my thoughts on catagories.

having aboriginal medicine as a medical skill would add a new option, i agree. i'd say any class able to take first aid or holistic medicine could take Aboriginal medicine instead. though from the beleif standpoint it might be a good idea to but a restriction on aboriginal medicine so that you couldn't take it and the higher end medical skills like paramedice or medical doctor (aboriginal medicine i'd suspect is more spiritual in nature, while the more clinical high end medical skills tend to ingore the use of such stuff. a magic vs. tech thing)

some of the skills from WB19 would also be useful in MDU. like Blend, Corroboree, rock painting and Engraving, Brewing, Language: Aboriginal, Language: Austrialian english, and Dowsing. these should probably be left in their WB19 catagories.

I take it Rock Painting and Engraving has a different percentile than the same book's take on the technical skill "Art?" Would you mind looking to be sure?
Regardless of such redistributions as entertained here, the aborigine classes in MDU should probably be left be in terms of what skills they have by default and are allowed to take. So if anything, the Aboriginal Skills category should remain and the skills might be opened up to Tassieland folk in other categories as well, much like Prowl can be found in both Physical and Rogue.

i'll have to check the books, but i'd say the big difference is form and style. "art" i beleive covers things like scultures, painting, and so on, while rock painting and carving is more about the "primative" and "tribal" stuff.

i was just thinking that the modern skill skill list is complex enough without adding a new catagory. particulalry now that "cowboy" is a catagory. so instead of a new "aboriginal" catagory, those skills would be spread out over the existing ones, and the aboriginal OCC's and such just receive the specific skills. it would also allow other OCC's to get them without havign to add a new line to the OCC related and Secondary lists.

[panzerfaust]

Not gonna happen, eh?

Anyway, I realized with vague annoyance that:
a) the Trooper from Road Hogs is a better match for Militia than Elite Militia, and I don't have a conversion in mind for Militia;
and b) the Highway Engineer is a much closer match to Tassieland Airship Captain than Pilot is. I'd have to check my notes, but I seem to recall Pilot is closer to Trucker.

This should helpyou out Macksting.

From HU 1st Edition:

[c]=Collegiate Skill (+10% bonus applies)
[h]=High School Skill
[m]=Military Skill
[s]=Secondary Skill

Commercial Arts[c][m]
Illustration[c][m] 30%+4%
Keylining[c][m] 40%+5%
Lettering & Calligraphy[c][m] 35%+5%
Fine Arts[c][h]
Photography Still[c][h][s] 50%+5%
Photography Movie[c][s] 40%+5%
Photography Video[c][s] 42%+6%
Business[c][h][m] 50%+5%
Advertising[c][h][m] 35%+5%
Accounting[c][h][m] 45%+5%
Architectural Design & Engineering[c] 30%+5%
Electrical Engineering[c][m] 40%/30%+5%
Explosives and Demolitions[c][m] 25%/20%+5%
Mechanical Engineering[c] 40%/30%+5%
Radiation Technology - Industrial[c] 25%+5%
Journalism[c][m] 40%+8%
Cryptography[c][m] 30%+5%
Criminal Sciences and Forensics[c] 35%+5%
Law[c] 30%+5%
Automotive Mechanics[c][m][h][s] 50%/30%+5%
Computer Repair[c][m] 35%+5%
Surveillance Systems[m] 30%+5%
Chemistry-Pharmaceutical[c][m] 50%+5%
First Aid[c][h][m][s] 60%+5%
Paramedic[c][m] 30%+5%
Nurse[c][m] 30%+5%
Medical Doctor[c] 30%/25%+5%
Medical Specialist[c] 32%/25%+5%
Psychology[c] 35%+5%
Radiation Technology: Medical[c][m] 30%+5%
Athletics General[c][m][h][s]
Acrobatics[c]
Body Building and Weight Lifting[c][m][h][s]
Climbing[c][s] 30%/40%+8%
Dance[c][s] 45%+5%
Gymnastics[c][h]
Hockey[c]
Running[c][h][s]
Swim: Basic[c][m][h][s] 70%+8%
Swim: Competitive[c][h] 60%+8%
Swim: SCUBA[c][m] 50%+8%
Jet Fighter[m] 35%+5%
Helicopter, Military[m] 40%+4%
Aerial Navigation[c][m] 30%+5%
Instrument Reading[c][m] 30%+5%
Warship[m] 25%+5%
Military Submarine[m] 20%+5%
Shipboard Navigation[c][m] 32%+5%
Agriculture[c] 34%+5%
Astro Physics[c] 30%+5%
Biology[c][m][h] 40%+5%
Botany[c][m][h] 40%+5%
Chemistry[c][m][h] 40%+5%
Chemistry: Analytical[c][m] 30%+5%
Computer Technology and Operations[c][m][h] 60%+5%
Computer Programming[c][m][h] 45%+5%
Laser Technology[c][m] 30%+5%
Mathematics (All)[c][m][h] (Basic: 90%+5%, Algebra: 80%+3%, Trigonometry: 60%+3%, Geometry: 70%+3%, Calculus: 63%+3%)
Meteorology[c][m] 35%+5%
Oceanography[c] 20%+6%
Physics[c] 25%+5%
Veterinary Sciences[c] 30%/25%+5%
Research Skills[c][m]
Anthropology[c][h] 40%+5%
Archeology[c] 30%+4%
Foreign Language[c] 42%+8%
History[c][h] 50%+8%
Teaching[c] 30%+5%
WP Shotgun[c][m][h][s]
Revolver[c][s]
Automatic Pistol[c][m][h][s]
Rifle[c][h][s]
Sub-machine[m]
Automatic Rifle[m]
Energy Pistol[m]
Energy Rifle[m]
Bow[c][m][s]
Crossbow[c][m][s]
Shuriken[c][m][s]
Spear[c][m][s]
Short Sword[c][m][s]
Large Sword[c][m][s]
Staff[c][m][s]
Chain[c][m][s]
Forked[c][m][s]
Knife[c][m][s][h]
Blunt[c][m][s][h]
Archery[c][m][s]
Boxing[c][h][m]
Fencing[c]
HtH Basic[c][m][s]
HtH Expert[c][m]
HtH Martial Arts[c][s]
HtH Assassin[c][m]
HtH Ninjitsu [special training]
Wrestling[c][h]
Audio Communications[s] 30%+5%
Sketching[s] 30%+6%
Watercolor painting[s] 25%+6%
Crafts[s] 40%+5%
Carpentry[s] 30%+5%
Cook[s] 50%+8%
Disguise[s] 40%+5%
Drugs[s] 60%+5%
Basic Electronics[s] 40%+5%
Basic Explosives[s] 20%+5%
Escape Artist[s] 35%+5%
Forgery[s] 30%+5%
Imitate Voices[s] 20%+5%
Medical: First Aid[s] 60%+4%
Pick Locks[s] 25%+6%
Ice Skating[s]
Prowl[s] 32%+4%
Pilot Automatic Transmission[s] 90%+3%
Pilot Manual Transmission[s] 82%+4%
Motorcycle[c][s] 60%+8%
Aircraft Single Engine[s] 72%+4%
Paddle Boat[s] 90%+3%
Motor Boat[s] 68%+4%
Sail Boat[s] 70%+4%
Sewing[s] 60%+5%
Sleight of Hand[s] 22%+4%
Speak Foreign Language[s] 52%+5%
Ventriloquism[s] 16%+8%
Basic survival[m][s] 40%+5%
Fishing[s] 50%+10%
Hunting[s] 35%+5% (includes W.P. Rifle)
Tracking[s] 35%/30%+5%
Trapping[s] 25%+6%

That should be all of them.

EDIT.

No Robotics Engineering in either of my copies, but I think it would fall under Mechanical Engineering [c].

Not all of the Piloting skills were listed in the list, but under the group. Here they all are.

Auto Professional Race Car [c] 60%+5%
Aircraft Single Engine [c][m] 80%+4%
Aircraft Single Engine [s] 72%+4%
Aircraft Twin Engine [c][m] 70%+4%
Aircraft Private Jet [c][m] 60%+4%
Aircraft Commercial Jet [c][m] 40%+4%
Aircraft Fighter Jet [m] 35%+5%
Helicopter [c][m] 44%+4%
Helicopter Military [m] 40%+4%

[The Oh So Amazing Nate]

commenting so i can find this later. sorry.