The main problem I have with a d20 based system for a trek like game is that the d20 seems to overwhelm the skill set of the character.Originally Posted by Silverstreak
Take an example from two nights ago.
We're trying to figure out something about the dread wraith. That's Knowledge Religion check.
So, we roll. My character, the Psion has a net of +10, I roll a 12, get a 22. The Priest with his +15 rolls a 3, gets an 18. The Paladin, with her +3 rolls a natural 20, gets a 23 and knows more than both of us.
The d20 roll vastly overwhelms the skill of the characters at a large part of the character level range.
While being great for a wahoo game like D&D, or even a Superhero game, this seems somehow wrong to emulate the genre of Star Trek. The Skill of the Character seems... Paramount. Scotty is a great engineer, and would have a good net modifier. That doesn't matter if you roll that magic 1 (it's not an automatic failure--but it's still pretty suck). Ensign slab the redshirt spent 1 cross class skill points, rolls a 20 and fixes the dilithium matrix, no problem.
You'd have to be pretty liberal with the Take 10 and Take 20 rules to give the character the right effect.
Super Pilot gets a feat that lets him Take 10 in combat. Engineering master gets one that gives him the same benefit when Engineering.
something like that.
Alex