Extended Test Query

[Aldaron]

You know, after all these years, I'm still having trouble getting my head around extended tests. I've read and re-read the info in the NG, and my understanding is as follows:

Joe Engineer has a Propulsion Engineering of +7 (total bonus). He has to fix the warp engines to escape an impending supernova. Captain Bossman tells him he has 20 minutes before the supernova goes...well...supernova. The Narrator tells Joe that he must beat an Extended Propulsion Engineering test with a TN of 60 and a time intervale of 2 minutes. Joe starts rolling...

Roll 9 (total 9, time 2 min)
Roll 11 (total 20, time 4 min)
Roll 10 (total 30, time 6 min)
Roll 14 (total 44, time 8 min)
Roll 16 (total 60, time 10 min). The warp drive is repaired, the ship escapes.

Am I pretty much on the ball with that?

Because if I am, then I think I've been doing it wrong all this time. I've always set a base TN as well as a total, and the character has had to beat the base before the roll counts towards the total. To reuse the above example, I add a base TN of 12 to the task, so that each roll must beat 12 to be counted.

Roll 9 (total 0, time 2 min)
Roll 11 (total 0, time 4 min)
Roll 10 (total 0, time 6 min)
Roll 14 (total 14, time 8 min)
Roll 16 (total 30, time 10 min)
Roll 18 (total 48, time 12 min)
Roll 11 (total 48, time 14 min)
Roll 12 (total 60, time 16 min). The warp drive is repaired, the ship escapes.

"My" way has always seemed to make sense, as there is a certain minimum amount of skill required to make any progress - a 1st year cadet with 1 rank in Propulsion Engineering just isn't going to be able to realign a warp core, for example. But re-reading the ESO and a few published adventures, I think I've been doing it wrong.

Which is it? *bites nails anxiously*

[PGoodman13]

You've been doing it wrong.

Having played through a few extended tests now, I can tell you that fresh-out-of-the-Academy guy with +1 in the skill could probably realign the warp core, given time. There's the issue: Time. In those situations where you need warp speed in three minutes or you're all dead...you want someone else to realign the dilithium crystals, because Mr. +1 Guy ain't gonna cut it. That's where the "minimal amount of skill" comes in big time.

Even with an experienced, skilled character there, you could always roll a botch. Snake-eyes during an extended test is bad.

On a related note, if your character finds himself involved in a lot of extended tests, I must recommend picking up the Meticulous edge. It's saved my character's bacon on a couple of occasions.

[Cdre Bob Wesley]

Okay, Patrick. How should the original post read then? Could you please show us your edits to the OP? I've been having the same problems.

[PGoodman13]

His understanding in the first example is correct; there is no "minimum TN" required to reach the extended test target number. You just have to get there.

I'll try to find some examples for later.

[Aldaron]

You've been doing it wrong.

D'oh! I thought so!

Having played through a few extended tests now, I can tell you that fresh-out-of-the-Academy guy with +1 in the skill could probably realign the warp core, given time. There's the issue: Time. In those situations where you need warp speed in three minutes or you're all dead...you want someone else to realign the dilithium crystals, because Mr. +1 Guy ain't gonna cut it. That's where the "minimal amount of skill" comes in big time.

Even with an experienced, skilled character there, you could always roll a botch. Snake-eyes during an extended test is bad.

Ah, that was going to be my next question. Again, I've obviously missed something in the rules - I didn't realise a double-ones was an automatic failure on a test, and was wondering how you went about Mr +1 screwing up the dilithium articulation frame bad enough to make Geordi's ocular implants shoot laser beams!

On a related note, if your character finds himself involved in a lot of extended tests, I must recommend picking up the Meticulous edge. It's saved my character's bacon on a couple of occasions.

I'll definitely keep that one in mind. I haven't done a lot on extended tests (isn't that obvious! ), but a couple of adventures I'm planning at the moment are using them, which explains my renewed interest in them!

Thanks for the help!

[PGoodman13]

I am involved in an online game here. You're more than welcome to come and look around.

One episode where I was particularly involved in an extended test, though it didn't have a time limit, can be found in the episode "Scratch & Lugs." The test starts at around reply #111, but even if I do say so myself, you'd be cheating yourself by cutting there without reading the whole episode thread.

[Tomcat]

Patrick's translation of the rules is dead on, but I use the method that you described.

I set a TN factor for each portion of an extended test, and the time frame that each test requires. I may also adjust the time, or TN, if the extended test is built on multiple skills and if the results of the former skill tests did not fit within a timeframe, or were successful.

Bottom line is, if a test is made in an extended test that is not successful, then the time is used but the results not achieved.

For me, this adds more to a scene then just the amount of time it takes for my engineer (or whomever) to be successful. It requires a PC to sweat a little and maybe sacrifice some Courage, or draw upon abilities and traits (i.e. Miracle Worker, etc.)

My two cents...

[PGoodman13]

To be sure, I'm not saying that your method of doing it is a bad thing, just that it's not how the rules are written. I haven't tried it your way, to be honest, so I don't know that it would necessarily add anything to my particular experience...but I'm not saying that it wouldn't, either.

[tonyg]

I tend to prefer the second method. My reason for doing so is that, using Patrick's example, while the guy fresh out of the Academny with +1 skill might ber able to reset a warp core, it is possible that he might not be able to, even if he has lots of time.

Someone without the skill, going on default values shouldn't be guaranteed of eventually success.

[K.G. Carlson]

Thats why some skills cannot be used untrained. Whereas +1 in the skill may not be able to do it in a timely manner, he should be able to make "some" progress.

That being said, the idea of a minimum TN is something similar to the Ubiquity game mechanics as used in the Hollow Earth Expedition. I may give this idea a Coda test drive.

[Fugazi Grrl]

We've done lots of extended tests since going CODA in March.

And the way we do it largely depends on the situation.

Here's one example:

Commander Foley (science chief) has to decontaminate a planet's water supply. To do so he needs a sample of the water. Then he has to analyze it. Then he has to find the right element to use to do the decon....

Our Narrator sets a TN of 100. And Foley starts rolling. First he Systems Ops (Transporter) skill to get the sample (safest way to do it- but that's a long story), then he uses Investigate (Research) with a System Ops (Mission Ops) & a Planetary Sciences (Hydrology) affinity to actually do the analysis, then Investigate (Research) with affinities in Physical Science (Chemistry), and Planetary Sciences (Hydrology) to find the proper element for decon, and replicate it.

Foley had to roll until he got 100, with each of his rolls designating a certain amount of time worked. He ended up taking 8 hours to do the job, and having to roll a Stamina test to beat fatigue as he was pulling an all-knighter.

In the same episode, Dr. Cole had to replicate several doses of a medicine to help people already suffering the effects of the contaminated water. In this case the extended test was done by equivocating each of Dr. Cole's successful Medicine (Toxicology) rolls (with a Chemistry affinity) to 1 batch of antidote replicated, with levels of success indicating Cole was able to squeeze out that many additional batches in that time. (ie. if Cole had extraordinary success he managed to produce 11 extra batches in the time allowed for that roll's result - at one point he was using any extra replicator he could find, including the crew lounge !).

Cole stopped rolling when he had created enough antidote for the crisis at hand. And he, too, worked through the night.