FMA Skills

I like the idea of the "reroll" for skills. Though I think you should
limit it to your quality die. You really should only be able to
compensate for your own incompetence, not for the other sides good
luck/planning by them getting a good die roll.

It makes for a simple mechanic, applies to most things, and prevents
elites from botching tasks 8% of the time...

Also, note that (I don't know if it was mentioned) this works well
with the concept of a task system where all tasks can be described.
Many are trivial, and therefore don't require a roll (firing your
rifle, pulling a pin on a grenade). But for others....

Very Simple Task		d4
Simple Task			d6
Average Task		d8
Difficult Task		d10
Very Difficult Task	d12

This gives to additional things like:
Do the task slowly and carefully: reduce task difficulty one level
Do it in a hasty fashion: increase task difficulty one level
Do it under pressure (Try soldering while being shot at): increase
task difficulty one level
Do it with expert-system or similar assistance (advice, help files,
etc): reduce task difficulty one level
Attempt task without appropriate skill: two levels more difficult

Your skill ratings could be
Unfamiliar			d4
Basic			d6
Normal			d8
Advanced			d10
Master			d12

We can have task descriptions (TPs for task profiles)
TP: To Treat A Wounded Person, Normal Task, Medical Skill (Req'd)
(Stabilize casualty)
TP: To Treat A Wounded Alien, Difficult Task, Medical Skill (req'd)
TP: To Set A Demo Charge, Very Easy Task, Demo Skill (req'd)	(set
standard pre-made charge)
TP: To Tamp A Custom Charge, Normal Task, Demo Skill (req'd)
TP: To Defuse A Charge, Difficult Task, Demo Skill (req'd)

You could also use it to describe opposed rolls.
TP: To Defuse A Charge (version 2.0), Difficult Task, Demo Skill
(opposed roll).

For this, you'd roll your skill die versus the charge placer's skill
die. If you beat the other roll, the task becomes one level easier. If
you fail by more than half, the task becomes one level more difficult.

<Just a thought - suddenly we have a framework for character skills in
FMA for heroic characters or the basis for an RPG skill system...>

So we can easily represent things like Medic Skill, Demolitions Skill,
etc.

So now we have:
Jim Bob Clem (Confederate States Combat Medic), Pvt.
Motivation and Quality: Regular-2
Kit: Standard CS Assault Rifle (2 clips), 2 grenades.
Skills: Normal Medic

or
Donald "BigBoom" McBride (NAC Demolitions Expert), Warrant Officer.
Motivation and Quality: Veteran-1
Kit: Standard NAC Sidearm (2 clips), heavy duty bomb-resistant armour
(d12), demo kit.
Skills: Advanced Demolitions

My brain is overheating.... time to go do some figure painting.

Thomas Barclay
Software UberMensch
xwave solutions
(613) 831-2018 x 3008