Character Generation

[ffilz]

Thanks.

If it doesn't really work like that, maybe I try to figure out what someone who is strong, reasonably smart, and surprisingly well-educated for his station tries to do for a living. Probably some sort of military service, hoping to advance in the ranks and gain social status that way.

Or he goes into a life of crime.

Maybe he tries for the navy, then goes into piracy if he can't make it there (or can't re-enlist)? Is that a feasible career path?

When you said more social, I immediately thought Navy. He'll have a hard time getting a Commission but otherwise he should do well.

[Zhym]

Thanks! I know I can rearrange my stats, but I kind of like letting my rolls help me define my character, at least in a system where attributes don't determine suitability for a character class. And it's one less level of analysis I can get paralyzed by.

The boxing scholarship idea is a good one—although I'd maybe try to find a more old-timey variation on it, like my PC paying with physical labor for an apprenticeship to an elderly scholar, tradesman, or martial arts specialist (wax on! wax off!).

But I think I'll try the Navy route and see what happens with my rolls.

[Leitz]

Old School Boxing

[Zhym]

Well, sure—but did poor kids get college scholarships for it, or was it just something gentlemen did?

[Leitz]

A way to make money to pay for college. In old days, STR was the main factor in European boxing. With a 11 STR he could have made a lot of money. In effect, he lives in two different worlds; the painful that pays the bills and the hidden that reveals it's secrets to him. An Edu of 11 is nearly a PhD, if I remember correctly. That he has that at age 18 means he honed a natural talent for learning into a wealth of knowledge.

Another option is to discuss some character type you'd be interested in playing, if the house rules don't have one already. atpollard does a pretty good job of coming up with stuff.

One key may be to consider what nationality you'd like to play. That might help guide the decision.

[Zhym]

Well, let's see what happens with the Navy plan. He might not get in. Or he might not survive!

Enlist: [2d6+3] = 7+3 = 10 Target: 8+. He gets in on the strength of his intelligence and education...
Survival: [2d6+2] = 9+2 = 11 Target: 5+. He manages to stay alive.
Commission: [2d6] = 7 Target: 10+. He can't overcome his low status to get a commission.
Re-enlist: [2d6] = 3 Target: 6+. Bitter that his commanders can't see beyond his social class, he leaves after his term is up.

So that's it for the Navy, right? He's now 22 instead of 18. What are the options from here? I roll or pick a couple of skills, then roll for mustering out? Can he try for a second career now (piracy, settling in with a merchant ship, or maybe going to university is still an option?), or is he done?

[atpollard]

Well, let's see what happens with the Navy plan. He might not get in. Or he might not survive!

Enlist: [2d6+3] = 7+3 = 10 Target: 8+. He gets in on the strength of his intelligence and education...
Survival: [2d6+2] = 9+2 = 11 Target: 5+. He manages to stay alive.
Commission: [2d6] = 7 Target: 10+. He can't overcome his low status to get a commission.
Re-enlist: [2d6] = 3 Target: 6+. Bitter that his commanders can't see beyond his social class, he leaves after his term is up.

So that's it for the Navy, right? He's now 22 instead of 18. What are the options from here? I roll or pick a couple of skills, then roll for mustering out? Can he try for a second career now (piracy, settling in with a merchant ship, or maybe going to university is still an option?), or is he done?

Typically, you are done after one career. However, see RULE #1 and RULE #2 under the first post for Reference. So you tell me what your Character wants to do and we will make it work. PIRATE, MERCHANT or SCIENTIST all seem like a legitimate “Act 2” for this particular Character. Choose your two skills (ignore mustering out) and continue in a next career if that is what he wants.

[Zhym]

Okay, thanks. Since the dice didn’t end up where I’d hoped (but didn’t, y’know, kill him, either), let me pause to figure out what I want the story to be, whether that means putting him on a second career, wrapping up the career stuff here, or what.

[atpollard]

I did some digging in the Classic Traveller Rules and came up with these two options that apply to anyone and everyone in the party ...

Sabbatical: Any character may, once during his or her life, take a sabbatical (for four years) for the purpose of specifically gaining a skill through education. Such activity is the equivalent of a technical school or college education, and allows the acquisition of one specific non-weapon skill with a level of 2.

EDUCATION: A character with education lower than intelligence may improve education through correspondence courses and tutoring. Such courses (or tutors) have a base price of CR 50 per week; one session per week is taken, though two per week are possible. Fifty sessions increase education by one. In any four year period, education may be increased a maximum of six levels. Education increases are permanent.

I still think a Term (4 years) as a Scientist would simulate a "University Degree" better than a Sabbatical, but the choice is yours and the end results are close enough.

[Leitz]

I would think a term as a scientist would give more background "skills" than a sabbatical.

Also, Diana needs to raise her EDU. Can't go up much by this, but she has a couple specific topics to study.

[AsenRG]

Thanks.

If it doesn't really work like that, maybe I try to figure out what someone who is strong, reasonably smart, and surprisingly well-educated for his station tries to do for a living.

That's the way to go, if you ask me !

Probably some sort of military service, hoping to advance in the ranks and gain social status that way.

Or he goes into a life of crime.

Maybe he tries for the navy, then goes into piracy if he can't make it there (or can't re-enlist)? Is that a feasible career path?

I guess it is, though I don't know what was the rule for changing career paths. I only rolled them single-career, stats in order, because I like it that way - doesn't mean you have to do the same !

That said, Leitz's ideas also sound fun, and knowing him, you should be free to borrow if you like them as well !

[Zhym]

Would mustering out give my PC enough funds, in combination with the boxing idea, to spend a term at this world's version of university? I think that would make sense: he goes into the military hoping it will raise his status. It doesn't (or not much, depending on whether I want to spend a skill on +1 SOC), so he goes off to do something scholarly.

[Leitz]

In general, if you can get into a "term", it is assumed things work out.

[atpollard]

Would mustering out give my PC enough funds, in combination with the boxing idea, to spend a term at this world's version of university? I think that would make sense: he goes into the military hoping it will raise his status. It doesn't (or not much, depending on whether I want to spend a skill on +1 SOC), so he goes off to do something scholarly.

Yes.
It isn't about counting pennies (or even gold coins) ... the game is about having fun, and that usually means playing a character that you at least LIKE. So just create a character that there is something about them that you like and you will do fine.

Don't over worry about skills. Here is a secret ... Traveller is a game about what a Charcter chooses to DO in the game, not the skills they have. The skills just make some tasks easier than others and give you a sense of "personality and background" for the character. But the adventure rides on

• "Do you believe the person or not?"
• "Do you take the job, or pass?"
• "Do you try to talk your way into the building or find an unlocked window?"

These are not really about "Do I have Pistol-3 or Engineer-2 skill?"

If you WANT to be a Navy washout, Boxer to pay for college, Scholar setting out to find adventure or discovery in the frontier ... then GO FOR IT!
[... and if you want to be someting else, then roll a different character ... it doesn't take that long.]

[atpollard]

2:37 start chargen
Roll 8, 10, 3, 8, 4, 5

Pick a class: Roll Underworld
Rearrange attribites = 584A83 (for +2 survival & access to EDU 8+ skills)

Career rolls
Enlistment: 3+
Survival: 5+, 2d6+2
Re-enlist: 5+

Roll 9, 9, 11 = 1 Term (age 18-21)
Roll 10, 6 = 2 Term (age 22-25)
Roll 4, 7 = 3 Term (age 26-29)
Stop here and adventure at age 30

Roll skills
3,3,3,1,5,6
Pck from tables
(3) Mechanical (Lockpick)
(3) Mechanical (Lockpick)
(3) Mechanical (Lockpick)
(1) Medical
(5) Streetwise
(6) -1 soc & +2 int

Final Character:

Jon Q. [584C82]:
Mechanical (Lockpick)-3
Medical-1
Streetwise-1
Blade Combat-0
Brawling-0
Bribery-0
Engineering-0
Forgery-0
Gambling-0
Jack-o-Trades-0
Mechanical (cloth)-0
Mechanical (metal)-0
Mechanical (stone)-0
Mechanical (wood)-0
Pistol Combat-0
Rifle Combat-0
Scholar-0
Vehicle (Rowboat)-0

2:57 finished

[EDIT: So creating a character takes about half an hour. If they don't excite you, then just create another.]

[atpollard]

One Term Character:
Roll 9, 6, 6, 5, 8, 11

Pick a class: Diplomat
Rearrange attribites = 66589B

Enlistment: 8+ (2D6+3)
Survival: 3+, (2D6+2) = AUTOMATIC
Position: 5+, (2D6+1)
Promotion: 10+ (2D6+1)
Re-enlist: 5+

Roll 5,Auto,6,12 = 1 Term (age 18-21) with Position (Rank-1) and Promotion (Rank-2)
Stop here and adventure at age 22

Roll skills
6,3
Pck from tables
(6) Scholar-1
(3) Streetwise-1
(+free) Streetwise-1

Final Character:

2nd Secratary, Sir Jonathan Quimby [66589B]: (Diplomat: rank 2) (age 22)
Streetwise-2
Scholar-1
Blade Combat-0
Forgery-0
Gambling-0
Jack-o-Trades-0
Pistol Combat-0
Rifle Combat-0
Vacc (Diving) Suit-0
Vehicle (Rowboat)-0


[I just wanted to demonstrate that a 1 term character could also be someone interesting and fun to play.]

[Leitz]

I just wanted to demonstrate that a 1 term character could also be someone interesting and fun to play.

No, that's impossible!

[Leitz]

Actually, the question was raised a little earlier. Not sure if it was answered. "If you get a promotion/commission, do you get extra skills?" I can't remember how you set it up for this game.

[Zhym]

It's not a lack of options that's got me stuck. It's too many options.

So, let's say Mercutio was a medic on the boat. He spent all his spare time (what there was of it) reading. So he musters out with Medical-1 and Scholar-1. He tries to become a doctor after that:

Enlistment, Doctor (9+): [2d6+1] = 9+1 = 10 He's accepted to med school!
Survival, Doctor (3+): [2d6+2] = 7+2 = 9
Re-enlist, Doctor (4+): [2d6] = 11
Survival, Doctor (3+): [2d6+2] = 11+2 = 13
Re-enlist, Doctor (4+): [2d6] = 11
Survival, Doctor (3+): [2d6+2] = 11+2 = 13
Re-enlist, Doctor (4+): [2d6] = 11

With those rolls, Mercutio can do another term or can muster out, his (my) choice, right?

And by training as a doctor, does he automatically bump to Medical-2?

Oh, and I have a question about aging:

Starting at age 38, the end of the 4th Term, a character must roll to avoid the effects of age. Roll 2d6 against Str (8+), Dex (7+), and End (8+).

Our PCs start at 18 (or 14, sometimes) and each term is 4 years. So wouldn't a PC be 38 at the end of the 5th term, not 4th? Or do the aging rolls start at age 34?

ETA: Mercutio's strength didn't give him any bonuses for any of his career rolls. Is it too late to swap his 11 strength with his 5 dexterity so he could be a surgeon?

[atpollard]

Actually, the question was raised a little earlier. Not sure if it was answered. "If you get a promotion/commission, do you get extra skills?" I can't remember how you set it up for this game.

No extra skills, but rank impacts muster out benefits.

I leveled the classes out to 2 skills per term with some classes getting a free skill. The class description listed the details for that in REFERENCE.