General Characters with a Second Career

[Sifu Blackirish]

I know this is generally against the spirit of CT, which I embrace, but I thought I would try it in my fiction. Herewith I post a couple of examples. Comment, please!

Both of these characters come from my "TERRAN EXODUS -- AERTH EXODUS novel

04-28-00 KIM MUMMEY MPI BOISE, LEVI BENSON STUNT DOUBLE
SHELBY BORN 2079

START UPP 8879A9

COLLEGE(4 YEARS)
+4 EDUC HONORS (AUTO MED SCHOOL ACCEPT)

MEDICAL SCHOOL(4 YEARS)
+1 EDUC, ...MEDICAL .ADMIN-1,
HONORS (....MEDICAL .COMPUTER)

BP 4 = 1-1-1-1 COLLEGE-HONORS-MED-HONORS

#

SCIENTIST

PE..COMPUTER

T1 -/- .MECHANICAL ...COMPUTER
E1 -2109 LAB ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, DEVICE REPAIR

T2 -/- ( 0/ 0/-1) ....COMPUTER .ELECTRONIC
E2 -13 EXPERIMENTAL PROSTHETICS/BIONICS ON EXPERIMENTAL INTERFACE, MYRADE

T3 W/- ( 0/ 0/-1) _COMPUTER _MEDICAL
E3 -17 COMPUTER CHIP ALTERATION OF HUMAN PRISONERS TO CREATE DRONE SOLDIERS; ATTACKED BY DRONE, SEVERE FACIAL SCAR, (-6 SOCIAL)

T4 N/- (-1/ 0/ 0) _.MEDICAL .JACK O TRADES
E4 -21 NANOBOT BREAKTHROUGH, EXPERIMENTATION TO CREATE AMPHIBIANS

T5 K/- ( 0/ 0/-1) _..MEDICAL ..JACK O TRADES
E5 -25 ADVANCED NANOBOT EXPERIMENTATION, BODY TISSUE REPAIR AND GENERAL ENHANCEMENT

Julia Kim Shelby [DECEASED] DOCTOR/SCIENTIST 7869F3 Age 46 5 Terms
Medical-7, Computer-5, Jack-O-Trades-2, Admin-1, Mechanical-1, Electronic-1

 

[Sifu Blackirish]

SECOND CHARACTER

&** %%^ #@# $ FEDERATED UNITED STATES SECURITY FILE
Carres Petroviik

COLLEGE +4 EDUC

MEDICAL SCHOOL [HONORS]
Medical-3 .Administration-1 +1 Educ .Computer

[DRAFTED INTO KROMOORTYNE]

T1 ..Computer .Electronic
E1 RESEARCH INTO ANIMAL HIBERNATION

T2 (-1/ 0/ 0) ...Computer .Jack-O-Trades
E2 DIRECTOR, TEKARCHIVES RESTORATION PROJECT -- HIBERNATION CHAMBER

T3 (-1/ 0/ 0) ..Electronic ...Electronic
E3 TEST ANIMALS, THEN INTENSE MONITORING OF SUBJECTS DURING SHORT TERM HUMAN EXPERIMENTS

T4 (-1/ 0/ 0) ....Medical ....Computer
E4 LONG TERM EXPERIMENTS ON HUMAN VOLUNTEERS

Carres Petroviik Active Duty Doctor/Scientist 57A9D8 Age 44, 4 Terms
Medical-4, Computer-4, Electronic-3, Admin-1, Jack-O-Trades-1

 

[Supplement Four]

I know this is generally against the spirit of CT, which I embrace, but I thought I would try it in my fiction.

A second career is actually all CT is. You roll up the previous career in chargen, and you play out the second career.

But, I get what you are saying. Roll up two previous careers and play out a third. o:

 

[aramis]

A second career is actually all CT is. You roll up the previous career in chargen, and you play out the second career.

But, I get what you are saying. Roll up two previous careers and play out a third. o:

A good reflection of the era and society of when/where it was written..
Most men served in the military, the merchant marine, or some civil service or defense industry. (other civilian jobs were not going to prevent your draft number from being entered in the lottery.)

After the 2-6 years service, you got out, and went into "real life"... Not a few vets became adventurers of sorts. I'm minded of a few I know.

I've met 4 former "Mercenaries" that I know of- 3 were in US military approved "foreign expeditions" - two in Africa (Gunny Bradley, and SFC Delaney) , one in China (flying tigers - Greg Boyington), and one who was a PMC operating training Afghani rebels in the 80's (Mr. Otis)...

Gunny Bradley has to be the craziest... Canadian, served in the USMC for 24 years, with 4 years off in the middle for a "foreign expeditionary force", then 24 years teaching high school NJROTC. (But it was he who introduced me to Greg Boyington.)

All of them did various PC-like things after their initial bout of service.

 

[Brandon C]

I know this is generally against the spirit of CT, which I embrace, but I thought I would try it in my fiction. Herewith I post a couple of examples. Comment, please!

The only thing you need to work out is modifiers to enlist in a new career. FWIW, in MgT all such modifiers are negative. And, btw, I'd allow more than two careers, but this is rather difficult with the limited choices in B1 and S4 (of the 18 careers, I think 5 are military).

 

[Supplement Four]

One of the reasons that you don't want to add more careers when playing CT is skill bloat. In CT, skill should run around the Skill-1 and Skill-2 range normally, with maybe a Skill-3 as a specialty.

A +3 DM on a 2D scale is a hell of a modifier. Three points is almost a third of the total scale.

Remember that, for CT characters, the skills don't represent the character's total sum of expertise. The skills instead represent the few areas of expertise where the character excels.

A CT character is quite viable with just one or two Skill-1's, coming out of chargen. Remember, two skills can be had, straight out of chargen, using the Experience system.

 

[Leitz]

I really haven't seen any issues with skill bloat anywhere. A lot of fiction is based on the main character being one of if not the best at what they do; Sherlock Holmes, Spock, John Wayne, Scotty, Jack Reacher, most comic book heroes, The Expendables, Aragorn, etc...etc...etc...

A story is about emotion; do the character feel the threat of loss or significant negative change? As a DM you have an infinite number of skilled NPCs to challenge the PC group. If someone has a Medicial-7 they can do wonders! What do they do when the plague needs more than just two hands? What do they do when people are injured faster than then can be fixed?

I think a lot of folks play Traveller with vastly different mindsets. Second careers aren't much of an issue for me. Often I allow them to happen concurrently. For example, a PC can be a military officer and a noble. It broadens the skill options but doesn't necessarily double them. Whatever contributes to the story is best.

 

[Brandon C]

One of the reasons that you don't want to add more careers when playing CT is skill bloat. In CT, skill should run around the Skill-1 and Skill-2 range normally, with maybe a Skill-3 as a specialty.

I remember one campaign where a Scout ended up rolling Mechanic-5. He probably had the least useful character in the group because of it.

A CT character is quite viable with just one or two Skill-1's, coming out of chargen.

Such a character never felt viable.

 

[Leitz]

Such a character never felt viable.

I thought so too, but the PbP game here changed my mind. Zero level skills are useful too.

 

[casquilho]

"A CT character is quite viable with just one or two Skill-1's, coming out of chargen. "

Such a character never felt viable.

I think it would be important what level 1 skills they ended up with as well as what zero level skills they had as well.

 

[Leitz]

I think it would be important what level 1 skills they ended up with as well as what zero level skills they had as well.

In atpollard's PbP here my character started with Blade, Brawling, and Vacc Suit/Battledress at 1. He had Gun Combat raised to 2 due to post-career "work it for 4 years" thing. During the early part of the game he use Leader- and Tactics-0 a lot and learned Liaison-0. His UPP was 78A885.

We use Striker's Morale system and he has a high morale. I've been playing him as a guy in way over his head and trying his best to do the right thing. He has exhausted himself moving from problem area to problem area, getting others to work as a team and building his cadre of co-workers as he goes. There are many NPCs with higher levels of social status and responsibility in the game, and the character has a diverse group of friends who look to him for general direction. Some are now subordinates in his military unit, some are attached by cause or respect. My character values his friends and helps them move forward.

The funny part is that I came late to character creation for the game, the last spot left was the Marine security detail. That's usually one of my least favorite character types to play.

We're trying different things in the game. It's not about cash or kind accumulation; I'm very intentional about not knowing what the money situation is. We're working on political maneuvering and diplomatic conflict. As usual, my character is in over his head and doing his best to do the right thing. One of the keys to success has been an unwillingness to let a bad roll end the discussion. For example, early on there was a major NPC who could bring great success to the venture. Yet she resisted; her husband was in prison unjustly and that was what she cared about. So the game moved to be a prison break and my PC recruited as he went along. He used NPC loyalty to the major NPC to build the team and break down differences. When the prison break was done there was a lot of ill-will that was done away with too. That led to more unification of disparate groups for the grand cause; revolution.

Now my character rides the wave of success and still pits himself against challenges to the new government. He's not in charge but goes from issue to issue doing what he can.

 

[Brandon C]

I think it would be important what level 1 skills they ended up with as well as what zero level skills they had as well.

Going by Book 1, the number of skills allowed as zero level skills is quite limited (p.23).

 

[Leitz]

Going by Book 1, the number of skills allowed as zero level skills is quite limited (p.23).

Thanks for the page reference! So, let me ask a question. Henry Ford supposedly invented the automobile because he hated farming and didn't want to take over the family farm. He is also credited with bringing the concepts of mass production into, um, production. I'm happy to be thankful for his work and just as happy that I don't have to drive a Model T.

Traveller is written with a certain mindset. However, if you choose to play the game with a different mindset you can gain the advantages of simplicity and generality that come with the system and still have loads of fun. From what little I know of Marc, he doesn't seem the "my way or the highway" type.

For those who prefer the purist mindset, more power to them! For those who use the rules as a framework for games, more power to them. What is "allowed" is based off the mindset one chooses. I find great advantage in taking the ideas and basic systems in a direction I choose, just like modern industrialists take the mass production ideas in a way that supports their business and auto makers do the same.

Depends on what sort of game you want to play.

 

[Brandon C]

Depends on what sort of game you want to play.

For the group I started Traveller with, both of the GMs (me and another player) had only played AD&D before and we had been gaming for less than a year (maybe a half year).

We did take the game pretty RAW at first. I know I was the first to break with part of it, creating a setting with pocket empires and ignoring the 3I (much to the other GM's protestations).

I know we made little use of zero level skills -- after all, only a few were specifically suggested and we probably felt that expanding the list devalued the JoT skill.

Two changes I made (after frankly being horrified by the super-characters that Books 4+ could create) was to give characters an extra skill roll per term and allowing two rolls per skill, with the player picking which skill he wanted. The first greatly reduced the need for zero level skills and the second slightly reduced it (it was aimed more at providing more control over character creation).

By 1990 I was moving away from CT and I never really did more about zero level skills..

 

[Supplement Four]

Such a character never felt viable.

That's because, with just about every other game, a character gets tons of skills.

In CT, you can have a 1 term Army character who has one skill. Then, he picks up two more (or one Skill-2 and one Skill-1), for a total of three skill levels, with the Experience rules.

That's an extremely viable character in CT.

Sure, when I first started playing CT, it didn't feel that great either. But, once you get used to CT, and have a Ref that understands CT, that character can, indeed, be a hero.

 

[Supplement Four]

Going by Book 1, the number of skills allowed as zero level skills is quite limited (p.23).

Yes, but not all skills have penalties if you don't have at least Skill-0.

It's important to get intimate with the skill descriptions in CT.

If you have to roll an Admin throw, and you don't have expertise, then a -3 DM is applied.

But, if you are driving an ATV, and you don't have expertise, you just roll 2D. No modifiers.

Lots of skills have no modifiers if the character is not skilled.

You can use Computer and Electronics all day long and not have a penalty modifier for no expertise. How much difference is there in rolling an Electronics roll with Electronics-1 and a throw with no Electronics experience? One rolls 2D+1 and the other rolls 2D.

Even something like Engineering doesn't have a penalty for no skill. Here, they get you with the target number. You get +2 DM per skill level. So, there is a decent sized advantage to having Engineering+1 or more.

 

[Brandon C]

That's because, with just about every other game, a character gets tons of skills.

In CT, you can have a 1 term Army character who has one skill. Then, he picks up two more (or one Skill-2 and one Skill-1), for a total of three skill levels, with the Experience rules.

That's an extremely viable character in CT.

If it succeeds. Odds are, the attempt will fail. In either case the PC has to roll an 8+ to keep the new skills, so there is a 58% chance of failure. Additionally, the level-2 skill requires Cr 70,000, which most characters won't muster out with, even after multiple terms.

Sure, when I first started playing CT, it didn't feel that great either. But, once you get used to CT, and have a Ref that understands CT, that character can, indeed, be a hero.

If the character is rich and the player gets lucky on the only roll he gets for a sabbatical.

Sorry, the CT experience system shouldn't be relied on to do anything but fail.

 

[mike wightman]

The sabbatical is a one off once per lifetime thing, you don't make the dedication roll for it you just elect to pay the money.
If you don't get enough mustering out money, pension, tickets to sell to pay for it, or TAS membership (this is worth Cr60000 per year selling the tickets) then you can either do a few patron missions to get the cash or take out a loan.

Such methods could include RNA intelligence or education implants, surgical
alteration, military or mercenary training, and other systems. Alternatives to the
above methods must be administered by the referee.

This is an ideal way to separate characters from their money or to use as rewards from adventures, and it is guaranteed to succeed if you as the ref want it to.

 

[kilemall]

One of the reasons that you don't want to add more careers when playing CT is skill bloat. In CT, skill should run around the Skill-1 and Skill-2 range normally, with maybe a Skill-3 as a specialty.

A +3 DM on a 2D scale is a hell of a modifier. Three points is almost a third of the total scale.

Remember that, for CT characters, the skills don't represent the character's total sum of expertise. The skills instead represent the few areas of expertise where the character excels.

A CT character is quite viable with just one or two Skill-1's, coming out of chargen. Remember, two skills can be had, straight out of chargen, using the Experience system.

Not getting this critique.



If a character has Skill-4, they likely can't do much else.


What's the difference between a 2 career 2 term each character and a 4 term character?

 

[Supplement Four]

Sorry, the CT experience system shouldn't be relied on to do anything but fail.

I don't think that you are reading the Experience System correctly.

Would you say a 42% chance of immediately raising two skills by +1 is "doomed to failure"?

Here's an example.



Example.

Johnson comes out of Chargen with only the Revolver-3 skill and no other.

The player favors the foil, and Johnson's stats fit the weapon, so he is considered to have Foil-0, too, because of the Default rule.



EXPERIENCE

Straight out of Chargen, Johnson decides to improve these two skills using the Experience system.

To do this, Johnson picks a field to study: Education, Weapon Expertise, Skill Improvement, or Physical Fitness.

Johnson decides to improve his weapon skills: Foil-0 and Revolver-3.



THE PROGRAM-WEAPON EXPERTISE

Johnson picks one gun and one blade skill to improve (his Foil and Revolver skills).

Roll the 8+ Dedication roll. This is akin to rolling to see if the character gets skills in a term during character generation.

If the roll is a failure, then the training program is not possible at this time. A training program can be attempted again in one year.

If the roll is success, then, immediately, the character's skills are improved by one level.

So, Johnson's skills become Foil-1 and Revolver-4.



Skill-0 Weapons.

The neat thing is that Skill-0 weapons improved with the Experience system become permanent increases if the Dedication roll is made. So, no matter what, Johnson has improved himself with Foil-1, permanently. (And, that's a good argument to pick two Skill-0 Weapon skills when using the Weapon Expertise Focus).



Permanency

The skill improvements shown above are not permanent (except for Skill-0 skills). The skill increases are good for four years. At the end of four years, the skills will revert to their original level (not Skill-0 skills) unless a second four year program is done.

A second four year program requires another Dedication roll of 8+. If this is successful, the skill improvements become permanent.


So...

This could easily happen: Johnson comes out of chargen with Revolver-3. He uses the Experience system and focuses on Weapons Expertise.

1. He makes the 8+ Dedication roll. Skills improve to Foil-1 and Revolver-4.

2. He games for four years using these skill levels.

3. When the four years are up, he fails the second Dedication roll of 8+. Skills revert to Foil-1 and Revolver-3.

4. The Foil-1 became permanent after the first Dedication roll because of the special way Skill-0 skills are handled.



Cost

This is up to the Ref. You need an accessible gun range, ammo, weapons, sparring partner for the foil--stuff like that--over the course of the four year program.







Different Programs

Each of the programs are slightly different. INT can never be increased after chargen, but EDU can if it is lower than INT. The total of INT + EDU = Total number of skills a character can have, so this is a good incentive to rise EDU up to the level of INT using the EDU program.

There are also different rolls and costs associated with the different programs.

Plus, there can be Alternatives for improvement implemented by the Ref.