Average Number of Terms?
- Thread starter Greylond
- Start date
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
It's random based on re-enlistment rolls... 
Ok, house rule time.
Once a character has failed a re-enlistment roll I allow them to try to enlist in a second career.
4-5 is the average for a terms served for a character in most of my games, although players may want to go with younger or older.
Ok, house rule time.
Once a character has failed a re-enlistment roll I allow them to try to enlist in a second career.
4-5 is the average for a terms served for a character in most of my games, although players may want to go with younger or older.
Varies widely.
Some games, we "contract" for specific final ranks - an generate until reached, ignoring reenlistment.
Others, it's until specified skills reached.
Others still, it's the "normal" combination of player choice and dice rolls - fail a reenlistment, you're done, but you can quit after any term you didn't roll a 12 on the reenlistment roll.
So, there's no real "normal"...
Typically, tho', when left to norml most players either quit after term 3 (to avoid aging saves) or shoot for term 5 (for retirement pay).
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
I find this to be where a lot of folks end up. (Or, willing to take one aging roll, for 4 terms.)
Traveller is probably the only RPG out there that regularly starts the adventurers as retirees, rather than newbs.
CosmicGamer
SOC-14 1K
It's random based on re-enlistment rolls...
All True
With Mongoose, the roll for aging varies and gets more difficult as the character ages. I'm more likely to risk a couple terms of aging rolls with Mongoose than CT.
I've been all over the place, but in the last year or so, I've been rolling PCs just for fun, and playing with guys that might as well be patrons, 6+ terms. Using Mongoose rules, I'm collecting a wide variety of contacts/rivals/allies and diverse skills, and using the Events to tell a story.
Enoki
SOC-14 1K
I'd say it really depends on what you are expecting from a character in play as to how many terms you do, or try to do. Generalized characters for play could probably do 2 to 4 terms max and work fine whereas you may need a specific skill set for a particular setting that requires more than that. You can't get a highly skilled character in two terms but you also often can't have someone on the verge of old age either.
I think it is really a balancing act that has to be looked at each time you develop a character for the game.
I think it is really a balancing act that has to be looked at each time you develop a character for the game.
Hi,
In the past (using CT rules) I used to almost always try for the maximum number of turns (unless I ended up missing a re-enlistment roll) because I often played merchant characters and I wanted to try and get the best chance of getting a merchant ship as part of the mustering out benefits that I could.
In the past (using CT rules) I used to almost always try for the maximum number of turns (unless I ended up missing a re-enlistment roll) because I often played merchant characters and I wanted to try and get the best chance of getting a merchant ship as part of the mustering out benefits that I could.
As am I, but my players (even those with no CT experience) aren't.
But I will also note that MGT has both an up-or-out policy, and a youth bias for retention - it's easier to stay in in earlier terms, and in later terms, no promotion means no retention. Which puts the mode again dual peaked at 3 and 5 terms.
Aging, bah!
I tend, as do my real life gaming compatriots, to go till I can't go no more. Aging rolls are dealt with by using at least one Personal Development skill roll per Term (or at least per Term once Aging starts). Sure it is never the Characteristic you want, but some times you do get lucky.
I tend, as do my real life gaming compatriots, to go till I can't go no more. Aging rolls are dealt with by using at least one Personal Development skill roll per Term (or at least per Term once Aging starts). Sure it is never the Characteristic you want, but some times you do get lucky.
Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
If I am rolling up NPCs for use, it depends on what I am planning to use them for. If a spear-carrying "security" type, one term and done. Ship crewmen get a bit more work, between 2 and 3 terms, while potential patrons tend to get 5 or more. For possible characters for use by players, generally 4 or 5 terms, assumed making aging rolls, unless just making survival role, and probably some assigned skills.
curmudgeon
SOC-12
When I make characters for myself, they run anywhere from 5 to 7 terms. I tend to run on the high side, so the average is probably close to 6.5 terms. I tend to be a bit old fashioned in this, so the more terms the better. Aging rolls are almost never an impediment to continuing. I htink the only thing that usually stops me is rolling a bad reenlistment roll.
mega:
mega:Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Do these numbers change if you include college terms? (Or, have you included them already?) Do you count them toward retirement or not? How many of your characters even bothered with college?
I'm not sure if the newer versions are different, but Classic Traveller was not kind to college in the CharGen rules. Edu counts for too little to make the college Edu bonus more valuable than skill levels, and the Specialized Training in the Advanced Military CharGen offered more skills per term than college.
In T4 college was truly interesting, if you could attain it. You had +4 to edu (quite important in its game mechanics), 4 skills from the Academic skills (wich, BTW, included Jack-of-all-Trades), and the possibility for an additional +1 to edu if honors are acheved and 2 more skills and commision if you attend OTC/NOTC.
Even if you fail you adquire +1 to +3 to edu and the same number of skills from the Academic skills table...
All in all, a good deal...
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
Yes, college could be a good deal in some versions. In CT you had to use the advanced chargen rules (and, yes, they were primarily service-related). In MT, it was more elastic. The question of retirement came up more than once as players wanted to know if they could avoid that one extra aging roll for a 5th non-college term (making 6 terms total to get retirement).
I've never counted college terms towards retirement. It changes the modes for service to 2 and 5 terms of service when college is expected.
saundby
SOC-14 1K
For uni, I use Spica Career Book 2.
When I'm running a campaign, I usually specify how many terms for my players. Especially if I've done a preliminary adventure with the characters as children, then their relative ages are already set.
If I'm running a character and have an open-ended opportunity, I'll usually do 3 or 4 terms. It depends on the rules a bit, and what career I'm in and how close I am to some significant objective. But I usually like to run characters that are still at least a bit "unfinished."
When I'm running a campaign, I usually specify how many terms for my players. Especially if I've done a preliminary adventure with the characters as children, then their relative ages are already set.
If I'm running a character and have an open-ended opportunity, I'll usually do 3 or 4 terms. It depends on the rules a bit, and what career I'm in and how close I am to some significant objective. But I usually like to run characters that are still at least a bit "unfinished."
grendelttroll
SOC-12
Varies for me but averages at about 3 terms, college or no.....
