Book 4 Chargen Questions

[Marchand]

First off, sorry if these have been dealt with recently. I know it's a recurring topic.

If a character is E9 and receives a promotion, does he automatically jump to O1 or do you stick at E9 until you roll OCS special duty?

Is there a skill award for promotion? I can't find a reference in the text that says there is so I guess not.

Is there a bonus to the promotion throw for receipt of a decoration in Book 4?

You can get Commo skill from Specialist Training, but I don't think Comms is in Book 1 or Book 4 - covered by Electronics.

Here is what I've come up with based on auto promotion and no skills for promotion:

Second Lt. 756778, Marine, 4 terms; enlisted in Marine Infantry
Special Assignments: Protected Forces, Commando School, Commo Specialist
Awards and Decorations: MCUF
Equipment qualified on: ship's turrets

Brawling-1, Cmbt Rflman-1, Comms-1, Demolitions-1, Gunnery-2, Instruction-1, SMG-1, Vacsuit-1, Wilderness Survival-1, Zero G-2

Low Psg, High Psg, Cr20,000

and...Cutlass-1. I'm aware Bk4 says no automatic service skills but what kind of a Marine doesn't have Cutlass!

 

[McPerth]

First off, sorry if these have been dealt with recently. I know it's a recurring topic..

Not sure all of what I'll say is on the book, but it is (at least) as I understand it:

If a character is E9 and receives a promotion, does he automatically jump to O1 or do you stick at E9 until you roll OCS special duty?.

He remains as E9 (in fact, he doesn't even roll for promotion). See that the roll is for promotion, not for comisión. Commision to officer status can only be reached by OCS.

Is there a skill award for promotion? I can't find a reference in the text that says there is so I guess not..

No. The only automatic skill in Bk4 is Combat Rifleman from basic training

Is there a bonus to the promotion throw for receipt of a decoration in Book 4?.

Not told about in Bk4. modifiers are given in Bk5, and, personally, I applied them in Bk4 too, but with RAW, no, there's not.

You can get Commo skill from Specialist Training, but I don't think Comms is in Book 1 or Book 4 - covered by Electronics.

True. It is described in Bk5 (I guess both were developed at once).

and...Cutlass-1. I'm aware Bk4 says no automatic service skills but what kind of a Marine doesn't have Cutlass!.

That's why Marines have to choose blade skill as Cutlass. You can also give them cutlass 0 if they don't have it.