Well, I'm glad I finally synched up with this topic.
I haven't been spending time with the CT+ threads due to my
infidel scheme to use completely different mechanics based on another game system. This is still a great topic -- lots of brain food, yum.
Just remember to take my suggestions with a grain of heresy, hehe...
CUSTOM PRIOR SERVICE
This idea occured to me while reading this thread. It suffers from a tendancy towards 'career bloat', but does allow some cool combos mentioned in previous posts regarding path-style and sub-career prior service. This probably exceeds the KISS threshold for CT+, but still seems relevant to some of the discussion here. CT++?
I'm using the term 'occupation' to describe all possible prior service templates in order to reserve terms like 'career' for smaller sub-categories.
First, I have grouped the occupations into three fundamental types. LIFESTYLE occupations are basic, 'background' occupations, similiar in concept to 'NPC Classes' from d20 (but robust enough for PCs, too). Examples: Barbarian, Noble. PURSUIT occupations define specific skill-oriented roles that characters can fill. Examples: Agent, Merchant. CAREER occupations are the most advanced occupations, defined by large institutions that shape the character. Examples: Navy, Academic.
Lifestyle Occupations
These occupations have few enlistment requirements (homeworld types and SOC for Noble), and no ranks or promotions. The skills gained in these occupations are all useful but fairly vanilla. This list should be short -- I have listed 6 which I'm happy with:
</font>
- Barbarian (low-tech homeworld)</font>
- Citizen (interstellar-tech homeworld)</font>
- Colonist (mid-tech homeworld)</font>
- Criminal</font>
- Noble</font>
- Spacer</font>
Once the character's homeworld is chosen, the character would gain the homeworld automatics, and then the player would choose one of the above occupations for a childhood 'background' term. This special term has no survival roll. At the end of this term, the character is 18 years old (human) and ready to begin play or prior service, as the player desires.
BTW, I prefer four skill rolls per term, combined with shorter prior service via increasingly difficult re-ups and slowed in-game advancement for higher-term PCs. This makes the 18 year-old evaporation farmer-cum-adventurer a little more robust for play.
The player may elect to continue in the chosen lifestyle occupation as prior service. Once chosen, a character's lifestyle occupation sticks with them, even if they choose to persue more advanced occupations. The player may change the character's lifestyle occupation between terms at a cost of -1 SOC, which reflects their 'fresh start' (except for Noble, which automatically becomes available at no cost when SOC A is attained).
Pursuit Occupations
These occupations form the 'soft middle' where the bloat really occurs. Everyone's fave pet occupations tend to fall in here, like Assassin or Hunter. These are skill-role centered occupations that use a mix of prereqs and modest enlistment rolls for entry. The benefits are better than lifestyle occupations, offer the most advanced skills, and provide modest opportunies to advance socially. Characters may use pursuit occupations as mere hobbies (see below), or may use them as primary prior service occupations. I came up with a pretty long list of these suckers, which I suspect to be a matter of taste. Here is a partial sample list:
Trade Pursuits</font>
- Hunter</font>
- Engineer</font>
- Entertainer</font>
Professional Pursuits</font>
- Soldier</font>
- Merchant</font>
- Scholar</font>
Clandestine Pursuits</font>
- Agent</font>
- Enforcer</font>
- Rogue</font>
Characters can take up any pursuit occupation they qualify for, and can switch pursuits without penalty.
Career Occupations
These are institutional occupations which offer the best wealth benefits and opportunities for social advancement. The skill lists are not quite as robust but do offer specialized training not available elsewhere. Career occupations have the most challenging enlistment requirements, and are more restricted on occupation switching. Here are some of my examples:
Service Careers</font>
- Army</font>
- Navy</font>
- Secret</font>
Civilian Careers</font>
- Politician</font>
- Academic</font>
- Corporate</font>
The Twist
Okay, here is the trick. During any term of prior service, the character may simulataneously be a member of up to 1 lifestyle, 1 pursuit, and 1 career occupation. Each occupation has the usual skill category lists.
I like Personal, Basic, Advanced, and Special as skill lists. The player gets four picks per term. Advanced requires EDU 8+. Special can be chosen once if the player successfully makes a Special Assignment check (varies).
When the player makes a skill roll, any list the character qualifies for from the available occupations can be chosen. Enlistment is rolled for each occupation separately, but survival, decoration, and promotion, and benefit rolls are made for only one occupation per term (using career > pursuit > lifestyle precedence).
In this way, you can create a Spacer Rogue Mercenary ("hi Han!"), Noble Hunter, Merchant Marine, Army Investigator, Corporate Lawyer, or whatever, by combining standard CT-style prior service templates in a reasonable fashion.
