Equalizing Book 1 Character Gen With Books 4 & 5

[tbeard1999]

I'm getting that old Traveller urge again and I thought I'd ask about a problem that has long vexed me.

As we know, characters generated by Book 1 and Citizens of the Imperium tend to get far fewer skills than characters generated by Books 4 and 5.

How do you suggest "equalizing" characters generated in Book 1 and Citizens? Add an extra skill per term? Two extra skills?

Also, I seem to recall that one later version of CT limited the number of skill levels to some value based on INT (or was it EDU)? Does anyone use those limits?

 

[tbeard1999]

I'm getting that old Traveller urge again and I thought I'd ask about a problem that has long vexed me.

As we know, characters generated by Book 1 and Citizens of the Imperium tend to get far fewer skills than characters generated by Books 4 and 5.

How do you suggest "equalizing" characters generated in Book 1 and Citizens? Add an extra skill per term? Two extra skills?

Also, I seem to recall that one later version of CT limited the number of skill levels to some value based on INT (or was it EDU)? Does anyone use those limits?

 

[zakrol]

MegaTraveller achieved this through a combination of two addons to basic chargen:

A "Special Duty" roll, similar to the promotion roll but with the only benefit being an extra skill. The value needed varied according to career (4+ for scouts/marines if I remember correctly, upto about 6+ for the safer careers).

Also, if any roll that could give a skill was made by 4 or more (e.g. rolling 9+ if the target was 5+) then a second skill was also obtained.

The results from this were similar in number of skills to the advanced chargen.

 

[zakrol]

MegaTraveller achieved this through a combination of two addons to basic chargen:

A "Special Duty" roll, similar to the promotion roll but with the only benefit being an extra skill. The value needed varied according to career (4+ for scouts/marines if I remember correctly, upto about 6+ for the safer careers).

Also, if any roll that could give a skill was made by 4 or more (e.g. rolling 9+ if the target was 5+) then a second skill was also obtained.

The results from this were similar in number of skills to the advanced chargen.

 

[Supplement Four]

Absolutely follow Zakrol's advice. Those two MT additions will give you basic gen characters compatible with advanced gen characters.

Also, I wrote up some campaign-customized basic chargen rules from my game, posted here as an example of how a GM can take the ball and run with it--diverting from generic chargen.

You might want to look at that thread:

http://www.travellerrpg.com/cgi-bin/Trav/CotI/Discuss/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=44;t=000270

Besides the Special Duty roll, and the 4+ bonus that Zakrol mentions, I added a rule where, when basic skills are awarded (usually two skills for the first term and one skill for every term after that), the player gets the choice of taking that or attempting something different.

He can roll for two skills during the term (two rolls at 7+), three skills during the term (three rolls at 8+), or four skills during the term (four rolls at 9+)...getting a skill each time he beats the roll. The rub his he might fail all rolls and not get any (although he will still get the attempts for Special Duty, commision/promotion, etc).

That's an optional rule in my game that the player can decide to gamble with.

Another thing I did was add in a "Fifth Table". Normally, characters have four tables to choose from in basic chargen: Personal Development; Service; Education; Advanced Education (if EDU 8+).

I've added a Fifth Table based on the character's homeworld. You'll see it in the rules from the link above.

Hope that helps!

 

[Supplement Four]

Absolutely follow Zakrol's advice. Those two MT additions will give you basic gen characters compatible with advanced gen characters.

Also, I wrote up some campaign-customized basic chargen rules from my game, posted here as an example of how a GM can take the ball and run with it--diverting from generic chargen.

You might want to look at that thread:

http://www.travellerrpg.com/cgi-bin/Trav/CotI/Discuss/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=44;t=000270

Besides the Special Duty roll, and the 4+ bonus that Zakrol mentions, I added a rule where, when basic skills are awarded (usually two skills for the first term and one skill for every term after that), the player gets the choice of taking that or attempting something different.

He can roll for two skills during the term (two rolls at 7+), three skills during the term (three rolls at 8+), or four skills during the term (four rolls at 9+)...getting a skill each time he beats the roll. The rub his he might fail all rolls and not get any (although he will still get the attempts for Special Duty, commision/promotion, etc).

That's an optional rule in my game that the player can decide to gamble with.

Another thing I did was add in a "Fifth Table". Normally, characters have four tables to choose from in basic chargen: Personal Development; Service; Education; Advanced Education (if EDU 8+).

I've added a Fifth Table based on the character's homeworld. You'll see it in the rules from the link above.

Hope that helps!

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by tbeard1999:
Also, I seem to recall that one later version of CT limited the number of skill levels to some value based on INT (or was it EDU)? Does anyone use those limits?

Skills and skill levels are limited to INT plus EDU - forgive me for not quoting the page number, but my books aren't handy.

I know this isn't exactly the suggestion you may be looking for, but are you sure you really need to expand on basic chargen? I used basic characters alongside extended chargen characters for years without difficulty. While the extended characters have more skills, they also tend to have more specialized skills - they often know more about less than basic chargen characters.

Again, I'm not trying to dissuade you - just offering another perspective for you to consider. Good luck!

 

[Black Globe Generator]

Originally posted by tbeard1999:
Also, I seem to recall that one later version of CT limited the number of skill levels to some value based on INT (or was it EDU)? Does anyone use those limits?

Skills and skill levels are limited to INT plus EDU - forgive me for not quoting the page number, but my books aren't handy.

I know this isn't exactly the suggestion you may be looking for, but are you sure you really need to expand on basic chargen? I used basic characters alongside extended chargen characters for years without difficulty. While the extended characters have more skills, they also tend to have more specialized skills - they often know more about less than basic chargen characters.

Again, I'm not trying to dissuade you - just offering another perspective for you to consider. Good luck!

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

"Skills and skill levels are limited to INT plus EDU - forgive me for not quoting the page number, but my books aren't handy." -- Black Globe Generator.

IAW Ref. Bk. 7 "Merchant Prince", pg 31, pp 12:

"Skill Limitations: No character should have more skills (or combined total levels of skills) than the sum of intelligence and education."

You're welcome.

 

[Keklas Rekobah]

"Skills and skill levels are limited to INT plus EDU - forgive me for not quoting the page number, but my books aren't handy." -- Black Globe Generator.

IAW Ref. Bk. 7 "Merchant Prince", pg 31, pp 12:

"Skill Limitations: No character should have more skills (or combined total levels of skills) than the sum of intelligence and education."

You're welcome.

 

[Jame]

My solution is to take Zakrol's advice, but roll by year, and not by term (i.e. you get four rolls per term). What terms do are determine your aging, your benefits and your reenlistment.

 

[Jame]

My solution is to take Zakrol's advice, but roll by year, and not by term (i.e. you get four rolls per term). What terms do are determine your aging, your benefits and your reenlistment.

 

[tbeard1999]

Originally posted by Black Globe Generator:

Skills and skill levels are limited to INT plus EDU - forgive me for not quoting the page number, but my books aren't handy.

I know this isn't exactly the suggestion you may be looking for, but are you sure you really need to expand on basic chargen? I used basic characters alongside extended chargen characters for years without difficulty. While the extended characters have more skills, they also tend to have more specialized skills - they often know more about less than basic chargen characters.

Again, I'm not trying to dissuade you - just offering another perspective for you to consider. Good luck!

Thanks for the comments. IIRC the limit did not appear in the early printings of CT and I never used them in any campaigns because they seemed too restrictive to me.

That said, the INT+EDU rule can actually limit the potential imbalance. While Book 4+ characters will still roll more skills, they're ultimately limited to a fairly strict limit -- 14 skill levels for average characters; 20 or so for very bright ones.

And yes, it is a problem with my players. Wonderful players...most have been with me for at least 20 years. But they are only human...and they all enjoy being powerful.

--Ty

 

[tbeard1999]

Originally posted by Black Globe Generator:

Skills and skill levels are limited to INT plus EDU - forgive me for not quoting the page number, but my books aren't handy.

I know this isn't exactly the suggestion you may be looking for, but are you sure you really need to expand on basic chargen? I used basic characters alongside extended chargen characters for years without difficulty. While the extended characters have more skills, they also tend to have more specialized skills - they often know more about less than basic chargen characters.

Again, I'm not trying to dissuade you - just offering another perspective for you to consider. Good luck!

Thanks for the comments. IIRC the limit did not appear in the early printings of CT and I never used them in any campaigns because they seemed too restrictive to me.

That said, the INT+EDU rule can actually limit the potential imbalance. While Book 4+ characters will still roll more skills, they're ultimately limited to a fairly strict limit -- 14 skill levels for average characters; 20 or so for very bright ones.

And yes, it is a problem with my players. Wonderful players...most have been with me for at least 20 years. But they are only human...and they all enjoy being powerful.

--Ty

 

[tbeard1999]

Originally posted by WJP:
Absolutely follow Zakrol's advice. Those two MT additions will give you basic gen characters compatible with advanced gen characters.

Also, I wrote up some campaign-customized basic chargen rules from my game, posted here as an example of how a GM can take the ball and run with it--diverting from generic chargen.

You might want to look at that thread:

http://www.travellerrpg.com/cgi-bin/Trav/CotI/Discuss/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=44;t=000270

Besides the Special Duty roll, and the 4+ bonus that Zakrol mentions, I added a rule where, when basic skills are awarded (usually two skills for the first term and one skill for every term after that), the player gets the choice of taking that or attempting something different.

He can roll for two skills during the term (two rolls at 7+), three skills during the term (three rolls at 8+), or four skills during the term (four rolls at 9+)...getting a skill each time he beats the roll. The rub his he might fail all rolls and not get any (although he will still get the attempts for Special Duty, commision/promotion, etc).

That's an optional rule in my game that the player can decide to gamble with.

Another thing I did was add in a "Fifth Table". Normally, characters have four tables to choose from in basic chargen: Personal Development; Service; Education; Advanced Education (if EDU 8+).

I've added a Fifth Table based on the character's homeworld. You'll see it in the rules from the link above.

Hope that helps!

It does. I read that thread, but before I started getting the itch, so I didn't really appreciate it. I'll read it again.

--Ty

 

[tbeard1999]

Originally posted by WJP:
Absolutely follow Zakrol's advice. Those two MT additions will give you basic gen characters compatible with advanced gen characters.

Also, I wrote up some campaign-customized basic chargen rules from my game, posted here as an example of how a GM can take the ball and run with it--diverting from generic chargen.

You might want to look at that thread:

http://www.travellerrpg.com/cgi-bin/Trav/CotI/Discuss/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=44;t=000270

Besides the Special Duty roll, and the 4+ bonus that Zakrol mentions, I added a rule where, when basic skills are awarded (usually two skills for the first term and one skill for every term after that), the player gets the choice of taking that or attempting something different.

He can roll for two skills during the term (two rolls at 7+), three skills during the term (three rolls at 8+), or four skills during the term (four rolls at 9+)...getting a skill each time he beats the roll. The rub his he might fail all rolls and not get any (although he will still get the attempts for Special Duty, commision/promotion, etc).

That's an optional rule in my game that the player can decide to gamble with.

Another thing I did was add in a "Fifth Table". Normally, characters have four tables to choose from in basic chargen: Personal Development; Service; Education; Advanced Education (if EDU 8+).

I've added a Fifth Table based on the character's homeworld. You'll see it in the rules from the link above.

Hope that helps!

It does. I read that thread, but before I started getting the itch, so I didn't really appreciate it. I'll read it again.

--Ty

 

[mike wightman]

I'd not bother with the Int plus Edu limit, there are too many NPCs in CT canon that break this limit - have a look at some of the advanced characters in Supplement 13 Veterans, or even the second resume in Mercenary

A compromise is to house rule it as maximum skill levels equal to Int+Edu+terms served.

 

[mike wightman]

I'd not bother with the Int plus Edu limit, there are too many NPCs in CT canon that break this limit - have a look at some of the advanced characters in Supplement 13 Veterans, or even the second resume in Mercenary

A compromise is to house rule it as maximum skill levels equal to Int+Edu+terms served.

 

[mike wightman]

Oh, and I also go with the special duty roll and the rule of 4+.

 

[mike wightman]

Oh, and I also go with the special duty roll and the rule of 4+.