Greetings,
Just recently got the Mongoose Traveller Core Rulebook, and noticed that Merchants in the Free Trader specialty cannot get the Gunner skill. It this an accidental omission or intentional?
Odds are Mongoose and the authors will not make an official response.
Obviously with just 6 skills per table, some possible career skills will be absent. Which skills are most pertinent and make it to the tables and which to leave out likely varies from person to person as Traveller accommodates a wide variety of play styles.
This is actually a topic that came up a while back but I don't know on which forum. Maybe someone else knows if it was here and can point to it?
I'll do my best to recall my input in that previous discussion.
If you are the type that likes to do things by the book and would like some reasoning behind it not being in the tables, I offer the following. This is mostly my reasoning with some reference to the rules. There is no need to argue over my points, these are just possible reasons that may or may not fit with your way of doing things. Use whatever makes sense to you and throw out what doesn't.
If you look at the ship specs for the small trade ships, weapons are not included. This may be indicative that some, many, or even most smaller trade ships are not equipped and have no need for such. While the 1,000 ton heavy freighter does include weapons in the turrets, for some reason it only has 2 of ten possible turrets installed. Again, perhaps a sign that a lot of combat is not seen by these types of ships?
The larger ships have Merchant Marines. The small ships have small crews. You don't have the time or money to invest in training someone. You can hire someone that has the skill if and when you think it is necessary.
The pilot, astrogator, engineer and so on are kept busy every trip but Gunnery skill is probably not used too often to improve upon it. Even if you have weapons, engaging in space combat every month is counter productive to a trade ship and likely does not occur often outside the whims of a GM and players. The guns may be mostly for show so that you are not seen as easy prey. The most likely time for an even, or winnable fight in a free trader is when a GM sets it up. In the realistic setting (my opinion) combat in these ships would be rare as local officials, pirates, and anyone that tries to bully you around will likely be far better armed and armored than you. Other means than combat need to be used as fighting is likely suicide. Who's going to fight you unless they think they have a good chance of winning?
In my opinion, weapons will often be more trouble than then are worth. You have weapons? Why? Must have valuable cargo, be smuggling or up to some other mischief. More scrutiny, inspections, longer delays, some locations may not even let you approach and land/dock.
Some people that like Traveller like FireFly and think it is Travelleresque. Not sure if you are familiar with that show, but Serenity did not have weapons.
If you are the type that likes to tweak the game to fit their play style, you can always put Gunnery on the table. Probably not a big deal to lose Vacc Suit. It is on the Service Skills table.
