I wrote something, and I'd love some comment...
IMTU: Aging in Traveller
IMTU: Aging in Traveller
IMTU: Aging in Traveller
- Thread starter RossWinn
- Start date
kilemall
SOC-14 5K
Looking at your scale, a quick formula comes to mind-
TL x 10= average lifespan.
As to skills, I would do largely as suggested except for the dropped/‘forgotten’ skills. I would make them Skill-0. Hang around long enough and a character could effectively be a Jack of All Trades.
Another is to do something like increase the multiplier for total skills on the basis of advanced neuroscience and learning/data handling.
Or go transhuman and have offloaded skills on backup/swap, with fun memory/personality alteration/fragmentation/psychosis consequences/play occurring.
An interesting question to answer is what is happening when a character gets +1 INT?
If that can be reliably increased beyond say cyber aids as something that can be developed or taught, then it could be done like EDU is for post career personal development.
As to adulthood and careers, don’t know that I would go to 30 years old. My thought goes to my interpretation of EDU- EDU x 2= years equivalent in school, primary and secondary.
So especially for harsh frontier/underclass life could be something like (EDUx2)+6= starting age.
The EDU 7+ is an associates degree, 8+ results assume college degree, and higher indicates postgraduate degrees. So max starting age could be 30 but only for EDU C with an impressive academic resume.
If a character starts at a low EDU and wants to fix that, they could roll for any of those schools that will bump them to EDU 8 on success.
For those that come out with a ‘degree’ on UPP rolls, they could do postgraduate university or service academies as their first career.
TL x 10= average lifespan.
As to skills, I would do largely as suggested except for the dropped/‘forgotten’ skills. I would make them Skill-0. Hang around long enough and a character could effectively be a Jack of All Trades.
Another is to do something like increase the multiplier for total skills on the basis of advanced neuroscience and learning/data handling.
Or go transhuman and have offloaded skills on backup/swap, with fun memory/personality alteration/fragmentation/psychosis consequences/play occurring.
An interesting question to answer is what is happening when a character gets +1 INT?
If that can be reliably increased beyond say cyber aids as something that can be developed or taught, then it could be done like EDU is for post career personal development.
As to adulthood and careers, don’t know that I would go to 30 years old. My thought goes to my interpretation of EDU- EDU x 2= years equivalent in school, primary and secondary.
So especially for harsh frontier/underclass life could be something like (EDUx2)+6= starting age.
The EDU 7+ is an associates degree, 8+ results assume college degree, and higher indicates postgraduate degrees. So max starting age could be 30 but only for EDU C with an impressive academic resume.
If a character starts at a low EDU and wants to fix that, they could roll for any of those schools that will bump them to EDU 8 on success.
For those that come out with a ‘degree’ on UPP rolls, they could do postgraduate university or service academies as their first career.
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Also, remember that those early low average lifespans (e.g. 33 years in 1700) are not saying that people typically died around age 33, it rather is an average that is factoring in a high infant mortality rate as well as a significant mortality rate from diseases and other incurable maladies (remember, no antibiotics for simple things that we take for granted - a simple cut becoming infected could end up being lethal). A person in 1700 still could expect to live to be about 60-70 years if he made it out of childhood and didn't contract a disease or die in warfare. In ancient Rome recorded ages of 50 - 60 or more are not at all unheard of, and in the Bible, the standard expectation of a human lifespan was " . . . 70 years, or 80 if due to vigor and strength . . .". Ancient Egyptian records note that the "ideal" human lifespan was considered to be 110 years for those blessed to be able to achieve it (whether anyone typically did or not may be a different matter).
In Traveller, "racially pure" Vilani (few and far between in the "modern" era) supposedly had significantly longer lifespans than typical Solomani and most other branches of Humaniti (typically ~130-180 years, as seen in the Lentuli Emperors of the early Third Imperium). Those with a relatively strong strain of Vilani in their Human ancestry might be expected to have a somewhat longer lifespan.
Based on modern genetics and molecular biology, it seems that what is most likely to occur is that the ultimate length of the human lifespan won't increase by a huge factor, but rather it is more likely that advances in medicine and genetics/biology will ameliorate the degenerative effects of aging and the general reduction in effective quality of life, until close to the end, and then aging effects will catch up much more rapidly.
Some of the genetic and molecular biological background behind aging can be found here (in brief / not overly technical), if you are interested:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-genetic-theory-of-aging-2224222
But I think two factors might reasonably play into Aging: World TL and character SOC (assuming SOC is an Imperial Standard Scale). World TL grants more sophisticated care opportunities, and higher SOC gives you access to the better care opportunities that are available. Perhaps High END might play a factor as well in terms of overall baseline personal Constitution.
I think kilemall makes a good point as well. Since the various Stats (like EDU and SOC) must represent an "Imperial Standard reference" as such (depending on home world and background) they will also play into how much "background education" and learning a person will receive prior to entering a career. A Low TL "Barbarian" world starts a Career at Age 14, "Standard" worlds at age 18, and higher TL worlds might easily be argued (due to the learning skillsets required) to need advanced Training or Education that might take a few terms before entering into a first career.
In Traveller, "racially pure" Vilani (few and far between in the "modern" era) supposedly had significantly longer lifespans than typical Solomani and most other branches of Humaniti (typically ~130-180 years, as seen in the Lentuli Emperors of the early Third Imperium). Those with a relatively strong strain of Vilani in their Human ancestry might be expected to have a somewhat longer lifespan.
Based on modern genetics and molecular biology, it seems that what is most likely to occur is that the ultimate length of the human lifespan won't increase by a huge factor, but rather it is more likely that advances in medicine and genetics/biology will ameliorate the degenerative effects of aging and the general reduction in effective quality of life, until close to the end, and then aging effects will catch up much more rapidly.
Some of the genetic and molecular biological background behind aging can be found here (in brief / not overly technical), if you are interested:
https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-genetic-theory-of-aging-2224222
But I think two factors might reasonably play into Aging: World TL and character SOC (assuming SOC is an Imperial Standard Scale). World TL grants more sophisticated care opportunities, and higher SOC gives you access to the better care opportunities that are available. Perhaps High END might play a factor as well in terms of overall baseline personal Constitution.
I think kilemall makes a good point as well. Since the various Stats (like EDU and SOC) must represent an "Imperial Standard reference" as such (depending on home world and background) they will also play into how much "background education" and learning a person will receive prior to entering a career. A Low TL "Barbarian" world starts a Career at Age 14, "Standard" worlds at age 18, and higher TL worlds might easily be argued (due to the learning skillsets required) to need advanced Training or Education that might take a few terms before entering into a first career.
Condottiere
SOC-14 5K
If you don't mind dealing with potential cancers, you could try and immortalize our cells.
kilemall
SOC-14 5K
Perhaps then the aging tables are adjusted per home world TL? The idea then is that the childhood diseases, dietary inputs and vaccinations/advanced preventative treatments set the character up for a longer or shorter life.
The medical treatments available per TL the character can access then affect the aging rolls when they happen, and of course anagathics avoid the rolls per whatever rules the referee has in place.
As a working formula, perhaps use the aforementioned TL decade paradigm. (TL-7)x10= years to add onto first onset of aging. Ignore negative modifiers.
The idea then is improved medical tech makes the aging rolls easier to pass explaining the longer life at the end of the process. The lower tech medical rolls for wounds and disease should take their toll and reduce the average without being aging per se.
The medical treatments available per TL the character can access then affect the aging rolls when they happen, and of course anagathics avoid the rolls per whatever rules the referee has in place.
As a working formula, perhaps use the aforementioned TL decade paradigm. (TL-7)x10= years to add onto first onset of aging. Ignore negative modifiers.
The idea then is improved medical tech makes the aging rolls easier to pass explaining the longer life at the end of the process. The lower tech medical rolls for wounds and disease should take their toll and reduce the average without being aging per se.
Condottiere
SOC-14 5K
Techno barbarian.
Piper seemed to imply lack of technical education, and short tempers.
MichaelSTee
SOC-12
IMTU, for rolls on Aging table, add +1 if TL 9-A, +2 if TL B-D, +3 if TL E-G (TL = Homeworld TL). This corresponds to Early Stellar, Average, and High.
Also +1 for SOC A+ (if A+ is reached during chargen, apply that for all terms after it is reached). (The upper class has the best care available, even at lower tech levels.)
This means players will want to be from higher TL homeworlds, unless they wish to play a young fit character.
Also +1 for SOC A+ (if A+ is reached during chargen, apply that for all terms after it is reached). (The upper class has the best care available, even at lower tech levels.)
This means players will want to be from higher TL homeworlds, unless they wish to play a young fit character.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
I like the idea of Soc and TL providing a bonus for aging rolls.
Spacer Worlds. I found it interesting on how it changed their societies.
IMTU aging rolls are sedentary lifestyle rolls, and the points can be bought back for Cr20k per.
I do some aging stuff, similar to Hamilton's Commonwealth.
I like this, but maybe the cost should be based on tech levels?
It could (it has solid logic), though does it add more vs increased complexity? Such as a cost benefit analysis. My problem in creating a system, is how to describe in terms such as "the future is here, though not evenly distributed." When ease of use, feels like add the cost, and move on.
kilemall
SOC-14 5K
There is the point that the Traveller lifestyle is inherently dangerous and maybe you don’t adjust for TL aging since it breaks the risk/reward consequences portion of chargen.
Originally it was said about dying in chargen. I usually set limits on terms anyways, as old adventurers is not ideal, prefer three to four, skilled but not so much, with room to improve. I like to see characters with +1 or +2 in total characteristic DM's, and somewhere around 11 to 15 skill points. Adventurers in real life are usually above average, and that characters should be capable. Makes the game more engaging. Like Marc said: "Make the character you want to play."
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Soc 9+ bonus of 1 on aging rolls, makes Soc less of a dump characteristic
Aging DM by TL: TL 0->4 -1, 5->8 0, 9->12 +1, 13->16 +2 17+ aging is reset to early twenties
rejuvenation treatments bonus of +1
TL15 anagathics halt aging
Aging DM by TL: TL 0->4 -1, 5->8 0, 9->12 +1, 13->16 +2 17+ aging is reset to early twenties
rejuvenation treatments bonus of +1
TL15 anagathics halt aging
Krikkitone
SOC-12
I do a different system, instead of bonuses get penalties
if TL+Soc<12 then start aging rolls at 18 (start getting long term effects of poor nutrition and random illnesses)
for high tl bonuses, anagathics are needed
if TL+Soc<12 then start aging rolls at 18 (start getting long term effects of poor nutrition and random illnesses)
for high tl bonuses, anagathics are needed
Looks fine, IMTU I simply modify the time that term that Aging rolls are started based on Tech Level, Industrial- Term 5, Pre-Stellar is Term 6 (or +1 terms if species has a different aging rate than standard humans), Early Stellar is Term 7 (or +2) terms, Average Stellar is Term 8 (or +3 terms), and High Stellar is 9 terms (or +4). This rationalized on a basis of things like the Prolong treatments of the Honorverse, overall societal treatment and genetic screening and testing. I also have a semi-optional rule for Social Class: Social Standing 10+ can check, on an 11+ they get a +1 to all Stats save SS (same reasons as above, just better), and on a 5- they get a -1 to all save SS (for the obligatory "Upper Class British Tw-t of the Year" contestant....)
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