Interesting Notes on S4 Careers

[Supplement Four]

Looking at Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium, I find a couple of interesting things...

(Little tweaks to the Traveller Basic CharGen system illustrated here.)




-- Barbarian and Belter careers start with the character at age 14 rather than the standard age 18 of other CT careers.

-- Enlistment Rejection does not bring on a mandatory draft roll as in Book 1. S4 characters simply attempt enlistment in another career without penalty.

-- Belters receive a beneficial DM for survival that increases every term the character is in the career.

-- The Noble career is open to those with SOC 10+, so you don't have to be a noble (SOC B+) in order to have a career as a noble.

-- Mandatory re-enlistment for Bureaucrats is twice as likely as it is for other careers, occuring on a throw of 2 or 12.

-- All characters generated under S4 have all blade weapons and polearms listed in that book at Skill-0. But, all characters have all guns listed in S4 at Skill-0 except Barbarians, Bureaucrats, and Doctors. Those three careers do not get any gun combat skills at Skill-0. Instead, they are subject to the untrained weapon weapon rule in Book 1.

-- Barbarians are the only career for which Bow Weapons listed in S4 are granted at Skill-0. All other characters are subject to the untrained weapon rule in Book 1.

-- Barbarians are not subject to the Retirement rule of a maxium of seven terms, and Barbarians are not elligible for retirement pay.

-- Doctors are characters with Medical-3 or better. Those with Medical-2 or less are considered orderlies, paramedics, or nurses. Doctors with DEX 8+ are Surgeons.

 

[Supplement Four]

Looking at Supplement 4: Citizens of the Imperium, I find a couple of interesting things...

(Little tweaks to the Traveller Basic CharGen system illustrated here.)




-- Barbarian and Belter careers start with the character at age 14 rather than the standard age 18 of other CT careers.

-- Enlistment Rejection does not bring on a mandatory draft roll as in Book 1. S4 characters simply attempt enlistment in another career without penalty.

-- Belters receive a beneficial DM for survival that increases every term the character is in the career.

-- The Noble career is open to those with SOC 10+, so you don't have to be a noble (SOC B+) in order to have a career as a noble.

-- Mandatory re-enlistment for Bureaucrats is twice as likely as it is for other careers, occuring on a throw of 2 or 12.

-- All characters generated under S4 have all blade weapons and polearms listed in that book at Skill-0. But, all characters have all guns listed in S4 at Skill-0 except Barbarians, Bureaucrats, and Doctors. Those three careers do not get any gun combat skills at Skill-0. Instead, they are subject to the untrained weapon weapon rule in Book 1.

-- Barbarians are the only career for which Bow Weapons listed in S4 are granted at Skill-0. All other characters are subject to the untrained weapon rule in Book 1.

-- Barbarians are not subject to the Retirement rule of a maxium of seven terms, and Barbarians are not elligible for retirement pay.

-- Doctors are characters with Medical-3 or better. Those with Medical-2 or less are considered orderlies, paramedics, or nurses. Doctors with DEX 8+ are Surgeons.

 

[Supplement Four]

The same careers are listed in The Spinward Marches Campaign, but there are some additional/different notes...

(I suggest combining these tweaks with those in S4.)




-- Barbarians originate on worlds TL 3-.

-- Belters originate in systems with at least one planetoid belt.

-- Bureaucrats originate on worlds Pop 5+.

-- Flyers originate on worlds Pop 5+ and Atmo 3+.

-- Sailors originate on worlds Hydro 2+.

-- Rogues, Scientists, Hunters, Belters, and Doctors receive two skills per term (like Scouts) instead of one.

-- Bureaucrat re-enlistment is changed from S4 where mandatory re-enlistment happens on a 5+ re-enlistment roll instead of the usual 12, to a maximum of seven terms. This means it takes a roll of 4- on re-enlistment in order to muster out before term seven.

-- Barbarians, Rogues, and Pirates are not elligible for pensions or retirement.

 

[Supplement Four]

The same careers are listed in The Spinward Marches Campaign, but there are some additional/different notes...

(I suggest combining these tweaks with those in S4.)




-- Barbarians originate on worlds TL 3-.

-- Belters originate in systems with at least one planetoid belt.

-- Bureaucrats originate on worlds Pop 5+.

-- Flyers originate on worlds Pop 5+ and Atmo 3+.

-- Sailors originate on worlds Hydro 2+.

-- Rogues, Scientists, Hunters, Belters, and Doctors receive two skills per term (like Scouts) instead of one.

-- Bureaucrat re-enlistment is changed from S4 where mandatory re-enlistment happens on a 5+ re-enlistment roll instead of the usual 12, to a maximum of seven terms. This means it takes a roll of 4- on re-enlistment in order to muster out before term seven.

-- Barbarians, Rogues, and Pirates are not elligible for pensions or retirement.

 

[Whipsnade]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
Barbarian and Belter careers start with the character at age 14 rather than the standard age 18 of other CT careers.

S4,

Yup. Lots of people miss that one. It makes sense on some level too, especially when you look at the educational possibilities and limits in each career. It also suggest that belters are 'born into' the job, much like low-tech barbarians are.

Belters receive a beneficial DM for survival that increases every term the character is in the career.

Yup, but the survival target is rather high to begin with. If you get into your 30s you're pretty much set but there are lots of dead belter teenagers and twenty-somethings it seems.

The Noble career is open to those with SOC 10+, so you don't have to be a noble (SOC B+) in order to have a career as a noble.

I always thought the SOC A vs. SOC B+ difference nicely modeled the non-noble children of nobles. Given your upbringing, the contacts you and family, etc., you should be on the fast track to gaining a noble title of your own.

Imagine three siblings, Amy, Betty, and Cissy. All are children of Baron Adam. Amy is going to get the title (Cissy if the family is Vilani) and the others are thus non-nobles BUT, from infancy to the brink of adulthood, they'll still go to the same schools Heir Amy attends, live in the same manner Heir Amy does, know the same people Heir Amy does, have the same contacts Heir amy does, etc., etc., etc.

They'll be much better placed to recieve their own patent, either through work, service, or marriage than someone who didn't grow up with their advantages. So the non-noble SOC A gets a break in applying to the allegedly SOC B+ noble career ranks. It would interesting to see what percentage of SOC A applicants to the Noble career do not end up with at least a SOC B+ rating after 20 years.

Doctors

are characters with Medical-3 or better. Those with Medical-2 or less are considered orderlies, paramedics, or nurses. Doctors with DEX 8+ are Surgeons. [/QB][/QUOTE]

Having been somewhat medically trained even before serving in the Navy and having scads of actual medicos among my relatives, I always thought both those differentiations made sense.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[Whipsnade]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
Barbarian and Belter careers start with the character at age 14 rather than the standard age 18 of other CT careers.

S4,

Yup. Lots of people miss that one. It makes sense on some level too, especially when you look at the educational possibilities and limits in each career. It also suggest that belters are 'born into' the job, much like low-tech barbarians are.

Belters receive a beneficial DM for survival that increases every term the character is in the career.

Yup, but the survival target is rather high to begin with. If you get into your 30s you're pretty much set but there are lots of dead belter teenagers and twenty-somethings it seems.

The Noble career is open to those with SOC 10+, so you don't have to be a noble (SOC B+) in order to have a career as a noble.

I always thought the SOC A vs. SOC B+ difference nicely modeled the non-noble children of nobles. Given your upbringing, the contacts you and family, etc., you should be on the fast track to gaining a noble title of your own.

Imagine three siblings, Amy, Betty, and Cissy. All are children of Baron Adam. Amy is going to get the title (Cissy if the family is Vilani) and the others are thus non-nobles BUT, from infancy to the brink of adulthood, they'll still go to the same schools Heir Amy attends, live in the same manner Heir Amy does, know the same people Heir Amy does, have the same contacts Heir amy does, etc., etc., etc.

They'll be much better placed to recieve their own patent, either through work, service, or marriage than someone who didn't grow up with their advantages. So the non-noble SOC A gets a break in applying to the allegedly SOC B+ noble career ranks. It would interesting to see what percentage of SOC A applicants to the Noble career do not end up with at least a SOC B+ rating after 20 years.

Doctors

are characters with Medical-3 or better. Those with Medical-2 or less are considered orderlies, paramedics, or nurses. Doctors with DEX 8+ are Surgeons. [/QB][/QUOTE]

Having been somewhat medically trained even before serving in the Navy and having scads of actual medicos among my relatives, I always thought both those differentiations made sense.


Have fun,
Bill

 

[aramis]

Easily enough figured out... roughly...

(x/36)^5 gives you the fraction of starts who don't make position, when X is the probability in chances of 36 to not get position.

 

[aramis]

Easily enough figured out... roughly...

(x/36)^5 gives you the fraction of starts who don't make position, when X is the probability in chances of 36 to not get position.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Bill Cameron:
It also suggest that belters are 'born into' the job, much like low-tech barbarians are.

A player could pick a Belter and get an extra term in (at two skills per term if you follow that suggestion from SMC) before the first Age roll kicks in. Belter characters get 4 terms before 34 to the other career's 3 terms.

Of course, there's those nasty early Belter survival rolls...so I guess it balances.

No pain, no gain.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Bill Cameron:
It also suggest that belters are 'born into' the job, much like low-tech barbarians are.

A player could pick a Belter and get an extra term in (at two skills per term if you follow that suggestion from SMC) before the first Age roll kicks in. Belter characters get 4 terms before 34 to the other career's 3 terms.

Of course, there's those nasty early Belter survival rolls...so I guess it balances.

No pain, no gain.