Iron Man Chargen

[Supplement Four]

So as long as people don't use the rules you disapprove of, you play by the book? It's only if they want to play by the part of the book you don't like that you add the house rules?

Today, I wouldn't stop a player from killing off a character in chargen as I think CT is balanced in that aspect. There's enough checks and balances that you're not going to get these uber characters, and I don't think it's as bad as Mongoose's choice to allow stats arranged by choice.

But, even though I'd allow it, I do respect the playing capability of the player who plays what he rolls the first time. A character is a character, no matter what his stats are. Low stated characters can be just as intersting as high stated characters. I respect the player that can take that character, no matter if his stats are high or low, and turn him into a memorable personality.

That's just the point. He didn't have control, because he played by the book.

CT gives the GM plenty of control.

 

[Poppyseed45]

snip snip

That is awesome. I applaud your GM. I would, I think, love to do that with a group (did it once, but not Traveller, and the game was set up that way from the start).

Seriously, super cool. And I just re-read the first post and saw that, yes, you said the GM was the sort to not bend the rules for the love of God. So, oops on my part.

 

[rancke]

But, even though I'd allow it, I do respect the playing capability of the player who plays what he rolls the first time. A character is a character, no matter what his stats are. Low stated characters can be just as intersting as high stated characters. I respect the player that can take that character, no matter if his stats are high or low, and turn him into a memorable personality.

Oh, me too. If a player of mine wanted to play a character like that, I'd do my best to accomodate him. Though I think there are campaigns where that just wouldn't be possible. A military campaign would preclude too crippled a character, because someone like that wouldn't be in the military in the first place (or pensioned off if the damage occurred while in the military). And for a "PCs work as troubleshooters for Oberlindes" campaign, the Oberlindes Chief of Security is kinda unlikely to hire a paraphlegic archeologist who's a champion chess player, unlees there were some compelling reason to do so.




Hans

 

[Supplement Four]

A military campaign would preclude too crippled a character, because someone like that wouldn't be in the military in the first place (or pensioned off if the damage occurred while in the military).

I see your point, and I somewhat agree.

I say "somewhat" because a 2 stat isn't "crippled" in CT. Many Traveller players turn their noses up at a Stat-2, but a 2 stat is very playable, in reality. It doesn't mean what a lot of people thinks it means.

So, just what does a Stat-2 mean?

Well, it typically means that the character won't get a +1 bonus in CT. That's it.

For example, there's a throw in the Shadows adventure that allows a +1 DM if the PC's INT is B+. The character with INT-2 will suffer by not getting that +1 DM.

Characters with STR-2 are encumbered easily. Characters with END-2 tire quickly in hand-to-hand fights. And, any 2 in any physical stats lowers the total damage a character can take, making him easier to be knocked out or killed.

But, the guy's not crippled. A Stat-2 only means the guy is very weak in that area.

Sometimes the Stat-2 incurs a penalty. For example, a character with END-2 gets a -1 DM on low berth revival.

Or, sometimes, the Stat-2 precludes the character from getting a large bonus: A character with DEX-2 will not get the +2 or +4 DMs when making a Zero-G throw.

The point being: The Stat-2 character is penalized but not to the point where the character can be considered "crippled". An END-2 character can walk fine. An EDU-2 character can bring a low berther out of cold sleep just as well as an EDU-F character can.



If you look at Supplement 1 - 1001 Characters, turn to the first Army character with a Stat-2:

Lieutenant 469253
Age 26, 2 Terms, Cr22,000
Forward Observer-1
ATV-1
Tactics-2
Rifle-1
SMG-1

This is a very playable character.

Even if you turn to the first Army character with a 2 as a physical stat, you still get a very playable character:

Lieutenant 727977
Age 21, 1 Term, Cr30,000
Brawling-1
ATV-2
Rifle-1
SMG-1



My overall point is: Players shouldn't be afraid of a Stat-2. It doesn't mean the character is handicapped or crippled. It just means the character is very weak in the indicated area.

That's all.




And for a "PCs work as troubleshooters for Oberlindes" campaign, the Oberlindes Chief of Security is kinda unlikely to hire a paraphlegic archeologist who's a champion chess player, unlees there were some compelling reason to do so.




Hans[/quote]

 

[ThunderChilde]

I suppose that my group and myself must be counted among the the knaves and poltroons who never cottoned to Iron Man Chargen. We used it, eventually house ruled around it, and moved on to MT when it arrived. We also house ruled the number and ranks of skills that could be gained. Non of us were there to play a bunch minimally capable alledeged heroes.

Even then, it was rare to see a skill of 3-4, and the only 5 was quite remarkable.

In other systems I have played a number of limited characters. Blind, weak, crippling phobias, hemophiliac, deaf, outrageously heroic beyond reason, etc. I have been role playing since '78, I cannot begin to remember the number of systems I have played. I can give a fair accounting of what I have run.

To me, Iron Man Chargen is a needless exercise of masochism, by and large. Oh I can't wait for the next 3 characters I like to die, so I can start again. It's like poking your self in the eye to build up a resistance to pain. I choose not to do it. Iron Man chargen is actually why I was so amused by Paranoia. Don't sweat it, there are 8-7-6-5 more just like you and dwindling.

For what its worth, in my current MGT campaign, the stats were as rolled in the order rolled. Call it my Tin Man nod to CT Chargen.

 

[Psion]

For what its worth, in my current MGT campaign, the stats were as rolled in the order rolled. Call it my Tin Man nod to CT Chargen.

Yeah, while I'm not above letting players mulligan and see no special redeeming value in having (or forcing the players to live with) characters with low stats, I'm not a particular fan of "sort to taste" in Traveller.

 

[Icosahedron]

To me, Iron Man Chargen is a needless exercise of masochism, by and large. Oh I can't wait for the next 3 characters I like to die, so I can start again. It's like poking your self in the eye to build up a resistance to pain. I choose not to do it.

Nicely put, Thunderchilde. Worse, it's a complete waste of precious gaming time IMHO.

 

[far-trader]

Dag-blasted con-sarn new-fangled softy Traveller rules...

Kids these days...

:nonono:

No appreciation for the old ways. No clue how much fun they're missing poking their eyes out with sticks. Didn't your parents ever tell you not to play with sticks cause "you'll put somebody's eye out with that". Don'cha know that means you're supposed to do it. Heck we were lucky to have one stick to share in my day. Sometimes you'd have to poke your eyes out with a rock. Do you have any idea how hard that is you young whipper snappers...



I didn't think so. Soft. You're all soft. Now get off my Grashfalt! You're gonna leave a flat spot on it. Kids...

:nonono:

.

Relax, I'm just funnin ya, run along now and have fun, it's time for my nap...

 

[Poppyseed45]

To me, Iron Man Chargen is a needless exercise of masochism, by and large. Oh I can't wait for the next 3 characters I like to die, so I can start again. It's like poking your self in the eye to build up a resistance to pain.

Heh. What I tried to say before but you said it better than me.

For my group, we rolled as written mostly, except for skills - I had them roll and then I told them what skill or bonus they could get from each of the tables. So, gave them a little freer choice to specialize. Highest skill we got was one "4" out of 6 people. There was I think one "3" on each PC's sheet, and some 2s and 1s. A large splatter of 0s.

Otherwise, we followed all rules. One poor guy aged massive-fast (lost like 4 points total); another guy was totally untouched.

As I said, they also loved the mishap rules and the medical debt thing. For the first time ever in a game people were saying things like "Dude, if you take medical debt, that'll be your motivation for the first adventure!" Good times, good times.

And we play the first real session in 2 weeks!

 

[ThunderChilde]

Kids these days...

:nonono:

No appreciation for the old ways. No clue how much fun they're missing poking their eyes out with sticks. Didn't your parents ever tell you not to play with sticks cause "you'll put somebody's eye out with that". Don'cha know that means you're supposed to do it. Heck we were lucky to have one stick to share in my day. Sometimes you'd have to poke your eyes out with a rock. Do you have any idea how hard that is you young whipper snapers....

You had sticks?!? :frankie: We wern't allowed to have sticks, said we were too mischief prone. We used oil dipsticks, the ones from transmissions were preferred for fencing, longer, more flexible, and left a red mark on chlothes as clear as the weal on your hand. :devil: 'O course it had it's down side, like getting a strip torn offenya for doing this in our nice new white Easter suits, before church. I did say we were mischief prone? I can see thier point about sticks from my dearly gained wisdom now a days.:rofl:

 

[Madarin Dude]

The beauty of Iron Man Chargen is that you play the first character to survive from the writhing mass of dead bodies that were created along the way.

I have no problem playing characters with a low stat or two it is traveller. You need to have some redeeming stats to go with it though. One of my favorite PC's is Stinky Pete he has a Soc of 3.

How I roll stats is I have them rolled in order and then you can re-roll one if you want you have to take the re-roll. This way you can try to get rid of a poor stat in a bad place I think i rerolled another stat and kept the low Soc on Pete. Generally if the stats average out to over 6 they are playable.

I keep the terms limited to 4 so I don't worry about aging rolls.