Naval College and age (High Guard)

[PsiTraveller]

Page 4 of High Guard describes preparing for a Naval Career by entering Naval College.
The character spends 4 years in College, and no character can enter College after his first term becaue the Navy has a lot of potential recruits.

It says after he graduates they will be commissioned and "immediately start their first term at rank 01."
They will not have an Event or Mishap and will not gain any Mustering out benefits.

So my question is this. What age does a person enter into Naval College, 18 to 22 as if it was a first term, or 14 to 18 as a prepatory backstory and your first term starts at 18?

I am using the fillable form that has Yerm 1 as age 18 to 22. So I am not sure if a Naval College graduate is 18 or 22.

 

[atpollard]

A college graduate is 22 (College was your first term).

"immediately start their first term at rank 01."
They will not have an Event or Mishap and will not gain any Mustering out benefits.

I believe that the intent of "immediately start their first term at rank 01." was actually "immediately start their first term (in the Navy) at rank 01." or "immediately start their (second) term at rank 01."

 

[whulorigan]

Page 4 of High Guard describes preparing for a Naval Career by entering Naval College.
The character spends 4 years in College, and no character can enter College after his first term becaue the Navy has a lot of potential recruits.

It says after he graduates they will be commissioned and "immediately start their first term at rank 01."
They will not have an Event or Mishap and will not gain any Mustering out benefits.

So my question is this. What age does a person enter into Naval College, 18 to 22 as if it was a first term, or 14 to 18 as a prepatory backstory and your first term starts at 18?

I am using the fillable form that has Yerm 1 as age 18 to 22. So I am not sure if a Naval College graduate is 18 or 22.

In prior versions of Traveller, College/Academy was always considered to be taking place during the 1st term of CharGen, and resulted in the character graduating as a newly-minted officer at the beginning of the 2nd Term at rank O1/Ensign and age 22 (at which point the actual Naval Career part of CharGen began). I am fairly certain MgT intended the same interpretation.

 

[WistfulD]

So Mongoose Traveller also added the college mechanic? For which careers/in which supplements?

 

[whulorigan]

So Mongoose Traveller also added the college mechanic? For which careers/in which supplements?

MgT CoreBook 1: Merecenary (2nd Ed) has rules for Military Academy, University, and Medical School.
MgT CoreBook 2: High Guard has rules for Naval Academy.
MgT CoreBook 10: Cosmopolite has general rules for University & Medical School, and expands on the Citizen and Scholar Careers.

 

[PsiTraveller]

Thank you for the fast replies. You folks are awesome.

 

[Timerover51]

You might also want to consider that the Naval College might be on a different planet than the planet of origin if you are giving the character additional background skills or life experiences.

Say going from an Agricultural planet which is near-Earthlike to a Naval College in an Asteroid Belt. That could give the character automatic Vacc Suit skill 0 and Zero-G skill 0.

 

[Easterner9504]

SPICA Career Book 2 also had a university and Post-Grad school available.

 

[RandyB]

In prior versions of Traveller, College/Academy was always considered to be taking place during the 1st term of CharGen, and resulted in the character graduating as a newly-minted officer at the beginning of the 2nd Term at rank O1/Ensign and age 22 (at which point the actual Naval Career part of CharGen began). I am fairly certain MgT intended the same interpretation.

I always found that overly regimented myself. Other than "player choice", which has its own issues in this activity, I don't have a good alternative. Maybe 15+((2d6/2) [round up or down toward 3]) for starting age?

 

[Timerover51]

I always found that overly regimented myself. Other than "player choice", which has its own issues in this activity, I don't have a good alternative. Maybe 15+((2d6/2) [round up or down toward 3]) for starting age?

If I remember correctly, in the early 1900's, a boy could enter the Royal Navy college at Dartmouth at the age of 13. That would put your character graduating at 17, after 4 years, ready to start his/her/its career as a Naval Officer.

 

[RandyB]

If I remember correctly, in the early 1900's, a boy could enter the Royal Navy college at Dartmouth at the age of 13. That would put your character graduating at 17, after 4 years, ready to start his/her/its career as a Naval Officer.

I'd be game for that.

 

[whulorigan]

If I remember correctly, in the early 1900's, a boy could enter the Royal Navy college at Dartmouth at the age of 13. That would put your character graduating at 17, after 4 years, ready to start his/her/its career as a Naval Officer.

I would think that for a future space navy, both enlisted/ratings and officers would require a lot more technical-training background due to the sophistication of the technology involved, as compared to historical wet-navies. This would presumably tend to produce E1's and O1's who are generally older.

 

[Reban]

I would think that for a future space navy, both enlisted/ratings and officers would require a lot more technical-training background due to the sophistication of the technology involved, as compared to historical wet-navies. This would presumably tend to produce E1's and O1's who are generally older.

Unless you're Ender Wiggins, or education changes hugely in the future. While the current trend is for officer candidates to have a bachelor's degree or achieve one early in their career, there is something to be said for learning by the apprenticeship route in some professions and trades.