New to MGT and Confused

[bhudson1972]

I have just started reading up on the Traveller Core Rules. I tried creating some characters for practice and I'm confused on a few things.

1. When you roll on a table for your career specialty to see what skill you get that term and it says "random skill" (any). Does the any mean you pick which specialty of that skill you get the skill increase?

2. When you roll Survival successfully, and then your Event roll sends you to the Mishap table, do you still have to leave the career, lose your advancement roll chance and benefit roll for that term?

3. When you muster out, are you rolling on the cash table or the other benefits roll separately, are is each roll for both and then once you pass your third roll, you ignore what the cash says?

4. When you finish a term, and you want to stay in the same career, it says go to step 5. Does that mean you can change specializations in a career and not have to "qualify" for the change in specialization?

Thanks!

 

[CosmicGamer]

1. When you roll on a table for your career specialty to see what skill you get that term and it says "random skill" (any). Does the any mean you pick which specialty of that skill you get the skill increase?

Yes.

2. When you roll Survival successfully, and then your Event roll sends you to the Mishap table, do you still have to leave the career, lose your advancement roll chance and benefit roll for that term?

Sometimes the text for the event will tell you what to do. For example the Army event #2 says "you are not ejected from this career". Then what happens if you roll a 5 for the mishap which says "drives you out of the service"?

So here's how I handle this.

First, the rules in question fall under the heading Survival and not a paragraph on mishaps. Mishaps don't even have an entry in the index! My interpretation is that failing the survival roll is the game mechanic that forces a character from their career and failing the survival roll is what causes a character to lose a benefit for the term.

Next, some Mishaps do specifically say you must leave the career and some don't. If the event that sends you to the mishap table doesn't tell you what to do, you stay in the career unless the mishap specifically says otherwise. If the event that sends you to the mishap table specifically says what to do, such as Army event #2 says "you are not ejected from this career", then I would ignore any conflict in with the text of the mishap and do as the event said.

In any case, the character will not lose a benefit though because they did not fail the survival roll. - Unless the event or mishap specifically says a benefit is lost.

I'd allow an advancement roll if the survival roll succeeded, even if events still force the character out.

3. When you muster out, are you rolling on the cash table or the other benefits roll separately, are is each roll for both and then once you pass your third roll, you ignore what the cash says?

Choose just one table for each roll.

4. When you finish a term, and you want to stay in the same career, it says go to step 5. Does that mean you can change specializations in a career and not have to "qualify" for the change in specialization?

That is my take on it. However, I also have no problem with others that I know require a qual roll to change specialties.

 

[bhudson1972]

Thanks for taking time to answer my questions. I'm impressed with Mongoose, but there still seem to be some gray areas. I tried generating a character under High Guard and got even more confused on how they seemed to make the navy specialties into careers unto themselves so I'm sticking to the core rules for now.

 

[bhudson1972]

So, when you fail a survival roll, but then the mishap says "this mishap does not cause you to leave this career", do you have an advancement roll after that? Do you still lose your benefit roll for that term?

 

[CosmicGamer]

So, when you fail a survival roll, but then the mishap says "this mishap does not cause you to leave this career", do you have an advancement roll after that? Do you still lose your benefit roll for that term?

The way I see it, the text in the mishap only provides an exemption to leaving the career and says nothing about negating the other mechanics of failing a survival roll.

 

[McPerth]

As I read it (I agree it's not clear), I'd agree with CosmicGamer about a failed survival roll that explicity don't force you to leave the career. I'd disagree if someone (I don't claim he means that) claimed it also applies to rolling a 2 on events table, where you must roll in the mishap table but are not evicted from the career.