Scout character gen ommission
- Thread starter HG_B
- Start date
CosmicGamer
SOC-14 1K
I remember thinking Scouts needed some skill, maybe it was language. The tables are not large enough to fit everything. What would you remove?
Houserule suggestion: I try to find a skill in any career that is redundant (in many cases the same skill can be found more than once) and replace it with <Specialty>. The first time it is received, the player can choose any skill he can convince the referee is possible to get in that career (note that this include skills that are actually on the tables for that career). From then on (for that character), the same skill is received any time <specialty> comes out.
Hans
Hans
That (not you) is a very illogical way to supply a basic skill.
There are MANY redundant skills on the tables.
Thanks Hans, good way. I have PDFs so I'll just edit.
I just checked the Scout Book. They have one instance of the skill for the Courier Branch, it's in Advanced EDU column. Also weird as it doesn't take a high Ed stat to learn gunnery, Astrogation I can see.
I thought it odd that in the Core rules there was only one instance of Engineer in the skill tables... even with the Event 'You spend several years jumping from world to world...' you can gain pretty much every ship skill EXCEPT Engineering.
Don't have the supplemental Scout book, hoping that silliness was addressed...
Don't have the supplemental Scout book, hoping that silliness was addressed...
REAL scouts Jump by "feel". :rofl:
Given that Scouts end up spending time ALONE jumping from system to system, it needs to be a level 0 skill in basic training (Service Skills). Then again, Survival is in basic training. So, when you misjump you can live longer?
There are 3 instances of it in Book 3. The two additional ones are in the X-Boat & Pathfinder specialist sections.
Last edited:
Gunnery could be a variation of the Sensors skill, you could make it Sensors -1 or you could just have a house rule that you can choose either Sensors or Gunnery if you roll Sensors on one of the Specialist tables.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Hmm, maybe it's a bit of expectation blindness on your part
Maybe the MgT Scouts are more a "We come in peace." unarmed diplomatic type service. Maybe they don't go into potentially dangerous areas as a matter of routine. Maybe they are expected to observe and report, not engage.
The Type S in the Core book doesn't come armed. Turret yes, weapons no. Maybe in times of hostilities they drop guns in and attach a Naval Gunner to the crew (a good candidate for a Connections skill there*)
* naturally if rolling a single character for solo play you'll have to come up with some NPC Connections, I'm not sure the rules address that though
Or choose the appropriate Campaign Skill Pack.
The classic X-Boat doesn't even have a turret. The classic X-Boat Tender has 3(?) on a 1000ton hull, so again armament is low priority. The classic Survey Scout had 1(?) turret on a 400ton hull, and iirc it was just for launching probes so that's an even lower armed priority again (In CT, missiles could be reconfigured as probes), and which in MgT would be handled differently (Probe Drones).
Just some thoughts. I expect it was in fact an oversight and should go in the errata list. But it could be explained as above too.
At least it appears
Maybe they leave it to Shipyard personnel. Maybe Scout ships are built more durable and require little routine maintenance. Maybe they just accept they'll breakdown and misjump a lot
Except, they are the 1st ones to explore uncharted areas where enemies may well be also. ;_
The X-Boat has no m-drive either... The Type SX has a triple turret. System Defense has two fighters (armed) and missile bays. Gunboat, Barbettes, Type FS - 2x Triple Turret (2 Beam Laser 1 Sandcaster) 1x triple missile turret, 200t Hornet - 2x Triple Turret (Pop-Up) each 1 Beam Laser 1 Sandcaster, etc., etc.
They done screwed the pooch on this one. They need errata but mostly, an editor that is a long time Trav player/GM.
At least it appears
Maybe they leave it to Shipyard personnel.
How would shipyard personnel perform the jump tasks of a ships Engineer?
Last edited:
Sounds like one of those DeMotivational posters.
EXPECTATION BLINDNESS
Don't try to aspire - because you never know if someone without a life of their own is just waiting for a chance to stomp on yours...
(I'm picturing it with a guy from the bomb squad trying to disarm a bomb and a guy behind him about to pop a paper bag)
And now, back to your regularly scheduled Traveller thread.
Last edited:
My thought on this is to say that if you want a scout with gunnery, just ref-rule it so you do (though if you're not the ref you'll have to do some quick talking).
That's just mean.
Even if it being mean makes it funny... :devil:
That's just mean.
Even if it being mean makes it funny... :devil:
Let's see, without house ruling at all:
There's the event 10, There's the package skill (which may be gunnery-1) and the possibility of 2 connections (if they got Gunnery, you can)... it's possible to have a scout with Gunnery 3 or so... Not likely, but very possible. Even for a solo character, the package skill 1 is a competent gunnery.
There's the event 10, There's the package skill (which may be gunnery-1) and the possibility of 2 connections (if they got Gunnery, you can)... it's possible to have a scout with Gunnery 3 or so... Not likely, but very possible. Even for a solo character, the package skill 1 is a competent gunnery.
Correct an thus, ridiculous given the nature of the IISS. Also, the POST service option is just that....
You're far too quick with the "ridiculous."
The IISS is not a combat service. They aren't even an exploratory service in the OTU of MGT, and haven't been for at least 300 years.
They're mailmen, census takers, and surveyors.
The rules in MGT (Scout Book) disagree with you, utterly. Did you miss this:
"Exploration
The Exploration branch is responsible for the high level exploration
of new systems prior to a survey team being despatched for a more
detailed survey of the area. Exploration deliberately heads into
uncharted or barely charted regions of space, searching for a variety of
things: stellar anomalies, habitable worlds, worlds and systems with
particular characteristics, and so forth. Its remit is as broad as space
itself, and Exploration crews often spend long periods amongst the
stars, working on faint traces,"
Their ships are also armed with military weapons. Also, they are they only service in MGT tasked with exploration as a MAJOR function.
I really think you should at least read the MGT rule books before arguing these points. I just realized, are you thinking Mega instead of Mongoose?
No, it's another case of Mongoose not knowing what the hell they are talking about and mucking up the presentation by their willful ignorance of the setting.
The Canon OTU ran out of frontier about IY 700.
I think this is one of those instances where the generic rules set conflicts with the 3I setting. The 3I is explored in the timeframe of the MgT setting. There are no 'new worlds' in the 3I unless it's something unexpected in one of the rifts. Everything else has been charted and might need a re-survey, but not a new exploration.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
I still say you're looking at the issue backwards.
If as you contend Scouts don't get (much or any) Gunnery skill (and it's been shown they can get it so this is moot anyway imo) then I think it's because the service doesn't need it. Not because the rules screwed up.
They aren't "We come to shoot you!" (that's the Navy) but "We come to explorer." (...and other stuff, but not shooting )
The ships that are armed would be for confrontational missions (wartime imo), not regular missions, and they'd have those rare Scout gunners, or assigned Naval gunners.
But most of the time, and most of the ships, would be unarmed in the style of the Red Cross and its various agencies, or diplomatic ships, and they'd be accorded the same "no shoot" policy by others, out of respect (they bring the mail, they keep the starlanes mapped for safe passage, they keep the local surveys up to date for Travellers, the do the SAR, etc.) and quite possibly fear (if you shoot at Scouts, the Navy takes notice and they WILL shoot you).
Or, ignore all that, accept that Scouts can get Gunnery as has been noted, even though it's not as plentifully available as you'd like.
Or ignore even that, take a pencil (virtual or real), and change the skill tables in your book to suit your desired outcome. Optionally report it as errata and hope it is picked up and corrected in some future version.
If as you contend Scouts don't get (much or any) Gunnery skill (and it's been shown they can get it so this is moot anyway imo) then I think it's because the service doesn't need it. Not because the rules screwed up.
They aren't "We come to shoot you!" (that's the Navy) but "We come to explorer." (...and other stuff, but not shooting
)The ships that are armed would be for confrontational missions (wartime imo), not regular missions, and they'd have those rare Scout gunners, or assigned Naval gunners.
But most of the time, and most of the ships, would be unarmed in the style of the Red Cross and its various agencies, or diplomatic ships, and they'd be accorded the same "no shoot" policy by others, out of respect (they bring the mail, they keep the starlanes mapped for safe passage, they keep the local surveys up to date for Travellers, the do the SAR, etc.) and quite possibly fear (if you shoot at Scouts, the Navy takes notice and they WILL shoot you).
Or, ignore all that, accept that Scouts can get Gunnery as has been noted, even though it's not as plentifully available as you'd like.
Or ignore even that, take a pencil (virtual or real), and change the skill tables in your book to suit your desired outcome. Optionally report it as errata and hope it is picked up and corrected in some future version.
Similar threads
