Skill Frequency

[Badenov]

The 2D6 roll in CharGen is for a typical Traveller (i.e. PC or special NPC), who are unusual. If you assume that 2D6 is the standard for the Population for Soc, then you end up with a "Social Diamond" instead of a "Social Pyramid" where the vast majority of people are Middle Class, with the number of Lower-Class people as small as (or smaller, if you take into account the effects of CharGen) the Upper Classes and Nobility.

Social Standing is an Imperial-level Scale, in relative terms. The type of people who are Travellers are an unusual bunch - very few who are Lower Class (though there are many members of this Class, most do not leave their homeworld, and if they do, only for a specific purpose); Upper Class people can travel relatively frequently, but there are relatively few of them as a whole in the overall population. The Imperial-scale "Middle Classes" are somewhere in the middle relative to these two factors.

The 2D6 roll works fine for the STR, DEX, END, and INT characteristics, as it is producing a standard distribution about a mean-value norm across a species. But if you want a random generation method for SOC in a Society as opposed to one that generates the SOC of the typical Traveller, then you need to come up with a different generation system that is skewed toward the lower values.

If I need the SOC for an average random encounter (vs. a Special NPC), I will use one of the following:

GENERATING SOCIAL STANDING FOR RANDOM NPCS AND IMPERIAL SUBJECTS

DEFINITION of TERMS (sourced from T5 and other RPGs):



METHOD #1 – SIMPLE/QUICK METHOD
===========================



METHOD #2 – GRANULAR METHOD
=========================

So, a realistic breakdown of social classes is probably beyond the scope of an RPG. If you feel the need badly enough, I guess you can go with the above system. I have a 4d6 Social system where the 4-16 results are mapped to values from 2-12 in rough proportion to the actual spread of society (according to a college sociology website I found).

That said, 2d6 is probably about right to create a range of 'interesting' encounters, and if you meet more kings than bums, bums aren't generally as interesting as kings. It's just worth being aware that you can't create a balanced spectrum of 'residents' with it. As was pointed out elsethread (I think), characters aren't just random citizens, they're the interesting citizens worthy of being brought to life by a player.

 

[whulorigan]

That said, 2d6 is probably about right to create a range of 'interesting' encounters, and if you meet more kings than bums, bums aren't generally as interesting as kings. It's just worth being aware that you can't create a balanced spectrum of 'residents' with it. As was pointed out elsethread (I think), characters aren't just random citizens, they're the interesting citizens worthy of being brought to life by a player.

Correct. The above table/chart that I have is for an "average random encounter" or some other use where I need an average person from a society IF I feel the need to generate the SOC of the person randomly.

For PCs and Important NPCs (= read: "Interesting Encounters") go with the standard 2D6 spread.

I have a 4d6 Social system where the 4-16 results are mapped to values from 2-12 in rough proportion to the actual spread of society (according to a college sociology website I found).

You wouldn't happen to have a document that details that 4D6 ==> 2D6 mapping, would you?

 

[Badenov]

Correct. The above table/chart that I have is for an "average random encounter" or some other use where I need an average person from a society IF I feel the need to generate the SOC of the person randomly.

For PCs and Important NPCs (= read: "Interesting Encounters") go with the standard 2D6 spread.


You wouldn't happen to have a document that details that 4D6 ==> 2D6 mapping, would you?

It's a bit rough, in a YMMV way

4d6 2d6
4-----2
5-----2
6-----3
7-----3
8-----4
9-----5 Lower Class (A bit under 10%)
--------------
10----6
11----6
12----7 Working Class (About 46%)
13----7
14----7
--------------
15----8
16----8
17----8 "Middle Class" (About 42%)
18----9
19----9
20----9
---------------
21----10 "Upper Class"/Bougeosie (About 2.5%)
22----10
23----11 Knights and such
24----11-12* Actual Nobility

On a 24, which is 1/1296, I roll another 2d6. On a 2-11, the final result is 11, on a 12, I'll give them a 12. This corresponds to about 21 nobles per million people, which seems about right.

 

[casquilho]

It's a bit rough, in a YMMV way

4d6 2d6
4-----2
5-----2
6-----3
7-----3
8-----4
9-----5 Lower Class (A bit under 10%)
--------------
10----6
11----6
12----7 Working Class (About 46%)
13----7
14----7
--------------
15----8
16----8
17----8 "Middle Class" (About 42%)
18----9
19----9
20----9
---------------
21----10 "Upper Class"/Bougeosie (About 2.5%)
22----10
23----11 Knights and such
24----11-12* Actual Nobility

On a 24, which is 1/1296, I roll another 2d6. On a 2-11, the final result is 11, on a 12, I'll give them a 12. This corresponds to about 21 nobles per million people, which seems about right.

Nice, I like it quite a bit. Might tweak it a bit to have more lower class (because of my personal setting). But I love that it makes being a noble much less common.

 

[whulorigan]

Nice, I like it quite a bit. Might tweak it a bit to have more lower class (because of my personal setting). But I love that it makes being a noble much less common.

Agreed. I would keep the "2's" as is but probably expand the prevalence of the "3's" thru "5's" and push the "6's" thru "10's" into the 15-22/23 range with decreasing frequency. For some worlds I might create a slightly higher frequency in the 5-8 range than what I just described.

But in general, I like the table a lot.

 

[whulorigan]

Another thing you could do is roll 3D6-3 (minimum "[1]", but if 1, then add a [1D3] or "[½D]" to the [1] to boost to [2-4] range) and generate a final range from 2-15 (average "7.5") for "Local Planetary SOC" (including Titles, if any, for values 11+). - This is similar to Soc 11-15 in CT: Book 1 (1977).

Roll [3d6-3]
------
[2-8] ==> Imperial SOC = 2-8
[9-10] ==> includes a minor local gentry title that maps to Imperial SOC =9
[11-12] ==> includes a local gentry title that maps to Imperial SOC =10 (and includes the appropriate recognition as Imperial Esquire/Gentleman)
[13-14] * ==> includes a significant local gentry/noble title that maps to Imperial SOC =10 * (and includes the appropriate recognition as Imperial Esquire/Gentleman)
[15] ** ==> includes a major local gentry/noble title that maps to Imperial SOC =10 ** (and includes the appropriate recognition as Imperial Esquire/Gentleman)


For anyone who scored 13+ on the 3D6-3 Roll, make an additional 2D6 Roll.

* [3d6-3] Roll = [13-14]:

• [2D6] Roll = [2-10] ==> The Imperial Social Standing remains at Imperial SOC =10 (and includes the appropriate recognition as Imperial Esquire/Gentleman)
• [2D6] Roll = [11-12] ==> The Imperial Social Standing is adjusted to Imperial SOC =11 (including the appropriate Imperial Knighthood)

** [3d6-3] Roll = [15]:

• [2D6] Roll = [2-9] ==> The Imperial Social Standing remains at Imperial SOC =10 (and includes the appropriate recognition as Imperial Esquire/Gentleman)
• [2D6] Roll = [10-11] ==> The Imperial Social Standing is adjusted to Imperial SOC =11 (including the appropriate Imperial Knighthood or Lordship).
• [2D6] Roll = [12] ==> The Imperial Social Standing is adjusted to Imperial SOC =12 (including the appropriate Imperial Baronial Title).

 

[whulorigan]

Another thing you could do is roll 3D6-3 (minimum "[1]", but if 1, then add a [1D3] or "[½D]" to the [1] to boost to [2-4] range) and generate a final range from 2-15 (average "7") for "Local Planetary SOC" (including Titles, if any, for values 11+). - This is similar to Soc 11-15 in CT: Book 1 (1977).

Roll [3d6-3]
------
[2-8] ==> Imperial SOC = 2-8
[9-10] ==> includes a minor local gentry title that maps to Imperial SOC =9
[11-12] ==> includes a local gentry title that maps to Imperial SOC =10 (and includes the appropriate recognition as Imperial Esquire/Gentleman)
[13-14] * ==> includes a significant local gentry/noble title that maps to Imperial SOC =10 * (and includes the appropriate recognition as Imperial Esquire/Gentleman)
[15] ** ==> includes a major local gentry/noble title that maps to Imperial SOC =10 ** (and includes the appropriate recognition as Imperial Esquire/Gentleman)


For anyone who scored 13+ on the 3D6-3 Roll, make an additional 2D6 Roll.

* [3d6-3] Roll = [13-14]:

• [2D6] Roll = [2-10] ==> The Imperial Social Standing remains at Imperial SOC =10 (and includes the appropriate recognition as Imperial Esquire/Gentleman)
• [2D6] Roll = [11-12] ==> The Imperial Social Standing is adjusted to Imperial SOC =11 (including the appropriate Imperial Knighthood)

** [3d6-3] Roll = [15]:

• [2D6] Roll = [2-9] ==> The Imperial Social Standing remains at Imperial SOC =10 (and includes the appropriate recognition as Imperial Esquire/Gentleman)
• [2D6] Roll = [10-11] ==> The Imperial Social Standing is adjusted to Imperial SOC =11 (including the appropriate Imperial Knighthood or Lordship).
• [2D6] Roll = [12] ==> The Imperial Social Standing is adjusted to Imperial SOC =12 (including the appropriate Imperial Baronial Title).

ADDENDUM:
For CharGen: Also, if you want to use the above for characters and CharGen, what you can do is use the "Local" Soc value above as the default as you go thru CharGen (unless the particular situation would make the Imperial Value more appropriate) and treat increases in Soc thru CharGen to be increases in "Local Soc" (again, unless the particular reason for the "+1 Soc" would make the converted Imperial Value more appropriate, in which case then transition over to the Imperial Soc Values table - you've "made it" in Imperial Society). When CharGen is done, then convert the Local Soc value to Imperial SOC as necessary.

If one is using such a procedure for CharGen, then one may wish to consider using an initial Soc Roll of [2D6] instead of [3D6-3] for the Local Soc value as well and let the CharGen procedure "process" increases in CharGen as above (and then convert to Imperial SOC afterward as noted).