SOC during character generation

[BackworldTraveller]

The standard traveller character generation system assumes a slow and gentle migration, mostly upwards through the social strata.

Real Life suggests that this is not what actually happens.

How do you cope with the SOC of characters that suddenly change role in a way that would impact SOC?

* On conviction (or, sometimes even the mere suggestion of being involved in) a crime or social faux-pas
* On Marriage or Divorce
** Marrying up (SOC 6 marries Baron)
** Marrying down (SOC 12 marries peasant)
* On Death of an ennobled Parent
** SOC 10+ inherits Duchy
* Army Sergeants with a SOC of 2!
* etc.

 

[kilemall]

Well first off, in a professional setting such as armed forces or business I assume a decorum of SOC 8 for everyone, else orgs could not function. For contrast one might have fully SOC aware orgs that are classist minefields to get anything done.

Doesn’t mean an egalitarian system, that SOC 2 sergeant isn’t going to be introduced to SOC 10 sisters much less get business associate offers.

SOC should be the most changeable stat due to circumstances you cite. I would definitely use the MgT pay for lifestyle to just maintain, and certainly risk the stat for failing to maintain proper station, associate with the wrong people or marry out of class.

I would not make it automatic for consequences, perhaps the Baroness can make her lower class consort choice stick or the consort is unusually charming. But it should be a constant effort to keep up the level and risks must be mitigated and managed.

Personally I tend to use SOC for emotional intelligence and EDU for ranking and opportunity, so I don’t stick to a totally classist model for access to power and resources. I also have a underclass get things done mechanic where it’s just as problematic for high rank people to work on the Street as vice versa of the lower classes to work High Society. YUMV.

 

[BackworldTraveller]

Having the titles tied to SOC was one of the most awkward factors in Traveller's generation process.
The 3I setting is tripping over it all the time and has had to sub-divide the grades to cope. And Vargr, etc. who use CHArisma or CASte in that setting just complicate matters. e.g. SOC and CHA rules assume a close-bound relationship between the two that the European templates of Nobility definitely didn't/don't support.
T5's approach of splitting FAMe from SOCial partly resolves the issue but does it do so completely?

 

[Grav_Moped]

The issue here is that SOC is made up of three components (at least) that aren't necessarily linked. The first is one's legal and institutional status: governmental position, credit rating, reputation, organization memberships, formal degrees and certificates (perhaps only honorary if the EDU stat is low), and so forth. The second is one's set of intrinsic status markers: dialect and accent (though vocabulary might be related to EDU), mannerisms and attitude, and so forth. The third is one's public manifestation of the other two factors (apparent wealth, demonstration of power).

 

[Grav_Moped]

Vargr CHA is distinct from SOC. It's basically the degree to which one (typically Vargr) can inspire or intimidate (have authority over) Vargr, and is only secondarily linked to legal and institutional status (that is, you get the legal/institutional status from having and using CHA, where under SOC the authority originates from the legal and institutional status).