mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
IMTU failure of a survival roll results in an immediate trip to the aging table and a forfit of that term's mustering out roll.
Thinking about Survival and Term Length
- Thread starter Supplement Four
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mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
IMTU failure of a survival roll results in an immediate trip to the aging table and a forfit of that term's mustering out roll.
For career changes, a method I use is a variation of the 'G.I. Bill', in that I require a 'training' period before they can just jump into many careers. Obviously, Pirate or Rogues don't need this, nor do ex-military for say, a Scout career. If they want to go from Army Commando to 'Scientist' or something like that, then they have to go to college, period, even if they did so before getting in the Army. If they fail that roll, there's always a 'Tech school' on a lot of worlds.
As I said in another thread, the skills system in CT or MT Traveller is not a good one at all, so I use the TNE system for much of mine, with the DM's from MT and world mods as guidelines for availability of training and the tech level of it, if needed. Randomly rolling for skills works fine for military characters, as the 'bureaucrats' are pulling everybody's chains there, but in the 'real world', random rolls for skills is too hokey. Doing 3 or 4 terms, and likely only ending up with 8 or so skill levels spread out is more than ridiculous, especially as the game is now going on 30 years old, and everybody is tweaking it mercilessly as it is now, and to the point where nobody I know has played the 'canon' rules since the LBB's came out. I see them as only for tournaments at gaming conventions and internet play, not for group play.
As I said in another thread, the skills system in CT or MT Traveller is not a good one at all, so I use the TNE system for much of mine, with the DM's from MT and world mods as guidelines for availability of training and the tech level of it, if needed. Randomly rolling for skills works fine for military characters, as the 'bureaucrats' are pulling everybody's chains there, but in the 'real world', random rolls for skills is too hokey. Doing 3 or 4 terms, and likely only ending up with 8 or so skill levels spread out is more than ridiculous, especially as the game is now going on 30 years old, and everybody is tweaking it mercilessly as it is now, and to the point where nobody I know has played the 'canon' rules since the LBB's came out. I see them as only for tournaments at gaming conventions and internet play, not for group play.
For career changes, a method I use is a variation of the 'G.I. Bill', in that I require a 'training' period before they can just jump into many careers. Obviously, Pirate or Rogues don't need this, nor do ex-military for say, a Scout career. If they want to go from Army Commando to 'Scientist' or something like that, then they have to go to college, period, even if they did so before getting in the Army. If they fail that roll, there's always a 'Tech school' on a lot of worlds.
As I said in another thread, the skills system in CT or MT Traveller is not a good one at all, so I use the TNE system for much of mine, with the DM's from MT and world mods as guidelines for availability of training and the tech level of it, if needed. Randomly rolling for skills works fine for military characters, as the 'bureaucrats' are pulling everybody's chains there, but in the 'real world', random rolls for skills is too hokey. Doing 3 or 4 terms, and likely only ending up with 8 or so skill levels spread out is more than ridiculous, especially as the game is now going on 30 years old, and everybody is tweaking it mercilessly as it is now, and to the point where nobody I know has played the 'canon' rules since the LBB's came out. I see them as only for tournaments at gaming conventions and internet play, not for group play.
As I said in another thread, the skills system in CT or MT Traveller is not a good one at all, so I use the TNE system for much of mine, with the DM's from MT and world mods as guidelines for availability of training and the tech level of it, if needed. Randomly rolling for skills works fine for military characters, as the 'bureaucrats' are pulling everybody's chains there, but in the 'real world', random rolls for skills is too hokey. Doing 3 or 4 terms, and likely only ending up with 8 or so skill levels spread out is more than ridiculous, especially as the game is now going on 30 years old, and everybody is tweaking it mercilessly as it is now, and to the point where nobody I know has played the 'canon' rules since the LBB's came out. I see them as only for tournaments at gaming conventions and internet play, not for group play.
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
That's a neat idea. I haven't seen that one before.
I may steal that.
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
That's a neat idea. I haven't seen that one before.
I may steal that.
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
It's been ages and ages since I've played d20 anything. I only use d20 for D&D, and I've pretty much sold off all my old D&D stuff--I never plan to play it again.
Can you refresh my memory on the Take 20 rule and how it will apply to the Survival roll?
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
It's been ages and ages since I've played d20 anything. I only use d20 for D&D, and I've pretty much sold off all my old D&D stuff--I never plan to play it again.
Can you refresh my memory on the Take 20 rule and how it will apply to the Survival roll?
I must have played with strange people. In any game of CT or any game with a similar character generation setup my players always seem to want as many terms as they caqn possibly get, aging or not. My last game had six players, whose characters ranged between 38 and 50, with most above 40.
Allen
Allen
I must have played with strange people. In any game of CT or any game with a similar character generation setup my players always seem to want as many terms as they caqn possibly get, aging or not. My last game had six players, whose characters ranged between 38 and 50, with most above 40.
Allen
Allen
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
I've got one player like that. He wants skills ... sKILLS ... SKILLS!!!!
He's the dude who rolled up the 62 year old uber character. I had to change my CharGen rules because of him (now, starting on Term 8, there is no "max" number of terms as per official rules, but the re-enlistment is 8+ for the 8th Term, 9+ for the 9th Term, 10+ on the 10th Term, etc).
Of course, this guy DID make all the appropriate aging rolls without any help or monkeying from me. He rolled them straight (some incredible number of rolls). He was on fire. Because he did that, I don't feel too bad about his 62 year old ultra-man. We've worked it into the story. The guy is a Medical-5 MD, and he's all about healthy living, eating bean sprouts and soy, and organ replacement/cell rejuve.
He's a cool character.
But, I've made it very hard for that type of guy to be duplicated again in my game.
And, with my new Survival rule, I'm going to have some younger characters, with lesser amounts of skills, populating the player characters down the road.
It won't be old-fogey city any more.
Supplement Four
SOC-14 5K
I've got one player like that. He wants skills ... sKILLS ... SKILLS!!!!
He's the dude who rolled up the 62 year old uber character. I had to change my CharGen rules because of him (now, starting on Term 8, there is no "max" number of terms as per official rules, but the re-enlistment is 8+ for the 8th Term, 9+ for the 9th Term, 10+ on the 10th Term, etc).
Of course, this guy DID make all the appropriate aging rolls without any help or monkeying from me. He rolled them straight (some incredible number of rolls). He was on fire. Because he did that, I don't feel too bad about his 62 year old ultra-man. We've worked it into the story. The guy is a Medical-5 MD, and he's all about healthy living, eating bean sprouts and soy, and organ replacement/cell rejuve.
He's a cool character.
But, I've made it very hard for that type of guy to be duplicated again in my game.
And, with my new Survival rule, I'm going to have some younger characters, with lesser amounts of skills, populating the player characters down the road.
It won't be old-fogey city any more.
Maladominus
SOC-14 1K
Traveller: Science Fiction Game of 50-year Old Characters Having Mid-life Crises Adventures in the Far Future!
hehehe
hehehe
Maladominus
SOC-14 1K
Traveller: Science Fiction Game of 50-year Old Characters Having Mid-life Crises Adventures in the Far Future!
hehehe
hehehe
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
When my friends and I were sixteen the characters in our games tended to be no older than thirty to thirty four.
In my twenties I was happy with fourty plus for a character's age.
I'll now happily consider a character pushing sixty (both of the last two characters I've played are younger than me).
Won't it be fun in the nursing home to play younger characters for a change...
In my twenties I was happy with fourty plus for a character's age.
I'll now happily consider a character pushing sixty
(both of the last two characters I've played are younger than me). Won't it be fun in the nursing home to play younger characters for a change...
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
When my friends and I were sixteen the characters in our games tended to be no older than thirty to thirty four.
In my twenties I was happy with fourty plus for a character's age.
I'll now happily consider a character pushing sixty (both of the last two characters I've played are younger than me).
Won't it be fun in the nursing home to play younger characters for a change...
In my twenties I was happy with fourty plus for a character's age.
I'll now happily consider a character pushing sixty
(both of the last two characters I've played are younger than me). Won't it be fun in the nursing home to play younger characters for a change...
Though rolling a character and getting killed during the rolls never bothered me (I admit it had a certain macabre fascination ); but a lot of players didn't like it so I came up with options. Desertion, honorable or dishonorable discharges due to some infraction, escaping arrest for a real or bogus crime, contract terminated, finding out about a contract to terminate you, naval or military impressment, impressment by a criminal organization, license revocation, etc. And your change of career could be the result of headhunting by some commercial, private, or governmental group who desires someone of your skill or connections.
As for terms, well there never was a stated canon on Traveller society so I just assumed that was part of the cultural norms. There are comtemporary concepts of terms in today's business. There are internships in professions such as medical professions & some companies have made terms of employment part of their contract with individuals. In some organizations like criminal groups or oldtime professional guilds you are in it until released, died, killed, or cast out. There are also the old (& still current) concept of indentured servitude which started as a labor contract which you could (sometimes) buy your way out of.
As for terms, well there never was a stated canon on Traveller society so I just assumed that was part of the cultural norms. There are comtemporary concepts of terms in today's business. There are internships in professions such as medical professions & some companies have made terms of employment part of their contract with individuals. In some organizations like criminal groups or oldtime professional guilds you are in it until released, died, killed, or cast out. There are also the old (& still current) concept of indentured servitude which started as a labor contract which you could (sometimes) buy your way out of.
Though rolling a character and getting killed during the rolls never bothered me (I admit it had a certain macabre fascination ); but a lot of players didn't like it so I came up with options. Desertion, honorable or dishonorable discharges due to some infraction, escaping arrest for a real or bogus crime, contract terminated, finding out about a contract to terminate you, naval or military impressment, impressment by a criminal organization, license revocation, etc. And your change of career could be the result of headhunting by some commercial, private, or governmental group who desires someone of your skill or connections.
As for terms, well there never was a stated canon on Traveller society so I just assumed that was part of the cultural norms. There are comtemporary concepts of terms in today's business. There are internships in professions such as medical professions & some companies have made terms of employment part of their contract with individuals. In some organizations like criminal groups or oldtime professional guilds you are in it until released, died, killed, or cast out. There are also the old (& still current) concept of indentured servitude which started as a labor contract which you could (sometimes) buy your way out of.
As for terms, well there never was a stated canon on Traveller society so I just assumed that was part of the cultural norms. There are comtemporary concepts of terms in today's business. There are internships in professions such as medical professions & some companies have made terms of employment part of their contract with individuals. In some organizations like criminal groups or oldtime professional guilds you are in it until released, died, killed, or cast out. There are also the old (& still current) concept of indentured servitude which started as a labor contract which you could (sometimes) buy your way out of.
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