What skill levels do your CT characters have?

[Supplement Four]

Answering Aramis in another thread made me curious about others' experience with Classic Traveller. What kind of skill levels do you typically see in your CT game?

My experience with CT, whether I mod character generation or not, is a character skill level in the range of Level 0-5, with an occasional Level-6 popping up from time to time.

Even with my current group of PCs, I see skills in this range--and these were rolled up when I used to allow (I've stopped this now) characters to enlist in another career once they blew a survival throw.

I'll list the PCs in my game. I'd be interested to hear how they stack up against characters you have in your games (or against characters you've have in your games past).

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(Note that the local Language skill of Riftian Anglic was not derrived through chargen.)




Doctor Da Bien-Hua, Medical Officer of the ADROIT PURSUIT
9AA655
Streetwise-2, JOT-1, Medical-3, Electronics-1, Grav Vehicle-1, Riftian Anglic-3.




Sir Bromley Riieve, acting Engineer of the ADROIT PURSUIT, working passage
8889AB
Dagger-2, Liaison-0, Sm. Watercraft-0, Swimming-0, Gambling-0, Brawling-1, AutoPistol-2, Computer-2, Vacc Suit-1, Wheeled Vehicle-2, JOT-1, Navigator-1, Carousing-2, Forgery-1, Linguistics-1, Pilot-2, Engineering-1, Leader-2, Riftian Anglic-5.




Lt. Colonel Jenn Thurgood-Bastion, Imperial Army, Aramis Station
858AA8
Liaison-2, Carousing-0, Gambling-1, Brawling-1, Swimming-0, Combat Rifleman-1, SMG-1, Tactics-1, Medical-1, Riftian Anglic-4, Computer-1, Robotics-1




Salmon Jones, Personal Bodyguard to His Majesty, The Marquis Terran Tukera
888478
Pilot-1, Wheeled Vehicle-1, Dagger-1, Carousing-2, Liasion-1, Streetwise-1, Grav Vehicle-1, Electronics-1, Rifle-3, SMG-1, Tactics-1, Riftian Anglic-3.




Captain Dexter Bryte, Owner/Operator/Pilot of the ADROIT PURSUIT
E6AB58
Combat Rifleman-1, Wheeled Vehicle-1, Blade-5, SMG-2, Gambling-5, Vacc Suit-1, Brawling-3, Forgery-1, Bribery-4, Medical-4, Engineering-1, Legal-1, Electronics-2, ATV-1, Grav Vehicle-2, Mechanical-3, Steward-1, Streetwise-1, Gunnery-1, Pilot-1, Riftian Anglic-3.

Special Note: Bryte is 62 standard years old, the recipient of multiple organ transplants and lifespan prolong medical experimentation. He looks like a weight lifter and acts as if his body was 20-30 years younger.




Russlin Suvarrii, Steward of the ADROIT PURSUIT
324A76
Brawling-6, Admin-1, Recruiting-1, Medical-1, Leader-1, Carousing-5, Robotics-1, Riftian Anglic-3.

Special Note: Russlin suffered paralyzing trauma from a low berth incident aboard the ADROIT PURSUIT, and Captain Bryte has felt responsible or Russlin ever since the accident.




Idumin Li, Imperial Scout, Natoko Base
6B6786
Electronics-0, JOT-0, Broker-0, Medical-2, Wheeled Vehicle-1, Pilot-3, Navigation-1, Forgery-1, Streetwise-1, Brawling-1, Blade-1, Riftian Anglic-3.




Luukhan Pershiire, Navigator/First Officer of the ADROIT PURSUIT
AA4B77
Mechanical-3, Medical-2, Streetwise-1, Shotgun-3, Navigation-2, Blade-1, Bribery-2, Gunnery-1, Vacc Suit-1, Pilot-1, Riftian Anglic-3.




The Marquis Terran Tukera of Aramis, Baron of Natoko, ranking Imperial noble of the Aramis subsector
4C8AAD
Legal-0, Robot Ops-0, Computer-1, Linguistics-0, Liasion-0, Cutlass-1, Dagger-1, Carousing-1, Combat Rifleman-1, Tactics-1, Gambling-2, SMG-3, Navigation-1, Brawling-2, Riftian Anglic-4.




Klue Gagarin, Gunner, ADROIT PURSUIT
6A5E46
Medical-2, Electronics-2, Mechanical-2, Gunnery-1, Carousing-3, Brawling-1, Interrogation-1, Admin-1, Recruiting-1, Riftian Anglic-2.

 

[Supplement Four]

Answering Aramis in another thread made me curious about others' experience with Classic Traveller. What kind of skill levels do you typically see in your CT game?

My experience with CT, whether I mod character generation or not, is a character skill level in the range of Level 0-5, with an occasional Level-6 popping up from time to time.

Even with my current group of PCs, I see skills in this range--and these were rolled up when I used to allow (I've stopped this now) characters to enlist in another career once they blew a survival throw.

I'll list the PCs in my game. I'd be interested to hear how they stack up against characters you have in your games (or against characters you've have in your games past).

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

(Note that the local Language skill of Riftian Anglic was not derrived through chargen.)




Doctor Da Bien-Hua, Medical Officer of the ADROIT PURSUIT
9AA655
Streetwise-2, JOT-1, Medical-3, Electronics-1, Grav Vehicle-1, Riftian Anglic-3.




Sir Bromley Riieve, acting Engineer of the ADROIT PURSUIT, working passage
8889AB
Dagger-2, Liaison-0, Sm. Watercraft-0, Swimming-0, Gambling-0, Brawling-1, AutoPistol-2, Computer-2, Vacc Suit-1, Wheeled Vehicle-2, JOT-1, Navigator-1, Carousing-2, Forgery-1, Linguistics-1, Pilot-2, Engineering-1, Leader-2, Riftian Anglic-5.




Lt. Colonel Jenn Thurgood-Bastion, Imperial Army, Aramis Station
858AA8
Liaison-2, Carousing-0, Gambling-1, Brawling-1, Swimming-0, Combat Rifleman-1, SMG-1, Tactics-1, Medical-1, Riftian Anglic-4, Computer-1, Robotics-1




Salmon Jones, Personal Bodyguard to His Majesty, The Marquis Terran Tukera
888478
Pilot-1, Wheeled Vehicle-1, Dagger-1, Carousing-2, Liasion-1, Streetwise-1, Grav Vehicle-1, Electronics-1, Rifle-3, SMG-1, Tactics-1, Riftian Anglic-3.




Captain Dexter Bryte, Owner/Operator/Pilot of the ADROIT PURSUIT
E6AB58
Combat Rifleman-1, Wheeled Vehicle-1, Blade-5, SMG-2, Gambling-5, Vacc Suit-1, Brawling-3, Forgery-1, Bribery-4, Medical-4, Engineering-1, Legal-1, Electronics-2, ATV-1, Grav Vehicle-2, Mechanical-3, Steward-1, Streetwise-1, Gunnery-1, Pilot-1, Riftian Anglic-3.

Special Note: Bryte is 62 standard years old, the recipient of multiple organ transplants and lifespan prolong medical experimentation. He looks like a weight lifter and acts as if his body was 20-30 years younger.




Russlin Suvarrii, Steward of the ADROIT PURSUIT
324A76
Brawling-6, Admin-1, Recruiting-1, Medical-1, Leader-1, Carousing-5, Robotics-1, Riftian Anglic-3.

Special Note: Russlin suffered paralyzing trauma from a low berth incident aboard the ADROIT PURSUIT, and Captain Bryte has felt responsible or Russlin ever since the accident.




Idumin Li, Imperial Scout, Natoko Base
6B6786
Electronics-0, JOT-0, Broker-0, Medical-2, Wheeled Vehicle-1, Pilot-3, Navigation-1, Forgery-1, Streetwise-1, Brawling-1, Blade-1, Riftian Anglic-3.




Luukhan Pershiire, Navigator/First Officer of the ADROIT PURSUIT
AA4B77
Mechanical-3, Medical-2, Streetwise-1, Shotgun-3, Navigation-2, Blade-1, Bribery-2, Gunnery-1, Vacc Suit-1, Pilot-1, Riftian Anglic-3.




The Marquis Terran Tukera of Aramis, Baron of Natoko, ranking Imperial noble of the Aramis subsector
4C8AAD
Legal-0, Robot Ops-0, Computer-1, Linguistics-0, Liasion-0, Cutlass-1, Dagger-1, Carousing-1, Combat Rifleman-1, Tactics-1, Gambling-2, SMG-3, Navigation-1, Brawling-2, Riftian Anglic-4.




Klue Gagarin, Gunner, ADROIT PURSUIT
6A5E46
Medical-2, Electronics-2, Mechanical-2, Gunnery-1, Carousing-3, Brawling-1, Interrogation-1, Admin-1, Recruiting-1, Riftian Anglic-2.

 

[aramis]

S4, those look to have too many skill levels...

 

[aramis]

S4, those look to have too many skill levels...

 

[Prospero]

For CT, I tend to use books 4-7 with the Int+Educ limit from book 7 (the merchant one).

I have rarely ever had characters with levels above 3. I had a marine once with a brawling-4, but that was a bit of a fluke. One doctor had medic-4.

As suggested in another thread, I also let characters keep degrade some skills or drop them to level-0 to come in under the cap.

 

[Prospero]

For CT, I tend to use books 4-7 with the Int+Educ limit from book 7 (the merchant one).

I have rarely ever had characters with levels above 3. I had a marine once with a brawling-4, but that was a bit of a fluke. One doctor had medic-4.

As suggested in another thread, I also let characters keep degrade some skills or drop them to level-0 to come in under the cap.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Aramis:
S4, those look to have too many skill levels...

Yep. I modded chargen, as I said at the beginning of the post. I allowed a change in careers if a survival throw was blown, and I had a few house rules (Background skills, Special Duty from MT, etc) that upped the number of skills earned--but didn't tend to up the level of any particular skill.

That was a year and a half ago when I started my current campaign. Today, I've had second thoughts about the mod to allow continuance in another career after a survival throw is blown. Next time, I'm either going to not allow that at all--or, I'm going to make it very hard to change careers.

The Survival throw is going to mean the character is put into play then--the flag that says, "No more character generation."

I think players will respect the Scout career or a Military career where the survival throw is high. Sure, they'll get some good skills, but it's also possible they'll get few and be put into play with less.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Aramis:
S4, those look to have too many skill levels...

Yep. I modded chargen, as I said at the beginning of the post. I allowed a change in careers if a survival throw was blown, and I had a few house rules (Background skills, Special Duty from MT, etc) that upped the number of skills earned--but didn't tend to up the level of any particular skill.

That was a year and a half ago when I started my current campaign. Today, I've had second thoughts about the mod to allow continuance in another career after a survival throw is blown. Next time, I'm either going to not allow that at all--or, I'm going to make it very hard to change careers.

The Survival throw is going to mean the character is put into play then--the flag that says, "No more character generation."

I think players will respect the Scout career or a Military career where the survival throw is high. Sure, they'll get some good skills, but it's also possible they'll get few and be put into play with less.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Prospero:
For CT, I tend to use books 4-7 with the Int+Educ limit from book 7 (the merchant one).

I have rarely ever had characters with levels above 3. I had a marine once with a brawling-4, but that was a bit of a fluke. One doctor had medic-4.

As suggested in another thread, I also let characters keep degrade some skills or drop them to level-0 to come in under the cap.

I like the INT+EDU cap, but I always tend to mod it. I'll ignore it in chargen, but use it with Character Experience and Growth rules.

I may do something like what you did next time. Not sure. Mulling it around.

What I don't like is that its an absolute cap. What I'd like to do is use it to make it harder to get a skill.

Maybe this...

During chargen, once a character reaches total skills of INT + EDU, every point over that is a negative on the survival throw (making it more likely the character will be put into play) and a negative on reenlistment.

Thus, if a character has INT-7 and EDU-7, has gone three terms, and total skills reach 18, then this character has a -4 DM on Survival throws and a -4 DM on reenlistment throws.

Or, maybe just a -4 DM on reenlistment and leave Survival as it is. That's probably a better idea.

I've got a couple of ideas swimming around like this.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Prospero:
For CT, I tend to use books 4-7 with the Int+Educ limit from book 7 (the merchant one).

I have rarely ever had characters with levels above 3. I had a marine once with a brawling-4, but that was a bit of a fluke. One doctor had medic-4.

As suggested in another thread, I also let characters keep degrade some skills or drop them to level-0 to come in under the cap.

I like the INT+EDU cap, but I always tend to mod it. I'll ignore it in chargen, but use it with Character Experience and Growth rules.

I may do something like what you did next time. Not sure. Mulling it around.

What I don't like is that its an absolute cap. What I'd like to do is use it to make it harder to get a skill.

Maybe this...

During chargen, once a character reaches total skills of INT + EDU, every point over that is a negative on the survival throw (making it more likely the character will be put into play) and a negative on reenlistment.

Thus, if a character has INT-7 and EDU-7, has gone three terms, and total skills reach 18, then this character has a -4 DM on Survival throws and a -4 DM on reenlistment throws.

Or, maybe just a -4 DM on reenlistment and leave Survival as it is. That's probably a better idea.

I've got a couple of ideas swimming around like this.

 

[vegascat]

I have always stuck to the INT+EDU for skill totals.
What the levels translate to is
0 - Has read the manual and done it once while supervised.
1 - Has done the task repeatedly and is proficient
2 - Can do the task quickly, knows the theory
3 - Can do modifications successfully
4 - Expert in all ways, PHD level knowledge
5 - Known by reputation in the field
6 – Can almost do miracles, ie MaGuiver
7 – Can make a fortune selling H2O on a water world
8 – Can do miracles

 

[vegascat]

I have always stuck to the INT+EDU for skill totals.
What the levels translate to is
0 - Has read the manual and done it once while supervised.
1 - Has done the task repeatedly and is proficient
2 - Can do the task quickly, knows the theory
3 - Can do modifications successfully
4 - Expert in all ways, PHD level knowledge
5 - Known by reputation in the field
6 – Can almost do miracles, ie MaGuiver
7 – Can make a fortune selling H2O on a water world
8 – Can do miracles

 

[vegascat]

Failed survival roles mean roll a D6
1 - Str-1D6, muster out
2 - End-1D6, muster out
3 - Dex-1D6, muster out
4 - Wanted for a crime, lose 2D6 muster out rolls
5 - Lose half of muster out rolls
6 - Muster out immediately
Character generation ends with rolls for random scars from nasty accident leading to 1-3 medical discharge, 4-6 Other than honorable discharge.

 

[vegascat]

Failed survival roles mean roll a D6
1 - Str-1D6, muster out
2 - End-1D6, muster out
3 - Dex-1D6, muster out
4 - Wanted for a crime, lose 2D6 muster out rolls
5 - Lose half of muster out rolls
6 - Muster out immediately
Character generation ends with rolls for random scars from nasty accident leading to 1-3 medical discharge, 4-6 Other than honorable discharge.

 

[Jame]

Originally posted by Aramis:
S4, those look to have too many skill levels...

Whereas I think they look perfect.

 

[Jame]

Originally posted by Aramis:
S4, those look to have too many skill levels...

Whereas I think they look perfect.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Jame:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Aramis:
S4, those look to have too many skill levels...

Whereas I think they look perfect. </font>[/QUOTE]Obviously, I tend to agree. If CT needs any updating, I don't think it's in the area of increasing skill levels. Skill levels running 0-5, with the occasional Skill-6 (and no cap for those freakish times you see a Skill-7 or higher) is just about right for Classic Traveller. Figure that, in CT, many characters have Skill-0 in many, many skills. These just aren't improved upon with exceptional expertise, so they are not listed on the character's sheet.

For example, everybody knows how to attempt a bribe, so everybody has Bribery-0 as a skill. It's just not necessary to write that on the character's sheet. All you need to write are the skill for which the character has exceptional expertise at Skill-1 or better.

Now, if CT chargen were to be improved upon in some later version of Traveller, I'd say it's not higher average skills levels that are needed. A character with a majority of skills at Skill-1, with a some Skill-2s and maybe a Skill-3 or Skill-4, is just fine. Fits the system well.

Where CT chargen can be improved is in making it deliver characters with more skills than you typically get in vanilla CT chargen.

My vote would be for more skills, not higher skill levels (as I see in coming in T5).

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Jame:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Aramis:
S4, those look to have too many skill levels...

Whereas I think they look perfect. </font>[/QUOTE]Obviously, I tend to agree. If CT needs any updating, I don't think it's in the area of increasing skill levels. Skill levels running 0-5, with the occasional Skill-6 (and no cap for those freakish times you see a Skill-7 or higher) is just about right for Classic Traveller. Figure that, in CT, many characters have Skill-0 in many, many skills. These just aren't improved upon with exceptional expertise, so they are not listed on the character's sheet.

For example, everybody knows how to attempt a bribe, so everybody has Bribery-0 as a skill. It's just not necessary to write that on the character's sheet. All you need to write are the skill for which the character has exceptional expertise at Skill-1 or better.

Now, if CT chargen were to be improved upon in some later version of Traveller, I'd say it's not higher average skills levels that are needed. A character with a majority of skills at Skill-1, with a some Skill-2s and maybe a Skill-3 or Skill-4, is just fine. Fits the system well.

Where CT chargen can be improved is in making it deliver characters with more skills than you typically get in vanilla CT chargen.

My vote would be for more skills, not higher skill levels (as I see in coming in T5).

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
Sir Bromley Riieve, acting Engineer of the ADROIT PURSUIT, working passage
8889AB
Dagger-2, Liaison-0, Sm. Watercraft-0, Swimming-0, Gambling-0, Brawling-1, AutoPistol-2, Computer-2, Vacc Suit-1, Wheeled Vehicle-2, JOT-1, Navigator-1, Carousing-2, Forgery-1, Linguistics-1, Pilot-2, Engineering-1, Leader-2, Riftian Anglic-5.

There's a secret in my group too. Sir Bromley Riieve, the dude working passage as Engineer aboard the ADROIT PURSUIT, is really a "Watcher". This is an order of psionically enhanced knights. A secret order.

The best way to describe them is to think of the Bene Gesserit, if you've ever read DUNE. The Order of the Watch keeps its eye on human events. They step in and help guide history, when possible. They're a conspiracy theorists dream. They believe that the evolution of the human race involves embracing psionics (but not like the Zhodani have) and expanding the mind.

When the Marquis Terran Tukera--the highest ranking Imperial noble in the Aramis subsector--charted a small, independent freighter for a voyage disguised as a mission of state, the Watchers were interested.

Bromley attacked and wounded the PURSUIT's Engineer, placing him in the hospital. With the biggest contract of thier lives at stake, the PURSUIT's crew frantically searched for a new engineer for thier over-paid charter.

Bromley was there and just happen to have the necessary skills.

This is something I share with Bromley's player, and that player only. After a year and a half of the campaign being played, it has not yet come out to the other players who Bromley really is.

They even trust him now.

Intrigue. Mystery. Politics.

My campaign has this stuff in spades.

 

[Supplement Four]

Originally posted by Supplement Four:
Sir Bromley Riieve, acting Engineer of the ADROIT PURSUIT, working passage
8889AB
Dagger-2, Liaison-0, Sm. Watercraft-0, Swimming-0, Gambling-0, Brawling-1, AutoPistol-2, Computer-2, Vacc Suit-1, Wheeled Vehicle-2, JOT-1, Navigator-1, Carousing-2, Forgery-1, Linguistics-1, Pilot-2, Engineering-1, Leader-2, Riftian Anglic-5.

There's a secret in my group too. Sir Bromley Riieve, the dude working passage as Engineer aboard the ADROIT PURSUIT, is really a "Watcher". This is an order of psionically enhanced knights. A secret order.

The best way to describe them is to think of the Bene Gesserit, if you've ever read DUNE. The Order of the Watch keeps its eye on human events. They step in and help guide history, when possible. They're a conspiracy theorists dream. They believe that the evolution of the human race involves embracing psionics (but not like the Zhodani have) and expanding the mind.

When the Marquis Terran Tukera--the highest ranking Imperial noble in the Aramis subsector--charted a small, independent freighter for a voyage disguised as a mission of state, the Watchers were interested.

Bromley attacked and wounded the PURSUIT's Engineer, placing him in the hospital. With the biggest contract of thier lives at stake, the PURSUIT's crew frantically searched for a new engineer for thier over-paid charter.

Bromley was there and just happen to have the necessary skills.

This is something I share with Bromley's player, and that player only. After a year and a half of the campaign being played, it has not yet come out to the other players who Bromley really is.

They even trust him now.

Intrigue. Mystery. Politics.

My campaign has this stuff in spades.