I had the rare occasion to talk to Gary Thomas this week. I mentioned
some of the TML discussions lately, and the nobility topic in particular
interested him. I thought I'd paraphrase a little of his personal
interpretation of Social Standing in Traveller.
Gary said that he always felt Social Standing was *always* a relative,
not absolute, measure. He also suggested that Social Standing is
volatile (always changing) depending upon its scope of recognition and
where it is being applied.
That is, an Earl could be the Earl of Duckburg, or the Earl of Regina
Subsector. In fact, in Traveller Digest #4 he said he wrote an
adventure about a Marquis that tended to overstate his importance,
leading to some comedy. Or maybe back in the lineage of the character,
there was a very influential ancestor (Duke of a Sector) and over the
generations it has been whittled down to next-to-nothing, but the title
"Duke" still exists.
Consider the Governor of the State of New York (Soc up there somewhere).
In Buffalo, he's going to paid a lot of attention (Soc = ~D). If he's
in Paris, he's for all practicable purposes just another tourist Kilroy,
and his influence probably depends on how much money he has, how he
dresses and talks (Soc = ~5). Vargr are an even more volatile example
of the same changing degree of social recognition.
How important is the TML Admin title regarded on the TML (Soc = F)? In a
USENET newsgroup for mail admin discussion (Soc = 8)? At a local
restaurant (Soc = 5)?
So, I'd guess that the Referee and player ought to come to agreement on
how to interpret a character of high Social Standing. It means they are
influential, but the influence is limited to something appropriate for
game purposes. Outside of their sphere of influence, their Social
Standing is practicably moderate to low.
I'd also guess that the player has a degree of leeway as to their
character's personality, whether it be an isolated, concieted blueblood,
or a practical, down-to-earth, gun-toting Earl of Kearney from Britain
on Terra.
As always, Traveller is a guidebook, not a rulebook. In their own
games, Referees have a local Social Standing equal to The Almighty, and
players that of Demigods. :-)
James "Duke of Debuque" Perkins :-)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Traveller Mailing List Administrator James T Perkins @ Tektronix, Inc
[email removed] Beaverton, Oregon, USA
"How many ancients can dance on the head of a pin?" - Scott Kellogg