Here be a draft copy of the Traveller: The New Era character generation
rules.
If you prefer to comment privately, send them to GDW.SUPPORT (on GEnie),
[email removed], or
Dave Nilsen
C/O GDW
[address removed]
Part 2 of 4
(c) copyright 1992, Game Designers' Workshop
This is draft material. Do not concern yourself with spelling errors or
the like. Rather, we are interested in "big picture" comments. Are there
careers that you want to see? Ones here that are too weak/too powerful? What
do you think about the controlling attributes for the various skills (skills
that appear in Dark Con and Twilight are, alas, not negotiable).
ACQUIRING SKILLS AND EXPERTISE
A newly generated character may enlist in any career allowed by his
homeworld. The Prior Service table lists the homeworld types on which the
career is available and the minimum required attribute and/or social level to
enlist. If the character meets these minimum requirements, enlistment is
automatic. For example, the Navy career is available on any homeworld with
a tech level of pre-stellar or higher and the requirement for enlistment is
"INT or EDU 7+." Any character whose intelligence or education attribute is 7
or higher may automatically enlist in the Navy. Characters who have neither
an intelligence nor and education attribute of 7 or more may not.
Terms of Service: Upon enlistment a character embarks on a four-year term
of service. This adds four years to the character's age. Each time he
reenlists, it is for a four-year term of service. The Terms Table lists a
character's beginning and ending age for each term of service.
TERMS TABLE
Starting Ending
Term Age Age
1 18 22
2 22 26
3 26 30
4 30 34
5 34 38
6 38 42
7 42 46
8 46 50
9 50 54
10 54 58
11 58 62
12 62 66
13 66 70
14 70 74
15 74 78
16 78 82
17 82 86
18 86 90
19 90 94
20 94 98
21 98 102
Default Skills: Certain characters automatically receive default skills of
level 0. A level of 0 for a skill indicates that the individual can undertake
ordinary activities but is not experienced enough to try dangerous activities
or fancy actions. A skill level 0 is [email removed] to prevent a task from
increasing in [email removed] because of lack of skill, although a skill level 0
provides no skill DM.
Default skills are conferred automatically as follows:
Characters enlisting in the Navy, Marines, Scouts, Merchants, or Corsairs
, and all characters from vacuum worlds, automatically receive Vacc Suit-0.
Characters from a world with a tech code of Early Stellar+ automatically
receive Computer-0.
Characters from a large world automatically receive High Gee
Environment-0.
Characters from an asteroid world automatically receive Zero-Gee
Environment-0.
Characters from a world with a tech code of Average Stellar+ automatically
receive Grav Vehicle-0; characters from a world with a tech code of
Industrial to Early Stellar automatically receive Wheeled Vehicle-0.
Characters from a water world automatically receive Swim-0.
Background Skills: Characters will have picked up certain skills before
reaching age 18 as a result of childhood hobbies and activities. Before
choosing a career, each character can pick four skills from the following
list at a skill level of two. Note that the skills are very much dependent
upon the homeworld statistics. [Homeworld generation not included with this
draft; you old hands will know how to fake it]
Computer (Tech Industrial +)
Farming (Atmos. Thin-Dense, Hydro 3+)
Grav Vehicle (Tech Early Stellar+)
Guard/Hunting Beasts Gun Combat (Slug Rifle) (Law No-Low)
Language
Melee Combat
Riding (Atmos. Thin-Dense)
Small Watercraft (Atmos. Thin-Dense, Hydro 3+
Stealth Streetwise (Pop. Mod-Hi)
Survive (Atmos. Thin-Dense)
Swimming (Atmos. Thin-Dense, Hydro 3+)
Tracking (Atmos. Thin-Dense)
Wheeled Vehicle (Tech Industrial+)
Commissions: Many services have a commission die roll ; in order to be
given a commission, the character must throw the stated number. DMs may apply
to the throw. If the commission is achieved, the character receives rank O1
in the career. A character may attempt to acquire a commission once per term
of service until successful.
Promotions: In each term of service (including one in which character has
received a commission), a character may attempt to be promoted. Each service
has a promotion number and DMs affecting that promotion throw. If a
promotion is achieved, the character advances to the next higher rank in the
service. A character is eligible for one promotion per term of service.
Note that some services (Wealthy Traveller, Rogue, Belter, and Hunter)
have no ranks (and thus no throws for promotion are made), while others
((Diplomacy, Bureaucracy, Barbarian, and Corsair) have ranks but no "O"
ranks, and so no roll for obtaining a commission is ever made. In the Medical
profession there are non-commissioned ranks, but once a character receives a
commission the character is a "doctor" and receives no further promotions.
Skills and Training: During each term of service, a character acquires
personal skills and expertise. Allowances are made for the character's
acquisition of new skills based on terms of service, special duty, promotion,
and personal improvement.
Terms of Service: In the first term of service the character receives a
fixed skill package which represents training in the core skills necessary to
function in that particular career. In every subsequent term of service in
that career, the character receives additional levels of skills from a group
of skill areas. Players receive four skill levels in their second term,
three in their third term, two in their fourth term, and one in their fifth
and every subsequent term.
Players may divide the levels among the skills listed in the allowed skill
group in any manner desired. If five skills are listed and a character is
entitled to four skill levels, the player may take a level 4 skill in one of
them, two level 2 skills in different areas, a four level 1 skills, etc. If
the character already has a skill of 1 or more in the area, additional levels
are added.
Special Duty/Adventures:Players who make the indicated die roll on 2D6
qualify for a special assignment or adventure. This die roll is modified by
+1 for every subsequent term spent in the career. That is, there is no die
modifier on the first term, a +1 DM on the second term, +2 on the third term,
etc. If Players successfully make the required die roll for Special Duty (or
Special Adventure in some careers), they receives additional skill levels
apportioned in the same manner as for those received for subsequent terms of
service. As with subsequent terms of service they receive four levels in
their first or second term, three in their third term, two in their fourth
term, and one in every subsequent term. Note that the allowed skill group
from which these are drawn is different from the term skills available. These
skills are received in addition to any term skills received. Players roll for
special duty/adventures in every term served, including the first term.
Promotions: In each term in which a character receives a promotion (not a
commission), the character receives one additional skill level selected from
the group of term skills listed for that term. Note that in some cases skills
are available in subsequent terms which are not available the first term.
Characters receiving a promotion first term may only take their promotion
skill from those listed as first term skills.
Personal Improvement: Each term a player may chose one level in any skill
desired (provided the character's homeworld statistics allow it) as a result
of personal improvement (study, practice, or hobby). However, characters may
never engage in self-improvement during their first term in a new career, as
their time is fully occupied in the primary education and training associated
with that career. Whenever characters are entitled to use self improvement ,
they may increase any one attribute by 1 level instead of gaining an
additional skill. However, a character may never increase an attribute more
than once using self-improvement. That is, if a character increased STR by 1
in the second term, it could never be increased in a later term, although
some other attribute could.
Acquisition of Skills: Each skill listed in character generation is
actually a group of skills, called a Cascade in Traveller. Cascades call for
an immediate selection of a speci@c skill as a result. (Gun Combat is an
example of such a cascade, and consists of four separate ) The player should
select from the skills available. Some cascade skill lists contain skills
that are themselves cascade skills and call for further selection. Upon the
@rst acquisition of a skill, the player writes the skill name, followed by a
dash and the number 1 (thus: Navigation-1). The second time the skill is
acquired, the number is increased to show greater expertise (thus,
Navigation-2). Further acquisitions of the skill will increase this level.
The higher the level, the greater the expertise in that skill.
Homeworld Limitations: Certain skills are not available on the character's
homeworld. Vehicle skills are limited by the character's homeworld tech code,
and weapon skills are limited by the character's homeworld tech code and law
code. Law Enforcement, Corsair, and Rogue characters may select weapon
skills one law code lower than their homeworld's law code. Army, Navy,
Scouts, Aviation, Maritime and Marine characters are not limited by their
homeworld law code, nor are characters with a SOC of 11+.
A character may override the homeworld limitation and acquire a skill not
normally available by rolling 2D for 7+. If that fails, he forfeits the skill
attempt. For example, if a character from an Early Stellar tech code got
Vehicle skill on a skill roll and wanted to try for Grav Belt skill (Avg
Stellar), he must roll 2D. If the roll is less than 7, he loses his Vehicle
skill roll.
SOCIAL LEVEL
Different career paths and accomplishments affect a character's social
standing, either favorably or unfavorably. Each promotion a character
receives while commissioned increases social level by 1 (to a maximum of 14).
Certain careers also have a minimum social level for commissioned rank;
characters who receive a commission and whose social level is lower than the
minimum immediately have it raised to the minimum level. Finally, some
careers lower social level, as noted under the heading "other effects."
AGING
At the end of a term, add four years to a character's age. When a
character reaches age 34 (the end of the fourth term), aging begins to take
its toll. The Aging table (page 47) must be consulted then and at each
subsequent term's end. This table shows the attributes affected (Strength,
Dexterity, Endurance, and eventually Intelligence) and the throws necessary
to avoid the effects of aging. Upon failing a speci@c saving throw, the
indicated reduction is applied to the characteristic.
ANAGATHICS
Anagathics are longevity drugs. They help prolong life and prevent aging.
Upon reaching age 30 at the end of the third term of service (but never
before age 30), a character may try to locate a source of anagathics. If
successful and if the supply can be maintained, the character will age ever
so slowly. With luck, the character may reach an age of 100 or more before
old age @nally takes its toll. If the character wants to use anagathics,
he or she must so specify before making the survival roll for the term. In
deciding to be an anagathics user for the term, the character must make the
following concessions: For each term in which the character indicates his
or her desire to use anagathics (whether a supply is found or not), his
eligibility for the mustering out bene@ts roll is forfeited for that term.
This represents some of the great expense involved in maintaining a steady
supply of anagathics. Once the character voices the desire to be a user of
anagathics, the maximum number of rolls on the Cash table becomes two instead
of the usual three rolls. This restriction is permanent even if the character
later gives up taking anagathics. This represents the great @nancial burden
associated with just trying to @nd a reliable supply of anagathics.
Finding Anagathics: To @nd an available supply of anagathics for the
four-year term, roll 12+ on 2D, with the following DMs based on the
character's homeworld: DM +3 if Starport A, DM +2 if Starport B, DM +1 if
Starport C, DM +1 if tech code Early Stellar, DM +2 if tech code Average
Stellar, DM +3 if tech code High Stellar.
If the character fails the anagathics availability roll, one retry is
allowed if the character rerolls another survival roll @rst (needless to say,
the character must succeed at the second survival roll, or be forced to
muster out).
On a successful availability roll, the character automatically succeeds at
the aging saving throws for two attributes of his or her choice. In effect,
the character selects the one characteristic (Strength, Dexterity, or
Endurance) which to risk in an aging saving throw. The age 66 line of the
Aging Table (see page 47) requires four saving throws, so upon reaching the
age 66 line, two attributes of choice are automatically saved, and the other
two must be risked in an aging saving throw as normal. It takes a while
for the total effects of anagathics to be felt. On the @rst term of taking
anagathics, advance to the next line on the Aging Table as usual. However,
for each subsequent term in which a supply of anagathics is maintained, the
character can remain on that line of the Aging Table instead of advancing one
line per term as usual. So, if the character is on the age 34 line, he or she
can stay on the age 34 line as long as a constant supply of anagathics is
maintained.
If the character ever loses the supply of anagathics for a term, at the
end of the term, roll saving throws twice for each characteristic (but do not
yet advance one line on the Aging Table; it also takes a while for the
effects of anagathics to totally go away). Both rolls must succeed or the
characteristic is lowered by the indicated amount on the Aging Table. This
represents the withdrawal effects from interrupting the supply of anagathics.
If the character continues to abstain from anagathics in subsequent terms,
normal Aging resumes (advance one line per term on the Aging Table as usual).
The double saving throw withdrawal effects occur only at the end of the @rst
term in which the character stops taking anagathics. If the character
later regains the supply of anagathics, the term in which he begins retaking
anagathics is treated again as a @rst term on anagathics: the saving throw
bene@ts are received, but the character must still advance one line on the
Aging Table. Obviously, anagathics are most effective if they can be taken
long-term without interruption. A continually interrupted supply can have
devastating effects.
Recording Age: Notice a character on anagathics will quickly get out of
sync with the Aging Table on page 47. Thus, even though the character's
actual age may be 50, if the character has been able to maintain a constant
supply of anagathics, the character will roll a saving throw for only one
characteristic (instead of all three) on the age 34 line of the Aging Table
that term. Next term, the individual will have an actual age of 54, but will
again roll on the age 34 line, and so on. If a character's age has ever been
affected by anagathics, so indicate by writing the age as: Age 34 (50). The
34 represents the character's apparent age and, hence, the line of the Aging
Table currently being used. The (50) represents the character's actual age in
years. If the character has an available supply of anagathics, list
anagathics as a possession. If the character is currently in withdrawal from
anagathics (just lost the anagathics supply this term), add an exclamation
point after the age: Age 34! (50).
AGING CRISIS
If, as a result of aging, a characteristic is reduced to zero, the
character has an aging crisis and becomes quite ill. A basic saving throw of
8+ applies to avoid death. If the character survives, recovery is made
immediately. The characteristic which was reduced to zero automatically
becomes 1. This process occurs each time a characteristic is reduced to
zero. If more than one characteristic reaches zero simultaneously, perform a
separate Aging crisis for each characteristic.
Disability: At a certain point in life, characters may quit adventuring:
when the age 66 line of the Aging Table is reached; when any one physical
characteristic (Strength, Dexterity, or Endurance) permanently equals 1; or
when the sum of all three physical attributes equals 10 or less. The player
is then free to generate a new character. Quitting due to disability allows
the player to maintain a reasonably competent character.
- --
Edjs _
------ _ // CI$ : 76427,662
[email removed] \X/ GEnie: [email removed]