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19:54, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

B: Character Generation.

Posted by StarMasterFor group 0
StarMaster
GM, 2 posts
Sun 28 Apr 2019
at 06:09
  • msg #1

Character Generation

This is a quick summary of the basic rules of Traveller.

     Each player will have their own thread for character creation.

     Maximum terms for a character is 6, though you can, of course, have less terms. I will allow any Mongoose Traveller book for characters (except Zhodani and Darrian), as well as Spica's Career books.

Character Generation Checklist

Basic character generation uses the following steps:

1. Roll characteristics and determine characteristic modifiers.
    House Rule: roll 2d6 seven times, discard the lowest roll. If you roll snake-eyes (two 1s), you can reroll or choose to keep that roll.
     Hopeless Characters: If you have three scores with negative DMs, you can re-roll two of them and then take the better of the two rolls. Also, if the stats are still wonky, the Referee may bestow a few extra points to add to your stats.

2. a. Choose a Species and homeworld.
    Besides Human, you can be a Vargr or a renegade Aslan.
    House Rule: Homeworld should be somewhere in the Trojan Reach Sector... unless you have a good back-story for why you are so far from home.
    Special Cases (use special Life Events tables):
Drinax (Floating Palace)
You are a noble of the Kingdom of Drinax, just like everyone else who lives on the Floating Palace. You grew up amid the decaying wonders of the citadel, learning the history and the glorious deeds of your ancestors.
Characteristics:STR -1, END -1, EDU +1, SOC +1
Suggested Careers:Noble, Scholar, Navy, Entertainer

Drinax (wasted surface)
You are a Vespexer, one of the tribes who wander the blasted surface of Drinax. Two hundred years ago, the Aslan wiped out your world and condemned your ancestors to a living hell. The King in his floating palace may claim you as one of his subjects, but the Vespexers kneel to no-one.
Characteristics:END +2, EDU -1, SOC -1
Likely Careers:Army, Citizen (colonist), Drifter, Rogue, Scout

Asim
The minor agricultural world of Asim is the only province left to the Kings of Drinax. Prior to the reconquest, the Asim were ruled by the cryptic Foundation; life has improved marginally for the peasants since then, but the planet is still a low-tech backwater.
Characteristics:END +1, EDU -1
Likely Careers:Army, Citizen (colonist), Drifter, Entertainer, Marine.

b. BACKGROUND SKILLS: you gain 3 + Edu DM background skills based on skills listed for your homeworld type. Any extra skills can be taken from the Education list.
   Homeworld: Growing up on your homeworld gave you skills that depend on the planet’s nature. You can select any skill that matches your homeworld’s planetary description and trade codes. Otherwise, just note down what traits you chose for your homeworld – you can generate the world later using the rules on page 167.

DESCRIPTION / TRADE CODESKILL GAINED AT RANK 0
Agricultural:Animals
Asteroid:Zero-G
Desert:Survival
Fluid Oceans:Seafarer
Garden:Animals
High Technology:Computers
High Population:Streetwise
Ice-Capped:Vacc Suit
Industrial:Trade
Low Technology:Survival
Poor:Animals
Rich:Carouse
Water World:Seafarer
Vacuum:Vacc Suit

c. EDUCATION: A formal education gives you a basic level of competence in various sciences and academic disciplines. Every character may choose your Education skills from the following list. You get 1 skill automatically, plus an additional number equal to your EDU modifier. You get each skill at +1.

EDUCATION SKILLS
AdminComputerPhysical Science
AdvocateDriveLife Science
ArtEngineerSocial Science
CarouseLanguageSpace Science
CommsMedicTrade
------------------------------------

d. House Rule--Special Skill: Swimming.
     If you know your homeworld's hydrographic rating, roll 2d6-2; if it's less than or equal to the hydrographic rating, roll 1d-1 for your Ranks in Swimming
     If you don't know your homeworld's hydrographic rating, roll 1d-3 for your Rank in swimming.


3. a. Choose a career. You cannot choose a career you have already left. (Careers from MgT1 & 2 and Spica are usable.)
     House Rule: You get one Mulligan (dice re-roll) per term: qualifying, skill/training table, survival, promotion, event, advancement or mustering out benefits.
    b. Roll to qualify for that career.
    c. If you qualify for that career, go to Step 4.
    d. If you do not qualify for that career, then you can go to the Draft or enter the Drifter career. The Draft can put you back into a career you have been forced to leave, at your old rank. You can only apply for the Draft once.

4. If this is your first time in this career, you get all your Basic Training/Service skills at Rank 1.
     House Rule: Gain +1 to any Basic Training/Service skill in your 1st term. This represents your Career Specialty.

5. Choose an Assignment for this career.

6. Choose one of the Skills and Training tables for this career and roll on it.
     House Rule: You can choose a Personal Training, Service Skill or Specialty Skill instead of rolling for it in each term, which can help avoid gaining multiple levels in not-so-useful skills.
    a. Roll for survival on this career.
    b. If you succeed, go to Step 7.
    c. If you did not succeed, then events have forced you from this career.
Roll on the Mishap table, then go to Step 9, then maybe Step 5 for your next four-year term, or Step 12 if you wish to finish your character.

7. a. Roll for Events.
    b. Optionally, establish a Connection with another player character.
    NOTE #1: your Events do not have to be used to establish a Connection--they just might be something noteworthy that happened to you during that career.
    NOTE #2: your Events can be shifted around between terms in the same Career, just not between Careers.

8. a. Roll for Advancement
    b. If you succeed, choose one of the skills and training tables for this career and roll on it. Increase your Rank and take any bonus skills from the Ranks table for this career. Go to step 9 if you wish to leave the career, or step 5 to continue with this career.
    c. If you roll less than the number of terms spent in this career, you must leave this career.
    d. Military characters (Army, Navy, Marines) can roll for commission instead of rolling for advancement.

9. Increase your age by 4 years. If your character is 34 or older, roll for Aging.

10. If you are leaving the career, roll for Benefits.

11. If you have left your current career, then go to Step 3 to choose a new career, or to Step 12 if you wish to finish your character. Otherwise, go to Step 5.

12. Finalize any Connections with other characters. For your first two Connections, you can gain one skill at Rank 1 or increase an existing skill 1 Rank but you cannot increase a skill past Rank 3. You can have as many Connections as you want, but you only gain a skill benefit from two of them.

PRE-GAME START
13. Campaign Skills Package will be the Criminal Skill Package (for campaigns involving crime and elaborate heists):

Skill Choices
Broker +1Persuade +1
Deception +1Pilot +1
Electronics +1Stealth +1
Medic +1Streetwise +1

   House Rule: If you are joining the game at a later time, you can choose 2 skills from the Campaign Skill Pack, as everyone has already made their choices.

14. House Rule: Edges and Flaws (Optional)
     Just another way to give your character a bit of definition to make it different from everyone else. You can choose one free Edge for your character. You do not need to take a Flaw to compensate for the Edge. If you want to have more than one Edge, you need to take a Flaw to pay for it. You can also chose one or more Flaws just to represent your character's personality. NOTE that there are a few Flaws (such as Enemy) that you can gain through Career Events--choosing a Flaw here is in addition to those.

15. Purchase starting equipment.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:57, Mon 21 Nov 2022.
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