Character Creation

[Sicarius]

I'm trying to understand some aspects of character creation and starting with a Scout. These are the issues which are confusing me so far.
Using T5 v1.0 3 book hard set. ( I edited out some things from the original post as I was using the PDF and now see it is very different from the books)

Joe Scout
89A877

Phase:_______ - (My understanding)
.....................................................
A:
Continue Int - (2nd or more terms roll Int or under to continue. Failure washes me out of the scouts)
If I wash out can I then try a new career such as Marine or Merchant? Any there limitations to my choices?

B:
If Courier Duty 4 - (Roll 4 skills from Table C (Can it be from any list 1 to 7, even Explorer? If not, how do I know which lists I can use?))
If Explorer Duty 8 - (Roll 8 skills from Table C - Any List I assume)

D: Muster Out - (1 roll per term or 4 years spent in service. DM + terms AFTER the 1st term? So Term 1 = DM 0, Term 2 = DM +1 ? Fame/2 rounded down? So Fame 1 = DM 0?)

Fame: I assume this starts at 1 for all characters but cannot find it. A Scout gets x4 Fame per discovery per the Fame section. If Fame starts at 0 then 0x4 = 0 so that is why I am guessing it must at 1. I also assume this is totaled at the end of all careers. Two discoveries = 1x8= 8, NOT Fame 1x4=4 x4 = 16??

Ship shares: The cost to buy a ship is the same in shares as to get one on loan. exp: Free Trader 4 shares to purchase / 4 to get on loan. Is this wrong? If not, why would I ever spend shares to take a ship on loan? If wrong anyone know the correct rate? Such as 1/2 cost to own in shares allows for a loan. What are the terms of the loan? How long? % of?

 

[ThornPlutonius]

Using T5 v1.0 3 book hard set. ( I edited out some things from the original post as I was using the PDF and now see it is very different from the books)

Where there is a conflict between the physical books and the pdfs, go with the pdfs.

 

[agorski]

Using T5 v1.0 3 book hard set.

I highly recommend getting the T5.10 PDFs. Much improved.

If I wash out can I then try a new career such as Marine or Merchant? Any there limitations to my choices?

Yes, you can try a new career. Some careers have prerequisites (Craftsman, Functionary), some must be your final career (Noble, Functionary).

If Courier Duty 4 - (Roll 4 skills from Table C (Can it be from any list 1 to 7, even Explorer? If not, how do I know which lists I can use?))
If Explorer Duty 8 - (Roll 8 skills from Table C - Any List I assume)

Yes, you can roll from any list.

Fame: I assume this starts at 1 for all characters but cannot find it. A Scout gets x4 Fame per discovery per the Fame section. If Fame starts at 0 then 0x4 = 0 so that is why I am guessing it must at 1. I also assume this is totaled at the end of all careers. Two discoveries = 1x8= 8, NOT Fame 1x4=4 x4 = 16??

Fame is additive. I think it starts at 0.

 

[Sicarius]

Thanks for the thoughts and info. I have PDF T .9 and did not realize there was a newer one. Having purchased two copies of the 3 book set, ($160.00), I just grabbed a pdf off the web. I assume I'll have to shell out another $40 to get a slightly more usable version? Is it so much different that the sets will remain expensive books ends?

Fame as written is a mess. I could roll the flux die and get a -5 at the beginning of character creation before any mods. This would make those x# mods very interesting indeed. I'm on page 90 of the first book and so much of this feels like nobody ever play tested and marked up a copy while doing so for the final printed books.

Ah well, been here before.

 

[agorski]

The 3 book set is T5.10 and is much improved over T5.09.

 

[Sicarius]

The 3 book set is T5.10 and is much improved over T5.09.

Oh.... now that is scary. This system really...REALLY...needs a How To guide with more examples. At least one per character type as they all have slightly different creation rules. Maybe the mythical Player's Guide. I'll go back to Fame because I'm currently in that area. Unless I have missed something as written it can be interpreted in several different ways. One example: If a Scout begins with 0 Fame, because that is what a civilian has and scouts are likely drawn from civilians, any increase in Fame mathematically results in 0. Rolling Fame Flux during character creation BEFORE getting rewards could result in Fame -5x3 = -15 up to Fame 5x3 = 15 for doing the same exact thing. Too much guessing for my tastes in a system which obviously is meant to be a definitive work. The potential in T5 is awesome. I am amaved by it's scope and vision. I just think it lacks much needed polish.

 

[Panzerkraken]

Scouts receive Fame +1 per successful reward roll when generating their career. Final fame is generated post-career, so when that scout retires, he multiplies his Discoveries (which is what they call the reward success) by x4 to determine final fame.

 

[whartung]

Oh.... now that is scary. This system really...REALLY...needs a How To guide with more examples. At least one per character type as they all have slightly different creation rules. Maybe the mythical Player's Guide.

Or you can take some initiative, head over to the wiki, make a page for rolling up one character of each type, document your process and let folks know what you did.

If you're confused in the process, find an inconsistency, document it, make a choice by fiat to get past the hurdle and carry on.

If there are errors, folks can read and correct them. One thing we've learned folks are great at kibitzing and not so much at creating. So get the hard part done and I'm sure folks will pile on.

 

[Panzerkraken]

Or you can take some initiative, head over to the wiki, make a page for rolling up one character of each type, document your process and let folks know what you did.

If you're confused in the process, find an inconsistency, document it, make a choice by fiat to get past the hurdle and carry on.

If there are errors, folks can read and correct them. One thing we've learned folks are great at kibitzing and not so much at creating. So get the hard part done and I'm sure folks will pile on.

Where would that go on the wiki? Because when I was poking at it, I see:

What not to post
The following are Inappropriate articles or content for posting on this wiki.

Game mechanic details. The original license for the Wiki excluded posting of the mechanics, and the guideline still exists today.
Specifics of a Ship/Vehicle/Weapon - don't post enough data to actually use it in the game - No deckplans (a small interesting part perhaps)
Specific game NPCs or PCs, we only want to have "historical" NPCs. If your game details a significant "historical" NPC then post it. (e.g. world leader, important Noble).
Contents of Books/Games - This is copyright violation and should the wiki should only have samples and extracts.

Like, that's an interesting project, and I'd be into it, but it doesn't seem to fit with the guidelines.

 

[Proneutron]

One thing we've learned folks are great at kibitzing and not so much at creating.

Many are good at creating but they aren't getting paid to. The companies that make games ARE paid... Therefore, it is incumbent on the people being PAID to "take some initiative" and get the rules smoothed out so basic char gen questions don't require house rules to get through them.

 

[Panzerkraken]

Many are good at creating but they aren't getting paid to. The companies that make games ARE paid... Therefore, it is incumbent on the people being PAID to "take some initiative" and get the rules smoothed out so basic char gen questions don't require house rules to get through them.

House rules? I've never had to make anything up for T5 character generation, it's all pretty laid out in the existing rules. Are you seeing something I'm not? Outside Chargen, well, that might be a different story, but in that section? I don't see it.

 

[Proneutron]

Outside Chargen, well, that might be a different story, but in that section? I don't see it.

Then read the thread below. :coffeesip:

 

[Panzerkraken]

Then read the thread below. :coffeesip:

The player's guide thread? Sorry, I don't see what you're talking about. You could be more specific.

Edit: Or did you mean the Character Creation thread from 2018 in the Similar Threads, which would be covered under 5.09 and wouldn't apply anymore? Or the one from Supplement 4 from 2014 which would be under 5.0? The first one didn't have any houserules, just a guy working through the process. The second, well S4 was working on his own rules for everything.

 

[agorski]

I'll go back to Fame because I'm currently in that area. Unless I have missed something as written it can be interpreted in several different ways. One example: If a Scout begins with 0 Fame, because that is what a civilian has and scouts are likely drawn from civilians, any increase in Fame mathematically results in 0. Rolling Fame Flux during character creation BEFORE getting rewards could result in Fame -5x3 = -15 up to Fame 5x3 = 15 for doing the same exact thing.

Initial Fame is not rolled during character generation unless called for by the rules (Entertainer career). Scouts get fame +4 for discoveries, Entertainers roll fame flux each term. Otherwise it just appears occasionally for other careers.

It may not help you to understand the process completely, but I've written an iPad app, Citizens of the Imperium, that walks you through the process of character generation for all the careers.

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

Is it so much different that the sets will remain expensive books ends?

The newer T5 3-book set makes the original T5 rulebook an expensive paper brick.

 

[coliver988]

The newer T5 3-book set makes the original T5 rulebook an expensive paper brick.

Not really - there is a lot that did not change, and I use both sets of books. But only as tools: an actual RPG is there I think but under so much detail it is hard to find. So I use those books as toolboxes for specific things I want to explore a bit more without using it as an RPG rules book.

But expensive, yes. But as I mentioned way back in some other thread, you can never have too much Traveller

 

[agorski]

Yeah, there are some useful things in the original book that got cut from later versions. I also refer to it to when there are ambiguities in rules, sometimes comparing the versions clarifies things.

 

[whartung]

Many are good at creating but they aren't getting paid to. The companies that make games ARE paid... Therefore, it is incumbent on the people being PAID to "take some initiative" and get the rules smoothed out so basic char gen questions don't require house rules to get through them.

Sure. But this is T5. A galactic game that's being published on a galactic time frame. The game and ruleset has been a "work in progress" for, what, 12+ years now?

So, one can wait another 5 years for the player book (with the hopes it has what they're looking for), or one could scratch whatever's itching and trying to make progress with the help of the community.

 

[Proneutron]

Sure. But this is T5. A galactic game that's being published on a galactic time frame.

Well, now that you put it THAT way I'll be finished with my sharable Players Guide a least a million years before our sun is finished with its p-p chain reaction cycle.

 

[robject]

Oh.... now that is scary. This system really...REALLY...needs a How To guide with more examples.

1. Yes. Yes, it does.

Maybe the mythical Player's Guide.

2. Yes, and Marc is actively writing it.

3. There is also the "GenCon" T5 fast creation rules, which are simpler and faster than CT's rules (!) but still effectively and clearly Traveller.

Offhand, I don't know where it is online, but surely it's on Marc's website...