CharGen Compatilbility

[CodexofRome]

Assuming the same choices, how similar are character generated in T5 to those created in other versions? Obviously, some skills are different, but how different would a four-term scout generated in MgT be from one created in T5. Would they have the same or different cumulative skill levels? Could you use another, previous traveller system to generate characters to play in T5?

 

[robject]

Assuming the same choices, how similar are character generated in T5 to those created in other versions? Obviously, some skills are different, but how different would a four-term scout generated in MgT be from one created in T5. Would they have the same or different cumulative skill levels? Could you use another, previous traveller system to generate characters to play in T5?

I think most other versions will be significantly different than Traveller5.

However, MgT (Mongoose Traveller) is a special case. Since its skills list and careers list stem from Traveller5, it is possible to port characters between the two systems. The most significant obstacle is psionics, which in T5 is much different than all other versions.

Otherwise, conversion is mainly adjusting skill levels, and rolling on appropriate auxiliary tables if needed. Skill level conversion is more or less this kind of mapping:

  MGT          T5       Definition      
   0            1       Dabbler; Amateur
   1         2 and 3    Capable
   2         4 and 5    Professional
   3         6 and 7    Good
   4         8 and 9    Specialist
   5            10      Exceptional

Note 1. Mongoose characters generally have lots of 0 and 1s, a few level-2s, and maybe one or two at level 3. There's a rare 4, and I might have seen a 5 once only. So the range seems to be okay.

Note 2. Where T5 has two possible values, I suggest the player allocates half of his skills at level X to the lower number, and the other half to the higher. For example, if MGT Eneri has Rifle-2 and Pilot-2, in T5 he could have Rifle-4 and Pilot-5.

As in all rules of thumb, don't let players abuse it.

 

[aramis]

Assuming the same choices, how similar are character generated in T5 to those created in other versions? Obviously, some skills are different, but how different would a four-term scout generated in MgT be from one created in T5. Would they have the same or different cumulative skill levels? Could you use another, previous traveller system to generate characters to play in T5?

Closest comparison is T4. T4 generates roughly the same total levels per year, but since the skill differences are profound, the resulting characters look rather different.

MGT works out rather differently (and Robject's nifty conversion ignores that MGT characters can hit 6+ fairly easily... with 6+ terms... by players who pick the same table every roll... and can have up to 14 skill levels on skills on that table... by picking the right table. And 6+ terms isn't hard to do.) The skill lists handle specializations quite differently, too; compatibility suffers there. They started with the T5 draft list, and changed it quite a bit before even getting to playtest...

 

[Shonner]

Assuming the same choices, how similar are character generated in T5 to those created in other versions? Obviously, some skills are different, but how different would a four-term scout generated in MgT be from one created in T5. Would they have the same or different cumulative skill levels? Could you use another, previous traveller system to generate characters to play in T5?

Mongoose Traveller and Traveller 5 use different die roll mechanics for skill checks, so skill levels are different in each version.

 

[aramis]

MGT
Thinking about this a bit more... the MGT scout will have 4-12 skill levels, centered around 6-7, plus 3-10 level 0 skills. For the skills that specialize, he can take each specialization as a separate skill. An attribute gain is about 1/3 as valuable for any given skill as a skill level in that skill, but applies more broadly; still, skill levels can make up for weak attributes, and the low number of rolls mean that it's not that tempting.

T5
The T5 scout will have 16-32 skill/knowledge levels, and for specialzation skills, his 1st two levels are in a specialization, then the rest can be in the broad skill. He's more likely to have dumped rolls into attributes, too, because attributes are more important. So, let's assume at least one roll per term, probably not more than 2, so he's got 4-8 attribute points up with a typical player, tho' with munchkins, it may be as much as 16-24 points up, with only enough levels to hit level 3 in a few key skills. (He's fine as long as he sticks below skill); conversely, if the stats match some concept the player had in mind, and he's not mechanically minded, he might not have any...

He's likely to have a LOT wider range... but is actually mathematically LESS competent at anything past about Difficult.

 

[robject]

MGT works out rather differently (and Robject's nifty conversion ignores that MGT characters can hit 6+ fairly easily... with 6+ terms... by players who pick the same table every roll... and can have up to 14 skill levels on skills on that table... by picking the right table. And 6+ terms isn't hard to do.)

I haven't actually seen that happen, but that sounds reasonable. I wonder if my mapping can simply be extended.

 

[aramis]

I haven't actually seen that happen, but that sounds reasonable. I wonder if my mapping can simply be extended.

I've had players wind up with 8 levels+ in a core skill in 6 terms... one was an engineer, so it was 3/3/2 in different specialties. The other was an 8 term journalist, with an 8 in Art - 4 each writing and holography.

 

[CodexofRome]

My primary interest asking the original question is whether MgT materials could be used to generate characters otherwise suitable for T5. While I've found things I like in T5, I'm not terribly happy with T5's character generation. Besides just being able to get through it without wrestling with errata and having to search for various elements, some of the careers seem to me to be a lot less interesting than as presented in MgT. One example for me is the Rogue.

Obviously, I could just use MgT. But, having purchased T5, I'm looking to put it into play.

 

[robject]

My primary interest asking the original question is whether MgT materials could be used to generate characters otherwise suitable for T5. While I've found things I like in T5, I'm not terribly happy with T5's character generation. Besides just being able to get through it without wrestling with errata and having to search for various elements, some of the careers seem to me to be a lot less interesting than as presented in MgT. One example for me is the Rogue.

Obviously, I could just use MgT. But, having purchased T5, I'm looking to put it into play.

In that case, the short answer is "yes" (skill mapping is the only real issue, and that's not without a solution). For longer answers: see previous posts!

 

[aramis]

My primary interest asking the original question is whether MgT materials could be used to generate characters otherwise suitable for T5. While I've found things I like in T5, I'm not terribly happy with T5's character generation. Besides just being able to get through it without wrestling with errata and having to search for various elements, some of the careers seem to me to be a lot less interesting than as presented in MgT. One example for me is the Rogue.

Obviously, I could just use MgT. But, having purchased T5, I'm looking to put it into play.

Given that Mongoose averages between 1.6 and 2 skill levels per term (variance due to special event tables by career), and T5 between 4 and 8, you need to essentially tripple the skill level from MGT to maintain parity for the T5 Task system; you can, however, instead use the MGT task system; a rough mapping is by label, rather than direct comparison. It will generate decidedly different probabilities.

1D Easy EAS becomes DM+4
2D Average AVE Becomes DM+0
3D Difficult DIF Becomes DM-2
4D Formidable FOR Becomes DM-6
5D Staggering STA Becomes DM-8
6D Hopeless HOP becomes DM-10
7D Impossible becomes DM-12

 

[Shonner]

Just wrapping my brain around this... Using MgT characters with T5's difficulty levels with MgT's die mechanic....

 

[aramis]

Just wrapping my brain around this... Using MgT characters with T5's difficulty levels with MgT's die mechanic....

It will work.

How well it will work is a totally different thing....

 

[robject]

Just wrapping my brain around this... Using MgT characters with T5's difficulty levels with MgT's die mechanic....

Yes, in a sense it is "matching impedence" between T5's and MgT's task systems.

I was surprised that they (appear) to map so straightforwardly. I was expecting the difficulty curves or task receipts to be harder to match; a more correct mapping might indeed be more complicated.

 

[Shonner]

It will work.

How well it will work is a totally different thing....

I know it will work. It's just different.

 

[robject]

I've had players wind up with 8 levels+ in a core skill in 6 terms... one was an engineer, so it was 3/3/2 in different specialties. The other was an 8 term journalist, with an 8 in Art - 4 each writing and holography.

Are these characters somewhat over-specialized? And, how was the engineer's specialties (3/3/2) broken down? Is this more than simply three separate skills?

 

[aramis]

Are these characters somewhat over-specialized? And, how was the engineer's specialties (3/3/2) broken down? Is this more than simply three separate skills?

Engineer was Jump, Power, Maneuver. Any one of these grants level 0 to all other Engineer specialties, so, yes, it's more than three separate skills, but not much more.

A 10 term Journalist isn't over specialized - his Journalism 8 was swapped for Journalism 4 and Holography 4, simply because neither the player nor I wanted that high a skill level.

Heck, I've seen CT characters with Skill 6+, and CT advanced with 8+, in a single skill, due to 7-8 terms, and rolling a single table aiming for a different skill...

 

[robject]

I can see a CT character with 6 levels of skill. Isn't that character's usefulness dulled a bit by that degree of specialization?

 

[aramis]

I can see a CT character with 6 levels of skill. Isn't that character's usefulness dulled a bit by that degree of specialization?

For 7-8 term Rank 4+ characters (11+ rolls total), not really. Especially if it's in an "Every Rank useful" skill, like Admin, Steward, or Trader. (18 day predictions with Trader are REALLY useful as a line's factor.)

 

[Shonner]

If you have good rolls other than getting a level 6 in a skill, you can end up with other skills to round-out the character more. And he hasn't suffered from aging. He'll be in his late 50s with decent attributes still. But this rarely happens during chargen.