MGT Only: Clayton Ford

[Claytonford]

It's my first traveler campaign and I'm definitely a noob. I started off with a Scout ship but we just got our hand on a bigger ship with more cargo space and hardpoints so I turned the old girl in.

I try to play my character as brash, but not a psychopath. I will often threaten people given the situation, but I'm not shooting people without discretion.
I don't really know what is to be expected as an ex-scout. I mean, I kinda do. I play it as kind of a "not taking shit from you, if you're not well equipped to vaporize me" kinda way. Other than that I feel like he is my bland first concept type of character. Like making a dwarf fighter in D&D who hates orcs and likes to drink.

Our group has just created "side characters" to be extra hands on the ship and replace our main characters if they die. I wanted to play a Vargr boxer running away from my debts and double crossing. Instead I ended up with a psionic Vargr with a Charisma of 13. I'm even more confused about this guy. I know I should keep my powers somewhat quiet, but being a highly influential Vargr and having a secret power kinda intrigues me.

Any feedback is welcome as I am a very fresh player who is intrigued by this wonderful game.

 

[Fox's Master]

Welcome to the Imperium

Clayton,

While this is your first foray into Traveller, I'm curious as to how many years you've engaged in RPGs? The reason I ask is more about trying to determine your experience and exposure rather than to give you the "right" answer. What I would recommend is work closely with your GM to write an in-depth background. What your character has experienced in the past will definitely have an impact, one way or the other, on how you see the world; react to or treat others; respect or dismiss authority, etc.

I wish you the best of luck...as a 30-year RPGer ~ from Traveller, D&D (AD&D and currently 3.5), and Serenity ~ I mildly envy your noob-ness when everything is completely fresh.

Cheers,
Joe

 

[Claytonford]

I have been playing 3.x for the last ten years. Besides D&D I have played Iron Kingdoms a couple times.

 

[Fox's Master]

Thanks, Clayton...I'll stick to my previous advice. Discuss your character with the GM. For simplicity's sake, flesh-out the following areas:

• Likes
• Dislikes
• Fears
• Emotional
• Financial
• Intellectual
• Social

Once you have an idea about these aspects of your character, you can easily write-up a few pages serving as a background which will provide great hooks for the adventure, such as:

• Romantic Interests
• Friends
• Enemies
• Contacts

Good luck with the adventure!

Cheers,
Joe

 

[Jame]

I have been playing 3.x for the last ten years. Besides D&D I have played Iron Kingdoms a couple times.

Welcome to Traveller! Don't be afraid to draw on your experiences in D&D and IKRPG (IKRPG being another game I wish I could play more often).

 

[Dagrill]

Our group has just created "side characters" to be extra hands on the ship and replace our main characters if they die. I wanted to play a Vargr boxer running away from my debts and double crossing. Instead I ended up with a psionic Vargr with a Charisma of 13. I'm even more confused about this guy. I know I should keep my powers somewhat quiet, but being a highly influential Vargr and having a secret power kinda intrigues me.

Any feedback is welcome as I am a very fresh player who is intrigued by this wonderful game.

Hi,
As a high charisma Vargr you are top dog, assess where everyone stands relative to you and gives you appropriate respect, you can use non-lethal confrontation to determine relative ranks. You might be a former world ruler who has been usurped and want to take your home back someday...

With the Psionics it depends whether you are in the Imperium where they are banned or Vargr space where they are not as to whether secrecy is appropriate.

Regards

David

 

[whulorigan]

[FONT=arial,helvetica]As a high charisma Vargr you are top dog, assess where everyone stands relative to you and gives you appropriate respect, you can use non-lethal confrontation to determine relative ranks. You might be a former world ruler who has been usurped and want to take your home back someday...

With the Psionics it depends whether you are in the Imperium where they are banned or Vargr space where they are not as to whether secrecy is appropriate.[/FONT]

Also, the Vargr Thirz Empire (the large polity straddling Gvurrdon & Ziafrplians Sectors at the spinward edge of the Vargr Extents that looks like it has taken a "bite" out of the Zhodani Consulate) is a psionic-friendly state (what a surprise . . ). It has an aristocratic form of governemnt that employs psionics as well. Maybe you are "out of favour . . . "

See:
MgT Alien Module 2: Vargr
MgT Alien Module 4: Zhodani

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Thirz_Empire
http://www.travellermap.com/?x=-111.719&y=100.933&scale=16&options=58231&style=poster

 

[Ref00000]

I'm glad to see folks stepping up with advice, and input.
even more so, to see a player reaching out to the community to improve their game and the group experience.


The Vargr in question does indeed come from a background that does not stigmatize psi. the high charisma deal is a result, in my thinking, of carriage and attitude, as well as no small amount of well deserved self assurance on the part of the character.
He's fully trained, and has a large number of abilities most sophonts have no idea about. This carries across as charisma, IMO.

 

[SpaceBadger]

I'm curious as to how your Vargr ended up so different from what you originally intended. Were you not allowed much choice in char-gen (where to allocate stat rolls, frex) or did you change your mind as you were building him, or what? Or would your GM allow you to roll another one to try to go more with your original concept?

You might suggest that the purpose of the char-gen rules is to create roughly "equal powered" characters who fit into the campaign setting, not to deprive players of playing the characters they want to play.

 

[Vladika]

You might suggest that the purpose of the char-gen rules is to create roughly "equal powered" characters who fit into the campaign setting, not to deprive players of playing the characters they want to play.

THANK YOU!

 

[Ref00000]

the player's choice vs. {whatever}

the player in question ended up having a very high C6, and high PSI.
I rolled FLUX. {yes, I use FLUX rolls in Mongoose Traveller}
the question in my head was {Trained PSI Y/N} he got a High Pos.
Outside the Imperium this translated to "this Vargr is a trained PSI character, if the Player wants it" a result I would have not allowed an inexperienced player to even have if he or she were "human, 3rd Imperium" in origin.
The Player ALWAYS has the option to scrap the PC, and roll another one.
I don't use 'Iron Man' rules.
as a point of fact I have the Players roll as followed:
Roll 3d6, discard lowest die.
Roll 7 "stats", discard lowest
place stats in any order you please
in addition I frequently allow 1s to be rerolled.
if you can't roll a massively playable heroic PC at my table? you're fracking cursed, OK?
so let's hear no more of this 'railroading' line of thought, yes?
If a Player doesn't want to give up a really good character on paper, I can't help that, but I'm sure as shooting going to put some thumb on them from the get-go.
the Vargr in question is more or less, a Mary-Sue in training.
amazing stats. fully trained in ALL Psi Talents.
low number of trained skills, but that was to stop him from being unbalanced compared to everyone else. with experience added? unless he gets killed, he'll be ruling a pocket Empire, or promoted to Nobility.
I fail to see a problem with this character. but hey, I'm just reffing the Game.
talk to me about this at the table, Clayton.
I'm not starting a dust-up here. really, really not.
but I won't have folks thinking you got reamed in some fashion. I'd have killed for a PC that good.