Which is precisely why they were in banking and finance: Jews were forbidden to own property, but they could own money. And Christianity frowned on banking as a career path (Lev 25:36-37, for example, paraphrased by ol' Billy as "Neither a borrower nor a lender be.")Same happened to Jews in medieval Europe. They had the money, they were the bankers and in most cases they have the ear of the nobles and kings (as most were indebted with them), but they could not own land, as they were seen as too low socially to do so, and had few rights…
to properly decide which heartland American kid'sRemember, the debutants need to know if you're married, and what's your annual income.
backseat to be a debutante in.Going by being a Midwesterner
Would someone really have a low SOC in the Imperium?
What would that look like?
I speculate with some confidence AND I just found a whole bunch of RAW to prove me wrong , courtesy of the IISS.The big question is how well does SOC translate across cultures and worlds.
The big question is how well does SOC translate across cultures and worlds.
World Builder's Handbook p.184
CULTURAL TRAIT SUMMARY
Trait Code Low Value High Value Diversity D Monolithic Multicultural Xenophilia X Xenophobic Xenophilic Uniqueness U Normal Obscure Symbology S Concrete Abstract Cohesion C Individualistic Collective Progressiveness P Reactionary Radical Expansionism E Passive Expansionistic Militancy M Peaceful Militant
World Builder's Handbook p.181
USING CULTURE FOR DMS
The values of the cultural characteristics can be the basis of DMs for certain social interactions, although whether a positive or negative DM applies depends greatly on the situation. When using cultural traits, appropriate DMs are:
Trait Value Possible +/- DM 1-2 23-5 16-8 09–B (11) 1C–E (12–14) 2F–H (15–17) 3J+ (18+) 4
The value of SOC in the game fully depends (even more than other stats) on the kind of adventures you play.
Most published adventures are either mercenary or barely legal issues, not the ones the noble class engages on openly, and not the ones you'd look for volunteers among the nobles. On them, rank, position on a ship and skill will have more importance than SOC.
If you intend to play an adventure in Capital (or a Duke's court), SOC will have most importance.
After all, IRL, if you work on a tramp freighter, or a mercenary unit, or as troublemaker, few will care if you have blue blood or you come from the worst slums in your city, but if you intend to earn your wadges on diplomacy, being the brother of the Earl of Whoknowswhere, educated in Eaton, will open you many doors and help you in your career.
Bladerunner (1982)
"Stop right where you are! You know the score, pal. You're not cop, you're little people!"
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
...secondly, you must be a pirate for the pirate's code to apply and you're not. And thirdly, the code is more what you'd call "guidelines" than actual rules.
I speculate with some confidence AND I just found a whole bunch of RAW to prove me wrong , courtesy of the IISS.
Speculation: To be a member of Third Imperium means a world has follow some basic rules to prove and maintain fealty. I suggest one aspect that must exist if not formally, but at least as courtesy is an observance/respect for Imperial Patents of Nobility. At the least, like the Imperial Rules of War lacking specifics (except the nukes), member worlds should respect the nobility of other worlds whether they are "actual" or "service/courtesy" nobles (however T5 does that). It would at the least be impolitic to go harassing/imprisoning/killing nobles of other worlds for their cultural differences. Nobles with the higher titles may actually cause your world problems should they survive!
The nobility provides a commonality of SOC practices if not rules across which all 3I worlds must be aware of, even if they would rather not follow. "Little people" are not necessarily so fortunate. But there are rules for them in my next post...
SOC 10 at age 18 would be someone who has been to the right schools (Eton, Harrow, Winchester, etc or, rather, their 3I equivalent) - you have the wealth and connections, but not the clout, someone whose parent received a knighthood or achieved high rank in an Imperial career, or a member of a junior (untitled) branch of a noble family.As an example of SOC importance, I remember there was an adventure for MT that involved a SolSec agent. It was specified that this agent will probably ahve a file on any character who was rank 6 or SOC B+
Another detail: SOC A is considered noble for many pourposes (incluiding enetering on the Noble career in CT/MT), but holds no title. I guess they would be what in england is known as Squire, not full nobles, but with some of their privileges...
Did he buy the Whomobile from the BBC?Ever get pulled over, because you don't look like you should own an air/raft?
That proper education component is part of why I settled on EDU as social rank. The upper classes will MAKE SURE their progeny attend the right schools to be educated to run things and socialize with the ‘right’ people.SOC 10 at age 18 would be someone who has been to the right schools (Eton, Harrow, Winchester, etc or, rather, their 3I equivalent) - you have the wealth and connections, but not the clout, someone whose parent received a knighthood or achieved high rank in an Imperial career, or a member of a junior (untitled) branch of a noble family.
How far does a Cee Plus average get you in Education?
Schooling at that level is preparatory to what the role(s) the aristocratic progeny is supposed to play in society.
And networking.
The thing about 'The right schools' is no one cares what your GPA was. You can brag about your 4.0 from Harvard or Yale, but all the ringknockers care about is that you graduated.That proper education component is part of why I settled on EDU as social rank. The upper classes will MAKE SURE their progeny attend the right schools to be educated to run things and socialize with the ‘right’ people.
More mobility in terms of those correspondence courses upping rank and scientists/academics/doctors being respected, so a different milieu then the strict class structure, but the right school component is a big part of maintaining ‘proper social order’.
It would be more like Nobel Prize guy that invented the jump drive is invited to the Mars estate soirée with people with similar education rank levels, but he is doing engineering and they aren’t- or maybe something like a better tax code.The thing about 'The right schools' is no one cares what your GPA was. You can brag about your 4.0 from Harvard or Yale, but all the ringknockers care about is that you graduated.
That said, there are absolutely various circles in which your Edu level, not just school, but highest degree attained, is the status-determining criteria. Generally these are academic and research posts and not necessarily applicable to outside society.
I always treated EDU as 2 years per point. A baron C level would be equivalent to bachelors 8 + Masters 1 to 9 + perhaps a couple PhDs to C.How far does a Cee Plus average get you in Education?
Schooling at that level is preparatory to what the role(s) the aristocratic progeny is supposed to play in society.
And networking.
This is circling back around to the high Soc for alternate reasons such as described below. You can write up an alternate Soc list for academic prestige.It would be more like Nobel Prize guy that invented the jump drive is invited to the Mars estate soirée with people with similar education rank levels, but he is doing engineering and they aren’t- or maybe something like a better tax code.
High Soc for various fields is entirely campaign specific, and you can be as rich as you like, and control as many lives as you like, but I think in vanilla Traveller, a Soc C Baron will absoltely have rank on any CEO, however Mega their corp, or planetary official, however high in any extraplanetary issue. And a Soc A courtier may hold themselves above the hoi polloi no matter their wealth or planetary position, but that'd almost certainly never come up unless it was about who got served first at a state dinner.IMTU 2 is a robot, you get to do robot career automatically, 3-5 is a clone or chimera, 6-9 regular people, and A+ are named backgrounds from a table:
View attachment 5423
Nonetheless people can have social standing in the 2-5 range, and the negative DM acts as a positive for Streetwise and such skills. Where higher Social really stands out is in Advocate, or Liaison.