Enlisted Ranks for Book 1

[daryen]

Someone mentioned that Book 1 doesn't have any enlisted ranks and completely glosses over that whole concept. The following idea puts enlisted ranks into the Basic Character generation, but does so in a very simple way. The following includes not only Book 1 careers, but Supp 4 careers.
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Enlisted Ranks
If the Commission/Position role is failed, a character may still roll for Promotion. This represents promotion within the enlisted ranks. Succeeding at an enlisted promotion results in an additional skill, just as an officer promotion would. If a character attains an enlisted rank of 5, they may no longer roll for Commission/Position. If a Commission/Position is attained, the enlisted rank is discarded, and they start again with a rank of 1 (which is now an officer rank). A drafted character may still roll for Promotion on their first turn, but it will only be for an enlisted promotion.

Enlisted Rank	Army/Marines	Navy	Merchants/Pirates	Sailors	Diplomats	Bureaucrat
1​	Private	Spacehand	Crewman 1	Sailor	Clerk	Worker 1
2​	Corporal	Petty Officer 3rd Class	Crewman 2	Petty Officer 3rd Class	Attaché	Worker 2
3​	Specialist	Petty Officer 2nd Class	Crewman 3	Petty Officer 2nd Class	Senior Attaché	Worker 3
4​	Sergeant	Petty Officer 1st Class	Crewman 4	Petty Officer 1st Class	Team Leader	Worker 4
5​	Leading Sergeant	Chief Petty Officer	Crewman 5	Chief Petty Officer	Supervisor	Worker 5
6​	Sergeant Major	Master Chief Petty Officer	Crewman 6	Master Chief Petty Officer	Senior Supervisor	Worker 6

All of the above enlisted ranks are below any officer ranks given in The Traveller Book or Citizens of the Imperium. Enlisted ranks provide no modification to the Benefits Table, but do provide full benefit to the Cash Table.

Any career without a Commission/Position roll or a Promotion roll is unaffected by this. They have no ranks at all and purely operate on seniority and ability.

Two exceptions are Barbarians and Nobles. Neither have the equivalent of enlisted ranks, nor is there a chance for Promotion until Position is gained.

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The main point is to allow for former Sergeants and Petty Officers to be running around. I got lazy for Merchants, Pirates, and Bureaucrats, but it does work. Make up your own names, if you want. Barbarians and Nobles are carved out because "enlisted" ranks make no sense for either of them. Note that the rank DM works on the muster out Cash Table because having that kind of seniority still allows for the lucky accumulation of benefits, but doesn't provide a DM on the muster out Benefits Table because those are all geared towards full officers. I don't think enlisted retirees would qualify for them no matter what their enlisted rank is.

Enjoy!

 

[mike wightman]

I've been doing something similar for years, even posted about it a few times.
Just one thing - here in the real world high ranking enlisted men can still be commissioned, they usually are commissioned at a more advanced rank than O1 or O2.
My rule of thumb was a commission at an O rank half that of the enlisted rank round up.

 

[Condottiere]

There's probably a cap on advancement, tied to education and social standing.

 

[Spinward Flow]

There's probably a cap on advancement, tied to education and social standing.

O ranks, sure, an argument can be made along those lines.
E ranks ... not so much ...

 

[daryen]

I had always been told by former military at you will "age out" of the ability to be commissioned. Also, since there is a high degree of "starting over", most people who had advanced past a certain point while enlisted wouldn't even really want to get a commission any more. I am, however, not military, and can only go on second- and third-hand hearsay. Of course, this is all probably irrelevant anyway. You'd have to go for a minimum of five terms to get to Enlisted Rank 5, so I'd probably keep that limit in there.

The point of this effort is twofold:
1) To give some recognition to enlisted who never gain commission/position and make them something better than just "3-term Army". Now they are an Army Corporal or Army Specialist.
2) To let the character get an extra skill even if commission/position is never made. (Which, honestly, is the main mechanical reason for wanting to get a promotion.)

On rank advancement, I can see some kind of limit for officer ranks, but not enlisted ranks. However, since no version of Traveller I have ever read doesn't have any limit on officer ranks, I just wouldn't bother with limiting officer ranks. Regardless, this thread is about enlisted ranks, and I can't see any limits for them.

 

[Hairy Jim DeGriz]

Have you developed and NCO Skills table or certain skills that are automatically awarded at say E4 and E6? Leader -1 and Admin -1 come to mind for the military. Also Liason and/or Tactics, depending on the Branch.

 

[daryen]

Honestly, I hadn't even thought of that. But I don't think it is either necessary or should be done.

The reason I don't think it is necessary is because it already meets the goals I set for it (listed above), and the character is already getting an extra skill they wouldn't have otherwise gained every time they get a promotion in enlisted rank. So, without doing anything more, it is already a net positive for the character. (Plus the extra cash at the end is also a nice bonus.)

The reason I don't think it should be done is because any career that needs a base, default skill (e.g. Army with Rifle; Marines with Cutlass) already have that skill assigned, and any other bonus skill makes sense for the officer rank it is assigned to. And that doesn't even count the other careers that just don't get a default or bonus skill (e.g. Navy and Other).

Put together, using the above already gives an enlisted character more than they would have otherwise gained. Anything more becomes almost too much.

 

[Grav_Moped]

Honestly, I hadn't even thought of that. But I don't think it is either necessary or should be done.

The reason I don't think it is necessary is because it already meets the goals I set for it (listed above), and the character is already getting an extra skill they wouldn't have otherwise gained every time they get a promotion in enlisted rank. So, without doing anything more, it is already a net positive for the character. (Plus the extra cash at the end is also a nice bonus.)

The reason I don't think it should be done is because any career that needs a base, default skill (e.g. Army with Rifle; Marines with Cutlass) already have that skill assigned, and any other bonus skill makes sense for the officer rank it is assigned to. And that doesn't even count the other careers that just don't get a default or bonus skill (e.g. Navy and Other).

Put together, using the above already gives an enlisted character more than they would have otherwise gained. Anything more becomes almost too much.

Consider providing a choice of Leader or Admin instead of a skill they'd otherwise earn during that term. Everyone gets the training, but it doesn't always "take".

 

[daryen]

Well, I do have another, unrelated house rule that says that the one "guaranteed" skill a character gets per term is chosen, not rolled. It can also be anything the player can justify to the referee. Obviously, they can take anything they would qualify for that is in the tables, but if they want something not in the tables (whether a newer skill from later books or just something that isn't normally available to their career), that is also permissible, but has to be approved by the referee. All other skills (whether the second skill for rank-less careers or the skills gained from commission/position and promotion rolls) are rolled normally.

The point is to allow players to ensure they get at least the core of a character they want, while still allowing for chance to influence things.

But, back to the topic at hand, I don't see the need for automatic skills like those mentioned. Leader should already be present, if required, for officers. That officers don't get it automatically is telling. Same for Admin, Liaison, or Tactics. If any of that should be automatic, it should be automatic for officers more than grunts. And the obvious automatic skills are already present and covered. (And, really, all of the Citizens of the Imperium careers have perfect default skills as it is. It's all well covered.)

For the record, here are all of the default starting skills for the careers covered in Book 1 and Supp 4:
Navy: (none)
Marine: Cutlass
Army: Rifle
Scouts: Pilot
Merchants: (none)
Other: (none)
Barbarian: Sword
Bureaucrat: Admin
Rogue: Streetwise
Noble: (none)
Scientist: Computer and +1 Intel
Hunter: Hunting
Pirate: Brawling
Belter: Vacc Suit
Sailor: Watercraft
Diplomat: Liaison
Doctor: Medical
Flyer: Aircraft

So, the only ones getting screwed are the Navy, Merchants, Other, and Nobles. So, again, a default skill is already covered where the game thought they were needed and appropriate. And, just to stress this point, new default skills are not needed as part of adding enlisted ranks, as this already objectively improves the characters with more skills and the chance for better starting money.

 

[Hairy Jim DeGriz]

I missed that I had wandered into a LBB 1-3 & S-04 conversation. I always thought Navy personnel should get Vacc Suit -1. I like what you've done to add NCOs, who are the backbone of the military. This provides a reasonable means to add skills, and to expand the NPC population. I will add that it probably easier to get promoted up from E1 through E3, and that might warrant a +1 (or 2) DM to the promotion roll if below E5. I know a lot of E3s/4s who only did one term.

 

[Hairy Jim DeGriz]

Doktor Shitzengiggles, noted sociologist of pirate cultures, classified pirate crews using the following heirarchy.

Noob Crewman
Boarding or Fodder Pirate Crewman
Somewhat Useful Pirate Crewman
Useful Pirate Crewman
Very Useful Pirate Crewman
Skilled Pirate Crewman

 

[Ildefonse]

Very nice; for Merchants and Pirates I'd be tempted to just match the Navy enlisted ranks, since that's essentially what the US Maritime Service does.

 

[Condottiere]

And ... Ambitious Rival

 

[Enoki]

O ranks, sure, an argument can be made along those lines.
E ranks ... not so much ...

I'd agree with that. Intelligence and ability would be the primary promotion modifiers. That is if you're competent at your current position and show potential, you get promoted. Social standing and such would be largely irrelevant. If you were somebody, you'd be an officer...

 

[McPerth]

Very nice; for Merchants and Pirates I'd be tempted to just match the Navy enlisted ranks, since that's essentially what the US Maritime Service does.

So, US Maritime Service trains pirates to match the Navy too ?

 

[daryen]

I can see the Merchants matching the Navy.

But, for Pirates, I figure they just use the generic "Crewman". You aren't anyone until you have seized some authority, which is represented by succeeding on a Commission/Position role. Until then, you are just a "crewman".

 

[Spinward Flow]

Pirate Ranks
E1 Squirt
E2 Swabbie
E3 Boarder
E4 Crewman
E5 Salt
E6 Pirate

 

[daryen]

That's as good a list as any.

 

[Condottiere]

The senior non commissioned officer of an army division is likely inundated with paperwork, and needs the respect of the men under him.

According to The Rookie, police sergeants need to taken written exams and presumably have a (good social) credit (score).

In modern terms social standing has a certain flexibility, whereas education doesn't seem to.

 

[aramis]

Specialist should be lower rank than corporal, if it exists at all. And it's a bad idea. Lance Corporal or PFC is a better (and more understandable)
Also, Yanks in space is not a good thing; avoiding it's one thing I think was good with MgT...

Albeit, the commonwealth system is equally recognizable

	Army/Flyer	Marine	Navy/Sailor	Diplo/Bureau
6	Sergeant Major	Sergeant Major	Chief PO	Senior Attaché
5	Master/Flight Sergeant	Gunnery/Master Sergeant	Senior PO	Attaché
4	Sergeant	Sergeant	Petty Officer	Supervisory Clerk
3	Corporal	Corporal	Leading Hand	Senior Clerk
2	Lance Corporal	Lance Corporal	Able Hand	Clerk
1	Private	Marine	Apprentice	Assistant Clerk

The UK RN has bounced back and forth between 2 (PO/CPO) and 3 (JPO, SPO, CPO) petty officer grades for some time; likewise many commonwealth nations likewise. The Leading Hand (addressed as "Leader" has a single anchor in most commonwealth nations; the Jr PO has just crossed anchors, the senior has two fouled anchors, and the CPO a crown on an anchor and/or a wreathed anchor; the space navy wouldn't use anchors... but I can see delta, delta+star, delta+2 Stars, Delta in wreath (CPO). Note that CPOs in the UK navies are sometimes Other Ranks, sometimes warrants. Ship's Senior CPO is now a Warrant, if what I've seen in the documentaries on the current UK RN are any indication, and has dropped the title of CPO for "executive warrant officer"...

Color Sergeant is pretty strongly Commonwealth specific, Master Sergeant is more common worldwide in that place, and Senior Sergeant is also used (albeit moreso in police forces than army) for the 3.5-stripe grade. (3 stripes with a crown or other symbol, such as canada using the stylized leaf.) SgM are typically 4 stripes or a warrant's crown.

Using the Marine Gunny for combat arms, master for non-combat is plenty of Yanks-in-space-ism...