Spinward Scout, I like your idea in principle, but I'm not so sure about an implementation where =every= PC has a 0-level foreign language, a 0-level hobby, a 0-level Known Space skill, etc. I can see it coming up in table conversation: "OK, who has a bit of Icelandic to talk with these Sword Worlders?" or "Really, none of y'all took sewing as a hobby?" or "Who knows stuff about the Vargr?" If it's just assumed that everybody knows a little bit about something, it becomes just another game mechanic, and loses some flavor IMHO.
I =like= the idea, just want to see some more ideas on implementation.
Well you might like my approach then.
I want customized characters but I also want simplicity, the character should fit on a 3x5 card.
My approach is to go wide-open skill then ditch the cascading, and instead go for a thing I call familiarity.
So for instance Engineering in CT is pretty wide open and powerful, Engineering in MgT is more cascadey.
My take would be to do Engineering, then determine what the character is familiar with.
So a merchant engineer would be familiar with a lot of the lower-end alphabet drives not just specializing in jump. That character might be Engineering-0 with a big ol' Imperial battlewagon drive room- until they get time on the equipment, which I use the CT Instruction skill timing/rolls for, as the character understands the basics but gets up to speed on the Big Ship.
Similar thing with naval career engineers, they would have worked Big High Guard engine rooms but be a bit lost on the gotchas and shortcuts endemic to small traders/liners.
Instead of SMG or Laser Weapons or what have you, Gun (familiar with SMG, Laser), and the character can get up to speed with other weapons in weeks- but then loses their familiarity with the previous muscle memory of the other guns over a few years.
Melee for hand weapons and/or unarmed combat disciplines.
Vehicles for everything driven, probably more difference in aerial vs. ground vs. nautical craft.
Limit it one familiarity per skill level, so Gun-4 guy could become familiar at skill level 4 with 4 weapons- but that character would have to be practicing with all 4 constantly so other familiarities would slide and there is no time to learn new skills.
That's a big element to keep up, what the character does is what they are 'hot' on, stepping away from the previous Engineering familiarity for then years likely means another familiarization process.
Now then as for hobbies, I would do familiarity only, no skill levels, and let INT dictate problem-solving and EDU knowledge rolls. Then appropriate actual skills for doing something in that hobby.
So a hobby/knowledge of interior decoration would involve Mechanical for making furniture/doing up walls/making objects, some sort of Art for the coloration and aesthetic choices, possibly Electronics for dynamic wall screen scheme choices or Engineering/Gravitics for high tech floating elements.
The advantage of the familiarity mechanic is that you don't have quite the crazy skillflation especially having to have a defined cascade for EVERYHING, yet can customize the character considerably beyond RAW. You also can have a sense of the character gaining ability or evolving without the huge overhead or 'too fast' skill acquisition.
But what's fun is doing discovery on the character- dynamically determining these things during play.
So they need someone who speaks Icelandic? Some characters with plausible backstories, roll, someone has it, now you know more about them and surprise! Who knew?
I'd limit it so you don't have ersatz Jack of all Trades. Try rolling at or below INT AND EDU to have the familiarity for non-defined hobby/knowledge right then, and below INT for learning a new familiarity over a year or two, with a total limit of EDU for familiarization limits.
As for JoAT skilled characters, they should NEVER get skill-1+ on anything they don't have specific skill in. For hobby/knowledge they should seek familiarity the same way, just no EDU limits.
