Multi-class in prior history.........

[Commonman]

I think this was covered else where, but can you multi-class in a class that you have not served a term in while serving a term in something else?
For example my 1st lvl marine take his first term in marines and levels 3 time, now I have 3 levels to play with so I take one as a marine 1 as a mercenary and 1 as a professional, is this how it works ?
Thanx

 

[themink]

Exactly right.

 

[Mammothstone]

So, in the above example for multiclassing, the character would also gain the starting feats for the appropriate class when he took the 1st Mercenary level, and the first Professional level?

 

[CharmQuark]

Yes, but be careful though, because you only get your first level bonus skills and feat (if human) once. Basically, you only get 4 times your starting skill points when you are first level meaning if you became second level and leveled up to first level in a different class you would get all the normal feats, BAB, Saves, etc for that first level, but would not get the 4 times your skill points. I hope that makes sense. Later - Joe

 

[aravain]

If this is the case, how come the mustering out benefit is class specific for the four year term? In the above case of gaining 3 levels after a four year term, you seem to imply that a person not only gains the starting skills of his new classes, but also can roll on his choice of class mustering out tables. Our group rules state that any levels created during past history must be kept in the class you started in (that term) and whose class specific tables you rolled on for promotion, etc. Please explain the logic or thinking behind your answer. Thank you!

 

[Commonman]

Thanx people that is what I thought but I didnt consider the part about not getting the starting skills, though I knew about the limit on multiclassing
and to answer Ar's question when you start a term you roll only on the charts and recieve the muster for the current class you are terming for, not the ones you multi class into.

 

[icote]

Originally posted by Aravain:
If this is the case, how come the mustering out benefit is class specific for the four year term?

The mustering out tables are for service in the prior history not the class. Don't think of the prior history roles and classes as related. You can take whatever class you meet the Multi-Class requirements for when you gain XP from prior history. However, you served you term in a particular prior history job, which has mustering out benefits.

For example, I create a level 1 Noble to start. He goes to University, and by the end of it is a 3rd Level Noble (because I choose to buy levels of the Noble Class with that XP, I could have just as easily purchased Academic, Rogue, or Traveller). I then join the Navy (As an officer thanks to OTC, and my social background). I do another term, and this time choose to pick up a level of the Navy Class. So now, I'm a Noble3/Navy1, after two more terms in the Navy I've earned enough XP for another class, this time however, I choose to take Mercenary (as I meet the Multi-Class requirements). I now muster out and roll as appropriate on the Navy tables (as I have been in the Navy all along.) Finishing up as a Noble3/Navy1/Merc1 (level 5) character.

The idea is the Class is who or what your character is, and that prior history was just what "general industry" you worked in. I could make another character who worked 4 terms in the Marines, and was a 4th Level Academic, though I'd still role for jobs, survival, and mustering out benefits on the Marines tables.

Hope that helps.

A.E.

 

[Tom Schoene]

Originally posted by Aravain:
If this is the case, how come the mustering out benefit is class specific for the four year term? In the above case of gaining 3 levels after a four year term, you seem to imply that a person not only gains the starting skills of his new classes, but also can roll on his choice of class mustering out tables. Our group rules state that any levels created during past history must be kept in the class you started in (that term) and whose class specific tables you rolled on for promotion, etc. Please explain the logic or thinking behind your answer. Thank you!

Once again, I am convinced that they should not have used the same words to describe classes and prior history careers.

Mustering out benefts are determined by your prior history term, not the specific class you take in that term. You can roll mustering benefits only for the prior history you just took regardless of what class(or classes) you advanced in during that term.

To re-empahsize, prior history terms are NOT limited to a specific class. The intention is that you can take levels in any of a number of different classes during a given prior history term. For example, you can be a Navy doctor (taking the Navy prior history, but earning levels as a Professional.) You can even take multiple dfferent classes within a term.

Obviously, you can have house rules that change this (that's the first rule of RPGs), but should recognize that it is a departure.

 

[aravain]

Sorry, but still confused! If by rolling on a "marine" past history and you got commissioned (earning xp bonus) and promoted (earning more xp bonus), why would you be able to use the base experience of 4,ooo for surviving the marines,as well as the points for becoming an officer and the promotion as a marine, and spend it on a class that never was the basis for gaining the experience points?!! Are not experience points the results of Experience?! If T20 intends to run it the other way (i.e., you can spend experience points on any class per 4 year term),it shows a serious flaw in the character creation system which will allow real Munchkin PCs. Could we get an "official" ruling on this?

**and I thought 3DnD was getting out of hand!....

 

[icote]

Originally posted by Aravain:
Sorry, but still confused! If by rolling on a "marine" past history and you got commissioned (earning xp bonus) and promoted (earning more xp bonus), why would you be able to use the base experience of 4,ooo for surviving the marines,as well as the points for becoming an officer and the promotion as a marine, and spend it on a class that never was the basis for gaining the experience points?!!

Even the marines need trainers, or maybe he worked in Intelligence. All marines do not have exactly the same skills, all marines are not shoot em up, combat types. Marines need to eat, which means that some marines are cooks, and work in cafeterias. Just because they cook food for a living, doesn't mean they aren't marines.

Another example:

Just because someone works for a pharmaceutical company, doesn't mean they are a chemist. They could be a receptionist, or a finance manager, or a human resource person. All of these functions require different talents and abilities.

Class is what the person does, Prior History is the Company they work for.

 

[aravain]

wow, people type faster than I do!! I understand the type of thinking of the most recent posters, but I still cannot agree. Sure, one can be a marine doctor (or whatever), but surely you couldn't be a marine traveller, or marine belter, or etc.If you went on a raid, but multiclassed into a "baker" (just for fun), shouldn't the promotion and decoration rolls be modified? ( I can see it now: For meritous baking of a deliteful cake under enemy fire, we award you a promotion and this medal) It is kind of interesting to see a group of people who have played DnD for over 25 years read the rules and come to a consensus that is completely different from veteran Traveller players!!

I guess we'll have to try to go with the designers' intent, fuzzy as it may be. Now I have to go tell my fellow players that they need to reroll their characters..........

 

[PapaGolfWhiskey]

Class is what you are.

Prior history is what you did.

Class is a Tack-On to the Traveller gestalt necessary to make it D20 compatible.

Prior history is core concept of the Traveller experience.

You can level up as any class for which you qualify. why not a marine Belter? maybe he/she works for logistics, scouting out suitable rocks to be become Monitors.

Some classes you cannot level up in. Barbarians cease to be barbarians if they multi-class too high or if they gain too much familiarity with OTU tech.

Belters have to keep their prospecting skill equal or higher to their level or they stop being belters.

There are ROGUES in every career IMO.

I've met people with degrees who are utterly LACKING in the knowledge they pupport to have studied.

BTW I'm a veteran traveller player.

 

[MichaelL65]

Multiclassing while in the service isn't a good idea. Let your service take you as many levels as it can to get your best attack and saving rolls.

You might get more feats or even skill points by multiclassing like that but you won't get a character that will last in any type of combat.

For my character, I started as a professional while I earned a master's degree (got me to 4th level). I then joined the scouts and served 3 term, leveling up as a scout (scout-3, professional-4). For future levels I can level up as a scout (the only service class that can continue), professional, or something else all together.

Now I can't fight as well as if I had been able to level up as a scout each time, but I have lots more skills (I'm an engineer, not a fighter - there are others in the group that do that).

 

[GypsyComet]

Originally posted by MichaelL65:
Multiclassing while in the service isn't a good idea. Let your service take you as many levels as it can to get your best attack and saving rolls.

You might get more feats or even skill points by multiclassing like that but you won't get a character that will last in any type of combat.

The line "Multiclassing while in the service isn't a good idea" is only true if you want what only the service class can offer. If you are looking at military service as a growth experience, then final combat prowess isn't the only desirable thing to use your EXP on.

Because of the nature of T20 combat, combat oriented characters are much less invulnerable than in, say, D&D. Under T20 rules combat kills people, and it doesn't matter whether those people are PCs or NPCs, or what level or class they may be.

Keep that in mind and use Prior Service to produce a *character*.

 

[Commonman]

Ok, so I created my first char and have discovered a few things
First, if you take a service class then level a few times in it the multi into a core class or the scouts in order to be able to level while adventuring you will then have a crappy BAB and base save so it is best to spend a few tlevels on your second (or third) class so you will have a better BAB and such. So a 4th lvl navy/ 4th lvl scout is better than a 7th lvl navy and a 1st lvl scout.
second, there is no way to get a service char to 20th level since you cant level after you leave the service so the BAB and save for this class are useless, unless you are in a continued service campain.
third, creating a char that has 8 multiclass all at first level would be a waste of resources and who would hire you when you have had so many jobs?
Despite all the questions and complaints I think the chargen works well, but as with all rules it is open to interpitation(sp?) and modification.

 

[aravain]

Re-read the t20 book after posting and I cannot find the specific page where it states that you can multiclass WITHIN a term. Could someone be kind enough to post the specific page number and cite the passage, please? In addition, could one of the designers ( do you call them ancients on this site?) log on and state for the record (or default ruling) what is correct? Since I have only played Traveller and its various incarnates only off and on over the many years (since 1977), the ability to level in Traveller throws me off a bit.

I'm not trying to flog a dead horse here, but it bothers me that I would have missed such an important rule in creating characters. The rules in leveling in Traveller feel forced (or vague) to fit the D20 rules during character generation. After you begin to game, it all flows ok (once you determine xp awards and how to award them), but the character generation needs to be rewrote for greater clarification.

Once again, not looking for a flame war or such, just a clear "official" ruling by one of the designers. Thanks for your help!

ps., you just got to love a person that uses "gestault" in a conversation about gaming. Shows some class.

 

[PapaGolfWhiskey]

I'm not an official so...

Good Luck.

 

[tjoneslo]

Originally posted by Aravain:
Re-read the t20 book after posting and I cannot find the specific page where it states that you can multiclass WITHIN a term.

Nowhere in the book does it state you can't multi-cass within a term, and there are several places where the rules encourage multiclassing.

This is a case of the lack of a rule indicates you are allowed to a thing, rather than not permitted to do so.

 

[Liam Devlin]

Originally posted by tjoneslo:

Nowhere in the book does it state you can't multi-cass within a term, and there are several places where the rules encourage multiclassing.

This is a case of the lack of a rule indicates you are allowed to a thing, rather than not permitted to do so.[/QUOTE]
________________________________________________
Good point, sir.
I for one had to reinterpret a "multi-classed" former MT, then translated him into TNe. Two wekends ago, reformed him into a T-20 PC/NPC.
He'd gone to college(undergrad) 4 year, then as per THB, joined the Scouts (Hefry has a Scout base ). He went one term with them, was decorated(SEH!), wounded,(FFW) and in trying to translate "courtmartialed" left the IISS for anew career. There being no prestige class fer Covert Ops/Spy/Undercover Agent (as per TNE HB), I multi-classed into Mercenary (the THB sez Security Man, and Intel/ spy work does involve Security-State/ Imperium, etc).This involved anagathics during his 6 terms (four of them, and Psi training, and did Undercover work at the Sector University two terms in Warinir/Daibei). Then he goes into Lowberth for 60+ years, awakened (but not in the RC). Spends 3 more terms aboard a Free Trader eking a living out in the Wilds before coming to RC space. Since, his line of work and agency are no more, and he was really a working passenger/ not part of the true crew, I placed him those three terms in rogue, not as a merchant. He came out with Xps to be a 14th Lv Character, had he been one class.He does however come out as an Academic/Scout/Rogue/Merc, with only three Psionic skills in the Telepathy sphere (shield/ empathy/ probe).
When they come out with something fer Covert types in class/ prestige class, I'll have to re-do him. But this works fer now as a 4th Acad/6th Scout (yes, he got an SEH)/7th Rogue/11th Mercenary.). He multi-classed one term getting his Masters degree at Warinir(raising his academic level), so only 4 skill pts were awarded, and half the XP's during that term).

 

[Shadowdancer]

Originally posted by Liam Devlin:
He came out with Xps to be a 14th Lv Character, had he been one class .He does however come out as an Academic/Scout/Rogue/Merc, with only three Psionic skills in the Telepathy sphere (shield/ empathy/ probe). . . . But this works fer now as a 4th Acad/6th Scout (yes, he got an SEH)/7th Rogue/11th Mercenary.)[/QB]

Hmmmm. He's a 14th level character, but his various class levels, when added together, total 28th level.

Or are the numbers next to the various classes (Academic, Scout, Rogue, Mercenary) the character level at which he multiclassed? If so, then he would be a Acad 4/Scout 1/Rogue 5/Merc 4. I think.

I'm having the same problem finding the proper classes for changing over one of my CT characters, who was a commando and then a spy/intelligence officer.

Rogue and Traveller both make good general-purpose classes to pick up some usable skills when you're multiclassing in your first couple of terms and want your character to "expand his horizons."