Multiple promotions for enlisted characters.

[Tupper]

In the errata for TNE, there is a correction that reads

Page 25, Careers, Promotions (correction): The "one promotion per term of service" rule does not apply to enlisted ranks (see the Table of Ranks on page 57).

I don't quite understand how this works. Does this mean that a character who's enlisted and successfully rolls a promotion can roll again to get another promotion (and if successful, roll again, etc)? If so, would such a character get an extra skill for each successful promotion?

How do other people interpret this rule?

To my eye, it looks like a flashback to Classic Traveller advanced character generation, where promotions were rolled each year, but officers were restricted to one per term (4 years).

 

[aramis]

It has multiple elements to it. One of which, is, as you note, a throwback to CT Advanced gen.

The other is a T:2K-ism - promotion to E3 is automatic at end of first term in T2K, and IIRC, in TNE as well. A Promotion in Term 1 thus takes one to E4...

 

[Condottiere]

A promotion could be an incentive for re-enlistment.

 

[Tupper]

Thanks for that. I had a quick dig in my copy of TNE, and couldn't find the automatic E3 promotion anywhere. Do you know where it is? That would make a lot more sense of the rule.

 

[aramis]

Thanks for that. I had a quick dig in my copy of TNE, and couldn't find the automatic E3 promotion anywhere. Do you know where it is? That would make a lot more sense of the rule.

Not off the top of my head, as I had to uninstall the T2K CD and TNE CD to upgrade my OS... and can't afford the $400+ to install a bigger SSD on my laptop... and cannot find my collection of thumb drives at the moment.

 

[Condottiere]

If you aren't using the DVD player, replace it with a HDD tray and get an older smaller SSD to act as the OS.

Interesting thing about the HDD tray, is that you then can hot switch SATA HDD on the laptop.

 

[aramis]

If you aren't using the DVD player, replace it with a HDD tray and get an older smaller SSD to act as the OS.

Interesting thing about the HDD tray, is that you then can hot switch SATA HDD on the laptop.

No DVD, either. I'm on a macbook air.

 

[Condottiere]

Just after Apple proudly debuted its newest MacBook Pros, the company quietly lowered the prices of high-capacity storage upgrades for older Mac products on its website. Reports show that anyone purchasing a MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Pro, Mac Mini, and the old MacBook Pro will save up to $100 if they get the 512GB or 1TB options.

http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2016/11/apple-drops-prices-for-storage-upgrade-options-on-older-macs/

 

[Tupper]

I did some digging today (my copies of the twilight 2000 material were sitting on an old computer). It seems that in v2.2 of twilight 2000 (which uses the house rules) at the end of term 1, an enlistee (who started as a private) either:

1. Gets promoted, and becomes an NCO: a Sergeant (US) or Corporal (British).
2. Fails to be promoted, and becomes a Spec 4 (US) or Lance corporal (British).

So it seems that in this system, the enlistee is getting a double promotion when he/she becomes an NCO (jumping over the Spec 4/Lance Corporal rank).

Interestingly, becoming an NCO gives a character a bundle of extra skills (leadership, instruction, and persuasion), so Twilight 2000 does seem to be consistent with (successful) enlistees getting more skills than officers.

 

[SoCar_37]

Well, IRL a US Navy nuke got E-3 out of boot camp, E-4 six months later after initial training, and could conceivably get promoted to E-5 before he (she) finished qualifying at the 2 year mark. E-6 three years later. Been there, done that.

SoCar-37

 

[aramis]

Well, IRL a US Navy nuke got E-3 out of boot camp, E-4 six months later after initial training, and could conceivably get promoted to E-5 before he (she) finished qualifying at the 2 year mark. E-6 three years later. Been there, done that.

SoCar-37

High School JROTC Cadets going into the services can be E-3 going into basic, and possibly E4 upon graduation. Thanks to the DEP, I arrived at US Army Basic as an E3. Worn and paid.

 

[Tupper]

For those who are still interested, I think I found the answer to this when I read through Hivers and Ithklur. Ithklur get described as being able to get multiple promotions. The rule is that for every point you make the promotion roll by, you get another promotion. So say your promotion roll is 6+, and you get (including DMs) 8, you get 3 promotions (1 for getting 6+ and 2 for beating it by 2). The multiple promotions still only get you one skill.

So enlisted men and women do boot it through the ranks. They're often going to go up 3 or so per term, but they're not going to go skill crazy doing it. Rather they're going to bump into E10 after 3 terms or so, and then not get any more (promotion) skills until they get a commission. A glass ceiling as it were.

I thought it was rather a neat system, rule-wise.