new caracter type - deckhand

[BlackBat242]

I can't see this as even just another column tacked into the Merchant chargen rule-set, much less a separate career.

Both the Book 6 CT rules and the Paranoia Press Merchants and Merchandise rule books (also CT) have a "Deck Dept" with their own skill list... and M&M even defines a "Cargo Handling" skill (see below).

So the only real need I can see is to put the skill into the existing chargen charts (in the Deck Dept column), in whatever manner the individual ref sees fit.



*

Cargo Handling Expertise in determining the loading and unloading of various cargoes, determining the optimum shipping method, estimating the value of a cargo, and estimating the probable profit. May act as a +1 Dm per skill level in finding a cargo.

As you can see, this is a more advanced skill than just humping containers... but as it seems to match the description of the duties of the Cargomaster in Andre Norton's Solar Queen Free Trader novels, you should keep in mind that the apprentice cargomaster (Dane Thorson) was normally in charge of the actual moving/placing of cargoes, with the physical aid of the junior engineering & tech crewmen.

So yes, the SKILL should be there, but there is no need for the CAREER!

 

[nobby-w]

deckhand

deckhands are subordinate positions onboard starships. they oversee the cargo bays and interact with the docks in loading and unloading cargo. [ . . . ]

You might also want to look at the Skyport Authority service published in the JTAS if you haven't already.

 

[flykiller]

thanks but don't have it or access to it.

 

[nobby-w]

thanks but don't have it or access to it.

JTAS #19. A search on Ebay turned it up pretty quickly. Alternatively you could order the CD-ROM from FFE.

 

[Supplement Four]

As you can see, this is a more advanced skill than just humping containers... but as it seems to match the description of the duties of the Cargomaster in Andre Norton's Solar Queen Free Trader novels,

Never heard of these before, BB. Are the Norton books good?

 

[BlackBat242]

The first 4 are pretty typical late 1950s-1960s sci-fi - light on science, with tech that seems very outdated to us now, and oriented as much to the teen market as to adults.

The last 3 in the series, written in the 1980s-200s with co-writers, are more modern in sensibility, with more character interaction/exposition and a more modern view of tech - but still very much fitting the general "style" of the earlier books.

In my view, they are pretty good - and do well for inspiration for lower-tech frontier area Traveller scenarios & settings (TL 10-11).


I forgot to add in my earlier post that the Cargomaster & apprentice were also responsible for the live "cargo" (including the speaking, paying kind), and thus could be considered to fill the "Steward" slot required in Traveller.

 

[khadaji2002]

Having read through this thread, I can see both sides of the "Do we need this?" question. For me? I will add this as an option to players. I have had some people join my game who know little about Traveller, the history, the rules, etc. This character concept fits the bill for them to a T. You don't know much about the universe? Neither does your character. Hiring into a crew as a deckhand is a great way to introduce this type of player. flykiller's sample character quoted below gives a great example of how this can be set up, including plot ideas and hooks to tie what seems a non-entity in with a PC group. I personally am adding this to my tool kit of character concepts.

For many groups? Everyone's already very familiar with the OTU, YTU, etc., so there would be little draw to this character concept. If there's no draw for this type of character, you simply ignore this list. I have yet to have any player express interest in many of the careers listed in the books. I don't see that as a drawback, it simply shows how many different paths exist for PCs. If your group isn't interested, why add it to the list?

example deckhand character

1090-03-1027 has no proper parents, she was decanted into the care of the ronin hazardwork authority on louzy. in addition to the regular propaganda and psychological conditioning she was given a fairly advanced education for a ronin and at age 14 was set to work in the newly opened spacetrade cargo docks, cycling regularly between the vast up and down ports. by age 20 her contacts with offworlders had led her to begin to doubt her homeworld. cutting out her tracking chip and evading the dock robotic security she managed to stow away on a freighter and escape, finding somewhat of a life in the merchant fleets around jewell and efate subsectors. she has been taken advantage of and abused fairly often but recently has had the good fortune of being sent to an electronics school by a reputable fleet line, enabling her to qualify as an engineering assistant. she is very proud of her education and hopes for another opportunity to advance.

she has chosen the name dotir chi-regna - she simply likes the sound of it. she has a good sense of humor and good comraderie and is a team player even in poor circumstances. she is about 5'6", designed not for intelligence but for physical stamina, speed, agility, and constitutional strength. she has a moderately stout build to withstand impacts in a harsh industrial life but is slim to make her more able to access tight spaces and to reduce uniform and transportation and medical costs. mentally she is designed with good morals and a high pain threshold. racially she is scandanavian with blond hair and unnervingly bright blue eyes, but a slight glitch in her processing gave her an epicanthic fold - "slant eyes". she is fertile but requires surgery to activate her capability.

dotir chi-regna
7CC882, 26

vaccsuit/0g 1
electronics 1*(2)
grav vehicle 2, cargo docks 2
streetwise 1
combatives 1

(being educated in a subject allows, at referee discretion, a re-roll of a failed task for each referee-decided time period. achieving electronics skill level 2 will require 3 skill points, and the (2) after the electronics skill signifies that she already has 2 skill points towards that. when a third skill point is acquired then she will advance to electronics skill level 2. skill level 2 in an educated subject allows 2 re-rolls of failed tasks per time period.)

 

[welsh]

Gunners are the lowest paid crewmembers and their skills are least called upon. Gotta keep them busy ... these are your deckhands.

 

[khadaji2002]

True enough, welsh. Depending on where the campaign is set there may be a larger number of unarmed ships plying the space lanes which would lead to fewer gunner berths.

I'm playing devil's advocate at this point.