Timerover51
SOC-14 5K
I will refrain from making any more.
Not quite subtle player character
- Thread starter robject
- Start date
I will refrain from making any more.
Enoki
SOC-14 1K
I would say one use for such a character in a game would be a scenario where the players have to refrain from publicity, getting noticed, etc., for some very important reason and they are stuck with this guy being with them at the same time. Everywhere they go people recognize him and that in turn gets the party noticed....
Why sure. Any character with social advantages, no matter how powerful, can be used in adventures where social advantages are moot.
Hans
I would generally agree, NPI, but with the caveat that a retired general can become powerful (e.g.: Washington, Grant, Ike, Pershing), though many do not (e.g.: MacArthur, Lee, Scott, Bradley, Nimitz). This power will typically be political (first three), but may be financial (Pershing, and many other less notables). It is possible that such financial may become military in an OTU setting. But it is not automatic; the retired general's fame gives him a seat at the high stakes table, where he may win, lose, or just choose to cash in and go fishing. He can win power, only if he plays his cards right.
In this way a powerful corporate character (e.g. a MgT high rank Citizen:Corporate character a Merchant Prince megacorp O7 (Line Comodore) or a Noble character that promotes several times) may likely hold a fair amount of power (think on Sergei hault Overlines).
Not only high level military character may have those gaming problems derived from too powerful a character, the referee must either adapt the adventures to them or outright forbide them (e.g. by limiting the number of terms allowed in CharGen).
Riik O'Shae
SOC-11
DangerousThing
SOC-13
First, when I am GM, I only allow characters that have actually retired from their service (or been kicked out or such). And IMTU, many nobles do not choose to serve the government, and hence have an influential name and manners, but they don't have power.
As to a retired general, well, if he won the battle of Whatsit against the Vargr, set much of the game in the Vargr extents. Perhaps even bordering on the area where he killed so many of their people...
Seriously, as GM I feel I have the right to veto any character I feel uncomfortable about. I would probably veto any character that would be recognized (in a positive way) across the entire Imperium and beyond.
On the other hand, a marine general with a chestful of medals would probably not be remembered too long except by military historians. Yes, if he proved his identity, he might get some unofficial help if it didn't cost anything (he might get to ride with the marines to another planet, but they wouldn't go out of their way for him, *except* for a very few select people). I would also give him more enemies and rivals as he has close friends. You don't get to be that high up without making enemies.
Perhaps a decision to send one unit into combat over another ended up getting somebody's wife/husband/brother killed? Heck, on most of the battles that made him famous, there had to be other officers that *could* have been chosen, and some of them will remember him and how they were passed over. There may be a price on his head from the other side...
And just remember that with great fame comes great nutcases.
Even retired, people that reached high status in somthing like a megacorp or Nobility will hold some influence and contacts. And I agree many nobles will not serve the government (at least in administrative form): those are characters with SOC 11+ that don't enter the Noble career. IMHO, those that enter the Noble career are nearly sure to hold government positions.
In MgT, this will depend on the specialty the character takes in noble career, of course. And also in MgT, if you make HG CharGen, the Retainer mustering out will directly conflict with this actually retired policy of yours, but I'm sure you'll find how to cope with that.
Sure, and you have this right (among others) as GM.
Agreed again. The same way this character will surely have contacts and influence, he/she will have enemies and rivals, either by gelousy, old vendettas, having had someone killed (or fired, by a corporate), etc.
As most times, this is a double edged weapon...
What I tried to show is that the problem is not only if the character is a former high rank militry, but other careers may lead to a similar problem, if you let the players take too many terms on them (another example will be a rank 5+ performer in MgT entertainer career, as that means a famous performer whose fans will surely be annoyingly "helpful" to the group...)
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DangerousThing
SOC-13
I was specifically thinking of the Entertainer career from T5, which I suppose is close enough. Fame is extremely ephemeral. Watch a movie fom 40 years ago. Many people will remember the big names, but find it very difficult to remember the famous at the time bit players.
There are exceptions, but they are rare, like the Marx Brothers, though many people don't even know the easiest trivia about them. The only time I won a radio trivia quiz was the real name of Groucho, and I waited several minutes because I was GMing a Traveller game at the time.
It's pretty much the same in politics. When I was in Germany one summer as a student I conducted an informal poll. I asked every US citizen I met and most Germans who was the US Vice President. Most Americans had no idea. Canadians were better, and the Germans were the best at almost 50% right.
My point is that unless something is right in front of them, they forget quickly. And I feel that in the 10,000+ worlds of the 3I fame is probably even more fleeting. Once somebody retires they'll quickly move into the category of "who was that guy I used to watch?"
Of course since my new campaign is in a small area after a long night, I have to redefine fame.
BTW: His name is Julius, as I learned in a Cerebus comic.
