Pre-18 year old careers...

[far-trader]

I think if I were to do it, and I'm considering it even for the allowed examples (in T20 in this case) there should be some balance.

For example with T20 I think if you want to start prior to age 18 then you won't have as many starting skills, like maybe 2x instead of 4x for the first level skills and no bonus feat until you are 18.

I think I'd also impose an experience penalty, like maybe half all awards prior to 18 years old.

I think even your stats should reflect your youth, maybe reduced Edu and Soc (at least), and perhaps Str and Con if very young.

Anyway I see no problem with most players but there will be those who just want to start younger so they can have more terms and be some uber character. Put a few stumbling blocks like above in the way and that should weed out the "roll-players" from the "role-players".

 

[jatay3]

Prince/princess of a noble family. Sent to prove his stuff on some minor mission that turns out to be not as "minor" as suppossed.

 

[bromdenlong]

I'm with far-trader on this one.

It seems to me that there should be more of a tradeoff here, rather than making child/teen experience a pure 'gimmee' in the character generation process.

For example, a Rogue or Mercenary-brat or Belter childhood could have 3 relevant skill points added, but they would lose 3 points from their EDU stat.

How about just docking a character 1 EDU point for every year early that they start their career? I would limit this to realistic careers - I have a hard time picturing the Imperial military hiring 12-year-olds. Yes, I saw 'Master and Commander', too, and the little kid was awesome, but a high-tech society has to put a premium on the general education of its children if it wants to compete with other high-tech societies, or even assure its own survival. IMHO, JROTC-Space Cadet type programs are more for enthusing youngsters about service and introducing them to military discipline than about really training them for combat or support duties.

Mercenary brigade brats are another matter, of course, as are pirate brats, belter brats, etc.

Another use for this would be to strengthen an otherwise appealing character who had an appallingly low EDU stat. Simply subtract their EDU from 7, and start their career that many years early.

 

[jatay3]

A high tech society has to put a premium on the general education of it's children? That might be why the character is their-to get a hands on education.

 

[Jame]

Here's a thought: have characters able to enlist as pre-18 year olds in the Noble (start at 14), Rogue (start 14), Army (start 16) and Scout (start 16) careers. I think there's a couple more I'd do but I'd need a look through my books.

how would you run the teenager who thinks he/she knows everything and everbody old dosen't

wa11eye

I've seen a number of these. More frequently now at my crossing guard career, and earlier as a teacher's aide sub. But then again, I've seen a lot more adults who think that way! o:

 

[Gray Lensman]

Survival

A small colony wiped out by raiders.

3 or 4 Teenagers or younger who were out in the woods doing what teens/kids do (let imagination run here) survive the original raid and manage to survive the (?) months/years until someone comes along to rescue them would certainly pickup a certain number of skills wouldn't they?

Not neccessarily basic survival either (depending on what technology survived the raid).

 

[BlackBat242]

Use the article Pre-enlistment Skills By Warren Okuma
from The Space Gamer #73 Mar/Apr 1985

 

[aramis]

Or the Children In MegaTraveller article from Traveller's Digest (don't remember which issue number).

 

[Peter Newman]

Or just go with Belter, where you can start at 14 already (in most versions, anyway). It can be a pretty good career for picking up ship skills in, and it's kind of cool. (YMMV).

 

[shadowdragon]

i have been thinking about what stats less than starting age characters would have and i think this might work- remember that all adjustments are cumulative and to work from adult outward.


Infant (birth to 2) str = 1, dex -6 (min 3), con -2, mental stats -6 (min 2), edu max 1
Toddler (age 2-5): -1 to all stats, edu max 2
Child ( age 6-13): -2 to all physical stats, -1 to all mental, edu is 0 unless able to receive some sort of education, otherwise grade appropriate in relation to age.
Youth (age 14-18): according T20 no adjustments but i think a -1 int, -3 to wisdom, and -2 to dex is appropriate, along with a DC 20 Will save to avoid temporary insanity for 1d10 years due to hormones....