Prior History Assignments:

[archhealer]

I have a couple of questions, not about how the prior history works (For it's flaws, I've got it pretty well worked out), but what some of them mean. For example, what's a cadre? I know, dictionary-wise, one definition of the word, but it doesn't seem to lend itself to a mercenary history particularly well; at least, no more than 'troop', 'platoon', or other word meaning a group of soldiers.

And what, (And I'm asking for idea seeds here) is a noble 'secret mission' likely to be?

Also, when purchasing equipment, do you allow characters from low-tech worlds to purchase high-tech stuff? If they've been offworld, via a merchant, marine, or similiar history?

 

[Shadowdancer]

Noble secret missions, hmmm?

Transport an item or message to someone, and return with another item/payment or reply.

Escort an individual to a destination, and return alone/with same individual/with payment.

Find a hidden/lost individual or item.

Discover information about individual/item/organization.

Carry out assassination plan.

Carry out sabotage plan.

Carry out kidnapping plan.

Carry out seduction plan.

Carry out infiltration plan.

Carry out blackmail plan.

Carry out espionage plan.

Carry out smuggling plan.

Carry out hijacking plan.

Carry out misinformation/propaganda plan.

Carry out deep background/sleeper cel mission.

 

[kafka47]

These need not restricted to the Noble character class.

Any character who goes to College, can get into highjinks completely unrelated to their academic studies.

I have often thought of creating a separate table for skills and scenarios for college students which gives a reason why some choose to join different branches afterwards by providing the correct DM. Also, this prior to Service history fills in the blanks and allows campaigns to flourish or one-off adventures to have a little more depth.

Naturally, the reasons for join a particular service could equally be tied into escaping something that is none to pleasant...

 

[deadlock]

I have a couple of questions, not about how the prior history works (For it's flaws, I've got it pretty well worked out), but what some of them mean. For example, what's a cadre? I know, dictionary-wise, one definition of the word, but it doesn't seem to lend itself to a mercenary history particularly well; at least, no more than 'troop', 'platoon', or other word meaning a group of soldiers.

As I understand cadre as it is applied to mercenaries is that they form the command, administrative, and training aspect of a unit, especially a low tech unit. However, a cadre can be a military unit. Case in point, a Special Forces unit operating with a counter-insurgency unit in a foreign country.

 

[Chaos]

As I understand it, a Cadre assignment is when a mercenary unit is hired to train another unit, say a planetary militia. I assume that combat veterans have a lot to teach a bunch of weekend warriors - and they give the militia the opportunity to conduct exercises against the kind of modern front-line ground force they would most likely have to fight against.

At least that´s how it was explained in BattleTech´s Mercenary Manual.

 

[sinistral]

There are lots of plots in the Jeeves and Wooster novels for nobles- normally impersonations or recovery of macguffins. If you strip out the annoying characters, dubious subtext, and translate locale to the Great Houses of the Imperium, you've got a campaign.

I think the above definitions of cadre are correct but I am guessing.

 

[archhealer]

Sounds good to me! Thanks, everybody.

 

[coldwar]

a cadre is just a posh word for a cadet