Random T5 Musings: Character Generation

[Mår Ekkertsen]

T5 Character Generation

Traveller was marked by its character generation system. The ability to have a character with experience at the start of play was fundamental to the game. Since those early days we have had the random generation systems and the player selection systems. I think T5 needs to have both tied inextricably interwoven. If I roll dice to create my character or build one by choices or some combination of the two, I should arrive at similar outcomes.

Building a character could start with some selections, involve some dice rolls and then end up with some more selections. Building a character could begin with some dice rolls, then involve some selections and then back to the dice again. Building a character could be dice all the way through. Building a character could be a series of selections. All of these would come from the same chapter, the same tables, the same text. One would not be a variant on the standard but all are there by design.

Just a thought.


------------------
mark ayers n2sami@attbi.com , philosopher serf, editor of n2s; the journal for an empty mind

 

[aramis]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by n2s:
T5 Character Generation

Traveller was marked by its character generation system. The ability to have a character with experience at the start of play was fundamental to the game. Since those early days we have had the random generation systems and the player selection systems. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not until TNE was there a "Skill Selection" option in any canonical rules; I know many Refs have used "Roll the die then pick the table", myself included. Well, T:2300/2300AD also did pick skills, but it is not part of the OTU, either. To recap the various "Traveller" branded products over the years, I'll refer to the prior history rolls as "Lifepath" , borrowing the Interlock term, and explain that I am referring to all non-skill-table rolls.
CT: Random only; some player influence (Picking tables and a FEW weapons cascades).
MT: Random only, some amount of player influence (same as CT), but more choice than CT due to many more cascades.
T2300: not OTU, Not under MWM's control last I heard. But, for clarity: Random rolls through life-path, with skills chosen on point purchase system with points by random roll (which also generated years for the term); points effectively 1 per year + bonus for start of new career. Cost affected by current career.
TNE: Pick skills, random rolls throughout lifepath for non-skill issues (and how many gained influenced by this). Available choices affected by current career.
T4: Random rolls for lifepath. Skills either chosen or random. Random is like CT, but more tables. Chosen is limited to skills on career random tables.
GT: Totally non-random CG. Age limits maximum points in skills, but not at the standard GURPS rate (Std is age x 2, GT is higher). Advanced age is a disad. Only edition with disadvantages in the Branded Product category.
T20: Random lifepath, Purchase skills, Skill points available and skill costs by class. (There is a strong link between career and class, but not an absolute one.)
-- magazine addenda --
Several articles over the years have provided non-random CG options in unofficial capacities to various versions. Some merely provided disads and advantages, others were full blown point-gereators.

The Australian mag did a full blown point generator, but I can't get to it to remember which one nor for which edition.

--and now for the net ones (that are totally non-canonical) --
Fudge Traveller - totally choice based.
CORPS Traveller: Point based; age determines points
Hero Traveller: Point Based; advanced age is an available disad.
WOD Traveller: advanced age allows more skills, knowledges, talents, and backgrounds at expense of attributes...
AD&D Traveller: To wierd for me (I've not read it).
GURPS: several were done between 89 and 96. Most were standard GURPS limits. Most of these have disappeared, and SJG is probably asking ones they find to take them down.
Interlock Traveller: I don't recall exactly, but It had a lifepath much like Cyberpunk 2010. As with Interlock, skill points attribute dependant, but some extra skills could be gained in lifepath. I encountered it on WWIVnet. No longer have it.
Spacemaster: someone did the traveller careers in the late 80's in the SMC companion career format, and posted them to WWIVnet. I also did a set for my own use, which were very similar.


Fairly soon (but not yet on calendar, playtest just beginning, but it IS VERY SLICK), BTRC's EABA will be released, and several CORPS junkies will be porting favorite settings; most will wind up posted to the net, and many of us on the CORPS list have some traveller background.

The random lifepath is common to all official (and the no longer official T:2300) Travellers; the most common options in the net ones are point based systems (CORPS, Hero, unofficial GURPS ones), but actual methods of skill reciept vary widely.

Now, as a Traveller fan, my biggest hurdle when "Preaching Traveller" has been the vary randomness of skill purchase & lifepath. (See my comments elsewere in the Traveller5 area.) Many younger gamers seem to like "Choosing the nature" of their character, including age. Some have chosen to ask me for "I want this many terms in this career"; it often is advantageous to let them for a character or two, and get them hooked on the setting, then wean them off.

But while I love the random CG, I see it aas a major stumbling block &/or turn-off for many new gamers... YMMV

------------------
-aramis
=============================================
Smith & Wesson: The Original Point and Click interface!

 

[J]

I find random character generation difficult to justify to new traveller players. My players like to have the freedom to choose their character.

I have found that, if you can convince them to try it, some players find it a refreshing change to randomly roll a character. But a lot of players find it too restrictive, particularly those who have a specific character in mind at the start of character generation, if someone wants to play a merchant pilot but gets drafted into the army they tend to get annoyed with the whole system.

Personnally I'd opt to remove all randomness from the CG system. Players can always randomise their skill choice from the available skills if they feel they need to.

J.

 

[DrSkull]

Without random generation, it just ain't Traveller. You'll never convince me otherwise.

I've just put 6 new-to-Traveller guys through the random generation deal, and I got no complaints at all.

------------------
Dave "Dr. Skull" Nelson

 

[T. Foster]

To me, Traveller's 'random' char-gen system is absolutely essential. However, it doesn't really need to be all THAT random. In my house rules, I've got several additions that minimize some of the more arbitrary bits:

1) Characteristics: a) roll 2D six times and assign values by choice, or b) roll UPPs in order for up to six characters, player chooses favorite. Both of these are at least as old as the AD&D1 DMG, and between them most players should be able to generate a suitable set of scores (unless the player's idea of 'suitable' is all 11's).

2) Homeworld: the player can choose his character's homeworld characteristics if he wants to. This is actually already in MT, but frequently forgotten.

3) Preferential enlistment: nicked from T4 -- if the character's UPP scores exceed the favorable DM requirements by 2+ he can enlist automatically without having to roll.

4) The Draft: also nicked from T4 -- the draft is optional unless, by some chance, the character fails enlistment in EVERY career.

5) Skill Choice: by succeeding in a task (Routine, [skill], Soc) the character can choose an available skill rather than rolling on the table. [skill] is the skill the character is trying to pick up, 'available skill' is one that could be rolled on the tables. On a failed task the acquired skill is rolled normally; on a fumbled task NO skill is gained.

6) Multiple Careers: Another T4 concept -- failing a survival or reenlistment roll need not be the end; the character can try to enlist in another career.

7) Brownie Points: present, but often ignored, in MT -- accumulated 'good karma' that the player can use to modify the random die rolls.

With these modifications the process takes a bit longer but the player has more control and is less likely to end up with a character totally unsuited to his original concept. And yet some measure of random unpredictability is still maintained.

And after all, when it comes down to it, which is the more intriguing character: an ace navy pilot who matches the character's initial conception exactly, or a frustrated wannabe navy pilot who botched his enlistment, had to join in the scouts instead, and has borne a grudge ever since, even though he probably got more actual piloting experience as a scout than he ever would've in the navy.

Remember, life is what happens when you're making other plans -- true for Traveller characters just as much as real people.

 

[Mår Ekkertsen]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Personnally I'd opt to remove all randomness from the CG system. Players can always randomise...<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I don't think the job is too difficult of building a blend. I don't think that adding randomization after the fact is at all easy. Try to build a random GURPS Traveller character. Ouch.

 

[Takei]

I've got a system heavily inspired by Andy Slack's "Traveller Ultralite".
The player gets 60 points to spend on attributes and skills and is assumed to have served 3 terms. This equates to a T4 Scout character with 7 on all stats and getting 6 skill points per term.
Alternatively the player can roll a random character and trust to luck.

------------------
Paul

 

[TJP]

Personally, I go for random characteristics rolls but the player can distribute the rolled values as he/she sees fit. For skills I use my house rules using Skill Points (i.e. Skill Level X costs Y points etc.).

For T5 Character Generation I would like to see at least some provision made for point-based character generation. However, I do NOT want to see T5 as another GURPS Traveller. No way. It does not need to be completely point-based. For me the biggest wish in character generation would be the ability to choose/buy skills (not a big suprise...) and rate them according to skill difficulty (e.g. it's more costly to buy a level 1 in Astronomy than in Cooking). YMMV.

 

[Ron]

I really love the carreer based character generation Traveller uses. It does emulate the fact that, in real life, especially in work, you don't have absolute control of what skills you may develop.

Even so, a total random system makes no sense. I use Megatraveller system (I found straight T4 very boring) with some adjustments borrowed from T4. College, Schools and likewise options allow the player to choose what they learn. Additionally, I allow the player to get one point in any skill (referee approval needed, of course) for each term served, representing additional interests from the character outside his line of work.

 

[kafka47]

I have been lurking too long on this conversation. What I would like to see is a parallel structure to dice rolls. I think that D&D 3e attempts this by all these weird abilities (remember, I would play the first edition, if I still played AD&D).

Where I would like to see Traveller go. Have a basic character gen that would allow you to roll up characters easy. A la MT or the drafts that I have seen of T5.

But then in a supplement... that would cover the Third Imperium explode that system into a real role playing exercise. The model that I postulate would be akin to the computer game, Emperor of the Fading Suns. Save here that each character career could gain attributes and weakness, as one builds a character. Encouraging role playing. From what people have wrote on the list, they have called this the White Wolf revolution. And from what I have seen of Fading Suns products, I really like this approach. {However, I do convert the FS milieu into Traveller rules of my own hybridization which most closely resembles MT. - so I am not one to judge} But, I think some sort of chargen that would incorporate the milieu woven more closely in the way forward. For too many people, who now start now in rpgs, I see do not want the old model of rolling up a character afresh, they want a character with...pardon the pun...character.

If chargen could provide an outer net or skin that would facilate this process then the business of role playing can begin. It will be interesting to see T20 contribution.

 

[Takei]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by TJP:


For me the biggest wish in character generation would be the ability to choose/buy skills (not a big suprise...) and rate them according to skill difficulty (e.g. it's more costly to buy a level 1 in Astronomy than in Cooking). YMMV.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

There was an article in White Dwarf many years ago which suggested a CT system for buying skills where skills cost different amounts. IIRC the most expensive was JOT.

------------------
Paul

 

[aramis]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by kafka47:
I have been lurking too long on this conversation. What I would like to see is a parallel structure to dice rolls. I think that D&D 3e attempts this by all these weird abilities (remember, I would play the first edition, if I still played AD&D).

Where I would like to see Traveller go. Have a basic character gen that would allow you to roll up characters easy. A la MT or the drafts that I have seen of T5.

But then in a supplement... that would cover the Third Imperium explode that system into a real role playing exercise. The model that I postulate would be akin to the computer game, Emperor of the Fading Suns. Save here that each character career could gain attributes and weakness, as one builds a character. Encouraging role playing. From what people have wrote on the list, they have called this the White Wolf revolution. And from what I have seen of Fading Suns products, I really like this approach. {However, I do convert the FS milieu into Traveller rules of my own hybridization which most closely resembles MT. - so I am not one to judge} But, I think some sort of chargen that would incorporate the milieu woven more closely in the way forward. For too many people, who now start now in rpgs, I see do not want the old model of rolling up a character afresh, they want a character with...pardon the pun...character.

If chargen could provide an outer net or skin that would facilate this process then the business of role playing can begin. It will be interesting to see T20 contribution.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I think you may have missed the point of the "White Wolf Revolution"; it isn't "Carefully handcrafting characters"; is is "KISS". Keep it simple, stupid. Simple, build what you want quick and easy, or at least something close.

White wolf, fundamentally, brought us the "Story over Rules" paradigm, and made it work by having excellent (if dark) settings in the core rules, and easy, memorable mechanics that players quickly can get to the point of being "Background noise", if you will.

My players, simply put, never got to the point of being able to use the T4/T4.1 task system in "Background mode"; every task, for months on end, was an interruption to story flow. Mostly due to the crit rules and the 1/2 die.

WW, most players, especially now with all tasks being "6's to succeed" in the newer generation of WWG product, get to the point of a task label (EG "Roll Dex plus guns"), and saying "I got 3 successes" in seconds, and without having to shift thinking modes from the narrative; dice rolling drops to being "Background noise".

As for CG, WW is not about " mechanical detail generation"; just the opposite, in fact. All abilities are fairly vague. Traveller has loads of "Mechanical Generation of Background" already, and it got worse with T4 (although T4 allowed one to opt out of the skill rolling); points and customizeable templates/clans/archetypes are very common, and seem to be the lasting method.

------------------
-aramis
=============================================
Smith & Wesson: The Original Point and Click interface!