Short format for pre-gens

[robject]

So I'm pre-generating characters for my players to select as PCs and NPC hirelings, for convenience. I like the traditional CT format:

<Role> <UPP> <Rank> <Cash/Goodies>
<Skills>
e.g.

Captain   777888 Merchant O4    Cr 5,000
Autopistol-1 Pilot-1 Vacc-1 ...

Leviathan abstracted it one step further back, getting rid of the UPP and Career, but adding in the crew station aboard the Leviathan itself.

I'm thinking that the UPP doesn't have to be set in stone -- rolling it up is fast and easy -- but having the career data and skills list is the real time saver.

Thoughts?

 

[rancke]

By coincidence, I'm just now working on pre-gens for an adventure I contemplate running for my players under MgT rules, and I've just finished the first character. I plan to give the five players the choice of six pre-gens and then let them do the finishing touches (Finalise connections and choosing a skill package). (The last character becomes a friendly NPC).

Any comments of things missing (or superfluous) are welcome.

Shareef/Shareefa Rayne, 3rd Officer on Ekatur Heavy Freighter #90

STR  3     -1
DEX  6     +0
END  3     -1
INT 13     +2
EDU 13     +2
SOC  6     +0

Major skills: Admin-1, Advocate-1, Astrogation-2, Computers-3, Gun Combat
(Laser pistol)-1, Melee (blade)-1, Navigation-1, Pilot (spacecraft)-2

Minor skills: Carouse-0, Communications-0, Gun Combat (Autopistol)-0, Gunner
(turrets)-0, Language-0, Mechanic-0, Medic-0, Trade-0, Pilot (small craft)-0,
Steward-0, Vacc suit-0, Zero-G-0.

Languages: Anglic


Equipment: Laser pistol. Belt battery (100 shots).

Limited Master's License (for ships of 1000T and less).
Limited Mate's License (included in above).

Finances: Cr25,000. 1 ship share.


Career:

Spent one term in the Naval Branch of the Regina Defense Force, line

Event: Helped with emergency delivery of Dongmei Taylor and became honorary
uncle. Dongmei is now 15 years old and living in...?

Mustered out with rank of sublieutenant.

Joined Merchant Company Ekatur (merchant marine) 
Event: Make an unexpected connection outside normal circles. Gained one
contact (Starport administrator Enli Menkre).

3rd term:
Event: Embroiled in legal trouble.

4th term:
Event: Advanced training in astrogation.

I would like to give each character a basic equipment package too.


Hans

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Details.

Sorry My Patron, but here I must side with Hans. More details are better for NPCs. Also, its good to know what the NPC has on them when the PCs loot the body. :devil:

 

[pendragonman]

Sorry My Patron, but here I must side with Hans. More details are better for NPCs. Also, its good to know what the NPC has on them when the PCs loot the body. :devil:

What, the PCs don't kill everyone with a PGMP?

And we have a blue moon here as well. I have to also agree with Hans on this one, with one caveat:

Short form is very nice for incidental npc contacts or mooks. Those NPCs with recurring parts or even Major parts need more detail.

 

[dalthor]

I posted a write up under http://www.travellerrpg.com/CotI/Discuss/showthread.php?t=31808 for one of the movers/shakers IMTU.

Its pretty similar to the original format, tho I added in lines for home and birth worlds - it may give some "common ground" for characters.

You can easily trim segments, and can use or drop the narrative. Haven't done much for inventory yet.

Will probably always be a work in progress, since my format changes with my moods. His current record looks like this:

Sir Dalthor Et Magera, PhD, Commander(ret)	A8CCCB-7F	Age: 39	Fame: 56

Birthworld:  Varan/Mikhail 2023 A8676C7-G    Ga Ni Ag Ri Cx
Homeworld:   Magash/Deneb  0316 A400976-F  S Hi Na In Va Cp   
World Knowlege: Magash-2, Traltha-0, Wroclaw-0, Rhylanor-0
Medals: *SEH*, MCG x 2, MCUF
Pension: 45,000

Naval architect-5 
Pilot-4, Pilot(Smallcraft-1), Pilot(Spacecraft ACS-1)
Engineer-3, Engineer(J-drive-4), Engineer(M-drive-2),
 Engineer(Powerplant-2), Engineer(Life Support-2)

Physics-3, Robotics-3, Astrogator-2, Designer-2
Gunner-0, Gunner(Screens-2), Leader-2, Programmer-2

Admin-1, Athlete-1, Computer-1, , Electronics-1, Liason-1
Medic-1, Photonics-1, Sensors-1, Streetwise-1, Survey-1 
Vacc-suit-1, Zero-G-1

 

[robject]

Any comments of things missing (or superfluous) are welcome.

This has been on my hindbrain for awhile now. Since I have not actually tried this, I do not have strong opinions. However, I do want to challenge the idea that a character has to be complete.

1. Does the character need his UPP provided? Could a character be generated, but then his UPP wiped out, for the player to roll? Would this help "customize" the character a bit for the player?

2. Does "language" matter? Might we assume that the character knows the common language? (I understand, however, that language can be a skill.)

3. Is there planned time where the player does some "shopping" to equip his character? (This affects the equipment package).

 

[rancke]

This has been on my hindbrain for awhile now. Since I have not actually tried this, I do not have strong opinions. However, I do want to challenge the idea that a character has to be complete.

I don't know if he has to be complete but that's how I want it.

I think I could give you a good argument for the necessity, since I see the adventure as an introduction to newbie players (and referees) and as a con scenario. But that's really immaterial; I want the pre-gens to be complete.

2. Does "language" matter? Might we assume that the character knows the common language? (I understand, however, that language can be a skill.)

The common language is Anglic.

3. Is there planned time where the player does some "shopping" to equip his character? (This affects the equipment package).

Yes and no. As the start of a campaign run by an experienced referee, I'd allow the players to customize their characters' equipment. For con participants and inexperienced referees I'd want to provide complete equipment lists. Referees can always ignore equipment lists, but if a referee needs one, it should be there.


Hans

 

[dalthor]

I started gaming in 1978. In my group, we played at the refs house so (s)he had access to their full array of gaming materials. Back then you also carried all your crap to a gaming session unless you were referee.

I originally did my NPCs on 3x5 index cards. Front side was the basic NPC with skills, back side for equipment and simple history. The only equipment I'd list was non-standard stuff; if the item was something I could reasonably expect the character to have, it would be left off.

Something that generic could easily be used by other referees, and stats could easily be left off and tailored as well.

Heck, maybe limit skills to the top 5, and leave the rest to the ref.

Thanks to computers, I think it will ultimately come down to referee preference for the NPC writeups.

Recently I was fiddling around with "index card" sized NPC cards, fitting 4 to a landscape page. Dalthor's writeup in a prior reply was an example, even tho it was a bit wider than intended - part of the 1st line could have been eliminated, and blank lines compacted. This was fine for a generic NPC.

I finally said hooey on it, and went for the detail. That is especially important as the PCs meet them, and you start fleshing out the NPC - you simply NEED that space as you create those little details, simply to maintain consistency. I guarantee that little detail you forgot to write down will bite you - "Wait, last month you said Fadwoff DID have access to the central servers at the port!"

That fine balancing line - too much detail versus too little time to gather detail...

LOL. I didn't help much, did I?