Hiring personnel can be expensive and troublesome. Hiring the unskilled claiming to be what they are not can be lethal for the Traveller.
Fortunately most sophont races and polities recognize the need to ensure skill and pay match for a variety of reasons, and issue certifications based on tested knowledge and ability.
The following is a 5 level certification regimen, using the 68A rolling system, to gain certification. It roughly follows the skill levels, but certification at a higher level then a character actually has is possible- and a bad showing for certification can mean the character is underpaid below their potential.
Each level of certification is more difficult, with failure more likely. A failed license can be retaken, but the certification fees are non-refundable and will have to be paid again for another attempt.
It has some eye-popping changes to the way pay is usually calculated, but should open up at least several 'working passage' opportunities.
Also, certification itself is some big play opportunity, and could be a mini-adventure of itself, the presented die rolls can be played out instead. This is particularly good material for the higher levels with so much at stake. Failing certification can also be used as a reason why a character was let go from their primary service, with some adventure/backstory possibilites there too.
The pay scales assume there is market pressure, polity rules, professional guild/union power, or some combination thereof, to tie pay to certification level. This is on the same level as the traditional starship fees for tons, passengers, etc., up to the referee as to if, how and why the mechanism is in place.
The rough rule of thumb is regular pay assumes a certification analogous to skill level 2, halves for each step lower, and doubles for each step higher. So pay can be .25 to 4x base pay as noted in whatever Traveller version.
Certifications last for years x3 their level, so a Level I certification is 3 years, up to Level 4 at 12 years. 0-level, effectively Apprentice, is only good for one year.
Certification testing requires paying a fee for costs equal to 2 months of pay at the level the character is attempting to get paid at.
Example Gunner, base pay 1000 Cr per month.
Level-0 Apprentice, pay/certiffication Cr250
Level-1 500 Cr
Level-2 1000 Cr
Level-3 2000 Cr
Level-4 4000 Cr
Pilot, base pay 5000 Cr per month.
Level-0 1250 Cr
Level-1 2500 Cr
Level-2 5000 Cr
Level-3 10000 Cr
Level-4 20000 Cr
Certification rolls get pluses to make at the skill level the character possesses. If the character does not possess the skill and at least have a 0 rating, a -4/-5 modifer applies for not having the skill, depending on the version or modifier desired. Jack of all Trades works as a 0 rating to avoid the negative modifiers.
Robot/Expert System Certification and Pay
Robot and Expert System Certification comes in two types, Product Certification and Individual System Certification.
Robot/Expert system models must be type certified in order to be allowed to drive ships, vehicles, operate on people, etc.
The cost is 100x the normal certification fee, and also requires 5 prototypes including 3 randomly chosen from an assembly line.
Each robot/system must be certified/recertified just as per a human, as manufacturing, hardware or software glitches might have cropped up since the day the unit left the factory.
Robot leasing/pay is at the same rates as humans with circumstances possibly increasing or decreasing pay.
Robot leasing or ownership in lieu of hiring humans can be profitable especially at the higher skill levels, but is mitigated by the requirement that robot action liabilities devolve upon their owners, and they are required to have human supervision in their specialty.
There is a form of itinerant Traveller that buys robots, often used and/or uncertified, to earn money and/or passage with skills the owner does not have.
End of Career Certification State
When a character ends their career, their certification expiration state should be determined.
The character would normally have a certification for every skill-1 and above at the level of their skill during their career.
The state of their certification depends on how they left.
If they retired voluntarily their certifications are half expired- 12 year certifications would have 6 years left, 6 year certifications would have 3 years left, etc.
If they attempted to reenlist and failed, roll 1d6 and subtract that in years from the expiration date.
If that results in a certificate expiring, the character will have the next lower certification available with half the years expired as above.
Fortunately most sophont races and polities recognize the need to ensure skill and pay match for a variety of reasons, and issue certifications based on tested knowledge and ability.
The following is a 5 level certification regimen, using the 68A rolling system, to gain certification. It roughly follows the skill levels, but certification at a higher level then a character actually has is possible- and a bad showing for certification can mean the character is underpaid below their potential.
Each level of certification is more difficult, with failure more likely. A failed license can be retaken, but the certification fees are non-refundable and will have to be paid again for another attempt.
It has some eye-popping changes to the way pay is usually calculated, but should open up at least several 'working passage' opportunities.
Also, certification itself is some big play opportunity, and could be a mini-adventure of itself, the presented die rolls can be played out instead. This is particularly good material for the higher levels with so much at stake. Failing certification can also be used as a reason why a character was let go from their primary service, with some adventure/backstory possibilites there too.
The pay scales assume there is market pressure, polity rules, professional guild/union power, or some combination thereof, to tie pay to certification level. This is on the same level as the traditional starship fees for tons, passengers, etc., up to the referee as to if, how and why the mechanism is in place.
The rough rule of thumb is regular pay assumes a certification analogous to skill level 2, halves for each step lower, and doubles for each step higher. So pay can be .25 to 4x base pay as noted in whatever Traveller version.
Certifications last for years x3 their level, so a Level I certification is 3 years, up to Level 4 at 12 years. 0-level, effectively Apprentice, is only good for one year.
Certification testing requires paying a fee for costs equal to 2 months of pay at the level the character is attempting to get paid at.
Example Gunner, base pay 1000 Cr per month.
Level-0 Apprentice, pay/certiffication Cr250
Level-1 500 Cr
Level-2 1000 Cr
Level-3 2000 Cr
Level-4 4000 Cr
Pilot, base pay 5000 Cr per month.
Level-0 1250 Cr
Level-1 2500 Cr
Level-2 5000 Cr
Level-3 10000 Cr
Level-4 20000 Cr
Certification rolls get pluses to make at the skill level the character possesses. If the character does not possess the skill and at least have a 0 rating, a -4/-5 modifer applies for not having the skill, depending on the version or modifier desired. Jack of all Trades works as a 0 rating to avoid the negative modifiers.
Robot/Expert System Certification and Pay
Robot and Expert System Certification comes in two types, Product Certification and Individual System Certification.
Robot/Expert system models must be type certified in order to be allowed to drive ships, vehicles, operate on people, etc.
The cost is 100x the normal certification fee, and also requires 5 prototypes including 3 randomly chosen from an assembly line.
Each robot/system must be certified/recertified just as per a human, as manufacturing, hardware or software glitches might have cropped up since the day the unit left the factory.
Robot leasing/pay is at the same rates as humans with circumstances possibly increasing or decreasing pay.
Robot leasing or ownership in lieu of hiring humans can be profitable especially at the higher skill levels, but is mitigated by the requirement that robot action liabilities devolve upon their owners, and they are required to have human supervision in their specialty.
There is a form of itinerant Traveller that buys robots, often used and/or uncertified, to earn money and/or passage with skills the owner does not have.
End of Career Certification State
When a character ends their career, their certification expiration state should be determined.
The character would normally have a certification for every skill-1 and above at the level of their skill during their career.
The state of their certification depends on how they left.
If they retired voluntarily their certifications are half expired- 12 year certifications would have 6 years left, 6 year certifications would have 3 years left, etc.
If they attempted to reenlist and failed, roll 1d6 and subtract that in years from the expiration date.
If that results in a certificate expiring, the character will have the next lower certification available with half the years expired as above.
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