I expect that T5 will restrict careers to the following:
Army
Navy
Marines
Scouts
Agents
Merchants
Rogues
Entertainers
Nobles
Scholars
NPC Careers. Many non-Player Characters undertake careers in non-travelling careers, which are
Functionary
Citizen
So, how do you make someone a Doctor? I want to avoid creating a "Doctor" career (is he a Naval Doctor, a pediatrician, a surgeon, a Medic, etc?). The concept of Life Pursuit allows ANYONE from any career.
Careers are formal ways in which a player character can acquire skills and experience. Life pursuits are informal ways in which player characters choose to express themselves. Life Pursuits are best understood as specializations, vocations, or hobbies. For example, a career naval officer might have a Life Pursuit of Astrogator (which reflects a career specialization) and another Life Pursuit of Acting (which is a hobby).
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
Each Life Pursuit represents one area in which the character has an interest and some level of accomplishment or skill. Life Pursuits are defined in terms of a specific description and a required skill, required characteristic, and a required S+C value. In addition, there may be non-skill prerequisites. A character may have any number of Life Pursuits (most limit themselves to two or three). New Life Pursuits can be established or acquired at any time.
SKILL PLUS CHARACTERISTIC
Many life pursuits are determined by the ability to be successful. A combination of Skill and Characteristic (S+C) of 12 is enough to virtually guarantee success at Average tasks; S+C 15 can guarantee success at Difficult tasks; S+C 18 can guarantee success at Formidable tasks.
Base S+C. For the primary skill in a Life Pursuit, the base S+C value is the value required to assure success 100% of the time in a Difficult task (typically 15). For the secondary skill in a Life Pursuit, the base S+C value is the value required to assure success 100% of the time in an Average task (typically 12).
FOR REFERENCE
A player may ask about a particular Life Pursuit (“What’s involved in being a Concert Pianist?”). The Game Master completes a Life Pursuit card and marks it “For Reference.” Players then decide if they want to use that Life Pursuit.
ASPIRATIONS
An unqualified character may aspire to a Life Pursuit; he or she “wishes” he or she could do that particular thing (Demolitions and Bomb Making; Baseball Player; Historian; etc). A character may have one Aspiring Life Pursuit at a time.
The Experience rules allow a character to take any skill listed on an Aspiring Life Pursuit as a Term Experience Skill (if the skill is otherwise possible or available).
CERTIFICATION
Life Pursuits can also serve as "Certifications" of ability. In this role, they represent resumes or the results of competency testing. A character with a Life Pursuit of Astrogation is qualified to be an Astrogator (any potential employers should accept a Life Pursuit of Astrogation as evidence of capability of doing the job of Astrogator).
Cautious. Certification represents successfully passing some sort of test and receiving a certificate as a result. Since the "test" is probably time-limited, a character may not declare it cautious.
Cramming. A character may study prior to the test (which will produce a DM between +1 and +3. Thus, if a character has an S+C within 3 of the required value can benefit from cramming the night before the test.
(task details omitted)
Army
Navy
Marines
Scouts
Agents
Merchants
Rogues
Entertainers
Nobles
Scholars
NPC Careers. Many non-Player Characters undertake careers in non-travelling careers, which are
Functionary
Citizen
So, how do you make someone a Doctor? I want to avoid creating a "Doctor" career (is he a Naval Doctor, a pediatrician, a surgeon, a Medic, etc?). The concept of Life Pursuit allows ANYONE from any career.
Careers are formal ways in which a player character can acquire skills and experience. Life pursuits are informal ways in which player characters choose to express themselves. Life Pursuits are best understood as specializations, vocations, or hobbies. For example, a career naval officer might have a Life Pursuit of Astrogator (which reflects a career specialization) and another Life Pursuit of Acting (which is a hobby).
BASIC REQUIREMENTS
Each Life Pursuit represents one area in which the character has an interest and some level of accomplishment or skill. Life Pursuits are defined in terms of a specific description and a required skill, required characteristic, and a required S+C value. In addition, there may be non-skill prerequisites. A character may have any number of Life Pursuits (most limit themselves to two or three). New Life Pursuits can be established or acquired at any time.
SKILL PLUS CHARACTERISTIC
Many life pursuits are determined by the ability to be successful. A combination of Skill and Characteristic (S+C) of 12 is enough to virtually guarantee success at Average tasks; S+C 15 can guarantee success at Difficult tasks; S+C 18 can guarantee success at Formidable tasks.
Base S+C. For the primary skill in a Life Pursuit, the base S+C value is the value required to assure success 100% of the time in a Difficult task (typically 15). For the secondary skill in a Life Pursuit, the base S+C value is the value required to assure success 100% of the time in an Average task (typically 12).
FOR REFERENCE
A player may ask about a particular Life Pursuit (“What’s involved in being a Concert Pianist?”). The Game Master completes a Life Pursuit card and marks it “For Reference.” Players then decide if they want to use that Life Pursuit.
ASPIRATIONS
An unqualified character may aspire to a Life Pursuit; he or she “wishes” he or she could do that particular thing (Demolitions and Bomb Making; Baseball Player; Historian; etc). A character may have one Aspiring Life Pursuit at a time.
The Experience rules allow a character to take any skill listed on an Aspiring Life Pursuit as a Term Experience Skill (if the skill is otherwise possible or available).
CERTIFICATION
Life Pursuits can also serve as "Certifications" of ability. In this role, they represent resumes or the results of competency testing. A character with a Life Pursuit of Astrogation is qualified to be an Astrogator (any potential employers should accept a Life Pursuit of Astrogation as evidence of capability of doing the job of Astrogator).
Cautious. Certification represents successfully passing some sort of test and receiving a certificate as a result. Since the "test" is probably time-limited, a character may not declare it cautious.
Cramming. A character may study prior to the test (which will produce a DM between +1 and +3. Thus, if a character has an S+C within 3 of the required value can benefit from cramming the night before the test.
(task details omitted)
