T5 Military Reserves

[Reban]

Is there any more information on the "Reserves" other than the mention on p.77 that says:

Reserve Pension.
A character who served in the Reserves receives an annual Reserve Pension (= Cr100 per term served in the Reserves).

I've looked through the Careers section and Soldier, Spacer and Marine but I can't find any expansion on that.

• How does one enter the reserves?
• How many terms must you serve?
• Can non military characters enter the reserves?
• Is there anymore information on the Reserves in the book other than the pension reference?

 

[pendragonman]

Wow. You read close. I missed that and I have done probably a dozen runs of chargen.

 

[fridge]

[*]Is there anymore information on the Reserves in the book other than the pension reference?
[/LIST]

Only on page 72

 

[Reban]

Thanks Fridge.

So from p72 we know that washing out of the educational routes to a commission and serving one term as an E1 means at the end of that term you are in the reserves.


This chimes with how I think it should work overall. Training a soldier/spacer/marine is expensive. If they only serve one 4 year term they should have to serve a period in the reserves.

So its 4 years with the Colours and then x years in the reserves.

Probably in game terms this means; A character who leaves a military career is with the reserves until he or she retires at muster out and begins adventuring.

But there should be some rule for making a risk and reward role for getting called back to the Colours for active service. I don't see anything like this and I don't recall it appearing in the Beta.

And yes Pendragonman, I read close

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Pretty much.

Thanks Fridge.

So from p72 we know that washing out of the educational routes to a commission and serving one term as an E1 means at the end of that term you are in the reserves.


This chimes with how I think it should work overall. Training a soldier/spacer/marine is expensive. If they only serve one 4 year term they should have to serve a period in the reserves.

So its 4 years with the Colours and then x years in the reserves.

Probably in game terms this means; A character who leaves a military career is with the reserves until he or she retires at muster out and begins adventuring.

But there should be some rule for making a risk and reward role for getting called back to the Colours for active service. I don't see anything like this and I don't recall it appearing in the Beta.

And yes Pendragonman, I read close

There isn't a Risk and Reward mechanic to get back to the Colours, but there is a To Begin roll. It is called Changing Careers. :devil:

 

[Reban]

There isn't a Risk and Reward mechanic to get back to the Colours, but there is a To Begin roll. It is called Changing Careers. :devil:

Yes but this would be a "liability" to serve. To begin is a choice. Being on reserve risks being called to active duty with a potential reward from the specific career you get called back to.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Oh, that.

Yes but this would be a "liability" to serve. To begin is a choice. Being on reserve risks being called to active duty with a potential reward from the specific career you get called back to.

That, sir is called "plot" and is up to the Ref to handle.

 

[Reban]

Thats a big intrusion of "plot" into character generation. Which btw is okay by me as a ref but this Reserve thing seems to be a loose end.

Thats a pity because I can a lot of useful things it could influence. he first example that comes to mind is this. Career Knowledges: as I read it career knowledges don't decline in the same way as world knowledges. serving in the Reserves is a good justification for maintaining Knowledges like Soldier, Spacer and Marine.

Being recalled to active service could be handled simply. Activation could be by plot intervention or by a Flux throw possibly modified by rank (Officers and NCOs are more likely to be needed). Failing the throw means that a state of war or emergency exists and you've been recalled to active duty for 1 year in which you make the risk and reward rolls and gain skills from the appropriate military career.

Roll again at the end of the year. Making the check means you revert to your civilian career and resolve the rest of the term as normal. To stop things getting too complicated only full 4 year terms on active service count at mustering out, otherwise resolve terms as served in the actual careers you are in (just like in most reserve service your actual civilian job is protected).


One other thing. I'm thinking that Reserve status in T5 equates to the Reserve of Officers, Class A and Class B reserves but not Militia, National Guard or Territorial Army type 2nd Line Reserves. I say this because to be in the Reserves you have to have completed a term in a regular military career and you can't join this reserve from civilian life.

 

[Reban]

I just had a thought while adding a note on the Reserves to the errata thread.


Here's a more straight forward way of handling activation:

p.74

Mandatory Continue. If the Continue roll is 2 exactly, the character is required to Continue in the current Career for a new 4-year term.

A character serving in the Reserves who rolls a 2 on their role to continue in a career has received Activation Orders and must report to the nearest military installation to serve another term in his/her previous military career.

I'd advise the ref to use this as an option or give the player a chance to make some sort of roll to avoid this (using Admin, Advocate or Liaison). Success avoids Activation but the character is still retained in his/her career.

If used as an option it depends on the state of the campaign setting. Is there a war on? Has there been a disaster? Is there a plot reason for bring the character back into the military before adventuring starts?

This houserule might be a bit harsh in some campaigns but military service in Traveller should be a big deal because members of the Imperial military are a prominent face of the Imperium. I tend towards the pre WW2 idea of military service being a life long vocation not a route to education or one career in a working lifetime. YMMV.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Nice.

Thats a big intrusion of "plot" into character generation. Which btw is okay by me as a ref but this Reserve thing seems to be a loose end.

Thats a pity because I can a lot of useful things it could influence. he first example that comes to mind is this. Career Knowledges: as I read it career knowledges don't decline in the same way as world knowledges. serving in the Reserves is a good justification for maintaining Knowledges like Soldier, Spacer and Marine.

Being recalled to active service could be handled simply. Activation could be by plot intervention or by a Flux throw possibly modified by rank (Officers and NCOs are more likely to be needed). Failing the throw means that a state of war or emergency exists and you've been recalled to active duty for 1 year in which you make the risk and reward rolls and gain skills from the appropriate military career.

Roll again at the end of the year. Making the check means you revert to your civilian career and resolve the rest of the term as normal. To stop things getting too complicated only full 4 year terms on active service count at mustering out, otherwise resolve terms as served in the actual careers you are in (just like in most reserve service your actual civilian job is protected).


One other thing. I'm thinking that Reserve status in T5 equates to the Reserve of Officers, Class A and Class B reserves but not Militia, National Guard or Territorial Army type 2nd Line Reserves. I say this because to be in the Reserves you have to have completed a term in a regular military career and you can't join this reserve from civilian life.

I just had a thought while adding a note on the Reserves to the errata thread.


Here's a more straight forward way of handling activation:

p.74


A character serving in the Reserves who rolls a 2 on their role to continue in a career has received Activation Orders and must report to the nearest military installation to serve another term in his/her previous military career.

I'd advise the ref to use this as an option or give the player to make some sort of roll to avoid this (using Admin, Advocate or Liaison). Success avoids Activation but the character is still retained in his/her career.

If used as an option it depends on the state of the campaign setting. Is there a war on? Has there been a disaster? Is there a plot reason for bring the character back into the military before adventuring starts?

This houserule might be a bit harsh in some campaigns but military service in Traveller should be a big deal because members of the Imperial military are a prominent face of the Imperium. I tend towards the pre WW2 idea of military service being a life long vocation not a route to education or one career in a working lifetime. YMMV.

These are both very cool.

Here's one for you. In Careers where there is a Risk of Injury like the Scouts if they take a wound that comes from their being Activated.

But yours might still be better, I think I will swipe yours for now. :devil: