Character Generation

[atpollard]

It's not a lack of options that's got me stuck. It's too many options.

So, let's say Mercutio was a medic on the boat. He spent all his spare time (what there was of it) reading. So he musters out with Medical-1 and Scholar-1. He tries to become a doctor after that:

My but aren’t we just full of questions?

With those rolls, Mercutio can do another term or can muster out, his (my) choice, right?

Right.

And by training as a doctor, does he automatically bump to Medical-2?

Yes, because you did not get a free skill with the Navy. (No stacking one time benefits.)

Oh, and I have a question about aging:

You are in luck.
1. I am not a giant fan of aging rolls and 2. I am lazy.
So if you decide to stop at this point then I rule by fiat that you have no aging rolls (or you passed all of your rolls). If you decide to go for more terms, then I’ll go look up the details on the rule.

ETA: Mercutio's strength didn't give him any bonuses for any of his career rolls. Is it too late to swap his 11 strength with his 5 dexterity so he could be a surgeon?

No problem, swap away.
Just FYI, the group already has a surgeon, so you might want to specialize in some other aspect of the craft like Scholar to be a researcher or Mechanical to build mechanical prosthetics. Your choice. With two trauma surgeons and two gunfighters the adventures you get into might be exciting!

[Zhym]

Are you suggesting there's such a thing as too many surgeons?

To save you from looking up rules (and to save Mercutio the risk of getting even more feeble than he is), I'll muster Mercutio out at this point. Should I make some rolls, or do you roll that for me?

I'll just roll to see what I come up with for his doctor skills:
Navy (1): Medical-1, Scholar-1
Doctor (1): Medical-2, Mechanical (metal)-1, +1 SOC
Doctor (2): Mechanical (metal)-2, Medical-3
Doctor (3): Mechanical (metal)-3, Scholar-2

That looks pretty good to me. He's a surgeon who can make his own tools and prosthetics. I kind of wanted to take streetwise, given his SOC score, but I wanted mechanical (metal) at 3 and I kind of like the idea of him getting a slight social standing boost from being a doctor.

[ffilz]

Are you suggesting there's such a thing as too many surgeons?

To save you from looking up rules (and to save Mercutio the risk of getting even more feeble than he is), I'll muster Mercutio out at this point. Should I make some rolls, or do you roll that for me?

I'll just roll to see what I come up with for his doctor skills:
Navy (1): Medical-1, Scholar-1
Doctor (1): Medical-2, Mechanical (metal)-1, +1 SOC
Doctor (2): Mechanical (metal)-2, Medical-3
Doctor (3): Mechanical (metal)-3, Scholar-2

That looks pretty good to me. He's a surgeon who can make his own tools and prosthetics. I kind of wanted to take streetwise, given his SOC score, but I wanted mechanical (metal) at 3 and I kind of like the idea of him getting a slight social standing boost from being a doctor.

With a DEX of 5, he won't be a surgeon (unless that rule is changed), but that's cool, he's a doctor who does prosthetics. Doc Linkletter is a Surgeon. Both doctors are scholars...

[atpollard]

I'll muster Mercutio out at this point. Should I make some rolls, or do you roll that for me?

Either way works for me.

If you have the Classic Traveller Suppliment 4, then you can roll the Doctor muster benefits (3 terms) or I can do it for you.
If you have Classic Traveller Little Black Book 2 (or The Traveller Book), then you can roll the Navy muster benefits (1 term) or I can do it for you.

For this game, I also give a bunch of skills at level-0.
Since you did only 1 term Navy and 3 terms Doctor ... take the Doctor skill-0 list from the REFERENCE topic (back to that "no stacking 1 time benefits" thing).

[atpollard]

With a DEX of 5, he won't be a surgeon (unless that rule is changed), but that's cool, he's a doctor who does prosthetics. Doc Linkletter is a Surgeon. Both doctors are scholars...

He originally just took the attributes in the order rolled, and requested to swap STR and DEX now that he finally chose Doctor and it maters. I agreed since STR didn't affect any rolls in Chargen.

[ffilz]

With a DEX of 5, he won't be a surgeon (unless that rule is changed), but that's cool, he's a doctor who does prosthetics. Doc Linkletter is a Surgeon. Both doctors are scholars...

He originally just took the attributes in the order rolled, and requested to swap STR and DEX now that he finally chose Doctor and it maters. I agreed since STR didn't affect any rolls in Chargen.

Ah, missed that, then yes, a surgeon he is...

The good thing about two doctors - there's someone to put the Doc back together if he gets broken...

[Zhym]

I'll muster Mercutio out at this point. Should I make some rolls, or do you roll that for me?

Either way works for me.

If you have the Classic Traveller Suppliment 4, then you can roll the Doctor muster benefits (3 terms) or I can do it for you.
If you have Classic Traveller Little Black Book 2 (or The Traveller Book), then you can roll the Navy muster benefits (1 term) or I can do it for you.

For this game, I also give a bunch of skills at level-0.
Since you did only 1 term Navy and 3 terms Doctor ... take the Doctor skill-0 list from the REFERENCE topic (back to that "no stacking 1 time benefits" thing).

Thanks. I did find the Traveller rule books, so I can do the rolls. Is that a choice between the Navy or the Doctor muster benefits, or do I roll both?

[atpollard]

I'll muster Mercutio out at this point. Should I make some rolls, or do you roll that for me?

Either way works for me.

If you have the Classic Traveller Suppliment 4, then you can roll the Doctor muster benefits (3 terms) or I can do it for you.
If you have Classic Traveller Little Black Book 2 (or The Traveller Book), then you can roll the Navy muster benefits (1 term) or I can do it for you.

For this game, I also give a bunch of skills at level-0.
Since you did only 1 term Navy and 3 terms Doctor ... take the Doctor skill-0 list from the REFERENCE topic (back to that "no stacking 1 time benefits" thing).

Thanks. I did find the Traveller rule books, so I can do the rolls. Is that a choice between the Navy or the Doctor muster benefits, or do I roll both?

Both ... Muster the 1 term in Navy on the Navy tables and the 3 terms in Doctor on the Doctor tables.

You get:

• ONE ROLL on either the Navy Beneits or Cash table (for 1 term, no promotion)

and

• THREE ROLLS on either the Doctor Beneits or Cash table (for 3 terms, no promotion)

[Zhym]

Okay. Here goes:

Muster Out (Navy, Benefit): [1d6] = 6 High Passage
Muster Out (Doctor, Cash): [1d6] = 5 40,000 credits
Muster Out (Doctor, Benefit): [1d6] = 4 Weapon
Muster Out (Doctor, Benefit): [1d6] = 2 +1 EDU

How does "high passage" work in this game?

[atpollard]

How does "high passage" work in this game?

Sort of just like normal.
You have one voucher for First Class Passage on any steamship of your choice to any destination of your choice (non-transferable, subject to availability, and cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts).

If you would rather just have the cash, apply the roll of 6 to the Navy Cash table instead. Unless you have some special entrance into the game that you would like, you were a passenger on the ship that sunk a couple weeks ago and wound up stranded in Gwynedd.

[Zhym]

Okay, I'll take the cash.

Here's what I have for a character sheet so far:

Mercutio "Doc" Routledge
Attributes: 5B59C3

• STR: 5
  DEX: 11
  END: 5
  INT: 9
  EDU: 12
  SOC: 3

Skills

• Administration-0
  Blade Combat-0
  Mechanical (leather)-0
  Mechanical (machinery)-3
  Mechanical (metal)-0
  Mechanical (wood)-0
  Medical-3
  Scholar-2
  Streetwise-0

Money and Equipment
90,000 credits

Origin: [1d6] = 3 Hamlet

Career

Navy (1): Medical-1, Scholar-1
Doctor (1): Medical-2, Mechanical (metal)-1, +1 SOC
Doctor (2): Mechanical (metal)-2, Medical-3
Doctor (3): Mechanical (metal)-3, Scholar-2

Mustering out:
Muster Out (Navy, Benefit): [1d6] = 6 High Passage 50,000 credits
Muster Out (Doctor, Cash): [1d6] = 5 40,000 credits
Muster Out (Doctor, Benefit): [1d6] = 4 Weapon
Muster Out (Doctor, Benefit): [1d6] = 2 +1 EDU

I need to pick out a blade weapon as a mustering benefit. It looks like a dagger or maybe a foil are the best options—unless there's some sort of special blade a mechanic surgeon would have? And is there anything else to spend those 90,000 credits on?

Thanks for answering all these questions!

[ffilz]

Okay, I'll take the cash.

Here's what I have for a character sheet so far:

Mercutio "Doc" Routledge
Attributes: 5B59C3

• STR: 5
  DEX: 11
  END: 5
  INT: 9
  EDU: 12
  SOC: 3

Skills

• Administration-0
  Blade Combat-0
  Mechanical (leather)-0
  Mechanical (machinery)-3
  Mechanical (metal)-0
  Mechanical (wood)-0
  Medical-3
  Scholar-2
  Streetwise-0

Money and Equipment
90,000 credits

Origin: [1d6] = 3 Hamlet

Career

Navy (1): Medical-1, Scholar-1
Doctor (1): Medical-2, Mechanical (metal)-1, +1 SOC
Doctor (2): Mechanical (metal)-2, Medical-3
Doctor (3): Mechanical (metal)-3, Scholar-2

Mustering out:
Muster Out (Navy, Benefit): [1d6] = 6 High Passage 50,000 credits
Muster Out (Doctor, Cash): [1d6] = 5 40,000 credits
Muster Out (Doctor, Benefit): [1d6] = 4 Weapon
Muster Out (Doctor, Benefit): [1d6] = 2 +1 EDU

I need to pick out a blade weapon as a mustering benefit. It looks like a dagger or maybe a foil are the best options—unless there's some sort of special blade a mechanic surgeon would have? And is there anything else to spend those 90,000 credits on?

Thanks for answering all these questions!

Ooh, with the END 5, how about a prosthetic arm with hidden blade? That would be so cool... It looks like he did have one sort of close call as a Doctor (roll of 4+2 vs TN 5 for Survival on his 4th term).

[Zhym]

Ooh, with the END 5, how about a prosthetic arm with hidden blade? That would be so cool... It looks like he did have one sort of close call as a Doctor (roll of 4+2 vs TN 5 for Survival on his 4th term).

I like that idea! But where do you see the 4+2 survival roll?

[AsenRG]

I just wanted to demonstrate that a 1 term character could also be someone interesting and fun to play.

No, that's impossible!

Indeed! What kind of nonsensical heresy is the old chap spouting?



(And what's the emotional for "stiff upper lip" ?)

Also, atpollard's previous post should be made a sticky on CotI. And not only there, now that I think about it !

[Zhym]

Building on the prosthetic idea: what about a sort of "Swiss army knife" arm with various surgical tools, which can also be used as a weapon in a pinch?

[atpollard]

Building on the prosthetic idea: what about a sort of "Swiss army knife" arm with various surgical tools, which can also be used as a weapon in a pinch?

That's insane!
Just the sort of thing a Victorian inventor-surgeon might come up with.
Sure. Go for it.

[ffilz]

Ooh, with the END 5, how about a prosthetic arm with hidden blade? That would be so cool... It looks like he did have one sort of close call as a Doctor (roll of 4+2 vs TN 5 for Survival on his 4th term).

I like that idea! But where do you see the 4+2 survival roll?

Oh, shoot, I think I was looking at the example char atpollard did to show how quick the process is...

[ffilz]

Building on the prosthetic idea: what about a sort of "Swiss army knife" arm with various surgical tools, which can also be used as a weapon in a pinch?

That's insane!
Just the sort of thing a Victorian inventor-surgeon might come up with.
Sure. Go for it.

Oh, yes, absolutely

We have a fun set of characters here.

[atpollard]

You can certainly make it a prosthetic if you like, but another option would be a "surgical arm" which would be a mechanical exoskeleton consisting of a gauntlet, arm cage and straps across your shoulder and back that you wear like the arm and shoulder of a suit of plate mail. Rather than offering protection, it allows simple muscle and arm movements to deploy instruments from your "Swiss-knife" gauntlet and guide them in surgery. When not worn, it requires its own large chest to pack it safely for transport. So you either wear it around or spend a lot of time getting it ready.

[Zhym]

You can certainly make it a prosthetic if you like, but another option would be a "surgical arm" which would be a mechanical exoskeleton consisting of a gauntlet, arm cage and straps across your shoulder and back that you wear like the arm and shoulder of a suit of plate mail. Rather than offering protection, it allows simple muscle and arm movements to deploy instruments from your "Swiss-knife" gauntlet and guide them in surgery. When not worn, it requires its own large chest to pack it safely for transport. So you either wear it around or spend a lot of time getting it ready.

Perfect! I like it. Can it also be used as a weapon if needed? (Not that Mercutio plans to do much fighting.)