The Unseen Servant forums

helvorn wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 1:33 am Also are we going to take a skill package and divide it up amongst ourselves?

For connections, each one of the pair selects a suitable skill for the connection. If they don't have it, they get skill/1. If they already have it, they get a +1 to the skill. No skills packages. You built your characters by hand, so they are off the table.

terrymixon wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 2:03 am

mavikfelna wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 1:29 am Are we using the rules for increasing stats as well as skills? Where did you find them?

Not for connections at the start of play. Skills only.

We can use experience for bumping skills and stats later, though. I'll post the House Rules for that shortly.

The Training and Improvement rules are now available under House Rules on Roll20.

terrymixon wrote: ↑Tue Jun 10, 2025 10:31 pm

helvorn wrote: ↑Tue Jun 10, 2025 9:47 pm Does anyone need another connection? We can each have two albeit with different characters?

You get a skill 1 or +1 skill level with each connection, so if you don’t have two, find a new friend. Musical chairs!

Oh, I need to sort that.

Unfortunately, one of my connections is early, so available skills is limited.

shaidar wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 4:15 am

terrymixon wrote: ↑Tue Jun 10, 2025 10:31 pm

helvorn wrote: ↑Tue Jun 10, 2025 9:47 pm Does anyone need another connection? We can each have two albeit with different characters?

You get a skill 1 or +1 skill level with each connection, so if you don’t have two, find a new friend. Musical chairs!

Oh, I need to sort that.

Unfortunately, one of my connections is early, so available skills is limited.

Depending on what the events of the connection are, the skill could be anything. Sky is the limit as long as it is connected.

Ah, I didn't realise it was open like that.

shaidar wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 4:48 am Ah, I didn't realise it was open like that.

Here is the rule. The sky is the limit and the choice of skill (except jack-of-all-trades and not bumping a skill about skill/3) is each player’s. Either a new skill or a +1 to an existing skill.

—-

THE CONNECTIONS RULE
During Traveller creation, the aim is to not only to create interesting histories for Travellers through career decisions, events and mishaps but also to ensure Travellers know one another before the campaign begins. This avoids every campaign starting with the words ‘right, you all meet in the starport bar…’. In Traveller, you will all know one another to some degree and can get stuck into adventuring straight away.

If two Travellers agree, then any event rolled for one Traveller can involve another. Only one Traveller needs to have rolled the specific event, though you will find it more exciting if Travellers can link events together (this is why it is best to create Travellers as a group activity, going through terms one-by-one together).

If an event can be linked between two Travellers in this way, then they both get one extra skill of their choice. You may gain a maximum of two free skills from the connections rule and each connection must be with a different Traveller.

For each connection you make, you may gain any skill but cannot bring a skill above level 3
using this rule nor may you take the Jack-of-all-Trades skill.

For example, Erik is working as an Agent and he rolls an undercover mission (event number 8 on the Agent Events table). Erik’s player suggests that Erik could have met Kathya while on this mission and Kathya’s player agrees. They then discuss exactly what happened during the mission and this begins to form previous history for both Travellers. Both Erik and Kathya will then gain an extra skill because of this.

Thanks, I'm still working my way through the book.

Just to make sure I have the Expert program rules down right, I have no skill in Melee (Unarmed) so Expert/1 gives me a skill of 0. If I use my training time to gain skill 0, this boost the bonus from the Expert/1 to skill 1. If I then further trained to skill 1, the Expert/1 would no longer provide a bonus at all. Is that correct?

Is there any way to improve Jack of All Trades? You can't train in it like other skills, right?

Insofar as I know, and Terry can overrule me anyway, JoT can't be improved at all after chargen.

IMTU, there are even situations where JoT won't help at all, where you'll still take a -3 Unskilled DM. For example, you might know quite a bit about hotwiring cars, but if you sit down to try and draw an electronic diagram it's gonna look like you spilled your drink on the napkin that girl's number on it at the bar Every skill has a certain 'school-learned' aspect to it and definitely does not translate to JoT.
I do this so that players with JoT-3 don't act like they know everything.

Terry, I ought to have all equipment done by tomorrow.

To the group, I need one more connection. I have my last three terms available. My Events are not particularly exciting, but if your character was traveling in Core Sector you could have shipped with me. And I'm pretty open to anything that doesn't kill me.

mavikfelna wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 5:24 am Just to make sure I have the Expert program rules down right, I have no skill in Melee (Unarmed) so Expert/1 gives me a skill of 0. If I use my training time to gain skill 0, this boost the bonus from the Expert/1 to skill 1. If I then further trained to skill 1, the Expert/1 would no longer provide a bonus at all. Is that correct?

Is there any way to improve Jack of All Trades? You can't train in it like other skills, right?

Your connections skill levels could be applied to JoaT. As for later, you can work on it like the other skills. Check out the Training and Improvement house rules.

ottarrus wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 8:06 am Terry, I ought to have all equipment done by tomorrow.

Sounds good. You’ll be back to start on Tuesday or after Tuesday?

mavikfelna wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 5:24 am Just to make sure I have the Expert program rules down right, I have no skill in Melee (Unarmed) so Expert/1 gives me a skill of 0. If I use my training time to gain skill 0, this boost the bonus from the Expert/1 to skill 1. If I then further trained to skill 1, the Expert/1 would no longer provide a bonus at all. Is that correct?

That is correct. Higher levels of Expert skill take that behavior to greater skill levels but the behavior is the same.

terrymixon wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 12:34 pm

ottarrus wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 8:06 am Terry, I ought to have all equipment done by tomorrow.

Sounds good. You’ll be back to start on Tuesday or after Tuesday?

I'll be back Monday or Tuesday. Depends on how wiped I am after the weekend.

ottarrus wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 2:09 pm

terrymixon wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 12:34 pm

ottarrus wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 8:06 am Terry, I ought to have all equipment done by tomorrow.

Sounds good. You’ll be back to start on Tuesday or after Tuesday?

I'll be back Monday or Tuesday. Depends on how wiped I am after the weekend.

Then I’ll make the opening game post next Tuesday. Don’t want to have someone miss the opening. And it will give me time to skim Act 1 once it arrives while still getting in my fiction-writing time.

terrymixon wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 2:14 pm Then I’ll make the opening game post next Tuesday. Don’t want to have someone miss the opening. And it will give me time to skim Act 1 once it arrives while still getting in my fiction-writing time.

i am starting a new job Monday (12 hour nights, 3 nights a week) and I have HR 9-5 M-W and don't know my schedule after that.

So I wont be as present as usual. Still looking forward to it though.

ateno wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 3:55 pm

terrymixon wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 2:14 pm Then I’ll make the opening game post next Tuesday. Don’t want to have someone miss the opening. And it will give me time to skim Act 1 once it arrives while still getting in my fiction-writing time.

i am starting a new job Monday (12 hour nights, 3 nights a week) and I have HR 9-5 M-W and don't know my schedule after that.

So I wont be as present as usual. Still looking forward to it though.

Understood. We'll keep you involved without overwhelming you.

Helvon has a couple of questions to answer.

I've added the allies, contacts, rivals, and enemies to the prime tab of the character sheets for everyone that didn't have them there already.

Does anyone else have things still to do?

terrymixon wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 12:33 pm

mavikfelna wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 5:24 am Just to make sure I have the Expert program rules down right, I have no skill in Melee (Unarmed) so Expert/1 gives me a skill of 0. If I use my training time to gain skill 0, this boost the bonus from the Expert/1 to skill 1. If I then further trained to skill 1, the Expert/1 would no longer provide a bonus at all. Is that correct?

Is there any way to improve Jack of All Trades? You can't train in it like other skills, right?

Your connections skill levels could be applied to JoaT. As for later, you can work on it like the other skills. Check out the Training and Improvement house rules.

Ok, in that case I need to make an adjustment to my character sheet. Removing the skill points in Recon and Stealth and putting them in JoAT.

mavikfelna wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 9:23 pm

terrymixon wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 12:33 pm

mavikfelna wrote: ↑Wed Jun 11, 2025 5:24 am Just to make sure I have the Expert program rules down right, I have no skill in Melee (Unarmed) so Expert/1 gives me a skill of 0. If I use my training time to gain skill 0, this boost the bonus from the Expert/1 to skill 1. If I then further trained to skill 1, the Expert/1 would no longer provide a bonus at all. Is that correct?

Is there any way to improve Jack of All Trades? You can't train in it like other skills, right?

Your connections skill levels could be applied to JoaT. As for later, you can work on it like the other skills. Check out the Training and Improvement house rules.

Ok, in that case I need to make an adjustment to my character sheet. Removing the skill points in Recon and Stealth and putting them in JoAT.

Go for it.