Background & Home World

[-Daniel-]

So I was thinking of having a character that started out life as a child of some Gypsy Merchants. Her "Home World" would be her parents merchant ship. She spent her childhood going from rim world to rim world. I was thinking her background skills would be Vacc Suit 0, Admin 0, and Flyer 0. This would reflect how she grew up helping her parents on the ship with the paperwork, learning to fly the family Grav Car, and Vacc Suit from the environment she lived in.

If you saw these three background skills and read she grew up on a merchant ship, would it make sense to you?

Or would you have given different background skills knowing she grew up on their ship?

 

[fusor]

Depends what she did on the ship. Maybe she helped fix things. Maybe she helped with the admin. Maybe she helped with customers. The ones you've picked are generic enough but they don't have to be the only options - so long as it applies to shipboard life then it'd work, I guess.

 

[-Daniel-]

The ones you've picked are generic enough but they don't have to be the only options - so long as it applies to shipboard life then it'd work, I guess.

Yes, I kept looking at the background list and these three seemed to make sense to me. But you are right, I guess any would work as long as you buy into the idea her home world is a ship.

 

[NOLATrav]

Broker-0 or Steward-0 would be options too, as well Trade (cargo handling/stevedore)-0. But what you've presented is quite fine IMO.

Personally I don't feel the need to stick to the table with regards to background skills. To me this is an area where a smart or engaged player can make a real difference in how their character comes together and I don't limit them here. If a player hasn't figured something out, well that's why the table is there.

 

[-Daniel-]

Broker-0 or Steward-0 would be options too, as well Trade (cargo handling/stevedore)-0. But what you've presented is quite fine IMO.

I like the idea of the trade, that would also make sense.

Personally I don't feel the need to stick to the table with regards to background skills. To me this is an area where a smart or engaged player can make a real difference in how their character comes together and I don't limit them here. If a player hasn't figured something out, well that's why the table is there.

I agree, if a player has a good idea and the request feels "organic" then I would allow it. Players who try to build characters rather than just a page of stats should be rewarded. :mrgreen:

 

[Hopeless]

When I ran a game using email for character generation any character that had the Vacc Suit skill automatically had their own Vacc Suit based on the TL of where they first picked it up.

Would you allow a character to start off with their own vacc suit rather than paying for it with their starting funds explained away as having been earned as part of the tour where they picked up that skill?

 

[rust2]

Would you allow a character to start off with their own vacc suit rather than paying for it with their starting funds explained away as having been earned as part of the tour where they picked up that skill?

Yes. In fact, I always allow newly generated characters to own all portable tools of their trade.

 

[-Daniel-]

When I ran a game using email for character generation any character that had the Vacc Suit skill automatically had their own Vacc Suit based on the TL of where they first picked it up.

Would you allow a character to start off with their own vacc suit rather than paying for it with their starting funds explained away as having been earned as part of the tour where they picked up that skill?

I tend to play games with a ship assigned to the characters somehow. They buy, Scout ship assigned, loaned by a patron, something. And to be honest, I would expect any ship to have an adequate number of vacc suits for the number of staterooms in the ships locker. So I have never required the characters to buy their own vacc suits.