Base Crew Skill Levels

[MasterGwydion]

Hey all! I am a bit confused about how We do Skill Levels for ship's crew. The Salaries listed for the crew are based on a skill level of 1. Correct? That means the base skill level for each crew is Skill Level 1 in their pertinent skills. Now, correct Me if I am wrong, but it's skill level 2 considered to be "professional level"? If that is the case, why are the base skill levels and base prices for ship crews based on skill level 1 instead of 2? Wouldn't a crew with skill level 1 be substandard crew?

 

[Arkathan]

1-2 is professional level. 2 is more of a veteran in the field. Competent, and the supervisor doesn't have to check on them as often.
0 would be substandard.
Most of your people can be 1's. Department heads if the ship is big enough, should be 2-3. Then the 1's can give them 3d on their rolls.
A Medic 2 COULD be a doctor, but not a well known or proficient one. Like comparing Dr. Faucci and Dr. Carson. One is a bureaucrat who hasn't dealt medically with a human in decades and the other is a well known and respected neurosurgeon who developed revolutionary procedures.

 

[Garran]

I suspect that crew skill levels are intentionally kept on the low end so that they won't overshadow PCs in those roles.

 

[MasterGwydion]

I suspect that crew skill levels are intentionally kept on the low end so that they won't overshadow PCs in those roles.

If that is true then I might as well go play D&D. Any time you create an artificial difference between PC power levels and general world NPC power levels, then you might as well go play D&D or something like it, more of a space opera where the PCs are some kind of elevated heros. That is not Traveller. Traveller is people who are just like everyone else, with one exception, they Travel.

 

[Vormaerin]

Skill 0 has basic training in the task.
Skill 1 is professionally competent. Someone able to get licensed to do the job. You are qualified to work on your own.
Skill 2 is an experienced professional.
Skill 3 is a noted expert. Can meet the highest qualifications in a field.
Skill 4+ are increasing levels of expert other experts look up to.

The problem with trying to map skills to real life professional levels is that real life professionals rarely match up with specific skills.

A Doctor and a Nurse can both have the same medic skill. You might expect a doctor to also have some Science skills. And if they are a researcher at the NIH, their Science skill is probably much higher than their Medic skill.

You also have the issue that Traveller skills are necessarily extremely broad. Someone with Computer skill is good at anything to do with computers. Programming. Hacking. Data Research. Actually using Software. It's all the same skill. Not so in real life.

 

[Condottiere]

Social Standing could be the real differentiator, all other things being equal.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Skill 0 has basic training in the task.
Skill 1 is professionally competent. Someone able to get licensed to do the job. You are qualified to work on your own.
Skill 2 is an experienced professional.
Skill 3 is a noted expert. Can meet the highest qualifications in a field.
Skill 4+ are increasing levels of expert other experts look up to.

The problem with trying to map skills to real life professional levels is that real life professionals rarely match up with specific skills.

A Doctor and a Nurse can both have the same medic skill. You might expect a doctor to also have some Science skills. And if they are a researcher at the NIH, their Science skill is probably much higher than their Medic skill.

You also have the issue that Traveller skills are necessarily extremely broad. Someone with Computer skill is good at anything to do with computers. Programming. Hacking. Data Research. Actually using Software. It's all the same skill. Not so in real life.

So how much does it cost a month for that Skill Level 0 crew, other than your ship exploding? lol

 

[Vormaerin]

Steward is the only skill it is legal to have a Skill 0 person filling the role. And even then, probably only if you are doing basic passengers.

 

[Condottiere]

I guess you could be watching a uTube tutorial, while fixing the jump drive.

 

[Vormaerin]

According to Agents of the Imperium, they'd just slot a "Mr. Scott" chip and use his skill. o.0

 

[ottarrus]

Hey all! I am a bit confused about how We do Skill Levels for ship's crew. The Salaries listed for the crew are based on a skill level of 1. Correct? That means the base skill level for each crew is Skill Level 1 in their pertinent skills. Now, correct Me if I am wrong, but it's skill level 2 considered to be "professional level"? If that is the case, why are the base skill levels and base prices for ship crews based on skill level 1 instead of 2? Wouldn't a crew with skill level 1 be substandard crew?

IMTU...
Skill level 0 = You've had some instruction and can do most skill tasks by rote
Skill level 1 = You've got the basic level of skill to get work in that skill
Skill level 2 = You're an experienced professional at the skill
Skill level 3 = You're a local expert at that skill, somebody who often trains others at it; you can experiment with new applications
Skill level 4 = You're a recognized expert, you might even be famous within your professional sphere; you can theorize new pathways for skill use

Most people who are working at a given job have Skill 1 or 2 at the necessary skills. They're competent, but not stellar at it
Most supervisors have Skill 2 or 3 plus Skill 1 or 2 in supervisory skills like Leader, Admin, etc.

 

[Terry Mixon]

IMTU...
Skill level 0 = You've had some instruction and can do most skill tasks by rote
Skill level 1 = You've got the basic level of skill to get work in that skill
Skill level 2 = You're an experienced professional at the skill
Skill level 3 = You're a local expert at that skill, somebody who often trains others at it; you can experiment with new applications
Skill level 4 = You're a recognized expert, you might even be famous within your professional sphere; you can theorize new pathways for skill use

Most people who are working at a given job have Skill 1 or 2 at the necessary skills. They're competent, but not stellar at it
Most supervisors have Skill 2 or 3 plus Skill 1 or 2 in supervisory skills like Leader, Admin, etc.

I like this. Would skill level 5 make you a leading light in your field in the entire Imperium? Asking for the NPC robotics/computer scientist I have pushing the envelope of what is possible in his fields. I already have him pegged to the players as a flat-out genius doing things that are a little beyond the bleeding edge. Curious how many people he'd be in competition with at that level.

 

[ottarrus]

I like this. Would skill level 5 make you a leading light in your field in the entire Imperium? Asking for the NPC robotics/computer scientist I have pushing the envelope of what is possible in his fields. I already have him pegged to the players as a flat-out genius doing things that are a little beyond the bleeding edge. Curious how many people he'd be in competition with at that level.

One thing I take into consideration is that a lot of professions take more than one skill to do.
A military sergeant needs the technical skill of his MOS, plus Leader, Admin, and maybe Tactics, for example.
A 'genius scientist' would need a very high INT and EDU, high skill levels in his science, plus probably a couple ranks in Admin or Art [Writing]
Even free trader crews need more than just one skill to be really good at their jobs. Pilots could use some Tactics and Electronics, Astrogators need some Electronics, Engineers need Engineering [whatever] plus Mechanics, Electronics and other technical skills. Trust me, in MgT2e, it's damned nice to have a guy with Electronics [Robot Ops] to guide those repair drones around!

What I recommend for every character, no matter their specialty or role, is to have one combat skill, one technical skill, one social skill, and one 'this could save your life' skill [Medical, Survival, Vacc Suit, etc.]. That allows the player to have as wide a variety of situations to be part of.

 

[Condottiere]

Level three - you're the most skilled guy in the room.

 

[Terry Mixon]

One thing I take into consideration is that a lot of professions take more than one skill to do.
A military sergeant needs the technical skill of his MOS, plus Leader, Admin, and maybe Tactics, for example.
A 'genius scientist' would need a very high INT and EDU, high skill levels in his science, plus probably a couple ranks in Admin or Art [Writing]
Even free trader crews need more than just one skill to be really good at their jobs. Pilots could use some Tactics and Electronics, Astrogators need some Electronics, Engineers need Engineering [whatever] plus Mechanics, Electronics and other technical skills. Trust me, in MgT2e, it's damned nice to have a guy with Electronics [Robot Ops] to guide those repair drones around!

What I recommend for every character, no matter their specialty or role, is to have one combat skill, one technical skill, one social skill, and one 'this could save your life' skill [Medical, Survival, Vacc Suit, etc.]. That allows the player to have as wide a variety of situations to be part of.

The NPC has some admin, but he's kind a stone around the player's necks because he has no combat skills. He has a very high INT and EDU. Serious mad scientist. He's fun to run with the players.

 

[ottarrus]

The NPC has some admin, but he's kind a stone around the player's necks because he has no combat skills. He has a very high INT and EDU. Serious mad scientist. He's fun to run with the players.

OK, so he's probably been published among his fellow professionals but isn't 'famous'. With a skill level that high, he's widely recognized in his field as someone with profound ideas whose implications might open up new pathways in the science; 'One of the guys who got us to TL 16', so to speak. But he's not 'Steve Jobs famous' as someone who brought about huge changes in society... he's the guy that did the math that made Steve Jobs famous.

 

[Terry Mixon]

OK, so he's probably been published among his fellow professionals but isn't 'famous'. With a skill level that high, he's widely recognized in his field as someone with profound ideas whose implications might open up new pathways in the science; 'One of the guys who got us to TL 16', so to speak. But he's not 'Steve Jobs famous' as someone who brought about huge changes in society... he's the guy that did the math that made Steve Jobs famous.

That's kind of what I was thinking. He's actually from Vincennes and was one of the robotics brains at Makhidkarun. He might very well have been one of the people that got at least robotics to TL 16. That's how I'm playing him, anyway. We'll see if his shenanigans drag the players into more trouble as he works on The Next Big Thing.

 

[AndrewW]

We'll see if his shenanigans drag the players into more trouble as he works on The Next Big Thing.

It doesn't take much to drag players into more trouble.

 

[Terry Mixon]

It doesn't take much to drag players into more trouble.

True enough.

 

[ottarrus]

It doesn't take much to drag players into more trouble.

Not even a little bit...