Careers: Changing Specialisation

[Vile]

I may be overlooking something, but are there any rules in the TMB about changing specialisation within a career? Common sense seems to dictate that this is possible, and that the character does not have to muster out and then rejoin, but I can't find any rules to that effect. My assumption would be that at the start of a new term, the character can opt for a different specialisation.

Is this assumption correct?

 

[Galaga]

I was wondering this myself, I would agree that yeah, you should be able to change specializations.

Also, I was curious, in the "Cash Benefits" part near the end of character creation it says "If the character has any money after rolling on the Cash table then he may purchase personal equipment worth up to 2,000 credits immediately. More expensive items can be bought in play but the characters will have to seek them out."

I interpret that one of two ways:

You can buy as many things as you want as long as the individual items cost only 2,000 or less each

or

You can buy as many items as you like, totaling 2,000 credits wroth.

Which is correct?

 

[AndrewW]

Also, I was curious, in the "Cash Benefits" part near the end of character creation it says "If the character has any money after rolling on the Cash table then he may purchase personal equipment worth up to 2,000 credits immediately. More expensive items can be bought in play but the characters will have to seek them out."

I interpret that one of two ways:

You can buy as many things as you want as long as the individual items cost only 2,000 or less each

or

You can buy as many items as you like, totaling 2,000 credits wroth.

Which is correct?

I would go with as many as you want as long as they are 2,000 or less each. The more expensive items are harder to come by.

 

[AndrewW]

I may be overlooking something, but are there any rules in the TMB about changing specialisation within a career? Common sense seems to dictate that this is possible, and that the character does not have to muster out and then rejoin, but I can't find any rules to that effect. My assumption would be that at the start of a new term, the character can opt for a different specialisation.

Is this assumption correct?

See this thread:

http://www.mongoosepublishing.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=38503

 

[Vile]

Thanks, Andrew, although I see in that thread there is still no official ruling on this question. From that thread:

The only problem I can see from allowing career specialization swapping is with Rank, and the gained skills associated with that.

I think Swampy has a good idea though. If a player wants to change his/her character's specialization in a career, I think a qualification throw would be acceptable.

I picture it like someone getting transferred/promoted to a new department but within the same career structure. So the qualification throw is checking to see if your transfer request was denied/granted. If you're a nice Referee, maybe make it a 'half' qualification throw so that if it is failed the transfer was denied but the character is not thrown out of the career, just has to stay in their current specialization.

I wouldn't have any possibility of being thrown out because of failing the tranfer roll - I have never heard of military personnel or government employees being sacked because their transfer application was denied. And I would treat rank as if no change had occurred - the character retains his previous rank, and continues to advance as normal. To give an example of how I think it works:

Piri the Bountyhunter is a repossessor. After two terms as a repo-lady, reaching rank-1, she decides it's time to broaden her knowledge base and moves into skip tracing. She has to do a straight enlistment roll (Int 6+) to make the switch, and succeeds. She is now a rank-1 skip tracer. However, she did not muster out of the bounty hunter career, so there are no benefits yet. Neither does she get basic training, as this is not her first career.

Does she get her extra skill at level 0 for switching career? I think so, although it's not technically a new career but only a new specialisation.

Hello, Mongooses, is there anybody official out there who knows better than we? :?:

As for the mustering out equipment, I agree - the wording does seem to imply that you can buy any amount of cheap stuff, but anything more expensive has to be acquired in-game. Makes sense, because getting hold of battledress and PGMPs is too good as adventure material to waste in chargen.