Experience and Character Advancement

[asorrells]

This may be a stupid question, but please have mercy, this is my first post on these forums.

I've looked through the core book very carefully and can't find out how characters are supposed to advance after character creation. Are they supposed to go through more tours of duty? Is there an experience point system I missed somewhere?

Again, sorry if this is a stupid question.
-- asorrells

 

[AndrewW]

This may be a stupid question, but please have mercy, this is my first post on these forums.

I've looked through the core book very carefully and can't find out how characters are supposed to advance after character creation. Are they supposed to go through more tours of duty? Is there an experience point system I missed somewhere?

Again, sorry if this is a stupid question.
-- asorrells

Nope, it's not a stupid questions. Stupid questions are those that don't get asked.

This isn't D&D or other systems you may be used to though. Most of the advancements comes while going through your career at character creation. There aren't experience points or anything like that. But see Core Rulebook page 59 at the end of the Skill and Tasks section. Learning New Skills.

 

[hdan]

You don't really advance your skills in Traveller like you typically do in other RPGs. There is a way to train over time, but at least in my games "training" is mostly just a note you make to explain how you while away the time during jumps.

Page 59 has some rules on learning new skills. CT also had a "commitment" roll for each week you try to study, but MGT doesn't seem to include that.

Characters get ahead in other ways - economically, better contacts, etc.

 

[hdan]

Rats, Andrew beat me to it! I agree with everything he wrote.

 

[AndrewW]

Rats, Andrew beat me to it! I agree with everything he wrote.

That's ok, I just made the Comms check and got the message through a little quicker.

 

[PoppySeed45]

Just to be clear, in the main rule book, the learning new skills rule is on page 59. All of three short paragraphs!

 

[asorrells]

Ah, thank you. Very clarifying! Now, can a gm declare an increase in SOC stat by fiat, as circumstances dictate? For instance, a character wins himself a knighthood or other title?

 

[dayriff]

Ah, thank you. Very clarifying! Now, can a gm declare an increase in SOC stat by fiat, as circumstances dictate? For instance, a character wins himself a knighthood or other title?

There's no rule saying a GM can and no rule saying a GM can't, so the answer (as always) is whatever's appropriate for your game.

 

[asorrells]

Thanks!

 

[MrUkpyr]

Pg 59 does indeed have the system, but I find it very constricting. People like improving their characters. (grin)

The MegaTraveller system for improving characters was rather complex, but it did have an aspect I liked. Namely it gave 1-3 experience points per game. As you played you would mark the skills you successfully used, and at the end of the game you could roll to advance as many skills as you had points.

I am NOT keeping the "mark skills you use" aspect, but I am keeping the 1-3 points per game aspect.


Here is how I am handling it.

To learn a skill takes 1 week for every 2 skill levels (round up) you have, plus one week for every level of skill you are attempting to learn.

I also have the PC make a "keep at it and stay focused" roll every 2 weeks, needing 8+ on 2d6 + Edu + Int.

Each game the PC gets some experience.
A player can shorten his training time by 1 week per XP spent, to a minimum of 1 week. (Training can never be less than 1 week in duration)

EX: Scout Bob has Pilot 1, Engineering (J-Drive) 1, Gambling 1, and some skills at 0. He also has 2 XP from a previous game.

Bob wants to learn Engineering (M-Drive) 1.

He has 3 skill levels, which means the base learning time will be 2 weeks (for the skills he has) + 1 week (for the skill level he wants) = 3 weeks total.

Bob spends his 2 XP and shortens the total training time to 1 week.

He doesn't have to roll for "sticking to it" because the training is only 1 week long.

 

[Cowboy]

Pst! Some previous editions of Traveller have had experience systems. Actually, if you count the one CT kinda, sorta had, all previous editions have had experience systems. So you could get one of those older versions or come up with one of your own.
Here's mine: You get roughly 1 XP per week spent adventuring (not in jump space unless something especially exciting happens on the journey). These work exactly the same way as weeks spent training. Also, by my rules, training can't increase a skill past level 0 and requires an Int+End roll to stay determined throughout the course.
Don't tell anyone I told you, though, or they may come and hit me in the head with the book!
:wink:

 

[Shiloh]

Ah, thank you. Very clarifying! Now, can a gm declare an increase in SOC stat by fiat, as circumstances dictate? For instance, a character wins himself a knighthood or other title?

Heh. GM can declare by fiat anything they like. They just better have a good rationale if they want their players to stick around

Your example is a fine example of a rationale. You could say that a knighthood gives the PC the *chance* to increase their SOC: to start with they'll receive invitations to social functions, and if they attend these and don't make pitiful shames of themselves, they acquire the reputation and contacts that go hand in hand with an increased SOC stat. Or you could just let the presentation of the patent of Chivalry open doors.

 

[hdan]

The problem with more aggressive skill advancement is that each skill level in Traveller is quite a big jump. You don't (or at least *I* don't) want my characters to become galaxy-reknowned practicioners of whatever skill just by spending a few months working at it.

For example, a Pilot-2 decides to focus on piloting exercises using MrUkpryr's system. His first level costs 5 weeks (shortened to a month due to some adventuring. Then he does it again (7 weeks) and again (9 weeks), for a total of Pilot-5 in about half a year, which makes him the finest pilot in the galaxy. Make it a full year if you only let him practice in off weeks, like during Jump, and he never spends any adventure points to shorten the time.

See my problem? Why isn't every career spacer maxed out on some skill each term?

I submit that the Traveller chargen system and later skill advancement aren't compatible.

As an alternative, maybe you need someone with a higher rating in the skill you wish to learn to teach you? That could be a good adventure focus - the players meet someone who is better than them at some skill, and they try to hire them as a tutor. (I recall something like this being in CT, but it's been a long time....)

 

[alex_greene]

The average 2d6 die roll is 7. Add to that the skill level as a DM, and add characteristic DMs where appropriate.

A character with a skill rated 3 and a positive characteristic DM of, say, +1, has a natural +4 to that roll: an Effect of between -2 and +8, with the only dodgy results coming between -2 and 0, i.e. rolls of 2, 3 or 4.

Most characters can happily get by with a skill no higher than 3, and a +1 characteristic DM. One can happily go for breadth of experience (as many skills as possible with a rating of at least 1), rather than depth.

 

[lurker]

A system that someone else came up with that I've used:

If a natural 12 is rolled on a skill check there is a chance that you go up a level in the skill being rolled. Roll 1d6 and if the result is over the characters current skill level, congrats.

Perhaps the opposite should be true too? Roll a natural 2 and there is a chance your skill goes down?

 

[kristof65]

A system I've used in the past is this:

Every time a PC performed a skill roll and got a success by a certain amount, that skill got a "tick" mark. Once a skill had a number of tick marks equal to 10 (level 0) or skill x 10, the PC got a chance to roll to see if they gained a level of skill. If they made the roll, the skill went up a level and the ticks were all erased. If they failed the roll, they didn't lose any ticks, but got a chance to roll again every time they got another tick mark for that skill.

This keeps skill development focused on what the PCs are actually using, too.

It did take a little common sense "deployment" on my part. For example, if a PC was likely to get a success anyway, even with a low skill level, I'd either just declare a success, or say that the task was easy enough they wouldn't learn anything from it regardless how well they did, thus earning no "ticks".

 

[MrUkpyr]

The problem with more aggressive skill advancement is that each skill level in Traveller is quite a big jump. You don't (or at least *I* don't) want my characters to become galaxy-reknowned practicioners of whatever skill just by spending a few months working at it.

For example, a Pilot-2 decides to focus on piloting exercises using MrUkpryr's system. His first level costs 5 weeks (shortened to a month due to some adventuring. Then he does it again (7 weeks) and again (9 weeks), for a total of Pilot-5 in about half a year, which makes him the finest pilot in the galaxy. Make it a full year if you only let him practice in off weeks, like during Jump, and he never spends any adventure points to shorten the time.

The pilot in your example only has Pilot 2?
If he has Pilot 2 + any other skill 1, then it will take 6 weeks to train to Pilot 3 (2+1+3).

But more importantly, PCs are exceptional people. If they weren't, they would be at home doing their day to day job and not out adventuring.

My question then becomes - "so what?" So what if a PC has Pilot-5?

It means that when doing Pilot related skill checks he is extra-hot and will almost never fail.

But it also means that he has done some serious skill focusing, and while he has a Pilot-5 any other skills he has are probably at 0 or 1. And that's ok. (grin)

 

[hdan]

Ok, so you mean the total of ALL skill levels, not just the skill you're trying to advance? That seems more balanced.