Group Character Generation

[spidersrepublic]

So the core rulebook says you should generate all characters in a group together. How does one do this? Have all PCs do one term at a time? Separate generation is not an option, so I need ideas on how to smoothly run a 4 player Char Gen Session...

thanks in advance.... 1st Traveller game coming up, I'm refereeing. Date and time of first session have been set! hopefully my campaign/rules knowledge is good to go

 

[rust]

So the core rulebook says you should generate all characters in a group together. How does one do this? Have all PCs do one term at a time?

You can do this if the players like to do it, but it is not necessary.

What I would consider necessary is that the players discuss how
their character concepts can combine to create a group of cha-
racters suitable for the intended campaign, which of the charac-
ters have common background elements, how the characters met
and formed the group (or will meet and form the group), and all
that. Important points are in my view that each character should
have a niche where he or she can shine during the campaign with-
out any other character able to outdo him or her, and that there
are no mutually exclusive character concepts which would demo-
lish the group.

 

[CosmicGamer]

So the core rulebook says you should generate all characters in a group together. How does one do this? Have all PCs do one term at a time?

Varies. If these are totally new Travellers, I'd do it similar to my Mongoose Character Generation For Dummies threads
http://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=36346&hilit=for+dummies
http://forum.mongoosepublishing.com/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=36345&hilit=for+dummies
Step by step instruction from the GM with everyone "on the same page".

Group chargen does not mean you have to all be sitting in the same room doing chargen at the same time. We do "group chargen" in PbP games all the time. Group chargen just means that it's not multiple solo created characters, there are aspects of chargen where a group of players need to interact.

To me, some reasons for group chargen are
- as above, for the GM to go over chargen step by step with new players
- to discuss each terms events with the group and then make connections towards the end of chargen.
- to be aware of skills that characters are getting, which might influence decisions players of other characters might make to produce a more balanced group
- to divvy up the skill package

Happy adventuring.

 

[locarno24]

As noted, you don't have to get everyone in a room at once (though it helps if you can.

But you should generate them 'together' in a sense of have the various players discuss with one another, even if it's over a few days or something, because the point of things like the connections rule is to establish backstory of "I met you when...and you were...". Equally, there is a degree of bidding and give and take when divvying up the skills package - for example most of the 'fighty' characters probably won't care about gun combat (any)/1, but those characters with scholar or entertainer careers will see them as a life-saving lifeline....

 

[GamingGlen]

As noted, you don't have to get everyone in a room at once (though it helps if you can.

But you should generate them 'together' in a sense of have the various players discuss with one another, even if it's over a few days or something, because the point of things like the connections rule is to establish backstory of "I met you when...and you were...". Equally, there is a degree of bidding and give and take when divvying up the skills package - for example most of the 'fighty' characters probably won't care about gun combat (any)/1, but those characters with scholar or entertainer careers will see them as a life-saving lifeline....

life-saving? more like life-endangering..

Those people should be running away, not thinking they can actually be useful in a fight. :wink:

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

I have the players decide if they want to share their background story with each other or not. Maybe two players have the same career types during the same years (start from each character's last career term and work backwards, since not all characters will be the same age)?

This is all done after characters are made.

I'm old-school, meaning players show up to a game with characters already made. But the guy who will be refereeing our future game wants to spend our first game session entirely on character generation. So when a contact is made or family member is mentioned (and the careers match at that point in both character's lives) there's a connection if we want.

On the technical side of how this is done, the players all use G+ Hangout together. For non-technical, a room with a table is good enough.