High SOC. How do I fit it in?

[Zemekis]

I just started a Traveller group and one of players created a character with SOC 4 in the beginning but rolled lucky (Navy Rank 5: Captain and 3x +2 SOC on benefits) and ended up with SOC 16.

AFAIK the emperor has SOC 17.

How do I handle such a character and integrate him in the universe?

 

[EDG]

If you're playing in the Imperium in the Charted Space setting then I think the only way to handle it without changing it would be to run a super-high social level game around him - he's ranked higher than a Duke with that social level, which IIRC would make him an Archduke, in charge of a whole Domain (2x2 Sectors). And in the Charted Space setting that means he's one of a handful of already named people in the setting, or he just replaced one. The rest of the PCs would be his entourage.

Alternatively, either the player did something wrong when rolling a character up (doesn't look likely, given what you said - he just got stupidly lucky), or the social standing rules are broken - in which case ignore the result, and use common sense as applicable. TBH it sounds to me like there needs to be an upper limit in the mustering out benefits tables beyond which the SOC score can never be randomly increased (a score of 12 or 13 would probably be high enough).

I forget what being a Marquis (SOC 13) lets you do - IIRC it means you run a planet?

 

[steelbrok]

Or put an upper limit on the SOC level for starting characters (at Baron maybe?) and if further SOC benefits are rolled then either reroll or allow a player to choose another benefit

 

[AndrewW]

I forget what being a Marquis (SOC 13) lets you do - IIRC it means you run a planet?

MARQUIS
An imperial Marquis is usually either a powerful businessperson or the representative of an important world. In the latter case the world's name is used after the noble's rank title, for example Marquis of Aramis or Marquis Aramis. Both usages are correct.

 

[atpollard]

A common concept in Sci-Fi is the character who has connections far beyond his outer appearance. One example would be ‘Shepherd’ from Firefly/Serenity. Wing Commander (the movie) fans will remember the captain of the supply ship who just happens to be a high ranking Military Intelligence officer.

In this case, perhaps you should set his (apparent) Social score as high as practical without interfering with the game (ie. You don’t want to have him governing a planet) but assign him a (secret) Social of 16 (ie. “There is an encrypted note on his ID ordering all Imperial agents and bureaus to extend ‘full cooperation’ to the Baron … The security code reads ‘Imperial Palace’ and appears to be authentic.”)

 

[AdrianH]

The character started out as scum (SOC 4) but managed to rise to Imperial Prince (SOC 16) during a few terms of service with the Navy. I'd say someone has been pulling strings behind the scenes, and now the character is away from the Navy's protection, it's time for the strings to be pulled a bit tighter. Someone, somewhere, wants a catspaw close to (or on) the Imperial Throne, and the character is about to be volunteered...

Another possibility is that there has been a bit of social climbing within Imperial family circles, so to speak. Due to a series of unfortunate "accidents", the person who used to be 29th in line to the throne is now 11th. The character is currently 10th, and if he throws his weight around too much, he might attract the attention of number 11's henchmen. :twisted:

 

[dayriff]

I just started a Traveller group and one of players created a character with SOC 4 in the beginning but rolled lucky (Navy Rank 5: Captain and 3x +2 SOC on benefits) and ended up with SOC 16.

AFAIK the emperor has SOC 17.

How do I handle such a character and integrate him in the universe?

One way to handle it would be to declare him to be a "Hero of the Imperium". He did something heroic and the news feeds started playing it up in a big way. Somehow he became the poster boy for the Navy's recruitment office, and now there are posters of his smiling face on every street corner in every Starport and naval base.

His actual, real rank doesn't have to be any higher than a Knight. Instead the Soc score is expressing his noteriety and ease at moving among high society. He can go to any civilized world and expect to be recognized, recieve dinner invitations, etc. It's meant to be a flexible system, and a high SOC score can mean whatever it's best for your game that it mean.

 

[MrUkpyr]

I just started a Traveller group and one of players created a character with SOC 4 in the beginning but rolled lucky (Navy Rank 5: Captain and 3x +2 SOC on benefits) and ended up with SOC 16.

How do I handle such a character and integrate him in the universe?

Social Standing is a mix of a someone's true social position (Emperor's son, Archduke, Baroness, Knight, etc etc) but it can also be a measure of their social pull (Son of MegaCorp CEO).

So he started with a 4. That means he started low on the totem pole.
He gained some social standing as a Naval Captain, and then even more as benefits from his service in the Navy.

He could have married into a Soc-16 family, and be looked down upon by the others as a "ner-do-well" and "upstart".

Is he landed? ie: was he given a fief to take care of? If so, what was it?
If he has a fief, then he has to take care of it and represent it.
If he does not have one, then he has a very cool title which he got from doing all sorts cool things.

His title plus cr1.25 will buy him a cup of coffee somewhere.

But by itself his title is worthless.
PC: "But I'm an Archduke - you have to serve me first"
NPC: "Archduke of what? I've never heard of you. Get back in line!"

Stress the Nobless Oblige (nobility obligates) concept. He holds a rank which puts him in with the movers and shakers of the Imperium.

Thus he will be contacted by other nobles. Those of equal rank will ask him to work on this problem or that problem, while those of lower rank will ask for his assistance in supporting this thing or that thing.

Is he a member of the Traveller's Aid Society? If not, I would see if he is willing to trade one of his benefit rolls (+2 Soc) for membership.

This brings him down to Soc-14, which is much more workable.

 

[AKAramis]

I just started a Traveller group and one of players created a character with SOC 4 in the beginning but rolled lucky (Navy Rank 5: Captain and 3x +2 SOC on benefits) and ended up with SOC 16.

AFAIK the emperor has SOC 17.

How do I handle such a character and integrate him in the universe?

If you're running MGT, he's Soc 15 and has two extra ship shares.

Characteristic Increases: Increase the listed characteristic by the
listed amount, up to your racial maximum. Human characters are
limited to a score of 15. Characteristic increases above 15 are lost,
with the exception of Social Standing increases – excess Social
Standing increases become bonus Ship Shares.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I just started a Traveller group and one of players created a character with SOC 4 in the beginning but rolled lucky (Navy Rank 5: Captain and 3x +2 SOC on benefits) and ended up with SOC 16.

AFAIK the emperor has SOC 17.

How do I handle such a character and integrate him in the universe?

One way to handle it would be to declare him to be a "Hero of the Imperium". He did something heroic and the news feeds started playing it up in a big way. Somehow he became the poster boy for the Navy's recruitment office, and now there are posters of his smiling face on every street corner in every Starport and naval base.

His actual, real rank doesn't have to be any higher than a Knight. Instead the Soc score is expressing his noteriety and ease at moving among high society. He can go to any civilized world and expect to be recognized, recieve dinner invitations, etc. It's meant to be a flexible system, and a high SOC score can mean whatever it's best for your game that it mean.

I like this solution immensely.

Imagine the fun of EVERY SINGLE Starport official giving him a double-look, every Navy person "saluting" him.

I had a friend who appeared in one of those safety videos they show on airplanes. We were on one of those planes and the Flight Attendants recognized him (so did several passengers), he was a like a rock star on that flight. It was very entertaining for the rest of us.

ALTERNATELY, his SOC was earned via the military. When he leaves the military, that SOC goes down, but he keeps several ALLIES (1 per Soc point lost) within the Naval High Command or Sector/Domain/Imperium Nobility. He may only be an honor-Baron, but he is the god-father of the Sector Dukes oldest daughter, so he knows people...

 

[Zemekis]

Thank you all for your very helpful input.

I will let the player chose between some of your options and also the stated rule clarification, as he is also very keen on ship shares.
After all it was my fault for not reading the rules completely.

Anyway your cool ideas will give him a hard time deciding. Thank you very much.

 

[Klaus Kipling]

An intriguing character. The rags to riches story never gets so extreme. That's the beauty of Traveller, though often to a ref's chagrin. You have to build your campaign around the characters, rather than the other way around. Even if you want to run a published adventure, you have to run at least one session in working out just how the characters get together.

With a backstory like this guy it'll have a major effect on any campaign. After all, what does Capt. Kirk do when he retires?

Let us know how you work it out.

 

[Ishmael]

I just figured that the character must be very very famous....
like how Oprah has more influence on the average population than a U.S. Senator.

I see no reason why a high soc *must* be given peerage or Imperial rank ( although those sorts might try to use such a character for their own purposes.

Two other things to consider;
1. does this new high soc come with a big cash flow? After all, it takes cash to live as high soc people do ( 25cr*2^soc IMTU ) and if such a soc does not include huge bunches of cash, then maybe the fame is fleeting and he gets forgotten...maybe he is the subject of a " Where are they now?" vid-show.
2. with great power come great responsibility and that usually means the character can't get away from his duties. So can a high soc player get away for adventures without a receptionist,girl-friday,various hangers-on and other entourage folk for a wild adventure?
Wouldn't news agencies be following a high soc player around?...scandal mag articles, paternity suits, etc. ??

 

[Golan2072]

way to handle it would be to declare him to be a "Hero of the Imperium". He did something heroic and the news feeds started playing it up in a big way. Somehow he became the poster boy for the Navy's recruitment office, and now there are posters of his smiling face on every street corner in every Starport and naval base.

His actual, real rank doesn't have to be any higher than a Knight. Instead the Soc score is expressing his noteriety and ease at moving among high society. He can go to any civilized world and expect to be recognized, recieve dinner invitations, etc. It's meant to be a flexible system, and a high SOC score can mean whatever it's best for your game that it mean.

I second that. He did something heroic, very heroic, maybe a series of heroic deeds. I also like the part about him being a mere Knight - he has little official power, but a LOT of respect and honor.

The best advantage of such an approach from a game-balance perspective is that respect and honor aren't set in stone - so he has a reputation to keep, and abusing his fame will harm his reputation. On the other hand, doing even more heroics would be a good way to maintain this reputation.

I'd give him a nice (but not too high) pension and no formal political power. Alternatively, DO make him a Baron or even Marquis but put his fief somewhere on the high frontier - which would mean that he'll have to adventure a lot (and maybe make a good business plan) to get his fief running.

 

[dayriff]

This thread has made me think more about what a Soc rating really means. Given the actual effect on game skill rolls, I'd offer this idea.

SOC isn't, or isn't just, actual rank written down on paper. It's also knowing how to act in a middle or high class environment and comport oneself accordingly. I got involved in an online discussion on Class recently, and some posters chimed in with stories about working with low class (not in a pejorative sense) individuals and their struggles in trying to get jobs in middle class/professional environments.

It's hard to understand for people who already have it, but knowing how to do something as simple as conduct yourself in an interview isn't a given. Don't wear jeans, don't interrupt the interviewer, don't tell a long story about why you lost your last job, and that sort of thing. What sort of things it's appropriate to talk about socially, how you greet people, and even what fork to eat with.

So SOC can be seen not just as actual rank, but also as having the necessary social background to conduct oneself appropriately. You could have a SOC 9 character who spends 7 terms as a Drifter, but still remembers all the manners they learned growing up.

 

[saundby]

Alternatively, DO make him a Baron or even Marquis but put his fief somewhere on the high frontier - which would mean that he'll have to adventure a lot (and maybe make a good business plan) to get his fief running.

This is how I'd handle it. The character is the Duke of Ditchwater, supplied with a ship that won't fly, a hound that won't hunt, a mainworld of needy people, and a mystery around the wherabouts of the last duke. Reports on expected improvements according to schedules set in the most recent 20 year plan expected soonest. :twisted:

 

[Myrm]

I tend to view Soc as having a number of expressions - one of which, other than those suggested, could represent the family standing that the character comes from and that character basking in/relying upon the reflected glory....so Uncle could be an Archduke and everyone knows it...that allows you and the PC to use the high status in various ways but without tying the character into actually being the Archduke of Soc16 and handing them the battlefleet....drops in Soc can then represent either family misfortunes or the level of black sheepiness of the character.

By adding in options around simply 'this is the characters standing in and of themselves' for Soc you can get a more flexible system to allow a range of Soc levels in your PCs and this in turn allows a variety of things to play with, adventure hooks, etc.

 

[lurker]

I just figured that the character must be very very famous....
like how Oprah has more influence on the average population than a U.S. Senator.

I see no reason why a high soc *must* be given peerage or Imperial rank

Because the Navy has a social standing associated with Captain and Admiral, it (to me) is easy to say that the social standing/name recognition is associated with the persons military rank and job description. Being in command of a fleet that could wipe out a nobles entire world gives one a bit of respect!

People in the area where the captain led the fleet are probably familiar with his/her name. At these ranks, Navy personnel could be considered military advisers to the rulers.

If this person leaves their career, they may be remembered for the services they provided, but they may not necessarily wield the same clout now that they are no longer in the same position. Perhaps Soc should drop a bit once they are no longer a Captain or Admiral?

Do they cash in on their social status for a Nobel Administrator or Diplomatic appointment? Do they become a drifter or rogue? How should these two different choices effect the characters Soc?

I had a Navy Captain character that retired and I decided that they had been an adjunct to the admiral for the sub sector. Once they left the service, their social status gave them no part in ruling any part of the sector. They however were being sought out for their expertise, and were asked to be the military adviser and run the ruling nobles private Navy.

Perhaps the character saved the life of a high ranking noble? Broke up a plot to overthrow the emperor?

Maybe it is only a temporary social standing because you helped to overthrow an unpopular ruler and the Navy ran things under 'marshal law' but now things have been turned over to another captain as the character retires and goes adventuring.

Maybe it is only a 'localized' social standing and if you go anywhere your fleet did not operate you do not wield the same influence. A Duke would not be able to wield the same powers when in the territory of another Duke, would they?

Just throwing some possibilities at you.

 

[kristof65]

dayriff has some good points. In addition, SOC can be very regional or specific in nature in other ways, too.

In my day to day job, I deal with a lot of customers across the US who own their own business in our industry. Many of these customers are from small towns where they are very important to the local society, possibly owning multiple businesses there. Many more are from big cities, where they don't have the same influence on local society, but are much bigger customers to us in relation due to owning multiple sites, more of our equipment, etc.

Several of these small town guys carry themselves so much more differently than the rest of my customers. From my view point, their status with me is really dependant on how much of our equipment they own - most of these small town guys own relatively little of our equipment. It seems that a few of them feel that since they know they are important at home, that I should treat them with the same relative importance they are used to.* This has led to some interesting situations over the years.

Another thing to consider is that people may have a high SOC within certain circles. The guy I used to work for is well known in our industry, yet I'd bet most of you here would say "who?" were I to mention his name. Marc Miller, Dave Arneson and other game designers may have a high SOC within gamer circles; while they may be relatively unknown outside of them. Some names will transcend one or more circles/regions - John Elway is a relatively well known name in both Denver and football circles, while he may be unheard of in Canadian hockey country or among British rugby fans (I'm guessing).

Then there are people who have a higher recognition factor simply because of their name or relation to someone else. I share a last name with a famous football trophy - not only can I tell who's a football fan when they hear my name, but often times I am remembered by them for much longer than I would be if it were Smith or Jones. That doesn't necessarily translate to a higher SOC - encounters can go badly to lower it as often as they can go well.




*Don't get me wrong, I try and treat all my customers as equal as I can, this is all just observation in how they treat me.

 

[Solivagus]

One Of Our Archdukes Is Missing!
The Archduke of X* is assassinated aboard the Captains vessel by parties unknown, a Court Martial ascertains that the Captain was not directly involved in the plot but could have done more to assure the Archdukes safety, the Emperor decides to appoint the Captain as the new Archduke as bait to try and lure the assassins into the open, the Captain doesn't like his chances and does a runner..

* If memory serves Dulinor was only appointed Archduke of Illelish in 1104 and was rather unpopular amongst the nobility - would make a good candidate if you dislike the Rebellion.