Interesting Character Generation Exercise

[Mongoose Pete]

Last night I gave myself a little PC generation exercise. What I did was to roll the dice once and then apply their effects to two characters simultaneously; so that both PC's used the same rolls for initial enlistment, skill (on the same respective table), survival, event, advancement, and if succeeding in a promotion the second skill (again, on the same respective table).

The two PC's were deliberately given career paths which used different Survival and Advancement target numbers, and both stopped after six terms. They both used the following as starting characteristics 3, 6, 7, 8, 8, 11.

The first PC started out as a thief, voluntarily changed career to a merchant and then was forced by an unlucky event back into a criminal career as a corsair. He ended up all told with 23 levels of skills (not including 0 lvl ones).

The second PC started and finished as a physician. He ended up with 14 levels of skills (albeit one level of medic for Rank 1 was lost, since he already had the skill at that level).

Considering both were using exactly the same dice rolls every step of the way, it was interesting to see what sort of disparity could occur.

Would anyone else be willing to try this out? This time with a wider selection of careers with different Survival and Advancement numbers?

 

[SableWyvern]

I decided to put 3 characters through the same career, one to each specialty. Whenever they changed careers, they stayed in the same specialist column.

The Navy being the permiere service, all three of course applied for naval service straight up. But, it was the humiliation of being drafted to the army for them. Their +1 stats went to survival for the gunner and flight hopefuls, and to promotion for Mr Line Crew. The same stats ended up proving useful for army careers in Armour and Support, but not for the unlucky footslogger.

Mr Support managed 5 terms in the Army, reaching the rank of Lt Col, commanding 23/1509 Brigade Administration and Support Battalion. A mishap in his fifth term ended his fast-track to General, and his career, and he retired with honours, spending an uneventful final term in the Merchant Marines. 17 skills total.

Mr Infantry made Lieutenant, but after a long stint fighting guerillas on some backwater resigned his commission to chase his dreams in naval gunnery. He stayed in the navy for 3 terms, retiring as a PO2 before a final uneventful term as a Star Merchant. 16 skills total.

Mr Armour made Lieutenant as well, but was stuck in the same hell-hole as Mr Infantry, who talked him into re-applying for the navy with him.Two exciting terms in Flight took him to PO3, but a terrible training accident forced him out of the service. Ever the adrenaline junky, he moved to the Exploration Service, where he was again injured in the line of duty. Realising his luck was running out, he retired to join a Brokerage company for his last term. 14 skills total.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

The last exercise brings up the issue of carrying rank across services with you. In the US anyway, if you were an officer in one branch of the service and wanted to switch to another branch (my cousin did this), it is almost impossible NOT to be an officer in the new service.

MOST if not all of your rank should carry over between military services. It should also carry over between the Navy and Merchants.

This may be one of those cases of applying common sense at the GM rather than specific rules changes. After all, it is quite possible that in 5000 years, SOMETHING might have changed regarding carry-over of ranks. Those darn Vilani have such strange rules.

 

[Golan2072]

MOST if not all of your rank should carry over between military services. It should also carry over between the Navy and Merchants.

Someone holding a rank in the Scholar career, especially in the Physician specialty, should also have a similar rank (or one rank lower?) in the Army, Navy, Marines, Merchants and possibly also the Scouts and as an Agent. In most armed forces, doctors hold commissioned ranks even if they do not command anything. Researchers doing research for other services, though, should still hold their Scholar rank title even though they're employed by another service, probably in addition to the new service's rank.

 

[AKAramis]

MOST if not all of your rank should carry over between military services. It should also carry over between the Navy and Merchants.

Someone holding a rank in the Scholar career, especially in the Physician specialty, should also have a similar rank (or one rank lower?) in the Army, Navy, Marines, Merchants and possibly also the Scouts and as an Agent. In most armed forces, doctors hold commissioned ranks even if they do not command anything. Researchers doing research for other services, though, should still hold their Scholar rank title even though they're employed by another service, probably in addition to the new service's rank.

Up until the 1910's, US Navy doctors were warrants, not commissioned.
Army doctors were commissioned but not ranked* in the Army until just prior to WW I.

Brittish had the same til' the 1880's...

* Army surgeon's drew pay as "equivalent grades," at least post 1880, in the US. Those equivalents were officer pay grades of Lieutenant, Captain, and Major.

 

[JimG]

Good idea, Pete. I liked this exercise and tried it out at lunch. I took three characters (Andy, Bob, Chuck ) from the same homeworld (high-tech, industrial, asteroid) and the same characteristic rolls (6,7,7,8,8,10 - distributed differently.)

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Andy went into the medical field, and managed to stay in for 5 terms without incident and then spent 1 term as broker.

His final stats:
Str:6 Dex:7 End:8 Int:10 Edu:8 Soc:9

Vacc Suit-0, Trade-0, Computers-1, Comms-1, Diplomat-1, Medic-1, Investigate-1, Science(biology)-2, Persuade-1, Broker-0, Steward-1
(9 skill levels + 3 at level 0)
90kcr savings, 10kcr/yr pension, 2 ship shares
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Bob became an officer of the law, served for 3 terms before thugs attacked his family. He then drafted into the Merchant Marine and served safely for 3 more terms.

His final stats:
Str:6 Dex:7 End:10 Int:10 Edu:8 Soc:7

Vacc Suit-1, Trade-0, Computer-0, Streetwise-2, Drive-0, Investigate-1, Recon-0, Gun (slug pistol)-1, Advocate-1, Broker-0, Engineer (life support)-1, Steward-1
(8 skill levels + 5 at level 0)

40kcr savings, Scientific Equipment, 1 Contact
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Chuck had the most interesting career of the three. He joined Navy to become a pilot, but was placed in frozen watch instead. After a 2 term stint as an intelligence agent, he drafted into the Merchant marine. Bored with the safe corporate work, he transfered to a tramp trader after 1 term.

His final stats:
Str:5 Dex:10 End:8 Int:9 Edu:8 Soc:7

Vacc Suit-1, Trade-0, Computer-0, Pilot-0, Zero-G-1, Gunnery-0, Mechanic-1, Gun (slug pistol)-1, Streetwise-0, Deception-1, Comms-1, Investigate-1, Broker-0, Astrogation-1, Steward-1, Persuade-1
(10 skill levels + 6 at level 0)

40kcr savings, Free Trader (10 shares), 1 contact
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[SableWyvern]

Specialists such as doctors being given rank will, of course, depend on them being employed by the military in a role utilising those skills.

As to Rikki Tikki's point, it would certainly be bizarre for a Lt Col to move to another service and enter as enlisted personnel. For a Lieutenant, as in my example, it's a little more believable.

Realistically, high rank in many careers, civilian and military, would provide benefits when moving to other careers, but I'm not sure it's worth the effort to model this in the basic rules.