Mustering out benefits and multiple careers

[Delerium]

I assume, from what I read, that if you leave a career for whatever reason you go through the mustering out benefit procedure.

I just made this character today that started as a Drifter (hitting rank 3), got booted out, got called into the draft(Navy) , quit that, to go back into the Drifter class and got another 2 ranks there.

Now, I did the mustering out procedure 3 times. Was that right?

Also, the curious situation of going back to the same career. I assume his rank didn't reset from his first time around, just continued on from before.

Since he had reasonable ranks on both occasions during the same career, he also received extra benefit rolls on both occasions.

What do you folks think? Am I supposed to have linked his 2 stints as a drifter together in some way or not?

 

[Paladin]

Mustering out - It's done every time you leave a career for any reason. pg 9

Technically by the rules you can't go back to a career. Step 3 pg 5. We allow it with in our group. I don't see a problem with it. I know several "real life" people that have done just that.

Returning Rank - I think it would depend on the time between careers. I'd do a penalty of (# of Terms between -1)*-1. A 4 year gap = no penalty, 8 = -1, 16 = -3.

 

[GothiousRex]

Technically by the rules you can't go back to a career. Step 3 pg 5.

Step 3 does say you can't "choose a career you have already left"

however, under Step 3d, it does say "The Draft can put you back into a career you have been forced to leave, at your old rank."

and on page 8 "Once you leave a career you can not return to it. The Draft and Drifter career are exceptions to this rule"

I'd have to say the rank bonus would only apply once, otherwise, you could leave Drifter after one term, muster out (getting bonus rolls for rank), re-enter Drifter another term, leave, muster out (getting bonus rolls for rank again) and so on...

 

[TrippyHippy]

The Drifter is an exception to the rules, as is the Draft, but normally you cannot return to a career when you have been forced to leave.

You muster out, whenever you leave, but do not get benefit rolls for those terms where you fail a survival roll (which accounts for a lot of careers to be left, of course).

Actually, while we are at it, the one confusing thing we have found is in the Commission rolls for military careers. It states that a commission roll can be attempted each term, but it's not clear whether this is in addition to the advancement roll, or instead of it. The rules state that everybody has to make an advancement roll each term, so does this mean that a military career can have commission and advancement in the same term?

 

[Delerium]

Trippy, I can help you with that question:

See the flowchart on page 5

Section 8d

"Military characters can roll for comission instead of rolling for advancement"

 

[newtraveller]

Wow Derlerium, I just spent 3 full minutes transfixed by your avater...

Very cool!

 

[TrippyHippy]

Trippy, I can help you with that question:

See the flowchart on page 5

Section 8d

"Military characters can roll for comission instead of rolling for advancement"

The next question, then, is do you need to roll higher than the number of terms on the commission roll, to avoid being ejected from the career?

 

[Delerium]

I would guess "no", as the stuff about rolling under the number of terms falls under the Advancement section on page 9.

Commission blurb is page 8 and is labelled as something else, not advancement.

Except DMs for various advancement rolls from events, which can be used for commission rolls too.

The fact they pointed that out, as if to highlight the two things are not the same.

Also in the chart on page 5 it states military can roll for commission if they did not roll for advancement. Indiciates again, they are different.

Well, that's how I see it anyway.

 

[TrippyHippy]

Well, if that's the case, if somebody keeps failing their commission rolls, rather than take advancement rolls would they be effectively immune to being ejected from that career (barring failed survival rolls)?

 

[Delerium]

Guess so, but personally I've generated lots of characters by now & most leave the career because they fail survival ,or some event or age was creeping up on them or 6 terms was up.

And if you kept rolling on commission endlessly and failing, just to avoid rejection that way, it would be a pretty useless character since almost 50% of the skills come from successful advancement rolls.

So avoid those rolls so as not to get ejected would be :

/target own-foot
/shoot

no?

 

[Cleon the Mad]

Trippy, I can help you with that question:

See the flowchart on page 5

Section 8d

"Military characters can roll for comission instead of rolling for advancement"

The next question, then, is do you need to roll higher than the number of terms on the commission roll, to avoid being ejected from the career?

My take..which may or may not qualify as a house rule given how things are written is that comission fully takes the place of the advancement roll, so thus ejection would still happen IMO. I could be wrong obviously

 

[JimG]

My take..which may or may not qualify as a house rule given how things are written is that comission fully takes the place of the advancement roll, so thus ejection would still happen IMO. I could be wrong obviously

Right or wrong, that's how I play it too. :wink:

 

[qstor]

If you use the point buy for a commission do you still get a free muster roll? Or do you have to buy that separately?

Thanks

Mike

 

[cbrunish]

I would let characters roll for commission. If that failed then I let them roll for advancement. In real life military, not getting a commission does not stop someone from advancing up the enlisted ranks. I can't see a character being stuck at private (rank 0) for 20 years.

 

[kristof65]

I would let characters roll for commission. If that failed then I let them roll for advancement. In real life military, not getting a commission does not stop someone from advancing up the enlisted ranks. I can't see a character being stuck at private (rank 0) for 20 years.

Same here. Otherwise you can end up with characters who stay an E1 (Private, Seaman or whatever) for 12 years or so, and then suddenly get catapulted to O1 (ensign, 2nd Lt or whatever). If you can't make enlisted rate, then it's likely you won't get a commission either.


Ideally, commission should be a seperate (but optional) roll and requirement, with DMs applied for how fast and how often you make enlisted rate. The guy who shoots up in enlisted rate as quick as possible is often going to be "tagged" as officer material by his superiors. The guy stuck at E1/E2 for too many years is going to be targeted for removal from the service.

 

[darktalon]

I roll for commission and then for advancement every term. Probably my CT/MT/TNE roots showing:

In the same term of service that a commission is received and in each subsequent term of service, a character may attempt to be promoted. [emphasis mine]

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

I agree, rolling for Commission should NOT prevent you from rolling for Advancement.

I would make a player roll for Advancement First, then Commision, that way they cannot get commissioned and promoted to O2 in the same term.

Nothing in the writeup of the Commission roll on page 8 of the TMB says that it is rolled instead of the Advancement roll, only on the checklist. I think the checklist is WRONG.