Player Character Skill Levels

[Egil Skallagrimsson]

So, for those of you who have generated and played several characters:

What is their skill level spread, and the characters' ages? How many level-1, level-2, level-3, and so on? Do you roll for skills completely randomly, or do you select skills?

We tend to go with character having 4 or 5 terms of service, and largely follow the chargen system as written in the CRB, rolling randomly for the termly skill gain, but have sometimes allowed choice when an extra level is gained through promotion. What this leads to is some pretty interesting characters, with typically 10-12 skill levels, once careers, life events, promotions, connections and finally group skill packages are taken into account. Most characters tend to end up with one or two skills at 2 or even 3, and also a number of level 0 skills, which are very useful as well.

I don't think the "maximum level of a skill is 4" is written down anywhere in MgT, though it might have been in earlier version. Personally, we have yet to have a PC have a skill above 4, but would be fine with it if it happened. In practice such high levels don't happen very often, and will tend to disadvantage a character who then ends up with low skills in other areas. I would guess that skill levels above 4 are only likely if characters spend 8 terms or so in careers, or if players want to spend a long time applying the rules for training characters, or perhaps if characters are regularly rewarded with extra skill levels, none of which applies to our little group.

Egil

 

[mr31337]

The suggested progression of rank/abilty with skill level in the CRB seemed very abstract and didn't seem to 'fit'. I use a very slightly different system, but I accept that this is still a bit vague. The maximum skill players can enter the game is level 4. Higher levels are possible, just very unlikely.

What skill levels represent (academic/medical/military/other):
Level 0 = High School, First Aider, Basic Training, Competent
Level 1 = Degree/Diploma, Combat Medic, Specialist, Skilled
Level 2 = Master Degree, Paramedic, Advanced Training, Adept
Level 3 = Ph.D., Surgeon/Doctor, Instructor, Expert
Level 4 = Field Leader/Professor, Consultant, Senior Instructor, Master
Level 5+ = Foremost in Field

 

[CosmicGamer]

I don't think the "maximum level of a skill is 4" is written down anywhere in MgT

With point allocation they only provide a point cost for skill levels 0-4. Other than that, I am not aware of any limits.

The maximum skill players can enter the game is level 4.

I'd appreciate a reference to where this is in the rules.

Personally, we have yet to have a PC have a skill above 4, but would be fine with it if it happened. In practice such high levels don't happen very often, and will tend to disadvantage a character who then ends up with low skills in other areas. I would guess that skill levels above 4 are only likely if characters spend 8 terms or so in careers

I've had a few level 5 skills occur with, if I recall correctly, characters that were 5 term. It was always a weapon skill that was increased in mustering out by rolling the same weapon benefit more than once and being able to take the additional roll(s) as an additional skill level.

The suggested progression of rank/abilty with skill level in the CRB seemed very abstract and didn't seem to 'fit'. I use a very slightly different system, but I accept that this is still a bit vague.

I believe that a skill level that "normally" might be associated with a certain degree of education is just a generalization. Is the mechanic that graduated from vocational school with a 4.0 exactly as skilled as the one who just barely passed their courses? Is it impossible to gain that same level of skill with self learning, mentoring, and on the job practice without any diploma?

I believe that there is no one title that can fit all of the time. Life is too varied. Looking up synonyms for expert gives: adept, masterful, skilled. So one word could be interpreted to mean any of level 1,2,3 and 4 below.

Level 0 = High School, First Aider, Basic Training, Competent
Level 1 = Degree/Diploma, Combat Medic, Specialist, Skilled
Level 2 = Master Degree, Paramedic, Advanced Training, Adept
Level 3 = Ph.D., Surgeon/Doctor, Instructor, Expert
Level 4 = Field Leader/Professor, Consultant, Senior Instructor, Master
Level 5+ = Foremost in Field

The generalizations y'all have given are fine but they shouldn't be immutable, inflexible, unchanging, invariable, written in stone.

I like the possibility that different worlds can call the same skill different things and the possible confusion it can be for the players. Heck, that can happen in different locations on the same world (see Earth).

 

[mr31337]

Yes, skill ranks are only roleplay tools and not absolutes and actual skill levels are a only a construct for game mechanics. Skill rank does not presume actual skill level nor vice versa. However, if we need to make assumptions or gauge standards then it is nice to have a list as a base line. If I create a NPC who is a doctor I'd like to be able to have a good idea of about what skill levels are typical expected.

 

[CosmicGamer]

Just more thought in support of my "levels don't equate to notoriety" position.

It's the pilots of the war ships that get the glory. Game mechanics: one good random good roll to succeed at a very hard task and they save the day, get a medal, get famous.

The story about the guy who accidentally ran into the Admirals launch has gotten around. Their notoriety exceeds their piloting skill level. Even in the Navy the name of the guy who ran into the Admirals launch is better known than the Admirals pilot, even though the later is more skilled. "Be careful, you don't want to pull a (insert name of a screw up that you know)."

 

[Captain Jonah]

A few side notes from me here.

How famous or infamous a person is for doing something should be completely dependent on how famous or infamous they are not the skill they have. Using the medic, paramedic, doctor, surgeon thing to compare levels is ok but doesn’t reflect the fact that with 2D6 we have a skill curve that makes a +4 medic less of a step up from a +3 medic than a Medic 0 is from non skilled.

A Boxer is well known for his skill in the ring, he hits hard and can take a lot of hits in return. How much of this is due to his Str12 and END 15 rather than his skill 2. He could be a world renowned champion able to crush more skilled people because of his impressive stats.

Someone who can 99% of the time make that 12+ brain surgery roll needs +9 to get there. +3 maybe from stats but the rest has to be his skill. However he may be a +6 Neurosurgeon but he knows very little about contagious diseases other than what was covered in his basic doctors training. Within his field he may be the go to guy, flown all round the world to work on the rich and the powerful but outside of his field you would walk past him and not know who he was.

A legendary cat burglar who has robbed hundreds of nobles of jewels leaving only a single red rose behind is known across the sector. In truth he/she or it may be a tech geek using micro drones, someone with very high DEX and a bit of skill who is in a gang of criminals that hacks the house defences and distracts the guards first (you know, PCs ) or a number of other things other than a someone with a few skills in the 4+ range.

Characters who are in the Travelling phase are not beyond work. They are more in a long term between jobs phase. Saying that all Travellers become unemployable at 34 and must become wanders and mercenaries of some sort seems a bit odd. Having worked in the navy for 4 terms and having that “unemployable, you are sacked, do not reapply, go straight to Traveller” dice roll come up should not in my mind mean you are now stuck jobless for the next 70+ years. It just means that for a few years you need to follow an alternative.

You and the rest of the PCs may all be out of work because the entire sector is on an economic downturn, no one is hiring. Give it a few years and things will be ok but for now everyone is laying off and not hiring. I don’t see anything wrong with adventuring for a while then going off and doing another term or two of employment.
As I mentioned in another place a very interesting campaign is one where you all do a term, have an adventure or two, do a term, have an adventure etc.

Mr31337’s list is a start but the easiest way to deal with this is to simply use OOC skill levels and accept that this relates to how some ones IC skill is regarded. If I go to a garage to have work done on my car I pick one that has a good reputation for doing good work. I ask around, talk to people and get a response which to me as a character says they do good work of a certain level of skills that to me as a player means they have a mechanic 3.

 

[F33D]

A few side notes from me here.

How famous or infamous a person is for doing something should be completely dependent on how famous or infamous they are not the skill they have. Using the medic, paramedic, doctor, surgeon thing to compare levels is ok but doesn’t reflect the fact that with 2D6 we have a skill curve that makes a +4 medic less of a step up from a +3 medic than a Medic 0 is from non skilled.

True but, only if the GM does nothing else with those numbers in his game. A Medic-2 is like an MD just finishing his internship. Medic-3 may be a heart transplant specialist (the Medic-2 can't even attempt without killing the patient), etc.

So, the GM needs to breathe meaning into the numbers otherwise, you end up with dull roll playing games...

 

[ShawnDriscoll]

So, for those of you who have generated and played several characters:

What is their skill level spread, and the characters' ages? How many level-1, level-2, level-3, and so on? Do you roll for skills completely randomly, or do you select skills?

And more generally, what skill level do you consider to be a "professional" level? Level-3?

If I think I can get a level 3, I'll try to roll for it. Otherwise, I roll on the EDU skill table if I'm smart enough and get a new skill.

I select skills (when I used to play as PC). Now I have the computer do random generation each second and I browse through them for NPCs.