Question on alternative character creation methods

[Mage]

Hey everyone. I just thought I would pitch the question out there, as I am worried about losing a player from my rpg group.

This player has an issue to a degree with Traveller's character generation system. While I love it, I am not an old school traveller gamer, and view Traveller as a generic Sci fi rules system, to do with as I please.

Anyhow, back on point. This player feels he cannot put together the type of character he wants if he makes a bad roll or something else to that effect.

Is there a way of putting together a character in a less random fashion? While most of the players in the group are fine with the default system, I can understand where this player is coming from.

I do not have a copy of the core rulebook on hand, nor do I have an intricate knowledge of the rules.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[AKAmra]

There's an alternate point buy system in the book. That should take care of your player's concerns.

 

[Mage]

I never recalled seeing it in the core book. Is it in the character generation section or elsewhere?

 

[AKAmra]

The alternate rules are at end of the character generation section.

The GM gives the player a number of points to spend (there is a list of points to give depending on PC experience level). The player then uses the points to buy characteristics, skills, rank and benefits rolls. The alternate rules allow the use of connections, but they don't get background skills or roll on the Events tables.

 

[Mage]

Thanks for all the help. I'll check it out.

 

[AKAmra]

Your welcome. I'd let my players use either rules to create characters. Random creation can be a fun mini-game in itself, and lead to characters the player would never have created on their own. But, a player should also be able to play a character concept they imagined.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

One thing I have done is still have the player roll for advancement and Events, but let them roll the dice for skills and then pick the table; that gives a selection of 3-4 skills to pick from for each die roll. It makes it less then point buy, but more than totally random. It seems to be a good compromise that works.

For Characteristics, I usually let them roll 3 dice and drop the lowest one; that keeps characterstics on the high side of average, but if they do get a bad roll, they have other good characteristics to compensate.

 

[hector]

Personally, I find that the default system allows for interesting twists on what you may have had in mind in the first place. Of course, I was given the option to pick a table after rolling when creating my first character in this system, which allowed me to create a character who had all the skills I wanted, if not at quite the levels I'd wanted, as well as a few that I hadn't considered. Sure, he got a dishonourable discharge from the Marines, when the Marines were the branch I'd wanted him to have been in for the whole of his back story, but then he became a merc, and evolved in a way I hadn't seen coming; from idealistic, patriotic career marine to bitter and cynical mercenary.

The thing to remember is that this is one of those systems in which any character goals at the start of character creation should be as vague as possible (I want my character to be a skilled combatant rather than I want my character to be a sniper, for example); you decide the details when you've finished, not before you start.

 

[IanBruntlett]

On occasion, for different campaigns, I have departed from the strict rules of character generation.

In a couple of campaigns I have overridden characteristic d6 rolls of 1 or 2 as re-rolls.

In one or two campaigns I've overridden characters being forced to leave a career, substituting that penalty for somethings else.

 

[steelbrok]

One thing I have done is still have the player roll for advancement and Events, but let them roll the dice for skills and then pick the table; that gives a selection of 3-4 skills to pick from for each die roll. It makes it less then point buy, but more than totally random. It seems to be a good compromise that works.

For Characteristics, I usually let them roll 3 dice and drop the lowest one; that keeps characterstics on the high side of average, but if they do get a bad roll, they have other good characteristics to compensate.

This is exactly what I do!

 

[DFW]

After two terms I let them pick on any table they are eligible for that term. This is predicated on being in one service(career) not hopping around.

 

[rust]

After experiments with several methods I have come to the conclusion
that it really does not matter how the player characters are created, pro-
vided they fit into the setting I designed. So now I just tell the players
which careers and skills are most likely to be useful, and which are not
used, and leave everything else to them.

 

[zero]

I use a homebrew where Characteristics, Events and Promotion/Commisions are rolled and Careers and Skills when needed to be rolled are chosen by the player. Survival rolls are ignored entirely.

Gives the player what they want whilst still keeping some things random and the Events for interesting randomness.

 

[hdan]

I also do the "roll a dice to find out what skills you have available this term, and pick one" method. It provides a little more control than "pick the table first", but still forces some "things don't always go as planned" elements. Of course they roll for mishap and events as usual.

One of my players likes the "pick the table first" method though, so I let her do that.

 

[Egil Skallagrimsson]

We generally follow the MgT chargen as written, PCs roll on the relevant skill tables for their first skill in a term, but, if they get a second roll, probably through a promotion, then they can pick a skill from the relevant skill tables.

NPC skills are up to my whim, but I use the career tables as a guide

Egil

 

[Rikr Strumpf]

We follow basic generation parameters. If a PC really doesn't like their character I let them roll up a new one or two. If they need to go farther, my thought is generally that they're more the problem than the rules that everyone else seems to have no problem with. But connections and skill packages seem to really make my PCs happy.

 

[Sturn]

This may not help, because I've radically house ruled my Traveller character generation into using experience points to earn levels (akin to the old 2300 AD skill levels). But, I will try to convert to use in MGT.

I use a combination of random and player choice. MGT does do this somewhat with, "pick a table but exact skill chosen randomly". I take it a step further. Simply make the first skill granted each term random. The second skill (due to a promotion, etc) is chosen by the player from any skill available. This simulates that some things you learn are not by choice (random), but others are. Thinking back to my military days there were many things I didn't want to learn but did (NBC school) and other things I actively pursued (Air Assault school).

Make it a combination of both random and choices with random being most common.

 

[dreamingbadger]

I let players roll 15 dice, keep the best 12 and place where they want, and pick skills on any table that does not have JOT on it (otherwise it is a roll)