Ranks and Benefits question

[GypsyComet]

In the character generation example:

"He is now a 1st Officer. [This rank gives the Pilot 1 skill; as Jamison already has Pilot (spacecraft) 1, applying his new skill there would do no good so he applies this second Pilot skill to small craft instead.] "

This appears to be the ONLY PLACE in the book that describes the Rank Benefit skills as flat awards instead of standard skill increases. Is this really how it is intended to work?

And while we're at it, if a "Ranks and Benefits" table entry says "Guns (any)-1" and this is a flat skill award, why are Entertainers (of all people) being given normal skill awards, as implied by "Art (any)" and similar entries?

 

[tneva82]

In the character generation example:

"He is now a 1st Officer. [This rank gives the Pilot 1 skill; as Jamison already has Pilot (spacecraft) 1, applying his new skill there would do no good so he applies this second Pilot skill to small craft instead.] "

This appears to be the ONLY PLACE in the book that describes the Rank Benefit skills as flat awards instead of standard skill increases. Is this really how it is intended to work?

If skill says specifically skill level(pilot 1, pilot 2 etc) then that's the level it improves to. If it just says pilot then it gets boost.

I'm pretty sure there's box explaining this in book unless I'm completely delusional.

 

[zanwot]

There are actually several places where these "flat awards" (level 1 but no higher) a awarded: rank skills, events, and the bonus package at the end of character generation. Anytime it is written "skillname 1" instead of "skillname", as stated in rules.

As for the entertainer getting a normal skill, I don't knoz, don't have the book wit hme, but my guess it is a mix of playbalance and the fact that "art" is really a big specialty and supposedly domain of excellence of entertainers. That cannot be said for gun combat with any career, including army, except maybe for sniper, and even then the importance of gun combat makes it understandable not to give high levels of Gun Combat out too easily.

 

[tneva82]

As for the entertainer getting a normal skill, I don't knoz, don't have the book wit hme, but my guess it is a mix of playbalance and the fact that "art" is really a big specialty and supposedly domain of excellence of entertainers. That cannot be said for gun combat with any career, including army, except maybe for sniper, and even then the importance of gun combat makes it understandable not to give high levels of Gun Combat out too easily.

Sounds logical enough for me.

 

[Jame Rowe]

So ... if my character has pilot-1, and gains a rank that gives him benefit of pilot-1 again, he cannot take Pilot-2?

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

TMB Page 6 discusses having more than one specialty within a skill (such as engineering or gun combat).

TMB Page 8 specifically states (under skills and training) that if no level is associated with a skill listing, then it is increased by one. If a level is listed (such as Skill 1) then you get it at that level. If you already have the skill at that level or higher, then you get no benefit.

So, if you have Engineering(Electronics) 1 and Engineering (Jump Drive) 2 and you get "Engineering (any) 1) then you cannot use that to increase either your Electronics or Jump Drive specialty, but you could gain Engineering (M Drive) 1 if you wanted.

If you roll Survival 1, but already have Survival 2, then you get nothing.

 

[GypsyComet]

Thanks RTT, that was the cite I was missing.

Jame, the specific example shows that you can take that level, but not stack it onto an existing level. Specialties are the exception to the rule on Page 8, since you can push that hard level into a different specialty.