thesmiths4
Banded Mongoose
I buy that! Combinations of the four would point towards specialized education. Someone studying prosthetics, biochemistry, and/or bioengineering would have Life Science and Physical Science skills, for example.
Science specialty
- Thread starter thesmiths4
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alex_greene
Guest
When learning a Science speciality or a Profession, you learn the basics during boot - and that's Science 0, which covers all the bases - biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, even statistics.
Thus a Traveller with Science (astrophysics) 1 must have learned Science 0 at some point, so she'd have Science (physics) 0 at the very least. Similarly, someone who learns Science (biochemistry) 1 would have Science (biology) 0 and Science (chemistry) 0 in order to specialise.
In Cosmopolite, I namedropped Social Science (mathematics), it being about the only place where I could put that speciality - but it's not needed here, because a mathematician can now have Science (mathematics) 1, which makes me very happy because it means I can have a Traveller like Charles Epps from the TV show Numb3rs, using maths to solve problems.
You could have a scientist who's really into the biology of the edible plondak with Science (edible plondak biology) 5, but he'd be kind of useless if called upon to work out why some crop plants on Regina are dying because he'd only have Science (biology) 0 to count on unless he'd chosen Science (biology) 1 or more during chargen or studied it during down time.
Actually, I'd love it if there were adventures for a Traveller who kept finding himself in demand from Patrons for some really out there non-combat specialities such as mathematics or soil science.
Thus a Traveller with Science (astrophysics) 1 must have learned Science 0 at some point, so she'd have Science (physics) 0 at the very least. Similarly, someone who learns Science (biochemistry) 1 would have Science (biology) 0 and Science (chemistry) 0 in order to specialise.
In Cosmopolite, I namedropped Social Science (mathematics), it being about the only place where I could put that speciality - but it's not needed here, because a mathematician can now have Science (mathematics) 1, which makes me very happy because it means I can have a Traveller like Charles Epps from the TV show Numb3rs, using maths to solve problems.
You could have a scientist who's really into the biology of the edible plondak with Science (edible plondak biology) 5, but he'd be kind of useless if called upon to work out why some crop plants on Regina are dying because he'd only have Science (biology) 0 to count on unless he'd chosen Science (biology) 1 or more during chargen or studied it during down time.
Actually, I'd love it if there were adventures for a Traveller who kept finding himself in demand from Patrons for some really out there non-combat specialities such as mathematics or soil science.
TrippyHippy
Emperor Mongoose
Speaking as one who called for the Science skills to be split back in the 1st edition, I can see the advantages in just having a single Science skill for the reasons Alex has outlined.
The only issue I have/had, is that some of the 'Sciences' don't really operate on the same level of training - Philosophy, for example is more about linguistics and logic than an empirical science. A historian may well understand things like primary/secondary sources but they don't know how to plan an experiment through induction. On the other hand, a Psychohistorian might....
The advantage of splitting them was to acknowledge this point. However, the downside came in some of the tricky 'sciences' that defied easy categorisation. Moreover, it's basically just simpler!
I would ensure that some sort of Science - Astronomy skill is listed, regardless. And Psychohistory....
The only issue I have/had, is that some of the 'Sciences' don't really operate on the same level of training - Philosophy, for example is more about linguistics and logic than an empirical science. A historian may well understand things like primary/secondary sources but they don't know how to plan an experiment through induction. On the other hand, a Psychohistorian might....
The advantage of splitting them was to acknowledge this point. However, the downside came in some of the tricky 'sciences' that defied easy categorisation. Moreover, it's basically just simpler!
I would ensure that some sort of Science - Astronomy skill is listed, regardless. And Psychohistory....
-Daniel-
Emperor Mongoose
While I find alex_greene's points both interesting and compelling, I still would rather see Science just with the four "specialties" as outlined by Rikki Tikki Traveller earlier in the thread. The four offer some specialization while not creating a never ending list of specializations. Life, physical, social, and space sciences cover the skills the characters would need/use well enough IMO.
I quite like that idea. Anyone violently against it?
grauenwolf
Banded Mongoose
msprange said:
It fits the 'broad skills' pattern used elsewhere. It makes my campaign easier for the players (scientists in the field, looking for unique life forms), but I'm ok with it.
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
Does not matter to me how it goes.msprange said:
