Similar History Chargen?

[travtex]

I'm not sure if this should go here or in an 'Other Blah Blah' forum, but figured here'd be the place with the most people who'd actually KNOW.

One of the biggest appeals to me with Traveller is not so much the theme as the system. I love the depth, not so much with stats, but with the narrative. Rules for random generation of entire galactic sectors, for example.

As far as storytelling goes, I love the careers and prior history aspect. While it doesn't tell the entire story for you, it does enable you to create, say, a forty-something character who isn't just a "first level" noob or some arbitrarily stat-padded "veteran".

Does anyone know what other systems employ a similar method? The only one I can think of as similar from a 'Character History' standpoint was Pendragon (Which I also loved for the brainstorm-rich historical character generation. You could generate an entire family history with a handful of die rolls).

Are there some others (Likely traveller-inspired, considering how long the system has been around) that I'm not aware of?

 

[SnowDog]

Hi,

If you mean career system then I can state three different systems.

- Twilight:2013 (and also Twilight:2000 2.x edition)
- Burning Wheel (and Burning Empires, Mouse Guard RPG)
- Now OOP Mutant Chronicles

 

[Sturn]

Twilight 2000 (new version called T-2013) had significant character development similar to Traveller, but not the historical notes that MGT has newly added. Twilight 2000 was produced by the same company that created Traveller (GDW) so its character creation is at least somewhat Traveller inspired like 2300 AD.

 

[Deniable]

also Twilight:2000 2.x edition)

And its derivatives Dark Conspiracy and possibly Cadillacs and Dinosaurs. TNE was also derived from this but pretty much every version of Traveller except the GURPS and Hero versions count.

2300 AD had a career system without detailed events.

Mechwarrior 3 AKA Classic Battletech RPG had a career/term system as well as events like MGT.

 

[SnowDog]

Ah, yes I should have remembered TNE...

I am not entirely sure if Aliens RPG had a career system, too. I have to see if I remember to check that out. Anyway, you could only play Colonial Marines but it could have been possible to get multiple MOSes and spend variable time in that MOS, but I could be wrong...

 

[travtex]

Appreciate the suggestions so far.

Burning Wheel and Twilight:2013 look to be pretty interesting from what I'm reading in reviews/previews/etc. Though I'm reading that 2013's dramatically unrealistic geopolitical background can be offputting (Seems easy enough to adapt, though... 'So, like, everybody blows up and stuff' needn't be that specific for a starting point.)

 

[SnowDog]

Frankly I have not read the background material of the Twilight:2013 but many have criticized it. The good thing about it is the fact that it is a global background and you can set your campaign wherever you want and still have this Twilight feeling But yes, you can pretty easily change the background.

I don't know how well the system itself works because I have only read it, not actually tested it.

 

[Deniable]

I forgot Fasa Trek. Tours and schools, but no events.

 

[GJD]

Cyberpunk 2020, Mekton and a Lightspeed all have a Lifepath, which details events on a year-by-year basis, generating enemies, contacts, romance and so on.

The ultimate narrative chracter creation was probably the Central Casting series, although they had some rather offensive ideas about sexuality in them (homosexuality was considered by the author of them to be a mental derrangment.....).

G.

 

[Chrome]

Another vote for Classic Battletech RPG. Hands down the best life path system IMHO. There's an early childhood stage, late childhood state, higher education, THEN the work phases. Where as MGT has only work phases (except perhaps academy from High Guard).

And CBTRPG has lots of options for each stage and each lifepath has 11 different results. It's a wonderfully detailed system that ensures that no two characters are alike.

A quick example of a CBTRPG Stage 1 lifepath...

BLUE COLLAR
Your family worked for an industrial concern, perhaps a
weapons factory or a mining operation. While you had few advantages,
your hard-working parents managed to give you a reasonable
education, and your future prospects are fairly open.
Attribute Minimums: SOC 3
Skills: Career/Any +2, Interest/Any +1
Next Path: Farm (2), High School (2), Street (2)
Blue Collar Events
2 You’re not that far from the street; you nearly got
killed in a street fight [Choose one: Combat Paralysis,
Lost Limb (2)]
3 Times were really tough [Poverty; must also choose
Street Path in Stage 2]
4 You worked alongside your parents at the factory
[Career/Any +1, Poor Hearing]
5 Another childhood wasted on holovids
[Interest/Holovid Shows +2, Career/Any –2]
6 Family worked on an asteroid mining facility [GTolerance,
Zero-G Operations +1]
7 Learned many skills in the kid scouts [First Aid +1,
Survival +1]
8 Already learning how to fix the family car [Natural
Aptitude/Technician/ICE]
9 Started early in sports [RFL +1, Interest/Any sport +1,
Swimming +1]
10 Your parents were both in the military, so you grew up
an “army brat” [Career/Soldier +1, Pistols +1, may
choose Military School or Mercenary Brat as next
path]
11 A big job promotion in the family [SOC +1, Wealth, may
take Preparatory School as next path]
12 [Choose one event or roll twice and apply both
results]

 

[travtex]

How's Central Casting with skills systems? Is it -exclusively- narrative, or does it provide some sort of detail you can shoehorn into your rpg system of choice?

 

[GJD]

It's a generic system for both skills and attributes. If I recall correctly it has it's own percentile system, but also suggests that you use the tables to prompt an appropriate skill increase in whatever system you are using, be that an XP bonus for level based games, a % increase or additional skill points or whatever.

G.

 

[Solivagus]

Battlelords of the 23rd Century doesn't have terms or the like, but does have some good growing up and adult event charts with results ranging from "Chain Smoker (5% chance of having lung cancer)" to "Your uncle owns a trans-galactic starliner company. He likes you!! You can borrow one of his Bohemian class starcruisers anytime you want."