Space Science specialization issue

[thesmiths4]

Has anyone else noticed that the Space Science skill lacks a specialization that actually deals with stars and other astronomical phenomena other than planets?

There should be one more specialization--Astronomy--that would allow a character to understand non-planet astronomical bodies and other kinds of space environment issues.

Two questions:
--Am I the first person to notice this? A search of the forum for related terms didn't seem to show anything. Does anyone have a home rule about it?
--Is this handled in some errata to the core rules, or perhaps in the Scouts book somewhere? If so, again, I can't find it.

Thanks!

 

[BP]

Yep - its missing (and Robotics is part of Space Sciences :roll.

Don't recall anything on the forum specifically about this, but I added Astronomy very early on (as I include stellar info for every system - spectrums are cool props), though I also assume Astrogation includes a level of stellar knowledge. Rust had some good skills/ideas in several of his posts supporting his unique setting.

At first look, specialties seemed a good idea - but, in practice, I found them somewhat annoying. Though, given the number of skills/levels that MgT chargen supports, they are pretty much required to keep DMs from becoming over the top (unless one limits terms)...

As to house rules - just add the specialty and make sure in chargen to allow substitutions if necessary. The Trade skill also is a useful bucket for undefined skills that don't need a primary grouping...

 

[Solomani666]

Pretty sure that is a negative, so just add it.

There are a few skill categories that 'open ended' to sub-categories such as:
(I will add a few reasonable sub categories to each)

Art:
Painting
Photography
Courtesan
Seduction

Athletics:
Swimming
Climbing

Language:
(Aslan language)
(Vargr tongue)

Melee:
Pole arms

Social Sciences:
Political Science
Anthropology

Space Sciences:
Astronomy (As you mentioned)

Physical Sciences:
Quantum Mechanics

Life Sciences:
Planetology

Trade:
Metallurgy
Chemical Engineering
Basket weaving
Carpentry
Construction
Medical/Dental Assistant
Prostitution

The point is, that if the rule book listed every possibility in these skill categories, it would be the size of a phone book. (And cost $100)

Book 7 "Merchant Prince" makes mention of concubines being trained in Art (Seduction) and Trade (Prostitution) and doesn't even bother with a description, because none is needed.

The good thing is that you can use these categories to add specialties specific to your campaign.


I hope this clears things up.

.

 

[rust]

Has anyone else noticed that the Space Science skill lacks a specialization that actually deals with stars and other astronomical phenomena other than planets?

Yes, in fact there are many specializations which may be important for a
specific setting and which are not covered by the core rules, from astro-
physics to marine biology. I usually write a setting specific skill list with
setting specific specializations for each of my settings, deleting the skills
and specializations I will not need in that campaign and adding those I
will need but cannot find in the rules.

 

[alex_greene]

Thought I'd add some specialities of my own, and modify the above table a little bit accordingly.

Animals:
Attack Training (training hounds or their equivalent to become attack and guard creatures)
Sense Training (training creatures for specialised companion and guide work for blind sophonts [from normally sighted species])
Sniffer Training (training creatures to detect contraband, explosives or cadavers by scent)
Tracker Training (training creatures to track by scent)

Art:
Painting
Photography
Seduction
Calligraphy
Sculpture
Satire
Playwright

Athletics:
Swimming
Climbing

Language:
(Aslan language)
(Vargr tongue)
Sign Language

Melee:
Pole arms
Improvised Weapons
Dirty Fighting

Social Sciences:
Political Science
Anthropology
Xenoanthropology
Forensics and Criminology
Genealogy
History
Geography
Economics

Space Sciences:
Astronomy (The identification of stellar, planetary and subplanetary bodies and the charting of their physical movements)
Astrophysics (the study of physical stellar phenomena, e.g. flares, magnetic fields, the fusion processes in stars, the processes of nucleosynthesis and so on)
Astrochemistry (study of the chemical composition of stars and nebulae by examination of their spectra and, through FTL, physical sampling)
Cosmology (the study of galaxies, universes, space as a whole - dark matter, dark energy, space-time curvature, the study of Jump space etc.)

Physical Sciences:
Quantum Mechanics
Quantum Chemistry
Chemistry
Planetology (geology on planets other than Earth)

Life Sciences:
Biochemistry
Xenozoology
Xenobotany
Xenomedicine

Trade:
Metallurgy
Chemical Engineering
Basket weaving
Carpentry
Construction
Medical/Dental Assistant
Prostitution
Signmaking
Horticulture
Tailoring
Demolitions
Blacksmithing

 

[zero]

Nice specialisations

 

[Mithras]

Nice specialisations

Although I don't think the xeno- prefixes are needed.. are they?

 

[Boneguard]

Nice specialisations

Although I don't think the xeno- prefixes are needed.. are they?

I would say yes they are.

For exemple:
Biology deal with Carbone-based "Earth" creature.

Xenobiology would deal both with Non-"Earth" creature as well as Non-Carbone-Based (say silicone based creature or silicate based creature, etc.)

It would be different enough to warrant the xeno- prefix.

 

[Hopeless]

Does Astrocartography count?

 

[DFW]

Does Astrocartography count?

Yes.

 

[rust]

Does Astrocartography count?

Yep, although it is usually known as Astrometry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrometry

 

[Hopeless]

Does Astrocartography count?

Yep, although it is usually known as Astrometry:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrometry

Cool will have to keep an eye here, this is a topic I never even thought about!

 

[Jame Rowe]

Same here, though I'll take out the parts I don't add to.

Thought I'd add some specialities of my own, and modify the above table a little bit accordingly.

Art:
Painting
Photography
Seduction
Calligraphy
Sculpture
Satire
Playwright
Quilting/Sewing (Difference is left to individual GM)
Jeweler

Athletics:
Swimming
Climbing
Calisthenics (Unless you count that as "Endurance Athletics")



Life Sciences:
Biochemistry
Xenozoology
Xenobotany
Xenomedicine
(I would account biology as, once a planet is TL 10+, including Xenobotany/Xenobiology in order to avoid skill bloat.)

Trade:
Metallurgy
Chemical Engineering
Basket weaving
Carpentry
Construction
Medical/Dental Assistant
Prostitution
Signmaking
Horticulture
Tailoring
Demolitions (Wouldn't that be explosives?)
Blacksmithing
Cooking
Baking

 

[alex_greene]

Re: Demolitions speciality - not just explosives. There are ways of bringing down a building without explosives, e.g. firing the base, using a wrecking ball etc.

 

[Jame Rowe]

Hmmm ... I shall think on that (probably agree though).

 

[apoc527]

Here's a thought: given your typical Traveller assumptions, wouldn't the prefix "xeno-" be a little outdated. Earth is just one world, and not even an important one in the Imperium, so why the focus on "biology" of Earth critters? I'd say after a few thousand years of space exploration and colonization, "biology" "sociology" etc are more than sufficient. The only campaigns that would need skills with the xeno- prefix are those set on or primarily on Earth with alien stuff being new and exciting.

 

[DFW]

Here's a thought: given your typical Traveller assumptions, wouldn't the prefix "xeno-" be a little outdated. Earth is just one world, and not even an important one in the Imperium, so why the focus on "biology" of Earth critters? I'd say after a few thousand years of space exploration and colonization, "biology" "sociology" etc are more than sufficient. The only campaigns that would need skills with the xeno- prefix are those set on or primarily on Earth with alien stuff being new and exciting.

Excellent catch!

 

[rust]

Here's a thought: given your typical Traveller assumptions, wouldn't the prefix "xeno-" be a little outdated. Earth is just one world, and not even an important one in the Imperium, so why the focus on "biology" of Earth critters?

Hmmm ... I would define "Biology" as the science which deals with the
biology of all carbon based life, not only the life forms of Earth, while
"Xenobiology" would be the science dealing with all the other possible
life forms, those using different biochemistries.

 

[Jame Rowe]

Here's a thought: given your typical Traveller assumptions, wouldn't the prefix "xeno-" be a little outdated. Earth is just one world, and not even an important one in the Imperium, so why the focus on "biology" of Earth critters?

Hmmm ... I would define "Biology" as the science which deals with the
biology of all carbon based life, not only the life forms of Earth, while
"Xenobiology" would be the science dealing with all the other possible
life forms, those using different biochemistries.

I actually agree with Apoc; by the 57th century, I would think that biologists would be trained to handle as many different types of biology as is known to the 3I, even if only enough to reduce the penalty to -1. Same for doctors, biochemists and etc.

(I would make an exception for real backwater worlds with low TL, but they're the exception.)

 

[rust]

I actually agree with Apoc; by the 57th century, I would think that biologists would be trained to handle as many different types of biology as is known to the 3I, even if only enough to reduce the penalty to -1. Same for doctors, biochemists and etc.

Even today the specialization in the various fields of science has already
reached a point where "generalists" are becoming the exception and spe-
cialists the standard. There are already comparatively few biologists who
did not specialize to become botanists, entomologists, geneticists, marine
biologists, microbiologists, zoologists ... - there are dozens of specializa-
tions in biology. I very much doubt that this will change in the future, in
my view the number of specializations is far more likely to increase as
more and more knowledge is added.