V2 Character Generation Tests

[Golan2072]

SVETLANA
Str 5 (-1), Dex 8 (0), End 7 (0), Int 10 (+1), Edu 8 (0), Soc 6 (0)

Homeworld: Vacuum, High Population, Average Stellar

Background Skills: Vacc Suit-0, Streetwise-0, Computer-0

Term 1 Scholar/Physician Rank 0
Basic Training: Comms-0, Computers-0, Diplomat-0, Medic-0, Investigate-0, Science (Biology)-0.
Skill: Medic +1.
Event: Life Event: New Relationship.
No Advancement

Term 2 Scholar/Physician Rank 0
Skill: Investigate +1
Event: Life Event: Betrayal. Gain Enemy
Advance to Rank 1. Medic-1, Computer +1

Term 3 Scholar/Physician Rank 1
Skill: Persuade +1
Event: Bureaucratic Morass. Admin-1
Advance to Rank 2. Investigate +1

Term 4 Scholar/Physician Rank 2
Skill: Medic +1
Event: Breakthrough. +2 Advancement
Advance to Rank 3. Science (Biology)-1, Comms +1
Aging: No effect.

Term 5 Scholar/Physician Rank 3
Skill: Computer +1
Event: Advanced Training. Science (Psychology) +1
No Advancement
Aging: No effect.

Term 6 Scholar/Physician Rank 3
Skill: Science (Biology) +1
Event: Prestigious Prize. +1 to any Benefit roll
Advance to Rank 4. Science (Psychology) +1
Aging: No effect

Term 7 Scholar/Physician Rank 4
Skill: Comms +1
Mishap: Expedition Gone Wrong. Survival-1
Aging: STR -1, DEX -1, END -1

Final Results:

Svetlana, Age 46

Str 4 (-1), Dex 7 (0), End 6 (0), Int 10 (+1), Edu 8 (0), Soc 8 (0)

Skills:
Medic-2, Investigate-2, Computer-2, Science (Biology)-2, Comms-2, Science (Psychology)-2, Survival-1, Persuade-1, Admin-1, Vacc Suit-0, Streetwise-0, Diplomat-0.

[Not assigned - 2x connection skills, 1x investigator package skill]

Assets:
60k, 2x Scientific Equipment, 2 Ship Shares, Retirement Benefits: 14k/yr

Has an Enemy

Comments/Conclusions:
1) From the skill mix it appears that Svetlana is a forensic medical investigator of sorts: she's equally skilled in medicine, biology, investigation, computers and psychology, and has some knowledge of persuasion as well. Hmmm... Good place to insert a Connection with an Agent character, maybe to get a Gun (Slug Pistol) skill...
2) There should be a random option for homeworld generation, i.e. a table which could give you random trade codes/environment/tech combinations for those who desire a completely random homeworld.
3) A Skill-0 in a skill with specialities gives you Skill-0 in all specialities, right?
4) Scholars should probably have Admin rather than Diplomat as a Service skill; they usually have much more encounters with paperwork (and with stifling bureaucracies) than with dignitaries who have to be addressed in the correct manner.
5) If you leave a career due to a mishap, do you still get Retirement pay for it?
6) Physicians should probably have ranks too, just like Academics, starting with Paramedic, then Nurse, then Doctor and so on.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Skill-0 in a skill with specialties gives you Skill-0 in ONE of the specialties.

At Skill-1+, you get Skill-0 in ALL other sub-specialties.

 

[JimG]

Some skills have specialities – specialised forms of that skill. A character may pick a skill when he gains level 1 in a skill
For example, a character might have Engineering 0, allowing him to make Engineering skill checks without an unskilled
penalty. He might then gain a level in Engineering, giving him Engineering (Jump Drives) 1. He would make all
Engineering checks involving Jump Drives at a +1 DM, but would make all other Engineering checks at a +0 DM. A
character can have multiple specialities in a skill – an Engineer might have Engineering (Jump Drives) 1 and Engineering
(Power Plant) 2. He would make checks related to Jump Drives with a +1 DM, checks related to Power Plants with a +2
DM, and all other Engineering checks with a +0 DM.

I read this as meaning Engineering 0 will allow you to make any Engineering check without a penalty, rather than choosing a specialization at rank 0.

 

[captainjack23]

Some skills have specialities – specialised forms of that skill. A character may pick a skill when he gains level 1 in a skill
For example, a character might have Engineering 0, allowing him to make Engineering skill checks without an unskilled
penalty. He might then gain a level in Engineering, giving him Engineering (Jump Drives) 1. He would make all
Engineering checks involving Jump Drives at a +1 DM, but would make all other Engineering checks at a +0 DM. A
character can have multiple specialities in a skill – an Engineer might have Engineering (Jump Drives) 1 and Engineering
(Power Plant) 2. He would make checks related to Jump Drives with a +1 DM, checks related to Power Plants with a +2
DM, and all other Engineering checks with a +0 DM.

I read this as meaning Engineering 0 will allow you to make any Engineering check without a penalty, rather than choosing a specialization at rank 0.

Its pretty clear from the commentary that these need to be tightened up in the next iteration.

I'd focus on:
1. a specific consistent name for a skill that has specialities (skill +school, discipline,group, family) avoiding (for the sake of confusion with other rulesets) cascade and perhaps cluster; and a name that differentiates it from skiils which do not have specializations.
2. Defining the nature of a skill with specialities: does the overall skilll name (Engineering) constitute an overall skill (and thus with levels) or is it just a organizing name (with no levels).
3. If it is a skill, define if it is it umbrella/inclusive skill (a bit of everything in all specialities ) ; an exclusive one ( everything that doesn't fall under a speciality, or a prerequisite (common to all the specialities, and required to specialize further)
4. specifically stating what a level 0 skill gives you with regard to all the specialities; and with reference to point 2 above.
5. specifically stating what happens to all specialities when one is increase, and if point 2. implies a skill with levels, what does its increase do to the specialites.

Seperating out my advice on how to rersolve these, I would,
1. call it a skill group or discipline.
2. define it as an organizing name, not a skill
3. Moot due to 2.
4. A. a level 0 skill only gives training in the specialization it is assigned to. all others are untrained.
B.a level one specialization allows all other specializations to be used at a minimum or default of level 0.
5. A. the default of level 0 is never increased unless a skill level is specifically applied to it;
B. a speciality can only be increased from 0 by the addition of specified skill levels.

These seem to minimize complexity (and thus confusion and loopholes), and keep the intent of the rules; and to selfishly satisfy my opion that level 0 skills should not generalize..
-Cap

 

[SableWyvern]

I agree with captainjack's general thoughts on the matter.

However, I would stick to the current model with respect to the in-game effect, such that:

You can have 0-Level in a Discipline. This gives you 0 in all of that Disciplines specialisations.

Positive skill values must be applied to specific Specialisations.

This has the advantage of making 0-Level values much more useful without, IMO, being overpowering. A character with basic competence with smallarms, frex, should be able to apply that knowledge to all smallarms. This also means that if the group has a single, widely qualified Engineer, a character or two with Engineer-0 can provide a useful backup, rather than requiring they have two highly qualified engineers to provide a reasonable degree of reduncancy.

 

[AKAramis]

I agree with captainjack's general thoughts on the matter.

However, I would stick to the current model with respect to the in-game effect, such that:

You can have 0-Level in a Discipline. This gives you 0 in all of that Disciplines specialisations.

Positive skill values must be applied to specific Specialisations.

This has the advantage of making 0-Level values much more useful without, IMO, being overpowering. A character with basic competence with smallarms, frex, should be able to apply that knowledge to all smallarms. This also means that if the group has a single, widely qualified Engineer, a character or two with Engineer-0 can provide a useful backup, rather than requiring they have two highly qualified engineers to provide a reasonable degree of reduncancy.

Ibid.

It's how I understand it currently, and I do like it. The sciences are a bit clunky, but work and are more realistic as written.

As I stated in another thread, I'd like to see an option for medical specializations in the core:

Medical (Trauma Aid): Includes first aid and "meatball surgery"
Medical (Patient Care): Includes changing of dressings, administering medicine, moving patients, etc.
Medical (Surgery) All manner of cut & stitch. Overlaps somewhat with Trauma Aid and cybernetics.
Medical (Pharmacology) Prescribing, dosing, mixing, and administering medications.
Medical (Diagnostics): Various means of diagnosing diseases and non-traumatic injuries.
Medical (Cybernetics): Maintenance, prescription, and installation of cybernetic implants. Yes, some overlap with surgery.

As I'm thinking about this, I'd also like to see a "Ship's Engineering Operator" specialty on Engineering, which only allows operation and routine maintenance, but covers all fields therein, as an option.