Like Dungeons & Dragons, Traveller assumes that a new character is generated through a series of dice rolls – 2d6 in this case rather than 3d6 – for each of his six characteristics (Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, and Social Standing). The results are recorded, in order, on a character sheet. Book 1 of Traveller recognizes the possibility that these random rolls may result in "a character with seemingly unsatisfactory values." However, the text states that "nevertheless, each player should use his character as generated," since
The experience procedures and acquired skills table offer a genuine opportunity to enhance value, given only time and luck.
This is true. Most characters, over the course of the terms of service, will gain one or more bonuses to certain characteristics, which will raise them higher than the initially generated scores. However, the 1977 edition of Book 1 – and only this edition, so far as I can tell – does include an "escape hatch" for players who are still unhappy with the characteristics they've rolled.
Should a player consider his character to be so poor as to be beyond help, he should consider joining the accident-prone Scout Corps, with a subconscious view to suicide.
Considering the poor survival rate of Scout characters, I find this amusing.
The 1981 edition had a milder version: "Should a player truly consider the character so poor as to be beyond help, the low survival rate of the Scout Service may make it the best career choice."
ReplyDeleteThanks for that information. The Traveller Book, whose text is similar to the 1981 edition, does not include even that line.
DeleteI vaguely remembered something about the scouts! I must have had the 81 release. I love these minor variations between editions.
DeleteOops, I missed that this text had changed in The Traveller Book (and Starter Traveller which mostly used The Traveller Book for its text) in my Section by Section Comparison. Now updated... For reference:
Deletehttps://docs.google.com/document/d/1jsH-EgKvaR0mdbtJMj_Xj7X3TcYyZTqQGf-Gwu58PX0/edit?usp=sharing
Yeah, and that's very much a reminder that you haven't lived until you've died in character generation.
ReplyDeleteThat would make a great recruitment poster for the Scout Service:
ReplyDelete“Does your life suck? Join the Imperial Scout Service, you’ll probably die.”
"Find A Personal Rebirth In the Scout Service"
DeleteThe funneling of early RPGs is aways intresting, a few characters will die in the first hour. So by the end of an adventure every one has a good characters in terms of roles but the danger of the world has been inpressed on every one.
ReplyDeleteThe Scouts were always a trade off between how long will I survive (if I do) vs. how many changes will I have to get that Scout Ship.
ReplyDeleteYeah, that S-class scout/courier was as sweet a start to Travelling as was on offer, and well worth some suboptimal or fatal career attempts. Or some funny business with the dice.
DeleteOptionally use the Classic Traveller Character Generator with some special parameters, for example:
Deletehttps://ffilz.github.io/Gaming/travellercharactergenerator.html?history=verbose&muster=ship&personal=always&vehicles=1977&service=scouts&minscore=9999&hunt=ship
Will guarantee you a scout with a ship, possibly a 1-term scout. &muster=ship makes it use the mustering out benefits for material benefits until it gets a ship, the &hunt=ship means it discards any character that doesn't wind up with a ship (which implies it survived also...), &service=scouts and &minscore=9999 force the character into the scouts, no enlisment roll.
This option is really cool if the GM wants a group to have a scout ship because it saves time, and guarantees no funny business on the way there. The tradeoff is the player doesn't get to select the skill tables to roll on.
Funny business with the dice? I do NOT know what you are referring to!
Delete