Traveller-digest      Thursday, June 12 1997      Volume 1997 : Number 1423



(R)1996. Traveller is a registered trademark of FarFuture Enterprises.
All rights reserved.

The following topics are covered in this digest:

Planet X site going down
Re: T4.1 Char Gen Checklist and FS repair!
Re: Star ship design question
Shipyard size
T4.1 Char Gen Checklist
Re: 3 Products
Quick Physics Question
Re: Scenario - Generation Ship
Re: Quick Physics Question
T4.1 Chargen/skill value notes
Re: T4.1 Char Gen Checklist
Starship Hulls
T4.1 Chargen:  Rolling for skills
Re: Quick Physics Question
RE: T4.1 Char Gen Checklist

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 13:54:00 -0400
From: Bill Prankard <BPRANKARD@theiia.org>
Subject: Planet X site going down

Greetings,

This is the Commander, i just wanted to say to y'all that my site will be 
under major reconstruction for the next few weeks.

It seems that my occupation with my job and other persiuts have caused me to 
neglect the poor thing.  Mispellings, funky links, just plain garbage hangeg 
in the directory w/o a link, etc...  Its time for a face lift.  I personaly 
think its begining to look a little shabby.  In addition the javascript 
doesn't work with MSIE, nor does the site itself look well in MSIE.

New features:

Less danged buttons and sub-catagories!
there will efectively be 3 sites.

X-TEK Corporation
What the corp is about, its products and its subsidiaries (aka gearhead 
land). With links to ISBA, THUDDD, and Q(S)SDS.

Planet X Information Kiosk
What the heck is a Planet X anyway?  Why would I want to work, live, play, 
here.  This will be the main area for a future PBIRC game.  Also Included is 
the newbies info area, how to get on IRC, and site links.

The University of X-TEK database
This will house the information on X-TEK IRC classes (I realy must get back 
into that again!  My appologies to Suz Dollar.)  Class transcripts.  Rules 
modfications, information on homegrown races, worlds, etc...


So if you come around Planet X and see it looking worse than before. 
 Remeber you have been warned.

<Engage Shutdown>
"The Domain of Deneb goes off the air immediately, We keep the..."
<CANCEL>

Ah jeez, when am I going to ever get rid of that danged Regency recording! 
:-)

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 19:52:49 MET
From: "Volker A. Greimann" <GREI5001@uni-trier.de>
Subject: Re: T4.1 Char Gen Checklist and FS repair!

- ->   Page of Six Blank Character Cards for photocopying
In case one isn't enough to photocopy? ;-)

- -> (you may want to search through FS to find a world that matches). 
About FS, how should we go about sending you our suggestions? If you 
tell us what you agree with, it makes stuff easier for us to survey 
and discuss. And: Will this data be in the new M:0 hardback.. This is 
still a bit unclear to me.

- -> Injury inflicts up to 3 points (half die) on one characteristic. Recovery
- -> inflicts from 0 to 3 points of recovery. If your injury still has 1 or more
- -> points against you, you may muster out. If 3 points, you must muster out.
Recovery _inflicts_: sounds funny that way ;-)

Don't be put off buy my ironic remarks, i like the new chargen 
principles, and am looking forward to it! I think that things are 
improving by the day now.


Ad Astra,
V.A.G.       
- ------  Volker A. Greimann, also known as: Grei5001@uni-trier.de  ----
- -- Am Weidengraben 86,C6 - 54296 Trier - Germany - T+F: +49651148846 -
- ------- check out: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Vault/4061 --------
- ---- Student of Law, Gamer, Illuminatus Primus, Slayer of Windows95 --

- -----  "Don't hold me up: I am just barely ahead of insanity!!!" -----

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 18:53:20 +0100
From: SD Mooney <dom@cybergoths.u-net.com>
Subject: Re: Star ship design question

Leonard wrote:

>ps. if it's possible to get jump drive before fusion power, you have
>the "what are we doing with all this %^^#$ hydrogen?"problem all over
>again.

LHyd as coolant for a high rate power plant or will that go "boom"?

Or, as it says in the Necronomicon - "Some things are better left
undisturbed..." ;-)


Dom

- ------Dom Mooney---dom@cybergoths.u-net.com-------
"Feel the guilt / like shackles round your feet / like a halo in reverse"
                     Depeche Mode "Violator"

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 10:37:59 -0700 (MST)
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU>
Subject: Shipyard size

In preparation for my first _really_ hairy FFS2beta design, I need to know
if ANYone knows how big a shipyard has to be, physically, to handle a max
size qsds ship, which is a 5000 Dt open fram hull, which is 179 M long. I
need to include all the necessary shops, warehouses, etc etc that go with
it. Are we talking 10, 20, 100 times the size?

And, yes, I am thinking about a 'jump shipyard'.

Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 15:30:35 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Flammang <FLAMMANG@vms.cis.pitt.edu>
Subject: T4.1 Char Gen Checklist

   Hi.

> Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 02:10:35 -0600
> From: lguatney@carbon.cudenver.edu (Leroy William Lu Guatney)

> Marc,

>   Seeing the discussion on the list, I remembered that J.P. had ask me to
> mention that Liaison was missing from T4.

   The steward skill is missing too.  I, for one, would enjoy seeing it
   come back.

   -Rob

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 16:25:00 -0400
From: Bill Prankard <BPRANKARD@theiia.org>
Subject: Re: 3 Products

Whats this I hear?  3 new products from IG are out?

Psi Institutes:  This sounds interesting, I don't recall if there has ever 
been a supliment for psionics in Traveller before.  And since its done by 
the same good folks who brought you PE (some of my best Online-Trav friends 
to boot! <G>)  This is going to be a defininte BUY.

Anomilies:  Sounds interesting.  But what exactly is "normal" in Traveller? 
:)

TLWH, Rut Roah!  I played this one on IRC when it was only avail from the 
UK.  Allen Shock was kind enough to GM this.  Dilema time!  Do I go out and 
buy this, or wait until we finish.  Um we will finish the game sometime, 
right Allen? :-)  I don't want to give anything away, but this was the best 
trav adventure I played in.  BUY THIS!

well, since I only have 25 bucks to spend this pay period, I think I will go 
with the PSI institues.  I always wanted to know how to make idiot guardsmen 
say "these are not the driods we're looking for..." ROTFL!

More insanity brought to you by
X-TEK Industries, LIC
Makers of Cthulhu Chip Cookies
"Insanely Delicious!"

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 14:26:27 -0500 (CDT)
From: lee@uansv2.Vanderbilt.Edu (Mike Lee)
Subject: Quick Physics Question

Hi, all-

        I tried to send this to the list yesterday, but apparently it never
went through.  In the event you receive this twice, then I apologize.

        I have a quick question to pose to those TML'ers with more physics
background than I.  Here's the situation:

        Consider an orbital station, say around 5,000 metric tons mass.
Now, suppose there was a ship docked to this station, of around 200 tons,
but with rather robust engines (it's a ground-to-orbit cargo hauler,
currently unloaded).  It is docked nose-on to the station, facing in the
opposite direction from the station's orbital path.
        Okay.  Now suppose this cargo hauler flares its engines, say about
5G for about 1.5 seconds.  What will be the effects?  Here are the main
effects, as I envision them:

1.) The station suffers a sudden, sharp deceleration, dropping it below
orbital velocity.  The station's orbit begins to decay.
2.) The airlock the cargo hauler is docked to likely crumples under the
sudden strain, possibly opening the hauler to space and parking it partway
into the station itself. (Providing it holds together.)
3.) Everybody on the station not strapped down goes flying HARD against a
convenient bulkhead, console, etc.
        
        Does this sound right?  Am I missing anything glaringly obvious?  I
would appreciate any insight you guys can give me.

Thanks in advance, 

Mike Lee

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 13:21:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: Mark Clark <clarkm@OIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: Scenario - Generation Ship

  Doh!  The program for Traveller generated _Belters_ who were either
young and poor or old and filthy rich.  That's the career in _Citizens of
the Imperium_ - the roll to survive was tough, but you got a +1 DM per
term, so the longer you stayed around, the less likely you were to snuff
it.  God, I loved that whole dying during character generation thing -
made rolling up characters good for a gaming session all by itself.

______________________________
Dr. Mark Clark
Oregon Institute of Technology

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 14:12:06 -0700 (MST)
From: Bruce Johnson <johnson@Pharmacy.Arizona.EDU>
Subject: Re: Quick Physics Question

On Thu, 12 Jun 1997, Mike Lee wrote:

> Hi, all-
> 
>         I have a quick question to pose to those TML'ers with more physics

SNIP

>         Okay.  Now suppose this cargo hauler flares its engines, say about
> 5G for about 1.5 seconds.  What will be the effects?  Here are the main
> effects, as I envision them:
> 
> 1.) The station suffers a sudden, sharp deceleration, dropping it below
> orbital velocity.  The station's orbit begins to decay.
> 2.) The airlock the cargo hauler is docked to likely crumples under the
> sudden strain, possibly opening the hauler to space and parking it partway
> into the station itself. (Providing it holds together.)
> 3.) Everybody on the station not strapped down goes flying HARD against a
> convenient bulkhead, console, etc.
>

Well, since the hauler's drive is rated at 5 gees of thrust for the
hauler itself, considerably less will be imparted to the hauler:station
complex.

You'll definitely wreck the airlock, and probably seriously damage both
the starship and the station, but you probably won't impart THAT great a
change of velocity to the station. You will send the station into a lower
orbit certainly, but I doub't you'll deorbit it completely. 

People will notice it, probably the whole station will shudder, and alarms
start screaming everywhere. And vaccsuit drill starts for real. 

But please, tell me where they have stations like this set up WITHOUT
drive interlocks on the ships docking to prevent the drives from powering
up, and preventing this entirely? I'll stay the heck away! A drive
lockout is a basic piece of safety policy for a station that actually
physically contacts the station.

Bruce Johnson
University of Arizona
College of Pharmacy
Information Technology Group

Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 16:57:24 -0400 (EDT)
From: Robert Flammang <FLAMMANG@vms.cis.pitt.edu>
Subject: T4.1 Chargen/skill value notes

   Hi.

> Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 10:51:09 +0000
> From: "Kenneth Bearden" <dreamer@weck.brokersys.com>

> The value of a T4 skill level...
> There seems to be a misconception among some T4 players that one 
> actual skill level in T4 is worth less than one skill level in CT.
         [snip]
> This may be TNE thinking (where skill levels did reach into the 
> double digits), but I want to make it absolutely clear that this is 
> not true in T4.  The value of a level 1 skill in T4 is the same as 
> the value of a level one skill in CT/MT.  

   T4 skill levels do not equate well with those in CT and MT for two
   reasons:

   1) Character competition.  Because T4 characters have so many skills
   at such high levels, a fair minded referee cannot just indiscrimantly
   mix old CT characters with new T4 characters.  On average, to make a
   CT character as attractive to a player as a T4 character is, you need
   to double or even triple the CT character's skill levels.

   2) The task system. (Since CT did not have a task system, I will here
   compare T4 with MT.)  In MT, the skill level was used as a modifier
   to a roll of 2 dice for all tasks of all difficulties.  T4, however,
   uses a task system that rolls a variable number of dice.  Due to
   "task inflation" (the tendancy of the referee to increase the number
   of dice rolled to counter the way-too-easy-to-make task rolls listed
   in the rules) and the need to keep moderately difficult tasks from
   becoming automatic, the number of dice rolled in my campaign is
   typically 3-5.  Now the statistics here are a little tricky and
   depend on target numbers and whatnot, but typically a skill-2
   modifier on 4 dice will not mean as much as a skill-2 modifier on two
   dice.  

   Number 2 is especially true of Edu based skills, since Edu-15
   characters are trivial to generate in the T4 rules.  So a "routine"
   Edu based task will be about 4 dice, due to task inflation.  The Edu
   rules in T4 are not well thought out, and need to be improved.  The
   preponderance of Edu-15 characters in my campaign effectively means
   that I never use Edu as a task base; my player's characters may as
   well have only 5 attributes.  It would be nice if T4.1 fixed this
   problem.

   Note that these two reasons do not depend on arguments based on
   canon or qualifications to be a doctor, but merely the laws of
   statisitics and supply-and-demand. 

   -Rob

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 17:40:33 -0400 (EDT)
From: CardSharks@aol.com
Subject: Re: T4.1 Char Gen Checklist

In a message dated 97-06-12 12:49:00 EDT, you write:

> 
>  How exactly will characters increase Education level during character
>  generation? The current system of adding 1 to Edu every year is far too
>  generous and unbalances the game. In my campaign I add 1 to education only
>  if the character gets honors. This does not seem to unbalance things too
>  much, and does give an education advantage to characters who have
schooling.

Pursuing an ED8 certificate increases your Edu to 8.
Going to an Academy will increase it to 9.
Going to Univeristy gets you an A.
Grad School gets you a B.
Honors gets you+1 Edu.

BUT, some educational institutions have prerequisites, and it spossible you
couldn't vene get admitted to some of them.

>  >  I like the re-introduction of the military awards, but there should
also be
>  awards for non-military careers.
>  
>  I also like the possibility of reducing characteristics due to injury or
>  cold sleep. This will give some disincentive to staying in character
>  generation until your forties.
>  
>  If you are mustering out due to injury, do you get a maximum of 6 rolls on
>  the Cash table or a maximun of 6 benefit rolls?

Allowed rolls are doubled, with a max of 6 on the Cash table.

Marc Miller

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 17:42:13 -0400 (EDT)
From: CardSharks@aol.com
Subject: Starship Hulls

		STANDARD HULLS
	Tons	Configuration	L	W	H	+W	+H	Gs	Std	M3	M2	Mw	MCr	Armor	Mat	Str?
	10	Cylinder 	13	4	4	8	3	1	5	76	146	4	1	12	CL	AF
	10	Cylinder 	13	4	4	-	-	2	5	65	113	2	0.9	15	SD	SL
	20	Cylinder 	16	5	5	10	3	1	9	123	232	7	1.7	12	CL	AF
	20	Cylinder 	16	5	5	-	-	2	8	105	179	3	1.5	15	SD	SL
	30	Cylinder 	19	5	5	11	4	1	12	164	304	11	2.3	12	CL	AF
	30	Cylinder 	19	5	5	-	-	2	10	140	234	5	2.2	15	SD	SL
	40	Cylinder 	21	6	6	13	4	1	14	202	369	15	3	12	CL	AF
	40	Cylinder 	21	6	6	-	-	3	20	277	284	7	3.6	18	SD	SL
	50	Cylinder 	22	6	6	13	5	1	17	237	428	19	3.5	12	CL	AF
	50	Cylinder 	22	6	6	-	-	3	23	324	329	9	4.3	18	SD	SL
	60	Cylinder 	23	7	7	14	5	1	19	271	483	22	4.1	12	CL	AF
	60	Cylinder 	23	7	7	-	-	3	26	368	372	10	5	18	SD	SL
	70	Cylinder 	25	7	7	15	5	1	22	303	536	26	4.7	12	CL	AF
	70	Cylinder 	25	7	7	-	-	3	29	410	412	12	5.7	18	SD	SL
	80	Cylinder 	26	8	8	16	5	1	24	334	585	30	5.2	12	CL	AF
	80	Cylinder 	26	8	8	-	-	3	32	450	450	14	6.3	18	SD	SL
	95	Cylinder 	27	8	8	17	6	1	27	378	657	35	6	12	CL	AF
	95	Cylinder 	27	8	8	-	-	3	36	508	505	16	7.3	18	SD	SL

	100	Cylinder 	28	8	8	17	6	3	57	792	679	27	9.3	18	CI	AF
	100	Sphere	14	14	14	-	-	1	31	434	596	7	2.2	12	HS	
	100	Wedge 	35	14	9	-	-	2	37	519	713	27	6.9	15	CI	SL
	200	Box 	22	11	11	-	-	1	64	892	905	54	8.7	12	HS	SL
	200	Cylinder 	35	10	10	-	-	5	105	1,464	830	34	18.5	22	SD	SL
	400	Box	28	14	14	-	-	3	121	1,691	1,802	29	16.7	18	CI	
	400	Cylinder 	44	13	13	27	9	1	124	1,740	1,712	149	15.6	12	HS	AF
	400	Needle 	66	9	9	32	11	4	222	3,105	2,023	69	38.9	21	SD	AF
	400	Slab 	61	18	6	-	-	5	229	3,211	1,796	69	38.9	22	SD	SL
	600	Needle 	76	11	11	-	-	6	299	4,188	2,039	103	53.8	23	SD	SL
	600	Wedge 	63	25	16	42	14	2	172	2,405	3,059	223	34	15	CI	AF
	800	Box	35	18	18	-	-	1	158	2,214	2,861	58	14.7	12	HS	
	800	Cylinder 	56	16	16	-	-	4	290	4,058	2,090	217	55	21	CI	SL
	800	Sphere 	28	28	28	-	-	3	183	2,567	1,900	218	43.9	18	CI	SL
	800	Wedge 	69	28	18	-	-	6	421	5,890	2,850	137	73.7	23	SD	SL
	1000	Box	37	19	19	-	-	1	214	2,998	2,983	372	35	12	HS	
	1000	Cylinder 	60	17	17	-	-	2	157	2,196	2,426	273	47	15	CI	SL
	1000	Wedge 	75	30	19	50	17	1	149	2,080	4,300	273	46.6	12	CI	AF
	2000	Box 	47	25	25	-	-	6	520	7,286	4,200	346	126.5	21	SD	SL
	2000	Cylinder 	75	22	22	-	-	1	186	2,607	3,850	547	80.7	12	CI	SL
	2000	Slab 	104	30	9	-	-	9	1,117	15,641	5,250	343	191.1	26	SD	SL
	2000	Sphere 	38	38	38	-	-	3	364	5,093	3,500	546	99.6	18	CI	SL
	3000	Cylinder 	86	25	25	-	-	3	532	7,444	5,045	819	147.6	18	CI	SL
	3000	Cylinder 	86	25	25	-	-	6	797	11,155	5,045	518	193.1	23	SD	SL
	3000	Needle	129	18	18	-	-	5	825	11,552	6,722	518	192.8	22	SD	
	4000	Box	59	31	31	-	-	1	509	7,128	8,366	292	65.5	12	HS	
	4000	Box 	59	31	31	-	-	3	1,562	21,864	6,668	1483	163.5	18	HS	SL
	4000	Sphere 	48	48	48	-	-	2	471	6,600	5,556	1493	152	15	CI	SL
	4000	Wedge 	119	48	30	79	26	5	1,451	20,317	10,835	689	307.2	22	SD	AF
	5000	Box	64	33	33	-	-	1	601	8,412	9,708	365	80.9	12	HS	
	5000	Cylinder	102	30	30	-	-	8	2,597	36,353	8,899	357	335.9	32	SD	
	5000	Cylinder 	102	30	30	-	-	1	372	5,214	7,092	868	216.9	12	CI	SL
	5000	Wedge	128	51	33	-	-	3	887	12,412	12,135	364	144.9	18	CI	
CONSTRUCTION RESTRICTIONS (Std and M3 each show Available Volume inside the
hull)
	Tons. Total Volume in standard displacement tons (14 cubic meters each).
Configuration (Basic Shape).  SL is StreamLined, AF is AirFrame. L, W, H
(Length, Width, Height). Dimensions in meters not including wings and fins
(if any). +W, +H (Additional Width, Height). Dimensions of wings and fins, in
meters. Value is added to the basic dimensions. Gs (Maximum Gs). The greatest
allowable value for the maneuver drive. Maximum rated acceleration, in G. Std
(Standard Tons Displacement). The usable tonnage inside the hull (equals M3 /
14).  M3 (Cubic Meters. Available Volume). M3 is usable interior volume for
the hull. Total components may not exceed M3. M2 (Square Meters. Area). M2
for the hull is the usable exterior area. Total components may not exceed
this figure. Mw (MegaWatts. Power). Mw indicates the power consumption of the
hull. It and all other components may not exceed the power output of the
installed power plant. MCr (MegaCredits). The cost of the hull. Mat
(Material). The material of which the hull is made. Armor (Protection). Armor
value of the hull, in the personal/vehicle combat scale.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 16:57:07 +0000
From: Kenneth Bearden <dreamer@brokersys.com>
Subject: T4.1 Chargen:  Rolling for skills

Marc--one more thing to add about rolling for skills as per my previous
suggestion.

If you add a roll to the chargen system (a throw to see if a character
is awarded a skill for that year), you will not only be putting a limit
on the already too generous T4 chargen system, but you will also be
paving the way for the addition of advanced chargen rules for T4 down
the road.

I,and I'm sure many others, really liked the advanced chargen methods
used in CT's Mercenary, Scouts,High Guard and the MT player's handbook. 
Rolling every year of a character's career (rolling
assignment,resolution,etc) is my preferred method for rolling up
Traveller characters.

If you plan to introduce advanced chargen for T4 down the road (and I
really hope you do), you might have a problem with the characters
generated with the advanced method being inferior to the characters
created with the T4 basic system.  The reason:  In basic chargen, you
are awarded one skill per year automatically whereas in advanced
chargen, you will have to roll that year to get a skill.

One of the problems in CT and MT, when using the advanced chargen
systems, is that the advanced characters were so much more powerful than
the basic charcters.  In T4, if advanced chargen is introduced, we're
going to have the same problem--except in reverse.  Basic system
characters will be much more powerful than advanced system characters.

As I stated above, I would really like to see the option of advanced
character generation in T4, but I think that, if introduced, it
shouldn't matter which system you use (advanced or basic) because
characters should come out the same in both systems.

If you add a roll per year for a skill in the basic chargen system for
T4.1, you'll get similiar results.  Advanced chargen shouldn't mean that
a character comes out of chargen with more skills--it should mean that
the detail of career background is greater because you determine what
happens to a character each year.

Besides,like I said in my previous post,if you add a roll, this will
discourage skill levels from becoming too high (we don't need to see
level 8 and up skills from a character straight out of chargen).

Kenneth.

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 19:04:47 -0400 (EDT)
From: Brett Fishburne <bfish@atlantech.net>
Subject: Re: Quick Physics Question

The station will probably also vibrate in all three directions making most
everyone sick as a dog.  Same for the ship...Stabalizers should correct the
ship, but if there is outgassing at the station, that will cause gyrations
from the stabalizers which will augment the problems.  Repair crews would
need to get to the source of the outgassing before things got better.

This was a problem with Apollo 13...

Brett Fishburne

At 02:26 PM 6/12/97 -0500, Mike Lee wrote:
>Hi, all-
>
>        I tried to send this to the list yesterday, but apparently it never
>went through.  In the event you receive this twice, then I apologize.
>
>        I have a quick question to pose to those TML'ers with more physics
>background than I.  Here's the situation:
>
>        Consider an orbital station, say around 5,000 metric tons mass.
>Now, suppose there was a ship docked to this station, of around 200 tons,
>but with rather robust engines (it's a ground-to-orbit cargo hauler,
>currently unloaded).  It is docked nose-on to the station, facing in the
>opposite direction from the station's orbital path.
>        Okay.  Now suppose this cargo hauler flares its engines, say about
>5G for about 1.5 seconds.  What will be the effects?  Here are the main
>effects, as I envision them:
>
>1.) The station suffers a sudden, sharp deceleration, dropping it below
>orbital velocity.  The station's orbit begins to decay.
>2.) The airlock the cargo hauler is docked to likely crumples under the
>sudden strain, possibly opening the hauler to space and parking it partway
>into the station itself. (Providing it holds together.)
>3.) Everybody on the station not strapped down goes flying HARD against a
>convenient bulkhead, console, etc.
>        
>        Does this sound right?  Am I missing anything glaringly obvious?  I
>would appreciate any insight you guys can give me.
>
>Thanks in advance, 
>
>Mike Lee
>
>
>

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 12 Jun 1997 19:31:36 -0400
From: maverick@castlegate.net (Steve Brengard)
Subject: RE: T4.1 Char Gen Checklist

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Personally, while I'm SURE Mark will do a great job with CHARGEN ..... I =
would love to see the MT CHARGEN come back with a fury .....
Great Details and options .....

Steven E. Brengard
maverick@castlegate.net


- -----Original Message-----
From:	CardSharks@aol.com [SMTP:CardSharks@aol.com]
Sent:	Thursday, June 12, 1997 9:59 AM
To:	dreamer@weck.brokersys.com; traveller@MPGN.COM; dberry@hooked.net; =
dom@cybergoths.u-net.com; FLAMMANG@vms.cis.pitt.edu; =
bruce@legend.ftech.co.uk
Cc:	CardSharks@aol.com
Subject:	Re: T4.1 Char Gen Checklist

In a message dated 97-06-10 16:19:24 EDT, you all write/wrote:

Here are some comments to your comments. In addition, each character =
type is
a page, with the allowed skills for that career listed on the page, and =
a
Quick Generation system (for producing NPCs).

Overview:
  Chargen Checklist
  Character Card Explanation
  Page of Six Blank Character Cards for photocopying
  CharGen Overview and basic table.
  Homeworld and Birthworld GenerationPage
  Education Page 1
  Education Page 2
  Education Quick Generation
  One page for each career (10)
  Birthdate Generation
  Example Character card with Narrative

Your comments were:
>=20
>  > 	1. Basic Characteristics. Roll the six personal characteristics =
(2D
each):
>=20
>  > Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, and Social =

> Standing.
> =20
>  I use the straight "roll 2D and that's your Str...roll 2D and that's=20
>  your Dex, etc" method, but I liked seeing other generation methods in =

>  the book i.e roll 2D six times and arrange to taste.
> =20
>  It is nice to have options.

But some of the options became too wimpy.The checklist details what has =
to be
done. The text will talk about options. In fact, one option I find I =
like is
to pre-roll a list of half die, 1D and 2D rolls, and then use them in =
order
to create a character. You can make any decisions, but you have to use =
the
rolls in order.

> 	3. Birthworld. Determine the character's birthworld.
=20
> 	4. Homeworld. If player decides that homeworld is not the same as
> birthworld, determine homeworld.
>	5. Homeworld Skills. Determine homeworld skills. For each trade
>classification of the homeworld, on World Skills Table 1 or World =
Skills
>Table 2, roll 1D to determine the specific skill received.

If I read this correctly, a PC from a Lo, Na, Po world would recieve 3
rolls on the World Skills tables, while a PC from a Hi, In world would
recieve 2.  Am I right?

Yes.

If you like your birthworld, you can keep it as a homeworld. If not, you can
decide to have a homeworld too.

Your homeworld is defined in the table by Starport and Trade Classifications
(you may want to search through FS to find a world that matches). You get one
homeworld skill for each trade classification your homeworld has. (ie. Your
homeworld is Industrial; roll 1D on the Industrial column). Which means that
someone from a Na world gets fewer homeworld skills than someone from a Na Va
Ast Ind world.


>	6. Education. Determine Educational Background.

This looks good, I like the inclusion of Educational Certificate.. makes us
high school only types feel included.
> =20


> Please, I beg of you, replace Blade Weapon with BattleDress for =
Marines.

OK. Actually, its added in addition to Cutlass for the Marines.

>	10. Cold Sleep Weeks. Determine the total number of weeks spent by the
> character in Cold Sleep during service.

> This is the single best change I've seen so far.. I've tried playing with
> various methods to account for low berth time, but never to my satisfaction.

Thanks to Tim Brown for that one.


>b) In any service, an Injury reduces one characteristic; consult the
>Injury Table.
>Nice idea - before, getting the purple heart etc didn't mean a lot. Are
>there minimum characteristics under which a player *must* muster out =
from
>the services? Sort of an honourable medical discharge.

Injury inflicts up to 3 points (half die) on one characteristic. Recovery
inflicts from 0 to 3 points of recovery. If your injury still has 1 or more
points against you, you may muster out. If 3 points, you must muster out.



 =20
>  One thing I'd like to add, Marc.  Going hand in hand with chargen is=20
>  character experience.  I hope that you have devoted some time to this =

>  because the system in T4 is completely broken.  I'd like to see a=20
>  character expereince system that allows the character to grow at the=20
>  same rate he did in chargen.  If he averaged 1 or 2 skills per year=20
>  in chargen, then while playing the character, he should gain skills=20
>  at a rate of 1 or 2 skills per year as well.

I agree that the current experience rule in T4 is completely broken. And that
the basic way to have experience is for a character to continue to add skills
or levels at about 1 per year.

Marc Miller

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End of Traveller-digest V1997 #1423
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