Sunday, January 10, 2021

Character 10 of 31: Cepheus SRD Scout and Drifter

Kara Sonez     983967  Age 40

Scout (2 1/2 terms)  Drifter (3 terms)    Cr45,000

Bribery-2, Gambling-1, Pilot-1, Comms-1, Streetwise-1, Gunnery-0, Electronics-0, Recon-0
Pistol, Low Passage

Born on Aberlocht as a station baby, Kara grew up on station, learning the basic safety protocols and how to access the system for her education. At 18, not knowing what to do, she entered into the Imperial Scout Service, wanting to see more than just the station walls for the rest of her life. Travelling via a tramp freighter to Kaurga, she was accepted into the Scouts. Her first term she plied the nearby by stars in the ISS Close Encounter  in training and courier duty, picking up a variety of basic Scouting skills along the way. She reads a great deal in her down time, honing her intelligence on those long jumps. Her next term, planetside she picks up some basic fighting skills - bar fights and Scouts go hand in hand. She starts to specialize in communications. Her third term, while she was honorably discharged, she had to fight for that with a lengthy legal process. The next several years she drifted about, learning to grease palms and getting stronger living out on the edges of civilization. The first few years were a fight for survival at times, but eventually she learned the ins and outs. She drifted to the Spinward Marches, looking for a more open place. Now, left with Cr45K, a low passage to nowhere and her trusty body pistol, she is ready to start looking to settle down perhaps.




Decided to try the "raw" Cepheus SRD rules for character generation. And I finally rolled an even number, so we have a woman this time around. I also think I may generate a species chart so it is not always human as well. Though it will tilt heavily to human, no reason not to have an Aslan, Bwap or Vargr for a Traveller character. May even allow for minor races: I think I once rolled up an Ael Yael character.

  1. Characteristics
    1. Stats:
      1. Strength: 7 (0)
      2. Dexterity: 8 (0)
      3. Endurance: 3 (-1)
      4. Intelligence: 7 (0)
      5. Education: 6 (0)
      6. Social: 7 (0)
    2. Homeworld
      1. Determine home world. With a near infinite number, I did an entirely random thing: hit up the Traveller Wiki & hit random page until a world came up: Aberlocht. A TL-C world in the Ushra subsector in the Domain of Vland. From the heart of the Imperium.
      2. Background skills. Having no EDU modifier, she can have 3. Aberlocht is a low pop world with a medium law level and a decent TL, so I chose Gun Combat (Slug), Computer-0 and throw in Vacc-0 since according to the Wiki, people are not generally allowed on the planet and all is handled via the orbital starport.
  2. Choose a career. I let fate decide and roll on the draft table. A 5 gives me a Scout. I've always been partial to playing Scout characters.
    1. Scouts career
      1. Term 1 (18-22)
        1. Basic Training: the first term I pick up all the service skills at 0, giving me Comms, Electronics, Gun Combat, Gunnery, Recon and Pilot. I'm going to interpret my Rank 0 as giving me Pilot-1.
        2. Survival. This is where my -1 DM for endurance will suck: I need to roll 8+ to not suffer an injury! And I manage exactly an 8, so survive unscathed from basic training! There are no ranks in the Scouts (harking back to Classic before Book 6 came out), so no rolls for advancements. However, because of that I get a 2nd skill roll, and choosing personal in the hope I can get my endurance up, I roll a 4, boosting my INT. UPP: 783867.
      2. Term 2 (22-26)
        1. Survival: 9, so I did not go down with the Scout ship!
        2. Skills. Roll again on the personal and I roll a 6, Melee Combat. Roll on the service skills for a, Comms-1.
      3. Term 3 (26-3028)
        1. Survival: 4! I can choose to die, or roll on the mishap table. I'm getting soft in my old age, so we'll check the mishap table. Fortunately a 3 says I am honorably discharged after a lengthy legal battle, and I now have a Cr10,000 legal debt. I age 2 years and receive no benefit roll for this term.
      4. Benefits. Having two rolls I'll roll once on each:
        1. cash: 6 - Cr50,000! Paying off my debt leaves me Cr40,000. A lucky roll!
        2. benefits: 2 - +1 Int. My final UPP 783967. That gives my Int rolls a +1 DM.
  3. Another career? Choosing to go ahead, I see that the Agent career relies on Int for survival, and as per a conversation over on COTI on ex-Scouts being excellent intelligent agents, this scratches that itch for me. Even with my social, I do not make the roll as there is a -2 DM as this is my second career. Rolling a 5 +1 -2 says a 4, and I am not accepted into spy school. I can either go the draft or drifter, and think I'll choose drifter. Sadly my low endurance will affect my chance of survival!
    1. Drifter career
      1. Term 1 (28-32)
        1. Survive: needing a 5+, I roll a 6, -1 for the DM for a 5. It was an exciting 1st four years apparently.
        2. Skills: having no ranks as per Scouts, I have two rolls. Rolling on the personal, I get a 5, Bribery-1. Seeing as that was a skill, I'll roll again on the personal: 1, +1 Strength. UPP: 883967. 
        3. re-enlist with a 8. Exactly how does one re-enlist in the drifter career?
      2. Term 2 (32-36)
        1. Survive: 11! It was a lot easier this term apparently. Must have been an easier world to get around on.
        2. Skills. Going with personal, a 1 again for +1 Strength: UPP 983967. She is getting buffed up! Rolling on the service skills, 1 gives me Streetwise-1.
        3. re-enlist. A roll of 8 says I can re-enlist, but next term I'll have to make an aging roll. Think I'll risk a 3rd term.
      3. Term 3 (36-40)
        1. Survival roll: 7, so I live to see another term.
        2. Skills: a 5 on the personal gives me Bribery-2. I know how to grease palms apparently. A second roll on the personal gives me Gambling-1. This character ended up being a lot sneakier than I started out with.
        3. Aging. With a roll of 12, then subtract the 6 terms for a 6, I am aging gracefully and there are no effects. However, I feel I am ready to get this character on the road.
      4. Benefits. Three rolls, and a +1 on the cash table.
        1. Cash: 4 + 1 = 5, Cr5,000 (total: Cr45,000)
        2. Benefit: weapon. I choose a hand gun as she has that skill. The body pistol is always good as you can sometimes manage to sneak this plastic and resin based weapon past security.
        3. Benefit: low passage. Maybe she can gamble on the Low Berth Lottery. 
  4. Final character
    1. 2 1/2 terms Scout, 3 terms a drifter, UPP 983967


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