Traveller: Day 18 of 31: Classic High Guard Navy Doctor

Captain Jessa Rosanche, MD

Imperial Naval Academy, Imperial School of Medicine, 3 Terms Navy

Staff College, Officer College, MCUF

87B8C9 age 38, retired, Cr10,000/year

Medic-4, Computer-4, Carousing-2, Gambling-2, Fleet Tactics-2, Jack-of-Trades-1, Admin-1, Liaison-1, Ships Boat-1

Cr60,000, High Passage, Traveller's Aid

Attending the Navy college at Glisten, Jessa graduated with honors and went into the Imperial Medical School of Glisten, a highly respected school recognized throughout most of the Imperium. Despite not having the same social connections as many of her schoolmates, she graduated with honors as well. With her medical doctorate and her commission to Lieutenant, she expected nothing but grand adventure in the Imperial Navy. Throughout the next dozen years, she proved her mettle, consistently getting promoted, and once even managing a command position. She also learned the ins and outs in the Navy, and soon also had a reputation as one who would take you for what you had if you weren't careful. But it would be a fun time before you realized you were out of your payroll.

Finally mustering out back at Glisten, feeling a bit weary but gifted with a Travellers' Aid membership, Jessa is ready for the next set of adventures in her life.

How you may meet Jessa

She would make an excellent ship's doctor, especially as she does have access the to Traveller's Aid Society as well as being able to handle ships boats of all sorts. Also a computer whiz and easy to get along with, Jessa can tell tall tales and get along with people from all sorts of life. She also has an affinity for gambling, so could be found in a casino, trying to break the bank.

Strength: 9
Dexterity: 8
Endurance: 10
Intelligence: 8
Education: 5
Social: 9
Gender: 4, female
Race from my Other post: 7 = Human, 2 = Imperial Human, 3 = not Vilani stock

Finally, generally above average rolls! So far most of my Traveller rolls have been a bit meager. Going for Book 5, Navy. Seeing as she has slightly better than average intelligence but lower education, we'll see if we can get her into college as there is no real cost should we fail that roll. And rolling an 8, we just miss. But we can apply to the Naval Academy, though our chances are actually worse. And oddly we actually get into the Academy by the skin of our teeth: an 10 which is the minimum required, especially as we do not have that social advantage. Rolling a 10 on the success, we pass all 4 years and gain a 5-3 or +2 for our education, giving us a UPP of 98A879. Rolling a 12 (this has been a lucky day of rolling!) she gets honors, so I could apply to either flight or medical school. Somehow my lucky rolls all failed and I did not gain any skills in those 4 years. Even for medical, odd for flight school: 6, so off we go to medical school for hopefully another 4 years. Rolling the 9 minimum I needed to get in, I also barely pass with an 8, though oddly my roll of 11 for honors means I graduated (if somehow barely!) with honors. Fortunately, there are several automatic skill associated with graduating Medical College.

In rolling her up, I forgot that we could try a "brave" DM for survival which would increase the chances of decoration at the cost of making survival more difficult. She ended up with a single MCUF (Meritorious Conduct Under Fire). With the relatively easy survival rolls she had I should have used that to may advantage. Next time I'll remember that - this is the 1st time in years I've used High Guard. She also actually had very few terms where she could actually get decorated.

Term 1: Naval Academy, Graduated With Honors (18-22)

Term 2: Medical School, Graduated With Honors (22-26)

+1 Education (UPP 98A889)
Medic-4 (not quite a surgeon as her dexterity is not high enough)
Admin-1
Computer-1

This also means I now start in the Navy Medical Branch as an O3 Lieutenant. So let us hope I do not fail any of my survival rolls - she is one hellava character!

Term 3 - Basic and Advanced Training, Patrol, Staff College (26-30)

Year 1, 2 - Training

Being a commissioned officer I have 2 choices, so I'll choose a roll on the Officer table and the Medical branch skills table

Officer Table: 2 = +1 Endurance (UPP 98B889).
Service Skills: 4 (and +2 for Imperial Navy) 6 = Computer-2

Year 3, Medical Staff, Patrol

Survival roll of 11 means nothing much happened on patrol. There are no chances for a decoration, but I do get promoted to 04, Lieutenant Commander with an 11 on the advancement roll. A 7 means I can roll for a skill, and I'll pick Shipboard Life:

Shipboard Life, 6 (+4 for my rank): 10 = Jack of All Trades. Now that is a general purpose useful skill!

Year 4, Medical Staff, Special Duty

I again did not make the 11+ required to be in command, and rolling an 11 I get special duty. Looking at he special duty chart, a 6 sends me to staff college. Rolling a die for 4+, 5, 1, 6, 6:

Fleet Tactics-1
Liaison-1
Computer-3

Rolling an 11 for re-enlistment, I am not required to go another term but I want to. Hoping to get her to 5 terms and retirement. I really like Traveller character generation: it is an exciting game by itself that can be played solo.

Term 4, Siege, Patrol, Strike (30-34)

Year 1, Medical Staff, Siege

Failing to get command duty again with a 10, a 4 gives me Siege! Easily surviving with a 7, apparently there are no medical decorations for being under or leading a siege. An 11 means I get promoted to 05, Commander (classic rank 4), so moving along. And rechecking, I can only earn 1 promotion as an officer once per term, so unless OCS comes up, that's it for this term promotion-wise. Rolling a 7 I can gain a skill and as I am staff, choose the unused yet so far Staff Officer skill table

5 (+2 for my 05 rank) = 7: Fleet Tactics-2

Not entirely sure why a doctor is picking up fleet tactics. And not directly useful in actual role play but a fun thing to have.

Year 2, Medical Staff, Siege

Failing command again with a 4, rolling a 4 gives me another year of being in a siege action. I rolled a 2 for survival! However - having a Medical-4 gives me a +1 and fortunately a siege only requires a 3+. So whew! Again, no chance of decoration, and having been promoted, no chance of that. Rolling a 7 I can pick up a skill and will try the Navy Life. Maybe she'll get a tattoo!

5 (+4 for rank) = 9: Carousing-1

The good doctor can be a party animal! Rolling a 1 I am not stuck in the same assignment (a roll of a 6 on 1d6 means you stay in the same assignment. Something I forgot to roll on above)

Year 3, Command Medical, Patrol

Finally made a command roll with an 11 (and no DMs based on rank which made it really difficult to get a command position). On a patrol I survive with a 6, no decoration or promotion, and an 8 just misses the skill roll needed of 9. But hey - she was command of something! Rolling a 2, we'll hopefully get something else this next year.

Year 4, Staff Medical, Strike

Actual combat! Survival roll is 9, so nothing to be afraid of! A 5 means no decoration, and of course, no promotion. An 8 allows me a skill role and I'll do shipboard life again:

4 (+4 for rank, but rather than take +1 Education I'll treat that as an optional DM): Gambling-1

She can party and gamble with the best of them. I am opting to not use the +4 DM. Also, we need to do our aging rolls, and Classic has a roll per physical stat and you need an 8+ to avoid losing a point:

Strength: 4, so strength -1
Dexterity: 7, so dexterity -1
Endurance: 8, so we keep that, the one stat we could afford to lose a point!

UPP: 87B889.

Rolling a 5 we can stay in the Navy, and we'll get to retirement age after our last term, assuming we do not die (though the medical branch is the likeliest of survival)

Term 5 (34-38)

Year 1, Medical Staff, Patrol

No chance of dying or decoration, but rolling an 11 means she is promoted to 06, Captain. Doctor Captain? Captain Doctor? Regardless, a 12 gives me a skill roll and I'll try shipboard life again:

5 (with the now optional +4); Ship's Boat

Deciding I did not want another level of admin, I opted to not take the +4 and now know how to pilot shuttles and such.

Year 2, Medical Staff , Special, Command College

Rolling a 5 for command college and may gain up to 3 skills on a 4+: 1, 3, 4. Apparently not paying a lot of attention!

Computer-4

Year 2, Medical Staff, Patrol

No chance of not surviving, decoration or promotion. And a 5 yields no new skills learned. It must have been a boring patrol route.

Year 3, Medical Staff, Shore Duty

No chance of dying, decoration or promotion. A 9 allows me to roll and being shore duty, it's the Navy life for me!

4 (+4 optional) 4 = Gambling-2

Apparently she is learning to be a card shark,

Year 4, Medical Staff, Strike

Again no chance of dying or promotion; a 9 actually yields me a decoration! MCUF, And huh, forgot I could try & be brave and make the survival roll a bit tougher for a better chance at decorations (essentially the negative for survival = the positive for decoration). Not that she actually had a lot of chances for a decoration. But at least she got one in her final year of service! I roll a 7 for skills, so choosing shipboard life:

3 (with optional +4) 3: Carousing-2.

She definitely knows how to schmooze! Rolling a 4 means I do not have to stay in the Navy. Checking my aging rolls:

Strength 9, no change
Dexterity 5, -1
Endurance 6, -1

UPP 87A889

Mustering Out

Having the Classic Rank 04, and 5 terms of service, I have 7 benefit rolls with the max of 3 on the cash. Plus I get a +1 on the cash rolls thanks to my gambling skills!

Cash 1 (2) Cr5,000
Cash 6 (7) Cr50,000 (Cr55,000)
Cash 2(3) Cr5,000 (Cr60,000)
Benefit: 3, +2 Education
Benefit: 3, +2 Education
Benefit: 6, High Passage
Benefit: Traveller's Aid

Final UPP: UPP 98B8C9

Honestly I did spend a chunk of Sunday going through this one, but will switch to some shorter ones. And she just about doubled her education stat during her tours of duty! Sometimes you get some interesting changes to the UPP as you go through character generation and mustering out.