Monday, January 03, 2022

Character Challenge 2022 3: Sublieutenant Sir Wor Weura

Raw rolls: 86A99B. Dang - significantly better than I normally do. That B is screaming for nobility or Navy (bucking for those promotions!) And I also found a list of pre-career education finally, in a backup of my Traveller stuff. It was by Omar Golan-Joel, the man behind Stellagama: Revised Pre-Enlistment Options for Classic Traveller. And by Classic, he means LBB4/5 style character generation. There are several options here:
  • College
  • Naval Academy
  • Military Academy
  • Merchant Academy
  • Medical School
  • Flight School
  • COACC
  • University
Mostly taken from existing publications and summarized with some additions. But hey, at least I found where that medical school info was! Not entirely sure where I got it from, so I can't share it sadly. But with this (rolls a 3) guy's stats, and me just liking well educated characters, I think we can try.

Looking over the info, college has a good chance of success, and if I go through NOTC, can start in the Naval Academy or go straight to the Navy. Here's hoping my good rolls continue!

College

If I had an A intelligence, it would have been automatic. With a 9, though, I do get a +2 and with an 8 +2, I am successfully a college student! (which is also when, despite having the books for almost 2 years before college, when I actually got to play Traveller!). I succeed though barely. I did not succeed at NOTC, nor did I get honors. I did pick up Language-1 and Carousing-1, so I apparently partied way too hard in college (something I did not do). In fact, a roll of 1 for my education bonus means I did not pick up any additional education stats! Dude! He picked up Vilani to impress the girls with bad poetry.

Naval Academy

Now, I don't see a reason I still can't apply to the Naval Academy. It is just not automatic. and at 22, I still have time. So let me attempt that. I have enough social rank for a +2 DM, but did not need it as I did manage to get into the Naval Academy. And again, I barely succeed and only because of my innate intelligence gives me a DM. At least I do pick up +1 to my education, giving me a 86A9AB UWP. A college and a Naval graduate! Sadly, again no honors. But I do pick up Engineering-1, Navigation-1 and Ship Tactics-1. And I may try to get into flight school (it would have been automatic had I graduated with honors). Why yes, this is going to be a character who goes through 9 years of schooling before entering an actual career! Assuming I get into flight school which is only 1 year.

Flight School

I do get in on a roll of 10, and I also succeed with a roll of 7. I failed ALL the rolls for additional skills, though Pilot-1 is automatic if you succeed. I am still thinking too much partying for this cad. Hmm, yes, perhaps he is a foppish, entitled cad who is only getting by on his parent's money. Snotty brat, but perhaps the Navy can straighten him out! As now, at age 27, he is finally starting the Navy as rank 01, ensign! However, he did not make it into the Imperial Navy, but is a member of the Spinward Marches Subsector Navy (and only because his intelligence and education bumped him up from the planetary Navy). As a Naval college graduate, and a flight school graduate, and having a social class of 9+, he can actually pick any branch. Sticking with flight. 

Term 1

Year 1

Basic and advanced training. Yes, though having gone through theoretical studies, and the practical flight school, you still have to learn how things really work. He picked up Handgun-1 and Laser Weapons-1 (rolled twice for gun combat). Interestingly, it would have been the same had I picked the petty officers skills instead of the flight branch skills. 

Year 2

Managed to pull command duty (the 01 rank DM is offset almost by my social level; good breeding does tell). A command position during a year of patrolling. Survive with a 5, I actually get a decoration, my 1st MCUF. I am not promoted, nor do I pick up any skills during those long sweeps of space.

Year 3

I make command again, but on a strike mission! I barely survive with a 4, receive another decoration, a 2nd MCUF. I need to remember I can adjust my survival roll to increase my chances of a decoration. And flight has fairly easy DMs, plus I can add in my pilot skill as a DM as well. I missed promotion again, but I do pick up the venerable Admin-1 skill. I've become a paper pusher!

Term 2

Year 1

I am again in command of something, and on another strike mission. I'll take a -3 DM for my survival, then add in the pilot-1. I survive, and still just get another MCUF. However, box cars on the promotion roll means that someone noticed my actions, and I am promoted to 02, a sublieutenant!

And in reading the section for re-enlistment, so what was year 4 is really year 1 of term 2. Short terms are truncated. And I'll also have to make aging rolls at the end of this term as while this is only the 2nd term in the actual Navy, it is the 4th term in terms of experience. I am also on patrol again, and will again take a -3 DM for survival. I easily survive, and with the DM get a 4th MCUF. No promotion, I do pick up Grav Vehicle-1 so the patrol must have included some planetary action and I drove a grav APC perhaps. 

Year 2

I do not get a command position, and I am not stuck on patrol (same thing I discovered last year: I need to roll a d6 at the end of each year, and a 6 means I am in the same assignment). This is a cushy year on shore duty. No promotion, no skills, no life apparently!

Year 3

No command again and go to training. But nothing must have sunk in; while I easily passed the survival roll with a 9, a 5 means no skills this year.

Year 4

No command, and more training. I actually get wounded (rolled a 3 and that was what was required, but sadly as it was in training, no purple heart). I did pick up Vacc Suit-1 so I must have been paying attention this year.

And I failed the re-enlistment roll, but at least passed all my aging throws. For a bright kid, his Naval career was more of a bust. I've a feeling his attitude of entitlement did him in.

Sublieutenant Sir Wor Weura, formally of the Spinward Marches Naval Forces 86A9AB age 34

College, Naval Academy and Flight School graduate, 3x MCUF
Pilot-1, Language-1 (Vilani), Carousing-1, Engineering-1, Navigation-1, Ship Tactics-1, Handgun-1, Laser Weapons-1, Admin-1, Grav Vehicle-1, Vacc Suit-1

After years of feeling the world was his oyster, Sir Wor Weura found out to his dismay that it was, not in fact, all lined up for him. He partied far too much during most of his formative years, and though he passed college and the Naval Academy, there were a number of probationary actions against him. His adventures in the Navy, while barely competent, slowed down as the brass recognized that he was not capable of seeing beyond his immediate goals. While he started off with command positions, the last term was he was mostly posted as a staff officer, and he was dismissed at the end of his 2nd term of duty.

Mustering out, he managed only a low passage ticket and the Cr50,000 he had managed to save up before his parents decided that he needed to be on his own in order to figure out his life.

Now living on a high port, he spends his days wandering the concourse. He stops at the DocuMat almost daily and flirts with the data girls. His funds will run out before too long, so he is feeling his way towards being an engineer or otherwise helping should the Lady Prosperity need some additional crew on her next chartered trip. Though still roguish and confident, Sir Wor is also realizing that the universe may not always give him what he wants or needs. 

Sir Wor Weura



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