Having a few Reaper boxes from a Kickstarter staring at me, I pulled out the Chronoscape box. A large variety of minis in there: post-apocalyptic, weird west, zombies, general science fiction and horror. The weird/SF western minis could be used in a western game, just re-imagine the laser pistols and all to be six shooters. But, as I am slowly prepping for a Traveller bounty-hunting game, I figure I can use a few NPCs. As there is a mix of male & female, we'll see what we shall see. Any NPC could have a bounty, so we can go through a character generation, then figure out from that what they did & why there is a bounty on their head.
68669A and odd for a male. Pretty average though from the upper middle class (depending of course how you interpret the social stat). These stats don't scream out anything to me honestly, and as we just did a Navy character, maybe we'll do the draft, then decide. And we get the Army! Classic Book 1, Book 4, or something else? Think I'll use book 4 - I've not rolled up an army character in that book in a long time I don't think (generally use Marines as my father was a Marine, though perhaps I did one last challenge).
As we have 6 possible arms in the military, rolling a 6 let's see if our future bounty can get into the Commandos. Using the book 1 entry roll, he is in. Though looks like he can't just join the commandos. he needs to get in there via rolls eventually. Re-rolling, he is now in the artillery.
Term 1 (18-21) Artillery
Year 1: Basic/Advanced Training
Picks up
Combat Rifleman-1, Forward Observer-1. Using forward observer in a game would be interesting: outside of military actions I really don't see it getting used. Sort of like Ship Architect for Book 6/Navy. Though there are some interesting ideas in the Jan/Feb 2023 edition of
Freelance Traveller.
Year 2: Staff Position, Police Action
Surviving, he is also promoted from E1 to E2, Lance Corporal. Probably helps that he picked up a MCU (Medal for Conspicuous Gallantry). Rolling on the Army life table, he picks up +1 strength, so the UPP is now 78669A.
Year 3: Special, OCS (Officer Candidate School)
Sent to OCS, we roll 1 command, 1 staff and 1 MOS sill. Which is how Book 4 started skill bloat! For command, he actually picked up +1 endurance for UPP 78769A. Our man is buffing up! Staff gains Computer-1, and MOS gains another Forward-Observer-2. He is also now a 2nd Lieutenant, O1.
Year 4: Command, Garrison
Yeah, promoted and put into a garrison with no hope of skills nor promotion, being an officer. A very boring last year of his first term. He decides to stay in the Army, and succeeds in starting a new term,
Term 2 (22-25) Artillery
Year 1: Command, Garrison
He must have done such a good job they let him stay in the garrison again!
Year 2: Special, Recruiting
Bored out of his mind, he spends a year in recruiting, gaining Recruiting-1. Now recruiting can be used to basically get hirelings, so sort of reflects some old-school charisma types of checks.
Year 3: Staff, Training
Well, no promotion but a 50/50 chance of skills, and yes. As we're training recruits, we'll go with the MOS table, and pick up vehicle. Grav Vehicle-1 so at least we can fly an air/raft and other grav vehicles!
Year 4: Command, Special: Commando School
Well, oddly enough, where I wanted to go. Picks up Demolitions-1, Wilderness Survival, Vacc Suit-1, Instruction-1. So - the excitement (and higher chance of dying!) starts next term, as he did (barely!) make the re-enlistment roll.
Term 3 (26-30) Commando
Year 1: Special, Military Attache/Aide
First term, and he does become an O2, 1st Lieutenant and +1 social, for UPP 78769B, a knighthood!
Year 2: Special, Recruiting
This guy has seen only 1 term of actual action - everything else has been training or something far away from anything even like combat. Gains Recruiting-2.
Year 3: Command, Counter Insurgency
Be careful what you wish for! He survives, no decoration, is promoted to 03, Captain, and picks up Demolitions-2. I think I see a crazy "I'm going to blow up the government building" sort of guy perhaps.
Year 4: Command, Police Action
He survives easily, no decorations, he has already been promoted this term, and picks up Survival-2.
Term 4 (31-34) Commando
Year 1: Command, Garrison
This guy cannot catch a break - I can see why he breaks bad later! Bored to a life of crime! No chance of anything other than watching a building.
Year 2: Command, Garrison
Yep, he's slowly going crazy, wanting to do exciting things and...watching a building.
Year 3: Command, Training
Training, but hey, he did manage to get a skill. MOS Commando: Demolitions-3. This guy is an expert at blowing things up!
Year 4: Staff, Counter Insurgency
Finally, some real action! He survives, gains a second MCU, does not get promoted, picks up Mechanic-1, and decides enough is enough. Time for something outside the recruiting, training and garrison duties he has been doing for the last 16 years.
Mustering Out
Having 5 rolls (1 per term, and 1 for CT rank 2) we rolled a low passage, a high passage, +1 intelligence, Cr20K and Cr 10K.
78779B, Army, 4 terms. Enlisted in the Army, transferred to Commandos in 3rd term. Final rank: captain.
Special Assignments: OCS, Commando School, Military Attache
Awards and Decorations: 3 combat service ribbons, 2 combat commands, 2 MCUF
Equipment Qualified On: ACR, Grav Vehicles, Demolitions
Skills: Demolitions-3, Forward Observer-2, Survival-2, Recruiting-1, ACR-1, Computer-1, Vacc Suit -1, Mechanic-1
After 16 years serving in the Imperial Army, 8 being a commando, Sir Jallister left the service feeling his talents were wasted as he rarely saw any combat. Since then, despite his knighthood, he has been pursuing a more illicit calling: blowing things up for hire. An expert at demolitions, he originally worked for a construction company after leaving the service. Getting paid to blow up buildings was what he thought he wanted to do. Except there were never enough, and eventually he did a bit of free-lancing. After destroying a building and killing 3 people, he was arrested after a lengthy investigation. Out on bail, he is now running from justice.
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| photo from his training days in an Imperial APC |
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