Freelance Traveller

by James Jensen

The Generic Expanded Character Generation System (GECGS) is a more complex version of the basic Classic Traveller system that is useful for every career type, covers prior career events on a year by year basis and, in general, produces more highly skilled characters. It is meant to replace the character generation systems in Books 4-7. However, it is very generic and provides no specifics. Players and Referees who desire more detail will have to create them based on rolls.

Why did I create this? Because, under the official rules (if using Books 4-7), any PC not enlisted in the Navy, Marines, Army, Scouts, or Merchants will, for the most part, have fewer skills, without a chance to get more. So, while your Marine Captain of 3 terms might have a total of around 10 skill levels, my Belter of 3 terms would have only 4. This didn't seem fair, so I decided to create an advanced character generation system that could be used for any career. After a little tinkering, the GECGS emerged.

This system is complete in and of itself. Books 4-7 are not required. Use all applicable DMs for Enlistment, Survival, Commission/Position, and Promotion.

Variables

The GECGS uses a few variables that represent numbers based upon a character's career and characteristics. They are explained below.

D - The current year's Mission Difficulty number.
S - The career's survival rating.
C - The career's commission/position rating
P - The career's promotion rating.
E - The total DMs for Enlistment.

GECGS Checklist

1. Roll up UPP 
2. Enlist in career as per normal rules. 
3. Roll 2D each year to determine that year's mission difficulty. The higher the difficulty, the safer the mission is. 
   1. If the difficulty is 12, then the mission is a Special Mission. Otherwise, continue with 3.2. 
      1. Roll once on each skill table, regardless of Education. 
      2. Go to 4
   2. Throw {S-[(D/2)-4]}+ for survival, rounding up. If desired, apply a negative DM to apply a positive DM of the same absolute value to the throw for decoration.
   3. If not commissioned, throw [C+(D/3)]+, rounding down. 
   4. If commissioned, try for promotion. Throw [P+(D/3)], rounding down. 
   5. Throw (3*D-E)+ for a decoration. 
      1. If the roll is 3+ greater than needed, a Level Two Decoration was earned. If the roll is 6+ greater than needed, a Level Three decoration was
         earned. (Optional: Increase the decoration level by one for each further increment of three (9+, 12+,...)) 
   6. Throw D+ to gain a skill level, which is rolled from one of the four tables. (Optional: DM+(Int/5), rounding down.)
4. If the previous year was the fourth of a term, throw for re-enlistment. Otherwise, go to 3. (Optional: DM+1 to re-enlist if commissioned.) 
5. Muster out as per normal rules. (Optional: Add one roll for each Level Three or higher decoration.)