Fun With Traveller - The Imperial Scout

As part of the prep for a potential Traveller story, I will need a crew.  So far, I have Philomena, who can fill in as a pilot and a gunner but is much better as a lawyer.  Philomena also doesn't have a ship.  There are a few careers in the Traveller character generation system that provide ship shares, with some, like the Merchant and the Scholar, granting bonus shares for specific ship types.  Only one career provides a ship - the Scout.

In the Third Imperium setting, the Imperial Interstellar Scout Service handles the Imperium's exploration requirements.  The Scout Service also handles the mail between planets and maintains the census.  Scouts may be discharged from regular service to be placed on detached duty, where they are granted the use of a Type S Scout/Courier, a small (100 displacement tons) ship that can be operated by one man.

Scouts can come from all walks of life, all backgrounds.  The key element they share is a need to explore and the ability to work alone for extended missions.  The Express Boat (X-Boat) pilots spend a week alone in Jump space to deliver mail.  Planetary surveys take weeks.  Independence is a big factor.

Name: Spencer Mills
Species: Human
Homeworld: Trane/Glisten (C639422-B, Non-Industrial)

Trane is a smaller-than-Earth-sized planet near Glisten in the Glisten Subsector with a very thin atmosphere.  The planet has roughly 90% of its surface covered by water.  The population is counted in the tens of thousands, which makes it easy to have a participatory democracy.  The law is lenient, just banning energy weapons of all sorts, easily concealed weapons, and weapons of mass destruction.  Given the huge amount of surface water, the population is likely spread over a few islands capable of supporting agriculture.

Characteristics
  Str 6/+0
  Dex B/+1
  End C/+2
  Int A/+1
  Edu 5/-1
  Soc 3/-1

Spencer comes from the lowest class on the planet.  His education is below Imperial average, but he is bright.  Physically, he is lean and agile.

Skills
 Comms 0
 Computer 0

Spencer's lack of education only gets him two initial skills.  Given the type of world he's on, he takes Computer, for the tech level 11, and Comms, for the need to keep in touch with a home port.

Spencer now tries to join the Scout Service, with a +1 on the enrollment roll.  A roll of 9, modified to 10, means becoming a Scout is not a problem.  He gets the service skills at level 0 for basic training.  Spencer decided to join the Survey Branch, to let him see more of the Imperium, or at least the Spinward Marches.  He rolls on the Specialist: Survey table and gets Sensors.  Spencer now checks to see if he survived his first term, needing 6 or better with his Endurance modifier.  He rolls 7, plus 2 from his End for a total 9.  He was born for this.  For the term's event, he rolls an 11; served as a courier for an important message from the Imperium, and has a choice between getting Diplomat 1 or a +4 to his promotion roll; he opts for the skill.  Promotion needs an 8 or better, modified by Int; Spencer gets a 7, modified to 8.  The promotion gets him another roll on a skills table plus, for making rank 1, Vacc Suit 1.  Spencer's career is off to a great start!

Career - Scout/Survey
Term 1: Served as the courier for an important message from the Imperium; promoted

The second term, Spencer remains in the Scout Service, still in Survey.  He rolls on the Specialist table for his term skill and gets Pilot (small craft) 1.  Not as useful as Pilot (spacecraft) would be.  Spencer may need to change branches.  He rolls a 7, modified to 9, easily surviving the term.  For the event, he spends a few years jumping from world to world, running quick surveys, and grabs Astrogation 1 as a result.  Spencer, though, does not get a promotion, though he remains in the service.

Term 2: Spent time jumping world to world in his ship.

Term 3 begins with Spencer working on personal development, improving his Strength by 1.  He easily survives.  For the event, he spends a great deal of time on the fringes of known space and needs to roll either Survival or Pilot, modified by an appropriate stat.  Spencer chooses Survival, modified by End, and gets a total roll of 14.  He gets a contact from an alien race and a boost to any skill he wants {Pilot (Spacecraft)}.  Spencer also gets a promotion, and another skill roll; getting Persuade 1.

Term 3: Spent great deal of time on fringes; met alien contact; promoted.

New term.  Spencer is doing well enough, but it's time for a change.  He switches to the Courier Branch.  Promotions may be harder to come by, but he can get a different set of skills.  He rolls on the Specialist table and gets Comms.  Survival becomes easier, and Spencer has no problem.  This term gets a Life Event, a new Contact.  Could be useful in making a connection later, so the Contact will be left undeveloped for now.  The promotion roll is now based on Education, and Spencer comes no where close to what he needs, though his career can continue.  However, he now has to check for aging.  A roll of 6, minus his 4 terms, leaves him unaffected.

Term 4: Life Event: Made a new contact.

Spencer switches over to the Exploration Branch.  It's a chance to see if he wants to stay or move on.  He rolls on the Specialist table and gets Stealth 1.  Sneaky!  Survival is a little harder this time, but Spencer's End should help; he gets a modified roll of 10, making survival a non-issue.  He rolls another 10 for the term's event, getting the same result as in his third term - spending time on the fringes of space.  He makes the same decision, Survival modified by End, and gets a modifed roll of 12.  Spencer gets an alien Contact and a boost to any skill of his choice; he opts for Astrogation.  As for a promotion, he rolls poorly and is unable to continue in the Scout Service.  Aging effects are irrelevant.

Term 5: Spent great deal of time on fringes; met alien contact; unable to continue service.

Spencer looks back at twenty years of being a Scout.  He got to travel, met people he wouldn't have back on Trane, learned skills that he never expected.  And, now, he musters out.  I am adding a house rule here in that if, by his last roll he hasn't received a Scout Ship as a benefit, he trades the last roll in for the ship.  He'll need it for the story.  Spencer gets six benefit rolls, one from rank, the rest from terms served.  He starts with two roll on the Cash table, 3 and 1, for a total of Cr50 000.  His next two rolls for to Other Benefits; a 2 and a 3, to increase his Int and Edu one each.  He makes one more roll on Other Benefits and gets a 4, a weapon.  The last roll becomes the Scout Ship needed for the story.

Cr 50 000
Medical Expenses:
Ship Shares:
Contacts: Alien, Life Event contact, Alien
Allies:
Enemies:
Rivals:
Weapon
Scout Ship

Spencer had a good career, and now the Scout Service has entrusted him with a ship for detached duty, where he can explore but still needs to report in.  He is also subject to recall.  He has three contacts that need to be expanded, possibly by using them for connections with the other characters.  The lack of promotions hurt the most in gaining his skill set.  Spencer will need an engineer to help with the jump drives, but most shipboard duties he can handle on his own.

And the full character sheet:

Name: Spencer Mills
Age:
Species: Human
Homeworld: Trane/Glisten (C639422-B, Non-Industrial)
Rank: Scout (Rank 2)

Characteristics
  Str 7/+0
  Dex B/+2
  End C/+1
  Int B/+1
  Edu 6/+0
  Soc 3/-1

Skills
 Astrogation 2
 Comms 1
 Computer 0
 Diplomat 1
 Gun Combat 0
 Mechanic 1
 Persuade 1
 Pilot 0
  Small Craft 1
  Spacecraft 1
 Sensors 1
 Survival 0
 Vacc Suit 1

Career - Scout/Survey
Term 1: Served as the courier for an important message from the Imperium; promoted
Term 2: Spent time jumping world to world in his ship.
Term 3: Spent great deal of time on fringes; met alien contact; promoted.
Term 4: Courier Branch.  Life Event: Made a new contact.
Term 5: Exploration Branch.  Spent great deal of time on fringes; met alien contact; unable to continue service.

Cr 50 000
Medical Expenses:
Ship Shares:
Contacts: Alien, Life Event contact, Alien
Allies:
Enemies:
Rivals:
Weapon
Scout Ship