Another Career option for Classic Traveller - School

A new Prior Service career for the more intellectually inclined adventurer. I posted it on the Citizens of the Imperium discussion board a while back.

Classic Traveller

New Prior Career: School

      The School career represents the pursuit of higher education wit the goal of learning a specific skill or to enter a specific profession. Most people who follow this path go into normal careers, but every once in a while, a highly trained and education professional chooses a life of adventure rather than a normal career.

      I used the College rules from High Guard as the basis. The admission, success, honors and education rules are directly from Book Five. There are five skill tables, but unlike the other prior careers, in School everyone can use Table 1 and 2 but the player must decide what kind of school the character will go for at the time of the admission roll. Skills can only be rolled for on table 1, 2 or that school's table. The success roll if made gives the character +1 EDU, representing their overall studies. If the success roll is missed, do not roll for Honors. In subsequent terms, the character may transfer up (TS>C>PS) but this must be announced before making the success roll.

Skill acquisition goes as follows:

      Term 1 roll 1d on the Personal Development table and 1d on the appropriate school table. Receive Skill-2 in the skill rolled on the school table. Honors students get Skill-3 instead of Skill-2.

      Subsequent terms are resolved the same as term one, but the student gets only one skill roll, or two if they make the honors list. Instead of rolling, the player can choose +1 in an existing skill or they can roll and take Skill-1 in a new skill. Note also the increasing penalty towards retention in school after the second term.

Career: School

Admission – 9+ DM +2 if Edu 9+

Success – 7+ DM +2 if Int 8+

Honors – 9+ DM +1 if Edu 9+

Retention – 6+ DM -1 per term past 2

Skill Tables

Roll  Personal      Social      Trade School    College    Professional

      Development   Skills                                          School

1     +1 Edu        Forgery     Mechanical      Admin      Medical

2     Jack-o-T      Carousing   Gravitics       Broker     Engineering

3     Carousing     Gambling    Robotics        Trader     Science

4     +1 Int        Streetwise  Computer        Survey     Legal

5     +1 End        Vehicle     Electronics     Navigation Science

6     Brawling      +1 Soc      Liaison         Commo      Pilot

If any skill is 3+ already, you may choose Instruction instead of rolling.

Mustering Out Tables

Roll   Benefits         Cash

1      Low Passage   1000

2      Equipment      2000

3      +1 Int             2000

4      Credentials     3000

5      Credentials     4000

6      High Passage   5000

7      +1 Soc            5000

DM +1 if any skill at Skill-5

Notes on Skills

      All skills are from CT books 1-8 with the exception of Science. Science is a cascade skill which the player can select. Any branch of science not covered by another held skill can be specified.

Notes on Benefits

      Credentials means that the character is formally recognized by a relevant professional or trade organization. This includes formal degrees from an accredited institution and some recognized contribution to the field such as research or innovative practice. It has no cash value and cannot be transferred, but a Credentialed character can claim greater compensation from a patron and get a bonus (Referee's discretion) on reactions when operating within the character's chosen field.

      Equipment means the character has been given at no cost a set of standard tools (or other logical equipment) relevant to the area of highest skill. For example, a character with Mechanical-3 would receive a standard Mechanical tool kit. If the highest skill does not have standard tools, then the player can choose a set for another skill.