Pilot Ace Enrique Salazar

While reading the section in The Traveller Book on computer programming, I spotted something of great interest. One of the requirements to write the program Maneuver/Evade-6 is that someone has to have the skill Pilot-7.

I have never seen this in play before. Yes, there's the Other character in Supp: 1 1001 Characters who has Electronics-8, but that's non-standard creation.Still, it's there in the rules so the possibility is valid and canon.

Is it possible, though, to be this skilled via normal character creation? I decided to find out.

Yes. It is.

Meet Enrique Salazar, The best pilot in the Royal Talaveran Scout Service. 

777587 Age 30 Scouts, 3 terms

Pilot-7

To do this I will put Enrique through the Scout Service. The reasons are simple: the Pilot skill is available, and Scouts get two skill throws every term.

UPP at minimum must be

S D E I Ed Ss

8 2 9 6 8  2

In order to get all the possible DMs. There is a 3.5% probability of rolling these figures or better. To begin with however, let us assume that only EDU makes the cut. This is necessary, as the Pilot skill is on Table 4, where EDU 8+ is required.

Term 1:

Enlist 7+ 58%

Survive 7+ 58%

Re-enlist 3+ 97%

Skills: Pilot-1 automatic; two throws. Choose table 4, throw 5 17%= Pilot-2. Choose table 4, throw 5 17%= Pilot-3.

Term 2:

Survive 7+ 58%

Re-enlist 3+ 97%

Skills: Choose table 4, throw 5 17%= Pilot-4. Choose table 4, throw 5 17%= Pilot-5.

Term 3:

Survive 7+ 58%

Re-enlist 3+ 97% (No longer essential)

Skills: Choose table 4, throw 5 17%= Pilot-6. Choose table 4, throw 5 17%= Pilot-7.

Three terms and he's got Pilot-7.

How probable is this? Not very. If I understand the math correctly, to find the percentage likelihood of a series of probabilities coming up a certain way, you multiply the percentages in sequence.

.58x.58x.97x.17x.17x.58x.97x.17x.17x.58x.17x.17= 2.57009x10^-6 or

2.571 millionths of 1% probability.

In more comprehensible terms, this series of events will occur 1 time in 389,091 enlistments. The Third Imperium probably has several pilots with this skill level.

If Enrique instead has the above UPP and can get max DMs for enlistment/reenlistment and survival, then the odds improve to a much more reasonable 1 in 83,703.

Have you ever rolled up a character in CT with a skill level this high? Share the stat block in the comments section.