Ah, Traveller.... got a character whose stats you don't like? Become a belter.... odds are you will die in chargen. I'll never forget the day my belter survived. He had the most useless set of skills ever, because I didn't really care what I picked, I was just trying to get him killed.
It's been a LONG time since I have made a Traveller character, so this should be fun.
Alright, let's start out with the rolls.
8, 4, 6, 9, 2, 2
Ugh..... maybe he WILL be a belter.
Hmmm.... 2s in Education and Social Standing. I can work with that! I am already picturing some kind of farm-world boy. A big, strong kid who is pretty smart, but never went to school. Sadly, not very graceful. Sounds like a perfect example of an army grunt. Be all you can be!
All right, let's give him a name. I think I like the sounds of Vance Billeck.
Vance BILLECK
STR 8
DEX 4
END 6
INT 9
EDU 2
SOC 2
Let's generate!
Young Vance has just turned 18. He never finished high school... never really got very much past about grade 6. He's not dumb, just didn't see much need for reading and writing when he was working on a farm. Deciding he wants to see the universe, Vance decides to enroll in the Army. A 6 END gives us a +2 on the roll, so we only need a 3 or better. And we get.... a 10. Success! Let's see if Vance survives his first term or service. No bonuses, so he rolls... a 7. He needed 5+, so he has survived his first tour of duty. That gives him at least Rifle-1. Vance uses this first tour to engage in some personal development, rolling up Brawling-1 (apparently, everybody wants to test the farmboy), and also picks up a service skill of ATV-1 (driving all those tractors back home comes in handy). Vance's hard work does not go unnoticed as he receives a commission to the rank of lieutenant, receiving the skill of Tactics-1 (all those years of paint balling finally paid off), as well as SMG-1. Having enjoyed his first term of service, Vance reenlists, and is easily accepted.
Second tour of duty. Vance easily makes his survival roll. He agains takes an opportunity to develop personally, and gains a +1 to Dexterity, now making it 5. Enjoying the idea of leadership, Vance attempts a promotion, but narrowly misses out, rolling a 5. Only slightly discouraged, Vance reenlists, and succeeds with a roll of 8.
Third tour. After the disappointment of failing to be promoted last term, Vance just succeeds in reenlisting, rolling a 5 exactly. Hoping to improvement his chances with his superior officers for promotion, Vance commits himself to improving his service skills this tour, coming out with Forward Observer-1. However, Vance's efforts are for naught, as he is once again looked over for promotion (everyone just sees him as the same uneducated farm he was when he first enlisted). Not willing to give up yet, Vance reenlists. Unfortunately, his superiors see him as having reached his potential, and his request to re-enlist is denied. Vance musters out with a +2 EDU and a +1 INT (from catching up on his years of missed schooling while part of the forces), one Low Passage (enough to get him back home, or to begin to see the universe) and 10,000 cr.
So, here is Vance Billeck, at age 30, fresh out of the Army.
Lieutenant Vance BILLECK
STR 8
DEX 5
END 6
INT 10
EDU 4
SOC 2
Skills:
Rifle-1, Brawling-1, ATV-1, SMG-1, Tactics-1, Forward Observer-1
Muster: 1 Low Passage, 10,000cr
He wanted to see the galaxy. "Be all you can be!" It's all a lie. It should be, "Be all everyone else will let you be". Vance left the Army disillusioned, bitter and without prospects. They gave him a one-way sleeper ticket back to his homeworld, to be the same farmer they all believe is all he can ever be. But Vance isn't dumb. He's still young, and he know has skills. He's going to take that low passage, and go somewhere where a mercenary can ply his skills. And every chance he gets, he's going to show those "superior officers" that looked down their noses at the "backwater farmboy" just how much trouble he can cause when you put him behind the wheel of a vehicle with a gun in his hand and a chip on his shoulder.
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