Today's themes are... Traveller and... well, you can't really have a theme in Traveller. Life just comes at you, fast. Although this is the Mongoose version, so at least death isn't coming at you during chargen any more.
We begin by rolling stats - six sets of 2d6. This turns out to be possibly the best set of stats I have ever rolled: 8, 11, 11, 7, 7, 5. Normally I'd be hard-pressed to match that on 3d6, quite honestly. What a time to squander rolls! But shimmey yn tonn eddyr y lhong as y çheer, after all, and especially in Traveller chargen...
Character generation doesn't ask you to invent a homeworld, but that seems absolutely basic to me. I roll up the following anomaly:
My Homeworld
Size 6 : smaller than Earth
Atmosphere 9+6-7=8 : dense atmosphere – only highlands inhabited, no filters required
Hydrographics 10-7+8=11 : almost entirely water
Temperature 5 : temperate
Population 3-2 = 1 : a tiny farmstead or family
Government : there are 3 factions! Strengths 5, 3, 9
First faction 8-7+1 = 2 : democracy
Second faction 6-7+1 = 0: none
Third faction 7-1+1 = 1: corporation
My homeworld is just a little larger than Mars, with an atmosphere so dense that only the high ground is inhabitable; and in any case, virtually the entire the planet is submerged! To make matters weirder, the only inhabitants are a single tiny group, which is nevertheless splintered into rival political factions; the strongest is corporate loyalty, but popular vote and personal ties also play a major part.
I think I'm going to put this down as an actual family with maybe a few associates. Given the corporate ties and largely uninhabitable world, it makes sense to me that this is an outpost of sorts. It might be a research centre, a land-banking effort, or perhaps it's simply convenient to have a small admin team in this part of the sector for some reason. Either way, that's where I was born.
Technically I can move my stats around. But honestly? It makes sense that I wouldn't have much social standing, given the absolutely nowhereness of the world I come from. Meanwhile, the planet's harsh atmosphere, total lack of playmates, and 99.9% wilderness nature makes it natural that I'd grow up physically fit. My background nets me skills in Seafarer, Athletics and Animals.
It makes sense that my parents would want me to go into the company, so let's see how I do as a Citizen... well, I qualify spectacularly! Looks like they had earned some favours. I cruise through my first stint, gaining some extra Engineering training, but don't impress anyone. Well... this is boring, but Mum and Dad are persuasive... let's keep going.
I make it through another 4 years, but during this time political upheaval strikes my homeworld, and I'm caught up in the revolution! Erm... okay. Presented with a variety of skills to learn that might represent my involvement, I gain Advocate. My legal prowess defuses the situation (it's probably the biscuit rota, isn't it?) and I'm promoted for my trouble.
Sick of this nonsense, I decide to strike out for the wide open spaces. Or rather, Space. I wanna be a free trader! Mustering out lands me +1 Intelligence, and three ship shares (boring).
Easily convincing them to let me onto a free trader crew, I learn to use a Vacc-Suit (vital) and make some good deals, earning a promotion and some Persuasion. In my fourth term, all that cargo hauling has boosted my already-bulging muscles, getting me a net Str bonus! I run into legal trouble but gain Diplomat in the process of resolving it, and am promoted again - they finally let me Pilot (spacecraft)!
Now it's time for aging... but I remain unscathed (alas, that it were so easy in real life).
My fifth term I squander much of my profits on some bad deals, losing 2 Benefit rolls. Ah well. I get some Broker out of the deal. I also learn to use those guns, gaining a level of Gunner - and increase my reputation further, becoming an Experienced Free Trader with the prized Jack of All Trades 1! Aging finally catches up with me though, and I become a little less hardy, a little slower on the draw.
Nevertheless, I embark on a sixth term, learning to take care of passengers, taking some advanced classes in Electronics and getting promoted again. All that fiddling helps to restore my lost Dexterity, too! This is immediately lost again as I fail another aging roll, along with a point in my other physical stats.
Term seven. I have to fix my spaceship a few times, learning Mechanic. Further legal trouble is a minor obstacle, which a bit of Investigation easily resolved. I gain another 'promotion' and learn a language in the process. At this point I decide it's finally time to hang up the old hat and retire...
While I gambled away two Benefit rolls, I have six left (one per term, plus three bonus rolls for my rank, minus the two I lost) and a +1 on my rolls! Lovely jubbly. I end up with slightly more education, a Free Trader with 75% of the mortgage paid off, a gun, and a little cash.
Finally, we'd normally split a Skills Package between us. To represent this, I take two skills from the list: Gun Combat (so I can actually use that weapon) and Deception.
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