Traveller (and Cepheus for that matter) are (in)famous for their character creation. Being able to die during character creation is one of the quirks for which we love that game. But there are times when you want to create a character exactly how you envisioned them. Here are my ideas on how to houserule character creation:
- Instead of rolling for your six characteristics distribute 42 (or probably 45 to 50 points for a more heroic game) among Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, and Social Standing. No characteristic may be higher than 15.
- Pick your career, there’s no qualification roll needed, but you have to fulfill the requirements.
- Instead of rolling on the skill tables you may pick which skill you want learn or raise.
- Advancement is a bit tricky. With Referee approval variations are possible, but personally I’d limit Advancement to once per two terms of service. Otherwise you’ll end up with a party of Admirals, Generals, and the like.
- Re-enlistment is automatic and there are no survival rolls. With Referee approval you may switch careers.
- The maximum number of terms is still 7.
- Players are allowed to pick their benefits from the table, but you can’t choose the same benefit twice without GM approval.
There’s a high risk that characters created in such a way are extremely skilled and well-off. I recommend that players and referees work together to build somewhat balanced and fun characters. And if everything else fails, you can still return to the old random generation method.
