foxandwarlock
09-14-2004, 10:02 AM
So recently I had read a lot about the old school Traveller system and how characters could actually die during creation. As a character gen fiend, this I had to see and I went to GenCon looking for the book but was denied. Anyway, a week or so ago, a couple of friends picked it up for my from the FLGS and we've rolled up a couple characters.
The later books that expanded character gen sort of have a Lifepath-ish feel. You roll to determine what Office the character is assigned to and then yearly to determine what they were doing. You roll to determine if they were decorated, promoted, learned skills, etc. but it builds a background without you having to write anything.
For example, for one year you might have: Special Mission, learned Streetwise, Pistol, Promoted to Journeyman.
And based on your random skill rolls, you get a flavor for what kind of mission/life your character lived. I just found it interesting in that it does what the lifepaths do in a sense - and character creation is a blast even though you actually don't pick a single freakin' thing (no skills, no attributes, no nothin', just your lucky 2d6).
The later books that expanded character gen sort of have a Lifepath-ish feel. You roll to determine what Office the character is assigned to and then yearly to determine what they were doing. You roll to determine if they were decorated, promoted, learned skills, etc. but it builds a background without you having to write anything.
For example, for one year you might have: Special Mission, learned Streetwise, Pistol, Promoted to Journeyman.
And based on your random skill rolls, you get a flavor for what kind of mission/life your character lived. I just found it interesting in that it does what the lifepaths do in a sense - and character creation is a blast even though you actually don't pick a single freakin' thing (no skills, no attributes, no nothin', just your lucky 2d6).