This is Remi Lepeu, another Classic Traveller character I rolled up strictly following the die rolls, not rearranging anything or fudging any rolls.
This is a dirtbag I would play.
Remy Lepeu
268475
4 terms “other”. -1 STR due to aging. Age 38
Streetwise-2, Mechanic-1, Shotgun-1
Mustered out: 20,000cr, +1 END
5'6' 105 pounds
Habit: calls everyone “Slick”
Born in the slums of Pelucidar, Remy has a genetic disorder causing weak bones and connective tissue, preventing him from applying physical strength and making him quite fragile. He’s of below average intelligence but is talented at navigating underworld social systems, judging people’s intentions, and has a good knowledge of the seedy side of life. He’s a reasonable mechanic due to some early vocational training, and learned to use a shotgun to protect himself.
Remi is from a tough background. He’s been dealt a bad hand by the universe, but is of amazingly good humor and is essentially a good person. He aspires to be a better person and to associate with better people, but a guy’s gotta make a living.
I think Classic Traveller’s most overlooked character “service” is the “Other”.
Admittedly, it is a “weak” background as far as potential for skill acquisition. There’s no Commission, no Promotion, and unlike the Scout Service, after getting two skill table rolls for term one you only get ONE roll per term thereafter. And there are no rank or service skills. So if a character goes 5 terms in Other, they’ll get six skill table rolls, and that’s it.
So one might think “that really sucks.”
However, Other can produce some fun characters. With skills like bribery, forgery, gambling, streetwise, computer, etc, you have all the makings of a top-notch scoundrel. You can have a really interesting character with the Other background.
Tonight I rolled up this character. No fudging. No rearranging of the UPP. I rolled 2d6 and wrote them down in the order I rolled them. No fudging on the skill tables. I picked a table and rolled on it. No fudging on the Aging Effect rolls. He lucked out and only lost 2 point of Dexterity even with two aging rolls for each of the physical characteristics.
Introducing….
Leon Saturnalia
Age 38
Service: Other - 5 terms
444889
electronics-1, forgery-1, gambling-2, air raft-1, streetwise-1
30,000cr.
shotgun
Probably some solid family’s “bad seed”, judging from his weirdly high social standing. Physically below average in every way, he’s smart and well-educated (mustered out with a +1 Ed). This is the kind of scum that could get into all sorts of amazingly fun trouble! With his low dexterity and mustering out roll with a gun, the shotgun pretty much picked itself.
In addition to his shotgun, I’d start him with a hand computer, an electronics kit, some nice dice and deck of cards, and some odds and ends useful in forging document.
Classic Traveller really convinced me that a character sheet need not be complex and full of stuff to be interesting and fun.
I rolled up a Cepheus Engine character tonight to use as an NPC. Rolled it STRAIT. Stats in order as rolled. Only real option was scientist.
As much as I love Classic Traveller, the Cepheus Engine SRD really has the best breakdown of skills of any of the versions of CE or Traveller. I prefer it to Mongoose 2e and other CE versions.
Jones Cyrano
Retired Social Science Academic
B348D5
Mods:
S +1
D -1
E -1
I +0
Ed +2
SS -1
Homeworld - Medium Law, Hi tech, Hi Pop, Rich
Background skills (5): Gun Combat (slug pistol) 0, Coms-0, Streetwise-0, Carousing-0, Space Sciences-0
Scientist
terms: 2
commission 1st term + advance
term 2 advances and survives
term 2 survives and advances
term 3 survives and advances
term 4 survives and advances
rank 6
skills
term 1: +1 int, elec-1, animals-1
term 2: advocate-1, comp-1
term 3: sciences - 1, comp-2
term 4: science -2, admin-1
Skills:
Term Skills:
Elec-1, Comp-2, Animals-1, Social Sciences-2, Advocate-1, Admin-1
Service skills:
physical sciences 0, bribery 0, med-0 ,
Aging at age 34. Loses 1 STR and 1 END
Musters out with 25,000cr
Musters out: +2 soc, +1ed, Mid passage
Jones is a large man. Very strong, but clumsy and with poor endurance. Of average intelligence, Jones was a great student with real focus.
Age 30, Height 5'5", Weight 145lbs
Hair: black
Eyes: brown
8980 cr
Auto Pistol
Armor: Mesh (AR5)150cr
personal communicator 250cr
auto pistol 2d6 (mustered out with it) (15 rounds)
body pistol 2d6 500cr (6 rounds)
Blade 2d6 50cr
2 Auto Pistol clips +1 in gun (30r)
1 Body Pistol clip +1 in gun (40 cr)
Homeworld Skills
medium law/desert
slug rifle-0, survival-0, carousing-0
Jahn is a small man of somewhat limited intelligence from a desert world. While not that smart or dextrous, his desert background gives him a high END. While not very dextrous, he’s practiced enough with pistols that he’s at no negative modifiers with them. He’s good with a 9" Blade, the combat knife from his homeworld. He wears a mesh armor tunic, the exterior is blue-stained leather. He’s picked up some odd skills like Recon, Streetwise, and Electronics while drifting from planet to planet for 12 years, usually travelling by low passage.
Jahn is an idealist. He comes from nothing, but believes he can have a better life and will adventure to get it. He’s not foolhardy, but can be impulsive. He has a high sense of adventure.
This is the NPC I created for my Classic Traveller game last session.
The PCs were looking for a hacker. I didn’t have one when they asked, but about 90 seconds later I did. This is the strength of Classic Traveller (and really the other forms of 2s6 RPGs derived from it) for fast and loose improvisational play. Did I roll this NPC up? No. I knew what I wanted, and I’m the GM, so I just wrote it out. Well, lemme think. I did, in fact, roll up his stats and then just decided on the rest. I rolled up six numbers and arranged them as I saw fit. I am the Referee - I can do that.
Tahm Slykk
755B95
Admin-1, Comp-4, Bribery-1, Streetwise-2, Grav-Vehicle-1
Carries a body pistol inside his leather overcoat. Tall, with a high shock of red hair, round lens glasses tinted green, carries a portable electronics kit and computer in a black metal briefcase, with all he needs to hack on-the-go. More gear in his home/shop - the entire floor above a grav-vehicle repair shop. Drives a beat-up looking grav bike that is more than it appears to be (MAY be called the Thunderbolt GreaseSlapper). Tahm is a hacker for hire. He speaks with nervous speed and energy. Older than he looks. There’s no such word as “fail” to Tahm Slykk.
I actually kinda love this character. This is the kind of self-centered but good-natured dirtbag I’d like to play.
I’m not sure, but I think if I was running Sword of Cepheus for a fantasy setting I could create a good NPC just about as quickly. Sure I might need to look up a few spells, but it would be simple.
