The one-hundred points are meant to build the "PHYSICAL BLANK," as it were, upon which a "mature" adventuring character can be built (See campaign rules on advantages and disadvantages). Try and think of those 100 points going to build an eighteen year-old character. This person has a life expectancy of 145 years or more (actually less, due to accident) and won't even reach advanced middle-age until he is 90. Terragen authorities are unlikely to even let anyone into space until they are at least 25, and preferably thirty. (Again, Marines will be an exception, complaining that 20 year old raw recruits are less plastic than would be ideal.)
Having built your 100 point enthusiastic youth, spend another 150 points on their education and career. (YES. Raising attributes and buying advantages now costs DOUBLE.) New York invests HEAVILY in Sapient Capital. The Galaxies are a competitive and hostile place and NO mind, no sapient potential, can be allowed to go to waste or be seriously under-utilized. All levels of education and re-training are WELL provided for from the public purse. Spacers are among the cream of the crop, and Spacers authorized for missions beyond Confederation Space are the best of these.
In short, the baseline for the campaign will be 250 points, with 100 points for initial "attributes" and another 150 points for "prior education and experience." Starting age is 25 (20 for Marines --lower ages merit the "Youth" disadvantage and will require explanation.)
Also note, that the board calls for an "ensemble" cast to avoid the dullness of ship-centered play. You will have your own "stable" of characters, but the actual character that you play on any given "night" will fit into the administrative structure of the ship, and will fit the evening's scenario. Diplomats one night, engineers another, bridge crew on a third, and occasionally the ship's small complement of Marines. The upshot is that just because one evening a player gets stuck playing "third assistant purser" doesn't mean that she won't get to be Marine Captain of the Guard next time.
The other point is that senior officers (and equivalent) get a 50 point bonus to
their 150 "education" points (without them they would hardly be SENIOR officers) but they should
also be fifty or over. Lower level characters (below the "rank" of Petty Officer or
equivalent) will be built on only 100 + 75 to 120 points.
1) As a matter of course, the Tg.Is.S. provides every spacer with at least one hidden chip slot (Cyberpunk, p.38). Ratings get one, junior officers get two, and senior officers get three. (You may buy more [for xp] if you want. At the time the character also had to come up with the money for the extra slots, but this has long since been amortized.) These are not free advantages, pay 5 points per slot.
Note: Tg.Is.S. uniformed enlisted personnel get ONE general issue chip-slot per Cyberpunk p.38
A Tg.Is.S. Able Spacer is a minimum of 23 years old. Able Spacers are the
least skilled of all characters on this exploration vessel. Able Spacers cleared for Xeno work are
built on 100 + 75 points.
As a Tg.Is.S. Able Spacer you will have:
IQ of 9 and DX of at least 12 and be a good follower / team player
or
IQ of at least 10
or
IQ no higher than 12 (or discipline problems preventing Specialist rank)
No major uncorrected physical faults:
ST of 8 or more
DX of 9 or more
HT of 9 or more
Scuba (at 10 or IQ: not free [except for Fins.])
Free Fall (every Spacer: Able Spacers at DX-not free)
G-Experience (All Terragen starfarers or those spending any time on Terragen Ships: free)
Vacc Suit (every Spacer: 14 or IQ--not free)
Survival: Space and Vacuum (12 or IQ. not free)
Survival: Chemical and Radiation (2 points. not free)
Tg.Is.S. uniformed service standard procedures at IQ or 12-which ever is higher. (Mental Easy: not free)
First Aid (2 pts.: not free.)
Galactic Languages (at least one with ½ point, free)
Galactic Savoir Faire (2 pts: not free, + 1 free point per four-year tour of extra-Terran duty)
Self-defense (brawling 1 point)
Gyroc launch pistol (2 pts)
Gyroc carbine (4 pts)
Welding-in O-2 (8 pts)
Welding-in Vacuum (4 points)
Welding-in H2O, (4 points, largely focused on fundamentals)
Electrical safety (4 points)
Depending on specialization, and Specialist Grade, these characters are built on
200 to 225 points.
Lower skill levels for those specialists share with Able Spacers are a result of
atrophy. Tg.Is.S. uniformed specialists had these skills at the same level as S.-A.B.s when they
finished basic training.
IQ of at least 11
[IQ 13 and second term or more will have behavior problems preventing promotion or advanced schooling.]
[IQ 14 or higher will be ORDERED to attend university (or equivalent). Most
will become civilians or uniformed officers, and a few will remain uniformed Tg.Is.S. N.C.O.'s-often put on
training duty. Such tallent will be noticed and NOT 'permitted' to waste itself doing a technician's
job.]
No major uncorrected physical faults:
ST of 8 or more
DX of 9 or more
HT of 9 or more
Scuba (at 10 or IQ: not free [except for Fins.])
Free Fall (every Spacer: Able Spacers at DX-not free)
G-Experience (All Terragen starfarers or those spending any time on Terragen Ships: free)
Vacc Suit (every Spacer: 14 or IQ--not free)
Survival: Space and Vacuum (12 or IQ. not free)
Survival: Chemical and Radiation (1 points. not free [except appropriate specialists])
Tg.Is.S. uniformed service standard procedures at IQ or 12-which ever is higher. (Mental Easy: not free)
First Aid (1 pts.: not free.[except medics])
Galactic Languages (exposure to at least one-0 pts [except language specialists].)
Galactic Savoir Faire (2 pts: not free, + 1 free point per four-year tour of extra-Terran duty)
Self-defense (brawling 0 point)
Gyroc launch pistol (½ pt)
Gyroc carbine (1 pts)
Welding-in O-2 (4 pts)
Welding-in Vacuum (2 points)
Welding-in H2O, (1 point, largely focused on fundamentals)
Electrical safety (2 points)
Specialists in departments such as Astrogation, Remote Sensing, and Computer Programing will have a TL9 cyberdeck interface (in addition to the neural interface common to all Terragens and the Tg.Is.S. chip-slot). As always, these implants will be hidden with a skin-flap.
Return to
contents of campaign rules
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