Saturday, January 31, 2026
Bonus Character #1: Citizens of the Imperium
Character Creation Challenge Hot Wash
I did it! I managed to create and post a character every day in the month of January. I have to say I'm proud of myself, as it did become a true 'challenge' as the month wore on. Work and family time, and then having to make the time to create a character, added up to long days. An added level of difficulty was creating characters with systems I have never played, and had not studied the rules before creating the character. So it was learn as I go.
But that was one of the best aspects of the month, was getting into systems that I either had form my youth but never played, or have picked up in the last few years (or months even!) and haven't played. It made me want to play them all that much more!
Looking back at my first post where I listed all the games I wanted to build in, I did very well there too. I built in everything I listed except four: 5E D&D, original Top Secret, Traveller Book 6 Scouts, and Traveller Supp 4 Citizens of the Imperium. I wasn't sure why I listed original Top Secret, but checking my PDFs now I see I have the original in there. I'm disappointed I do a Book 6 Scouts. I think I'll have to do that today. I did do a couple of Citizens of the Imperium, but I think I held them for emergencies and never came back to them. I rolled characters and took notes in a spiral notebook, so once I turned the page they went down the memory hole. I'll probably post them just for fun too.
I didn't do 5E because I'm just not a fan of it, too much min/maxing right from the get go from what I remember when I was studying up on it a couple of years ago. I would have had to work through alot of refresher to build a character. I did add one system that was not on my list, Thousand Suns. So of the 19 systems I listed, I built in 15 of them, and with Thousand Suns built in a total of 16 systems.
Here's the final stats:
Character #31: Classic Traveller - Book 1
Friday, January 30, 2026
Character #30: Classic Traveller
We're getting to the end of this challenge, and I have to admit to getting a bit worn out. It's everything else of life actually, that pushes me to doing these after 1800 and a long day at work, when I should be spending time with the family. To spend time with family, some of these I've not started until 2230, and have had some late nights to get them posted.
So tonight (time hack: 2110), I'm doing straight Classic Traveller Book 1.
Maden Sontrome: 79AA43. Mads is very intelligent, but no schooling. A self-taught brainiac from the wrong side of the tracks of a backwater world. By age 18 he managed to scrape together low passage to a main world, and attempts to enlist in the Imperial Marines. They want nothing to do with him, as they think he cheated on the ASVAB since he almost aced it but only shows up as having completed the 6th grade. He gets automatically entered in a service draft, and pulls the Scouts. He'll take it, anything to get as far away as possible from the hell that was home.
His first tour is uneventful with basic training, basic flight school, and two years line duty on an X-Boat tender. He earns Pilot - 1, Vacc Suit - 1, and spends his downtime taking online courses and gains +1 EDU. 79AA53. Despite his efforts to better himself, and having no problems with any assignment, he is barely accepted for reenlistment (rolled a 3 for the target 3! The easiest service to reenlist in!)
After the scare of almost getting booted after just one term, Mads vows to doubly apply himself and not let that happen again. His next tour is on the fringe, and he has a number of close calls, including barely surviving a freak meteor impact that destroyed the Scout Courier he was on. He spent 3 weeks in a rescue ball, and only his hardy upbringing saw him through that. He continued his intensive studies during this tour, in Electronics, and was also cross trained in Gunnery. This reenlistment passed with no issues at all.
His third tour was on a brand new Scout Courier on a survey mission. No close calls, but many hours spent conducting surface ops, where he earned a Grav Vehicle license along with training in Mechanics keeping the vehicles running. Reenlistment was again no issue.
His fourth tour was back on an X-Boat Tender, and Mads made the most of the routine again with self study in philosophy and linguistics (INT +1), and Advanced Electronics. His years in space began to take a toll on his body, reducing his strength and endurance. He decided to reenlist one more time, then head out and see what he could make of himself on his own. 699B53
For his fifth tour, he was again assigned to a fringe exploration mission on an armed survey scout. This mission encountered many pirates, and Mads increased his gunnery skill. In down times he continued his self study program (INT +1). But age continued to take it's toll. 698C53. The Scouts did not retain him, and Mads happily headed out into the Imperium.
For mustering out benefits, Mads took two for cash and three for benefits. For cash, he cleared 70k credits. For benefits, Mads was rewarded for his years of dedicated service with a surplus Type S Scout/Courier. He could not believe his good fortune! Backwater dropout to independent ship captain! And his continuous self study across many fields had greatly increased his intellect (+2 INT). He was well trained, able to operate and maintain anything on the ship. All he needed to do was recruit a few like-minded trained crewmen to share the duties, and find a patron.
#CharacterCreationChallenge
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Character #29: Classic Traveller Book 5 High Guard - Me!
So here goes.
For my attributes, I'm setting them fairly average at my 18 year old starting point, although I am above average intelligence (honors classes through high school, graduated with honors, etc).
DEX 7
END 8
INT 9
EDU 9
SOC 7
1: Basic and Advanced Officer School for 1 year (my AOCS was 12 weeks!), earning Admin - 1 and Vacc Suit -1. I took Admin because we learned a unit operates, which includes paperwork. Plus we learned basic skills (survival, basic engine theory and aerodynamics, etc), so I took Vacc Suit as a basic space Navy skill.
2 and 3: Flight School for two yeasr, earning Pilot - 1 and Navigation - 1.
4: First operational tour, first year. Patrol (I was actually a Patrol Plane Pilot). Earning another pilot rating (Aircraft Commander), so I'm up to Pilot - 2. And Promotion to Sublieutenant O2 (Lieutenant Junior Grade in real life).
Second 4 year Term:
1: First operational tour, second year. Call it Strike (we did counter drug ops in the Caribbean). Promotion to LT O3, Commo - 1 skill.
2. First operational tour, third year. Flight - Training, Pilot - 3
I was #3 in my Officer School Class, so I earned a Regular Navy Commission. That meant I served until they kicked me out, didn't have to reenlist.
3: My first shore tour was to go to Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and get a Masters Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. I take this as a Special Assignment - Cross Training in Engineering, Engineering - 1.
4. I was as NPS for two and a half years actually, so I'll take this second year as Special Assignment -Cross Training in Technical Services, for a Mechanical - 1 skill.
Third 4 year term:
1. I then went on a two year 'Dissociated Sea Tour', which meant I had to go on a ship (and aircraft carrier) as ships company. I take this as Special Assignment - Cross Training - Line. We played alot of poker, so Gambling - 1.
2. Another year on the carrier, so another Special Assignment - Cross Training - Line, and I take Liaison - 1 (I had to smooze some big wigs). Promotion to Lieutenant Commander O4 (R3). I was actually promoted at the end of my carrier tour, although I did not 'put it on' until the next tour.
3. More oddities: I had a one year assignment to Army Command and General Staff College at Ft Leavenworth, Kansas. This was a fun tour because I was from Kansas City which was only 30 minutes away. I'll take this as Special Assignment - Staff College, and take Fleet Tactics - 1.
4. I then went back to operational flying for two years. So back to Flight, Training assignment, and I'll take Ship Tactics - 1.
Fourth 4 year term:
1. Another year of operational flying, with a deployment to the Caribbean for counter drug ops again. I'll take that as Patrol, and skill in Ship's Boat - 1.
2. I then went to another aircraft carrier, on the Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Staff (Admiral's staff). I'll take the first year as Special Duty - Cross Training - Line, Shore Duty with no skills.
3. Second year on the CSG staff. We deployed to combat operations in the Gulf. So I'll take a Special Duty - Cross Training - Line, Strike Assignment. Computer - 1.
4. More Oddities. The CSG staff was sent with the Admiral to Djibouti to fill in the Combined Joint Task Force staff. We received some weapons and combat training before deploying. I'll take this as Special Assignment - Cross Training - Line -Siege, for a Rifle - 1 skill.
Fifth 4 year term:
1. I ended up in Tampa at Centcom as a representative of the Combined Joint Task Force. So I'll call this Line - Shore Duty, with skill in Fleet Tactics - 2.
2. Final year before I retired, was simple shore duty. Flight - Shore Duty, no skills.
Forced retirement at 20 years, counting last 2 years of college, as O4 Lieutenant Commander (R3) at age 40.
Pension 4,000Cr/year. I'll take 4 muster benefits for terms (not getting one for the truncated 5th term) plus 2 for rank. 2x50,000cr, +1 Intel, +2 Educ, +2 Social, and Traveller's Aid Society.
So here's me, Traveller Book 5 High Guard Navy veteran.
Wes
LCDR (R3) Retired, Imperial Navy
#CharacterCreationChallange
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Character #28: Aftermath! Me
So here I am, post-apocalypse, geared up and ready to go. Already in hindsight I should have taken one of my other ARs with a red dot or 1-8 scope. Oh well, I'll look cool with my shorty AR!
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