Imperial Navy Officers

[Mateus]

Great, great, great, great! You are mading a get job with these templates.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Brett

What are those for?

What is that one?

Cartography for turning sensor images of a planet or other astronomical object into a targetting map, complete with positions of hostile and friendly units. Also for mapping of surfaces in general, whether tactical or strategic.

Gunner for those rare, but possible, engagements with aerospace craft. And for missile defence. I recognise that it's mostly done by computers, but I supposed they'd be trained in it as backup.

Mathematics (Surveying) so they could do the precise measurements needed to map stuff, whether in space or on planet.

Meteorology for reading displays, doing calculations and making predictions about how much cloud cover and other climatic factors will interfere with a sensor pass or an orbital strike.

Observation is recon. Electronic Operations (Sensors) is the technical side of gathering information, but Observation is the mental side of gathering tactically and strategically relevant data. For a full scouting report, you really need both.

As for Operations, I confess to the minor sin of including a 3e skill. In order to distinguish between the skillset of a flag officer and a junior officer, it is simply necessary to have three skills for military operations, to wit:

Tactics for small-scale engagements where the character commands only as many as he and his immediate subordinates can personally direct;
Operations for planning and winning battles, where the character is not able to direct everyone, but most trust them to follow more general guidelines than in tactical command;
and Strategy, which is the planning of campaigns to achieve strategic goals.

GURPS 4e removed the Operations part and had Strategy handle both winning any battle with more than a company or its equivalent under your command and also the strategic conduct of a whole war. Which is nonsense.

Plenty of generals or admirals were brilliant at one and atrocious at the other. And in the real world, you learn these skills at different times doing different things.

So I sincerely hope that the Operations skill will be re-introduced into GURPS 4e with the future GURPS Military and until then, I confess to having used it as if it never left.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Icelander

I recognise that it's mostly done by computers

So this is confirmed?

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

So this is confirmed?

Legally, no computer may fire a lethal weapon at a human or a place where a human might be, I think.

But they can calculate the trjectories and do all the grunt work. And maybe even do missile point defence, I guess. But the human has to have the skill as well.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Legally, no computer may fire a lethal weapon at a human or a place where a human might be, I think.

But they can calculate the trjectories and do all the grunt work. And maybe even do missile point defence, I guess. But the human has to have the skill as well.

So there are ratings whose job it is to sit in a turret and tell it it's alright to engage a target? One rating per turret? Seems inefficient.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

So there are ratings whose job it is to sit in a turret and tell it it's alright to engage a target? One rating per turret? Seems inefficient.

Inefficient, yes. The Empire is big on effectiveness and judgment, not so much on efficiency. After all, an efficient killing machine that sometimes kills the wrong things is anathema to them.

But I don't think there have to be that many ratings. After all, unless the ship plans to engage one target per turret, it might be okay for one officer or rating to tell several turrets to fire at one target. Firing the guns of an Imperial Naval vessel is rare enough so that it would be remarkable indeed for them to have to engage so many targets that they couldn't be usefully targeted by the Gunnery bridge officer and his assistant with computer assistance.

According to Brett, most IN ratings are engineering department ones. The IN was originally conceived as an all officer force, but he later abandoned that idea. It is still a very officer heavy force, with computers, generally, performing all those drudge jobs that players would prefer to abstract away.

[Icelander]

And assignments for NI are in, so it's now possible to create a character. An officer who has finished his education and 'prentice year will pick the Naval Officer template + NI lens + Weapon Technology Expertise lens + Assignment lens. That comes to 400 points and 450 if he's one of the secret chaps.

A long serving one will add courses in all sorts of things, of course. An obvious choice for many will be to add a new Weapon Technology Expertise lens from time to time. I should also, at some point, write up Tactical Driving, Self-Defence, Intrusion, Investigation, Hand-to-Hand, Covert Insertion, Urban Warfare and a host of others. Picking enough of them should yield a properly martini-sipping, Aston-Martin-driving, bad-guy-killing man of the world with a laser watch and a toothpaste garrotte.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Cartography/TL10 (Astrography) (IQ/A) IQ [2] -13;

Should be Easy as an Optional Specialization of an Average skill.

Mathematics (Pure) (IQ/H) IQ-1 [2] -12
Acrobatics (DX/H) DX-2 [1] -9
Astrobatics (DX/H) DX-2 [1] -9
Brawling (DX/H) DX [1] -11
Escape (DX/H) DX-2 [1] -9
Forward Observer/TL10 (Per/A) Per-1 [1] -11
Search (Per/A) Per-1 [1] -11
Throwing (DX/A) DX-1 [1] -10
Economics/TL10 (IQ/H) IQ-1 [2] -12

Why?

And why have all the engineering skills in the basic template but not Shiphandling? Either they are broadly cross-trained or they are not.

[25] points chosen from...

With the initial advantages from the Basic Template, giving each branch another 25 to pick seems excessive.

Engineer/TL10 (Artillery) (IQ/H) IQ-2 [1] -11
Engineer/TL10 (Electrical) (IQ/H) IQ-2 [1] -11

Astronautics Branch spacers are supposed to be able to design artillery pieces and wiring?

History (Imperial Naval) (IQ/H) IQ-2 [1] -11

This renders the Dabbler perk half useless.

Sociology/TL10 (Optional Specialisation: Causes and Effects of Wars) (IQ/A) IQ-1 [1] -12/10

Seriously? Isn't this already covered by Expert Skill (Military Science)? Clausewitz would say so, I'd think.

Strategy (IQ/H) IQ [+2] -13

Space or Interstellar?

Tactics (Optional Specialisation: Naval) (IQ/A) IQ [2] -13/11

Space Naval, I assume?

BTW the Hat says the Navy doesn't bother with milspec reinforcement.

[sir_pudding]

Name: Midshipman Brooks, Karen
Race: Human

Attributes [111]
ST 10
DX 12 [40]
IQ 13 [60]
HT 11 [10]

HP 8 [-4]
Will 14 [5]
Per 12 [-5]
FP 11

Basic Lift 20
Damage 1d-2/1d

Basic Speed 6 [5]
Basic Move 6

Ground Move 6
Water Move 1

Social Background
TL: 10 [0]
Cultural Familiarities: Imperial [1]; Seeonee (Native) [0].
Languages: Standard (Native) [0].

Advantages [71]
3D Spatial Sense [10]
Appearance (Attractive) [4]
Courtesy Rank (Acting Sub-Lt.) (1) [1]
Fit [5]
G-Experience (10) [10]
Intuitive Mathematician [5]
Mathematical Ability (2) [20]
Military Rank (Midshipman) (2) [10]
Resistant (Disease) (Occasional) (+8) [5]

Perks [5]
Classic Features (Redhead) [1]
Dabbler (Carpentery +1; Hiking+1; Naturalist (Seeonee) +1; Suvival (Plains) +1; Artist (Woodworking) +1; Performance +1; Savior Faire (Scout) +2) [1]
Dabbler (Chemistry +3; Geology (Earthlike) +1; Biology (Earthlike) +1; Literature +2) [1]
Looks Good in Uniform [1]
Sanitized Metabolism [1]

Disadvantages [-65]
Code of Honor (Scout's) [-10]
Duty (Imperial Navy) (15 or less (almost always)) (Extremely Hazardous) [-20]
Honesty (12 or less) [-10]
Oblivious [-5]
Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]
Shyness (Mild) [-5]
Skinny [-5]
Truthfulness (12 or less) [-5]

Quirks [-4]
Delusion (Everyone naturally follows Scout Law) [-1]
Likes Impassive Tough Guys [-1]
Naive (Quirk level Gullible) [-1]
Tenacious (Quirk level Stubborn) [-1]

Skills [132]
Administration IQ/A - IQ+0 13 [2]
Area Knowledge (Human Space) IQ/E - IQ+3 16 [8]
Artillery/TL10 (Guided Missile) IQ/A - IQ+0 13 [2]
Astrobatics DX/H - DX+1 13 [2]
includes: +2 from '3D Spatial Sense'
Astronomy/TL10 IQ/H - IQ+2 15 [4]
includes: +2 from 'Mathematical Ability'
Bicycling DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Brawling DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Computer Operation/TL10 IQ/E - IQ+2 15 [4]
Cooking IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Cryptography/TL10 IQ/H - IQ+0 13 [1]
includes: +2 from 'Mathematical Ability'
Current Affairs/TL10 (Science & Technology) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Economics IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Electronics Operation/TL10 (Communications) IQ/A - IQ+1 14 [4]
Electronics Operation/TL10 (Electronic Warfare) IQ/A - IQ+0 13 [2]
Electronics Operation/TL10 (Security) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Electronics Operation/TL10 (Sensors) IQ/A - IQ+1 14 [4]
Engineer/TL10 (High-Performance Spacecraft) IQ/H - IQ+0 13 [1]
includes: +2 from 'Mathematical Ability'
Expert Skill (Computer Security) IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Expert Skill (Military Science) IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
First Aid/TL10 (Human) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Forward Observer/TL10 IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Free Fall DX/A - DX+3 15 [4]
includes: +2 from '3D Spatial Sense'
Gunner/TL10 (Beams) DX/E - DX+2 14 [4]
Guns/TL10 (Pistol) DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Hazardous Materials/TL10 (Antimatter) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Hazardous Materials/TL10 (Chemical) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Hazardous Materials/TL10 (Radioactive) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
History (Imperial Naval) IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
Intelligence Analysis/TL10 IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Judo DX/H - DX-1 11 [2]
Knot-Tying DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Law (Imperial Naval) IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Leadership IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [2]
includes: -1 from 'Shyness'
Mathematics/TL10 (Applied) IQ/H - IQ+3 16 [8]
includes: +2 from 'Mathematical Ability'
Mathematics/TL10 (Cryptology) IQ/H - IQ+0 13 [1]
includes: +2 from 'Mathematical Ability'
Mathematics/TL10 (Pure) IQ/H - IQ+0 13 [1]
includes: +2 from 'Mathematical Ability'
Navigation/TL10 (Hyperspace) IQ/A - IQ+4 17 [8]
includes: +2 from '3D Spatial Sense'
Navigation/TL10 (Space) IQ/A - IQ+4 17 [8]
includes: +2 from '3D Spatial Sense'
Physics/TL10 IQ/VH - IQ+2 15 [0]
includes: +2 from 'Mathematical Ability'
Physics/TL10 (Orbital Mechanics) IQ/H - IQ+4 17 [12]
includes: +2 from 'Mathematical Ability'
Piloting/TL10 (Flight Pack) DX/A - DX+0 12 [1]
includes: +1 from '3D Spatial Sense'
Piloting/TL10 (High-Performance Spacecraft) DX/A - DX+2 14 [4]
includes: +1 from '3D Spatial Sense'
Research/TL10 IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Running HT/A - HT-1 10 [1]
Savoir-Faire (Military) IQ/E - IQ-1 12 [2]
includes: -1 from 'Shyness', -1 from 'Oblivious'
Shiphandling/TL10 (Starship) IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
Sociology IQ/H - IQ-3 10 [0]
Sociology (Causes and Effects of Wars) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Spacer/TL10 IQ/E - IQ+2 15 [4]
Strategy (Space) IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Swimming HT/E - HT+0 11 [1]
Tactics (Space) IQ/A - IQ+0 13 [2]
Teaching IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [2]
includes: -1 from 'Shyness'
Vacc Suit/TL10 DX/A - DX+1 13 [4

Stats [111] Ads [71] Disads [-65] Quirks [-4] Skills [132] = Total [250]

Karen is a 23 year old native of Seeonee who has just completed her academy training and is on her 'prentice cruise. She's a tall skinny freckled redhead with green eyes; 5'11" 110 lbs. She's a little awkward and nervous, but is a natural math genius and pilot. She is strong willed and does not give up easy.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Should be Easy as an Optional Specialization of an Average skill.

Has been replaced with Area Knowledge (Human Space), which is at IQ+1 [2] in the basic template and raised to IQ+2 [+2] for the Astronautics branch. Including it was an oversight.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Why?

And why have all the engineering skills in the basic template but not Shiphandling? Either they are broadly cross-trained or they are not.

The Mathamatics (Pure) is simply there because they do a lot of math and especially Astrogation demands that they be whizzes at most aspects of it.

The others are there because few military Academies have no physical education. Basic training in getting to battlestations as fast as possible, whether at gravity or in free fall, is part of the training (passing obstacles and getting through tight spaces are, respectively, Acrobatics (Astrobatics in zero-g) and Escape). So is enough self-defence to rate a point in Brawling (which by military training methods can probably be picked up in under a week).

The Engineering is there because Astronautics, Engineering and Naval Intel share the first year curriculum, picking their branch at the end of it. It does not include Shiphandling, but there is a lot of maths, physics and engineering.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

With the initial advantages from the Basic Template, giving each branch another 25 to pick seems excessive.

The initial advantage point can and often do go to the higher Attributes and Appearance that are so common in Imperial society without being necessarily all that useful to Naval crew.

These points ensure that pretty much everyone who makes the cut does so because he or she has the Right Stuff.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Astronautics Branch spacers are supposed to be able to design artillery pieces and wiring?

Not professionally, no. But they know enough about them to be able to direct damage control parties on even the largest repairs, which amount to a rebuilding. They are also supposed to have a deep understanding of the theory behind most everything on their vessel.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

This renders the Dabbler perk half useless.

For Astronautics branch officers, yes, and it is noted that they may choose other skills for their Dabbler skill.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Seriously? Isn't this already covered by Expert Skill (Military Science)? Clausewitz would say so, I'd think.

GURPS disagrees. Expert Skill (Military Science) can substitude for Artillery, Armoury, Strategy and Tactics when answering questions about military capabilities. It's specialised in capability analysis, not analysis of intent.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Space or Interstellar?

I forgot that Strategy takes a specialisation. Are those two seperate?

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

Space Naval, I assume?

Indeed.

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

BTW the Hat says the Navy doesn't bother with milspec reinforcement.

Ach so. I'll review the template.

The pentaphilia would suggest that I should make it come out as other than 180 points (also because it screws with all the pretty numbers that the others yileld when added to it), but I think the skills are good as they are.