02-15-2017, 12:34 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dayton, OH
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[Spaceships] Crew traits...
I'm trying to build a crew for a fairly straightforward "starter" tramp freighter. SM +7, TL 10^, standard reactionless drives (only 1G), hyperdrive, a single major weapon battery (beam), and an antimatter power plant with sufficient output to run everything. It is primarily a cargo vessel, but would be able to accommodate 2 passengers if needed.
The crew compliment is a total of six: 4 control stations, 1 technician, and 1 gunner. I'm thinking about breaking the bridge crew into 1 captain, 1 pilot, 1 navigator/comm/sensor operator, 1 chief engineer. So, what traits do you think would be required for each of these crew members to perform their duties? Here's what I'm thinking. Tell me if you think this covers the basics. Note: this disregards some rather obvious traits that might be shared by all the crew (e.g. Spacer, Vacc Suit, etc) and focuses on what the character in that role would need to perform their specific duties.
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02-15-2017, 01:30 AM | #2 | |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: [Spaceships] Crew traits...
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Cargo Handler could have Savoir Faire (Servant) and Freight Handling. Captain of a freighter (especially a tramp) should add Accounting, Mathematics (Applied) and probably Administration. the latter not just for keeping the ship organized but also for dealing with starport bureaucrats. A form of Law would not be bad either.
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02-15-2017, 05:16 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dayton, OH
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Re: [Spaceships] Crew traits...
Quote:
I'm not too concerned about stewardship duties, though. In the concept I want to have passenger ferrying to be a second (maybe even third) concern. And those are useful skills for the captain! Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.
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02-15-2017, 05:28 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dayton, OH
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Re: [Spaceships] Crew traits...
Here's a revised list. I didn't add Mathematics (Applied) to the captain. Accounting takes care of any practical math he'd need and Applied deals more with engineering and science tasks. He wouldn't need it more than any other character (not to say I wouldn't give it to everyone). I also didin't give the gunner Savior-Faire (Servant). I wouldn't think he'd be that lowly. ;)
I did add Streetwise to the captain as well as Strategy and Tactics. Seemed appropriate.
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A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." |
02-15-2017, 06:00 AM | #5 |
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Join Date: Oct 2007
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Re: [Spaceships] Crew traits...
Is the cargo handler expected to find and buy/sell the cargo on this tramp trader? If yes, then Streetwise and Merchant would be appropriate on that list as well.
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02-15-2017, 06:26 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Sep 2011
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Re: [Spaceships] Crew traits...
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OTOH, you need at least some skill redundancy. From a practical standpoint, on a six-man ship, the only reason for giving the Pilot Merchant Rank 1 is because you have the crews organized into two shifts*, with the Captain in charge of one and the Pilot in charge of the second. In the absence of a chain of command, it can be assumed that persons of equal rank are equals in authority. This can be good or bad, depending on whether equality is equated with individualism or collegiality. In the absence of a chain of command, someone with rank is going to have to decide whether to do things the Engineer's way or the Technician's way when there's a disagreement on the course of action to take, so you may want to consider putting a chain of command with who reports to whom in place. As a minor note, absent retitling the positions after putting in redundant skills, I'd drop the Chief from the Engineer's title. With only one engineer aboard, there's no danger of confusing which engineer you mean when you say, "Engineer to the bridge." * It's probably a bad idea to let the ship travel any distance without at least someone watching the helm for possible dangers and the crew can't do a full six-man manning 24/7. Last edited by Curmudgeon; 02-15-2017 at 06:29 AM. Reason: added footnote |
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02-15-2017, 06:46 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dayton, OH
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Re: [Spaceships] Crew traits...
The main structure of the crew goes off the guidelines in Spaceships. That's really where the "Chief" part of Chief Engineer came from. I'm not really married to it.
Moreover, it is a small ship and wouldn't really warrant a crew of multiple shifts. I can give more than one character the Pilot skill at lower levels and they can handle a watch shift easily enough. Being 300 tons it is just on the margin between suggesting a first mate or even a captain. I considered dropping the captain role and just rolling it into a pilot/co-pilot dynamic. But the Merchant Rank 1 for the pilot was really for profit shares and such. But that's debatable.
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02-15-2017, 06:53 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dayton, OH
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Re: [Spaceships] Crew traits...
That aspect was going to be handled by the captain.
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A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." |
02-15-2017, 06:54 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dayton, OH
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Re: [Spaceships] Crew traits...
They should really do a Spaceships book filled with crew templates.
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A man said to the universe: "Sir I exist!" "However," replied the universe, "The fact has not created in me A sense of obligation." |
02-15-2017, 01:59 PM | #10 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
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Re: [Spaceships] Crew traits...
Quote:
A ship's engineer is not meant to create new technologies, despite what Scotty and Geordi say, which is the main use of the Engineer skill. The skills can come in handy for figuring out a few jury-rigs, though, so I wouldn't rule them out. I'd probably not put Engineer as high as Mechanic or Electronics Repair, though. Also, on a ship this small, I'd probably roll Pilot and Navigator into the same role. Look at Wash on Firefly. He pulled both duties. In fact, let's look at the crew of Serenity just prior to the pilot episode: Mal: Captain, ship's owner. He makes the deals, decides where to go, and when to pull out. Zoe: The ship's second-in-command. She's mainly the Cargo Handler, and keeps a level head in a fight. Wash: Ship's pilot. He not only pilots the ship, but also plots the course they're to take. He's got some electronics repair skill, too, as he's able to rig a beacon in "Out of Gas". During routine flights, he sets the ship's autopilot to handle the course he programs in. Jayne: Pure muscle (also a muscle-head). Technically security, but is also a general "floater" doing what needs done, including assisting Kaylee in the engine compartment. Kaylee: Ms. Fixit Supreme, possible low-level psychic ("the engines speak to me"). It's her job to keep the ship running. Inara was technically a passenger. Simon joins later as the ship's medic. The ship had a medical bay for emergency surgeries before he signed on, though I believe Mal and Zoe, and maybe Kaylee or Inara, handled bullet extraction prior to that. At the end of Serenity, it looks like Mal's training River to handle Wash's job.
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