Freelance Traveller - Doing It My Way - Character Generation Rules - Investigator: A Basic Career for Classic Traveller

Investigator: A Basic Career for Classic Traveller

by Michael Brown

This article originally appeared in the November 2013 issue.

In polities at all levels, there are individuals (such as the PCs) who go about committing deeds of various levels of legality and secrecy. Those who perpetrate nefarious acts naturally try to cover their tracks. And events occur that have causes that must be examined and brought to light. Both instances create work for those dedicated to exposing schemes, looking into unusual circumstances and making sure things are set right: the investigators.

Investigators specialize in methodically and systematically examining events in order to determine a cause. In the case of law enforcement, they also do so with the purpose of determining motive and capturing the perpetrator. There are many types of investigators; the best known are detectives and private investigators. Such individuals as spies and journalists are also essentially investigators. However, insurance companies, aviation and spaceflight organizations, attorneys, and even accountants (among others) all employ investigators at some point. While PCs may also be investigators, the difference is that career investigators specialize.

This character generation career has been boiled down to its bare functions in order to make it as generic as possible. It is up to the referee and the players to determine just what kind of investigator has been generated by examining the result. For example, an investigator with primarily Gun Combat skill and Brawling might be the archetypical private eye, while one with primarily Computer skill might be a forensic computer expert, trained in finding and retrieving electronic files and reconstructing digital traces. All rules for skill acquisition, aging, and mustering out are per Book 1: Characters and Combat.

Term Process
Enlistment	7+
DM +1 if	DEX 8+
DM +2 if	INT 8+
Survival	5+
DM +2 if	INT 9+
Position	7+
DM +2 if	EDU 8+
Promotion	8+
DM +1 if	INT 8+
Re-Enlist	5+

Automatic Skills
Investigator	Recon-1
Team Leader	Leader-1
Administrator	Admin-1

Skills
	Personal Development	Service Skills	Advanced Education	Advanced Education (EDU 8+ only)
1	+1 STR	Jack-o-T	Gambling	Medical
2	+1 DEX	Streetwise	Jack-o-T	Bribery
3	+1 INT	Recon	Interrogation	Liaison
4	+1 EDU	Gun Cbt	Computer	Leader
5	Brawling	Electronics	Mechanical	Tactics
6	Carousing	Vehicle	Demolitions	Admin

Mustering-Out Benefits
	Material	Cash
1	Low Psg	5000
2	Mid Psg	7000
3	Mid Psg	10000
4	Gun	20000
5	Gun	30000
6	High Psg	50000
7	TAS	70000

Table of Ranks
1	Investigating Agent
2	Senior Investigator
3	Team Leader
4	Section Leader
5	Administrator
6	Director

Sample Characters

Private Investigator B58889; 4 terms; Age 34; Rank 1
Gun Cbt-1, Interrogation-2, J-o-T-1, Recon-2, Streetwise-1
Cr105,000; High Psg, Mid Psg

SPA Inspector B78299; 1 term; Age 22; Rank 2
Jack-O-T-2, Recon-1
Cr17,000

Amateur Sleuth 479A9B; 6 terms; Age 42
Computer-1, Electronics-1, Leader-1, Liaison-2, Recon-1
Cr30,000; High Psg; Mid Psg; Gun

Planetary Government Operative 58A888; 3 terms; Age 30
Brawling-2, Gun Cbt-1, Jack-O-T-1, Recon-1
Cr50,000; High Psg