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The games that randomly roll education level (N&SS, BTS1, TMNT, HU2) have either a Basic Military Program or a Military Program (Basic), with N&SS having a larger number of Military Skill Programs. Since these games were released, there has been an expansion of the skills in the Military list. But there's no way for most OCCs to choose them. Enter my suggestion.

HU2 gives an option if a Skill Program is picked a second time, 4 skills from that category can be chosen. I propose the AIT Military Skill Program. (It needs a catchier name.) It is limited to the Military, Military Specialist and Trade School (specialized training) educational levels. It gives a character four skills from the Military category.

Opinions?

...or since the nature of the training is more than just getting a few extra skills, it's about specialization, port over the Advanced Training rules from Rifts HoH and smooth out some of the skills to fit the setting. Why reinvent the wheel?

Grazzik wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 6:52 am ...or since the nature of the training is more than just getting a few extra skills, it's about specialization, port over the Advanced Training rules from Rifts HoH and smooth out some of the skills to fit the setting. Why reinvent the wheel?

Cause what I'm trying to offer PCs is their own selection of Military skills.

BUT the HoH stuff would make good Skill Groups of their own.

thorr-kan wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 1:57 pm

Grazzik wrote: ↑Fri May 31, 2024 6:52 am ...or since the nature of the training is more than just getting a few extra skills, it's about specialization, port over the Advanced Training rules from Rifts HoH and smooth out some of the skills to fit the setting. Why reinvent the wheel?

Cause what I'm trying to offer PCs is their own selection of Military skills.

BUT the HoH stuff would make good Skill Groups of their own.

Fair enough, I do find the HoH AT a bit limiting in how some of the skills have been grouped, but the extra little buff can sometimes make up for it.

The doubling of the skills package works too if you are looking to give range of choice.

Another choice would depend on the story and how campaigns are run for your player group, but if they are part of a formal military or para organization, before missions they could be sent on training to pick up a single military skill that might help in their mission. That way, the more missions they go on the more skills they gain as a reward - particularly if there isn't monetary rewards. Maybe a couple skills can be offered, but the party leader(s) has to pick who gets trained on what and only one person to each skill. Get some group drama going...

I have used those examples in the past with success. Parachuting is a good example of a skill that should be in the any special operations skill program. Before the Rifter special ops expansions I just added the the skills I felt they needed into the program.

thorr-kan wrote: ↑Thu May 30, 2024 7:57 am The games that randomly roll education level (N&SS, BTS1, TMNT, HU2) have either a Basic Military Program or a Military Program (Basic), with N&SS having a larger number of Military Skill Programs. Since these games were released, there has been an expansion of the skills in the Military list. But there's no way for most OCCs to choose them. Enter my suggestion.

HU2 gives an option if a Skill Program is picked a second time, 4 skills from that category can be chosen. I propose the AIT Military Skill Program. (It needs a catchier name.) It is limited to the Military, Military Specialist and Trade School (specialized training) educational levels. It gives a character four skills from the Military category.

Opinions?

I have been doing this in HU2 for decades now and not just for Military but other programs as well. As much trouble as the OCC system is the random roll for education level can be even worse and it makes it hard to create the character the player wants so I try help them along as much as possible. While I don't get to run much anymore I have never had a problem with it unbalancing the characters.