Background and Skills (Generic OCC)

Everyone starts somewhere

The following is designed to provide a balanced background and base of skills to better reflect the reality of Macross.

The advance of mankind to the stars has been fast and furious, far outreaching the social programs and capabilities of the UN Government and any local non-aligned governments. Some of the most basic of social programs begin to decline and change to meet the needs of the time and place. The primary example of this is education.

Education in the years 2020-2050 matched and then surpassed the educational systems of the 19th and 20th centuries. Typically giving students full primary and secondary education to the clones upon their being released into society, and natural teaching methods graduating students at the ages of 16 and 17; both with the option of taking post-secondary education thereafter. However, this only hold true on the Core Worlds, major colonies and the emigration fleets. The further one stretches ones hand into the reaches of known space, the lower the quality of the education.

By 2050 the UNG lists literacy at 97%. However, inaccessibility to a large portion of the population for census skews this number by between 10 to 25%. A general literacy rate in the outlying and un-unified or identified colonies is believed to be just shy of 70%. By the same factor, UNG citizens sport a bold figure of 99% junior high school graduation, with 80% of those further graduating from high school and 52% of non-military educated citizens receiving post secondary education. These numbers are only true in the Core Worlds. Even as close as Britannia and New Patagonia we see the number drop considerably, frighteningly so for post secondary education, at little over 10%. This is a repeat of the Renaissance age of earth, the days of Medieval Warlords and constant battle to the tears of the peasants. Even those colonies started by emigration fleet show an immediate and striking drop in education levels. Certainly with a stronger unification of the populated systems, and a greater focus and freedom of movement this trend will change, however, we see a predictable trend that will leave the human race gasping for literate air for yet one hundred years and beyond.

Even though the above general information is true, there are always exceptions to every rule. In the core systems, there are a large number of people living below the poverty line, unable to even receive the basic education requirements set out by the UNG. Conversely, in the more distant systems, where the majority of the population are poorly educated, there are upper class families that can afford higher quality education then is available in the core systems to the elite of the UNG's youth. Such is the nature of humanity when other needs, such as immediate survival and propagation of the human race supercede egalitarian values.

Step 1: Class - Base Skills and MOS choices and limitations

• 1 Core World
• 2 Core World to Inner Rim World
• 3 Outer Rim Worlds and Beyond
• 4 Space Born and Bred Education

The GM will roll 1D100 to determine your character's class. As this is primarily being used as a tool to determine skills, it is possible to have a totally different background for your character.

No matter what the result, the Basic Skills and Part-Time/High School Education skill programs can be selected by the player. If the result is a background where the character has studied in post secondary school(s), and possibly worked for a few to many years prior to enlisting in the UN Forces, they will have a greater range of skill options to reflect their past experiences.

	Core World		Core World to Inner Rim World		Outer Rim Worlds and Beyond		Space Born and Bred Education1
Settlement:	41-00 urban	01-40 Rural	51-00 urban	01-50 Rural	61-00 urban	01-60 Rural	26-00 Colonization Fleet	01-25 Other
Upper class	75-00	90-00	85-00	95-00	95-00	99-00	85-00	00
Middle Class	25-74	50-89	35-84	60-94	50-94	60-98	30-84	75-99
Lower class	05-24	10-49	10-34	15-59	15-49	25-59	05-29	50-74
Indigent Class	01-04	01-09	01-09	01-14	01-14	01-24	01-4	01-49

¹ Space born and bred characters have the following skills as part of their base skills:

Navigation: Space +5%
Zero-G Movement +5%
EVA skill: attribute + 15%

Step 2: Upper class

• 76-00 Your parents instilled a good drive to study/ you naturally have motivation to achieve your potential/ you had opportunity (scholarship).
  Modifiers: +30% to base skill chance rolls. +16% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: +5% to all base skills. +1 secondary skills.
• 50-75 You're pretty much a regular person.
  Modifiers: +20% to base skill chance rolls. +8% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: None!
• 16-49 Just because you went to school doesn't mean that you studied hard. You always knew that you could rely on your parents - or at least their bank account.
  Modifiers: +10% to base skill chance rolls. +0% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: -10% on base skills. -1 secondary skills
• 01-15 You were fed by a silver spoon. If you couldn't do it your parents paid someone to do it for you. In school you slacked off and played video games in your spare time. You're a disappointment to your family and there's a remote chance that they've disowned you.
  Modifiers: -8% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: -1/2 the base % on all base, and secondary skills. -2 secondary skills.

Continue to Step 3: the Education Table

Step 2: Middle Class

• 91-00 Your parents instilled a good drive to study/ you naturally have motivation to achieve your potential and you had opportunity (won a scholarship).
  Modifiers: +30% to base skill chance rolls. +16% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: +5% on base skills. +1 secondary skill.
• 61-90 You're pretty much a regular person.
  Modifiers: +20% to base skill chance rolls. +8% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: None!
• 26-60 Just because you went to school doesn't mean that you studied hard. You always knew that you could rely on your parents – or at least their bank account.
  Modifiers: +10% to base skill chance rolls. +0% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: -10% on base skills. -1 secondary skills.
• 01-25 In school you slacked off and played video games in your spare time. You're a disappointment to your family.
  Modifiers: -8% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: -1/2 the base % on all base and secondary skills. -2 secondary skills.

Continue to Step 3: the Education Table

Step 2: Lower class

• 96-00 Your parents instilled a good drive to study/ you naturally have motivation to achieve your potential and you had opportunity (won a scholarship).
  Modifiers: +30% to base skill chance rolls. +16% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: +5% to all base skills. +1 secondary skill.
• 76-95 You're pretty much a regular person.
  Modifiers: +20% to base skill chance rolls. +8% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: None!
• 31-75 Just because you went to school doesn't mean that you studied hard. You always knew that you could rely on your parents - or at least their bank account.
  Modifiers: +10% to base skill chance rolls. +0% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: -10% on base skills. -1 secondary skills.
• 06-30 In school you slacked off and played video games in your spare time. You're a disappointment to your family.
  Modifiers: -8% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: -1/2 the base % on all base and secondary skills. -2 other skills.
• 01-05 You had to work to live. There was no time for homework and sometimes no time to go to school!
  Modifiers: +30% to base skill chance rolls. -16% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: +15% on base skills. +4 secondary skills.

Continue to Step 3: the Education Table

Step 2: Indigent

• 96-00 Your parents instilled a good drive to study/ you naturally have motivation to achieve your potential and you had opportunity (won a scholarship).
  Modifiers: +30% to base skill chance rolls. +16% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: +5% to all base skills. +1 secondary skill.
• 76-95 You're pretty much a regular person.
  Modifiers: +20% to base skill chance rolls. +8% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: None!
• 31-75 Just because you went to school doesn't mean that you studied hard. You always knew that you could rely on your parents - or at least their bank account.
  Modifiers: +10% to base skill chance rolls. +0% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: -10% on base skills. -1 secondary skills.
• 06-30 In school you slacked off and played video games in your spare time. You're a disappointment to your family.
  Modifiers: -8% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: -1/2 the base % on all base and secondary skills. -2 other skills.
• 01-05 You had to work to live. There was no time for homework and sometimes no time to go to school!
  Modifiers: +30% to base skill chance rolls. -16% to education table roll.
  Bonuses: +15% on base skills. +4 secondary skills.

Continue to Step 3: the Education Table

Step 3: Education Table

Non-humanized Zentraadi characters are limited to Trade School/on the job training, as per the following, but the skill bonus is equal to the education table roll modifier from Step 2.

Note: if skills are starting at attribute levels (ie: ignoring the base skill percents in the game books), then the following optional rules are recommended:

• All skill percentage increases acquired during character creation are applied as-is, without using the skill experience points system. The same holds true for experience acquired during game play in PBP (play by post) games up to 100%. Thereafter, the skill experience points system is applied.
• Base skills start at three times (3x) the attribute percent level, except when a specific percent (eg: 98%) is given; and modified by any background education levels.
• the skill bonus is added to the base skills.
• the skill bonus is doubled and added to all skill program and MOS skills.
• Secondary skills start at three times (3x) the attribute percent level.
• Any skill percent bonuses are applied only one time per skill.

• For every year of experience, +1D10% is applied to each and every skill (but the +1D20% on one skill bonus is not applied.)
• Learning new skills: +1 attribute percentage per week for the first two weeks. Thereafter, +1D10% per week. (Eg: PC with IQ 9. First week of training, the skill is 18%. Second week of training, it's 27%. Third week, it's 35% (rolled an 8 on a D10.) Etc..)
• If the training is particularly intensive, double the rate of progression. (Eg: End of first week is 27%. The second week it's 45%. The third week it's 54% (rolled 9 on a D20.) Etc..)

Education Score	Level	Number of Skill Programs	Skill Bonus	Limitations	Number of Secondary Skills
101+	Same as Doctorate/Ph.D	5 +1 at 110%, +2 at 120%	+35%	F	10
93-100	Doctorate/Ph.D	4	+35%	E	10
85-92	Master's Degree	4	+30%	D	10
76-84	Bachelor's Degree	3	+25%	C	10
67-75	4 years of University	3	+20%	C	8
57-66	3 years of University	3	+15%	C	8
42-56	2 years of college	2	+15%	B	8
22-41	1 year of college	2	+10%	B	8
02-21	Trade School/on the job training	2	+20%	B	8
01 or lower	High School graduate	1 & the High School Program	+5%	A	10

Note: This is immediately post graduation/starting work. For characters experienced in the same job (no career changes), add 1D10% (1-2 years) or 1D20% (3+ years) to the main skill program's skills, and 10% of that result to all the other skills.

For those continuing on to a military OCC

Anyone can join the military. Joining costs 1 skill program*. See the following for more details:

• Military Skill Program and MOS

Step 4: Skill Programs

Special Restrictions:

• 1 Espionage and Military Skills are limited to specialized training and can NOT be selected unless the player has an EXCELLENT reason why their character has them.
• 2 A Skill Program can be selected only ONCE unless otherwise stated.

Available skill programs:

F: Choose one, two, three or none from High Level/University. Choose remaining skill programs from: Career/University, Career/College Education or Part-time/High School education only. Bonus skill programs can be picked from any category.

E: Choose one, two or none from High Level/University. Choose remaining skill programs from: Career/University, Career/College Education or Part-time/High School education only.

D: Choose one or none from High Level/University. Choose remaining skill programs from: Career/University, Career/College Education or Part-time/High School education only.

C: Choose one or none from Career/University. Choose remaining skill programs from: Career/College Education or Part-time/High School education only.

B: Choose one or none from Career/College Education. Choose remaining skill programs from: Part-time/High School education only. Non-humanized Zentraadi characters can choose any MOS that is reasonable for a non-humanized Zentraadi. There are some skill programs, such as the Music Producer, which are not possible given the non-humanized Zentraadi culture.

A: Choose from Part-time/High School education only.

Options:
• the player can choose one more of the equivalent education level, but the additional skill program has 1/2 the bonus %, and the character is -2 secondary skills.
• possibility of an additional skill program every 2 years: Roll 1D100 + and add the educational table roll modifier. 1 additional skill program if the result is 51% or higher. Roll 1D10 for the bonus %.

Step 5: Secondary Skills

Non-humanized Zentraadi characters can choose any secondary skill that is reasonable for a non-humanized Zentraadi, as per the rules outlined above. There are some secondary skills, such as domestic, which are not possible given the non-humanized Zentraadi culture.

Secondary Skill List

Communications Radio: Basic Optic System TV/Video Domestic Art Cook Dance Fishing Musical Instrument Sew Sing Electrical Basic Electronics Computer Repair Espionage Escape Artist Forgery Land Navigation Wilderness Survival Mechanical Basic Mechanics Auto Mechanics Computer Repair Medical First Aid Holistic Medicine Military None (any if in the military) Physical Hand to Hand: Basic *Hand to Hand: Martial Arts Athletics (general) Body Building and Weight Lifting Climbing and Rappelling Juggling

Mountaineering Prowl Running Skiing Swimming Tai Chi Yoga Pilot Airplane; single or twin engine *Helicopter Parachuting Automobile Destroid: civilian types only Horsemanship Motorcycle Truck Boats - Motor and hydrofoils Boats - Sail Type Water Skiing and Surfing EVA *Variable Fighter: civilian types only Pilot Related Navigation Navigation Space Read Sensory Instruments Rogue Appraisal Cardsharp Computer Hacking Concealment Forgery Imitate Voice Gambling Lip Reading

Palming Pick Locks Pick Pockets Safecracking Streetwise Science Basic Math Advanced mathematics Technical Carpentry Computer Operation Computer Programming Construction Editor General Repair/Maintenance Hunting Identify Plants and Animals Journalism Land Navigation Language Lore Meditation Photography Research Sign Language Teaching Writing WP W.P. Blunt W.P. Chain W.P. Knife W.P. Revolver W.P. Automatic Pistol W.P. Rifle W.P. Sub-Machinegun

* Hand to Hand: Martial Arts and Pilot: Helicopter each count as two skill selections

REFERENCES USED

Palladium Books Game Engine

Numerous players of the MRG and MRC over the years who have play-tested these.