Character Creation Step 3: Education Table and Skill Programs

Determine the skills and subsequent education opportunities for your character by:

a: roll for the highest level of education the character attained. (For characters that join the military immediately upon graduating high school: take the High School Graduate option, and move to step bi.)
bi: choose if the character has joined the armed forces
bii: choose which Military Skill Programs (MSP) the character has trained in
c: choose which skill programs the character has been educated in

For über-simple creation:

Any and all subsequent skills are skill "specialities" that a given class, occupation, or speciality provides. Such skills get a bonus when rolling the skill as related to that speciality. Simply add the skill under the section that it is found in.
• Note: Ignore ALL bonuses that are granted by skills to combat, stats, and SDC. Ignore skill bonuses granted by other skills.
  
• The Skill Programs / MOS skills % start at IQ x1. Add the education table skill bonus (ETSB) x 2. The result should be (for a roll result of: 1 year of college):
  Archaeologist Skill Program: IQ x1 + ETSB x2 %
  Wilderness Survival
  Paramedic
  Pilot Wheeled Vehicle
  Land Navigation
  Read Sensory Instruments
  Botany
  Research
  
• Note: If a skill has been selected more than once, add 1D12% (with results of 11 and 12 being +0%) to the skill for every additional appearance or selection after the first time.

link to Step 4

Table of contents

A: Education Table

1D100 + IQ + education table roll modifier; check result on the following chart:

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.

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%	C	10
93-100	Doctorate/Ph.D	4	+35%	C	10
85-92	Master's Degree	4	+30%	C	10
76-84	Bachelor's Degree	3	+25%	C	10
67-75	4 years of University	3	+20%	B	8
57-66	3 years of University	3	+15%	B	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

B: Military Training

• Joining costs 1 skill program*.
• Use either the Education Table skill bonus or a +15% skill bonus, whichever is higher.
• See the following for more details: Military Skill Program and MOS

C: Determining 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:

C: Skill programs from High Level/University and Career/University cost two (2). Skill programs from Career/College Education and Part-time/High School education cost one (1). 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.

B: Skill programs from High Level/University cost three (3). Skill programs from Career/University cost two (2). Skill programs from Career/College Education and Part-time/High School education cost one (1). 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 Skill Program from Part-time/High School education only.

Note: After gameplay has begun, new skills can be learnt at any time by the character. The skill may or may not start at the base % (GM's option), and the % will only go up if the skill is used or studied extensively in-game.

Link to Step 4

Optional Rules

Additional Skill Programs from Work Experience: there is a possibility of an additional skill program for every 2 years of post-education experience (not including post-training service in the armed forces): 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 %.

Example character:

My PC gets 2 skill programs, +20% to those skills, limitation B, and 8 secondary skills. Limitation B is: Choose one or none from Career/College Education. Choose remaining skill programs from: Part-time/High School education only.

As I'm making a regular person in this example, I choose the Office Assistant Skill program and Bodyguard & Bouncer/Doorman Skill Program (I want my character to have some muscle. Maybe he works for the mob?)

REFERENCES USED

Palladium Books Game Engine

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