For RPG-a-Day 2026 I am republishing Mirk the Meek's collaborative episodes on different genres. You can read all about that here: https://podbypost.com/nerds/rpg-a-day-2026
But for the blog I will be somewhat following Anthony's lead (read his post here: https://castingshadowsblog.com/2026/07/31/rpgaday2026-starts-tomorrow-my-plan/ )
Basically that means I will post a character on each Sunday of August. I'll start this week with 1977 Traveller. While I am using the 1977 edition you can get the rules I am using, with some minor changes and errata, for free off DrivethruRPG. I don't have an affiliate link or anything so I'm just posting this link for ease of access. It is not an endorsement of the site.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/355200/classic-traveller-facsimile-edition
Let's start at the beginning:
INITIAL CHARACTER GENERATION
Characters are generated initially through a series of six double dice rolls, which determine the basic characteristics affecting abilities and reactions. Each player should roll two dice for each of the six characteristics: Strength, Dexterity, Endurance, Intelligence, Education, and Social Standing. Record the results.
Strength is both a general evaluation of the character's physical ability, and a specific measure of force which may be applied in combat situations.
Dexterity measures physical coordination.
Endurance measures physical stamina and determination.
Intelligence corresponds to IQ.
Education indicates the highest level of schooling attained.
Social Standing notes the social class and level of society from which the character (and his family) come.
Values for characteristics may range initially from 2 to 12 (7 is considered average). As a result of various modifications, characteristic values may ultimately range from 1 to 15. Characteristics (for player-characters) may never exceed 15, and do not go below 1 except for calamitous injury or aging.
Obviously, it is possible for a player to generate a character with seemingly unsatisfactory values; nevertheless, each player should use his character as generated. The experience procedures and acquired skills table offer a genuine opportunity to enhance values, given only time and luck. Should a player consider his character to be so poor as to be beyond help, he should consider joining the accident prone Scout Corps, with a subconscious view to suicide.
Wow, that took a dark turn at the end didn't it! Traveller just uses standard six sided dice.
Strength 5
Dexterity 8
Endurance 8
Intelligence 5
Education 9
Social Standing 5
Well considering that the book says 7 is average this is a decidedly below average character! Maybe I should follow their advice and attempt to join the Scout Service!
Now it is time to name our character, I'm going to quote the book here to show how our concept of naming characters has changed since 1977, or has it?
Once generated, a character should be named. Several schools of thought exist as to the nature of names.
One school holds that the character should carry the name of his player; the referee can then refer to Frank or John and everyone present knows exactly who's who. This usage, while convenient, tends to lose some of the flavor of the campaign.
The other school calls for the use of pseudonyms, or fanciful names (for example, Jamison, or Fairweather; more extremely, Seeker, or Starkiller). As with everything in the game, the actual choice depends only on imagination.
Titles: A character with a Social Standing of 11 or greater may assume his family’s hereditary title. The full range of titles is given in Book 3. For initial naming, a Social Standing of 11 allows the use of Sir, denoting hereditary knighthood; a Social Standing of 12 allows use of Baron, or prefixing von to the character’s surname.
Rank: Characters receiving commissions and promotions (explained below) may use their rank as part of their names, even after leaving the service, or retiring.
So I could just stick with Jason or do something fancy like Planet Smasher. Best ask my GM so for now we'll thread the middle with a slight twist of both, Jazon Smasher. No worries about having a title with a Social Standing of 5!
At this point Jazon is 18 years old and ready to start his adult life. In original Traveller you gain experience by joining one of six services. Your options are Navy, Marines, Army, Scouts, Merchants, or Other. These options would be quickly expanded on in later books. While I won't post the tables here, remember you can get a free PDF at the link above, each service has a target number to enlist, to survive a term (4 years), to be commissioned as an officer, to get promoted, and to reenlist. Some of these rolls are modified depending on your characteristics. Once you are in the service you will have a chance to learn skills each term. If you fail the reenlistment roll you are mustered out and ready to start adventuring. If you don't try to enlist at all, or are rejected, you will be drafted in one of the services so you will have a chance to get some skills whether your dice like you or not.
Let's take Jazon through the process. What service should he attempt to enlist in? Looking at the modifiers the Army gives a bonus to some rolls for Dext, Endur, and Educ which are Jazon's three above average characteristics. The negative to the Army is that the reenlistment roll is the highest of all the services. What the heck, let's give it a go.
To enlist in the Army I need to roll a 5+ on two dice. I get to add +1 if Jazon's Dext is 6 or greater and +2 if his Endur is 5 or greater, since Jazon has both I add +3 to my roll. I rolled a 6 (modified to a 9) so the recruiter happily takes him in.
Now for the controversial Survival check, if I fail this Jazon dies in the line of duty. Later editions softened this. The roll is 5+ and I get to add +2 if his Educ is 6 or greater which it is. with a roll of 6 (modifed to 8) Jazon survives his first term.
Since he survived let's see if he manages to get a Commission. He needs a 5+ and gets to add +1 if his Endur is 8 or higher which it is. I rolled a 9 (modified to 10) so Jazon is commissioned as a Lieutenant!
Now we see if he receives a Promotion during this term, yes I know it seem like double dipping to get commissioned and promoted in the same term but the rules specifically allow it. To receive a promotion I need to roll 6+ and I get a +1 if Jazon's Educ is 7 or higher, see why I picked the Army? I roll a 9 (modified to 10) and Jazon is promoted to Captain. Not bad for a 22 year old which is the age he'll be at the end of this term.
The next step is to see what skills Jazon learns during the term. He automatically gets Rifle-1 for joining the Army and SMG-1 for getting commissioned to Lieutenant. The rest of a character's skills come from random rolls on tables. The you do get to pick the tables you roll on though. The options are Personal Development, Service Skills, Advanced Education, and a second Advanced Education that requires a 8 or greater Education characteristic to roll on, luckily Jazon meets that requirement. During a character's first term they get two skill rolls. Getting commissioned also grants a roll as does being promoted so Jazon will get four rolls and can pick any of the tables. I'm actually going to roll once on each table. That gives Jazon the following skills: +1 Dext, Air/Raft-1, Gun Combat-1, Medical-1. For Gun Combat I need to pick a specific weapon type, let's go with Automatic Pistol-1.
Now we need to see if Jazon is allowed to reenlist. I need to roll 7+ and there are no modifiers. 8! Jazon just made it. Time for term two.
The modifiers are the same so let's start with the Survival roll, 7 all good there. Next we see if Jazon is promoted, another 7 so he is now a Major. After the first term you get one skill roll a term but he gets a second roll due to the promotion. Let's roll on the two Advanced Education tables. We get Electronic-1 and Administration-1. Last we roll to see if Jazon can reenlist. I roll a 4 and he is not able to reenlist and at 26 is ready to start his adventuring career.
Let's muster him out, there are two tables you can roll on, the first give you stuff and possibly characteristic increases and the second is for credits. You roll once for each term of service and can be awarded extra rolls depending on what rank you achieved. Major Jazon Smasher gets four total rolls, two for time in service and two for mustering out as a Major. I am going to make all the rolls on the first table as being short of cash is always a good way to start an adventuring career.
I roll 2,5,1,1. That works out to +1 Intelligence, one ticket for a High Passage, and two for Low Passages. High Passage is basically first class travel and Low Passage is being cryogenically frozen during transport with a chance of not surviving the defrosting process. Jazon will sell the two Low Passages for 900 credits each (90% of the ticket cost) which will give him 1,800 credits, one High Passage ticket, and the clothes on his back at the beginning of the campaign.
Let's put this all together in narrative form.
Young Jazon Smasher loved to read and learn. His family was poor but luckily he rarely got sick and had good hand eye coordination, helpful for video games, but he struggled at school. He also detested physical labor. When he came of age he did quite a bit of research into the various services and decided the Army had the most benefits for the least amount of risk. It also appeared he could probably skate by if he played his cards right. Off to the recruiter he went.
He was able to ace the test and was accepted into the Army. Although he was trained as a rifleman, as all soldiers are, Jazon decided to volunteer for a medical program and managed to not only get a commission to Lieutenant but a promotion to Captain during his first term. Medics typically carry pistols so he was trained in the use of the standard issue automatic as well as piloting air rafts to evacuate patients. Officers get to carry submachine guns instead of rifles so he was trained in their use as well. He managed to avoid being deployed in any combat areas and had no problem reenlisting.
On his second term he was promoted to Major and became better versed in administration and bureaucracy. Stationed at a remote outpost he picked up the hobby of repairing electronics. Sadly the Army was going through a draw down when he came up to reenlist and his lack of combat experience kept him from being retained, he was mustered out at 26 years old and now has to find a way to support himself.
One of the cool things about this game is the Universal Personality Profile, a shorthand to see a character's mechanical build. Here is what the book says about it:
Characters may be precisely defined using the Universal Personality Profile (the UPP), which expresses the basic characteristics in a specific sequence, using hexadecimal (base 16) notation. In hexadecimal notation, the digits 0 through 9 are represented by common arabic numbers; the digits 10 through 15 are represented by the letters A through F. The highest single digit in base 16 notation is 15. Characteristics are listed as a string of 6 digits, in the order originally rolled: strength, dexterity, endurance, intelligence, education and social standing.
For example, a character who is totally average in all respects would have a UPP of 777777. If, however, he were highly intelligent, his UPP would be 777B77 (the B in the 4th position indicating an intelligence of 11).
While the use of the UPP is voluntary, it is made available to allow the referee
and other characters to see at a glance the characteristics of persons they encounter
and deal with.
The UPP for Major Jazon Smasher is 598695. So here is how you would write him up in a module:
Major Jazon Smasher 598695 Admin-1, Air/Raft-1, Auto Pistol-1, Elect-1, Medical-1, Rifle-1, SMG-1
That is all for this week, see you next Sunday, 9 August, when I create a character for AD&D 1E!
