Character Creation

This document is aimed at players who know their way around 2d6 systems. If not, just download a character sheet .pdf and follow instructions.

You know the drill.

Open a blank doc, or get out pen and paper, or whatever you do.
Name
Age (the default is 34, but you can deviate)
Sex if desired
Description
Stats (characteristics): STR, DEX, END, INT, EDU, SOC; divide 50 points among them, any way you like, but no 15's. If you choose an age less than 34, you can add +1 to CON.
If you want to dice for some personality traits, page 21 in Orbital 2100 has some fun tables, I recommend them.

SKILLS

For the default age of 34, you will get one skill slot per every two years above the age of 18. That means 8 slots, placed wherever you like, to a max of 3 in any one skill. Whatever you do, you will also roll every four years on the event table, some of which result in skills; further, you will roll for one "package" of 3 additional skills, adding some randomness (now you're at 11); you guys will use the connections rule for another two skills (now at 13); depending on your 4 events rolls you might end up with more.

Regarding what you actually do between 18 and 34 (or whatever age you choose), that's up to you. But you should make it explanatory of those 8 skill slots that you chose.

Note the open Job/Profession category. If you put 1-3 points there, corresponding to 2-6 years, it plays out differently (if you remember the first ED DMG "Secondary Skills" table you will understand this readily). Let's say you put 1 points in Job(working on a fishing boat for my uncle out of Puget Sound for 2 years). That allows you the ability to make up a plausible story, on the fly, about your past, to get a roll in a situation. For 2 years in a job, the bonuses would be maybe -1, 0, or 1. So, fishing or boating itself might be a 1; rope use a 0; weather, 0; spotting bait + birds might equate to a 0 in recon situations; then there's weather, navigation, tides and lunar cycles, diesel motors...

Regarding Science(xyz), much the same thinking applies.

The six packages

Skill Package 1: Carouse-1, Art-1, Electronics(Sensors&Remote Ops)-1
Skill Package 2: Streetwise-1, Watercraft-1, Politics-1
Skill Package 3: Human Factors(Environment)-1, Melee(weapon)-1,Medic-1
Skill Package 4: Mechanic-1, Mining(Prospecting)-1, Steward-1
Skill Package 5: Robotics(Social)-1, Gambler-1, Vehicle Operations(ground)-1
Skill Package 6: Administrate-1, Broker-1, Carouse-1