TEXT:  
   
  -  - 
   
  Life Pursuits
  And Experience
   
   Characters can designate specific areas of interest in their lives and improve them 
  over time. 
   
   A Life Pursuit is a skill emphasis by a character: a statement that a specific skill has priority for that character. It may be the 
  character’s job, his hobby, or some other area of importance. A Certificate is a formal statement that a character can succeed 
  at specific tasks. Together, these two concepts allow a character to improve his store of skills through Experience. 
   
  LIFE PURSUITS 
   Life Pursuits provide specific advantages in use of the 
  related skills, and in acquiring experience. 
   
  Life Pursuit Defined 
   A Life Pursuit is a brief statement about a specific job or 
  hobby or interest. It is defined with a Title, a Primary Skill, a 
  Required Characteristic, a C+S, and (optional) Secondary 
  Skills. 
   
   Life Pursuit 
   Descriptive Title 
   Characteristic. Skill. C+S=12. 
   Commentary. 
   
   Title. The Title of the Life Pursuit is stated as a job title or 
  occupation. A few words of description may be included. 
   Primary Skill. The Primary Skill is the most appropriate 
  skill, knowledge, or talent for the Life Pursuit. 
   Required Characteristic. A Required Characteristic is the 
  characteristic most applicable to the use of the Primary Skill. 
   Secondary Skills. One or more Secondary Skills may be 
  stated (but are not required). 
   For example, 
   
   Life Pursuit 
   Neurosurgeon Doctor in interstellar service. 
   Medical. Dexterity. C+S=12. 
   
   Life Pursuit 
   Competitive Weight Lifter. 
   Athlete. Strength. C+S=12. 
   
   A character with Medical and Dexterity can have this Life 
  Pursuit if the sum of Medical and Dexterity is at least 12. 
   
  Required C+S 
   The required C+S for a character’s first Life Pursuit is 12; 
  enough to succeed at an Average task 100% of the time. The 
  required C+S increases +1 in each additional Life Pursuit. A 
  character’s tenth Life Pursuit requires C+S= 21. 
   Only the Primary Skill value is used in C+S. Other skills 
  can be stated but are not included in the calculation. 
   How Many Life Pursuits? A Life Pursuit expresses an 
  important interest or ability for a character. While it is possible 
  to have dozens of Life Pursuits, they do not then express 
  important interests. Most characters should have 3 or 4 Life 
  Pursuits. 
   For Reference. A player may ask about a particular Life 
  Pursuit ("What's involved in being a Concert Pianist?"). The 
  Game Master records a Life Pursuit and marks it "For 
  Reference." Players can then decide if they want to use that 
  Life Pursuit. 
   
   Life Pursuit (For Reference) 
   Concert Pianist 
   Dexterity. Music. C+S=12. 
   Primary Instrument = Piano. 
    
   A Hobby. An otherwise unqualified character may make 
  one Life Pursuit his hobby even if he does not have the 
  required C+S. It is labeled Hobby. 
   
   Life Pursuit (Hobby) 
   Concert Pianist 
   Dexterity. Music. C+S=12. 
   Primary Instrument = Piano. 
   
  Shifting Priorities 
   A Character can shuffle the priorities of his Life Pursuits 
  from time to time.  
   
  The Value Of A Life Pursuit 
   Life Pursuits show the areas that a character cares about 
  in his life. When a Life Pursuit skill is used, the character is 
  allowed Mod +1. 
   The Experience Rules can only increase a skill, talent, or 
  knowledge which has been designated a Life Pursuit.  
   
  CERTIFICATES 
   A Certificate is a formal statement that a character can 
  succeed at specific tasks. Expressed in the format Certificate 
  of <Skill>, it shows that the character has successfully 
  passed an examination (in game time, under the direction of 
  the Referee) in the Skill. 
   Certificates are the basis for employment decisions (many 
  occupations state a Certificate requirement). 
   Certificates reflect documented competency in specific 
  skills, talents, or knowledges. They are often requirements for 
  employment. 
   
  Taking The Test 
   A character can take a certificate test by showing up at an 
  appropriate testing center, paying the fee, and succeeding at 
  the test task. 
   Testing Centers. Most large cities have testing centers 
  (although there is rarely a centralized testing location). The 
  
   
   
  -  - 
  Trade skills are tested at Labor halls, the Sciences are tested 
  at Universities, Military skills are tested at Army (or 
  Mercenary) bases. 
   The Tests. The standard tests for Certificates specify the 
  Skill being tested and its associated Characteristic (specified 
  by the Referee). 
   
  Certificate Types 
   There are four types of certification: 
   Qualified. A Qualified individual has met the minimum 
  requirements of a skill. He must show the ability to succeed 
  at an Easy task. When a job or vocation states a skill-related 
  job title, a character must generally be Qualified in order to 
  be hired. 
   A character with a Qualified Certificate is a Novice. 
   
   To Show Skill for Qualified Certificate (Absolute 1 hr) 
   Easy (1D) < Characteristic + Skill 
   
   Competent. A Competent individual is qualified to perform 
  many tasks within a skill. He must show the ability to succeed 
  at a Difficult task. 
   
   To Show Skill for Competent Certificate (Absolute 1 hr) 
   Difficult (3D) < Characteristic + Skill 
   
   Experienced. An Experienced individual is qualified to 
  perform most tasks within a skill. He must show the ability to 
  succeed at a Formidable task. 
   
   To Show Skill for Experienced Certificate (Absolute 1 hr) 
   Formidable (4D) < Characteristic + Skill 
   
   Master. A Master individual is qualified to perform virtually 
  all tasks within a skill. He must show the ability to succeed at 
  a Staggering task. 
   
   To Show Skill for Experienced Certificate (Absolute 1 hr) 
   Staggering (5D) < Characteristic + Skill 
   
   Cautious. Since the "test" is probably time-limited, a 
  character may not declare it Cautious. 
   Cramming. A character may study prior to the test (the 
  goal is Easy Flux as a Mod). Thus, if a character has a C+S 
  within 5 of the required value can benefit from cramming the 
  night before the test. 
   
   To cram for a test 
   DIfficult (3D) < Characteristic + Skill 
   Study materials required.  
   Success allows Easy Flux Mod on Certificate Test 
   
   Repeating Tests. Each subsequent test-taking requires a 
  Mod -1 (the first retake = Mod -1; the second retake requires 
  Mod -2). This process discourages characters from taking 
  tests for which they are not qualified. 
   
  The Value Of A Certificate 
   Employment in standard career job descriptions requires 
  an appropriate Certificate. 
   For example, in the hiring process, a prospective employer 
  does NOT inquire, “What is your skill level in Astrogation?” 
  Instead, he asks to see the character’s Astrogation Certificate 
  and evaluates it (Qualified, Competent, Experienced, or 
  Master) and whether the potential employee on that basis. 
   For example, a player-character may be hiring an 
  Astrogator for his Free Trader. The referee generates (or 
  selects from a suitable list) a series of job candidates the 
  player evaluates them. The reasonable procedure is to 
  compare their Astrogation Certificates. 
   The potential problem is the unqualified fluke. A character 
  can conceivably perform especially well on a high level test 
  and qualify for Experienced or even Master with a relatively 
  low skill level. 
   Record Certificates with the name of the skill and the 
  proper label (for example, Astrogator- Qualified). 
   
  EXPERIENCE 
   Characters continue to improve their abilities throughout 
  their lives. The Experience process is the mechanism for this 
  improvement. 
   Assumptions. The expected standard is that a character 
  will gain one skill a year through experience. Time is tracked 
  for each character, and the character has a birthday. 
   
  The Process 
   In the course of play, after each session, the referee 
  reviews the events and notes for each player the Life Pursuit 
  Skill best used during the session. This may reflect some 
  negotiation as the referee and players discuss what they feel 
  was the best use for each player. This information is 
  recorded. 
   Every year, on the character’s birthday, the character 
  reminisces about his activities over the past 365 days and 
  reviews the Best Used skills. From this reminiscence and 
  review, one skill will become obvious or prominent. The 
  character receives an increase of +1 level in that prominent 
  skill. 
   Alternatives. Substitute the last day of the calendar year 
  for the character’s birthday and review for all characters at 
  one time. 
   
  Negative Experience 
   The passage of time reduces some aspects of a 
  character’s store of knowledge. At the same time that 
  Experience is determined, apply the following negative 
  Experience. 
   Every 4th year, reduce the character’s World knowledges 
  by -1. 
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Traveller/09 - Traveller5/Traveller5/T5 Underlying PDFs/T5=1154 Experience.pdf