The next career is Belter which I am handling as a specialty of the Merchant career. This career has two oddities about it, it starts at age 14 and the survival DM is the number of terms served. The age will be ignored as no one starts as a Belter, as for the terms I am going to say prior terms in Merchants do count because realistically chances to make it through a single term is fairly low.
I had thought a lot about whether Belter should be under Scout or Merchant. My view of the Belter is a being that surveys and analyses planetary bodies to determine their content. That sounds like something the service tasked with mapping the universe should be doing. I chose Merchant instead because the end goal is profit not to see what is there. I also am going to use the existence of this career to flesh out how the Scouts work though. The Imperium picks an object in a system to place an Imperial Consulate (IC) and expends some effort on that one place. The rest of the system doesn't rate an additional effort by the Imperium leaving it to the government of the world with the IC to develop the system as it sees fit. This is why atlas's only list the one UPP for the main world and from my previous ideas almost any visitor to the system is going to start and stop at that main world to check in and out with the IC.
So to get a transfer to Belter from regular service is not easy a high DEX is somewhat helpful but a bigger bump comes from having a slightly below average or higher INT. Coordination and speed are helpful but it is more helpful to be able to analyse data and react to it.
Survival (or the lack there of) is not easy. This service makes the Scouts look like a stay in the penthouse of a 5 star hotel.There is no bonus to the roll for any stat just for how long you have been doing it. With my modified careers you start with a 7+ in the worse case (Merchant for 1 term then going into Belter for the second) which is not a good chance. It seems that GDW's view was loners don't stand as good a chance as members of a group which is pretty sensible.
There is no commission or promotion and no 2 skills per term either so a Belter won't have as many skills as a veteran of another service. I am unhappy with this but am not sure if it is worth tinkering with the rules. I am thinking of adding a 5+ on 1D6 to get a roll on a table 1. Prospecting 2. JOT 3. Vacc Suit 4. Electronics 5. Mechanical 6. Grav Vehicle each term.
The reenlistment roll means the Imperium doesn't see the value in paying people to do this for long. It is only slightly better than a 50/50 chance you can continue. So they do want people poking around in the various systems but the payout for the Imperium isn't high enough to keep people on the payroll to do it.
The material benefits table has Low; INT; High; Weapon; Travellers and Seeker. The two passages come from the separation lottery, Weapon is participation in the service tournaments and INT from having spent time thinking for yourself. Travellers Aid membership seems a little out of place only because it doesn't show up in the basic careers except in the Navy and Marines, probably while poking around you found something more interesting than a mineral. The Seeker is the only ship you can get for free that I don't see as a distraction to play. It is to small to turn into an effective pirate or carry enough cargo to turn the game into an economics model though it can carry enough to pay for itself removing that burden from players minds. Also being a Type S the Scouts no longer wanted means it can break down whenever the GM wants it to without him being to much of a dick.
The cash table is not a thing to bring joy to the heart looking at it two chances for nothing, one pocket change, one average and two chances at big bucks. At least there is chance to gain Gambling so you can get a +1 because it isn't to likely you are going to retire from the Belters to get it the other way.
The Personal Development table has the 3 Physical stats; Gambling; Brawling and Vacc Suit. I am okay with the gold rush in space vibe of this.
Service Skills has Vacc x2; Prospecting x2; Forward Observer and Ship's Boat. I am okay with Vacc and Prospecting you are going to spend a lot of time in Zero G and Vacuum and your goal is to find stuff to mine. Forward Observer? I am dubious about the prevalence of situations you are calling orbital fire missions. Ship's Boat might make sense except the apparent craft of choice is a starship not a pinnace.
Advanced Education 1 has Ship's Boat; Prospecting x2; Electronics; Mechanical and Instruction. Electronics and Mechanical I can see to keep you Seeker functional but Instruction? Yes any service is going to need for it's more experienced members to teach new comers and the basic careers predate this skill so it could be that is why they don't have it but I am not convinced you would receive a teaching degree looking at rocks.
Advance Education 2 has Navigation; Medical; Pilot; Computer; Engineering and JOT. All of these make sense to me although I think JOT should be more prevalent throughout all four tables.
Also all Belters get Vacc Suit-1 which makes a lot of sense to me particularly as I am using Vacc Suit to represent familiarity with Zero G as well.
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