#13: Are You Experienced?

[RPGnet Columns]

http://www.rpg.net/columns/talesfromtherockethouse/talesfromtherockethouse13.phtml

Summary:

On character advancement systems in RPGs.

Go to the column (http://www.rpg.net/columns/talesfromtherockethouse/talesfromtherockethouse13.phtml) for more information.

[mfriedman]

One of the things I like about the various versions of Traveller is their use of the training system for skill advancement. Want to take your Chemistry skill from 2 to 3? Take 2 years of classes and get another degree. Want to increase Gun Combat (Pistol) from 1 to 2? Take a few months of classes and practice in your off hours.

The main reason this works inside the game, though, is that characters have all that down time during starship jumps. That lets them keep up on their studies without interfering with adventuring time... mostly. So you can have slow advancement based on training but also have adventures at the same time.

[chatterbox]

I seem to recall that GURPS (3rd edition at least) had some time based training as well, you could gain character points to spend on a specific attribute or skill after spending a certain period of time practicing/training. Some examples they included were learning a new language through immersion, on the job learning, and study courses.

The Millennium's End system also had some advancement based on time spend training/learning a skill, but I don't remember that very well.

Loved the article, especially the "White Wolf, I'm looking at YOU" bit.

[Knarf]

GURPS does have a training mechanic in which 200 hours of study = 1 character point of growth. This relates purely to downtime, and I'm not sure if it's just controls how many character points you can give to various things, or if the results of the exercise are "free."

Also remember that there is explicit advancement and implicit advancement. Explicit advancement is the traditional XP route. Implicit advancement involves a system where characters don't gain XPs, as it were, but advance through other methods. S. John Ross' Pokethulhu game is a great example of this. No character advancement rules, but there are rules on training your little monsters and the assumption that you will acquire more.

[Paul DuPont]

I have two forms of 'xp' in my system. One is little more than a 'bonus' system to encourage good role playing (other mechanics already encourage this though, so this bonus xp is relatively lite). The other is based on in-game events. I have not outlined it well, but since it is a fantasy world with a very strong guild system, buying training and skills with oaths of fealty, money, resources and influence.

I'd also like to provide a skill advancement system for stories of growing into adulthood. It would not likely be based on XP, but rather give steps which give progressive boosts to character skills and abilities as he experiences the changes from childhood to manhood (or womanhood).

In fact, this might be similar to my character creation system, if I can get that to work.