From: Charles C. Allen (cca@newton.physics.purdue.edu)
Date: Sat 18 Aug 1990 - 09:56:33 EEST
What's this, another unplaytested idea? Aaarrgh... :-)
Charlie Allen
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RuneQuest 2 & 3 simulate how hard a skill is to learn by giving "difficult" skills a lower starting percentage. As several people have pointed out from time to time, this is not a good solution. It's easy to train when skills are at low %'s, which is the only place a difference exists.
One method for differentiating among various skills is to have the increase be different. To avoid having to come up with Yet Another Number associated with each skill, base the increase on the starting percentage. As a first pass, let
F = 1 + (M/5)
where
F = the "Learning Factor" (see below) M = modified starting % = base starting % + skill bonus
When a character gets a chance to go up in a skill via experience, the player rolls 1dF to get the % increase.
M F Avg
0 1 0.5 5 2 1.0 10 3 2.0 15 4 2.5 20 5 3.0 25 6 3.5
The modified starting % is used so that characters with a bonus in a particular skill learn faster than those without a bonus, which certainly seems reasonable. Yes, they already do since the bonus is included in an experience roll, but the effect is pretty minimal. If the increases seem a little low, just up the additive constant from 1 to 2 or 3. This has not been playtested at all.
This solution affects the rate at which the skill increases, it does not affect the final numbers. In the long run, it'll still be as easy to parry with a maul as with a large shield. But, that's the subject for Yet Another Note....
Charlie Allen cca@newton.physics.purdue.edu
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