Immortality and Experience

[Tim Nutting]

The only way in the game to get more skills is to increase in level. Aside
from that, NPCs are created with an assumed number of proficiency slots or
character points assigned to skills, depending on the system you use.

I find multi-classing to be completely illogical for the longer lived species,
particularly elves. I've mentioned the books by Dennis McKiernan (the Mithgar
series) as being excellent sources for how to RP immortal fey, and I return to
this source for an example. In the Hel's Crucible duology the reader is
introduced to Loric and Phais. A matched pair, these elves have been alive for
a very, very long time.

Returning to the Sidhe, imagine that most of the living elves were born after
Deismaar, and so are less than 1300 years old. Maybe 35-40% of the society is
made of "graybeards" that are older than the Battle. These people could not
conceivably remain interested enough in their current careers as fighter,
rangers, bards and what have you, to still be that all these years later. They
would do other things, if only for the need to experience something new.

Well, having no way to get more skills aside from killing some bad guys, I'd
recommend the following:

1) Remove Multi-classing from the game structure

2) Change Dual-Class rules to allow the class to switch whenever the character
is awarded a new level in a given class, or a suitable time period (customized
to specific campaigns) has passed.

3) Change DC rules so that the character needs only meet Prime Requisites to
enter a new class. Note that this one can be changed to suit game-play. Some
might prefer to bump that up, but requiring 15 in your current PR and 17 in
EVERY PR on the new class is somewhat ridiculous.

4) No longer is the old class neutered. Rather than the hard and fast "use
the old lose the XP" rule, try a more customized approach, and cut awarded
experience by a variable percentage. If all the fighter-turned-mage does is
pull a sword and start hacking, then maybe 10%, but if he tries to use
mage-like abilities, accordingly reward the PC. Further, HP, THAC0, and Saving
Throws remain un-altered. There is no reason to fight or dodge in an inferior
fashion when trying to learn a new spell. The only way a new teacher should
convince the pupil to adapt inferior methods is if they are building blocks
that replace the current methods with superior ones, and that really doesn't
apply in this game structure.

5) Deal with the game breakers by REQUIRING training through 7th level.
Especially on Cerilia will the finding of new instructors be difficult, but it
will keep the game manageable. Further, if you experience the
fighter-turned-mage becoming a fighter every time his mage level ups to get the
better HP, have the Mentor brush him off forever, and pass the bad word around.
Make the PC miserable for daring to Min/Max, as always you should do.

6) If your game passes time for a very long time (i.e. - playing some elves and
let 200 years pass) maybe they should be given a few NWPs or Character points,
perhaps as many as 1 slot per 25-50 years or 1 CP per 10 years. Relax this by
a factor of 10 (or more) for humans, mostly due to their "gotta have it now"
drive that most elves tend to lack (PCs being the usual exception - )

Game on
Tim Nutting

[Tim Nutting]

> Let start saying that your suggestions are good and sound logicaly to
> me. I would like to point out the 'training' action, which allows the
> training of new proficiencies without the available slots for 2 actions.
> This a character action and is possible by each and every character. And
> what is 2 months to an elf?

I don't know why that so completely evaded me....

I even wrote a supplemental house rule that allowed Ability improvement with 10
successes at the training action. Never got abused because everyone could find
better things to do than lift weights...

If you all use the CP system from Skills & Powers, I recommend that the
training action award 2 CP. I also award 5 CP per level, so this is not to
extreme in most cases. If you award less than 5, say the minimum recommended
3, then only give 1 for training.

Game on.
Tim Nutting