Phoenix (skill mechanism)

[Albert Sales]

   I found that cutting out "or 80" skills worked very well. I cut the NEL in half, but used that as a multiple. The max formula was then divided by the number of stats x 5. The low-level skill spread allows for true MASTERS of their art, and allows much more variation on the rolls. I had started working at breaking down ALL skills (even spells and combat) to using these rolls. It worked well at certain levels, as listed, but I still had some touching up to do for when levels got too high. That is another old project I can try to dig up. (actually, I was doing this for a high-tech modification my players wanted to see me try. P&P works very poorly for high-tech settings with the existing damage system, IMHO).

"Choinski, Burton" <Burton.Choinski at MATRIXONE.COM> wrote:    One of the things that I liked about RuneQuest was the skill improvement system as we played it with our houserules. Each successful use of a skill would get a checkmark to the skill. When time was available to ponder what had happened (after a battle - not during) one could roll to increase in any skill checked. Multiple checks meant an improved chance of successfully increasing the skill.
    In combat P&P gives an automatic expertise, once only per skill, that requires knowing the CDF of the highest CDF opponent the skill was used against. Actually I believe that Scott uses a house rule modification eliminating the once only limitation. Rule 2.22 also lists other ways expertise is gained.

At one point I was playing around with the ruleset, trying to work out my own version of "P&P light".  In one incarnation I think I had collapsed the skill costs by a factor of five (producing NELx1, NELx2, NELx3 and NELx4 skills).  If a skill was used successfully in a "scene" you gained a d6 roll afterwards.  For combat skills I think you got 1d6 per CDF.  At the end you simply rolled and gained an actual skill point on even die rolls.  It has been a while, so I can't remember all the details.

One of the biggest problems in P&P combat experience is that, effectively, experience boiled down to AHP squared.  Giants, with horrendous DCV, were just meat on feet and were actually sought after for EXP gain.



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