Level progression

[Sammit]

So i have a gaming group that i am getting into After the Bomb. We have been spoiled by the fun choose-your-own-power of D&D 3.5Ed, and although we played other palladium stuff, my players were sad that skill improvements and HP are the only this that improve essentially. I had the thought of granting Bio-E after each level, like mutants continue to mutate. Right now I am thinking 5 Bio-E per level, and you can save it up to suddenly sprout wings or something (not really sudden, but you get the idea). I'd also let people buy back Vestigial penalties. What do you people thing? is 5 too much?

[Nightmask]

Sounds fine to me, given the world is still in a recovery state with various mutagenic features around having characters suddenly mutating a la Gamma World isn't out of character for the setting. You should consider including the ability to learn new skills as they go along as well (seriously, the game designer thinking that everyone would end up dead before they could learn anything new is a baffling deal, why even have levels if no one's supposed to survive the first level? ).

[Sammit]

Sounds fine to me, given the world is still in a recovery state with various mutagenic features around having characters suddenly mutating a la Gamma World isn't out of character for the setting. You should consider including the ability to learn new skills as they go along as well (seriously, the game designer thinking that everyone would end up dead before they could learn anything new is a baffling deal, why even have levels if no one's supposed to survive the first level? ).

Yeah, i thought that was odd too! What do you think a level progression for secondary skills should be?

[Nightmask]

Sounds fine to me, given the world is still in a recovery state with various mutagenic features around having characters suddenly mutating a la Gamma World isn't out of character for the setting. You should consider including the ability to learn new skills as they go along as well (seriously, the game designer thinking that everyone would end up dead before they could learn anything new is a baffling deal, why even have levels if no one's supposed to survive the first level? ).

Yeah, i thought that was odd too! What do you think a level progression for secondary skills should be?

I think what seems to be standard is picking up a secondary skill at ever level divisible by 3 when you look around at Palladium's other products. You might also include the idea from Heroes Unlimited of a character going 'back to school' as it were, doing intensive training someplace devoted to learning to pick up a new primary skill at the expense of being retired while training for those months.

[glitterboy2098]

if they want to roleplay through the learning process over several sessions, at any time IMO. if it's supposed to be occurring 'off screen', i'd suggest one new skill every 3 or 4 levels. mainly because the ATB classes tend to frontload the skill and similar 'front loaded' classes in other palladium games tend to get their higher number of starting skills with the trade off of reducing the number of skills they can pick up as they level.

[Sammit]

if they want to roleplay through the learning process over several sessions, at any time IMO. if it's supposed to be occurring 'off screen', i'd suggest one new skill every 3 or 4 levels. mainly because the ATB classes tend to frontload the skill and similar 'front loaded' classes in other palladium games tend to get their higher number of starting skills with the trade off of reducing the number of skills they can pick up as they level.

I had the idea a day ago of having a bio-e to skill conversion rate. So keeping with your suggestion glitterboy2098, maybe allow someone to get a new skill for 15-20 Bio-E. I like the balance, but I have trouble explaining that in fluff though. Makes sense that somemutant would be focused on learning and not learning Psionic discipline, but why would that stunt mutation? Anyone have a better idea or should i just not worry about it and just say is the mechanic.

Oh yeah, and how would i handle vestigial traits? should i just not allow them to touch them? (you picked vestigial tail, now try to live with it!) or should i allow people to drop in new Bio-E to not have a disadvantage?

[gordyzx9r]

In the original version of TMNT & OS they had a Teaching skill which allowed someone to teach any other college skill they currently had to someone else...

Not sure why AtB never allowed for progression in skills.

[Zenvis]

So i have a gaming group that i am getting into After the Bomb. We have been spoiled by the fun choose-your-own-power of D&D 3.5Ed, and although we played other palladium stuff, my players were sad that skill improvements and HP are the only this that improve essentially. I had the thought of granting Bio-E after each level, like mutants continue to mutate. Right now I am thinking 5 Bio-E per level, and you can save it up to suddenly sprout wings or something (not really sudden, but you get the idea). I'd also let people buy back Vestigial penalties. What do you people thing? is 5 too much?

Sounds to me like this could be applied to Splicers? Turtle suit anyone?

[Pepsi Jedi]

So i have a gaming group that i am getting into After the Bomb. We have been spoiled by the fun choose-your-own-power of D&D 3.5Ed, and although we played other palladium stuff, my players were sad that skill improvements and HP are the only this that improve essentially. I had the thought of granting Bio-E after each level, like mutants continue to mutate. Right now I am thinking 5 Bio-E per level, and you can save it up to suddenly sprout wings or something (not really sudden, but you get the idea). I'd also let people buy back Vestigial penalties. What do you people thing? is 5 too much?

I like the ongowing mutation possibility. It sounds good to me. Especially if you didn't give any bonus bioE to start. (( I tend to give 10-30 extra at the start so people can have 'cool' mutants. but that's me. I've never had the mutants get over powered this way))

5 Bio-E per level would be a nice way to start off with 'weaker' mutants that do indeed strengthen over time. Maybe spending the bioE points to get a growth level here or there, or develop claws.. or fangs, or even develop new psionic powers as they get stronger.

I really like that idea. And 5 per level isn't that much. MOST bio E expenditures are divisible by 5. So that's a good amount. It might take 4 levels to develop flight, but only one level to mutate a touch bigger. Or get claws.