Skill advancement w/o leveling

[Akashic Soldier]

I recently decided to allow my players in my new group to train/study to increase a skill w/o leveling up. Basically, if the player spends roughly a weeks worth (more time the higher the level of the skill) of in game time (down time between adventures) training or studying up on a particular skill I award them a level in that skill.

There are no rules for doing this in the game that I know of, though in Arzno there are rules for a training class that gives characters new skills without leveling up. I figure that for a new skill a character should have to pay for training to learn it, but for one they already have, practic e should be good enough to lvl the skill up.

When there is down time between adventures in my campaign I allow all sorts of actions to further the character's goals, make money, or even solo adventure. The spending of time is a valuable commodity in my campaign. Therefore it is not a no-brainer.

What do you think? Do you allow something similar in your campaigns? If you do, how much time of training do you require to lvl up a skill?

I just make my players stick to leveling but I'm a bastard like that.

[The Dark Elf]

PFRPG has some colleges that you can improve skills such as fencing (gives +1 to strike for a years tutelage or similar).

[flatline]

I've seen GMs assign an XP cost and a time cost. So, for instance, if you have a jetpack and an instructor, for a mere 1000XP (or whatever the GM said...don't remember) and a couple of days of instruction will give the base jetpack skill.

--flatline

[Armorlord]

There are no rules for doing this in the game that I know of, though in Arzno there are rules for a training class that gives characters new skills without leveling up. I figure that for a new skill a character should have to pay for training to learn it, but for one they already have, practic e should be good enough to lvl the skill up.

You should hit HU2, it has fairly detailed rules on just that sort of thing, but you're looking at months to years.

Hm, assuming they had a suitably skilled teacher willing to spend the time, and the character has the cash for it.. One skill is 10-16 hours a week on a normal study schedule for half a year/3 semesters, for +5% (Max 9 semesters/1.5 years for 15% only so much extra they can teach). If you wanted to focus on a single skill, I'd allow intensive training and practice at 10-16 hours a day, for maximum of days per ME point at a time for scholastic skills before requiring a break, days per ME or PE, whichever is lower for physical skills. I'd say roughly a week long break to recover in between these power sessions, I'm tempted to try to create a complex metric or random roll, but I'll go with a '1 week' rule of thumb, and suggest increasing or decreasing that if the relevant stat is particularly poor or exemplary.

[Furoan]

In the Dimensional Outbreak book in 'Wonderland' there are things like Military World, Space World etc where you can increase effectiveness of skills.

[SpiritInterface]

It is a great idea but watch out for abuse. I was in a game (I forget which system) but the GM let a VERY old near imortal character have spent decades on studying and learning his skills so he stared with near grand master level in all his skills.

Study and training will only get you so far, then you have to get out and get real world experience. I would suggest not getting more than 2-3 levels above their actual eleven in any one skill.

[Furoan]

That still seems really really short time frame for the increases you gave.

I mean getting basic proficiency (50%) I would say less a week but 'effectively' a month, aka 4 weeks of training. After that? 1 week for ten percent? that just seems really really fast for skill proficiency. I would at the very least cut that down to +unit of time, 5% (if you decide to change from a week), or something. Ten Percent just seems really short, unless your characters all are genius's. I mean sure some thing's are fairly simple, like BASIC climbing or something you might get pretty good in a week or two but then consider things like languages, or things like computer programming, or learning how to build power armor or something which could take a lot longer.

My advice would be to look at these colleges in PF, and the 'schools' in Dimensional Outbreak and work out the time frame and how much the effect increases and work on a similar level.

[Slight001]

concept: skills should level via use, not via character [combat] level.
Combat skills locked to level...

non-combat or combat skills with a percentage and a viable use for out of combat functionality are viable for non character level linked improvements.

10 points... starting point for concept purposes... = +1%
1 point for success/failure
2 points for critical success
3 points for critical failure... idea being failure is a better teacher then success... assuming the character survives.

Accumulate 10 points and gain +1% for said skill.

system limits... requires the GM to declare skill use viable or pointless.

Suggestions... eliminate exp for skill use to increase character [combat] level and possibly increase exp gains from combat to possibly counter loss. Eliminate +x% gains from [combat] level gains of skills.

[Armorlord]

You misunderstood me completely. I meant that if a skill goes up 3% each time you go up a level and is currently at 30% you could study/practice for one week to ad 3% to the skill. Each week of practice would add another 3% until the skill reaches 50%. At that point it would cost you 2 weeks for each 3% until the skill reaches 60%. After 60% it would cost you 3 weeks for each 3% until the skill reaches 70%.

At each interval of ten you add a week to the time required for further advancement of the amount that the skill normally provides as you level up. I hope that is easier to understand.

That seems a bit too generous. Should go with much longer time period. Particularly considering that six months is the baseline we have for a single small training/studying skill increase.

[Severus Snape]

I've instituted a new rule in one of the PBP games I'm running regarding this.

If a player, when making a skill check, rolls 01-05, the skill increases by 1. So, for example, if you have Pilot Automobile at 60, and you roll an 01-05, it increases to 61.

[St. Evil]

I use the PFRPG colleges from the Old Ones book as a rule of thumb for skills or bonuses for W.P.'s. If a player asked me hey can I do xyz or learn this skill while we have down time between adventures, I would allow it provided it did not mess up game balance.
I also allow players to buy X.P. if their is a minimum of six months off. The players pay 20 gold per XP point w/ a limit of 1000 XP. I make the ratio outrageous, for a couple of reasons first to get rid of extra gold plus it is assumed that the players in the "off time" practice the skills they have so if they invest in it they get more.