Two Newbie Questions

[Kirowan]

Hi,

I just picked up the main hero book even though I've been wanting to do so for about a year now. I love it so far. I especially like the extremely clean and logical layout. That's very important to me in a RPG book. Great job Steve!

Anyway, I've two questions for you.

1. The leaping write-up on page 21 says that the table is based on a running broad jump - the character takes a step or two then leaps. He may leap for a Full Move or Half Move. Now, does that mean during a character's phase that he must take a half move or full move to leap using the running broad jump distance? Does said character get to move his regular running distance and then leap for whatever distance he is capable of? Basically, I don't understand the interplay between a character's running speed and leaping distance when he takes a half move or full move.

2. The skill section says that a character can buy a familiarity with a background skill, knowledge skill, professional skill, or science skill for 2 points thus gaining a check of 11-. Now, if a character's INT is 7 or less and he wants to upgrade the base to a characteristic roll, what is his check? I can't imagine it would drop to 10- or 9- even though the characteristic roll formula generates those numbers.

Thanks,

Nick

[Steve Long]

Glad you're enjoying the book!

1. As indicated on 5E 21, a character must take “a step or two” to engage in a normal (running) leap. You should just consider that part of the overall distance he moves with his leap; he’s not required to make a Half Move (or move some other defined number of inches) before leaping. In short, there’s no “interplay.” A character could, of course, make a Half Move with Running and then a Half Move with Leaping, but that would use up his entire Phase.

2. Of course the character doesn’t get a worse roll by spending more Character Points. ;) Just buy the roll up from 11- at the standard 1 point for +1 rate.