2-point Skill Level

[Thump92]

In Champions Complete, page 34, Skill Levels are defined as:

 

"Allow a character to improve Skill Rolls (and sometimes Characteristic Rolls), as shown in the Skill Levels Table. The applicability and uses depend on what types of Skills it works with. A character can only use a particular Skill Level for one thing at a time (choosing which thing is referred to as “assigning” the Skill Level). Assigning Skill Levels is a Zero Phase Action that can only be done once per Phase."

 

The Skill Level Table then defines a 2-point Skill Level as granting +1 to One Skill or Characteristic Roll.

 

OK, so does this literally mean ONE skill in your skill list? Example: if you have PS: Guitar and PS: Singing, and you say you want to buy a 2-pointer in "Music skills", do you get +1 to both of these skills for only 2 points? Or must you define which one gets it as purchase? 

 

Or... say you're doing a singing/guitar performance, can you assign the +1 to one of the music skills per Phase? (This phase Guitar, next phase Music, and so forth)

 

At first I was reading One Skill as literally, like you pick which one, but that doesn't make sense -- why not just use those two points to just buy up the skill you wanted?  So now I'm thinking maybe there's the floating thing.

 

But I'm not sure, so I've gone to the experts again. Thanks in advance!

 

 

 

[Simon]

They apply to one and only one Skill, defined at purchase.

 

As for why not just purchase levels on the Skill, you can...unless you want to apply modifiers of some sort (which is the point to the SL).  Flip the argument on its head for what would happen if you could apply 2 point skill levels to any skill or even a related group of skills -- why would you ever buy levels on the skills themselves?

[unclevlad]

Note that PS, SS, and Knowledge skills are only 1 point for +1 anyway.  There's no advantage to buying the 2, 3, or 4 point levels, where a background skill isincluded in the group.

 

 

[Thia Halmades]

But there is a point in having the larger skill group, such as Jack of All Trades, Scientist, etc., as that gives a material return on investment with enough skill purchases.

6 hours ago, unclevlad said:

Note that PS, SS, and Knowledge skills are only 1 point for +1 anyway.  There's no advantage to buying the 2, 3, or 4 point levels, where a background skill isincluded in the group.

 

 

And I disagree here; the point of leveling up the skill is because those points are always with the skill, period. You won’t find yourself having allocated the points elsewhere and then not having them available, which has happened to me on multiple occasions. So there’s something to be said for both options, it’s actually well balanced.

[unclevlad]

11 minutes ago, Thia Halmades said:

But there is a point in having the larger skill group, such as Jack of All Trades, Scientist, etc., as that gives a material return on investment with enough skill purchases.

 

And I disagree here; the point of leveling up the skill is because those points are always with the skill, period. You won’t find yourself having allocated the points elsewhere and then not having them available, which has happened to me on multiple occasions. So there’s something to be said for both options, it’s actually well balanced.

 

Sure.  I use the skill enhancers regularly.

 

I get where you're coming from...but there's no reason to buy a 3 point level with, let's say, PS:  guitar, PS:  singing, and KS:  rock music.  Simply buy +1 to each skill for the same cost.  OK, yes, you can buy a 3 point skill level for, say, SS:  Medicine, Paramedic, and Forensic Medicine;  you'd get a slight price break on that group rather than buying them separately.  With these, tho, it's usually straightforward to recognize which skill is in use...and if one is being used as a complementary skill for the other, the rules make it straightforward...apply the skill level to the primary skill.  OK, when you're buying the big levels (all skills, overall)...then where the level is allocated may well matter.  But this usually isn't an issue with the smaller-group skill levels.