Buying up Char in FH

[Old Man]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

That all sort of works, but it does bring up the spend-all-your-points-on-stats-during-character-creation issue as mentioned earlier.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

That all sort of works' date=' but it does bring up the spend-all-your-points-on-stats-during-character-creation issue as mentioned earlier.[/quote']

 

This depends on how often you give out xp and in what amounts. If charactrers get 2 or 3 xp at a time, this isn't a huge restriction. If they get 10 or 15 at a shot, but time between xp awards stretches out five times longer, this would be very constraining.

 

Huwever, I find games where xp is given out in uinfrequent, large doses generally link xp to significant "down time", during which the character could logically focus on enhancimng a stat, so the "1 point at a time" restriction would seem less appropriate.

[prestidigitator]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

First, I am a hard-a** GM when it comes to spending XP after creation. I don't change costs, but I make the PCs spend serious time and energy to gain new Characteristics, Skills, and other abilities. I let them buy the next point when I feel they have worked long and hard enough to actually be able to do it. My players hate me, but I think they like the realistic feel at some level (at least, they keep coming back ).

 

As for spending points at creation...if the PCs don't have some Skills they aren't going to be able to do much in my adventures. Those who spent everything on Characteristics are going to find that they wind up taking back stage to the more skilled characters quite a bit of the time.

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

In Champs its easy to justify anything' date=' but for normal people its hard to impossible to improve any stats beyond your baseline.[/quote']

 

Heroes are not normal people. If they were, they'd be based on fewer points.

 

Besides, normal people can and do make dramatic improvements in their stats, if they are sufficiently motivated. Strength is the most obvious example: anyone with the time and motivation can train themselves from a STR 8 couch potato to a STR 16 body builder. Other stats are more difficult, but they can be done. It takes time, training, and, above all, motivation. Even Intelligence, as Hero System defines it, can be dramatically improved with training.

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

I find that' date=' as a GM, it's easier to occasionally except a character from certain rules than it is to prevent a player from doing something that is book-legal.[/quote']

 

Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should. All sorts of book-legal things can and should get vetoed, depending on the specific circumstances. I'd much rather have the option of doing something than have to break the rules to do it.

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

Hero is not a class-based system. Why restrict the directions in which characters can grow?

 

Personally, I am more concerned about characters who suddenly learn new skills than I am with characters whose stats improve. "You can speak Mabrahoring, now, can you? Where'd you learn that?"

 

That being said, I go along with anything that has a reasonable explanation. It's not my job to be the other players' mother. We're all adults, we do not need to be told what we can and can't do with our charaters. Well, most of the time.

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

Besides' date=' normal people can and do make dramatic improvements in their stats, if they are sufficiently motivated. Strength is the most obvious example: anyone with the time and motivation can train themselves from a STR 8 couch potato to a STR 16 body builder. [/quote']

 

Completely agree

 

CON: A regular program of exercise improves general health and stamina

 

DEX: Reflex training - play more video games!

 

PRE: Police officers receive training in better voice projection, etc. enhancing PRE. Self-confidence courses. Officer training in trhe military.

 

COM: Makeup (or alcohol provided to others...)

[Lumbering Ox]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

Str from 8 to 16 is brutally hard, and takes a few years, getting beyond 15 or 16 without chemical enhacements is brutally rare.

 

It isn't a matter of adventuring for a few weeks then boom.

 

But then I guess neither is developing an 11- skill in something.

[Markdoc]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

Str from 8 to 16 is brutally hard, and takes a few years, getting beyond 15 or 16 without chemical enhacements is brutally rare.

 

It isn't a matter of adventuring for a few weeks then boom.

 

But then I guess neither is developing an 11- skill in something.

 

Aye, and there's the rub. I always have a quiet snicker at people who are so concerned that players can add +3 to their STR over one or two gaming sessions, but have no problem with gaining conversational japanese over the same period.

 

It's a GAME. Player advancement is part of the game, and often a part which creates much of the attraction and involvement for the players. Unless it creates an issue in game balance terms, I simply can't work up any enthusiasm for changes to the rules.

 

Now I'm a polite person, so I won't publically mock anyone who bleats "but it's not realistic" (you can can imagine me laughing at you, though)- but the truth is that NONE of this advancement system is realistic and frankly, we wouldn't like it if it was. How would your players like it, if on entering a new culture they have to have three months downtime to learn basic conversational language skills? It took them 8 years to acquire PS: Doctor? Compared to that, a sudden outbreak of muscles is pretty small potatoes...

 

cheers, Mark

[Hugh Neilson]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

Now I'm a polite person' date=' so I won't publically mock anyone who bleats "but it's not realistic" (you can can imagine me laughing at you, though)- but the truth is that NONE of this advancement system is realistic[/quote']

 

As opposed to the stark realism of, say, the magic system. Don't you just hate unrealistic magic?

 

And unrealistic dragons. Those always bother me. There are certain ways flying firebreathing giant lizards operate and behave. Games that deviate from realistic dragons are always a poor shadow of more realistic games.

 

Most dictionaries consider "Fantastic" (ie fantasy) to be an antonym of "Realistic" (ie reality).

 

[You may have noted I'm not as polite as Markdoc]

[Guest bblackmoor]

Re: Buying up Char in FH

 

And unrealistic dragons. Those always bother me. There are certain ways flying firebreathing giant lizards operate and behave. Games that deviate from realistic dragons are always a poor shadow of more realistic games.

 

You jest, but there was an ongoing argment on rec.games.frp.dnd when the third edition Monster Manual came out, with people making exactly that sort of criticism of the illustrations of the dragons.

 

Mind-boggling, I know.

 

(Personally, I thought the illustrations were neat. Much better than the old AD&D line drawings.)