High level Cramming

[Shaft]

I thought of a game build and thought I'd submit it to the boards for vivisection:

 

The Character buys the Cramming skill, allowing him to learn a 1 pt skill for a short duration.

 

Then the character buys a BOECV Major Transform that only works on himself that allows him to transform himself from a version of himself with the 1 pt crammed skill to a version of himself with a full 3 pt skill (that can be further boosted by any inherent levels he has).

 

The transformation heals when the cramming runs out.

 

This is expensive, but I find it's a little lesss abusive than having skills in a VPP and sets terms for him to have skills that would otherwise be available on demand.

 

The character can also buy multiple instances of Cramming and use this power to learn the full version of several skills, all under the same terms.

 

Thoughts?

[archermoo]

Re: High level Cramming

 

The Ultimate Skill has an expanded section on Cramming that allows for up to a 13- or 3 points in a language to be "crammed".

[Vondy]

Re: High level Cramming

 

I thought of a game build and thought I'd submit it to the boards for vivisection:

 

The Character buys the Cramming skill, allowing him to learn a 1 pt skill for a short duration.

 

Then the character buys a BOECV Major Transform that only works on himself that allows him to transform himself from a version of himself with the 1 pt crammed skill to a version of himself with a full 3 pt skill (that can be further boosted by any inherent levels he has).

 

The transformation heals when the cramming runs out.

 

This is expensive, but I find it's a little lesss abusive than having skills in a VPP and sets terms for him to have skills that would otherwise be available on demand.

 

The character can also buy multiple instances of Cramming and use this power to learn the full version of several skills, all under the same terms.

 

Thoughts?

 

There are some advanced cramming options in The Ultimate Skill that cover this (see "Improved Cramming"). I would add, if you don't have TUS, a "power build" is going over the top with it and will introduce unwanted complexity. I would just set a cost for it and declare the time increment for changing new skills you want. "omniskill" cost X.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: High level Cramming

 

Characters using Transform to grant game abilities to themselves is a recipe for problems, and also very "meta".

 

Anyway, here's some more advanced versions of cramming I came up w/ 5 years ago or so:

 

Improved Cramming

 

 

 

More recently the Ultimate Skill has a better version of Cramming as well, but I don't recall the details.

[Outsider]

Re: High level Cramming

 

I determined the 'base cost' of cramming was once by working backwards from the limitations on it (requires 6 hours of study, a source, and it can't stack/be better than an 8-) and came up with a cost of 20-25 points per point of 0-phase switchable skill.

 

So 60-75 points would allow a character to have any skill one at a time at a 3 point level.

 

If you're paying anything less than that, you're getting a deal.

[Wyrm Ouroboros]

Re: High level Cramming

 

That's ... rather drastic. I sort of presume you figured that out by adding together the costs for all the skills, then applied limitations?

[ghost-angel]

Re: High level Cramming

 

Characters using Transform to grant game abilities to themselves is a recipe for problems' date=' and also very "meta".[/quote']

 

It's also By The Book illegal - you cannot Transform yourself.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: High level Cramming

 

It's also By The Book illegal - you cannot Transform yourself.

 

Where can I get me a briefcase full of rules like yours?

 

Actually, I knew that but earlier editions didn't explicitly restrict it and I've seen many GM's allow (generally very broken) builds based around Transform usable on self.

 

Bottom line to the OP, Transform is a stop sign ability filled with stop sign options and a GM should hesitate before implementing any weird mechanic involving it

 

Particularly in a case such as this where just allowing players to spend their characters XP to insta-learn skills they've currently got crammed if they wish to solves the need.

[Outsider]

Re: High level Cramming

 

That's ... rather drastic. I sort of presume you figured that out by adding together the costs for all the skills' date=' then applied limitations?[/quote']

 

 

Cramming is 5 character points for 1 point of flexible skill.

 

It takes "several hours" to acquire the skill (Extra Time, 6 hours)

The character must study during those several hours. (Concentrate)

It requires a learning resource, such as a teacher or library. (Focus)

It cannot be improved above familiarity in any way (custom limitation)

 

 

So :

 

Extra Time 6 Hours only to initially acquire the skill (only to start) = -1 3/4

Concentration 1/2 DCV = -1/4

Focus (Obvious, possibly accessible, possibly bulky or immobile, Only to change/start) = -1/4 to -1/2

Can't stack = -1/2 to -1 call it.

 

So, working backwards, multuply the pre-rounding final character points by (1+ limitation value) to get the pre-limitation value of the power :

 

Maximum value = 5.5 * 4.5 = 26 points per pip of flexible skill

Minimum value = 4.5 * 3.75 = 17 points per pip of flexible skill