what are "skill levels?"

[drsid]

Okay, another newb question. Can someone explain to me what the heck "skill levels" are and when you would use them?

 

If I understand skills correctly, you can buty additional +1 to a roll anyway by spending the points; so, what is the point of skill levels? For example if I take street-wise with a +1 to the roll for 2 points, why would I take a skill level at a cost of 2 for the same +1 to a skill roll or characteristic?

 

Alternatively, if I start taking the higher costing skill levels, which give a +1 to skills or skill categories, why would I ever need to spend points to buy +1 to a roll for those skills? For example, at 6 points, I can get +1 to all agility skills, which would be cheaper than getting +1 to six separate skills.

 

What am I missing here?

[Rapier]

Re: what are "skill levels?"

 

Not too much, actually.

 

If you have BreakFall, your base roll is your DEX roll. If you want to be really good at BreakFall, you can buy the skill up +1 for 2 pts. You can also purchase a skill level good only for BreakFall for 2 pts. It is just two different ways to do the same thing. Maybe you have a magic ring or something that is outside of your base BreakFall or for some reason you want it separate.

 

It's pretty much the same thing with all the skill levels. Sometimes skill levels are just another method of getting to somewhere. Sometimes they provide price breaks. If you have a lot of PRE skills, it might be cheaper to purchase a Skill Level than to increase each individual skill. Skill levels can also only be used once per phase. So if you have a +1 with DEX skills, you can use it during your phase in BreakFall or Contortionist but not both. If you spend the point to increase both of those skills, you could use the increase in both skill in the same phase.

[drsid]

Re: what are "skill levels?"

 

I see. I didn't realize the limitation of skill levels as they apply to phases. And, quite frankly, I didn't realize that you could have a skill based on an object. I thought that had to be done through powers. WOW, that opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

 

So, to see if I understand. Lets say my character, Dr. Gates, is a computer engineer with computer programming (+2), , analyze( +3), bugging, electronics, security systems, system operations (+2), and mechanics. And, he then purchases a cybernetic implant which houses a research library, a wikipedia in his head if you will which is a skill level(10), granting him +1 to all non-combat skills. The phase-use limitation could then, in game terms represent that he can only access a particular part of the research library at a time.

[Rapier]

Re: what are "skill levels?"

 

Yes.

 

There used to be rules that said only levels of a certain level could accept Limitations, but those rules appear to be left to the GM in 6E. So you could, in theory, have a Ring of BreakFall that is +6 with BreakFall: IIF Focus.

 

Other than that, you've got a pretty good grasp of Levels!

[Tom Carman]

Re: what are "skill levels?"

 

So' date=' to see if I understand. Lets say my character, Dr. Gates, is a computer engineer with computer programming (+2), , analyze( +3), bugging, electronics, security systems, system operations (+2), and mechanics. And, he then purchases a cybernetic implant which houses a research library, a wikipedia in his head if you will which is a skill level(10), granting him +1 to all non-combat skills. The phase-use limitation could then, in game terms represent that he can only access a particular part of the research library at a time.[/quote']

 

Think of it not as "+1 to all skills" but rather as "+1 to any skill".

[NuSoardGraphite]

Re: what are "skill levels?"

 

I see. I didn't realize the limitation of skill levels as they apply to phases. And, quite frankly, I didn't realize that you could have a skill based on an object. I thought that had to be done through powers. WOW, that opens up a whole new world of possibilities.

 

So, to see if I understand. Lets say my character, Dr. Gates, is a computer engineer with computer programming (+2), , analyze( +3), bugging, electronics, security systems, system operations (+2), and mechanics. And, he then purchases a cybernetic implant which houses a research library, a wikipedia in his head if you will which is a skill level(10), granting him +1 to all non-combat skills. The phase-use limitation could then, in game terms represent that he can only access a particular part of the research library at a time.

 

Exactly. In fact a LOT of mundane equipment is written up with Skills or Skill Levels in Hero. For example, climbing equipment can be written up at +3 to Climbing skill (9 base points, OAF-1 for 5pts) A quality set of Lockpicks is written up a +2 to Lockpicking skill. A hacker with top-of-the-line hacking software might get a +3 to Computer Programming when attempting to hack other systems etc.