Decoupled Characteristics' Effect on Character Builds in 6th Edition

[Pattern Ghost]

Were skill level costs adjusted or tweaked in 6th?

[Grailknight]

The went up slightly.  Biggest change was All Combat/Skills became 10 points while overall became 12 points.

[Ninja-Bear]

For myself what’s nice about decoupled characteristics is the the speedster has superhuman Dex-31 but I can keep all the CVS in a tight group for game play.

[RDU Neil]

14 hours ago, Grailknight said:

The went up slightly.  Biggest change was All Combat/Skills became 10 points while overall became 12 points.

 

And this increase lead to my players, at least, taking skill levels with small groups and individual attacks... focusing on what their character was good at, not being "generally really good" which was the standard in the past.  Again, this is Heroic guns and knives and martial arts level. In this type of game it feels more correct to have PCs good at a focused, character defining set of skills and abilities. Whether it is mathematically true or not, the cost changes made these type of skill levels more appealing to the players.

[Hugh Neilson]

I think RDU Neil's point highlights a huge improvement I perceived as well.  pre-6e, if I wanted to build a "big pile of rocks" Brick, how did I build him?  Well, I envision him as neither agile nor speedy, so really he should have a pretty low DEX, and a fairly modest DCV.  But he's a great brawler, so he should have a high OCV, at least in HTH, and maybe he has some Throw the Rocks ranged attacks.

 

So I could give him an 8 DEX and buy 7 skill levels in all combat for 56 points so I can have a 10 OCV.  Will you let me limit those to only be usable for OCV?  Let's say my GM notes a level that boosts DCV only is 5 points, so I get these levels for 5 points.

 

So my RockPile saves 6 points selling back DEX, spends 22 to get a 4 SPD and 35 on those levels, so 51 points.

 

But why shouldn't I instead buy Rockpile with 30 DEX, does not enhance DCV, DEX rolls or initiative?  What limitation will you give me for returning such a big chunk of what DEX does? Surely that is at least a -1, so I should not pay more than 30 points.  Now I have my 10 OCV with everything, my 4 SPD (I did not take "no figured"), and I am 2 points higher in initiative order.  With an extra 21 points to spend elsewhere.  Even a -1/4 limitation for giving back DCV, DEX rolls and initiative costs 48 points and I have 3 points to spend.

 

But now, RockPile spends points on what makes sense for the character.  He saves 35 points if he has a 3 DCV instead of a 10 DCV.  He saves 44 points by having an 11- DEX roll and belong at 8 initiative, instead of 15- and 30.  Best of all, he plays like a streetbrawling pile of rocks, and we don't have t close our eyes on his "well above Olympic gymnast" DEX level any more.