[Rq-rules] increasing characteristics

[Nikk Effingham]

I'd be tempted that, as training is only done in downtime, you could have a
system that was a wee bit more number crunchy. When it comes to training, you
can only get so much stronger, so much bigger (without dying) and so on and so
forth. I'd say that each statistic starts at the rolled level, but can be
increased to a certain maximum determined, for example, by rolling 1d4+2 for
STR, DEX, CON and SIZ. So if you start with STR 12 you can train to 14-17. You
could do the same for the other statistics. Because I'm anal, I'd put this
aside for SIZ - there exist people who weigh silly amounts so it's certianly
possible to get to that level. Instead, I'd have the rolled maximum be how big
your SIZ could _safely_ get to be (by eating more meat and becoming a
beefcake), and then if you go over that SIZ you'd have reductions in skills and
a chance of death every year (or season or week depending on how far you went).
Because it's all downtime, the added paperwork wouldn't be a bother. You'd need
to stick an extra line in one the character sheet for 'Maximum Characteristics'
but that shouldn't pose too much problem. I'd also allow for training INT,
using exactly these rules (some people are dumb but can get better, some people
are just plain dumb). Maybe use just a 1d4-1 for INT (you can only get so much
brighter, and some people really are born as dumb or as bright as they'll ever
be).

Two further thoughts:

(i) There might be a problem with species maximum, if I had STR 18 and rolled
1d4+2, got 6, then my maximum strength would be 24. You might want to stick in
a 'cap', but I'd just let them have STR 24 - I've seen the World's Strongest
Man on TV and they're just silly-strong, so I don't see any reason why fantasy
land can't be the same.

(ii) If you're more into number crunching than I am, you could secretly
determine the maximums and not tell the players so they have to find out their
limits by getting there. More realistic, but a hassle and an annoyance to a PC
who spends a million hours (or whatever it is to increase a characteristic)
only to find out they'd peaked. They'd strangle you. And rightly so!

Pretty easy, pretty effective I'd say.