[Rq-rules] Re: Aptitude

[David Smart]

Actually, you didn't misunderstand. The potential is there but, in reality,
it's never achieved except with extremely low skills. The largest number of
checkmarks I've seen was 10 (or was it 15? Fred?)  and then the player just
wrote down the number. I leave it to the players to remember unless we
haven't met for a few weeks (or months). The actually tracking is simple
because the players' memories are jogged every time they reference the skill
percentage for a skill roll.

Pencils or water-based projector pens on a plastic sleeve make it all very
easy. And it can actually help reduce skill check chasing because players
are rewarded in the long run if they focus on a few skills rather than
chasing checkmarks for every skill.

A unforeseen side effect of tracking the number of successful rolls is the
players quickly realize just how long they've been adventuring away from a
"safe" place. Adds a nice little bit of psychological pressure to the game
over time (from my point of view as the GM) as well as a real feeling of
mental relief when the characters eventually do find a safe place to relax
and wind down.

On 10/18/06, Robert Hoffman <IQuinn at surewest.net> wrote:
>
>
> "If an character accumulates greater than his (Current Skill - Category
> Bonus) number of experience checks, he immediately gains a bonus of 1d10 in
> the skill and loses all experience checks, whatever he's doing, even if in
> the middle of an adventure"
>
> >>Gotcha,… I misunderstood.  I took the above to mean that they could
> potentially receive as many experience checks as their current skill
> percentage ie as many as 90+.  I'm not familiar with the check system,… we
> still use the basic dot next to a skill to roll for advancement; our only
> addition is that if you roll an 01 critical you get a "double dot" which
> means automatic advancement next time they can go up.
>
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> *From:* rq-rules-bounces at crashbox.com [mailto:
> rq-rules-bounces at crashbox.com] *On Behalf Of *David Smart
> *Sent:* Wednesday, October 18, 2006 12:47 PM
> *To:* Discussion of RuneQuest rules.
> *Subject:* Re: [Rq-rules] Re: Aptitude
>
>
>
> Not a bookkeeping issue at all. The players merely pencil in a checkmark
> next to the skill name. And they definitely don't use every skill every
> session. Only one or two combat skills are used often and other skills are
> used only when I call for rolls as the GM.
>
> Also, skill improvement rolls occur only when the characters can get to a
> place safe enough to relax..a relatively rare event until just recently. And
> keep in mind they erase the checkmarks either at each improvement roll or
> then the # of checkmarks reaches 10.
>
> How hard is it to make a little checkmark no more than 10 times (at best)?
>
> On 10/18/06, *Robert Hoffman* < IQuinn at surewest.net> wrote:
>
> "I've altered the experience check rules to provide a single check for a
> basic success, two checks for a special success, and three checks for a
> critical success"
>
> >>So you mean players actually track EVERY success rolled during the game
> month?  Doesn't that become a bookkeeping issue for every skill on the
> character sheet (even just the commonly used ones)?
>
>
>
>
>
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