Thanks for answering Deleriad.
I think that (i.e. use of #1 and #3) was the way it worked in previous editions of RQ, right ?
The issue I had then (and would have now, too, I guess), is that the chars will practice without end and will quickly be quite powerful... at least in those skills they really focus in.
How much time per day do you allow for practise ? It's clear during downtime, but what of daily travel/work etc., e.g. during adventuring ? After all, the RQ Deluxe states (page 183) that you do pratice literally all the time (basic and weapon skills at least). Or do you use some kind of formula like 2hrs/d, i.e. one training day gained every 4-5 actual game days ?
Wasn't there some example about a cobbler somewhere working every day and thus practicing. Now, wouldn't that cobbler be a master crafter pretty soon (i.e. after one year, supposing he'd pratice his craft skill every day of the year) ?
But on the other hand I saw in the
preview of the Game Masters' Handbook the stats of NPCs ("mere" crafters and hunters !) which are IMHO very powerful already (the Hunter has 12 skills above 50% and more than 5 above 75%, i.e. he's Veteran level)! Which makes the typical starter PCs pretty weak, right ?
Which raises another issue, which always caused me severe problems (and which might actually be the cause why we stopped playing RQ those ~20 years ago): the power level of monsters... I never really got the right idea about which kind of monsters can still be handled by the PCs and which will cause a wipe out.