Inspired by both MGT's "skill packages" for starting parties and CT's improvement rules, I had an idea for a type of character advancement that is very much not like the classic "get XP, spend them on new skills" approach. This system is for groups with players who believe their characters should improve over time.
First off, the systems kind of assumes that you tend to run adventures with more than one scene rather than running a continuous stream of random patron encounters. [See "thoughts" below.] Also, if you use this system, use it INSTEAD of MGT's party skills packages.
Before each adventure, the Referee puts together a "package" of skills that will be useful on the adventure. Ideally, this would have at least one skill per player. You can put skills in with or without a level, depending on how you wish the players to be able to use them. They follow the same rules as skills you get during chargen. Each player chooses one of the skills (they could all choose the same skill, it's not a "pool") and gains it temporarily for the adventure.
At the end of the adventure, the player may attempt to retain the skill by rolling and Edu check with a NEGATIVE DM of their current level in that skill. Players who get a level-0 skill this way don't have to test, they get the level-0 automatically. [This means EDU becomes useful, as a high EDU will generally allow you to advance more quickly.]
For example, a player with Pilot-2 takes the "Pilot" skill from the adventure's package, granting them Pilot-3 for the course of the adventure. At the end, the player must make an Average EDU-2 test to keep the extra skill level.
Another player who knows nothing about piloting also takes the skill so he can act as backup, granting him a temporary Pilot-0. At the end of the adventure, he gets Pilot-0. Next adventure, if he also chooses Pilot, he will have to make an Average EDU test to keep it, or revert to Pilot-0.
What do you think?
Additional Thoughts:
Unless your players just enjoy suck book keeping, I wouldn't bother tracking uses of the skill(s) in question. Though you *could* say players may only roll to keep skills they actually used at least once successfully during the adventure.
A nice Referee might let the players keep their package skill as "payment", provided they succeed in the goal of their adventure, otherwise they do not keep the extra levels. (Though I'd still let them keep any level-0 skills.) This works as a sort of upside-down version of the standard "ok, adventure's over, you each get to pick some new powers now" flow.
This is a nice way to give your players some less common skills like Art(Dance) or Athletics(Endurance) or Language(...). ("What, I studied a little Vargrish for a school project back on Dinomn. Let me see those language tapes and I'll brush up." = Language(Vargr) - 0.)
The package might also have physical stats (STR, DEX, END) if that seems appropriate, though I wouldn't do this lightly.
Referees can construct the skill package however they want, though the MGT starting skill packages could be a good guideline. For example, if you were running "Mission on Mithril", then a package with ATV, Navigation, Mechanics, Hunting and Athletics(Endurance) might be useful. If you don't want your characters to become too powerful, then don't put skills in the package that they already have.
The adventure skill package might be used as foreshadowing for the players, or you could put red herring skills in there if you are the sort of Referee who likes to toy with his players. If the adventure's subject matter is meant to be secret, then either don't reveal the skill list until the surprise is sprung or don't include skills in the list that give things away. For example, if you were running "Mission on Mithril", you might not reveal the package until the players were willing to take the job. The patron could then give them a few training materials to familiarize themselves with before heading out.
For random patron "sandbox" campaigns, the players themselves should choose a skill to be "working on", and the referee should determine the frequency of "leveling". CT used every 4 years, but that's a bit extreme for MGT. I'd suggest every year OR every 3-5 successful patron jobs.
If your adventure has any significant down time (like more than a month), then you will want to consider each "segment" a separate adventure for these purposes.
Trying to justify the logic of this system: It's more gamesmanship than logical, but you *could* justify the list in game terms. Continuing with my "Mithril" example, the patron gives the players an ATV tech manual, and one of the players studies the mechanical schematics. They get +1 Mechanical for the purposes of working on the ATV, and after the end of the adventure, that knowledge might transfer into a more general understanding of mechanics.
First off, the systems kind of assumes that you tend to run adventures with more than one scene rather than running a continuous stream of random patron encounters. [See "thoughts" below.] Also, if you use this system, use it INSTEAD of MGT's party skills packages.
Before each adventure, the Referee puts together a "package" of skills that will be useful on the adventure. Ideally, this would have at least one skill per player. You can put skills in with or without a level, depending on how you wish the players to be able to use them. They follow the same rules as skills you get during chargen. Each player chooses one of the skills (they could all choose the same skill, it's not a "pool") and gains it temporarily for the adventure.
At the end of the adventure, the player may attempt to retain the skill by rolling and Edu check with a NEGATIVE DM of their current level in that skill. Players who get a level-0 skill this way don't have to test, they get the level-0 automatically. [This means EDU becomes useful, as a high EDU will generally allow you to advance more quickly.]
For example, a player with Pilot-2 takes the "Pilot" skill from the adventure's package, granting them Pilot-3 for the course of the adventure. At the end, the player must make an Average EDU-2 test to keep the extra skill level.
Another player who knows nothing about piloting also takes the skill so he can act as backup, granting him a temporary Pilot-0. At the end of the adventure, he gets Pilot-0. Next adventure, if he also chooses Pilot, he will have to make an Average EDU test to keep it, or revert to Pilot-0.
What do you think?
Additional Thoughts:
Unless your players just enjoy suck book keeping, I wouldn't bother tracking uses of the skill(s) in question. Though you *could* say players may only roll to keep skills they actually used at least once successfully during the adventure.
A nice Referee might let the players keep their package skill as "payment", provided they succeed in the goal of their adventure, otherwise they do not keep the extra levels. (Though I'd still let them keep any level-0 skills.) This works as a sort of upside-down version of the standard "ok, adventure's over, you each get to pick some new powers now" flow.
This is a nice way to give your players some less common skills like Art(Dance) or Athletics(Endurance) or Language(...). ("What, I studied a little Vargrish for a school project back on Dinomn. Let me see those language tapes and I'll brush up." = Language(Vargr) - 0.)
The package might also have physical stats (STR, DEX, END) if that seems appropriate, though I wouldn't do this lightly.
Referees can construct the skill package however they want, though the MGT starting skill packages could be a good guideline. For example, if you were running "Mission on Mithril", then a package with ATV, Navigation, Mechanics, Hunting and Athletics(Endurance) might be useful. If you don't want your characters to become too powerful, then don't put skills in the package that they already have.
The adventure skill package might be used as foreshadowing for the players, or you could put red herring skills in there if you are the sort of Referee who likes to toy with his players. If the adventure's subject matter is meant to be secret, then either don't reveal the skill list until the surprise is sprung or don't include skills in the list that give things away. For example, if you were running "Mission on Mithril", you might not reveal the package until the players were willing to take the job. The patron could then give them a few training materials to familiarize themselves with before heading out.
For random patron "sandbox" campaigns, the players themselves should choose a skill to be "working on", and the referee should determine the frequency of "leveling". CT used every 4 years, but that's a bit extreme for MGT. I'd suggest every year OR every 3-5 successful patron jobs.
If your adventure has any significant down time (like more than a month), then you will want to consider each "segment" a separate adventure for these purposes.
Trying to justify the logic of this system: It's more gamesmanship than logical, but you *could* justify the list in game terms. Continuing with my "Mithril" example, the patron gives the players an ATV tech manual, and one of the players studies the mechanical schematics. They get +1 Mechanical for the purposes of working on the ATV, and after the end of the adventure, that knowledge might transfer into a more general understanding of mechanics.
