[File FUDGE5, #6 of 10.]

       FUDGE: Freeform, Universal, Do-it-yourself Gaming Engine
                   A Free Role-playing Game (RPG).
              Copyright 1992, 1995 by Steffan O'Sullivan
                         Version: June, 1995

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5  Character Development
========================

5  Character Development
   5.1  Subjective Character Development
   5.2  Objective Character Development
   5.3  Development through Training

After playing a bit, perhaps each session, a player will want the
character to grow in abilities.  At this point, a developing character
can exceed the initial GM-set skill limits (such as one Superb, three
Greats).  There are two ways to handle character development, or
"experience," as it's often called.

-------------------------------------
5.1  Subjective Character Development
-------------------------------------

When the player feels the character has accomplished enough to warrant
improving in some trait (and he feels he's been roleplaying well), he
petitions the GM for permission to raise it.  A trait can only be
raised one level at a time.  A trait must be used more to raise it
from Good to Great than Fair to Good, and so on.  It should be easier
to raise a Skill than an attribute.

Or the GM can simply award an improvement in a trait she feels
deserves to be raised.  In these cases, there is never a corresponding
reduction of another trait - this is character development, not
creation.

------------------------------------
5.2  Objective Character Development
------------------------------------

In the Objective Character Development system, the GM can award
experience points (EP), which the player can trade in any way he wants
at the following rates:
   
   [TABLE]
   Raising a skill from:    To:              Costs:
   --------------------     --               -----
      Terrible              Poor             1 EP
      Poor                  Mediocre         1 EP
      Mediocre              Fair             1 EP
      Fair                  Good             2 EP
      Good                  Great            4 EP
      Great                 Superb           8 EP
      Superb                Legendary        16 EP + GM permission
      Legendary             Legendary 2nd    30 EP + GM permission
      Each add'l level of Legendary:         50 EP + GM permission
   [END TABLE]
   
   Raising an attribute:
   --------------------
   Triple the cost for skills of the same level.
   
   Adding a gift:
   -------------
   6 EP (or more) + GM approval.
   
   Adding a supernormal power:
   --------------------------
   12 EP (or more) + GM approval.

A trait can only be raised one level at a time.

The GM may adjust these point levels as she sees fit and should
require that the player may only raise traits that were used
significantly during an adventure.  If a long campaign is planned,
these EP costs could be doubled to allow room for character growth.
Defining skills narrowly will also ensure characters don't become too
powerful too quickly.

As a guideline, good roleplaying should be rewarded with one to three
EP per gaming session, with an upper suggested limit of four EP for
flawless roleplaying.  Players may save EP as long as they wish.

Attribute levels may or may not affect EPs put into skills.  For
simplicity, you can ignore attribute levels entirely when raising
skill levels.  For greater realism, however, the GM can add a
surcharge of +2 EP (or more) when a skill is raised *above* an
appropriate attribute.
   
   Example: Violet the Herbalist has Good Intelligence.  EP costs for
   raising Herb Lore skill are normal until she tries to raise it to
   Great, which is higher than her natural Intelligence.  At that
   point, she must pay +2 EP beyond what the table calls for: six EP
   to raise Herb Lore to Great, and another ten EP to raise it to
   Superb.

This proposal is recommended only for character development - not for
character creation.  The GM should inform the players at character
creation if this option is in force so they can plan their characters'
attributes accordingly.

---------------------------------
5.3  Development through Training
---------------------------------

Improving skills through EP is not always realistic, to be honest.  A
gaming session might only cover a few hours of campaign time.
Allowing a character to improve one or two different skills from Fair
to Good in that time is far-fetched.  But it's fun for the players,
and psychologically satisfying, and so recommended.

As an alternative, or in addition to the methods described above, the
GM may allow traits to be raised through appropriate amounts of
training time.  This would require finding a teacher (which would cost
money) or taking an appropriate job (which may not be totally
dedicated the skill you wish to learn, and so take longer).  It's also
possible to learn something on your own, but the GM should double the
time required.  If using the Objective Character Development system,
the GM may (or may not) require that EPs be spent in this manner -
that is, you can't spend EPs unless you also take the time to train.

The GM sets training time and costs, and difficulty of finding a
teacher.  The teacher has two skills that must be considered: Teaching
skill, and the appropriate skill being taught.  The player may need to
roll the dice to see how diligently the character studied the skill.
The die roll should be on an attribute such as Willpower, Drive, Zeal,
Wisdom, Self Discipline, Self Motivation, Psyche, Intelligence, etc.
If the player can give a valid reason why the character is extremely
motivated to learn this skill, the GM may grant up to +2 to the trait
tested.  The GM may request a single die roll, or a roll per week,
month, etc.  If multiple rolls are called for, at least half of them
should succeed to earn the skill improvement.
   
   Example: Billy Blaster, space cadet, is back at the Academy after
   his first tour of duty.  He considers his Fair Laser Pistol skill
   to be substandard.  He takes a six-week training course in Laser
   pistol use, taught by an instructor of Superb Laser skill and Great
   Teaching skill.  (Since Billy has Gift: Employed by Space Patrol,
   this is free training for him.)  The GM decides that Billy's player
   needs to make a Willpower roll for each two-week period to see how
   dedicated he is to studying.  If at least two of the three rolls
   are Mediocre or better, Billy can raise his Laser pistol skill from
   Fair to Good, given the length of training and quality of the
   instructor.  Had the training been shorter, or the instructor
   worse, he would have needed a preponderance of Fair or even Good
   rolls to have successfully raised his Laser pistol skill.

Remember that it is much easier to improve a skill from Poor to
Mediocre than from Great to Superb.  Require more time, or higher
Difficulty Levels on the Will rolls to raise an already high skill.

[End of Chapter 5.  FUDGE continues in file FUDGE6a.]

