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Message: <blockquote data-quote="lukzu" data-source="post: 2412319" data-attributes="member: 34128">Hi Patryn,thanks for your interest in Burning Wheel. Let me see if I can answer your questions. First off, there are no levels in Burning Wheel. It's a minor point, but important. Every stat and skill advances individually. It's a bit more book keeping that an experience point based system, but most players find the depth it creates to be very satisfying.As for deciding, I don't know about that. All players (including the GM) have access to the advancement table. When a test is made, everyone knows what it means for advancement purposes based on the number of dice rolled vs the successes needed.  So the criteria for advancing are mechanically solid and right out in the open.Tests are earned in conflict. The GM can introduce conflict and set the level of difficulty, but so can the players. Players can use all manner of tactics and tweaks to raise and lower the task difficulty. And they are specifically mandated to call for tests in game (see the Role of the Player in the Burning Wheel). Ther are also rules for practice in the game which are tied into the advancement mechanic. That fighter that you talked about (there are no classes in BW, btw), he could practice lockpicking if he wanted. But if that situation arises where the master lockpick is stepping aside so the incompetent swordsman can try his luck, you're going to have trouble. Tests in BW aren't simply about throwing the dice and doing the thing. (We call that Basketweaving.) Every test is crucial and pushes the game/plot/whatever forward. So that swordsman could give a try, but he's going to fail and there is going to be trouble due to that failure -- depends on what was at risk in the scene, but it's usually pretty tense. Oh, and what if nothing's at stake when picking that lock?  Just counts as practice, which counts as advancement, but at a lesser currency than actual experience.I'm not sure I understand your last quibble with trainers. Characters may teach one another in BW and give tests for advancement. We've had some awesome scenes with players trying to train each other to fight before a big battle, or train each other in etiquette before going to court. Makes for nice player to player interaction.Of course, there's old saw: Why not just start the game and practice everything to perfection? Well, that's boring, for one. There's no situation, no conflict.  And second, if you want to start uber powerful in BW, you can. No problem. Just build your character that way. The hitch, everyone in your group has to agree to it. If everyone wants to play twinked out characters, I say go for it! But if all but one player want to play gritty, low-powered characters, then the group's got to hash it out.hope that answers some of your questions.-Luke</blockquote>

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