Tomes & Training

[Gez]

Anyone made a system for earning skill ranks through training and reading tomes?

There are already a few magic items that allow to increase ability scores. I'm wanting to make something roughly similar, but preferrably mundane rather than magic, for skills.

I've a few ideas, inspired by Ars Magica, but before I write anything, I'm willing to see if anybody else has done something similar.

 

[Dakkareth]

I haven't worked out anything, but I like the idea, that not every wizard has his spellcraft maxed out, every rogue his hide, etc. Thus I was thinking of limiting the acquiring of skills - on levelling up characters would get skill points, but in order to get their ranks far up, they'd need to find mentors for training, train themselves under special circumstances, hunt down tomes on magic theory, etc ... Maybe removing 'maximum rank' entirely or at least adding some point buy system for skill ranks would be an idea, too.

(rambling random rubble)

 

[Clay_More]

I have added the possibility of learning new skills or improving old ones in my game. The system simply is that you can improve a skill by one rank at the time. It takes an amount of weeks equal to the rank you wish to attain. If you have 3 ranks in Craft (Weaponsmithin) and you want to attain 4 ranks, you have to study for 4 weeks. There are some modifiers though.

If the skill is cross-class the time is doubled.

If there isn´t either a good amount of books on the topic or a teacher with more ranks, the time is doubled.

Using a skill counts as studying it at half efficieny without books or a teacher (so, if a blacksmith has 3 ranks in Craft (Weaponsmith), his ranks will increase to 4 after 16 weeks of working with crafting weapons).

I normally say that an average library hold enough books to allow a character to study untill 8 or 10 ranks. After that, specialised libraries or teachers are required to learn more in a skill. Some few skills have been ruled to be harder to study than others, mainly Spot and Listean that both require double time compared to the other skills.

I created the system for two reasons, to enable characters that dont want to create magic items in their down-time to still benefit and to give NPC's an advantage over PC´s when it comes to skills. A 25 year old 5 th. level fighter has maxed out his Craft (Weaponsmithing) because he thought it could be cool to make his own weapon and he couldn´t really find anything else to use his skill points for and now he is suddenly better than the 70 year old Weaponsmith in the village who has done nothing else his entire life. In my rules, that old weaponsmith would have spent perhaps 5 years of studying and 50 years of working with Weaponsmithing, which would mean he would have around 20-25 in the skill (if he hasnt been doing anything else his entire life, not even crafting other items or travelling).

 

[knifespeaks]

I use training for virtually all skills. During this time, no other activities can be undertaken and it assumes that training is daily for a minimum of 8 hours/day.

Here's what I do:

Base time to gain skill (rank 1):
Physical - 2 weeks (or 14 days)
Intellectual - 4 weeks (or 28 days)

Modifiers
- stat bonus/penalty for relevant skill of student = +/- 1 day/point (natural aptitude)
- stat bonus/penalty of INT and WIS of student = +/- 1 day/point (quality of student)
- stat bonus/penalty TOTAL of TEACHER for INT and WIS = +/- 1 day/point (quality of teaching)

At the conclusion of training, a DC 12 roll is made with all current bonuses to enable success. A critical fail indicates you haven't successfully learnt the skill, whilst a natural 20 indicates an additional rank has been achieved.

Example:
Balto wishes to learn Escape Artist from a travelling acrobat who is in town for a short while. He convinces the acrobat to tutor him, for a price.

Training Time
Balto has 10 INT, 12 WIS and 17 DEX = total modifier of +4 (which will remove 4 days from the base time of 2 weeks)
The Teacher has 14 INT and 8 WIS = total modifier of +3 (which will remove 3 days from base time)

So, Balto will learn enough to gain 1 rank in Escape Artist in 7 days. At the end of day 7, he rolls a DC 12 check, adding his dex modifier. If he makes it, all done. If he fails, he can try again in another 7 days. If he rolls a natural 20, he gains 2 skill ranks.

I usually ensure payment is up front, so Balto could maybe try to get a refund for his second week of training should he not need it, but I doubt his trainer will agree to that

You can consider circumstance penalties if the training is for less than 8 hours/day, or other activity is occurring, or whatever.