Training Questions

[AnimeSniper]

So this goes out to all DM & GM and their players with the following questions... How would you handle/allow the player to gain access to Feats, Skills, and PC Class Ranks. Which would be used the INT or WIS and what DC would be involved?

I have discussed this briefly with another GM and some notes that I will post later tonight and a few based on the Variant Campaign Rules listed on the d20srd.org sit under http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/campaigns/testBasedPrerequisites.htm.

1. Instructor Training- the Player takes a class relevant to the desired Feats, Skill, or PC Class.

2. Simulators- Similar to the military the PC gains access to the electronic Simulator to learn a weapon system, vehicle & Vehicle Weapon Operations before taking a live fire test or certification exam.

3. Vehicle Classes- Learn how to operate an airplane, boat, or car giving access to the requisite skill. A sub- skill would be Evasive Vehicle Operation where the player would learn to execute certain maneuvers with said vehicle.

4. Range Time- Time spent firing the PC's choice weapon at a licensed firing range.

5. Physical Training- Time spent at the gym or the track to up their STR, DEX, and CON score.

 

[MechaPilot]

It depends on what you specifically wanted to accomplish. Do you simply want to provide for learning more skills, feats, etc? Or, do you want to model slowly getting better at doing those things over the course of a training program?

I have no problem allowing a PC to pay for instruction and range time, and invest the actual downtime, to pick up firearms proficiencies.

 

[AnimeSniper]

I agree with the player paying for the access to Instructor Training and specific Classes, i.e. Semi-Truck School, during their actual downtime but should their be dice checks rolled x-times before the Player receives the desired Feat, Character Class, or Skill or should it be once gameplay resumes after a game break that as the GM I merely say okay here's what you wanted... enjoy?

 

[MechaPilot]

If you introduce checks to learn additional things, then you're going to make the cost of learning those things (both in funds and time) unpredictable. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I think the costs should be fixed (although there can certainly be tiers of costs, perhaps with skills costing less than feats), and that the player should know what they are ahead of time so that the player can make an informed decision. Also, it adds less complexity to the learning process.

 

[AnimeSniper]

If you introduce checks to learn additional things, then you're going to make the cost of learning those things (both in funds and time) unpredictable. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I think the costs should be fixed (although there can certainly be tiers of costs, perhaps with skills costing less than feats), and that the player should know what they are ahead of time so that the player can make an informed decision. Also, it adds less complexity to the learning process.

Good Points and I can see for the Instructor Training and Classes that would allow the player access to a new Feat or Skill allot a PDC for them and time spent not on missions of x-weeks divided by their INT or WIS modifier.
I can also see adding tiers like in my notes I have Basic, Moderate, Intermediate, and Advanced for things like the Demolitions skill of which each level tier grants x-points to the relevant skill...
Reading and Listening to x-media could open certain Knowledge or Craft Skills or each book grants some many Skill points to that Skill

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Downtime_Activity_Proficiencies_(5e_Variant_Rule) gives me some ideas for my opening for my next groups session...

 

[MechaPilot]

When I mentioned tiers I wasn't so much talking about gaining different levels of skill training as I was saying that gaining a few points in a skill might be at one cost tier, while gaining a feat might be at another cost tier. I suggest this because a lot of feats are combat oriented, whereas gaining a few points in a skill you have no points in is generally going to be of less combat value. And that means you wouldn't have as much combat-oriented training to account for when designing encounters.

That said, I like your tier idea for gaining different amounts of skill points in a given skill.

The only thing I can think of as a potential issue for training in a skill in this manner is class v cross class skills. If you purchase training in a cross-class skill, does it become a class skill for you for the purpose of investing skill points as you continue to level?

 

[AnimeSniper]

As I mentioned lets say PC #3, Lvl 2 smart, Lvl 1 Fast, and lvl 1 soldier who allocated 4 points in Demolitions and 6 in Disable Device and is given the chance for EOD training and passes Basic training giving +5/10 to both skills... Intermediate/Moderate would be +10/15 or so since I am working out some feasible numbers for them all to not give the player to much advantage

As to the Feats I was thinking along the lines of the player working their way up to the desired Feat, i.e. Advanced would give the player access to the Advanced Firearms Proficiency Feat after spending say 4 weeks in a class teaching them about their chosen weapon. Basic through Intermediate/Moderate training gets them the Personal Firearms Proficiency with only Basic halving the penalty to -2 or by 1 meaning -3.

Do you happen to know of a Synergy skill list for Modern and Future gaming like in the http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/usingSkills.htm#skillSynergy

 

[AnimeSniper]

Thanks MechaPilot

Also, I have been collecting and going through my notes and expanding in parts needed

 

[MechaPilot]

I'm glad that I could help. And I'm sorry, I don't know of a synergy list like the one that you linked to.

 

[AnimeSniper]

One thought I had recently related to skills was allotting a small xp for each successful DC and at say 50 gained would get a +1 or more to that related skill...

Another is like in the Fallout games the placement of certain media materials i.e. books and whatnot that when completed grant a +1 or more to that skill