Training to Level

[kibbitz]

On the flip side teaching yourself is the only way that you CAN learn something?

Most likely the first guys who learned to do stuff learned through trial and error over a long period of time, probably at great personal cost and or bodily harm depending on what youre talking about.

I reread my statement a couple of times. I'm not sure how I implied that training is irrelevant. My point is simply that I don't like the idea of not being able to improve at all without instruction from someone else. If everyone needs instruction of some sort from a individual of superior skills to actually improve, the first group of guys would never have improved anyway since no one was there to actually train them but themselves.

Anyway, as the OP pointed out, this debate is not really relevant to the question, which were:
1) who among us use training in their games, and
2) for those of us who do, how do we implement it?

I'd be willing to discuss this further in another thread if there is enough interest in having one.

 

[Lanefan]

I reread my statement a couple of times. I'm not sure how I implied that training is irrelevant. My point is simply that I don't like the idea of not being able to improve at all without instruction from someone else. If everyone needs instruction of some sort from a individual of superior skills to actually improve, the first group of guys would never have improved anyway since no one was there to actually train them but themselves.

There's a relatively simple answer to this: people can self-train, but if they do, they acquire ExP at a slower rate. Adventuring is the "fast track" to high levels, with condensed training both in the field and during downtime (hence the need for trainers, particularly at lower levels), and normal life is a "slow track"; thus an Elf who spends a few decades as a woodsman is going to slowly learn a few levels worth of Rangering by default.

The specific mechanics of how fast non-adventurers can earn ExP and-or levels I leave to you to determine.

Lanefan

 

[Zapak Vim]

I require my player characters to spend time and money training. I cant remember what its called but its one of the methods in the DMG. One week for every two levels, and twice as long if they are doing it without a tutor. I'm a bit loose about the costs and usually make the training cost higher for wizards and clerics (lots of materials and rituals required), medium for most characters and low for rogues

I like the idea that high level characters often take up to 2-3 months off to train up.