Building a Better you…
Spending Experience
The cost to increase a Trait by one is as follows.
- Attributes: Current Rating x4
- Abilities: 3 for the first level, then Current Rating x2
- Backgrounds: 7 for the first level, then Current Rating x3 (Restricted Backgrounds must be received as Gifts)
- Virtues: Current Rating x2
- Morality: Current Rating x2
- Willpower: Current Rating x1
- Merits: Rating x3 to acquire; requires approval of two GMs
- Flaws: Buying off Flaws costs Rating x3 and requires approval of two GMs
- Maneuvers: 2 XP each
- Rituals/Rites: 2 XP each
Powers vary in cost. Most Paths cost Current Rating x6 to advance and may be raised to 5. If the Path has some dramatic flaw it will cost Current Rating x5.
Magic typically costs Current Rating x7 to advance.
Templates may alter all these costs; if so, this will be indicated in the Template's description.
Trait Maximums
Any Trait may be raised to a maximum of 5, except Morality and Willpower, which may be raised to 10. If you receive a Gift that changes this, you will be informed and the change will be specifically delineated. Do not assume anything applies unless you have a written copy of changes made. That is the method we use to keep track of the revolving cast of characters.
Novice and Seasoned Characters may raise Backgrounds to 5. They may request a Gift to raise the cap for a single Background to 8. Veterans may raise Backgrounds to 8, and may request a Gift to raise the cap for a single Background to 10. (A character who raises the cap on a Background to 8 while Seasoned and later attains the Veteran Template must still spend a Gift to raise the cap on that Background to 10.)
Earning Experience
A character who accepts an offer to participate in a Game is Imbued by the sponsoring Harbinger. Imbuing alters how a person learns; they learn faster than normal from Games, but lose the capacity to learn from anything other than a Game. High Rollers who retire lose their Imbuing and begin learning at a normal pace.
A character who loses his Imbuing, for whatever reason, is no longer a High Roller and can never become a High Roller again through any means – even through the efforts of Harbingers.
Characters are awarded 10 XP and a Gift for every Game they win. They get 5 XP but no Gift if they lose but survive. They receive a Downtime whether they win or lose (but each character can receive only one Downtime per week of real time).
The Fast Learner Merit awards an additional 1 XP per game.
In addition to Experience Points, characters may earn Study Points through the Mentor, Laboratory, or Library backgrounds or by being taught by another player character. See the Study Points page for more details.
GM's receive 10 XP and a Downtime for any single character for each House Game they run. No risk of death, but no Gift either.
If you are allowed to play a "Ringer" (an NPC that furthers the plot), you gain 5 XP for any single character, or 10 XP if you fulfill the designated plotline for which the Ringer was created (usually by dying). You also receive a Downtime.
If you allocate XP from running a game or from playing a Ringer to a character with Fast Learner or Study Points, the character does not receive the extra XP for Fast Learner, but does receive Study Points as normal.
Retainers receive 5 XP for surviving a Game (whether they win or lose) and cannot receive XP from Side Games. Characters other than High Rollers and Retainers, including members of a Retinue, do not receive Experience Points from Games or any other source.
If you post a Journal Entry at least half a page in length recording your character's perspective of a Game, your character may be awarded an additional 2 XP. This must be done within one week. You may post this in the forums.
If you post an Interlude at least one page in length describing your character's activities between Games, your character may be awarded an additional 1 XP. This must be done within one week of the Game, and ideally should be done before the next Game. You may post this in the forums.
GM's can receive up to 3 XP per full House Game scenario submitted. Games must be approved, and will be open source once submitted. Unlike Journals, we will be retroactively assigning points here, as it encourages people to write up their Games.
To receive XP for submitting a Game:
-It must be approved by an Admin/designated "complete".
-Only original Games can receive full XP. Modifying an existing scenario to House Games is worth 1 XP only.
-It must be in a readable format. (OpenOffice works best for Portland, Alabama, and Nevada County)
-It must be submitted to other active cells. (Admins will handle this for you.)
Points gained are effectively bonus "GM" points, and may be spent on any character you like.
