Skill Costs

[imported_Rasyr]

There has been some questions reqarding the high end skill costs, so I thought that I would propose an alternative that reduced the costs a good bit overall, but still allows for the slowing down of development as the character gets more and more ranks. And let's not forget that once a character has more ranks than their Stat Value for a given skill, they are limited to no more than 1 rank per level, regardless of the cost.

# of Ranks	Favored	Cross-Class*	Standard
1-10	1	2	3
11-20	3	4	5
21-30	5	6	7
31-40	7	8	9
41+	9	10	11

* Cross-Class Skills - Basically, if we allow for multi-classing, this is what a skill would cost if if is Favored in one Class, but Standard in another. And if the character has more than 2 Classes, then the Cross-Class cost is used only if the number of times it is Favored and Standard are the same (i.e. if Favored in 2 Classes and Standard in a third, use the Favored cost, and vice versa).

Thoughts? Comments? Opinions?

[samwise7]

I didn't think Novus was going to do cross-class characters?  Will there be some rule that limits the number of classes a character can have, at let's say 2?

Hmm, I think the cross-class cost shouldn't be used.  Frankly, I would think that if a skill is a favored skill for one of your classes, that it should still be favored skill if you went up in another class.  It's not like you forget what you learned.  I think it would make more sense that way.  Even if you have a bunch of favored skills, you still only have so many CPs to spend on them.

The costs of the skill ranks do seem like they would work out better than what was listed before. 

[imported_Rasyr]

Multi-classing is one of the things that I am still considering adding - but as an option, in Libram Novus, not as part of the core rules.

If I did add in multi-classing, it would likely be through the acquisition of a Talent that would maybe cost 5 points. Once taken, your skill costs would be averaged (like suggested in the Cross-class column above). The Multi-class talent would also make the Class talents available for purchase by the character (i.e. it makes them Trainable for that character, even if they were not Trainable before) - Thus a Fighter who multi-classes into Archer could buy the "Archery" talent, he would not gain it automatically....

At least that is/was the plan...

Your suggestion is intriguing, but I would have to see some examples of it before I settled on a decision about it. Limiting multi-classing to only 2 classes may be a good solution as well, and might be useful even for the original method I had planned. Hmm.... your suggestion would make multi-classing more attractive in the short term, especially if combined with the "must buy the Special Abilities" separately rules.....

[samwise7]

Personally, I think if you are going to use multi-classing that any special abilities that come with that class should be given as soon as you take that 2nd class, and for free.  What you would have to see is how an 8th level straight class lines up to a multi-class character with 4 levels of two classes.  What are the differences in power and versatility? 

If you want to avoid the multi-class thing entirely, I would just make the classes more flexible with more Favored skills at the player's choice.  In my all Cleric (Legate) group they used those discretionary favored skills to good use, so they didn't feel like they needed to multi-class.  Since they were all humans that also helped (since they are the most flexible race). 

[imported_Rasyr]

I may go ahead and just leave multi-classing out for now.

Like you said, the choice of Favored Skills can really mitigate the need for multi-classing, and most classes get to choose at least one Favored skill (Mage-types get to choose 3), and players can spend CP on additional Favored Skills.

Hmm... I could change Favored Skills so that it still costs 3 points if acquired during chargen, and 5 points if taken later (i.e. make it Trainable for an additional 2 points), so that additional Favored Skills can be acquired later. But if I did that, I would also likely put a limit on how many times a character could actually purchase that Talent.

[samwise7]

You lost me on the last part...  Keeping it simple has its benefits. 

[imported_Rasyr]

After more thought, I think that I will leave it as it is...

Afterall, a character is allowed to learn any skill he wants, no matter what his Class is, and he can use the Favored Skill Talent during chargen to add more Favored Skills.

I will most likely change the costs for Favored and Standard as indicated in first post...

[samwise7]

My characters in the campaign did use the Favored Skill Talent as well.