Simple professions or skills

[Steerpike]

My players want their characters to be able to learn some kills, like woodworking, tailoring, etc. I don't intend to pull the 3e skill system into C&C because I don't care for it. I was thinking of adopting the Call of Cthulhu system (non-d20) because that one is kind of fun to me. Below is how I'd set it up for C&C.

What do you all think of this?

You pick your initial profession or skill and you have a starting

value in that skill ranging from 0 to 100. I am thinking for first

level characters you start with your INT score plus a d12. There will

be a range of skill, but no one would start higher than 30 in

anything.

When you use a skill (or if you miss a session and your character has

an opportunity to study) you MAY get to place a check mark by it.

Limit one check mark per session. That means you have an opportunity

to improve the skill. At low levels you'll get a check mark more

often for doing things involving your skill. At higher skill levels

you'll get the check mark less often, particularly if you are doing

run-of-the-mill things that don't stand to teach you anything about

the craft. This is all completely within the discretion of the CK.

At the end of a session, IF you got a check mark for your skill, you

get to roll to see if you improve it. If you roll above your skill

score using percentile dice, then you roll a d10 and add that number

to your score. That's how much you progressed. If you roll below your

skill score, you didn't progress. As you can see, this also makes it

more difficult to progress at higher skill levels, though your skill

checks will be successful more often.

Skill checks are easy - you roll a percentile and if you get below

your skill score, then you are successful. Penalties or bonuses may

apply depending on exactly what you are trying to do.

Example:

Drek the Orc has a score of 25 in woodworking. Needing a place to put

his feet up, he decides to build a small table. After gathering the

appropriate materials, he sets to work. The player rolls a d100 and

gets a 09. Success. Drek has put together a fairly decent table, for

an orc, and the CK decides Drek can put a check mark next to his

skill. At the end of the session, the player rolls to see if Drek

learned anything from his experience building the table. He rolls a

53. Sure enough, Drek's Orc brain gleaned something. A roll of 1d10

turns up a 3. Drek now has a score of 28 in woodworking.

In some cases, if you fail you may be able to try again. If you are

using raw materials, they are ruined during most failed attempts and

you have to replace them.

No score can progress past 90%

It's a very easy system, and in practice it proves to be pretty fun, at least in CoC
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"There are two kinds of people in the world: those with guns, and those who dig." - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

[serleran]

I usually don't bother -- I let the characters discover what they know, as I need them to know it, as the game plays. It cuts out all the "pre-game huddle" crap.
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Serl's Corner

[Steerpike]

Yeah, serleran, that's kind of the approach I usually take. But the players want a system, so I'm trying to give them something that will be fun but won't take over the game or the characters in any sense. I'll see how they respond to it in time....
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"There are two kinds of people in the world: those with guns, and those who dig." - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

[serleran]

Well, if'n I had to give something, I would break it down into careers, and give what the character would know based on that. For example, a scribe would know how to read and write, how to forge and identify the same, standard protocols for various written needs, and basic politics... as a rough idea. A woodsman would be like a powered-down ranger with some mild tracking, some survival (can feed and find shelter for himself alone, but must make a successful check) and the like... I wouldn't detail it all, but give the player an idea of what it basically covers. Naturally, I would allow one career... but if a player really wanted to haggle for more, they could bribe me.
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Serl's Corner

[gideon_thorne]

Steerpike wrote:
But the players want a system, so I'm trying to give them something that will be fun but won't take over the game or the characters in any sense. I'll see how they respond to it in time....

Ok. Pete's real simple advancement system for everything.

Any +1 that a character wants to get in any one ability or skill costs 1000 xp per +

A +1 to a single given attribute modifier costs 10,000 xp per +.

This way, characters can come to the table with 'background' skills, but if they want to improve them, the above is the method.
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"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven

Peter Bradley

[Steerpike]

I like XP buy systems as well. They're easy to use and puts the control in the player's hands. I will have to think about it. I tend to be a bit slower in XP gain than a lot of people, so players may be reluctant to spend any at low levels. But that may not be a bad thing.
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"There are two kinds of people in the world: those with guns, and those who dig." - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

[serleran]

My only real concern with an XP buy system is this -- when you're higher level and you earn XP, and you'll earn a lot of them, is that you can suddenly just start getting all these new abilities and improvements, and you don't really have to sacrifice much in the way of level advancement.... what's 25K now when next adventure you're earning 75? Sure, you're a little behind, but not very much in the big scheme. This is why I always suggest a "pool" which cannot be used or affected by level advancement -- it is used only for purchasing things. I usually go with 10% of what the character gained as standard XP.

Just a few thoughts on that matter, for what its worth.
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Serl's Corner

[AslanC]

I use a modified version of the Delving Deeper skills by BHP.

There are 11 general skills, and they are ranked as novice, expert and master.

Players start with 3 points and get 1 point ever level.

Each point the add to a skill gives them an equal bonus on their Seige check.

Easy, peasy and the players love the simplicity of it
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[Steerpike]

That's a nice, simple system too.

These are all cool. The one thing I do really like about the CoC system is that the skill increases are tied to use of the skill in-game. So it makes sense that it would go up because you are using the skill. If you never use it, it doesn't go up no matter how far the character progresses in other areas.
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"There are two kinds of people in the world: those with guns, and those who dig." - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly