Training

Training
Use: Macro
skill.
Sample specializations:
Skills of a particular attribute
(Dexterity, Perception, etc.),
a particular set of skills (combat
skills,
knowledge skills, etc.), a single skill.
One
of the major factors in determining the cost for the first add of a new skill
is whether the person acquiring the skill is being taught the skill or learns
it on their own. Training is
used by a character to instruct another character so that they can acquire that
first skill add at the lower cost. One training
skill check is used to cover an entire
training session. When a training session begins, several decisions must be
made. First, if the skill is being acquired by spending possibilities the
amount of time spent on training must be decided. If the skill is being learned
over time, then the duration of the training session is equal to the amount of
time determined using the normal rules earlier in this chapter. One week is the
minimum amount of time required when spending possibilities, but spending more
time will decrease the difficulty of the training
skill check. The modifier is found by
subtracting the time value spent on training from 29, the time value for a
week, creating a negative modifier to the difficulty number. Second, the
teacher and the student must decide if they are training to the exclusion of
all other activities. If not, they are considered distracted which
increases the difficulty. If the skill is being learned over time, the distracted penalty
applies if the training does not occupy at least eight hours a day and 25 days
out of a month’s time. Third, if the skill is being acquired using
possibilities the student must decide if she is committed to
learning the skill. Being committed
means that at the end of the training
session the character can and will purchase the first add of the skill even if
the teacher fails his training skill
check. In other words, the character has enough possibilities to pay the
self-taught cost for the first skill add and will pay that cost if the teacher
fails.
A
character who is not committed can
choose whether or not to buy the first add of the skill at the self-taught cost
if the teacher fails his skill check. If the skill is being learned over time,
the student is automatically considered to be committed
but the only effect this has is to
reduce the difficulty number. If the training
skill check fails, the student does not
learn the skill. At the end of the training session, the teacher makes a training skill
check against a difficulty of 8, modified by the following conditions:
TRAINING CHART
Condition
Modifier
Teacher
has skill at only one add +2
Teacher
or student is distracted +4
Teacher
and student are distracted +5
Student
is committed -3
Skill
can be used unskilled at a penalty +2
Skill
cannot be used unskilled +4
Skill
is not native to teacher’s or student’s reality +5
Skill
is not native to teacher’s and student’s reality +7
Training
session longer than one week (only when
spending
possibilities to learn skill)
29
- Time value
Example: Terrill
is going to teach Marco divination
magic. They decide to spend two weeks on it
rather than the minimum of one week. Marco is going to devote all of his time
to learning the skill but Terrill has other things he needs to do so the
teacher is considered distracted. Marco
really wants to learn the skill so he is committed
to learning it. Terrill only has one
add in divination magic and
the skill cannot be used unskilled. The base difficulty for Terrill’s training skill
check is 8. It is modified by +2 for Terrill only having one add, +4 for
Terrill being distracted, -3
for Marco being committed, +4
for being unusable unskilled and two weeks is a time value of 31 so (29 - 31) a
-2 modifier for that. The final difficulty is 13. Unfortunately, Terrill only
generates a skill total of 12 and fails. Because Marco was committed, he has to
buy the skill add at the self-taught cost, which is 10 possibilities instead of
the five he would have paid if Terrill had succeeded.