[freeroleplay] Re: Character advancement as a game
- From: "Per I. Mathisen" <per@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: freeroleplay@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2003 11:04:40 +0000 (GMT)
On Mon, 8 Dec 2003, Samuel Penn wrote:
> Have you seen Ars Magica? For Magus characters (which the game is very
> much based around) what they study and how they study it is a big part
> of the game, and often drives the narrative, especially when resources
> are limited.
I've never seen Ars Magica. Could you say a bit more about it and how
this character advancement system works?
> Players buy those skills they want to use, or have to use. You are right
> in that how well this works is up to the game designer, but also to some
> extent it is up to the game master as well. If the GM doesn't stretch
> the PCs, giving them reasons to try other skills, they they'll stick
> to improving just a small set of skills.
Yes, and it helps if the adventure campaign is written for a variety of
solutions to challenges and uses a wide variety of checks, not just the
usual small set of the most common checks.
> Runequest has the problem that skill advancement is very tied into the
> narrative - you only improve skills you've successfully rolled during
> the game.
That is, IMHO, doing accounting, not roleplaying ;)
- Per
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