Feng Shui Increasing an Action Value past =
From: roy_the_odd Posted on: 5/19/2003 1:49 pm
To: ALL
Message: 217.1
Hey all, I'm new to the game and I'm going to running my first campaign this summer. I've stumbled upon one major issue though: how do I increase a skill past =? Let me explain.

Suppose I have a Gambler with Fortune = 7 and Gambling (+10) = 15. If I do the math then he's really got an Action Value of 17, but because of the = it is artificially set at 15. How do I eventually increase this skill so that the character gets the AV 17? The same question applies to Attributes, but it's easier for me to give an example using the Skill issue. Any help would be appreciated.

From: Sensei Posted on: 5/19/2003 4:36 pm
To: roy_the_odd
Message: 217.2
in reply to: 217.1
Unfortuitously, the short answer is: "You're screwed."

You cannot have a skill level greater than those listed after the "=", but this applies ONLY to when the PC is created. They may, of course, be raised with XP at any time -after- the character generation process, but simply put, your Gambler just loses the two points that he should have for that skill at the time of his creation. They just go. Poof. Gone.

Sad, sad, I know, but this has been spoken of before in depth amongst both gamers and the game designers.

And, hey! Welcome to Feng Shui!

Edited 5/19/2003 4:40:38 PM ET by Sensei (SENSEI22)
From: roy_the_odd Posted on: 5/19/2003 6:25 pm
To: Sensei
Message: 217.3
in reply to: 217.2
Wowzers!! That's not what I was expecting. But, eh, worse things have happened. Thanks for the response. :-)
From: Master_Kiero Posted on: 5/19/2003 7:23 pm
To: roy_the_odd
Message: 217.4
in reply to: 217.3
Some more lenient GMs might allow you to put the "lost" points into some Info skills just for a bit of roundness. Especially if you're from an archetype with a short starting skills list.

My take
Kiero

From: DarrinBright Posted on: 5/20/2003 2:29 pm
To: roy_the_odd
Message: 217.5
in reply to: 217.1
The = AVs only apply to character generation. After that, you're free to increase them to your heart's content.

Trust me (or at least Mr. Laws), this was done *intentionally* to make sure the archetypes start out balanced.

Are you losing "skill points"? Not really... it's not like you spent points on those skills. Think of it more as, "whatever my Charisma is, I get enough free skill points to bring it up to 15" rather than "AV = Charisma + fixed number". And besides, once you're out of character generation, you'll never really see or spend skill points again.

Note: there are one or two archetypes where you can get a pretty insane AV by combining stat increases and skill points to get up above 15 or 16 on a skill without a "Max =". The Karate Cop, for example, can get a Drive of 22. There's a couple of caveats, though... the combat and magic-based skills can't be bought at all, and any skill not already listed as part of the archetype has an automatic max at I think 14.

From: Master_Kiero Posted on: 5/20/2003 3:00 pm
To: DarrinBright
Message: 217.6
in reply to: 217.5
Max for anything not on the sheet is 12. Not so sure about anything that is, generally anything combat-related is already maxed out, or [Max]-ed. I'd let Info's go as high as people like. Wanna start out a world-renowned expert on Fluid Mechanics, fair enough.

Kiero

From: GrifterX2 Posted on: 5/31/2003 3:06 pm
To: Master_Kiero
Message: 217.7
in reply to: 217.6
Does it actually say that in the book somewhere? Usually I just make judgement calls. If their character justifies having some ridiculously overpowered score (Well, I was a race car driver, but I quit that to join the force.) then I'll let it go up to around 14.

Grifter
First post! Wooo!

From: Master_Kiero Posted on: 5/31/2003 3:54 pm
To: GrifterX2
Message: 217.8
in reply to: 217.7
Admittedly Feng Shui isn't a game where we should be quoting chapter and verse. However, check out the end of the second paragraph in the second column of page 16:

"If you add a skill that does not appear on your typel, it automatically has a Max of 12."

Those in italics (ie all the combat and special ones) can't be added.

Course all of this can be changed if the GM wants to.

Oh, and welcome to the boards!

Kiero

Edited 5/31/2003 4:01:24 PM ET by MASTER_KIERO
From: GrifterX2 Posted on: 6/2/2003 2:47 am
To: Master_Kiero
Message: 217.9
in reply to: 217.8
Thank you for the welcome, especially because I started by disagreeing with you. Now that you have quoted the book at me, I'm probably going to continue ignoring it.

Grifter