Skill Point Progression System
for use with any Palladium System game
This system is designed to provide greater flexibility that does not require modification of any other aspect of the system. You just drop it in and go.
Why a Different Skill System?
The biggest complaint I have and hear of regarding the Palladium System in general is ... lack of power balance between characters (no easy way to fix that).
The second biggest complaint is regarding static skill progression. Skill selection is great. The ability to have a wide variety of skills is easy. Three problems arise, however, with advancing characters and keeping in character:
- Picking up new skills (there is a way to do it, but it is not based on when you have the opportunity to gain new skills and it happens at an extremely variable rate based on O.C.C. and gameline).
- Advancing skills in a logical manner (skills that a character has had more experience with or has a talent for vs. skills that get used very infrequently or that the character is only mediocre with).
- All bonuses and penalties are based strictly on O.C.C., R.C.C., etc. There is no allowance for characters pasts, quirks, talents, or switch in focus to or away from skills as circumstances change around them.
At First Level
Starting Skill Slots | O.C.C. Only Skill Points
What Counts? | The Finer Points...
Leveling Characters
Bonus Skill Slots | New Skills/Combat Abilities
Updating Slots and Skill Points | Raising Skills
Examples | Variations on a Theme (possible rules variations)
Rules Summary
At 1st level (after selecting skills):
- Count the number of skills that have a percentage associated with them. This is the number of starting skill slots for your character.
- Count the number of O.C.C. abilities (those that are not found in the skills chapter) that have a percentage associated with them. This is the number of starting O.C.C. Only Skill Points for your character (these cannot be used to purchase new skills, only raise existing O.C.C. skills and abilities).
- Record these numbers somewhere on your character sheet as SKILL SLOTS and O.C.C. SKILL POINTS respectively.
When leveling your character:
- Determine whether a bonus skill slot is gained at the level you are raising your character to (chart provided). This permanently increases your number of skill slots.
- Purchase any new skills and/or HTH combat/martial art forms (cost in skills slots). This permanently reduces your number of skill slots.
- Subtract the cost in skill slots from the purchased items and add bonus skill slot(s) for that level (if applicable).
- The remaining Skill Slots provide Skill Points at a 1-for-1 basis to spend into upgrading your character's skills (except any purchased new that level). This does not use up the Skill Slots (these remain to start the process all over again next level). Skill Points represent a level of a skill.
- Check to see if a bonus O.C.C. Only Ability is gained at that level. If so, then increase O.C.C. Only Skill Points starting next level.
On Skill Types
What importance do the various skill categories in an O.C.C. have when using this skill system?
O.C.C./R.C.C. Skills matter for purposes of the O.C.C. Only Skill Points. O.C.C. Skill categories after that vary a lot from one game to the next. Using this system, there are no categories beyond O.C.C. Skills, Non-O.C.C. Skills and O.C.C. Abilities (those abilities that function like a skill, but that you will only find in the O.C.C. description, not in the skills section). The highest set of bonunses provided to skills outside of O.C.C. skills is used for all of the character's other skills (whether they are normally referred to as O.C.C. Related Skills, other Skills, Secondary Skills, etc.
At First Level
Calculating Starting Skill Slots ... for raising and purchasing skills later
At character creation, after skills are selected, the Starting Skill Slots need to be totalled. The number of Skill Slots is based on the skills the character selected, with different types of skills either adding to the total or not. The list below breaks them down based on the function of the O.C.C. Abilities (those abilities that are not listed in the skill section but that have percentage rolls), O.C.C. Skills, O.C.C. Related Skills, Other Skills, Secondary Skills, etc. alloted to the character at 1st level:
Totalling up the skill slots (listed next to the skill type in parentheses; see What Counts and What Doesn't), you then record the number (this will change as skill slots are gained and skills are purchased). The total number is the character's available skill slots for the next level.
Calculating O.C.C. Only Skill Points ... for raising O.C.C. Skills/Abilities later
Count the number of O.C.C. abilities that have a skill roll (those abilities that are not listed in the skill section but that have percentage rolls) and keep that number separate. This number translates into skill points (they cannot be used to purchase new skills) that can only be spent on O.C.C. skills and O.C.C. abilities.
What Counts and What Doesn't
There are four broad categories of skills/abilities and they count a little differently:
- Basic Percentage Skills (1 skill slot): These skills only give a percentage to perform a function or range of functions.
- Percentage Array Skills (1 skill slot): These skills may or may not have a percentage of their own, but give you a selection of "mini-skills" or aspects of the skill with percentages all their own (e.g. Gymnastics or First Aid) which allow you to perform a range of functions. Raising these skills are done together (raising Gymnastics would actually raise all of the "mini-skills" together). Non-Exclusive and Exclusive Martial Art Forms provide additional skills as part if their training and function the same way as other skills of this type.
NOTE: Sacrificing Chi abilities for Basic skill programs is only an option when using Martial Art Forms with martial art O.C.C.s (Worldly Martial Artist, Dedicated Martial Artist, etc.). These additional skills are counted the same as if they were normal skills. - Ability Bonus Skills (none): These skills provide no percentage bonus, but provide you with bonuses to your Attributes, Perception, S.D.C., etc. All of the standard Hand-to-Hand Combat skills qualify. Any Martial Art Form that does not provide any skills fits in this category. These skills provide you with a bonus that takes maintenance and it is assumed that these are being maintained (or that the character would loose these bonuses). When starting off with these skills you are spending a skill slot immediately (so they never become available).
- Weapon Proficiency Skills (1 skill slot): These skills give you trained ability to use specific weapons and combat bonuses at specific levels with those weapons. Recognizing weapon quality is also possilbe and there is a percentage roll to do so.
What About Non-O.C.C. Skill Points
General Skill points are assumed during 1st level and are figured out using Skill Slots at every other level. At first level you are assumed to have purchased level one in each skill that provides you a Skill Slot. This will make more sense once you level your character to 2nd and see how Skill Points work.
Duplicate Skills
The same skill provided from two different sources. When this occurs, the better one is the one you want to raise (if there is a better one). There is no reason to purchase a skill twice. Using this system, the Professional Quality "gained" by purchasing a Domestic or Performance skill is simply not worth it. Just spend more points into the skill.
There are circumstances when a particular skill will be given to a character from two different sources (O.C.C. and martial Art, two different skill programs, etc.). In these circumstances:
- The skill that will be raised (the one with the highest percentage if it applies) receives an extra level from the other (duplicate) skill.
- The duplicate skill does not provide a skill slot. If the duplicate skill is part of an array (such as that from a Martial Art Form) it has no effect.
- Ability bonuses from duplicate skills do not provide any added benefit.
Record Skill Slots and O.C.C. Only Skill Points
At this point you know how many Skill Slots you will have available to you next level. You want to record this on your character sheet. This number has the likelyhood of changing based on the level. You also want to record your O.C.C. Only Skill Points (this number may change of additional O.C.C. Abilities are granted later on).
| Bonus Skill Slot Progression | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Char. | Bonus Skills Granted by O.C.C. (2nd - 15th* Level) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Level | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 2nd | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 3rd | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 4th | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 5th | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 6th | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 7th | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 8th | 1 | - | - | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 9th | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 10th | - | - | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 11th | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| 12th | - | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 13th | - | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| 14th | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 15th | - | - | - | - | - | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| * for games going beyond 15th level, just start over with 2nd/16th, etc. | ||||||||||||||||||||
Leveling Characters
When leveling your character:
- Determine whether a bonus skill slot is gained at the level you are raising your character to (chart provided). This permanently increases your number of skill slots.
- Purchase any new skills and/or HTH combat/martial art forms (cost in skills slots). This permanently reduces your number of skill slots.
- Subtract the cost in skill slots from the purchased items and add bonus skill slot(s) for that level (if applicable).
- The remaining Skill Slots provide skill points at a 1-for-1 basis to spend into upgrading your character's skills (except any purchased new that level). This does not use up the Skill Slots (these remain to start the process al over again next level).
- Check to see if a bonus O.C.C. Only Skill is gained at that level. If so, then increase O.C.C. Only Skill Points starting next level.
Determine Bonus Skill Slots (if applicable)
Every character gains a number of bonus skill slots based on their O.C.C. (just add them all up) and look at the New Skill Progression Table. Determine whether a bonus skill slot is gained at the level you are raising your character to.
Bonus skill slots do one of two things:
- Provides a new Basic Percentage, Percentage Array or Weapon Proficiency skill at 1st level and starting next level, permanently increases your number of skill slots (add the new skill slot in when recording your new skill slots).
- Provides a new Ability Bonus Skill.
Purchase New Skills and HTH:Combat/Martial Art Forms
These are permanent new additions to your character, access to a whole new element of knowledge or capability. As such, the cost is permanent. Upgrading skills is done on a by-level basis (and so the cost is temporary as well).
Purchasing New Skills (with existing Skill Slots)
New skills are purchased on a one-for-one basis with Skill Slots (you lose a skill slot and gain a new skill at first level). Any new skills you purchase this level includes the first level (you don't spend Skill Points to buy it). Gainin a new Skill Slot works a little differently and is covered here.
Upgrading/Purchasing Hand to Hand Combat and Martial Art Forms
These other skill-based abilities can be purchased as a character increases in experience:
- Hand-to-Hand Combat: Adding a new form of combat or upgrading to a new one can be done after character creation as well.
- Non-Exclusive Martial Arts: Upgrading to or adding a more in-depth martial art can also be done but requires significantly more effort.
- Exclusive Martial Arts: Upgrading to or adding a very in-depth martial art can also be done but will consume a formidable portion of the characters time and concentration.
Raising Martial Arts
The assumption is that Hand-to-Hand Combat and Martial Arts will raise in level with the character, starting at level one when it is purchased or newly upgraded. To raise HtH and Martial Arts as skills see Variations at the bottom of this document.
Raising skills that come with a Martial Art Form is done treating the Martial Art as a Skill Array so it takes one Skill Point to raise all of the skills in that Array and not spending that point means not raising any of those skills.
O.C.C. Skills are not allowed to be sacrificed to raise Hand-to-Hand Combat (or to purchase a second form).
| Cost for New Skills and Combat Abilities after 1st Level |
||
|---|---|---|
| Skill/Hand-to-Hand/Martial Art Type | Skill Slots |
|
| Percentage Skills1 | 1 | |
| Percentage Array Skills2 | 1 | |
| Ability Bonus Skills3 | 1 | |
| Weapon Proficiencies4 | 1 | |
| Hand-to-Hand Combat Upgrade5 1 step (from Basic to Expert, etc.) |
1 | |
| New Hand-to-Hand Basic6 | 1 | |
| New Hand-to-Hand Expert6 | 2 | |
| New Hand-to-Hand Martial Arts,Assassin, Gladiator, Agent, etc.6 | 3 | |
| Non-Exclusive Martial Arts Upgrade7 (from HTH: Martial Arts equivalent) |
3 | |
| New Non-Exclusive Martial Arts7 | 5 * | |
| Exclusive Martial Arts8 (from HTH: Martial Arts equivalent) |
5 | |
| New Exclusive Martial Arts8 | 7 * | |
* Separate/Additional Form: Rather than upgrading your existing martial art form, you can become a truely flexible opponent, learning to fight with more than one style. This requires more effort and concentration to keep the two styles separate and is more expensive as a result (+2 skill slots).
NOTE: All forms of Hand-to-Hand Combat and Martial Arts that are upgraded reset to level one at the level they are upgraded. Upgrading HtH: Basic to HtH: Martial Arts at 3rd level would cost 2 of the character's skill slots, remove the bonuses from HtH: Basic, and add the bonuses from HtH: Martial Arts at level one.
Updating Skill Slots and O.C.C. Only Skill Points
Once Bonus Skill Slots have been added to the Starting Skill Slots (or Skill Slots from the previous level) and any purchased Skills, HTH Combat and Martial Arts have been subtracted, the remainer is the number of Skill Slots remaining for use next level AND the number of Skill Points available this level to raise skills.
Check to see if your O.C.C. grants you a new O.C.C. Ability at the level you are gaining. If so you raise your O.C.C. Only Skill Points (spending the one you just gained this level on this new ability).
Record on your character sheet how many Skill Slots and O.C.C. Only Skill Points you have (this will be important when starting this over next level).
Raising Skills
Now you spend Skill Points to raise your existing skills (except any new skills you purchased this level as your purchase includes the first level). Each Skill Point represents one level of a skill (e.g. if First Aid is Base Skill: 60 + 4% per level; each Skill Point spent on First Aid represents 4%).
Skill Points only matter while leveling your character and can be used as a way to define the level of the skill (e.g. "I have spent 5 skill points on First Aid" would be the same as First Aid being at 5th level or 80% using the above example).
Each new level (2nd and up) the player purchases any new skills, reducing the number of available skill slots. The remaining skill slots make an equal number of skill points available to raise the level of existing skills (except any new skills you purchased this levell they cannot be raised the same level they are purchased). Skills can only be raised up to two levels higher than character level (3rd lvl. character can only raise skill to 5th lvl. proficiency). Points can be saved and be spent on the following level in addition to the points available at that level.
Tracking Skill Points
Tracking Skill Points is a really good idea. It keeps you from getting confused about how moany points you have spent and allows you to go back and double-check your work. This is not as difficult as it may seem.
There are three things to keep track of that will count towards accurate percentages on skills and knowing how many Skill Points have been spent:
- Starting Skills -- Every skill your character starts with that provides a Skill Slot has a perentage associated with it. All of these skills automatically start at 1st level (so they already have a Skill Point). At 1st level Skill Slots = Skill Points.
- New Skills -- New skills start off at 1st level for free (just like they do when your character is 1st level). Keep track of how many skills you buy.
- Raising Skills -- Every time you raise a skill to 2nd level or beyond it should be noted.
The easiest way to do this is to have the level of a skill written down next to the skill, with skills that do not have a percentage associated with them left blank.
Variations on a Theme
No system is perfect and, more importantly, no system will please everyone. Here are some suggestions to modify the system, tailoring it to your needs and wants:
Buy Back Ability Bonus Skills
There may be circumstances when it makes sence for a character to loose one of the Ability Bonus Skills. In this case they remove the skill and remove the bonus it provided. If a roll is involved ideally the amount that was rolled would be removed, but if not, remove the average, round down (e.g. 2d6 would become 6) and that would be removed from the appropriate attribute or score. Starting the level that the bonus(es) is removed, the character gets a Skill Slot back.
Hand-to-Hand Flexibility
Allow O.C.C. Skills to be traded in when upgrading Hand to Hand Combat. Normally O.C.C. Skills are not allowed to be sacrificed to raise Hand-to-Hand Combat. Doing so should reduce the Starting Skill Slots for the character as well (same as it would for sacrificing any other type of skill for a HTH Combat or Martial Art Form.
Martial Skill
Allow Hand to Hand Combat and Martial Art Forms to be treated the same as any other skill (purchased using Skill Points). They then count toward Skill Slots and they are raised only when the player decides to raise them (although they are a little more expensive):
- HtH: Basic -- 1 skill point
- HtH: Expert -- 2 skill points
- HtH: Martial Arts, Assassin, etc. -- 3 skill points
- Non-Exclusive Martial Art Form -- 5 skill points
- Exclusive Martial Art Form -- 7 skill points
Percentage Array Skills Raise Separately
Instead of having skills such as Gymnastics count as a group of skills which you gain 1 skill slot for and raise together, have them count as 2 skill slots and raise each of the individual "mini-skills" separately.
Weaker Skill Progression
If you feel that progression after 1st level progresses too quickly then when a Bonus Skill Slot is gained just grant a Bonus Skill Slot. This means that they can either use the skill slot as extra Skill Points or to purchase a new skill (requiring the existing Skill Slots to power an additional skill in addition to the character's other skills. NOTE: An Ability Bonus skill replaces the whole skill slot as normal.
Too Complex
This system assumes that Hand-to-Hand Combat will always be raised and that physical bonus skills will always provide the bonus. You can ignore the subtraction of skill slots and make your players spend the skill points at each level. This also requires that you count every skill toward available skill slots at 1st level. Then, just allow 1 skill point per skill when leveling (this will guarantee more points than normal for those who purchase more physical bonus skills).