Making Skills Matter More

[Anthony]

I have never seen abuse of attribute defaults be a problem -- the average raise from default to 1 skill point is +4, so it's almost always worth putting a point in anything you think you'll care about. The issue is all skills at 1 point.

If the skill cost was instead something like:

    -6  -5  -4  -3  -2  -1  +0  +1  +2  +3  +4  +5  +6  ++1
E   -   -   -   -   -   -   1   -   2   3   4   6   8   +4
A   -   -   -   -   1   -   2   3   4   6   8   12  16  +4
H   -   -   1   -   2   3   4   6   8   12  16  20  24  +4
VH  1   -   2   3   4   6   8   12  16  20  24  28  32  +4

there'd be more motivation to put something other than 1 point in a skill.

[hal]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I have never seen abuse of attribute defaults be a problem -- the average raise from default to 1 skill point is +4, so it's almost always worth putting a point in anything you think you'll care about. The issue is all skills at 1 point.

If the skill cost was instead something like:

    -6  -5  -4  -3  -2  -1  +0  +1  +2  +3  +4  +5  +6  ++1
E   -   -   -   -   -   -   1   -   2   3   4   6   8   +4
A   -   -   -   -   1   -   2   3   4   6   8   12  16  +4
H   -   -   1   -   2   3   4   6   8   12  16  20  24  +4
VH  1   -   2   3   4   6   8   12  16  20  24  28  32  +4

there'd be more motivation to put something other than 1 point in a skill.

Interesting. What would it be like if...

Each 1 point put into a skill removes 1 point in penalties from default instead, and then each subsequent increase in skill took 2 and then 4 points per level?

Just a thought?

[AlexanderHowl]

I do not think that it would work because it leaves too many gaps (and it paradoxically increases the cost to be less competent than a person with Dabbler). As for Path Magic, RPM and Thaumatology both had suggested maximum defaults for Path Magic (RPM limited Paths to 12 plus Magery while Thaumatology suggested a number of options). And, if you do not like either solution, just use Books instead of Paths, since they do not get defaults.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

I do not think that it would work because it leaves too many gaps (and it paradoxically increases the cost to be less competent than a person with Dabbler).

No it doesn't, since dabbler can't give you a skill level matching points, but you'd want to change either dabbler or defaults. Dabbler is just introducing 1/8, 1/4, and 1/2 point skills.