DX training is skill training
 

In this variant each character starts with memory points equal to the average of their attributes, round down. When this average goes up a point they get another memory point to save or spend.
So a starting human has 32/3 = 10 memory points, but gains another when they increase any attribute by one. (Halflings have to increase attribute totals by 3 to get the same benefit.)
Additional memory points may be purchased for 500 XPs each.

Re: DX training is skill training
 

Not unworkable, but I'd prefer to keep it like the rest of TFT where everything possible is a trade-off, making the character choose between things. Also this proposal could lead to some illogical results, ie someone pouring all their XP into ST increases, and then spending the memory space that comes with it on Physicker or Alchemist, things in no way related to increasing ST. At least with Talent increases tied to IQ and IQ alone it always makes sense in a way, as you're growing your "mind" on the one hand and learning something new with that "mind" on the other hand.

Re: DX training is skill training
 

So they start with IQ 14, then put in 4,300 XP to raise ST from 8 to 15 and with the three memory points buy Alchemy? So a PhuD who's a fitness freak?

Re: DX training is skill training
 

This modification makes some skill advancement free as your character gets new talents arbitrarily from leveling up.
People value things much more when they have to work or sacrifice for them.
Even the cheapest RAW mechanic of adding 1 mana to a staff for 200xp makes the PC deliberate on the value gain and or other options thus making their 5 ST staff very much a treasured possession.

Granted with a TAP ("Total Attribute Points" learned that from another thread, woot!) divided by 3, the free gains are not huge but enough that it dilutes the value of reward through growth/struggle that is key to my RPG experience.

Re: DX training is skill training
 

The intention is to hand out a few memory points while attributes are cheap without forcing the attribute gains to just IQ.

Re: DX training is skill training
 

That's exactly my point, it sounds ridiculous :)

Re: DX training is skill training
 

Why not make learning IQ based?

I still give a "talent point" for every time IQ is raised. I want talents early on to be a consideration. Later when raising an attribute gets expensive, then the 500 XP per talent point makes sense. This way, they have an option to gain talents that make sense regardless of how green/experienced they are.

BTW, I also start new characters with a roll on the ITL pg 14 "Unusual x Feature" table and get those for free. Well, it is my custom tables similar to those. They get a free IQ 1 or 2 talent(s)/spells/languages. This is instead of mundane talents (2 points of mundane talents is on my table). I also let them choose instead of having to roll, if it fits their character's background bio. They usually pick and then write their bio to match. The talent is only gained if their IQ is sufficiently high. So, they pick/roll the background first, then write the bio and set the attributes.

Summary: Start with 2 additional points for talents they may not have taken otherwise to round out their character. Then during advancement, 1 talent point per IQ gained.

Re: DX training is skill training
 

As long as we are sharing our solutions to these issues, I'll re-share mine although it's already been posted in one or two older threads as well. We do seem to keep coming back to this topic! But this is the short version:

• Every time IQ increases, award two (2) talent points (TP)
• But for new, starting characters, their beginning talent points are determined by the formula TP = (IQ x 2) - 6. Of course the same formula can be applied to their current IQ at any point to verify they are using the correct total. (You can verify under RAW too, but only if you kept a record of all your XP expenditures, which not everyone will bother to do.) So, at IQ 8 you have 10 TP, at IQ 9 you have 12, etc. At IQ 14 you'd have 22, 8 more than if you were starting at that IQ under RAW, but if you had started at a much lower IQ and worked your way up to IQ 14 then you'd have spent a lot of XP to get there. If you'd started at IQ 14 in the first place, then you'd have skimped on your starting DX and ST because you wanted more talents from the beginning -- the choice belongs to the character at every point in their development.
• For non-human characters that start with innate abilities equivalent to free talents, I adjust the formula to TP = (IQ x 2) - 10.
• XP can not be spent to buy talent points directly -- you have to buy an attribute point to raise IQ every time. How expensive that is automatically goes up then with your attribute total, like it used to be, but you are getting twice as many TP for it, minus that initial offset of -6 (humans) or -10 (non-humans).

Re: DX training is skill training
 

Steve, that is an elegant solution.

Re: DX training is skill training
 

Why thanks Axyl!