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Old 03-19-2021, 03:01 PM   #41
zot
 
Join Date: May 2018
Default Re: IQ gain and free talents?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Plambeck View Post
Being a glutton for punishment, I did do the math -- a spreadsheet actually.

38 total attributes is the break-even point. Below 38 points total, the talent points work out to be cheaper than the ITL cost of 500 XP each. Above 38 they cost more. Going from 37 to 38 costs 1000 XP (RAW) and comes with 2 talent points, hence the cost works out to 500 each, identical to the RAW at that point. From start to "finish", a 32 point figure spends only 100 XP for a pair of talent points(!) but a 40 point character has to spend 4000 for the same. Adding 16 talent points in a PC's career costs 8000 XP under the RAW, and 8300 XP this way - almost identical.

So if you ever thought 500 XP per point was too expensive for a starting character, and too cheap for a highly advanced one, this rule may work for you. Since the prices are tied to the cost of attribute increases, they'll adjust themselves automatically if you use your own, tweaked attribute costs without having to even think about it.

For my taste it may be a little too generous at the lowest end, but for such a short and simple house rule it tweaks a bunch of issues at once.
It's a good argument -- I also took a look at the numbers.

I found that Attributes/2 is a fair approximation of this and could work well for all characters, not just those focused on IQ. It also grows talent points at a slower rate for wizards than 2/IQ would (a ST 12 DX 12 IQ 8 wizard steadily increasing IQ would reach IQ 16 with 24 TP at 40 attribute points).

Of course all PCs start with 16 talent points, something normally reserved only for wizards, so it kind of nerfs IQ and levels the talent point playing field. Legacy adds enough talent diversity that PCs can still be radically different even if they all start with 16 points. IQ does still work as a gatekeeper attribute, though, so non-wizards still have good reason to gain IQ. A weapon master wouldn't need to raise IQ higher than 13 in order to gain more talents.

Add in the option to purchase talents at 500XP a point and I think I like it better than Legacy's system.

[EDIT]
I dunno, I suppose another approach might be to just start every PC off with 10 or 12 TP instead of setting it at IQ (and have them buy TP at 500 XP each). That would be even simpler and it would also remove the link between IQ and talent points (not your goal but it's one of mine :) ).

Last edited by zot; 03-19-2021 at 03:33 PM.
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