Limitations on Stats

[VariousRen]

Is there any reason basic stats cannot be bought in a similar way to limitations on advantages? Advantages like Striking and Lifting ST seem like an attempt to make this possible, but does not address the problems such as buying Striking ST for one arm, or lifting ST that only affects carried weight (and not arm basic lift).

Instead, why not treat Striking ST as ST (Attacks only -50%), Lifting ST as ST (encumbrance only -70%), and so on. By pricing ST like this, it is possible to allow for stacked limitations, and to allow players to buy off limitations as play progresses. For example, a fighter may start with lots of ST (Attacks only), but trade it in for full ST (with the HP and improved basic lift that that includes) once they have the points for it. Currently, ST and Striking ST are unrelated, and they would have to buy Lifting ST and HP separately.

A similar treatment for all stats would allow for people to buy IQ without raising Per and Will automatically, and HT without the bonus FP. Some characters may be designed to have a weakness (for roleplaying purposes, or niche protection), which is removed if IQ has to be improved as a full 20 points, raising Will and Per automatically with no option to drop it down.

[Phantasm]

In the case of ST, a good GM will allow someone raising their ST via Striking/Lifting incrementally to permit the points in the latter to go towards the full ST, same as the rules for the Off-Hand Training Perk that say "if you get this five times, the GM may permit you to trade them for full Ambidexterity".

As for the IQ/Will/Per and HT/FP options, the same thing applies. Note, though, that buying down Will and Per from IQ and FP from HT are technically disadvantages, not limitations; some GMs permit them to be separate from any disad cap they set, others do not.

Remember, buying down secondaries from the main stat is in the Basic Set, designed with the simplest manner in mind (that's not necessarily the most realistic, of course, but it was simplified for ease of gameplay).


Also note that as of Powers, you can buy some levels of stats with limitations! For instance, if you have, say DX 18 normally, but lose 6 levels of that when placed in superscience power dampening shackles, that's DX 12 + DX +6 (Power Modifier, -10%). Other limitations can be applied as well, if they make sense.

[Lia Valenth]

Originally Posted by VariousRen

...A similar treatment for all stats would allow for people to buy IQ without raising Per and Will automatically, and HT without the bonus FP. Some characters may be designed to have a weakness (for roleplaying purposes, or niche protection), which is removed if IQ has to be improved as a full 20 points, raising Will and Per automatically with no option to drop it down.

Generally speaking, I allow this. Many other GMs will as well, however there are other factors when designing a campaign that decide if this is allowed. Personally, I keep a rule that secondaries must be within +/-2 from the primary stat. Mostly, this is because IQ is way to cheap at 10 pts/level, and I seldom have players try it with any other stats.