Goodman Games

This is one of the house rules we've been using in my campaign. Just thought I'd share.

When a character levels, they can pick 2 ability scores to attempt to increase. They have to be two different Abilities. They then roll 3d6 and if they roll HIGHER than their current score, it increases by one. 18 is the max for any ability score.

Characters can spend 1000 gp training to attempt to increase an ability score (same rules as above) or gain one Experience Point. Training takes 1 week per 1000 gp.

It's pretty steep, I admit, but no one complains. But since they can't "buy" magic items, it seemed reasonable to allow them to blow cash on character improvement. I might lower this later as I start to reduce the amount of gold found as treasure. I was using OSR and D&D adventures, which tend to be pretty generous in rewards.

I wouldn't do something like this unless my players cried out for it, but I'd say yes if they did. I'd only do one score per level, and I'd warn against including Luck among the options. I think I want the price of training to increase a the pcs level, too, perhaps 50-100x xp needed to next level.

This is my houserule for ability advancement.

Roll d8 to allocate +1 to a random Ability Score (max 18)
1=STR; 2=DEX; 3=CON; 4=INT; 5=PERSONALITY; 6=LUCK; 7=ROLL TWICE; 8=Player Choice

(Note that I also slowed down to hit bonus progression in my pre-final pdf document.)
I like the idea of making them pay for training if they want to make this roll. I also like the idea of having it backfire, like with the wizard's item creation rules...

Alternate:
Pay 100gp/CL and roll 1d8 to allocate +1 to a random Ability Score (max 18)
1=STR; 2=DEX; 3=CON; 4=INT; 5=PERSONALITY; 6=LUCK; 7=Player Choice; 8=-1, roll again

I like this reverenddak, particularly with the automatic permanent -1 in an ability every time you hit 0 hp. I don't think I'd allow training to increase ability score though. Make them buy XP and then do the ability scores when they reach a level. With 10 xp required to reach level 1, I think the 1 experience point per week of training is a bit quick. I'd adjust it to 1 point per fortnight. That means it would take twenty weeks to whip a commoner into a warrior if you could afford it. It would also take more than a year to go from a level 1 to level 2 warrior, assuming someone could afford to provide constant training.

As to cost, how about a weekly cost equal to your current number of experience points +1 in gold?

Training from level 0 to 1 = 20 weeks at a cost of 110 gold.
Training from level 1 to 2 = 80 weeks more at a cost of 1525 gold more.
Training from level 2 to 3 = 120 weeks more at a cost of 4830 gold more.

These are astronomical sums of money in the DCC system, as well as very long durations of time. No one but the wealthiest churches or nobility would invest in training. I don't think allowing this sort of investing in character improvement would hurt anything in a campaign.

My current houserule is once you go from level 0 to level 1, you can pick one ability that's currently below 10 and roll a d6... add the result to the ability. I think that's all the ability stuff I'll do, other than magical stuff. That gives the player a chance to get the character to an ability level based on the class he or she wants to play. If their only funnel character has an INT 8, and they really want to play a wizard, they have one last chance!

Mine:



I have one player who has a luck score of 5! Though it is easier by chance, it does not seem to have unbalanced anything...yet.

I like it.

Though I think I'd attatch a gp cost to the stat increas as well, and sell it as a training cost of some sort.

The nice thing about the DCC philosophy is that it begs for house rules. If you like something, try it out! If it works well, share it with us.

I'm not a big fan of GP cost for skill or stat increases, personally, but I've played with pleanty of gamers who like it. The rationalle that you are spending time and money to improve is certainly logical enough, I just prefer to avoid many of those details in my campaign.

As I think I already said in a previous thread on this matter, I just like to hand out *RARE* stats increases as rewards : here are some examples

*The Potion of Golden Clarity* Single use: gives a permanent +1 to INT or PER (choice)
*Ruhkajazzar's Blessing* Increases STR by 2 points if less than 12, otherwise it increases it by 1 point. Should the PCs fail to accomplish the mission, they will lose 2 points of STR.
*Poison of the Dreamless Death* Very strong poison; if the character survives, it gains +1 STA


of course the PCs don't know the effects beforehand.

Nasty! I love it!

That actually is a great idea for both poisons and diseases. Surviving a particularly nasty ailment should be rewarded!

Thanks

I like to see the game and its penalties/rewards system as a gamble more often than not.

For example, I could see it happening that a PC dies, and the rest of the party is willing to take the risk to do whatever it takes to bring him back : they might have to sacrifice 1 point of Str, Agi or Sta (their pick) as part of the ritual for going in Death's Realm. Should they succeed, they'd be given 1 point to put in any ability (not necessarily the one they sacrificed at the beginning) and they'd have their comrade back!
Should they fail... well, they'd be back, but the ability point is lost forever, and they didn't retrieve the soul of their friend!