Re: Defensive skill

[Steve Ames <steve@ns1.cioe.com>]

> Priests already buy spells at the same rate as a mage (the
> magic part of the troika).....but can't get them as high.
> Therefore, it makes sense to get "warrior stuff" at a
> lower cost than mages, nomads, or augers.  Granted,
> this is partly reflected in the base cost for combat mods, I 
> believe.
>
> Perhaps buy weapon skills at double cost (not triple), 
> with a cap at CSE/2 instead of CSE.

A _LONG_ time ago it got suggested by someone that the buying
multiplier be associated with the troika. ie buy your background
at base, the stuff next to you at double, two over at triple
and opposite at quadruple. ie, if your a nomad you buy incants
at base, auger and mage abilities at double, marine and priestly
abilities at triple and combat at quadruple.

I think at the time it got dropped because for a couple of 
reasons (it was more cumbersome than just saying triple, though
on the same par as buying spells (double cost group, double cost
for submissive element, quad forsubmissive-double) but spell 
casting was thought to be for more advanced players... it also
changes the power structure of the background... significantly.
And lastly, it potentially raises the bar on the whole game).

In its defense.

1) buying at anything other than base is rarely economical. While it
   allows for more broad characters, the true killers are still the
   specialists.

2) Allows us to get rid of a table (in exchange for this one :). The
   MOD table can just dissapear and MODs can become a warrior skill.
   This means one less exception in the ruleset. Warriors buy at
   200 so... priests/marines at 400, Mages/Augers at 600, nomads at
   800.

Right now a nomad can buy a weapon skill as easily as a marine. Not
really in keeping with the troika.

Please keep in mind that the above is a background oriented
mechanism and I was not the original proposer... I've always
backed getting rid of classes entirely and saying people are
people. But if we're going to keep them (and its a moster to
remove them... a worthwile monster IMO, but a moster), lets
use them to create the differientiation in adventurers that is
its only redeeming feature :)

Now I'll put on my asbestos underwear and ask for everyones
thoughts :)

						-Steve