RE: 1/4 eeps per skill limit

[Lyle H Janney <lhjanney@adpc.purdue.edu>]

-----Original Message-----
From:	Kris Ames [SMTP:kris@cioe.com]

> Hmmm.  In many respects I like the concept of the idea. It would
> make a nice balance.  Just to confirm that I understand this, let my
> try an example.  Let's say I get 2800 eeps one adventure and I want
> to buy from fire magic rank 5 and get up to rank 6 (1800 eeps
> assuming I am a fire mage).  I can only spend up to 700 eeps from
> this adventure on my fire magic skill.  Must I then save those 700
> eeps and for the next two adventures where will get a hypothetical
> 700 each time for a grand total of 2100 that I can spend on fire
> magics and get my rank 6? 

Yep, you got it.  Spell groups work just like skills.  Note that DP does
as well (i.e., no more spending all of your eeps for your first 8 ratings
 on DP to get that magical 40).

> If this is correct, the biggest problem I see with your proposal is
> the tacking and accounting (which you mentioned).

[ deleted comments about record keeping requiring a database ]

Again, Kris, I don't think it'd be all that bad.  You just write down the
amount of eeps in the pool next to the skill/ability/spell group/etc.  I
already write down the base cost for a skill so I don't have to keep
looking it up; another number is easy.  My skill list for Math (my
current adventurer) would look something like this...

Base	Skill	Pool	Rank
300	L.Sw.	400	11
60	Swim	250	7
etc.

The additional book-keeping is minimal and, again, the concept of
pooling eeps is already a part of Adventure Quest (tm) (look it up,
it's in the book).

As for players with magic pencils, well, there isn't a lot you can do
about that unless we do implement some form of book-keeping.  I
can see us eventually having everything on a computer, but that is
a long way off.  However, I can also see the possibility of the GM's
performing some form of spot-checking on characters.  For example,
I check one week and see that John Doe has a rate 20 adventurer;
I check again a couple games later and find that his adventurer is
now rate 40.  If no GM can provide a reason for this advancement,
it's time to take John D. aside and inform him of _The Rules_ and
let him know that confirmed cheating will result in him being asked
to leave the club.  Perhaps the Senior GM's should make a list of
all the living adventurers and their ratings as of a certain game date.
Every month or two, we can go through the adventurers and check
for 'magic pencil' problems.  This will also work to find those hearty
adventurers that seem to come out of nowhere at rate 50.

Lyle