This page lists a short analysis and two proposals. These proposals are listed on the same page for convenience; they can each be evaluated and accepted/rejected on their own.

The Experience Cost Review proposal is an attempt to fix the awkward experience cost curves of Abilities and Attributes. This proposal is largely based on new insights gained after a year a play.

The Advanced Training proposal is an attempt to add the option for characters to train specific activities, and to increase their competence in these activities.

See also the Experience Costs in the book.

The following table is a proposed new experience cost table, where Abilities and Attributes have been given constant experience costs, to better match their expected value increase. As these experience costs are changed, there are some other costs that might also require changing. Traits marked with are unclear on how they should be converted. Suggestions are obviously welcome.

Trait	Cost
New Ability†	6
New Favoured Ability†	5
Ability	4
Favoured Ability	3
Specialty†	3
Specialty in Favoured†	2
Discipline†	8
Bloodline Discipline†	7
Attribute	12
Virtue	Current Rating x 2
Willpower	Current Rating
New Background‡	3
Background‡	(Current Rating x 2)
Ritual†‡	Varies

† These Traits usually require training and tutoring. Either for the first dot, or for subsequent increases. Consult your storyteller if necessary.

‡ Usually requires roleplaying

Notes:

• Virtue: Changes in virtue have not happend in any single instance over both games. The Virtues are situated such that they more of a guideline on how a character would react, and (currently) have very little numerical impact. They might see some use as prerequisites on Disciplines and Rituals, but overall have very few ties to the operational mechanics.
  • Brend: I see no reason to change these right now, since we have zero data points to judge their value on.

• Willpower: Higher Permanent Willpower has a clear benefit, both in resisting effects and in being able to have more spendable Willpower Points, as such, the increasing costs seem reasonable to me. (And the fact that PCs starts at Willpower 5 helps with the cost/benefit ratio.
  • Brend: I think that Willpower costs are fine as they are.

• Backgrounds: Backgrounds are somewhat of an oddity. A background in effect describes a tie between the character and the world, in the current system they are represented as ratings, and for some backgrounds this makes sense (Resources, Backing, Herd, etc.) for others less so (Retainers). Most backgrounds are designed so that the an increase to higher ratings gives a commensurately larger benefit, so the increasing experience cost seems plausible.
  • Brend: I do not want to overhaul the background system, and it seems to work fine right now. Of course, changing the costs for Abilities and Attributes changes the relative “power per experience” position of Backgrounds. We can address that later, should it become a problem.

• Ritual: Rituals are already flatly priced in the 2-4 experience range; this was done so they cost between ¼ and ½ of a discpline. Since Disciplines do not change, it stands to reason that Rituals need not change either.

Advanced Training is training in an activity falling under a specific Ability (with the same scope as a Specialty, though usually more oriented towards activities than circumstances).

There are three ranks of Advanced Traininig:

• ●○○ This rank gives a -1 difficulty on all rolls to which the advanced training applies.
• ●●○ This rank negates 1 point of increased difficulty due to any kind environmental circumstances
• ●●● This rank negates an additional 1 point of increased difficulty due to any kind environmental circumstances

“Environmental circumstances” includes weather, temperature, crowds, and such. It also covers “passive” opposition in the form of increased patrols and alertness, but it does not cover targeted opposition such as powers that increase the difficulty directly, or people directly intervening in your activities. If an opposed roll is called for—and most active opposition by people is modelled as an opposed roll—the difficulty modifiers can be applied to your roll as normal.

E.g. the negation of difficulty increase does cover a getaway driver's roll when “the police are on high alert”. However, it does not cover your action to “talk the senator into supporting Bill #442” when a lobbyist is actively attempting to keep you away from the senator. Not the focus here is on “you”, if the lobbyist attempts to keep everyone away from the senator such a difficulty increase would be covered.

Together, these levels can make activities that are normally out of reach for normal people possible. For example, performing a bootleg turn while being chased at high speed during a heavy storm. This normally incurs at least a +2 difficulty, making the chances of success slim indeed. However, with full advanced training, the character can ignore the first two points of increased difficulty and reduce the overall difficulty by 1, placing the manevure in the realm of the possible.

Experience cost:

• Rank ●○○: 12xp (11xp for favoured)
• Rank ●●○: 8xp (7xp for favoured)
• Rank ●●●: 8xp (7xp for favoured)

This table lists the expected roll value parameterised on dice pool size and difficulty.