Freelance Traveller
Experience Points
PCs are awarded XP at the end of every game session. Each skill used, which had an impact on the night's gaming session, gains 1 XP. In special cases, the ref may award 2, or even 3, points to a specific skill if it had a major impact on the game. Players are encouraged to point out which skills should be awarded XP, but referee's discretion prevails over all awards.
XP are noted next to the appropriate skill. If a PC does not actually have the skill in question, but has earned experience against that skill, then the skill should be placed on the PC's sheet in parentheses.
Bonus Experience Points
PCs can be awarded bonus XP for good role playing and great ideas during the session. These points can be applied towards any skill the Player wishes, with approval of the GM. This simulates PCs studying skills in their spare time and Eureka! thoughts with regard to skill improvement. Players can direct their character's development with these points.
Characteristic "Experience"
PCs can gain XP towards their stats, too. Treat these like skills the PC does not yet have by recording the stat on the PC's sheet in parentheses and noting XP next to it.
Upgrading Skills and Characteristics
At the beginning of each game session, PCs are allowed throws for skill and characteristic improvement. Any skill or characteristic that has earned enough prerequisite XP may be thrown for. In order to throw for improvement, the PC must have earned XP equal to the target skill or characteristic level. It is not possible to upgrade any skill or characteristic by more than one level per game session.
Ex: To go from Pistol-0 to Pistol-1 requires 1 XP.
Ex: To go from Pilot-4 to Pilot-5 requires 5 XP.
Ex: To go from STR 7 tp STR 8 requires 8 XP.
Improvement Throw
A number of dice are thrown equal to the new skill or characteristic level. Success occurs when all 6s are thrown (but see Modifiers below).
Only one attempt per skill is allowed per game session, but a Player can throw on as many eligible skills as he chooses.
Ex: Trying to go from Pistol-0 to Pistol-1 requires throwing 1D.
Success occurs on a throw of 6.Ex: Trying to go from Pilot-4 to Pilot-5 requires throwing 5D.
Success occurs on a throw of 30.Ex: Trying to go from STR 7 to STR 8 requires throwing 8D.
Success occurs on a throw of 48.
Modifiers
Modifiers apply to the throw needed for success, not to the number of XP required or to the number of dice thrown.
INT Bonuses: Players witrh sufficiently high INT scores receive a modifier on all throws. This includes throws for improving all characteristics, including INT. Use the following modifiers:
+1 DM if INT 5-9.
+2 DM if INT 10-14.
+3 DM if INT 15.
Ex: On the Pistol throw above, success occurs on a 5 or 6 if the PC has INT 7.
Ex: On the Pilot throw above, success occurs on a total of 28+ if the PC has INT 13.
Ex: On the STR throw above, success occurs on a total of 45+ if the PC has INT 15.
XP Bonuses: Bonuses to the throw can also be obtained by spending extra XP. For each +1DM on the throw, XP equal to the target skill level are required. That is, using double the amount of required XP nets a +1 DM on the throw; using triple the amount of required XP nets a +2 DM on the throw, and so on.
Ex: On the Pistol throw above, the player can earn +1DM for each additional Pistol XP he has and wishes to expend.
Ex: On the Pilot throw above, the player can earn +1 DM for each additional 5 Pilot XP he has and wishes to expend.
Ex: On the STR throw above, the player can earn +1 DM for each additional 8 STR XP he has and wishes to expend.
Cost of Trying: Every time a skill or characteristic increase is attempted and fails, the cost for trying is 1 XP from that skill's or characteristic's total. All other XP are kept. If a skill is improved, all XP for that skill or characteristic are wiped out, even if they were not applied to the throw. The new skill begins anew sans any XP from the previous level (i.e., the player now has 0 XP in the skill or characteristic just improved).
Level 0 Skills: If an attempt made to gain a skill at level 1 fails, a second throw for improvement is allowed free of cost. If this second attempt is successful, the PC gains the skill at level 0. (Only attempts for level 1 skills).
Experience Limit: We use a modification of the Experience Limit rule listed on pg. 30 of MT.
If a PC's total skill levels do not exceed (INT + EDU), then prerequisite points remain as stated above.
If a PC's total skill levels are (INT + EDU) > 2 x (INT + EDU), then prerequisite points are doubled.
If a PC's total skill levels are 2 x (INT + EDU) > 3 x (INT + EDU), then prerequisite points are tripled, and so on.
Bonuses derived from additional XP are subject to the same figuring, but INT bonuses remain the same.
Since it gets harder to improve the more skills a PC earns, Players should be strategic in throwing for improvement for specific skills. In this fashion, Players can mold their characters, and some skills will remain unimproved while XP build up (potential is there for the PC to improve, but he is not applying himself in that direction).