"Other" social Ob penalties and advancement

[Yagathai]

Let's say that a character has Taint of the Unholy and therefore the +2 Ob "other" penalty to social interactions.

Let's say that the same character is burned with a B2 Persuade.

That means that their minimum Persuade Ob is going to be a 3. Which means that they can't get a routine check on anything, unless somehow they get 3 FoRK dice.

Which means that with the new rules about more difficult tests not being able to substitute down for easier ones*, a character can't advance his Persuade skill, despite the fact he's always trying to do very difficult things.

*What's the reasoning behind that, anyway? A character who makes a half-dozen Challenging tests but no Routine ones can't advance from a 3 to a 4? It seems silly.

[Thor Olavsrud]

Which means that with the new rules about more difficult tests not being able to substitute down for easier ones*, a character can't advance his Persuade skill, despite the fact he's always trying to do very difficult things.

*What's the reasoning behind that, anyway? A character who makes a half-dozen Challenging tests but no Routine ones can't advance from a 3 to a 4? It seems silly.

This is NOT a new rule, gravedigger! It applied to your precious Classic too! And I guess you'll just be stuck using Practice to get your skill up. No advancing in play for you!

[Kublai]

Maybe this character should seek out other unholies and try persuading them? As a GM, I would kindly abandon the +2 Ob penalty in such circumstances.

[Yagathai]

Thor: Boo. Boo, I say! Maybe it's different in one of those earlier incarnations, like the one with the simple 15-step combat resolution process.

Yeah, I'll bet that's it.

[Drozdal]

Which means that with the new rules about more difficult tests not being able to substitute down for easier ones*, a character can't advance his Persuade skill, despite the fact he's always trying to do very difficult things.

*What's the reasoning behind that, anyway? A character who makes a half-dozen Challenging tests but no Routine ones can't advance from a 3 to a 4? It seems silly.
I'm soo disapointed with you BGD. Have You ever stumbled upon practice and training rules in the brown book? (page49) Being trained is one of the easiest ways to get those routine tests fast.

[Yagathai]

Sure, yeah, but it seems counterintuitive. I mean, advancing stats in play is a basic mechanic of the system, but this character just can't do it without massive FoRKs or help. But they can practice and learn?

(this is going to be my new can't-kill-a-man-with-one-blow rant. I can tell already)

[luke]

I shake my head in disappointment, as well. Here I thought the BGD knew how to game it. I was wrong.

I thought he would know how to help other characters in order to get Routine tests. Or to use FoRKs, Advantage and Help to earn said precious Routines himself.

Or to sit on the corner with Mickeroo's character, trying to persuade him to stop screaming the Ugly Truth at passersby.

-L

[Yagathai]

Oh, can you help other characters to get a routine? I'll have to re-read.

Well, that's a nice loophole.

But it STILL doesn't address the main issue. :twisted:

[Angaros]

It isn't always the most challenging things that makes us better. Sometimes the lightbulb moments come when you're doing simple stuff or explaining basic things. That makes sense to me. Let's say you're trying to get better at rock climbing. Is it best to do this climbing El Capitan in pouring rain in November? No, while challenging your skill and pushing the limits is essential, you still need to do the basics -- get those moves, grips and stretches into your backbone. If you don't learn how to do the most basic things under good conditions, how can you expect to pull them off when the shit hits the fan? Also, if you're constantly pushed to the limit (or beyond the limit), I don't see how you can learn from what you're doing. In my opinion, learning (whatever it is you do) requires understanding and if you don't know what you're doing right (or wrong) then you're not going to learn at all.

[Thor Olavsrud]

I shake my head in disappointment, as well. Here I thought the BGD knew how to game it. I was wrong.

I thought he would know how to help other characters in order to get Routine tests. Or to use FoRKs, Advantage and Help to earn said precious Routines himself.

Or to sit on the corner with Mickeroo's character, trying to persuade him to stop screaming the Ugly Truth at passersby.

-L

I guess he's just not the munchkin we thought he was. Sad really. :cry:

[Yagathai]

I guess he's just not the munchkin we thought he was. Sad really

There are so many reasons why this post makes me want to cut you with a rusty hedge-trimmer.

[Drozdal]

There are so many reasons why this post makes me want to cut you with a rusty two-handed pole hedge-trimmer.
I've fixed your post. :wink:

[Yagathai]

Thank you, Drozdal. You're a scholar and a gentleman.

[Thor Olavsrud]

Either way, it's still just a polearm. 8)