Revised AU System ----------------- By Bryan Rendell (bryan@nod.zikzak.net) ADVANCEMENT THROUGH USE The following is the full outline of an alternate system for character development in the Storyteller Game system. The basic premise is that those characteristics which are exercised the most will develop the fastest, whilst abilities that are never used never get any better. The standard unit for the use of this system is the Advancement Unit (from here on referred to as an AU). Gaining AUs through Success A character gains AUs by using his or her abilities. Whenever a character successfully uses an ability, the character gains a single AU in the ability in question. Example: the character punches someone and rolls Strength for damage. If the character gains any successes at all on the Strength roll, then the gain a single AU in Strength. Many ability rolls in the Storyteller system involve more than one characteristic. In such cases, the character still only gains a single AU, but may allocate it to any one of the abilities in question. this allocation is entirely at the discretion of the player. Example: In order to punch someone, the character must roll Dexterity + Brawl in order to hit. If the roll is successful then a single AU is gained which can be allocated to either Dexterity or to Brawl. The player chooses which. Characters are able to make use of Talents and Skills without having the actual Talent or Skill in question. Any AUs gained can be allocated to the Talent or Skill the character would have been using, had he possessed it. This enables the character to learn new Talents and Skills through experience. Example: A character with no Drive skill is attempting to drive a car. The Storyteller rules this is a Wits roll with the standard +1 difficulty penalty from using a Skill the character doesn't have. If successful, the character can allocate the AU to Wits or Drive. Characters cannot use Knowledges they don't have. The only way for a character to learn a new Knowledge is by Training, outlined below. The use of Disciplines, Gifts, Spheres and other supernatural abilities add extra options for the allocation of any AUs gained, as many of them require rolling other attributes and abilities. An AU gained from the successful use of a Supernatural ability may be allocated to the ability itself or to those characteristics exercised in it's execution. The AU may also be allocated to a general category for the learning of new supernatural abilities. Example: Using Auspex 2 - Aura Reading requires a Perception + Empathy roll. If successful, the AU may be allocated to either Perception, Empathy or to Auspex. It may also be allocated to a more general Disciplines category for the development of new Disciplines. Werewolf Gifts are a special case, as each gift is learned individual, totally independent of any other Gifts the character may know. For Werewolf Gifts, any AUs gained may be allocated to the abilities concerned or to the general Gifts category for the learning of new Gifts. Example: The Theurge Gift Mother's Touch requires an Intelligence + Medicine roll. An AU gained here could be allocated to either Intelligence, Medicine or to a general Gifts category for the learning of new Gifts. Certain supernatural abilities require no roll to implement. In such cases, simply using the ability will grant the character an AU. In such a case there are only two choices for allotment (or one in the case of Werewolves): the ability itself or the general category (or simply the general category for Werewolves). Example: Use of Protean 2 - Wolf Claws is automatic upon the expenditure of a Blood Point. Doing so will grant the character a single AU which can be allocated to either Protean or to the more general Disciplines category. For any ability at all, a character can gain no more than a single AU during one scene, regardless of how often the ability is used. However, with multiple uses during a single scene, the character could allocate one AU to each of the abilities in question, until each has gained a single AU. Example: In a protracted fight scene, a character may have to make numerous Dexterity + Brawl and Dexterity + Dodge rolls. Each time such a roll is successful, the character gains an AU to be allocated to Dexterity, Brawl or Dodge. However, once each of these abilities has gained an AU in this scene, no more AUs can be allocated to them. Any further successes made on these rolls during this particular scene accrue no further AUs to the character. Certain abilities in the Storyteller system are seldom, if ever, actually rolled or used, but are intended to be raiseable by experience in the old System. Humanity is a particular case in point. Humanity is essentially never "used" at all but is intended to reflect an aspect of the character. For Humanity I recommend the use of an alternate system that I outlined in another piece called "Humanity and Bestiality" which eliminates the use of experience for developing Humanity. Willpower is another important attribute that is often used but seldom rolled. In the case of Willpower, a character effectively uses Willpower by spending a point of Willpower, as well as by rolling Willpower. A character thus gains a single AU in Willpower whenever a point of Willpower is spent, subject to normal time constraints for gaining multiple AUs. Gaining AUs through Botches A character can also learn from his mistakes. Whenever a character botches a roll, they can potentially gain an AU. The extent of the botch, that is the number of 1s remaining after all successes have been cancelled, is compared to the level of ability for each of the attributes involved in the botch. The character can only gain an AU from the botch if the extent of the botch is greater than the level of the ability. If the extent of the botch is less than or equal to all of the abilities concerned then no AU is gained. The player still has full discretion as to the allocation of the AU between any of the abilities that meet the above criteria. Example: A Garou attempting Mother's Touch, a level 1 Gift, has Intelligence 3 and Medicine 2. At a difficulty of 6 the roll results in 8, 3, 1, 1, 1. The botch has an extent of 2. Comparing the botch to the abilities involved, no AU can be gained in Intelligence, which exceeds the extent of the botch, or in Medicine, which equals the extent of the botch. However, the botch does exceed the level of the Gift, so a single AU can be added to the Gift category. Note that with supernatural powers, it is not the level of the particular power used on the botch that counts, but the character's overall ability with that power. If a character has a Dominate of 5, then any botch involving Dominate is compared to the Dominate level of 5, and not to the level of the specific power used. For Garou, who develop each Gift individually, the comparison is made to the highest level of Gifts which the Garou knows. If a Garou is Rank 5 but only has level 3 Gifts as his highest level, then the botch is compared to his Gift level of 3. Unlike AUs gained through success, a character is unlimited as to the number of AUs an ability can gain through botches in a single scene. AUs gained through botches also have no effect on any AUs that the character can gain in the ability through success. So in a single scene, a character can gain 1 AU in Brawl through a successful roll, and any number of AUs in Brawl through botched rolls. Training During play, the normal means by which a character gains AUs is through the rough-and-tumble of a scenario. However, during down time a character can develop an ability through study or training. The idea is essentially the same as the notion of Study Points used in the Mage system. However, Study Points were distinct from Experience Points as they could only ever defray half the cost of attribute increase. In this system, the character gains AUs through Training, as it's all the same thing. Furthermore, Study Points could only be used for the increase of Spheres, Knowledges and Skills. Using Training, it is assumed that the character can improve any ability through training that he could improve through use. Prior to any Training taking place, the player must decide which attribute is to be developed over the Training period. All effort and benefits accrue to that ability only. Switching to Training for a second ability in the middle of Training for the first one results in the loss of all accumulated time spent working on the first ability. The base time for any Training is a month, but this need not be a continuous period of Training. The character can stretch the Training over a two month period and still gain all benefits. For every week, or fraction thereof, beyond two months that the character takes to complete the Training, he must roll the Ability he is Training in at a difficulty of 7. Failure results in the loss of 1 AU from the final total. A botch results in the loss of all AUs that would otherwise have been gained. Note that this particular ability roll is not one that grants an AU if successful. There are three methods of Training available to a character: by Tutor, by Reference or by Practise. Assuming that the character can find someone willing to teach them for a month, training by Tutor is the most effective method. At the end of the Training, the character will gain a number of AUs equal to twice the difference between the tutor's level of ability and the character's level of ability. Example: A Sabbat vampire is teaching another the intricacies of following the Path of Death and the Soul. What with various interruptions and such, the training takes about 10 weeks - 2 weeks more than the maximum time allowable for full effect. The student rolls his Path rating twice at a difficulty of 7, failing once and succeeding once. The students Path rating is 3, the Tutors is 7. At the end of the Training the student gains 7 AUs, having lost 1 AU for failing one of the rolls. Reference Training assumes that the character has access to books and other reference material in the topic in question. The benefit of Reference for Training is at the discretion of the Storyteller. While obviously Reference material is going to be useful for learning Literature or Occult or Linguistics, it is not going to help a lot for a character attempting to develop his Strength. Reference material is given a rating from one to five (and possibly more) corresponding to the levels of the ability. Reference Training either provides a number of AUs equal to twice the difference between the ability of the material and the ability of the student, or else a number of AUs equal to the difference of said abilities, depending on the relative merits of reference material for the raising of the ability in question. The Storyteller is also able to rule that no reference material at all will help the character develop the particular attribute. Practise is a potentially chancy endeavour. A character who simply practises without any aids may well learn something. He may also repeat the same mistake over and over without realising it, consistently overlook the blindingly obvious or get into very bad habits in his execution of the ability in question. At the end of the training period the character rolls Intelligence + (Ability) at a difficulty of 8. Each success grants the character 1 AU. Failure results in no AUs - a wasted month. A botch results in the loss of a number of AUs in the ability in question equal to the number of botches rolled. If the character had no AUs in the ability, or fewer AUs than he is called to lose, there is no further penalty. Note that the actual roll itself cannot result in the gain of any AUs. Example: A character seeks to develop his Strength without any sort of professional help, and trains for a month. At the end of the time he rolls Intelligence + Strength (a highly unusual roll for the Storyteller system) at a difficulty of 8, but gains 3 botches. Note that it is the number of actual botches gained, and not the total number of 1s rolled that counts. The character loses 3 AUs in Strength. He only had 2 to begin with and so loses both. The Storyteller explains that not only was the character attempting a highly inefficient method for increasing Strength, he also strained his muscles, resulting in a setback. Automatic Success Where a character is able to make use of the Automatic Success rule, and chooses to do so, it is assumed that they make use of their abilities in a most perfunctory manner. They cannot learn from the experience as they are simply "going through the motions". Whenever a character accepts an Automatic Success, they gain no AUs for doing so. Secret Rolls A Storyteller may wish to make some ability rolls for a character in secret, and may do so on a regular basis. Rolling for the effects of Aura Perception is one common roll that the Storyteller mat choose to conceal from the player. In cases of secret rolls, the character gains a single AU on any result that is not obviously a failed result. However, because the player cannot tell wether the roll was a success or a botch, the character cannot gain multiple AUs in an ability over a single scene from secret rolls. Secret Rolls that do not fail are assumed, at least from the point of view of gaining AUs, to simply succeed, even if it is painfully obvious that you in fact botched. Example: A character is making use of his Aura Reading on several characters. From some he gets some sort of reading, wether accurate or not, and from others he reads nothing. The character can gain an AU in Perception, Empathy, Auspex or Discipline for each Secret Roll that gains some result, wether true of false. Once each ability has gained an AU this scene, then no more AUs may be gained in those abilities, unless the player makes his own rolls in these abilities and starts botching as described above. Frivolous Ability Use During a scenario, the Storyteller is always allowed to disallow the character from gaining an AU, particularly if the player is making repeated frivolous use of an ability simply in order to gain AUs. For example, characters that attempt to use Aura Reading or Sense Wyrm on every single individual they ever meet, or who are constantly operating Gleam of Red Eyes, even when it isn't dark. Talents, Skills and Knowledges can also be so abused - the character who attempts to seduce every woman he meets, or tries to intimidate everyone. One could actually view such uses of abilities as in fact being cases of Training through Practise. Essentially, the ability use must be to further the story or some aspect of the character, or at a dramatically appropriate time, to grant the character an AU. The notion is admittedly fairly ambiguous, but most Storytellers already have a finely tuned sense of when their players are attempting to minmax, and step on them appropriately. Using AUs AUs are expended in the same way as Experience in order to increase an ability. When a character has accumulated enough AUs in an ability, then the ability increases by one, and all AUs in that ability are lost. The number of AUs required to increase an ability is precisely twice the amount of Experience required as given in the core rule books. The basic break down is: Trait Cost General New Ability 6 Willpower current rating x 2 Abilities current rating x 4 Attributes current rating x 8 Vampire New Thaumaturgy Path 14 New Discipline 20 Path of Enlightenment current rating x 4 Virtue current rating x 4 Thaumaturgy Path current rating x 8 Clan Discipline current rating x 10 Caitiff Discipline current rating x 12 Other Discipline current rating x 14 Werewolf Gift level of Gift x 6 Gift from other level of Gift x 10 breed/tribe/auspice Rage current rating x 2 Gnosis current rating x 4 Mage New Sphere 20 Knowledges current rating x 2 Tradition Specialty Sphere current rating x 12 Sphere current rating x 14 Sphere (for Hollow Ones) current rating x 16 Arete current rating x 16 Wraith New Arcanos 14 Arcanos current rating x 6 Changeling New Art 14 Art level of Art x 8 New Realm 10 Realm level of Realm x 6 Willpower (?) current rating x 4 Glamour current rating x 4 Whenever a character has enough AUs in an ability, he may immediately gain a point in that ability. It is possible for a character to have more AUs in an ability than is actually required to increase that ability, particularly after Training. When the ability is increased, only the exact number of AUs required to achieve that increase are spent. Any AUs left over can be retained for the future increase of the ability. Example: With a Brawl of 3, a character needs a total of 12 AUs in Brawl to increase the ability. After several incidents during play and a month of intense training, the character ends up with 15 AUs in Brawl more than enough to increase the ability. The character's Brawl rises to 4 and 12 AUs are spent. The character still has 3 AUs left over which will help comprise the 16 AUs needed to increase the Brawl further. >From the feedback I have received, the general consensus seems to be that a character should gain AUs from botches rather than lose them, based on a "learn from one's mistakes" view. I personally only saw loss of AUs through botches as a way of keeping AU gains down. I also felt that to do otherwise might complicate the system. For example, if one can only gain a single AU in a scene from either botches or successes then it becomes slightly redundant. And if you can gain one AU per scene from both successes and botches, then advancement may be too fast. This could be remedied by increasing the number of AUs required to advance, but with the tables I recently posted the numbers are already fairly high. At the outer limits, it already takes 144 AUs to increase Arete from 9 to 10, and even just gaining a new Discipline takes 20 AUs. Increase the numbers too far and players will feel that developing their characters is the work of a lifetime. However, I have thought of a fairly simple way of enabling botches to potentially increase AUs that will facilitate early character development. Simply put, when a character botches a roll, the character can gain a single AU in one of the abilities concerned provided that the extent of the botch (the number of 1s left after all successes have been cancelled) is greater than the level of the ability. If not, then no AUs are gained from the botch. Example: A Werewolf using Mother's Touch, a level 1 Gift, has an Intelligence of 3 and a Medicine of 2, for a dice pool of 5. Supposing the character uses the Gift at a difficulty of 6 and rolls 6,3,1,1,1. The 6 is cancelled by a 1, leaving a botch of two 1s. Comparing this to the abilities involved, the character cannot gain an AU in Intelligence (Intelligence here exceeds the extent of the botch), nor in Medicine (Medicine here equals the extent of the botch). The botch does, however, exceed the characters Gift level. The character can therefore gain 1 AU in Gifts. IMPORTANT NOTE - In the case of supernatural abilities, the important consideration is not the particular level of power used when the botch is rolled, but rather the character's overall ability with that power. Thus, if your Dominate is 5, then the botch is compared to your Dominate level of 5, even if you were using the first level of ability. Werewolves are again a special case because they learn Gifts individually. In the case of Garou the botch must be compared to the character's highest level of Gifts, regardless of the level of the Gift that botched. In the example given above, the character would only gain the AU in Gifts if first level Gifts were the only type of Gifts he had. Also for Werewolves, it is not important what Rank you are, only to what level you have learnt Gifts - even if you have skipped a level. Just as an interesting wild card, I am inclined to say that a character is unlimited in the number of AUs that can be gained through botches in a single ability during one scene. If you botch badly enough that many times in one scene, then you probably need compensation anyway. Don't forget that with the gaining of any AUs, the Storyteller has discretion as to wether you actually gain AUs from a botch. For example, if the Storyteller can't think of anything to do with the botch you rolled, then there's no real reason why you should learn anything from it.