I would love to have someone explain the mechanics behind increasing skills in pre-TDE 4 TDE. I can't figure it out. Its seems like pure luck sometimes, and sometimes you'll be able to raise one skill twice in a row, and sometimes you'll try and increase it two or three times at level up, two lvl-ups in a row and get nothing.
It's a roll by dice. You have a number,. let's say 5.
The Roll must be 5 or lower to get a point in that talent.
At least that's how I've understood it.
With that, it's basically with everything we call in German a "probe" which is sort of a "test".
If you have a skill, let's say strength at 4, and you get such a "probe" (test), then the character must have a 4 or lower to succeed.
The dice used are normalle D20 (we say W20, because W=Würfel = dice), and sometimes a D6 is used, but the regular dice is the W20.
I#m having the basic TDE rules lying before me, but keep in mind thast SiorTech modified some things a little bit. For example, the number of experience points (called "adventure points" here) are greater. The original game gives a lower number.
Okay, the basic rulebook says this :
At every level-up
- the "life energy" is rolled with a W6 and that number is added to the already existing number - this is for all characters except magicians & Elves (according to the *basic* rule book
- the "astral energy" (the equivalent to the "mana" in other games) is rolled by 2 W6, but only for Magicians and Elves, and the higher number comes to the life energy, the lower number to the astral energy
- the basic r8ules also say that one skill can get 1 point at level-up, not more. But I think I've read a thing about rolls somewhere ...
The second, more enhanced rule book from the same basic box says this :
At level-up, a basic stat can be increased by one point by a roll with the W20. The number must be the number of the skill or higher to succeed.
This can be done only 3 times during a level-up.
I think this is what happens in the C-RPG.
At the same time, the "bad skills" (I'm not quite sure how I should call them) can be lowered : Here, the number of the roll with the W20 must be = the number of the "bad skill" or lower.
The "talents", as they are called there (I think "skills" is the appropriate word here ?) can be increased as well.
It is said in this rule book that 15 attempts are possible within a level-up, no more. And that includes failed attempts as well.
The book says that 2 W6 are used there, and the number of the "talent" must be matched or higher - and that is for a "talent number" lower or same as 9.
For the number 10, which is a "mastership" (hope this word is correct), 3 W6 can be used. 18 is so to say the end, nothing more is possible - in principle.
For one increase of a "talent" by 1 point, up to 3 rolls can be made for each "talent". If 1 of these 3 rolls succeedds, then it can be increased by 1 point.
Some fields of "talents" canb be increased by more than 1 point - these are the "knowledge" fields by 3 points, and all others by 2 points, only fight- and intuitive talents can be increased by only 1 point.
this means - according to the book - that for each one knowledge "talent" you have 9 rolls free - because of the 3 points.
And all in all you have only 15 attempts / rolls free - all in all !
So, you can try more rolls than only 9 for one "knowledge talent" - but this number of attempts / rolls is taken from the overall number of 15. So, the more you try with ONE "talent", the less attempts/rolls you get for the rest.
Magic "talents" are seemingly increased the same way - Magicians get 15 attempts/rolls, Elves 10. Note that this number is ONLY for the macic "talents", the other skills get the usual number of 15 attempts/rolls !
The main problem is, that the higher the number in a skill ("talent") becomes, the lower the possibility seems to be to actually reach this high number by rolling. But I'm not 100 % sure whether this is really true - it's just a thing I have noticed for myself.
I hope this wasn't too confusing, because i have no training in transferring TDE terms into English words.
And a last advice : Let ALWAYS carry a character the most basic herbs against common illnesses ! Let only the one with the best healing skill try it - but if you're really desparate, you can try others. Note, however, that the number 2o on the W20 stands for "complete failure" ! You might even harm an ill character with such a failed attempt !
And in the winter warm clothes are imho absolutely neccessary !
Dishes and cutlery increase the ability to stay healthy ! (Or would you want to east on a muddy wood floor with your hands ?)