[TML] Character Improvement [was Levelling]

[Richard Aiken]

On Feb 18, 2008 12:41 PM, Brad Murray <bjmurray.halfjack at gmail.com> wrote:
> What I mean is that they can be mechanically equal and played as the
> players see fit.

I assume by "mechanically equal" you mean "gives you the same build
points, regardless of effect?"  That seems a mite unfair to the guy
with Deadly Enemy, whose friend has Runny Nose and gets the same
points . . .

> This limits the danger of playing edge-cases to
> death and makes it more interesting for players to bring things like
> their myopia to the table.

If the player reminds the GM that his character can't have read the
Vital Clue in the instant that he saw it - due to his myopia - he gets
the PP(s).  If the GM has to tell him, "No, you couldn't read it - you
have myopia." he doesn't.

> My experience with unequal (mechanically)
> disadvantages is that they hardly ever see play -- either the player
> constantly navigates the narrative around them rather than through
> them or they are so mild as to be uninteresting.

Well . . . involking them doesn't generate goodies (Plot Points) for
your players, right?  Because if it did, I rather doubt they'd get
navigated around or forgotten about quite as often.

> Consider a character with the trait "Built for speed".  He's chasing a
> bad guy on his grav bike through dangerous terrain.  The GM says it's
> getting pretty hairy -- mighty dangerous dodging all these trees.  The
> player agrees and says he's slowing down.  The GM points to his trait
> and offers him a Point and the player pauses -- does he push on at
> full speed, his stated character concept (presumably a feature of his
> character that he likes) and get paid for doing it or pay to be
> careful?  His choice.

Not quite.  The player only gets the point if he plays his trait
without prompting.  If the GM has to remind him that he has that
trait, he still gets to decide if he plays it or not, but either way,
he doesn't get a PP.  At least, that's the way I read the rules.  And
it's the way that the PbP GM I have (who's one of the game's
contributing authors) runs it.

> Later in the chase he's having trouble keeping up so he points to that
> same trait and pays a Point to put on a burst of speed and catch up
> (getting a bonus on his roll for the Point).  Now played to advantage
> and still his character concept both for good and ill -- the player
> gets paid both ways.

See above.

-- 
Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident."  Robert A. Heinlein