Topic: Talents for DP's during game play

[jeff]

I was reading another post and noticed that there was a comment about allowing players to spend DP's for talents later in game play?

Do's anyone do this and if so how?
 
I currently hand out DP's after every game instead of exp. points. Once they have reached there current DP total they level up. It works nice because it allows for a smoother transition between levels.

Thanks Jeff

[Marc R]

If I'm not mistaken the DP:TP ratio for RMSS is 2:1?

[mocking bird]

I don't think there is an official rule for buying talents with DP's after chargen. 

We did do somethign similar once to see how it went and generally the talents chosen were the stat bonuses and some of the initiative modifiers.  We also allowed some flaws to be bought back at double the initial bonus.  Worked out ok.

[markc]

 I will have to check but I think it is 10,000 exp per TP. I will have to get back to you tomorrow on this. I think the rules is in Talent Law or in the Space Master:P book Future Law.

MDC

[Rasyr-Mjolnir]

I have played in games where it was allowed, and we basically used 1 DP = 1 TP, but we also required a plausible explanation for the gaining of the talent (or the buying off of a flaw in some cases). It worked pretty well, as the GM did have veto power over the whole process, so the players did not always get what they wanted.

And in doing it in the manner you are doing it -- do you require them to spend their DPs right away? or do you allow them to save DPs up to get something? As long as they can save DPs that works fine.

And don't forget, as GM, you can also go in and change the costs so that they are more suited to your setting and campaign (i.e. increase the costs of the talents you want to be rare, remove from the list altogether those talents you don't want to allow at all, etc..).

[vroomfogle]

At one point I had gone through the talents and did a comparison on how they stack up vs. benefits from skills and came to the conclusion that 2:1 ratio is the best fit for RMSS/FRP.    That is, to get the cost of a talent in Development Points you double the TP cost.   A talent that is 7 Talent Points costs 14 DPs.

To use these Talents in RMC, where there are fewer DPs a 1:1 seems to be a better match.   But as Rasyr said, this should be a starting point, there will doubtless  be some Talents you feel should be recosted or even removed entirely.

I allos purchasing of Talents during normal character development myself, but it must make sense and is typically "Special Training" and that sort of thing.

[markc]

I was reading another post and noticed that there was a comment about allowing players to spend DP's for talents later in game play?

Do's anyone do this and if so how?
 
I currently hand out DP's after every game instead of exp. points. Once they have reached there current DP total they level up. It works nice because it allows for a smoother transition between levels.

Thanks Jeff

  First off I would like to make a couple of comments. Are you a player in a game or a GM? A few GM?s let players buy talents later but in my experience most do not and this is IMO a very setting defined rule.
 There are a number of rules in Talent Law [RMSS] on page87 of which the most common one 1TP=1,000 exp. The other one is based on prime stats and says you get an average number of TP?s= the average of your Prime Stat bonus.
 But those are optional rules only that have to be include in the game by the GM. It is also stated in the book that Talents are not simply a way to pump up you totals in skills instead of buying ranks in skills. For example a talent that gives you +25 to 2 skills costs 7TP, this would be 7,000 exp. and the Talent is a lot cheaper than buying the ranks at high levels.
 So you can see that many talents can break a game, especially if you allow the talents to raise stat bonuses to be bought.
MDC

[jeff]

Mark I am a GM and thank you all for the help

[Temujin]

My GM uses a 4 DP : 1 TP ratio if a player requests a talent, and keeps a veto on whether to allow it (you must be able to justify it).  Its steep, but then again, its still worth it.  But he also gives a free talent point every level.  Just bought the Memory talent from Mentalism Companion which gives free Lore ranks every level.  Going to pay itself off after 5 levels   For a character trying to be a Sage, its a good investment.