Topic: How many DP do you give per level?

[runequester]

I've always been under the assumption that the creators of the game made a conscious decision to base DP's on certain stats and balanced everything else to that end.  If you just give flat DP amounts, what's the incentive to improve your memory and reasoning over strength or quickness? Memory in particular is useless enough as is, I don't know why people would bend the rules to make it even less important.

well, if one wanted to give more DP, while keeping the importance of the stats as they are now, you could use a fixed bonus "DP as per stats +10" or multiplier "DP as per stats times 1.4" or whatever works

[Cory Magel]

Similar to many here I would just give a flat 100 per level (using RMSS).

If you just give flat DP amounts, what's the incentive to improve your memory and reasoning over strength or quickness? Memory in particular is useless enough as is, I don't know why people would bend the rules to make it even less important.

I myself often play a Rogue due to the balance of it's abilities and Reasoning was always one of the attributes I would target to try and have a decent number in.  Memory I agree there is not much use for over the span of all the skills, but Reasoning can be important in a lot of skills.  Also, considering the skills "above the line" few would increase Memory with the normal amount of skill points anyhow.

[Marc R]

Also depends on if the GM uses stat checks to remember something or figure something out in game.

[Ynglaur]

We give 90 DP pr level, flat.

Just recently, one of the players asked me why we didnt just make it 100, as it would be easier math wise going from XP to DP after each session. I had the pleasure of telling him it was because he thought 100DP was too lenient when he was GMing

Karma

[Ynglaur]

Similar to many here I would just give a flat 100 per level (using RMSS).

If you just give flat DP amounts, what's the incentive to improve your memory and reasoning over strength or quickness? Memory in particular is useless enough as is, I don't know why people would bend the rules to make it even less important.

I myself often play a Rogue due to the balance of it's abilities and Reasoning was always one of the attributes I would target to try and have a decent number in.  Memory I agree there is not much use for over the span of all the skills, but Reasoning can be important in a lot of skills.  Also, considering the skills "above the line" few would increase Memory with the normal amount of skill points anyhow.

Intuition is a surprisingly useful stat...it's used in most perception and sense skills, some of which are Limited progress (0•1•1•0.5•0), which of course caps the Skill Bonus at +25.

[Kristen Mork]

I ran a quick summary of RMSS skill categories:  Ag appears 30 times in the list of categories.  This is followed by In (16), St (15), Me (11), and Re (10).  The remaining five stats all appear 7 times or fewer, each.  Of course, many of the St/Ag occurrences are weapon/MA based so, I would say that Ag/In/Me/Re are the most important stats for skills.

[Ecthelion]

IMO a weighting would be necessary in order to determine the "most important" stats. And this probably depends on the style of the game. Also many skills introduced with the RM2 companions and which survived with RMSS are used not so often. E.g. when reducing the skills to count to the old RM2 primary skills (with the assumption that these skills are used more often than others) the counts are as follows:
-AG: 16
-ST: 8
-IN: 7
-SD: 4
-EM: 3
-RE: 2
-QU: 2
-PR: 1
-CO: 1
-ME: 0
This time it's Ag, St (both appearing multiple times in the weapon categories) and In which are the most important stats for the skills. Of course Qu is important for a good DB and Pr, Em or In are important for PPs.

[Ynglaur]

I've always been under the assumption that the creators of the game made a conscious decision to base DP's on certain stats and balanced everything else to that end.  If you just give flat DP amounts, what's the incentive to improve your memory and reasoning over strength or quickness? Memory in particular is useless enough as is, I don't know why people would bend the rules to make it even less important.

Depends on the campaign style.  It's used in the various Lore skills, as well as many of the Trade skills.

[Ynglaur]

Something I feel the original designers did very well is no one stat is dominant in all circumstances.  Need DB?  Get a high QU...but don't wear heavy armor.  Need PPs?  Focus on PR, IN, or EM.  Want to multi-cast, focus on PR and IN, or IN and EM, or PR and EM.  Need perception?  Focus in IN.  Need stealth?  Focus on SD.

Etc. etc.  I remember in Spacemaster feeling that EM was the weakest stat...until realizing that all of the medical skills used it.

[markc]

I also like using the unique Stat for skills in RMSS so it just does not apply to a whole category. But I may be in the minority here.
MDC

[Ynglaur]

I use the unique stat as the third stat.  I liked the three stats thing from SM 2ed too much.

[smug]

RMC, by the book but with some extra DPs for secondary skills. I also give cultural/racial skill ranks a la MERP.

[MariusH]

RMSS. We go by the book. I LIKE that you have to make tough choices when levelling up. No "bonus" DPs here.

[Cory Magel]

Just realized I never actually answered the original question...

I do 100 per level for any campaign I run.  Nice and easy, no playing with your stats, you get an even playing field with the PC's, etc.

[Green Manalishi]

Just getting back into RM (RM2). I've played RM2 and RMSS in the past.

I give standard DPs based on the stats, per the rules. I also then give additional give additional DPs based on ME and RE stats, and those must be used on secondary skills.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

Using RM2.
For primary skills, I go by the book (it being RoCo I, btw). OTOH, I give (1.625 x primary DPs) for secondary skills.

[intothatdarkness]

Standard DPs per stats for primary skills, and an additional 20% of standard DPs for secondary skills. We also reworked the skills, so some things previously buried in secondary skills are now primary.

[yammahoper]

I've always been under the assumption that the creators of the game made a conscious decision to base DP's on certain stats and balanced everything else to that end.  If you just give flat DP amounts, what's the incentive to improve your memory and reasoning over strength or quickness? Memory in particular is useless enough as is, I don't know why people would bend the rules to make it even less important.

well, if one wanted to give more DP, while keeping the importance of the stats as they are now, you could use a fixed bonus "DP as per stats +10" or multiplier "DP as per stats times 1.4" or whatever works

Base Dev points with a bonus based on stats?  I like that.  I would increase the base to 75, though for several years in RM2/late 80's I did give base +20.  I even invented a bg option for Base +30 or base + 40 and Base +50.  Bright Cookie, Genius and Super Genius would have made great names for them.  All before I went base, which also appeals to us who enjoy seeing what different shades of Mage I can make with the same set points.  Set points are fair and do not damage the game, so Ilike em.

[tbigness]

I Generally follow the rules for RMSS due to a character generator that I could not modify but was essential to creating characters (RMCS character Generator). That is no longer available and with the new ERA I can set DP values. I usually gave an extra few ranks in background story skills (secondary only) after character creation. Seeing how others work their DP's I think a flat 90 would work for me now (ERA allows this method with ease).

[Peter R]

RMC
I go by the book. No bonus DPs from me.