I’ve been thinking about using skill levels in PbtA games as a major way of advancement. I like the general idea that you are well capable of doing things your career/archetype is supposed to be doing well, but only gain minor success when doing something that really isn’t part of the character’s “skillset” (you are unskilled in that area).
Now, if with an advancement you could take part of that character’s skillset and advance it to expert level. An expert in stealth could easily sneak through an enemy camp in standard readiness. The gm could ask for a roll but mainly to present complications to the situation on fail and present extra benefits for a risk – sneaking would still be generally successful.
An expert swordsman could manage 2 skilled opponents quite easily, 3 might require a roll, depending on circumstances. A Master (or Grandmaster, highest level) cuts through a group of skilled opponents with little difficulty. To defeat an opponent of higher skill, you need to do something special, going toe-to-toe makes you realize you are hopelessly outmatched unless you can create some good leverage for yourself.
There’s a few things I’m not sure how to handle; first, how should combats against unconventional opponents (mainly monsters) be handled? A master swordsman should do better against a giant than your standard trained fighter, but wouldn’t have as huge advantage as against a human opponent. Just some extra defy danger (etc) -rolls to avoid dangers presented by the monster, suffer less drawbacks from combat?
Maybe some skill levels in-between might be needed too, as becoming very competent in something is quite powerful. Presented by 1/session post-roll +1 in the skill (Skilled+ in swordsmanship)
Also, combat skills of various careers are also something a bit vague, and should perhaps be looked at case-by-case -basis. I guess any non-bookworm heroes (in a heroic setting) should be skilled in unarmed combat, thieves with a knife and another fitting weapon etc. Competence could also be offset by unfamiliar armor, and new competencies could be gained/old ones expanded in fiction.
So, what do you think of this? Can you see any other complications/drawbacks? Probably wouldn’t work in AW or other setting where you’re struggling to survive, but both in reality and in fiction there’s people on completely different level of competence in various skills.
Probably you should add specific moves, reserved for specific Playbooks. So, a combat oriented playbook could have a move telling that “When you are against 2 enemies, you roll as you were fighting with just one, and apply harm to both”. A Stealthy playbook should have a move “you never need to roll when you are trying to avoid a single human opponent that you are aware of”. Etc.
How about simply adding World of Dungeons-style skills? “If you have an applicable skill, you can’t miss. A roll of 6 or less counts as a partial success, but with a bigger compromise or complication than a 7-9 result.”
I’m considering using this in an SF hack where it would be weird for players to not be very competent in their respective areas.
Thanks for your replies!
Andrea Parducci that kind of moves would only be part of the effect. Of course if wanting charactera to have a lot of advances, it could be built up. Still eliminates simpleness of the idea.
David Perry I might need to have a good look at the world of dungeons, as it seems to be referred once in a while! Right now I’ve partially using this in a very incomplete pirates -themed hack, although no player is yet on expert level.
Maybe you want to look too into Blades in the Dark. Though I’m not sure, I feel it has this extra le el of complexity you seek.