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Kadzar
2013-05-14, 01:29 AM
The current discussion in the D&D 5th Edition thread caused my brain to go on a bit of a tangent, and now I'm wondering: are there any games where PCs need to learn new techniques through play?

By which I mean, instead of investing points after leveling up, and--hey, presto!--you've got a new sword technique, you have to find a master to train you, or you go out into the wilderness and do some meditation to figure it out.

It doesn't have to be a single technique; it could be a group of techniques that you learn together as a style or school. The intent of the idea is that your abilities have more of a story to them than that you had a few advancement points to spend.

BWR
2013-05-14, 01:40 AM
The Rules Cyclopedia had rules for this, but off hand I can't remember if they were required for every level or just beyond a certain level.

L5R traditionally requires you to head back to old teachers to learn stuff (there are a few exceptions).

Several GMs I've played with house ruled that you need teachers or manuals to learn abilities that would by common sense be difficult to learn on your own. E.g. improving athletic abilities on your own is easier than learning advanced neurosurgery.

Krazzman
2013-05-14, 02:22 AM
DSA. At least with a "by-the-book" aproach. The point here is the system should make characters that "make" sense.

For example:
A colleague actively plays dsa with his group. They made some sort of "Roadtrip" through the world. Instead of staying focused in his training he dabbled a few points here and there in stuff you learn on such a trip.

Otherwise:
Shadowrun. The System itself hase time taxes for "advancing" stuff.

caden_varn
2013-05-14, 05:30 AM
Skill-based games like Call of Cthulhu/RuneQuest work somewhat like this. Basically, you get a chance to improve skills you used during the game, rather than improving whatever you want.
The issue with this is it encourages players to use their characters skills as much as possible, whoever inappropraite or sidetracking that is. The GM needs to keep an eye on this and discourage 'pointless' use of skills.

supermonkeyjoe
2013-05-14, 06:11 AM
I tried this out once, players would tell me what feats they wanted to take next level and I would occasionally throw in the ability to use that feat if applicable.

For example the dwarven fighter was taking Cleave next level, he killed a goblin with a massive crit so I allowed him to make an extra attack against the goblin standing next to it as well. When he took the feat and was able to do it more often it made the previous attempt seem like a "Eureka!" moment, and his training allowed him to pull it off more regularly in the future.

Zahhak
2013-05-14, 11:56 AM
About my only contribution to this thread is the odd time my group played a party of spellcasters. If they were going to get two new spells at the next level, they would learn the first one half way the XP needed to get that level. Of course, the explanation was that they were at a school for witchcraft and wizardry.

Jay R
2013-05-14, 01:45 PM
In Flashing Blades, your initial skill levels is based on your characteristics. But all increases come from checks, which you get by using the skill. Nothing will ever increase your Rapier skill other than using the rapier, for instance.

Similarly, Pendragon has a similar mechanic, not only for skills, but for virtues and vices.

So if you have a Courage of 13, then you have a complementary Cowardice of 7. Now if you flee an encounter, you get a check for Cowardice. Each winter, all checks are resolved to see if they affect the skill level or the Virtue/Vice levels.

erikun
2013-05-14, 02:01 PM
Faery's Tale Deluxe, while being a very simplistic system, is build around this idea. Rather than experience, characters are granted magical "Boons" during gameplay which take the form on abilities or items (or, optionally, just XP). Such Boons may be used directly, or exchanged for other abilities/XP as the player desires.

Also, wouldn't Exalted/World of Darkness behave in much the same fashion? Especially in older WoD, you either needed a teacher or taking something from another immortal to learn new abilities, which you could then level up further.