Author Topic: Skill Catagory Rank & Skill Rank bonus confusion  (Read 1478 times)

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Offline mark99913

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Skill Catagory Rank & Skill Rank bonus confusion
« on: September 16, 2017, 02:35:22 AM »
     When totaling a specific skill's rank and category rank bonus there is some confusion. If (for example) I have 1 skill rank with Short Sword and 0 ranks in the 1-H Edged Weapon category, does that mean I must take the -15 penalty for the 0 category rank when using a Short Sword or does having the 1 skill rank in Short Sword let me avoid that penalty altogether or do I add +3 for the skill rank to the -15 for having a 0 category rank giving me -12? The book says to add both the skill's rank bonus to the skill's category bonus, so if I had 0 ranks in both the skill and the category it belongs to (standard progression for both) then that's -15 + (-15) = -30 penalty. Something doesn't seem right about that. At first I was assuming that if I had at least 1 rank in a skill category then I could use any of the skills in that category without a penalty, but now I'm not so sure.

Offline Sable Wyvern

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Re: Skill Catagory Rank & Skill Rank bonus confusion
« Reply #1 on: September 16, 2017, 06:51:15 AM »
Assuming skills that use the standard progression:

The bonus/penalty for category is added to the bonus/penalty for the skill.

0 ranks in each gives a base of -30. 1 rank in the category gives a base in all the skills of -13 (+2 for the category, -15 for the skill).

0 ranks in RM2 gave a -25 modifier. RMSS gives a higher penalty for no ranks at all, but if you've developed the category, you'll be better off with skills you haven't developed than you would be with RM2 (unless using one of the RM2 similar skill optional rules, which is what the category system is designed to replace).

Offline mtpnj

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Re: Skill Catagory Rank & Skill Rank bonus confusion
« Reply #2 on: September 16, 2017, 07:16:26 PM »
Basically you get  a -15 penalty for not having the category and a -15 penalty for not having the specific skill.  Your stat modifiers and any profession bonus is added to the category bonus.   The category bonus is added or subtracted to each skill in the category.  So it is a -30 penalty if you have not bought either the skill or category.  Even with that you could still add your stat bonuses or profession bonus if any.

Offline cyberfranck

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Re: Skill Catagory Rank & Skill Rank bonus confusion
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2017, 07:15:56 AM »
Simple version you add -15 to your skill and/or category if you do not have at least 1 rank.

examples :

0 rank 1HE (total stat bonus - 15) AND 0 rank bastard sword (total stat bonus + 1HE category - 15)
1 rank 1HE (total stat bonus + rank bonus) AND 0 rank bastard sword (total stat bonus + 1HE category - 15)
0 rank 1HE (total stat bonus - 15) AND 1 rank bastard sword (total stat bonus + 1HE category + rank bonus)
1 rank 1HE (total stat bonus + rank bonus) AND 1 rank bastard sword (total stat bonus + 1HE category + rank bonus)

Offline HawksNut

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Re: Skill Catagory Rank & Skill Rank bonus confusion
« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2017, 02:24:55 PM »
Simple answer. No you cannot avoid the -15 penalty for having 0 rank in the Skill Category 1H Edged. Players moving from RMC to RMSS often make this mistake and take a penalty to Skills.

Offline Grinnen Baeritt

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Re: Skill Catagory Rank & Skill Rank bonus confusion
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2017, 09:47:25 AM »
I've often found people have become confused with the Category/Skill rank split .. and it's something that needed to be explained. It doesn't really help that there are more than one skill progression being used in rmss.

Receiving that 1st rank in a Standard skill category but not a specific skill from that category effectively allows you attempt LOTS of skills at -13 rather than at the combined -30 penalty for having neither.
(That first rank effectively "buys off" the  -15 category part of the penalty and additionally provides a +2 bonus.)

Receiving 1st Rank in a specific skill but not the category its from does much the same, except it allows you to use one skill at -12, rather than -30.
(So that first rank effectively "buys off" the -15 skill part of the penalty and additionally provides a +3 bonus).

Having 1 rank in each, means neither category or skill penalty applies with a specific skill (which now has a +5 bonus), whilst all other skills in that category would still be -13.

Then add in the appropriate stat bonuses applied to the category (which represent "natural talent") and Profession bonuses (much the same thing as natural talent IMHO). These alone can mean that buying a single rank in category can make a character moderately competent in a large number of skills for a very small amount of DP. This is an important consideration for starting characters. Those first category ranks are VERY valuable.