Increase Starting Skill

[iamtim]

Hi there.

I've been wracking my brain over this for the last two days. I've also searched the internet and these forums and can't find an answer.

We're starting a new SW game and our GM wants us to start with 20 skill points instead of 15. How can I do this in HL?

Thanks,
Tim.

 

[Mathias]

Personal tab...Permanent Adjustments table. Add the "Skill Points" adjustment and set it to +5.

 

[iamtim]

Well. Don't I feel like an idiot. That was too easy.

Thanks!

 

[SeeleyOne]

If you want to make a user file so that people just click on it in the Configure Hero menu that is also easy to do.

Open the editor
Create a user file (or go to one that your group already uses).
Go to the Setting Adjust tab
create a setting
Give it a source (as per Sources in the bottom right). This will enable you to turn it on and off.
In the Eval Scripts for that setting put in the following:
Phase: Pre-Traits
Priority: 5000
Timing: Before Scripts: Calc trtFinal

#resmax[resSkill] += 5]

I do similar in my own house rules, where I bootstrap some skills to the setting adjustment that I want everyone to have at least d4 in for free, and then I have a - for the + and put a different value for the 5.

 

[iamtim]

I will keep that for future reference, but I'm just a player in this game so the Permanent Adjustment works perfectly.

 

[senjak]

SeeleyOne, how about sort of the opposite?

Is there a way to limit a skill level to the current character rank? ie, novice characters would only be able to put 1D4 into it, seasoned could put up to 1d6, veteran can have 1d8 and so on?

Thanks!

 

[SeeleyOne]

SeeleyOne, how about sort of the opposite?

Is there a way to limit a skill level to the current character rank? ie, novice characters would only be able to put 1D4 into it, seasoned could put up to 1d6, veteran can have 1d8 and so on?

Thanks!

Yes, there is a way. In fact, I use it in my own house rules. I will copy-paste my own, which has d8 max as Novice, d10 max as Seasoned, and d12 max as Veteran or above. I decided on that as it lines up the best with the Edges.

What I had to do was make a copy of each of the skills. And then I had to do a "Replace Thing ID" for each of them. For example, my skboating has a Replace Thing ID for skBoating. It will require you to always use that in any game that you play. If you do not want to use it, just remove the file from the folder. Do NOT give it a source as this will cause it to clash with the Encounter Builder and some of the supplements (Fantasy Companion's Familiar comes to mind).

Then in each of the new versions of the skills you need to have an eval script, which can be copy-pasted as below as it only affects the specific skill.

Pre-Traits
5000

    var xp as number
    var skillMax as number
    xp = hero.child[resXP].field[resMax].value
    skillMax = 4

    if (xp >= 20) then
      skillMax +=1
    endif

    if (xp >= 40) then
      skillMax +=1
    endif

    this.field[trtMaximum].value = skillMax

Enjoy! What I did was I copy-pasted the code to a text file and then copy-pasted it to each of new copied/replace skills. That is a bit quicker than copying it from another skill.

My code has 25 and 50 for the XP values because I have added an advance per rank. I did not look but I think that the normal values are 20 and 40.

 

[zarlor]

Of note, when doing a "Replace Thing ID" you're essentially saying you want that thing to be the standard across ALL of your Savage Worlds Hero Lab settings. It won't apply for any skill in a setting that, for whatever reason, replaced the existing skill (commonly true for arcane/power skills). If you only want it to apply to a specific setting(s) then you'd have to go into the data file for that setting and then preclude the standard skill and put in your own skill using the above code. Doing a "Replace Thing ID" can have a lot of "gotchas' and repercussions so I strongly recommend you have some idea of what you're doing if you decide to go that route.

 

[senjak]

You guys rock. I'm really appreciating all of the tips and suggestions.

 

[senjak]

It was interesting to see that it was possible to spend an advance on psionics but the advance didn't take place.

But that did get the job done!

 

[Mathias]

As an exercise to make that idea more portable, as far as I can tell, the script SeeleyOne posted could be modified to be applied to all skills by a foreach that was in an eval script on a mechanic. That would remove the need to make all those replacements, and would automatically cover any new skills that had been added.

 

[SeeleyOne]

Funny that you should mention that, as I had come here just to post something similar.

My method works in my own games, where that dataset is the house rules for the gaming group. But I was just thinking that a more universal, "leave things alone" method is better.

 

[SeeleyOne]

OK, I got 5 minutes and I made the "One easy fix" method.

http://forums.wolflair.com/showpost.php?p=184282&postcount=9

I have updated my own user file accordingly.