THE OPPOSED-ROLL UPGRADE METHOD
To upgrade a skill, a character must declare what they are upgrading. The character then spends the CP cost immediately, and rolls his new skill roll. The Game Master then rolls the attribute maximum listed in the species description, or the Force Attribute maximums listed on the force rank chart.
If the character's roll is equal to or less than the game master's roll, the skill increases. If the character rolls higher, the skill does not improve, but the character is refunded half the Character Points they spent.
Character Point costs are calculated EXACTLY during the upgrade session, including fractions of a CP. At the end of the session, any fraction of CP remaining is then rounded UP to the next full CP, before the sheet is saved.
Please Note: Character trait modifiers DO NOT COUNT when calculating upgrade costs, or for doing upgrade rolls, unless specifically stated by the trait.
New characters' upgrades are cheap, with very little chance of failure. Experienced characters have an increased cost, and a moderate risk of failure. "End-Game" characters, as they are referred to in SWO, will fail upgrades relatively often, and spend larger amounts of CP on their attempts.
This maintains the necessity to continue participation, and helps encourage end-game characters to focus less on their own statistics, and more toward assisting newer or less-experienced characters while in the game. This system also naturally curbs upgrading of the character's highest skills to obscene levels that can have game-breaking effects, or destroy the balance of the game. Often, a byproduct of this system is also an increased sense of accomplishment and pride when a character does finally reach their milestones and long-term goals for their character's development.
NOTE: Minimum cost is 1 CP and no lower than that, at any time - since we can't make it free for players with the cost of 0.5 CP (rounded down, being 0).
UPGRADING SKILLS
Character Point Cost: Current Number before the "D" of the skill, - half of the "D" for the attribute it is under.
UPGRADING SKILL & SCHOLAR SPECIALIZATIONS
Character Point Cost: One-Half the Current Number before the "D" of the specialization, - half of the "D" for the attribute it is under.
UPGRADING SPECIALIZATIONS OF ADVANCED SKILLS
Character Point Cost: Half the cost of the Advanced Skill the Specialization is under.
UPGRADING ADVANCED SKILLS
Character Point Cost: Two-Times the number before the "D", - half of the "D" for the attribute it is under.
UPGRADING FORCE POWERS
Character Point Cost: Current Number* before the "D" of the power, - half of the "D" for the attribute it is under.
UPGRADING ATTRIBUTES
Character Point Cost: Five times the number before the "D".
UPGRADING HEALTH
Character Point Cost: Equivalent to current Health.
UPGRADING INITIATIVE
Character Point Cost: Equivalent to current Initiative score.
MERIT REWARDS
For each upgraded sheet (whether PC or NPC, the presiding GM will receive a stipend of 2 CP. This is to reward our GMs for the time they spend doing community work.
MINIMUM COST
The minimum cost for upgrading any skill/specialization/attribute/etc., is 1 CP.
To upgrade a skill, a character must declare what they are upgrading. The character then spends the CP cost immediately, and rolls his new skill roll. The Game Master then rolls the attribute maximum listed in the species description, or the Force Attribute maximums listed on the force rank chart.
If the character's roll is equal to or less than the game master's roll, the skill increases. If the character rolls higher, the skill does not improve, but the character is refunded half the Character Points they spent.
Character Point costs are calculated EXACTLY during the upgrade session, including fractions of a CP. At the end of the session, any fraction of CP remaining is then rounded UP to the next full CP, before the sheet is saved.
Please Note: Character trait modifiers DO NOT COUNT when calculating upgrade costs, or for doing upgrade rolls, unless specifically stated by the trait.
- Successful upgrades take effect immediately upon success, even within the same upgrade session.
- An attribute or skill can only be successfully upgraded once per upgrade sim.
- You may re-attempt a failed upgrade twice within the same session. The CP costs above still apply for each attempt.
- If the player rolls a bonus, the bonus rolled is ignored.
- If the GM rolls an EXPLODING DIE (6 is the first number in the roll), they roll a 1d6. If another 6 is rolled, they keep rolling until the 1d6 result is no longer a 6 and ADD all the rolled bonuses to the final value of the roll. This policy works in the player's favor.
- If any Attribute, skill, specialization, or Force Power has already received an upgrade during the Session (either directly or indirectly), then any other upgrade that would further increase it may not be attempted during that session.
New characters' upgrades are cheap, with very little chance of failure. Experienced characters have an increased cost, and a moderate risk of failure. "End-Game" characters, as they are referred to in SWO, will fail upgrades relatively often, and spend larger amounts of CP on their attempts.
This maintains the necessity to continue participation, and helps encourage end-game characters to focus less on their own statistics, and more toward assisting newer or less-experienced characters while in the game. This system also naturally curbs upgrading of the character's highest skills to obscene levels that can have game-breaking effects, or destroy the balance of the game. Often, a byproduct of this system is also an increased sense of accomplishment and pride when a character does finally reach their milestones and long-term goals for their character's development.
NOTE: Minimum cost is 1 CP and no lower than that, at any time - since we can't make it free for players with the cost of 0.5 CP (rounded down, being 0).
UPGRADING SKILLS
Character Point Cost: Current Number before the "D" of the skill, - half of the "D" for the attribute it is under.
- For each Specialization under the skill, increase the cost by 1/2 "D" of the specialization, - 1/2 "D" for the attribute it is under.
- Upon the successful upgrade of a skill, any specializations under that skill then increase accordingly as well.
- If an upgrade would cause any skill or specialization to increase by more than +1 Pip in the same session, it is not allowed.
UPGRADING SKILL & SCHOLAR SPECIALIZATIONS
Character Point Cost: One-Half the Current Number before the "D" of the specialization, - half of the "D" for the attribute it is under.
- When upgrading a specialization, the normal opposed roll made by the Game Master is increased by +1D.
- Upon the successful upgrade of a skill, any specializations under that skill then increase accordingly as well.
- If an upgrade would cause any skill or specialization to increase by more than +1 Pip in the same session, it is not allowed.
UPGRADING SPECIALIZATIONS OF ADVANCED SKILLS
Character Point Cost: Half the cost of the Advanced Skill the Specialization is under.
- When upgrading such a specialization, the normal opposed roll made by the Game Master is increased by +1D.
- Example: Jensaarai Martial Arts is a Specialization of the Advanced Skill Jedi Martial Arts.
- If an upgrade would cause any skill or specialization to increase by more than +1 Pip in the same session, it is not allowed.
UPGRADING ADVANCED SKILLS
Character Point Cost: Two-Times the number before the "D", - half of the "D" for the attribute it is under.
- Note: Some advanced skills might different rules. Check the skill description.
UPGRADING FORCE POWERS
Character Point Cost: Current Number* before the "D" of the power, - half of the "D" for the attribute it is under.
- For each Force Power underneath the power being upgraded, increase the upgrade cost by 1/2 the "D" of the attribute it is under.
- Upon the successful upgrade of a Force Power, any powers attached underneath it in the hierarchy also increase accordingly.
- If an upgrade would cause any Force Power to increase by more than +1 Pip in the same session, it is not allowed.
UPGRADING ATTRIBUTES
Character Point Cost: Five times the number before the "D".
- Upon the successful upgrade of an attribute, all the skills, powers, or specializations underneath it increase accordingly.
- Force Attribute maximums are based on Rank, as follows: Initiate - 3D, Padawan - 4D, Knight - 6D, Master - 8D
- If an upgrade would cause any Skill/Spec/Power to increase by more than +1 Pip in the same session, it is not allowed.
UPGRADING HEALTH
Character Point Cost: Equivalent to current Health.
- To upgrade your health, you roll your STRENGTH attribute. The resulting roll is then added to your total health.
- A character is normally capped at 50 HP.
- The Maximum HP may be modified by Advanced skills or Character Traits as they become available.
UPGRADING INITIATIVE
Character Point Cost: Equivalent to current Initiative score.
- To upgrade your initiative, you spend the CP cost immediately, then roll your raw Perception attribute.
- If the resulting roll is higher than your current Initiative, it becomes your new initiative score.
- If it is equal to, or lower than your current Initiative score, your initiative does not change, and 1/2 of the CP spent is refunded.
- Initiative may also be modified by Advanced skills or Character Traits as they become available.
MERIT REWARDS
For each upgraded sheet (whether PC or NPC, the presiding GM will receive a stipend of 2 CP. This is to reward our GMs for the time they spend doing community work.
MINIMUM COST
The minimum cost for upgrading any skill/specialization/attribute/etc., is 1 CP.
