Re: [dq-rules] Skipping Ranks

[Steven Wiles <mortdemuerte@yahoo.com>]

--- jcorey30 <john@dragonquestadventures.com> wrote:
> Here is the rule in question:
> 87.1
> A character must satisfy all requirements to
> increase in rank by one in an ability or 
> skill before he can again increase it by one.  Thus
> a character may never "skip" ranks.
> 
> that is frequently taken to mean that a character
> can only increase 1 rank between 
> adventures.  But if the time is great enough, and
> the character has enough exp, 
> couldn't they advance two ranks between an
> adventure?
> 
> johnC

Before I joined my first DQ group, I understand that
they allowed people to advance in Rank between
adventures as much as they wanted, XP allowing. 
Unfortunately, it didn't take long for some people to
realize that you get XP just for resting between
adventures, too.  The end result was a group that
would decide to take a year or two off from
adventuring and spontaneously jump from Mercenary to
Adventurer to Hero level.  My GM at the time related
the example of a starting Earth Mage who went from
Rank 0 to 10 (or maybe it was 20?) in Diamond Javelin
"between" adventures.  Which was to say, went from a
peon to a harbinger of pointy death between
adventures.

I believe the point of the "only one Rank per
campaign" rule is to prevent the rules lawyering abuse
that getting XP between adventures engenders.  I know
that the aforementioned group's GM quickly adopted the
rule.

Personally, I like the rule.  It keeps character
development steady and reasonably paced, and
encourages characters to diversify their abilities a
bit.  It's not entirely self-consistent (how do
non-adventurers get Rank?), but that sort of thing
doesn't worry me too much. :) Whether the rule works
for your group would, I think, depend a lot on the
style of the campaign.  YMMV.

Steven

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