ARBITRARY Leveling in RPGs vs. Skill Based Improvement - What I Like Better and Why

Let's talk about character progression and the preference for a system that promotes realistic skill development rather than arbitrary leveling. The idea is that characters should evolve based on their practice and mastery of specific skills, rather than simply gaining experience points to progress. The example used is the journey from being a squire to becoming a knight.

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[Sensorium]

From a simulationist perspectives skills are more realistic. From a game perspective I like levels for a couple of reasons. It's easier to balancing different kinds of characters when you have levels to compare. Expectation for the scale of the environment or how dangerous it will be are easier to manage with level. Levels themselves can be an abstract or meta-statistic that can be used in mechanics. Skills can also be difficult in terms of making sure what the players have chosen is relevant to the story, or that they will have the opportunity to advance what they want to. My personal preference is to have character development be something at happens in down-time. they earn the resources to advance in play, but spend them in a more realistic extended amount of time developing themselves in the direction they wish.

[joerussell]

It is for basically this reason that I have always preferred skill-based systems like Cyberpunk and Earthdawn over d&d.

You still earn "experience" but gaining experience does nothing directly. You must spend a little time and effort training.. Whether that be using your skills during an adventure, or finding a trainer.. You then spend your experience improving ranks in skills.

Cyberpunk doesn't have any level equivalent. The closest might be how high your Special Ability is, which is a unique skill for your Role, but still just another skill.

Earthdawn has Disciplines, which I broadly equate to different Martial Arts styles, and you advance through Circles - much like Belt advancement.

When you first join, you are Circle 1 (like White Belt). You are trained in a few techniques. Then, as you gain experience, you spend that improving your ranks in your techniques. When you've met a certain prerequisite ranks in a number of your techniques, you then find a master and spend some time demonstrating that you are at the minimum skill level required to advance to the next Circle.. Upon which you gain a few circle-based benefits, but mainly you are trained in 2 more techniques (Talents) that you much now spend your experience to advance.

Earthdawn also has Paths.. Sort of like special sub-disciplines or professions.. Like your example of Knight.

To qualify for a Path, you not only have to be a minimum Circle rank, but you also have to meet minimum Talent Ranks as well.. So, if there were actually a Knight in Earthdawn, or probably would be something that is open only to Cavalrymen, as no other discipline trains in Mounted Combat.

But there might be paths that any of the Spellcasters can qualify for, or that require Melee Weapons at a certain minimum rank, allowing many disciplines to qualify.

[georgelaiacona]

Depends on how far into the weeds you want to go with a game. Abstract, or Detailed? D&Ds various versions fall somewhere in-between, closer to the abstract end, but with newer supplements leaning more towards detailed. This has been a cycle of RPGs over the years as game systems swing like a pendulum between both ends. There is no right or wrong with games, just different.

[SkittleBombs]

ICRPG mastery system uses this idea. You nat 20 a certain amount of time you get a major thematic upgrade in your class

[steelmongoose]

Adventuring is its own weird career, though. It will tend to make any character better at an adventuring skill set at the expense of any other profession.

Back in the day, experience came through killing things and collecting wealth. It made you better at whatever you did, even if your team did most of the work for you. That doesn’t make much sense, of course, but getting too granular with skill advancement has can its own pitfalls as well.

[mad-zrwy]

Can you just practice an hour a day before breakfast, and get on with your adventuring day after.