Mechanical Breakdown
Professions provide the following mechanical benefits.
Favored Save
+1D to a specific Save, reflecting the Profession's unique resilience.
Power Access
This grants a character access to train and improve powers otherwise unavailable. It also establishes guidelines for the powers use based on the genre and intended theme for the Profession.
See Chapter 12: Powers or the appropriate Genre Catalog for more details
Progression Track Guidelines
The following is a simple three stage progression track.
Advancement could be reflected through
- Cumulative XP earned - most commonly used option
- Plot milestones – advancement of the primary adventure plot line
- Character milestones – exploration of a character’s journey
Familiarity would likely favor the XP option as a measure for simplicity. Solo players or smaller groups could explore the plot or character milestone options for more gradual but purposeful advancement.
Here are some very basic suggestions for building a Progression Track.
- Stage 1 (at 10XP spent) - A Starting Perk or Ability focused on the character or a single target, requiring a short rest before being used again.
- Stage 2 (at 20XP spent) - A Second Perk or Ability that extends to nearby allies or enemies, requiring a long rest before being used again.
- Stage 3 (at 30XP spent) - A Third Perk or Ability might expand to cover an area or grant an unusual ability normally unavailable to the character, requiring a full rest or even downtime before being used again.
The XP listed is a suggestion. It can be adjusted to better fit the story's progression goals. The three-stage outline could also be expanded if characters are involved in more advanced play or plots.
Advancement to the next stage could require downtime, a trainer, a quest, all three or something else entirely.
See Chapter 11: Advancement for more details on downtime and training options.
Mix & Match
During character generation, the example Progression Tracks provided in this section should be used as guidelines, not rigid rules. They are provided for common themes but remain fairly neutral to traditional RPG roles. This might become more evident when they are applied to specific genres.
It's also reasonable for a player, with the permission of the game master, to mix and match any of the example stages provided in this chapter to better define their character's role and advancement. Each stage attempts to apply the essential guidelines found above. As long as the character earns a single progression perk at each stage, the balance should meet the goals of the mechanics. Slight adjustments to better tailor the perk should always be reviewed by the game master for balance and story.