Buy Point Level System

Each Attribute and Skill starts at Level 1 (unless otherwise noted by Playable Species' bonuses or GM). Buy Points (BP) are awarded each time players’ characters gain a Character Level. Character Levels are awarded at the GM’s discretion. The standard number of BP that a character gains for each Character Level is 8, however, that number may be modified by a character’s Intelligence level (see Learning). Players may use these points however they wish, and whenever they wish to increase Attribute levels and Skill levels. Once awarded, players may  immediately use them, or bank them to save them for later use.

The following table showcases how BPs can be spent on both Attributes and Skills. Please note that while buying levels in Attributes is static regardless of level, the cost of buying  levels in Skills increases as the level progresses.

(Example: Level 2->3 = 1 BP; Level 3->4 = 2 BP)

Each Attribute and Skill starts at Level 1. The Milestone Level System increments Attribute levels and Skill levels in parallel, but these  statistics are increased at different frequencies. Using this system, specific storyline conditions must be met to level the players’ overall   Character Level, called Milestones. When gaining a Character Level, the character is awarded one Attribute Point that is added to one of the five Attributes (STR, DEX, INT, CHA, LUK). Each Attribute has a maximum Attribute Score of 20.

Benchmarks

Skills also have specific storyline conditions that must be met to gain Skill Points, called  Benchmarks. Benchmarks are pre-determined moments where players have achieved something really important to the story arc they are playing through, but they have not achieved a Milestone yet. Three Benchmarks between Character Levels should be expected  to be provided by the GM. When GMs are storyboarding their campaign arcs, they should map out these Benchmarks and distribute them evenly. If this does not  occur, three Skill Points are instead awarded at the Milestone in addition to the Attribute Point.

Skill Point Distribution

When players distribute their Skill Points achieved from Benchmarks, they must evenly distribute amongst the skills of their choosing. Each Skill Score can only be increased once between Character Levels; they can not be stacked. The reasoning being that critical skills such as Marksmanship could be maximized early on in a campaign, utterly breaking the balance of the game.

Again, this is important. There must be three Benchmarks planned between each Character  Level. Skill Points cannot be stacked in the same Skill until after a character has gained a Level.

Additional levels in Intelligence improve the number of skill points provided at benchmarks.  See Learning for modifiers to Skill Point Distribution at Benchmarks.*