Increasing the skill cap to Fantastic (+6)

[exploding_brain]

Any recommendations for when to increase the skill cap to Fantastic (+6)?  Any other tips or thoughts about what happens when characters advance much beyond Submerged? Our party just got refresh point #10, though we're still at 34 skill points, and people are starting to speculate about when a bump in the skill cap might happen (looking farther ahead than we probably should, but the siren song of "more power" is so alluring).  I'm guessing that 40 skill points is about right, but we're doing a rotating GM thing, so it will have to be a consensus decision.

[Belial666]

Remember that 8 refresh is when you first get the skill cap at +5. So it should be a lot more before you get to +6.


I am usually doing it once characters hit 16 refresh.

[exploding_brain]

Wow, really?  I wasn't thinking quite so high.  About how many skill points do they usually have at that point?

[devonapple]

This thread has proposals for expanded character levels:
http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,17748.0.html

Refresh rate 14 is when that list ups the skill cap to Fantastic.

[MijRai]

I've played a 14 Refresh game, and we kept it at Superb +5. I'd say that once you go over that, boost it to Fantastic +6.

[exploding_brain]

How fast were you guys advancing the total skill points available?  I was thinking of pegging the skill cap to the skill points.

I noticed that at Feet in the Water, 20 skill points is enough for two skill columns at the skill cap of Great.  At Chest Deep, 30 skill points is enough for two columns at the skill cap of Superb.  Following this pattern, at 42 skill points gives you enough for two columns at Fantastic.

Not sure yet how our game is going to advance in terms of skill points vs. refresh (significant vs. major milestones).

[Becq]

Just as another data point, if you look through OW for characters with Fantastic skills, there are four: Mai, Langtry, Listens, and McCoy.  They are listed as having at least 16-19 refresh and 44-54 skill points, though there are generally the "and maybe much more!" types of comments nearby.

So the limit should probably be no higher than 16 refresh and 44 skill, but could possibly be a bit lower.

[mostlyawake]

My group started at submerged, and is averaging 3 skill points before a refresh increase. So I'm thinking that 15 is my magic number, as it will give them 15 skill points over their starting level (total of 50).

[TheMouse]

Roughly every 3 Skill points is an increase in Refresh. One could do worse than to assume that every 3 increases in Refresh merits an increase in Skill cap.

If I were running a game intended to last for years, I might want to go a little slower than that. It might start to get a little silly if people are tossing around +10s before Stunt and Aspect modification.

If I were running a game intended to last for a limited arc, I'd probably want to go faster. The feature would effectively be unavailable if I were waiting for the 27th session of a game intended to only go to 20. In a short game, I'd probably hand out the cap increase just in time to use it against the big boss.

[ralexs1991]

Roughly every 3 Skill points is an increase in Refresh. One could do worse than to assume that every 3 increases in Refresh merits an increase in Skill cap.

that sounds more than reasonable enough to me