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RPG Character Progression Mechanics

In the RPG WitD, character progression is achieved through skill usage and meaningful interactions rather than traditional combat or story advancement. Players gain experience by marking skills after unsuccessful checks and can improve their companionship levels through cooperative actions, both of which reset after a long rest. The total experience contributes to a character's level, which grants daily uses of 'Inspiration' to influence rolls or plot points, focusing on knowledge and relationships rather than attributes or health.

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9 views1 page

RPG Character Progression Mechanics

In the RPG WitD, character progression is achieved through skill usage and meaningful interactions rather than traditional combat or story advancement. Players gain experience by marking skills after unsuccessful checks and can improve their companionship levels through cooperative actions, both of which reset after a long rest. The total experience contributes to a character's level, which grants daily uses of 'Inspiration' to influence rolls or plot points, focusing on knowledge and relationships rather than attributes or health.

Uploaded by

mlzeimer
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

How characters improve is a fundamental component of any RPG.

In most, characters
progress either by defeating enemies or advancing through the story, but in WitD, the goal is to
make progression somewhat more realistic. To that end, the primary method for character
advancement is accruing experience on their individual skills, and this experience is gained via
usage of the skill.
Any time a skill check is attempted in a meaningful situation (not just to mark the skill),
and that skill check falls short of the DC, the player can mark that skill on their character sheet,
up to a max of 5 per skill. After the character takes a long rest, they can consider what they’ve
learned, and gain exp equal to 6 + Intellect, distributed among skills up to the number of marks
on a given skill. These marks are then reset. A character’s skill rank is the “10’s place” of the
experience gained in a given skill.
Similarly, any time a pair of characters interact “in-character” in a meaningful way or
cooperate directly on a task or combat encounter, they can mark their companionship level with
that character. When taking a long rest, they can gain exp equal to 6 + Magnetism, distributed
among companions up to the number of marks for a given companion, and these marks are
then reset. A character’s companionship level is the “100’s place” of the experience gained with
a given companion. This companionship level comes with an equal number of “Companion
Inspiration” uses per day, which allows either character to guarantee a 1 or a 20 on a given roll
made to directly aid or cooperate with their companion, or to change a minor plot point involving
them or their companion to help their companion.

​ A character’s “Character EXP” is the sum of all skill and companionship EXP, and their
“Character Level” is the “100’s place” of that total. For each character level, a character gains
one “Character Inspiration” per day, which allows them to guarantee a 1 or a 20 on a given roll
made by the character or someone around them, or to change a minor plot point about the
game to work in the character’s favor.

​ Note that character attributes and max health are not areas where progression is
ordinarily possible. All progress is in the areas of knowledge/understanding and relationships.

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