Specializing in Skills after Character Creation

[Stule]

Hey guys!

Gotta question.

I have a player that wants to buy a Specialty Skill after character creation.

We have played a few games, and he wants to specialize in Brawling: Martial Arts.

I have looked in the book and can't seem to find a ruling to cover how many charater points this should cost.

I found the rules (I have the 2nd Edition New and Revised) pertaining to raising a specialty skill but not buying it after character creation.

What do you guys suggest?

[Gry Sarth]

Buying is the same things as raising. Therefore it costs an amount of CPs equal to half the number before D (rounded up) to raise a specialization by one pip. So if the character has Brawling 4D, it costs 2 CP to buy/raise Martial Arts to 4D+1.
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"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."

[Stule]

Thanks!

[gbjazzman]

Specializations move indepentently of the base skill once they're purchased, correct?

[Allst Beamem]

yes you are correct sir!
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We're all gona die!!

[gbjazzman]

Specializations and advance skills were always a sticky point with me and my group, and I could never figure out why.

[garhkal]

[Gry Sarth]

Yeah, but in game terms, that exactly the same thing as not having it....
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"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."

[Akari]

Not quite, Gry... As stated in the roles, you may use up to 5 character points (CP) to enhance a roll of a specialized skill and only 2 on a general skill.

However to keep players from abusing this, I introduced the following rule: Raise your specialization 1 pip above your skill and you get to use up to 3 CP. 2 pips = 4 CP and 3 pips (full die) 5 CP.

It has been pointed out to me however that there is a mistake with this formula when you enhance the base skill instead of the specialization the ability to put in charater points diminishes. My players tried to influence me into allowing an automatic gain in the specialized skill when the base skill is raised, just like with attributes, but I fear I cant allow that for balance reasons.

[Sandokiri]

So how do you handle the situation in which the base skill catches up to the specialisation? It is not unreasonable, for example, to have this scenario:

MECHANICAL 3d+2
-Starfighter Piloting 4d+2
--SFP: X-Wing 5d+2

As a starting character.

Then, due to campaign circumstance (our pilot accidentally torpedo'd a hospital during an atmospheric battle) he isn't flying the X, but flitting between Y's and Z-95's. Thus, his basic skill is improving, but not his spec.

This persists for a while, and the character looks more like this:

SFP 5d+2
:X-Wing 6d

Now, if this pilot takes one more pip in the general Piloting skill, then both are at 6d. What then? And what if the basic skill gets *above* the specialisation?
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"Worry to lose is to lead to the evil augury."
*Find yer own truth.*

[Gry Sarth]

If the basic skill was improved beyond the specialization, then obviously the specialization would follow suit, and be the same as the base skill, until it was raised above it. You can't have the specialization be lower than the base skill.

And Akari, those are some pretty scheming players you have there. That's why you should only aquire a specialization by spending CP to raise it above the base skill.
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"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."

[masque]

I see no problem with the base skill catching up to the specialization. In game terms, the character has to keep working the skill to improve. In the example provided, the character's spent so much time working with other types of ships that his X-Wing skill has atrophied a bit, indicating he's out of practice. I agree that the specialization would match the skill as it rises (since that's the default), until they seek to improve it specifically. At that point they can just delete the specialization from the character sheet, as it's pointless.
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Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.

[garhkal]

Agreed. I have had a few characters who decided to take a specialty in blaster (or dodge) but after a while ignored it and raised the base skill. Then one day they realised their base skill had surpassed the specialty.
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