Character Advancement

(Also referred to as +lteach).

As we do not track experience points on Dark Forces MUSH, the method for statistical character advancement (this includes disciplines, gifts, rites, etc.) requires an application to the appropriate wizard (@mail works) that briefly details the following (see the bottom of this page for the code):

In your application, please include:

What statistic the character intends on raising/gaining.

Why this is appropriate for the character. For example, a very non-spiritual Ahroun applying for Gnosis 4+ will likely be turned down immediately.

How the character intends to study/train to manage this advancement.

In essence, the application must justify why this advancement is both reasonable and realistic for a given character. Upon reviewing an application, a wizard may ask for clarification, and reserves the right to an outright refusal. While further explanation is not unwelcome, please respect a wizard's final decision.

Should the application appear believable and sensible, a learn period will be assigned in which the character should be actively role-playing learning/training for this advancement. At the end of the stated learn period, a player should then report to their application wizard and briefly describe what their character has been doing; logs are certainly a plus, but not necessary. Wizards simply want to see that RP was done, and that the learn was not an excuse for twinking.

Provided a character has been actively pursuing their desired advancement, a wizard will approve the advancement and edit the character's +sheet (or give permission for the player to do so). If the wizard feels that a character has still not adequately prepared for an advancement during the learn period (there was clearly no RP, or they were on an OOC hiatus for the bulk of the Learn, etc.), they may be offered a grace period to try harder. Grace periods are subject to wizard discretion. If a character still does not manage an adequate amount of RP (or the wizard is disagreeable for some other, fair reason), the advancement attempt fails, and the character will have to try again. That particular Advancement Slot remains locked, however. (See Advancement Slots, below).

Note that certain advancements (such as rites) have stated refresh/wait periods that must pass before they can be applied for again.

Advancement Slots[]

Every character has a number of Advancement Slots equal to their Intelligence +1 (with an additional +1 from Fast Learner; this slot never locks). This number represents how many Learns and Teaches a character may have active before their mind is too saturated with information, or body too fatigued to meaningfully internalize or explain any further lessons. For example, a character with 2 Intelligence may have any combination of 3 learns or teaches active at a given time provided no slots are locked (see below).

Note: A character may never Learn or Teach more than they have advancement slots.

Learning (+learn)[]

Once a slot is filled with a Learn, it becomes locked and remains inaccessible to further Learning until unlocked (this is even after the initial Learn concludes). A slot may be unlocked in the following ways:

By Teaching (+teach; see below): It is ultimately up to your sphere wizard to decide how much teaching must be done to unlock a slot. Generally, you must teach for the same amount of time a previous learn took in order to unlock that particular slot. Let your sphere wizard know which teach is applying to which learn, or said wizard will make these assignments for you. These may not be changed after wizard approval.
By Waiting: Assuming all your Advancement Slots are locked, and if you have neither learned nor taught anything within a month of your most recent Learn's conclusion, your oldest locked slot reopens automatically.
By Reward: Wizards are free to unlock slots as a reward for those players who go out of their way to run plots, moots, etc., or generally make the MUSH a better place in some other way.

Teaching (+teach)[]

Teaching works similar to Learns in that they take up an Advancement Slot as normal. However, a character may assign a Teach to an Advancement Slot even if it is locked; that Teach is then attributed towards unlocking that particular Slot.

Concurrent Advancement[]

A character may +learn one item from each of the below categories at the same time before Concurrent Advancement Penalties are applied:

Attributes: As standard attributes.
Abilities: From the primary listing.
Advantages: Any appropriate (Willpower, Gnosis, Rage, Spheres, Disciplines, Backgrounds, etc.).

Note: Additional ranks in Arete may be gained only through role play. Please speak with the Mage wizard if you wish to plan a Seeking for your Mage character.

Concurrent Advancement Penalties[]

Simply, if you are Learning two or more Attributes, Abilities, or Advantages at the same time, the length of all appropriate/similar Learns are immediately multiplied by 1.5, and the finish Dates revised accordingly. This penalty applies even if you had been working on an affected Learn for some time already.

Minimum Learn Periods[]

The following are the minimum learn times associated with particular advancements and generally assume a PC teacher (self-teaching or learning from a spirit/NPC doubles the learn time). Learn times may fluctuate greatly in practice, so keep in mind that these are merely baselines. To reiterate: Learn times are generally doubled if there is no teacher.

Attributes

Take upwards of twice the rank number you're learning in months to advance.

Abilities

Take upwards of twice the rank number you're learning in weeks to advance.

Expertise: As re-learning every previous dot of the ability in question.

1 dot = 2 weeks
2 dots = 6 (total) weeks
3 dots = 12 weeks
4 dots = 20 weeks
5 dots = 30 weeks.

Advantages

Willpower/Rage: Take upwards of twice the rank number you're learning in weeks to advance.
Gnosis/Paths/Disciplines/Spheres/Arts/Numina: Generally, any advantage that lends itself to a power of some kind takes upwards of four times the rank number you're learning in weeks to advance.
Gifts/Rites/Realms: Take upwards of twice the rank number you're learning in weeks to advance. Double this if learning from a spirit instead of an instructor.
Merits/Flaws and Backgrounds: Variable. To be worked out with your application wizard. A good guideline is two weeks per point.

Fast Learner: The accelerated learn time for this merit reduces the numerical value of whatever you're learning by one for purposes of the learn. If learning a 3rd ability dot, it counts as a 2nd ability dot. If learning a 3rd level gift, it counts as a 2nd level gift. If learning the 1st dot/rank/whatever, the learn time is halved. This merit also adds +1 learn slots to the character's slot total; this slot is never locked.

Instruction from Self/NPC[]

In most situations where one may learn something on their own or from an NPC (including spirits), the given minimum learn times will be doubled. Having a teacher/tutor always guarantees the given minimum learn time unless your sphere wizard feels there are mitigating circumstances that would reduce/lengthen the learn in question. Such a situation should be a matter of discussion (or the Wizard should inform the PC, at the very least), and not done arbitrarily.

As has been stated, half the point of Learns is to get other people involved in a character's advancement for the sake of RP.

Code[]

When applying for character advancement, approach your sphere wizard to work out the details. Once everything's squared away, please add the following to your character's page under an appropriate section heading and fill it out.

Raw Outline version

; SLOT 1 (+learn or +teach)
* Name: Of Learn/Teach.
* To/From: Learner/Teacher.
* Approved By: Wizard for Date.
* Slot Status: Open (if no Learn) or Locked as of above Date.
* Explanation for Learn/Teach goes here. This includes Wizard notes for Teaching attributes to unlock the slot.

; SLOT 2 (+learn or +teach)
* Name: Of Learn/Teach.
* To/From: Learner/Teacher.
* Approved By: Wizard for Date.
* Slot Status: Open (if no Learn) or Locked (as of above Date).
* Explanation for Learn/Teach goes here. This includes Wizard notes for Teaching attributes to unlock the slot.

; Advancement History:
* Name of +lteach: Date Finished. To/From X. Slot #. Approval Wizard.

Tables version

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border: 1px solid darkgray;"
!
! What
! Type
! Who
! Approved by
! Finished
! Slot Status
! Explanation
|- Style= "background-color:salmon"
! Slot 1
| Learning
| From
| Person
| Wizard
| Date
| Open/Locked
| Stuff
|-style= "background-color:palegreen"
! Slot 2
| Teaching
| To
| Person
| Wizard
| Date
| Open/Locked
| Stuff
|} 

=== Advancement History ===

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; border: 1px solid darkgray;"
!Completion Date
!What
!Type
!Who
!Explanation
!Slot
|-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| Colspan="5"| <font color="#FF6666">Red denotes a +learn</font>; <font color="#3F9E4D">Green denotes a +teach</font>; <font color="#A8A8A8">Gray denotes a retconned +lteach</font>.
|}