Training (Classes and Professions)

[Big Mac]

Havard posted a topic called Gathering Quests - Can they work in Tabletop? in The Crunchy Bits forum a few days back. I was actually already thinking about something quite similar, when I read his topic.

D&D has long had the option to require Player Characters to go and get training before they can learn new skills. But it's never really been fleshed out in tabletop D&D.

However, in World of Warcraft, the MMO, there is a vast amount of information about Trainers built into the game.

WoW has, trainers for Classes and Professions. And there are some trainers for other things too.

Has anyone ever used training in their tabletop games? Have you used any of the MMO NPCs as reoccurring NPCs that your PCs go back to again and again?

Have you ever used any sort of training request to reward PCs with new abilities, skills or tools of the trade?

[Tim Baker]

In a non-Warcraft D&D campaign, my DM required that we return to our class trainer to gain the new abilities from our new level. It worked pretty similarly to WoW, as quests or items may be required. One difference was that it always required time. You didn't right-click, spend your gold, and "ding!"

[pauldupuis]

The D&D Rules Cyclopedia's section on Weapon Mastery has rules for training, including time, cost, expect skill level of the trainer, and chance of advancing. We've loosely adapted these to General Skills as well.

[Birchbeer]

I used training costs as far back as 2nd Edition D&D. Though my inspiration for it was from the Phantasie series. In Phantasie, you paid to level up and use new abilities. High charisma, along with being a standard race meant lower cost, but the monster races (who already had a penalty to charisma) paid a lot to go up a level. I replicated what they did -training cost so much per level (I can't remember if it was 10,25,50or100GP) modified by Charisma. So higher charisma meant lower cost, to the point Paladin's didn't pay much at all per level compared to other folks.

I haven't used it lately in my current games in 5th Edition D&D. I'd probably do something similar though.

[Lord Sheriff Takari]

I use training periods for when my PC's level up and gain new abilities

I use a 1 Week per level of Experience for the character in question at an established Training center
<Military Encampment for Fighter types, Wizard's Academy, large Temple etc as applicable>
this requirement stands for dual/Multi-class characters as well which can make their training regimen considerably longer than a single class PC
but proper training is a must
in a party containing a mix of higher and low level characters, the low level PC can train up via the high level PC in the field
aka a 2nd level fighter can train under a 4th level fighter in the field to gain 3rd level

it is during this period of Training that assorted downtime activities can be done like character development and such

[timemrick]

I don't recall using any formal training rules in any edition of D&D.

However, the Earthdawn RPG, which incorporates a lot of D&D tropes, has detailed rules for training times and costs that are built right into the system's in-game economy.

[Arrius Nideal]

I have something to add with this topic. I'll post it in Harvard's thread.

[shesheyan]

Haven't done that since we switched to 2e. Since then, after basic training by their instructors to attaint level one, I don't require the characters to do so. They just get better by doing "in-between" games practicing and using the skills in games. I never went back to school after art school. I just got better by working me trade and seeing other artist's work.

I recall a very short lived 1e DM who as a player got fed up with returning to town to train and gain a new level. His solution was very creative, to say the least. Every time we needed to gain a level is his mega-multi-level dungeon we would reach an underground settlement that offered such a service for a fee. It had a trainer for every class, an equipment and weapon store and a potion/salves store. In my mind's eye I could see huge neon signs with " Frazill's Booth Camp ", " 50% off on your training fee if you bring two other adventurers " , " No Vacancy " ... we had a good laugh.