A character can be developed through Plot Points between any episodes.
The same formula applies to developing Core Dice, Stats, Talents, Foci, and Group skills. Specific Skills are done differently as detailed later in this section.
Core Dice, Stats, Talents, Foci, and Group skills can only be increased (or decreased for whatever reason) by 1 integer at a time. To go from +2 to +4 you must calculate the change to +3 first, pay that cost, and then calculate the change to +4.
The basic formula for increasing the value of a given ability is the current value plus the amount of the increase times the multiplier as detailed below, in Plops. The value is the distance in integers from zero, so -2 has the same value as +2. So going from -2 to -1 would cost 3 times the multiplier. Going from +1 to +2 though only costs 2 times the multiplier.
Summarizing for those who like words:
The cost in Plops for increasing Dice, Stats, Talents, Foci or Group Skills is current value plus the change in value (+1) times the multiplier as calculated below.
For those who like formulas:
P= (x+y)*z
Where P is cost in Plops.
X = current value
Y = the desired value increase which is always 1
Z= the multiplier as calculated below.
(The minimum multiplier is 1)
The multiplier is always the minimum cost. So, if the original value is 0, the minimum cost in Plops is the multiplier.
It always costs at least one Plop to change a value of an ability.
The broader the category of the ability, meaning the more actions it can be plausibly applied to, the greater the multiplier.
Category Multipliers:
· Group Skill = 1
· Focus = 2
· Talent = 3
· Stat = 4
· Core Dice = 5
The stranger the ability, meaning the farther it is removed from normal human abilities, the higher the multiplier.
Any Group Skill, Focus, Talent or Stat that is within the scope of normal humans, but outside the scope of the cast member's origin or background is considered Unusual. An Unusual Skill, Focus, Talent or Stat adds +1 to the multiplier. So, an Unusual Focus would be [2+1] x3.
Any Group Skill, Focus, Talent or Stat that exceeds the Core Dice in value is considered Extraordinary and this adds +1 to the multiplier. A Focus increased beyond the Core Dice (so +5 or higher) would have a multiplier of x3.
Any Group Skill, Focus, Talent or Stat that would be outside the range of normal humans, but within the range of any natural creature (winged flight, poisonous touch, hooves, claws, night vision, etc.) is considered Supernatural and adds 2 to the multiplier. A Supernatural Focus would be X4.
Any Group Skill, Focus, Talent or Stat that would be clearly beyond anything in the natural world (gravity control, x-ray vision) is considered Fantastic and adds 3 to the multiplier. A Fantastic Focus would be x5.
See also: Powers
Plops Multiplier Summary
CATEGORY
· Core = 5
· Stat = 4
· Talent = 3
· Focus = 2
· Group = 1
· Unusual = 1
· Extraordinary =1
· Supernatural = 2
· Fantastic = 3
Add the values of all the categories that apply. This is the total Plops cost multiplier. To determine the new cost, take the current value plus the value increase times this multiplier.
Plops can also be used to develop specific skills.
· normal skill within Focus : +2d6 = 1 Plop
· Unusual skill within Focus: +1d6= 1 Plop
· normal skill outside of Focus : +1d6 = 1 Plop
· Unusual Skill (outside of Focus): +1 = 1 Plop
Individual skills are never more expensive than Unusual.
This bonus is permanent and can be added to with further Plops.
More complete information on developing specific skills can be found in Skills.
Plops can also be used to procure special items called Props within the game.
· Special Prop: XP determine the particulars = 1 Plop
· Special Prop: Player determines the particulars = 3 Plops
More information on concocting and developing Props can be found within that section.
Captain Victory (from the sample cast) has 25 Plops at the end of an Episode and must spend down to the 24 Plops limit. Therefore, he must improve himself. He could, in increasing order of expense:
· Increase any of his skills within his focus (Tackling, for example) at 1 Plop for +2d6 of bonus with the skill.
· He could take up sewing, which is a skill within his culture (he's still a generation before self-repairing clothes are commercially available) but outside of something an "Athletic Role Model" would be expected to know. One Plop would get him +1d6 of bonus.
· He could learn to ride a horse, which is beyond the means of most people in the Cyber era and thereby Unusual. One Plop would get him +1 of bonus.
· He could take up a new Focus: Pilot. This focus occurs within his background culture and would be at multiplier so only the Focus multiplier of 2 applies. This would cost 2 Plops.
· He could take up black-smithing as a Focus, a dead art in the cyber-era, and therefore Unusual to him. So, (0+1)x(2+1) for+1 for 3 Plops.
· He could increase his Maturity Stat, currently at -1 to 0. We treat negative numbers like positive numbers for this purpose, so 1x4 would be 4 Plops to get to zero.
· He could increase his Focus, "Athletic Role Model" 1+1x2 for 4 Plops to get to +2. If he wants to go ahead and go to +3, that's 2+1 x 2 for 6 Plops. The fourth bump would cost (3+1 x2) 8 Plops. So for 18 total Plops he could max out his Focus at +4. Going higher (4+1x2) would cost 10 more Plops, which is 3 more than he would have remaining.
· He could increase his Athletic Talent which would cost (1+1)x3= 6 Plops. The +3 would cost (2+1)x3 = 9 Plops (15 Plops total). The +4 would cost (3+1)x3 another 12 Plops - not possible under his current budget of 25 Plops.
· He could increase his Charisma to +2 ([1+1]x4) for 8 Plops.
· He could increase his Courage to +3 ([2+1]x4) for 12 Plops.
· He is technically maxed out on his Strength, but if he found a plausible means of increasing it to +5 (which is beyond human) would cost (4+1x4) 20 Plops.
· He could increase his Core Dice (4+1x5) at 25 Plops - which is all of it. Increasing his Core to from five to six dice would cost 5+1x5 = 30 Plops which is difficult but not impossible to get to.