Learning

With this module enabled, characters can improve their skills beyond what they would usually get. There are three distinct methods of skill advancement, each granting +1 to a chosen skill, stacking up to a total of +3.

Learning Methods

  • Guided Mastery (+1) – Learning from a teacher who is more skilled than you.
  • Scholarly Insight (+1) – Studying from books, digital archives, or other media.
  • Breakthrough Moment (+1) – Achieving a major success through gameplay.

Once a skill reaches +3 using this system, no further increases can be gained through learning. However, characters may still improve skills through other game mechanics (e.g., level-up features, feats, or magic items).

Guided Mastery

Characters may seek out a mentor or instructor to improve their skills. A teacher must have a higher skill bonus than the student to be able to teach them.

Learning Process

  • Each learning session lasts 1 hour and focuses on one specific skill check.
  • At the end of that hour, both the teacher and student roll a chosen skill check.
  • If the combined total of both rolls is 30 or higher, the student marks one success in that skill for the chosen attribute.
  • Once the student has gained a success in all six attributes for the skill, they achieve Guided Mastery (+1 to the skill).

For example, to learn Stealth, a student would need to succeed at Stealth (AGI), Stealth (STR), Stealth (VIT), Stealth (INT), Stealth (WIS), and Stealth (CHA).

Additional Notes:

  • Multiple teachers may be used. A character can seek different teachers for different attributes.
  • A teacher may instruct multiple students at once. Each student rolls individually, benefiting from the teacher’s roll.
  • A poor teacher roll can slow progress. A teacher who barely meets the required skill level will make learning much slower than one who excels.

Scholarly Insight

Characters may study books, digital archives, training simulations, expert videos, or other media to improve a skill.

Learning Process

  • The character must acquire an appropriate piece of media to learn from.
  • Each study session lasts 1 hour and focuses on one specific skill check covered in that media.
  • At the end of that hour, the character makes a skill check (DC 20).
  • On success, they mark one success for the chosen attribute.
  • Once the student has gained a success in all six attributes for the skill, they achieve Scholarly Insight (+1 to the skill).

Media Quality & Availability

  • Higher-quality media may provide a bonus (+1, +2, etc. to the roll).
  • Some media may require translation or decryption. A character who does not understand the language (or lacks proper access credentials) cannot benefit from the material unless they have a way to bypass this restriction.
  • Media is not consumed or destroyed but must be available for study.
  • Multiple characters can learn from the same media if they are learning the same skill check (e.g., one character reads aloud, or a training simulation is run for multiple participants).
  • If multiple characters want to study different attributes from the same media, they must schedule their downtime accordingly.

Breakthrough Moment

At any point during gameplay, if a character rolls 40 or higher on a skill check, they experience a Breakthrough Moment.

  • This reflects a moment of absolute mastery, allowing the character to instantly gain +1 to that skill.
  • No further effort or downtime is required.
  • A skill can only benefit from one Breakthrough Moment. If a character rolls 40+ again, no additional bonus is granted.
  • This applies to any roll over 40, regardless of external bonuses or assistance.

General Learning Rules

  • Learning order is flexible. A character can mix and match the three methods in any order to reach the +3 cap.
  • Students can attempt the same check multiple times. There is no penalty for failure aside from lost time.
  • This is a downtime activity. Learning typically occurs between adventuring sessions (e.g., while camping, during town visits, or in other low-stakes moments).
  • Teachers and media provide in-world roleplay opportunities. NPCs may charge for lessons, offer training as a reward, or refuse to teach without proper persuasion.

Example: Learning Stealth

A character wants to improve their Stealth skill. They can:

  1. Find a mentor (Guided Mastery) – A rogue in town agrees to train them for a price. Over several days, they complete six successful lessons (one per attribute).
  2. Study expert knowledge (Scholarly Insight) – They acquire a rare thief’s manual, an interactive VR stealth course, or a hacker’s guide, and spend downtime studying it.
  3. Achieve a Breakthrough Moment – During a high-stakes infiltration mission, they roll a 42 on a Stealth check, immediately gaining their final +1.

Once they have used all three methods, their Stealth skill is permanently improved by +3.

Edge Cases & Clarifications

Can a character fail to learn?

No, but learning can take a long time. If a character fails a learning check, they simply spend more downtime attempting it again.

Does a teacher need to be far more skilled than the student?

No, but the better the teacher, the faster the progress. If a teacher rolls low, the student must compensate.

Can a single piece of media be used by multiple characters?

Yes, but only if they are learning the same skill check. If multiple characters want to study different attributes from the same media, they must schedule their study time.

Can a teacher instruct multiple students at once?

Yes, but all students must be learning the same skill + attribute combination.

Can a character gain more than +3 from this module?

No. Once a character has Guided Mastery (+1), Scholarly Insight (+1), and Breakthrough Moment (+1), this module can no longer improve that skill.

If Luck module is enabled, are there 7 rolls to make?

No. You cannot learn luck.