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Adjustments to characteristic maxima

From Stormravengaming

Blurb
A player or GM may make detailed adjustments to Characteristic maxima to fine-tune his character, usually as part of a racial Package Deal.
Image:Exclamation.gif This rule may be unusually effective in certain circumstances.
GMs should carefully examine abilities using this rule before allowing their use.
This rule modifies Package Deals, Hero System Fifth Edition Revised page(s) 29-31.
This rule modifies Characteristic Maxima, Hero System Fifth Edition Revised page(s) 39.

Some character concepts, particularly those involving nonhuman species, suggest that Characteristic Maxima should be higher or lower than those for a standard human being. The GM (or a player, with GM approval) may make detailed adjustments to Characteristic Maxima, possibly without spending any Character Points at all. This is usually (but not necessarily) done as part of building a Racial Package Deal.

Characteristic Maxima (including the Maxima for Running, Swimming and Leaping) may be adjusted up and down at standard (not doubled) cost. For instance, the Maximum for CON could be increased to 21 for 2 Character Points, and the Maximum for PRE could be decreased to 18 to regain 2 Character Points. These are virtual Character Points, not actual expenditures. The total of virtual Character Points spent and received in this way is the Maxima Adjustment Total and must add up to zero except as noted below.

Example
When building a Dwarf Racial Package Deal, the GM increases the Maxima for STR and CON to 23 each. This costs 9 Character Points, so the GM must make up these 9 Character Points elsewhere to net zero points spent or gained. He reduces the Maximum for DEX to 18 (6 Character Points) and reduces the Maximum for Swimming to 2" (3 Character Points), for a total of 0.

The Maxima Adjustment Total may be increased by buying the Power Increased Maxima, which costs 1 (real) Character Point for every 7 (virtual) Character Points' value added to the Total. The Characteristic Maxima total may likewise be decreased by taking the Disadvantage Decreased Maxima, which is worth 1 (real) Character Point for every 7 (virtual) Character Points' value subtracted from the Total. (Increased Maxima and Decreased Maxima are available *only* with GM approval, almost always as part of a Racial Package Deal. Characters may not use them at all without GM permission.)

Example
When building a Racial Package Deal for Lyric Dragons, the GM decides the Characteristic Maxima total should be significantly higher. He spends 5 Character Points on Increased Maxima in order to increase the Maxima Adjustment Total by a value of 35 Character Points. If he finds that this still isn't enough, he may purchase further increases to the Maxima Adjustment Total; every 1 Character Point he spends on the Power increases the Total by another 7 Points' value.

Figured Characteristic Maxima are not affected by adjustments to Primary Characteristic Maxima. You may reduce (sell back) as many Figured Characteristic Maxima as you wish.

Adjustments to Characteristic Maxima do not affect the starting Characteristic values. These must still be increased or decreased from their usual base values (10 each for Primary Characteristics, for example). Adjustments to Characteristic Maxima only determine at what point the cost to increase (or value to decrease) a Characteritic is doubled.

Always adjust Characteristic Maxima before adjusting Characteristic values. If a Characteristic Maximum is reduced below that Characteristic's starting value, then selling back the Characteristic recovers double the points until it falls below the Maximum.

Example
When designing a Racial Package Deal for a tiny Pixie, the GM has reduced the Pixie's STR Maximum from 20 to 8. He now reduces the Pixie's starting STR from 10 to 4. Reducing the STR from 10 to 8 recovers 4 Character Points, double the normal value because these points of STR are above the Characteristic Maximum of 8. Reducing from 8 to 4 recovers another 4 Character Points, the normal value for STR.

A note on the logic behind this: The Age Disadvantage gives the basis for the cost to change Characteristic Maxima. The Maxima Adjustment Totals at the 5- and 10-Point levels of the Disadvantage are 35 Points and 69 Points respectively. This converts to about 1 Character Point per 7 Points of Maxima Adjustment Total.

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