Folks -

Our group’s power gamer / rules lawyer has decided to buy the cybernetic that increases his pilot skill. He currently has AGI 5, Pilot-Space 5 (again: power gamer).

I ruled that skill ranks are capped at 5. Period. He insists that the device can raise his pilot rank to 6 (giving him 5 Yellow and 1 green die - until he cyber increases his AGI). Particularly because nothing in the code rule book(s) says he CANT (again: rules lawyer).

Is there an OFFICIAL source or dev ruling on the cap for PC skill ranks / attributes ??

Thanks

GM Khyrith

The official cap is 6 on skills (EotE p. 173, end of paragraph 2).

FWIW, I also cap characteristics from any source (cyberware, stim application, enchance, etc) at 6 and skill ranks from any source at 5 (but I also never give any difficulties higher than Formidable, even if the RAW would suggest otherwise).

The player should respect your ruling, even if it goes against the book because.... you're the GM.

" The combination of purchased increases and the increases provided by cybernetics can increase a character's skill or characteristic one step above the normal maximum (seven for characteristics, six for skills) "

That's the page 173 text.

Also Imbue Mastery allows increasing characteristics to 7 (pg 36, Disciples of Harmony).

On 6.10.2017 at 2:07 AM, Khyrith said:

Folks -

Our group’s power gamer / rules lawyer has decided to buy the cybernetic that increases his pilot skill. He currently has AGI 5, Pilot-Space 5 (again: power gamer).

I ruled that skill ranks are capped at 5. Period. He insists that the device can raise his pilot rank to 6 (giving him 5 Yellow and 1 green die - until he cyber increases his AGI). Particularly because nothing in the code rule book(s) says he CANT (again: rules lawyer).

Is there an OFFICIAL source or dev ruling on the cap for PC skill ranks / attributes ??

Thanks

GM Khyrith

Others have already mentioned that your player is perfectly valid with his rules interpretation.

What I want to add is as someone who started right at character gen with an AGI 5 Hotshot is that playing a specialist is actually less about power gaming and more about well … playing a specialist. Raising a skill to 5 and it's related characteristic is not an point efficient build and it is not a powerful build especially on the piloting skill, but it is a very dedicated build to one thing which has glearing holes in other areas. It is playing a character with strengths and weaknesses and those weaknesses are really glaring when you dump all your XP into one area

It's intentional to allow characters to go for such extreme builds, because the system itself is build around the ideas to give each character's moments to shine in their specialities. And even being an allrounder who can operate independently from the group is in this regard an special ability even when oddly enough a large number of players seem to go what way. Jack of all trades, sucking in all seems to be one of the more common builds … might be because there is a vocal crowd which complains about power gaming when you build an actual professional in his chosen career. ;-)

Makes me wonder if Brawn 1, Agility 2 Yoda would get flamed for powergaming the system when putting all characteristics in willpower and presence, while boosting his agility and brawn with enhanced only when needed. ;-)