I'd say it might be worth increasing the amount of advances, but only if you were to reduce the value of each one. Maybe consider +3? I'm not a big fan of DH characters getting their stats too high, they are only human after all. Or relatively close to it at least.

I'm the same, the game tends to break down when people get regular 90+ rolls and changes like this on top of +30 for maxed skills risks this.

We'll be increasing the values for point allocation to 30(+) and 20(–) in Update #3. It was a mistake in #3 to take them too low.

Side note, we're strongly thinking about adding a 5th level for characteristic advances too. Thoughts?

–Tim

Yes ! This would open it up for ascension-like characters ! Very welcome by me.

Otherwise it could also be limited to the +20 characters to let them get up to the +25 level characters in time (the +25 characters virtually having bought the first increase already).

I have no problem with it, really. The final +5 is going to cost a crapton of XP even if it starts cheap and if people want to spend that, go ahead. That said, care should be taken that RAW it is impossible to get stats at or near 100.

I have no problem with it, really. The final +5 is going to cost a crapton of XP even if it starts cheap and if people want to spend that, go ahead. That said, care should be taken that RAW it is impossible to get stats at or near 100.

A general cap of 95 for any test wouldnt be the worst in my oppinion.

But even with a max start value of 45 (at +25 char generation), 5 increases would mean that you can get max. 70.

And as you said, the costs are that high, that you will have that for 1 characteristic at max

In my oppinion, the biggest problems with very high characteristics might result of too high soaking values (Toughness-Bonus) or too good evading (Agility). For the first one, it means max. 1 more soak, thats not really that much (if armour gets ag caps and/or carrying limits are adjusted, that should be a problem at all).

The second one is perfectly countered with opposed evading tests.

This has been a problem IMHO since the old WHF games. With toughness being the damage reduction, you really have to watch what is available to the players or nothing except space marines can challenge them. In the currrent incarnation of the rules. A character with a 40 Tb can get feudal plate (which apparently works as well as modern armor, don't even talk to me about how best quality feudal plate is better than carapace armor!!!) and some cybernetic implants and START the game with a damage reduction of 11 - 13. This makes them effectlvely immune FROM CHARACTER CREATION to most slug and laser weapons.

I'm not sure that the game designers have really thought through just how powerful the cybernetics implants are, especially when coupled with the +20 Adeptus Mechanicus bonus. Anything which adds to toughness really needs to be carefully vetted, since the damage reduction gets out of hand pretty quickly. I seem to remember in DH1 that there were consequences to some of the cybernetics. Perhaps those should be reintroduced to stop breaking the game balance. As an example: perhaps the synthetic muscles give you added strength but reduce agility. Perhaps some of them reduce fellowship or give a minus on charm tests or something to make the decision to bionic up a roleplaying decision rather than a de rigeur powergaming move.

I think it wouldn't hurt. Would make the character, that survived up to inquisitor lvl worthy of that title. Also would cost crapload of exp, so I don't think it will be a problem. With this system, talents, and skills, and gear are more important, than +10-+15 on test.

I think what this ultimately boils down to is whether or not you want the more impressive members of the 40k universe, like certain Xenos, Space Marines, Daemons etc to sit nicely on the 1-100 scale, or if you want them to break it (or, god forbid, use those awful, awful Unnatural Characteristics).

If you're happy with that, then increasing the amount of advances is fine. Personally I'd rather not have humans occupying a huge stretch of the scale.

Side note, we're strongly thinking about adding a 5th level for characteristic advances too. Thoughts?

–Tim

Not a huge fan.

If you really want this though, have you considered a model wherein it is not a simple characteristics advance, but rather some sort of boon that can be bought only for a limited number of characteristics (ie. 1 or 3)?

I'm thinking of this as a sort of way to underscore a specialized character concept.