Avoiding Character Inflation

As GM, you should try to balance
the number of points you give out.
Characters should improve fast
enough to keep things interesting, but
not so fast that they outrun their foes
and unbalance your campaign. Also,
if the original characters are now
A “Time Use Sheet” is a record prepared by the play-
er that describes how his character spends the time
between play sessions. (There’s a sample on p. 569.)
The GM sets the amount of time covered by each
sheet. An even number of weeks works best. At the end
of each play session, the GM tells the players how much
game time will pass before the next session. When they
show up for the next session, they can bring the records
of how they spent the intervening time.
When an adventure “stops in the middle” – when
one play session ends at night in the inn, and the next
one starts the next morning – obviously no Time Use
Sheet is necessary. Use one when there is a hiatus in an
adventure (for instance, when the PCs must wait two
weeks to catch their ship). And use one between adven-
tures, to give the characters a chance to rest, earn
money, and improve their skills.
GMs: If this seems like too much bookkeeping, don’t
do it! Feel free to think of a substitute – or forget all this
entirely – if it does not add to your players’ enjoyment.
There are three major reasons to keep track of time
outside of play: