Time Use Sheets

vital – which is why you do them “between times” and
cover them with a few die rolls. For instance, in a treas-
ure-hunting adventure, the group’s scholar might need
to spend a few weeks in the library making Research
rolls to find useful maps. Meanwhile, the thief is visit-
ing taverns and making Streetwise rolls to pick up use-
ful rumors. The GM checks their sheets, notes how
much time they spent at it, and rolls (one or more
times) to see what they found.
Characters may wish to improve existing skills or
gain new ones through study. (If some characters are
students, this is unavoidable!) The GM keeps a running
total of the time spent studying each skill. When it’s
enough to buy a skill increase, the skill goes up imme-
diately. See Improvement Through Study (p. 292).
Time spent at work counts as study of the skill
involved (but at only 1/4 rate – that is, an eight-hour
workday counts as two hours of study). It also pays
enough to live on, and maybe a little extra. (In most
societies, those who do not show up full-time for work
will soon be fired, and hurting for money!) A job can
be a great springboard to adventure in the hands of a
creative GM. See Jobs (p. 516).
they wish to increase attributes!
Attempts to make inappropriate
improvements most often occur when
the player discovers an unintended
weakness in his character design and
believes the new ability will compen-
sate for it. If the desired ability doesn’t
fit the character concept, try to discov-
er the perceived weakness and suggest
more appropriate alternatives that
address it directly.
Keep awards small enough that
players must think about their purchas-
es. If players must save points for
many sessions to afford larger pur-
chases (e.g., attribute levels and
advantages), there is, in effect, a “wait-
ing period.” Many players will recon-
sider their “need” for character-dis-
torting abilities during this time, and
instead use their points to raise skills
that will be useful during the current
adventure. This leads to well-rounded
veterans whose skills reflect their
actual activities.
Don’t make it too easy to learn new
skills. If you let the PCs learn new