Stat Improvement

HârnMaster was not initially designed for the core stats to improve over time. This house rule affects the following:

Three methods are provided. Each one is a unique house rule that can be used independant of each other, or together.

There are rules for using skills instead of stats. Skills are easier (and cheeper) to improve. The only benefit in improving a stat is that it has an effect on skills as well as the physical/mental condition of the character.

A suggestion for how to improve each stat follows, however so long as the practice makes sense to both the GM and the player - it should be allowed.

Optional : Hearing, Smell/Taste, Touch, Voice and Aura are very difficult to increase. These can be optionally added, made more difficult (costing 5 extra Skill Improvement Points) or removed from the above list at the GM's discretion.

Note : If removed - they are not available to the methods that follow.

Method One

The player must accumulate 10 Skill Improvement Points.

Once accumulated, the player then multiplies the stat they wish to raise by 5, producing an EML. They must then roll d100 equal to or greater than the EML.

Accumulating 10 Skill Improvement Points (or the equivalent in Skill Maintenance Points) denotes a large amount of the character's time. This time must be spent in a practice that would focus on a particular stat.

Note : If Hearing, Smell/Taste, Touch, Voice and Aura are deemed more difficult, use 15 Skill Improvement Points.

Example : Antonius wishes to raise his Strength of 12 to 13. After a few months of hard labor and deprevation, he accumulates 10 Skill improvement points.

He then multiplies 12x5 to get an EML of 60.

He rolls d100 and gets a 74.

His Agility is raised to 13.

Since raising one stat cannot have an effect on SB calculation, he makes a mark on his character sheet but does not check his SB calculations.

A few game-months later, Antonius wishes to raise his Endurance from 16 to 17. He again begins the laborious task of accrewing 10 Skill Improvement Points.

Once he has them, he multiples 16x5 to get an EML of 80.

He rolls d100 and gets a 62.

His Endurance remains at 16.

Method Two

When a skill reaches an ML of 100, the player may pick one (and only one) of the stats used to determine its SB and try to raise that stat. If they succeed a stat check x5 on d100, the stat goes up by one point.

The use of the house-rule in this way shows the physical or mental changes that occur when a skill is mastered to such a high level.

Note : if Hearing, Smell/Taste, Touch, Voice and Aura are deemed more difficult, use a stat check x6.

Example : After much trial and tribulation, Antonius gets his Unarmed skill to ML 100.

At this point he may choose to try and raise any of the stats that make up Unarmed by 1. That's Strength, Dexterity or Endurance.

He chooses Endurance.

He then multiplies Endurance by 5 to get an EML of 80.

He rolls d100 and gets an 80.

His Endurance goes up by one.

He makes a mark on his character sheet beside the stat.

Side Effects

In our example, Antonius has now had two stats raised. He must check his SBs, and recalculate all those with two (or more) of the raised stats.

Method Three

When a skill reaches an ML of 100+SB, the player may pick one (and only one) of the stats used to determine its SB and raise that stat. Note that this cannot raise the stat above its racial maximum.

The use of the house-rule in this way shows the physical or mental changes that occur when a skill is mastered. No roll is required to raise the stat in this method.

Note1 : This can only be done once per skill that reaches its maximum. If that maximum later rises, the player may not use it to increase another stat; they may - however, raise the skill by 1 point using the regular method.

Note : If Hearing, Smell/Taste, Touch, Voice and Aura are deemed more difficult, use a stat check x6.

Example : After much trial and tribulation, Antonius gets his Sword skill to ML 117.

At this point he may choose to try and raise any of the stats that make up Sword by 1. That's Strength, Dexterity or Endurance.

He chooses Strength.

His Strength goes up by one.

He makes a mark on his character sheet beside the stat.

Side Effect

Because he's successfully raised more than one other stat, he must check all his SBs and recalcuate all those with two (or more) of the raised stats where Strength is included.

Use In Game

The party must agree that the player may improve his or her stat before it can be tested. This helps keep the total stats in balance among the party. It is also helpful to have the entire party hear the player's suggestion of what they're doing to improve the stat. While the party is usually supportive and helpful in coming up with ideas and reasons, using the group as a litmus test is the best way to assure no one player takes advantage of the GM or the group.

All these rolls should be done in public so the party can share the glory or the pain.

HMC/HMG/HM3 : Rapid increase in stats can be countered by using Skill Devaluation or Aging rules.

HMC/HMG/HM3 : If you use the Condition skill, it is not recommended you add this house rule to your game as it performs the same thing.