House Rules

Experince Points
Instead of using the increasing of skills using a number of weeks experience points (XP) is given out to the characters instead.

Attribute Increases
The amount of XP points it takes to increase an attribute is based on the current rating of the attribute times a multiplyer. As the value increases so does the number of XP.
 * Trainer: For every three levels different from the trainers level to that of the character will reduce the XP cost by 1.
 * Dollar Cost: The cost for a trainer is equal to the amount of XP needed to increase to the next level x 200. For example, to increase to an 11 from a 10 would cost 40 XP. Using a trainer who has an attribute at 14 would lower the cost by 2 down to 38. To pay for that trainer would cost the player $7600.
 * A minumum of one week is needed of "down time" for instruction.

Skill Increase
XP cost of skill increases
 * Factors that affect skill increase cost
 * The bonus on the primary attribute is used to lower the XP cost of the skill. A penalty on the attribute will increase the skill cost
 * The bonus on the characters intelligence is used to lower the XP cost of the skill. A penalty with intelligence will increase the cost of the skill.
 * The amount that a trainers skill is over the current character's skill will lower the XP cost.

Trainer Cost (Skills)
Below is how much a trainer at the stated level would cost

Ancient Skills
To learn an ancient skill is double the normal cost. It requires that the character have a basic understanding of the ancient language (read/write, 0). The same modifiers for reducing the xp cost still apply.

Figuring Out Ancient Tech
If a character has the basic skill needed (i.e. ancient engineering 0) then he will roll his skill once per day at a -6 difficulty until he succeeds. He will then roll his skill once per day at a -4 until he succeeds, and then at -2 until he succeeds, and then at 0 until he seceeds. This assumes that the character is spending all day working on the problem. If he is not spending at least 8 hours on the project then he does not get a roll for that day. If the character can not make the roll by himself than an assistant can be brought in and both have to spend 8 hours per day working on it.
 * The premise behind this method is that ancient technology is beyond the current understanding of even todays TL14. For a non scientist type it should be a hard thing to do and in my opinion it shoud really be harder.
 * Current Projects
 * Prototype Gun: From the text is it is supposed to kill the shadow inside of someone without killing the host.  The gun is untested.
 * Rolls needed (Ancient Engineering??) to figure out how the gun works
 * Rolls needed (Ancient Weaponsmith??) to be able to build another gun.
 * Adapting Ancient Computer to DawnStar: The information from the ancients are on data crystals.  The dawnstar's computer will need to be replaced with an acient one to be able to read the crystals.  At the same time the computer will be able to handle additional programs.
 * Rolls needed (Ancient Engineering - Electronics) to fugure out how to place it into our ship
 * Adapting Ancient Power System: The battle cruiser has many portable singularty generators.  The intent is to adapt this technology to the dawnstart in order to gain additional tonnage.
 * Rolls needed (ancient engineering - power systems)