After playing a bit, perhaps each session, the player will want the
character to grow in abilities. At this point, initial GM-set skill
limits (such as one Superb, three Greats) can be exceeded as the
character naturally develops. There are two ways to handle character
development, or experience, as it's often called.
5.1 Subjective Character Development
When the player feels the character has accomplished enough to warrant improving in some trait (and he feels he's been roleplaying well), he petitions the GM for permission to raise it. A trait can only be raised one level at a time. A trait must be used more to raise it from Good to Great than Fair to Good, and so on. Also, skill traits should be much easier to raise than attributes.
Likewise, the GM can simply award an improvement in a trait she feels
deserves to be raised. In these cases, there is never a corresponding
reduction of another trait - this is character development, not
creation.
5.2 Objective Character Development
In the Objective Character Development system, the GM can award experience points (EP), which the player can trade in any way he wants at the following rates:
However, a trait can only be raised one level at a time.
The GM may adjust these point levels as she sees fit, of course, and should require that the traits being raised are those that were used significantly during an adventure.
As a guideline, good roleplaying should be rewarded with 1 to 3 EP per gaming session, with an upper suggested limit of 4 EP for flawless roleplaying. Players may save EP as long as they wish.
Attribute levels may or may not have effect on EPs put into skills. For simplicity, you can ignore attribute levels entirely when raising skill levels. As an interesting way to keep the game more realistic, however, consider the following options:
High attributes: if a character has an exceptionally high attribute that would logically affect a skill, then the GM may shift the EP costs (on the table above) one level cheaper. For example, raising Juggling from Fair to Good costs 2 EP for most characters, and raising it from Good to Great costs 4 EP. If a character has Great or Superb Dexterity, however, it would only cost 1 EP to raise Juggling from Fair to Good, and 2 EP to raise it from Good to Great using this option.
Low attributes: conversely, an appropriate attribute of Terrible or Poor would shift the costs one level the other direction. Raising Juggling skill from Mediocre to Fair would cost 2 EP if the character's Dexterity attribute were Terrible, for example. For an extreme treatment of this (involving a skill controlling a Supernormal Power), see Moose the Mage, Section 6.313, Character Examples.
This system is strictly for character development, and is not recommended for character creation. If the GM decides to use it, however, she should warn the players at the time of character creation so they can plan their characters' attributes accordingly.
A simpler way to handle this is to charge double EP costs (or multiply
EP costs by 1.5, round up) when a skill is raised
above an appropriate attribute. For example, Josco
the Jester has Good Dexterity. EP costs for raising Juggling skill
are normal until he tries to raise Juggling to Great, which is higher
than his Dexterity. At that point, he must pay double cost: 8 EP.
(Or 6 EP, if using the x1.5 formula.) This can quickly become very
expensive in terms of EP, however, especially if the GM hasn't allowed
many free attribute levels. It is not recommended in
epic style campaigns, especially those with Legendary levels! Again,
this would have nothing to do with skill level costs at character
creation, only EP costs.
5.3 Development through Training
Improving skills through EP is not always realistic, to be honest. A gaming session might only cover a few hours of campaign time. Allowing a character to improve one or two different skills from Fair to Good in that time is far-fetched, to say the least. But it's fun for the players, and psychologically satisfying, and so recommended.
As an alternative, or in addition to the methods described above, the GM may allow traits to be raised through appropriate amounts of training time. This would require finding a teacher (which would cost money) or taking an appropriate job (which may not be totally dedicated the skill you wish to learn, and so take longer). It's also possible to learn something on your own, but the GM should double the time required. If using the Objective Character Development system, the GM may (or may not) require that EPs be spent in this manner - that is, you can't spend EPs unless you also take the time to train.
The GM will have to set training time and costs, and difficulty of finding a teacher. The teacher has two skills that must be considered: Teaching skill, and the appropriate skill being taught. She should also require a number of rolls from the player to see how diligently the character learned the skill. These rolls should be on an attribute such as Willpower, Drive, Zeal, Wisdom, Self Discipline, Self Motivation, Psyche, Intelligence, etc. If the player can give a valid reason why the character is extremely motivated to learn this skill, the GM may grant up to +2 to the trait tested. Not every roll has to match whatever level the GM has set for success, but over half of them should.
Example: Billy Blaster, space cadet, is back at the Academy after his first tour of duty. He decides his Fair Laser pistol skill is not as good as it needs to be. He takes a ten-week training course in Laser pistol use, taught by an instructor of Great Laser skill and Superb Teaching skill. (Since Billy has Gift: Employed by Space Patrol, this is free training for him.) The GM decides that Billy's player needs to make five Willpower rolls to see how dedicated he is to studying. If most of the rolls are Mediocre or better, Billy can raise his Laser pistol skill from Fair to Good, given the length of training and quality of the instructor. Had the training been shorter, or the instructor worse, he would have needed a preponderance of Fair or even Good rolls to have successfully raised his Laser pistol skill.
If using this system, remember that it is much easier to improve a skill from Poor to Mediocre than from Great to Superb. Require more time, or higher Difficulty Levels on the Will rolls to raise an already high skill.