From:	"Steven A. Collins" <scollins@**.UML.EDU>
Subject:	Skill Levels
Date:	Thu, 24 Jul 1997 11:41:59 -0400

Ok I have recently seen a number of people in state in various
topics that a skill level of 6 is exceptionaly high and makes one an
expert on the subject/in the activity. This is somewhat backed up by
the Contacts listed in the books, where most people have skills of 3
to 4.

I have one problem with this concept. There is no maximum skill level
a character can achieve as there is with atributes. Acording to one
breakdown I have seen posted a skill of 1-2 means you have some
training/experience in that area, 3-4 you are competant and have
studied it or practised it, 5-6 you are an expert and have the
equivilant of a college degree on the subject, 7-8 you are a master
and this field is your life's study or you have an advanced graduate
degree in the field, 9 and up you are godlike in this field.

The problem is it is far to easy under this assumption to reach
these "godlike' levels. Assume a character starts with a skill of 5 in
something and earns an average of 5 karma per run and go's on 4 runs a
year. That's only 2.5 years until he could have a skill of 9 in
something and probably less than 5 years until he does. If the
character was 23 when he began he is at max 28 when he gets his first
godlike skill, under 35 when he get's his second, and could easily
have 4 or 5 such skills when he retires. This is if he doesn't just
keep raising the first skill he raised to 9 and then that skill could
easily reach 18 to 20.

A better way of thinking about the skill levels would be, 1-2 yeah
I read a book on it once or saw it done a few times but have never
really done it myself, 3-4 I took a class in it and have done it in
simulations but never in real life, 5-6 I am fully trained and
competant could make a living in the field, 7-8 professional this is
what I do for a living and the equilivant to a batchelors degree, 9-10
this is my life's study and the equilivant to an advanced graduate
degree,11-12 I am an authority in the field, 13 and up godlike.

This also makes it easier to explain how beginning characters have
skills of 5-6 in combat skills. Instead of those skill levels
representing expert skill levels they represent competancy.