Getting better at things
Practice. Using a skill is how you get better at it. Not
every use counts: you learn from things that were a real test.
Picking a lock you could open in your sleep teaches you nothing.
Neither does one that's hopelessly beyond you.
Your sheet shows ranks like 3.42: rank 3, and 42% of the way
to rank 4. Low ranks come quickly. Each rank after that is
slower than the last.
Only so much practice sinks in per game day. Your sheet shows
how much you've got left today.
The practice cap. Practice alone takes a skill to rank 6,
"highly capable". After that you need a teacher.
XP and teachers. You earn XP just by being around and doing
things. Idling doesn't count. XP is only spent on lessons.
learn who teaches what here, and the cost
learn <skill> take a lesson from a trainer here
learn <skill> from <who> ask a particular person
teach <person> <skill> teach someone a skill you know better
NPC trainers charge credits on top of the XP. A player teacher
can only take you as far as their own rank, and their Teaching
skill limits how far that is.
Attributes. Brawn, Reflex and the rest grow slowly as you use
the skills that depend on them. Your species sets how high each
can go. The gym is the fast way to build Brawn and Reflex.
The gym. Saint Jude's Boxing Club is north of Ironside Street's
west end. There's no membership fee.
workout what you can do here
bench, hit bag, jog, pullups, jump rope, climb rope, grapple
pushups, situps, stretch (anywhere)
Working out trains Athletics (and Brawling, Wrestling or Climbing
on the right gear). It burns calories, which is how you lose
weight on purpose. It also makes you thirsty and tires you out.
When you're spent, rest. Sitting or lying down recovers faster.