Characters may improve in one of two ways: XP and luck. In both of these cases, the character gains a new skill at one rank higher than the predicating skill, which is the skill rolled immediately prior to earning or buying the improvement. The new skill must be a more specific iteration of the predicating skill.
Before characters can spend XP, they have to earn it! Characters earn 1 XP every time they fail an attempted action they initiate. There is no cap on the number of XP a character can have at one time, but hoarding XP is boring, so it should be mildly discouraged.
Characters can spend XP for a new skill only after an action has been resolved. The cost for any new skill is equal to the difference between the number of dice the character just rolled and the number of sixes rolled on those dice. In play, it works like this:
- Attempt and resolve an action. If the attempt fails, the character earns 1 XP. This XP may be spent immediately.
- Is the player interested in taking a new skill based on the predicating skill? If no, then play continues normally. If so:
- Determine the cost for a new skill. The XP cost to take a new skill is calculated as follows: [number of dice rolled] – [number of sixes rolled]. For example, Gob just rolled three dice for his skill “Illusions (3)” and those dice came up 4, 5, 6. Since a six was rolled, it would cost 2 XP to take a rank-4 skill based on Illusions (3 dice rolled – 1 six).
- Buy the new skill. Pay the XP cost, record the new skill under its predicating skill, and play continues normally. The new skill must be related to the action just attempted. Continuing Gob’s example, a rank-4 skill based on the rank-3 Illusions skill he already has could be called “Dove from a Teacup (4).” Going forward, whenever Gob attempts that specific illusion, he will roll 4 dice. When performing any other trick, he still uses his broader Illusions skill.
Advancement Through Luck
The simpler of these methods, luck, is instant and automatic. If a character rolls all sixes when attempting an action, he earns a new skill. This new skill is recorded as soon as the action is resolved. A character can roll all sixes and still fail the attempted action; in this case, the character earns a new skill for rolling all sixes, and earns 1 XP for failing an attempted action.