Advancements when new heroes join?

The heroes in my Feng Shui 2 game reached their 5th Advancement last night. Several of the players have also expressed interest in swapping out their current characters for new heroes with different archetypes. We've been playing for almost a year and they want to try some variety.

In FS2 the whole party has the same number of advancements. How do you handle this when new heroes join? Whether it's a new player introducing a new character or an old player whose first hero leaves and a new hero enters, do the new heroes start with the same number of advancements?

In a way it's simpler if everyone has the same number of advancements, and that seems the letter and spirit of the rules. But there's also the fact that a player starting a new hero might not have the best idea how to play a new archetype--would it make any sense to give them a session or two before they can gain advancements?

Has this ever come in your games? How do you deal with it?

They can start over. It's not like it's that much of a big deal in power level difference. I'd just tell them to grab a new archetype and go. Maybe give them a free advance before the game and one right after their first session, but after that it hardly matters.

You could also just say they automatically get advancements quicker until they "catch up".

Very true. They managed to get attuned to 4 feng shui sites so their odds now are pretty good. Also, the bad guys are starting to figure out where the heroes' sites are so they can burn them :slight_smile: