I’m fixing to play this with some of my kiddos and I’m a little confused by the leveling system of the problems, what is the best way to use this mechanic?
Thanks
Let’s tie together pg 27, 35, and 38 from the Core Rulebook. They’re kinda spread out when talking about Hometown Problem Ranks, so let’s get them all in one place.
Page 27 talks about awarding experience points at the end of a session. All but one doles out xp, that one adjusting human and hometown problem ranks instead (+/- 1-3 ranks). PCs get to level, so why can’t problems?
Page 35 tackles how many episodes it takes for the kitties to tackle a problem.
Page 38 addresses how many rank changes are adjusted after an episode.
Okay, let’s start with a Level 4 problem. We can expect the issue to hang around for a good part of the series (p35). The kitties ignore the problem for 5 episodes (it’s gonna be on the table for awhile because it IS a Rank 4), so the rank doesn’t change. In Episode 6, our friendly felines get to work and make some progress. Not outstanding, but still progress. The problem’s rank goes down by 1 point, so now it’s a 3 (p 27, 38). Next session, the kitties had kennel cough or something, and rank goes up by 2, which would be a five (ouch!), but I think it’s fair to cap problems at four - the game is supposed to be fun. The rank goes up and down, but the goal is to get it to a Rank -3 for the problem to go bye-bye (p38).
Ultimately, YOU have to decide what is rght for you and your players. Have fun. Learn. Practice problem-solving and teamwork. THAT’S how everyone wins!
Atlas’s “Hometown Workbook” is a great resource for GMs (4 “My Kitty Workbook” for players):
Atlas Games | Series Workbook Pack. You can check and erase rank bubbles as they change through the course of your campaign.
I hope that helps. Let me know what questions you have.