After completing an act each member of the group typically earns five “Experience Points,“ or XP. These can be saved or spent between acts to increase attributes and skills, or purchase new Perks, as shown below. Note that XP are accumulated as a group, not by individuals. Everyone in the player character team always has the same XP as everyone else.
- Attributes: Raising an attribute costs double the new value. Increasing Strength from 6 to 7, for example, costs 14 XP. Attributes can’t be raised above the racial maximum.
- Skills: Raising a skill costs a number of XP equal to the new level. Raising energy weapons from 3 to 4 adds, for example, costs 4 XP. The limit for any skill add is +5 unless the character has the Mastery Perk.
- Perks: Gaining your first new Perk costs 5 XP. Each new Perk beyond that costs 2 more points than the last. A second new Perk costs 7 XP, a third 9 XP, a fourth 11 XP, and so on.
Clearance Level
The Delphi Council rates Storm Knight teams in “Clearance Levels.“ They use this rating to estimate what a group can handle, and how much information they share about the invaders. In game terms, starting characters are “Alpha“ Clearance Level. A group is cleared to “Beta“ once they accumulate 50 Experience Points (whether each member has spent all 50 XP or not).
The group’s Clearance Level helps the Game Master determine challenges or insert published adventures into the campaign. An adventure might say it’s for a group of Beta Clearance Storm Knights, for example. Advancement options work the same as Storm Knights increase in Clearance Level, but rumors abound of special training and equipment only available to elite operatives.
New Storm Knights
When new Storm Knights join the team, perhaps because a previous hero fell in battle, they have the same XP as the rest of the group.
Create the character just like she was starting from scratch, then advance her by spending XP normally.