Experience

The things you learn during the game are measured in experience points, or XP. You receive XP after the end of each game session. Talk it through and let the whole group discuss what has happened. For each of the following questions to which you can reply yes, you should receive one XP:

• Did you participate in the game session?
• Did you explore a new location?
• Did you defeat one or more dangerous adversaries?
• Did you overcome an obstacle without using force?
• Did you act in accordance with your persona and disposition?
• Did you perform another extraordinary action of some kind?

The Operator has the final word when it comes to how much XP each character should receive.

You may use your XP to improve skills and permutations, or to learn new ones. You can only spend XP when your character gets a chance to rest, or between game sessions.

To increase a skill level by one step costs a number of XP equal to five times the new level. For example, increasing a skill from two dots (••) to three dots (•••) would cost 15 XP. Additionally, you must have successfully used the skill at least once since your last increase, even if you have no dots in that skill. As an alternative, you can be instructed by a teacher with a higher skill level than you for one shift.

To obtain or improve a permutation always costs 10 XP in addition to the efforts of a codesmith. The codesmith must operate on your codebase for at least one shift, after which they can make a Persuasion roll. Success on this roll means your permutation has been applied, while failure means the alteration was attempted, unsuccessful, and rolled back. In the case of failure, you do not lose your XP, but a codesmith cannot try again for another shift.

After any session, you may change your persona and disposition based on events that have occurred during the game.