Characters start as heroes and their power level is not supposed to change a lot during the fairly long campaign.

The base rate of gain is about 1-3(2-4) points/session. Get 1pt/2 hours of play, but in beginning two points/session go to a special store that you can use to buy things like bionics, special powers, special training and similar increases. In act 3 and onward only one point goes to the store.

If the special store reaches 50 points after act 2 you can stop putting points into it if you wish, though if you are close to gaining next special training level or some other big things you may want to continue putting few more points there as having only one point/session to use is not fun if you end up in storage debt.

Training time does not give free points, instead it allows using them: see below.

To use points in something, you need to spend time: 40/80 hours/point. There is no limit on how many points of your earned you use as long as you spend the time. Stress use allows one hour of study/encounter to all skills used in it.

During space travel you can normally take 4 hours/day in training time in ships will full crew complement.

If you buy bionics or other ways of getting more points, reduce the special store by that amount and if it and your earned points are not enough then your active points go to negative and you only get 1 point/session to spend on things, all other points go to buying off the debt. In case of bionics it is often also good to buy a suitable nuisance effect that you can then freely buy off later. This represents that most people take a bit of time to adjust to new bionics(typically 1-2 months for minor bionics and up to 6 months for majors).

Points can be used to buy any of following:

• Any skill where you have training materials/facilities.
  • Ship libraries normally have enough information to train any commonly available skill to 2 points for scouts, 4 points for frigates/light cruisers, 8 points for heavy cruisers and up.
  • Libraries see: information allow learning of any mental skill the library covers to the limit given by the library.
  • Training aids and robots allow learning of physical skill up to their skill rank.
  • Any skill where you have done breakthrough research can be raised by one rank on success.
  • Special skills: Like the power control skills: can normally only be increased when any power increases in rank. You can spend up to 5 extra points from earned to power skills on each power level raise.
  • Trainer: A teacher can train a skill to maximum of the lower of their points in the skill or teaching.
  • Training against others.
    • If training against someone with total skill of -6 or less or +6 or more of your skill: you do not learn anything useful.
    • If training against someone with total skill -3 to -5 or +3 to +5 of your skill: you can learn one point/160 hours.
    • If training against someone with total skill -2 to +2 of your skill: you can learn one point/80 hours.
  • Training by yourself: if you have proper facilities(shooting range for weapon skills, gym for most physical, library for most mental) you gain 1 point/80 hours. If you have makeshift facilities you gate 1 point/160 hours.
• Attributes:
  • Any base attributes(ST,IQ,DX,HT) and some sub attributes(per,will) can raised to their limits, but cannot be trained. You can raise an attribute by lowering skills based on that attribute by the same number of total points. None of the skills can go down in the conversion. If some sub attribute would be over the limits after this you must reduce it as part of the conversion.
  • Most sub attributes(speed, move, striking ST,lifting ST and so on) require special training materials/equipment.
    • +1 Per, +1 move, +1 will and +1 lifting ST materials are fairly easy to find.
  • Toughness sub attributes(FP,HP) can be trained normally up to their limits.
• Social advantages: Many social advantages can be gained in play by actions, if so you pay the points immediately(see special storage above) examples:
  • Rank: be promoted
  • Reputation: become known
  • Independent income: gain it somehow
  • Wealth: Gain the contacts and such.
  • Allies: gain them
  • Alternate identity: gain/manufacture it
  • Claim to hospitality: earn it
  • Contacts:gain them
  • Favor:Gain them
  • Legal immunity: Gain it
  • Legal enforcement powers: Gain them
  • Patron: Gain it
  • Security clearance:get one
• Psionics: On reaching 1000 points and each 500 points after you can increase one psionic talent by 1. Also at that point you can convert up to 25 points of any dormant psionic abilities to active. Both require spending 40 hours/point in meditation.
• Other Advantages: Only few advantages can be trained as indicated below:
  • Fit: Can be trained in 1000 hours with a gym. double that without.
  • Very fit: Can be trained in 2000 hours from fit with a gym. double that without.
  • Enchanted defenses can be trained in 80 hours/point up to the limit: total character points/500. If special background gives special defenses then you can go over the base limit by that much, but levels over the base cost +50%/level over. Require either training partners or training robots.
  • Off hand training can be learned in 200 hours Require either training partners or training robots.
  • Cultural familiarity: Can be taken after a month in given culture if you have been actively communicating.
  • Languages: Can be trained as skills: 40/80 each point.
  • Trained by a master: Get the training(very hard to find): typically 5 years and also normally gain 20 points towards HT or IQ training and about 60 points in skills with about 1/3 of that is esoric skills, 1/3 in philosophy and similar skills and 1/3 in athletic skills and prerequisite skills for esoric skills like hypnotism.
  • Weapon master Get the training(very hard to find): Typically 3 years for 20 points and 1/2 year more for each extra 5 points and also normally gain 10 points towards HT or ST training and about 30 points in skills with about 1/3 of that is esoric skills, 1/3 in philosophy and similar skills and 1/3 in athletic skills and prerequisite skills for esoric skills.
  • Style training: Get the training(fairly easy for most styles): Typically 1 year of training.

All attributes are limited to 20 including any general or specialized sub-attributes. The 20 limit is also thus counted for things like strongbow or striking strength.

If some of your attributes are racial, then you can raise attributes over 20 by paying +50% more extra for each level over 20 up to 20+the race limit. (21: +50% 22: +100%)

Exceptions:

• Speed: can be max +2 from the calculated value. Racial allows above this as normal(+50% more cost each level)
• Move: can be max +2 from the calculated base speed, but note that any raised speed reduces this at full numbers. Racial allows above this as normal(+50% more cost each level)
• FP: can be maximally 30% over HT. (Thus max 26 at HT 20) Racial allows above this as normal(+50% more cost each level)
• HP: can be maximally ST+higher of:
  • Racial limit: Humans and Turians can have up to 100% of strength as extra hit points. Krogan can have up to 200% extra, Other races up to 50%.
  • Points limit: +1 HP/100 total character points. If special background gives hitpoints then you can go over the base limit by that much, but levels over the base cost +50%/level over.