>How much should I charge for a new Keyword? I don't think the rules really
>cover the cost of adding them, do they?
I should have been clearer here.
No, the rules don't say, because this method is really very much a hack of what's written in the book. Basically I tend to handle keywords somewhat more mechanically than they're fully intended in some ways. That is, the Saga System sidebar from which we're drawing suggests a whole lot of things that aren't supported all that much by the philosophy by which keywords are otherwise handled. As such consider that all of my implementations have some assumptions behind them that might not precisely mesh with some other things.
It's very complicated, really.
The rules suggest that you add keywords based on concept and write up, much like what Brand discusses. Which works, too - basically you just arbitrarily assign everything in terms of keywords.
I prefer a pool of points to spend (like the Saga System implies), however, because I personally find that having limits like this informs the player of what's suitable, for example in power levels. So I can leave it to them to decide what the character "should" be. And it's just easier than trying to figure out what's "right" for the characterin every specific. Again, especially when a little alteration is probably a good thing in the translation.
So what I'd charge for a conversion would be 1 AE Level to start a keyword at 13. At first glance this seems like it's subject to abuse. But the idea here is that we're converting extant characters. So I don't see a player adding on an extra Sailor keyword at 13, without it being part of the concept, or otherwise appropriate. Again, as I mentioned, for generating a character from scratch, I'd probably charge a premium of 5 AE Levels or something to break into a new keyword. Maybe.
To support what others have said, you don't have to spend everything all at once. That is, I personally consider all chargen "as you go" style. If a player puts something down on the character sheet, I consider that a "suggestion" of what the character probably has. But until it's used in play, I consider all such expenditures notional, and allow the resources that went into buying them to be rearranged at will. Once an ability is used, even then I'd allow a player to change it if I really can see that they've found out that it's a mistake. The pool is good for this style, IMO, because instead of tweaking indefinitely, the player has limited resources which, again, give structure to his choices, and can also give closure to the generation process at some point when all the points are permenantly spent.
Note that the Saga System suggests that a character get one keyword level per year or so. I think that this is about right for a character who lives in relatively peaceful, unadventurous times. That is, it works fine for "between adventures" which is what the Saga System was designed for. One reason that I'm advocating far more levels than this is that you've indicated that these characters have had years of adventuring, and not sitting about practicing a profession or the like. As such, I think that the years would produce far more AE than the one per year.
In fact, in the game I run I've given out as high a rate as 5 AE in 6 months that represented a time in which the characters were avoiding being hunted down by vastly powerful evil folks. That's a 10 AE per year rate. Which, again, I think is appropriate for living in "interesting times." The "proof" of this is that the rates I give you produce ability level descriptors that match. (Though the conversion isn't 100% accurate - RM characters start out pathetically disabled as opposed to the relatively competent starting HQ character. I've had whole first level RM parties wiped out by a single ferret. Thank goodness for HQ).
Mike
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