[Runequest] Limiting Skill Levels By Characteristic Bonus

[Lev Lafayette]

"Our own experiences and many a conversation with martial arts teachers
and students confirm that, at a certain level, it is the man (not the
weapon or system) that is important."
(p101 RuneQuest 2nd edition rules)

My proposal here is to put this excellent enunciation of theory into the
practise of the RuneQuest rules. My reading of the rules, in all
published editions, is that characters can learn skills above 100%,
however in first, second and third editions they are limited by an
experience or category bonus; for example in RuneQuest 3rd edition the
highest skill level a character can gain is 100% - category bonus if
that bonus is a negative.

The reverse however does not apply. Characters are not limited to 100% +
their category bonus when that score is positive. They can reach any
skill level, given enough time, as long as they don't have a penalty -
and sometimes that time and those skill levels can become very high
indeed, such as the Vampire in Sun County who has Hide at 230% and
Listen at 396%, not to mention the lich Solinthor who has Ceremony at
1625%.

RuneQuest is already a game that leans heavily towards favouring skills
over natural abilities (unless one makes, ahem, regular use of the
resistance table). I would like to suggest that skills levels over 100%
are limited by the category bonus (or equivalent in other editions),
"Sicut in altitudine et in profundis", if you will. Obviously this would
apply to NPCs as well as PCs.

Do people forsee any problems taking this path?