In Call of Cthulhu (CoC) horror role playing game (RPG) there is a cap for skills. I don't like such things, but I just thought of a way that might make them better. I would set the cap at 100%. Using my experience check rule, you have to roll the check above the skill to increase the skill, which will then be increased by exactly one point. The difference to the rules as written (RAW) is the amount by which the skill is increased. IIRC, RAW sets the cap for skills at 99%, which makes the cap arbitrary. In my house rule, at least there is the point that one cannot roll over 100% using d100.
Now, here's the new idea I just had (which I hope would justify using a cap on skills, which I have never done):
(1) Once a skill has been raised to 100%, gaining further experience checks to the skill would be pointless as the skill can no longer be increased and so, as per RAW, the checks would be lost. So, the new (and untested) idea is that every two checks on the skill can be exchanged to one check on a related skill.
(2) During character creation, the skill(s?) about Own Language start at EDUx5%. For very high EDU characters this obviously means that some skill points will be "lost". According to my rule suggestion here, instead of just limiting the skill at 100%, the character gains a new language skill at half the points that would go over 100% in Own Language. So, an Investigator with EDU 22 would start Own Language at 100%, but gain a new language at 5%.
OR: This may actually be too harsh, so instead of losing half the exp checks and language skills during creation, it might be better to just give full points. So, the Investigator would start a new language at 10%, and all exp checks in a skill that already is at 100% could be translated to related skills.
What is a related skill would depend on the Keeper's (GM's) discretion, of course. In my experience, it is very rare for skills to get this high in CoC, so this house rule is pretty redundant anyway.
If you do try my house rules, please let me know how it went.
I have posted about my experience check rule a long time ago here: https://rpgandboardgaming.blogspot.com/2011/05/modified-experience-checks-for-call-of.html
