From the introduction:
The Arbiter System is a game rules set designed for live-action role-playing games (“LARPs”).
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This specific system was first designed for use in Shades of Venaya, which ran until 2014. The system is tailored toward use in the same universe as Venaya, with some elements of the game mechanics being designed to properly represent the narrative elements of that world. For example, the setting has a detailed magic system with internally consistent rules.
The philosophy behind the Arbiter System is that each player should be able to create a character that is unique and fun to play right from their first game. For this reason, characters start with a comparatively large number of skills, and the system has a wide variety of different skills to choose from. In addition, different game regions also have unique skills for that region, and many other skills can be found through game play and purchasing “Lore” skills, which provide the player with additional role-playing information and more skills to consider purchasing.
In addition, the Arbiter System is designed for long-term play. For this reason, many skills have “soft caps”, where the skill gets progressively more expensive to purchase until it is very inefficient, rather than “hard caps”, where there is a clear maximum level for each skill. This system also provides incentives for retiring your character and starting a new one to encourage players to try new things and allow newer players to catch up.