Quote:
Originally Posted by Fish
I agree with OneSeventeen's logic. Parenting is a tiny toe-dip in the shallow end of a vast number of skills, just as is Soldier.
A parent knows how to child-proof a home, moving dangerous toxic agents out of reach (eg, bleach, antifreeze, lye, etc) without needing to know the actual chemical nature of those agents — and without necessarily knowing how to identify, store, or dispose of other toxic substances (eg, spent nuclear fuel rods, nerve gas). A parent learns how to teach a small child (to speak, to ride a bicycle, to tie his shoes, to dress himself, to be polite, and so forth) but isn't necessarily qualified to be a teacher in a public-school setting (eg, History, Music, Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, etc).
The trouble with Parenting as a skill is trying to determine its precise effects. How often do you roll? What happens if you fail, what happens if you fail critically? What modifiers apply? On what stat do you base it?
As for that last, there are a few possibilities. An IQ-based skill seems to cover the broad strokes of parental knowledge and strength of character, but it leaves out non-human races who teach (and learn) through instinct and perception. A Will-based skill seems appropriate for discipline. A Per-based skill might be more appropriate for animals.
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Like other professional skills, it is IQ based, and like other GURPS skills in general you can always float to other bases if the situation calls for it.
And determining the precise effects for Professional Skill: Parenting is the same as Professional Skill: Soldier, or any other number of broader GURPS skills. A lot of that has to do with GM style. Some GM's make players roll all the time for things...other GM's rarely. Some GMs use TDMs extensively...other GMs not so often. Failure and Crit Fails depend on the situation and what you are doing.
I think a number of GURPS skills are a bit loose and should be so. It allows for different play styles and for flexibility in situations.