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johndallman · 07-15-2016, 02:30 PM

Photography is the IQ/A artistic TL skill of producing photographs and moving pictures. The defaults are IQ-5 or Electronics Operation (Media)-5, and no skills default to Photography. The skill covers both taking pictures or movies, and processing them, in a darkroom or electronically. Taking and electronic processing can be done at default, but darkroom processing requires actually knowing the skill. Photography appeared at GURPS 1e.

Photography appeared at TL5, and movies at TL6. Both forms matured, technically and artistically, at TL6, but the equipment improved considerably at TL7 and early TL8, before the digital photography revolution in the early 2000s. The skill is boosted by Gifted Artist, and listed modifiers include -3 for unfamiliar equipment and -3 for motion pictures. The latter is improvable as an Average technique, and is used as an example of technique design, on B229 and B233, being fairly simple and dealing with something that almost everyone understands a little. Some kinds of photography, notably the art of finding pictures in the environment, could well float the skill to Per, and/or have Stealth as a complementary skill.

Photography is a common skill on templates for anyone who may need to collect intelligence. Action has rules for this, and High-Tech has equipment. Horror touches on the (Spirit) specialisation, for Kirlian devices, and mundane photography, for horrifying, yet ambiguous, evidence. Infinite Worlds has time viewers whose images are very difficult to photograph, and Britannica-6 has advanced photography for its TL, but with a properly steampunk style. Monster Hunters has photographic equipment with quality variations and Kirlian film, and Mysteries has police support staff with Photography as a significant job skill. Power-Ups 1, 3 and 7 have examples for this skill, while Psis and Psi-Tech have even more on Kirlian photography. Social Engineering points out that this is also the skill for faking photographs, and Ultra-Tech has very advanced equipment.

Photography was my main interest as a teenager, since I'd never heard of RPGs and I seem to have learned it at better than default. I use that as my example how to learn a skill by self-teaching: do it regularly, read serious books on the subject, learn to use the equipment thoroughly, try different things systematically, keep records of what you do, and review and think about them.

A few of my characters have had this skill, for keeping records and gathering intelligence. But that's about all that I've done with it in a game. Have you done more?

07-15-2016, 02:30 PM	#1
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	[Basic] Skill of the week: Photography Photography is the IQ/A artistic TL skill of producing photographs and moving pictures. The defaults are IQ-5 or Electronics Operation (Media)-5, and no skills default to Photography. The skill covers both taking pictures or movies, and processing them, in a darkroom or electronically. Taking and electronic processing can be done at default, but darkroom processing requires actually knowing the skill. Photography appeared at GURPS 1e. Photography appeared at TL5, and movies at TL6. Both forms matured, technically and artistically, at TL6, but the equipment improved considerably at TL7 and early TL8, before the digital photography revolution in the early 2000s. The skill is boosted by Gifted Artist, and listed modifiers include -3 for unfamiliar equipment and -3 for motion pictures. The latter is improvable as an Average technique, and is used as an example of technique design, on B229 and B233, being fairly simple and dealing with something that almost everyone understands a little. Some kinds of photography, notably the art of finding pictures in the environment, could well float the skill to Per, and/or have Stealth as a complementary skill. Photography is a common skill on templates for anyone who may need to collect intelligence. *Action* has rules for this, and *High-Tech* has equipment. *Horror* touches on the (Spirit) specialisation, for Kirlian devices, and mundane photography, for horrifying, yet ambiguous, evidence. *Infinite Worlds* has time viewers whose images are very difficult to photograph, and *Britannica-6* has advanced photography for its TL, but with a properly steampunk style. *Monster Hunters* has photographic equipment with quality variations and Kirlian film, and *Mysteries* has police support staff with Photography as a significant job skill. *Power-Ups* 1, 3 and 7 have examples for this skill, while *Psis* and *Psi-Tech* have even more on Kirlian photography. *Social Engineering* points out that this is also the skill for faking photographs, and *Ultra-Tech* has very advanced equipment. Photography was my main interest as a teenager, since I'd never heard of RPGs and I seem to have learned it at better than default. I use that as my example how to learn a skill by self-teaching: do it regularly, read serious books on the subject, learn to use the equipment thoroughly, try different things systematically, keep records of what you do, and review and think about them. A few of my characters have had this skill, for keeping records and gathering intelligence. But that's about all that I've done with it in a game. Have you done more? __________________ The Path of Cunning. Indexes: DFRPG Characters, Advantage of the Week, Disadvantage of the Week, Skill of the Week, Techniques.