Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - [Basic] Skill of the week: Group Performance and Performance

johndallman · 09-12-2015, 08:38 AM

"It's a long time since I heard a theatre played properly." Granny Weatherwax, Wyrd Sisters

Group Performance is the IQ/A skill of organising performances by groups. Doing this successfully produces a worthwhile performance; the individual performers can presumably still roll to see how well they did within the larger production. It has a general default of IQ-5 and a general prerequisite of Diplomacy, Intimidation or Leadership, and requires specialisation by the form of performance. The specialisations have prerequisites of their own, which are usually the skills that supply a default for that specialisation. The specialisations in Basic are Chorography (defaulting to Dance-2), Conducting (Musical Instrument-2 or Singing -2), Directing (Performance-5) and Fight Chorography (Stage Combat -2). I haven't found any more specialisations in other books. While there are no listed modifiers, lack of Cultural Familiarity with either the performers or the audience might well apply.

Performance is the IQ/A skill of acting for stage or screen; the basic difference from GURPS' Acting skill is that you aren't trying to deceive people, but to impress or entertain. The defaults are IQ-5, Acting-2, or Public Speaking-2. Acting, Public Speaking and Stage Combat have defaults to Performance. If you've actually trained in this skill, it includes the professional knowledge of an actor. Performance does not suffer due to lack of Cultural Familiarity, or worse-than-Native language skill, but does take modifiers for Voice, Neurological Disorder, Shyness and Stuttering.

Performance seems to have been introduced at GURPS 3e, and Group Performance at 4e.

Naturally, these skills are mostly found on templates for performers, of more kinds than actors, musicians and bards. Fantasy suggests Performance for free gladiators; Horror uses it for Artists, Charlatans and Evil Clowns, and Britanica-6 suggests it for sportsmen. Martial Arts uses it for phony instructors, movie stars, stuntmen, pro wrestlers, and Wushu practitioners. It also has rules for faking martial-arts skill (including a complete fake style) using Fight Chorography. Martial Arts: Gladiators has a lot on Performance, though nothing on Fight Chorography. PU3 has Talents for Performance and Group Performance (Conducting), but no other specialisations; PU7 has wildcards for both skills. Psis uses Performance for celebrities and soothsayers; Reign of Steel: Will to Live has DJs, preachers and gladiators, not all of whom are robots. Social Engineering has a lot you can do with Performance, and some extra uses for Group Performance

Can one take an optional specialisation within a required specialisation? It seems sensible, but I can't find anything on this in RAW. The idea was suggested by the note in Social Engineering that one uses Group Performance for hiring performers: a specialist in casting might plausibly have an optional specialisation, for Group Performance (Directing (Casting)). And you'd want Empathy or Sensitive to be really good at it.

I have a couple of characters with Group Performance (Conducting) one of whom also has Performance, and aspired to be an opera singer before she ended up at Bletchley Park in early 1941. But I've never played a GURPS campaign where performance skills were a major part of the game. Another thing to try, sometime.

How have you wowed the audience?

09-12-2015, 08:38 AM	#1
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	[Basic] Skill of the week: Group Performance and Performance "It's a long time since I heard a theatre played properly." Granny Weatherwax, Wyrd Sisters Group Performance is the IQ/A skill of organising performances by groups. Doing this successfully produces a worthwhile performance; the individual performers can presumably still roll to see how well they did within the larger production. It has a general default of IQ-5 and a general prerequisite of Diplomacy, Intimidation or Leadership, and requires specialisation by the form of performance. The specialisations have prerequisites of their own, which are usually the skills that supply a default for that specialisation. The specialisations in Basic are Chorography (defaulting to Dance-2), Conducting (Musical Instrument-2 or Singing -2), Directing (Performance-5) and Fight Chorography (Stage Combat -2). I haven't found any more specialisations in other books. While there are no listed modifiers, lack of Cultural Familiarity with either the performers or the audience might well apply. Performance is the IQ/A skill of acting for stage or screen; the basic difference from GURPS' Acting skill is that you aren't trying to deceive people, but to impress or entertain. The defaults are IQ-5, Acting-2, or Public Speaking-2. Acting, Public Speaking and Stage Combat have defaults to Performance. If you've actually trained in this skill, it includes the professional knowledge of an actor. Performance does not suffer due to lack of Cultural Familiarity, or worse-than-Native language skill, but does take modifiers for Voice, Neurological Disorder, Shyness and Stuttering. Performance seems to have been introduced at GURPS 3e, and Group Performance at 4e. Naturally, these skills are mostly found on templates for performers, of more kinds than actors, musicians and bards. *Fantasy* suggests Performance for free gladiators; *Horror* uses it for Artists, Charlatans and Evil Clowns, and *Britanica-6* suggests it for sportsmen. *Martial Arts* uses it for phony instructors, movie stars, stuntmen, pro wrestlers, and Wushu practitioners. It also has rules for faking martial-arts skill (including a complete fake style) using Fight Chorography. *Martial Arts: Gladiators* has a lot on Performance, though nothing on Fight Chorography. *PU3* has Talents for Performance and Group Performance (Conducting), but no other specialisations; *PU7* has wildcards for both skills. *Psis* uses Performance for celebrities and soothsayers; *Reign of Steel: Will to Live* has DJs, preachers and gladiators, not all of whom are robots. *Social Engineering* has a lot you can do with Performance, and some extra uses for Group Performance Can one take an optional specialisation within a required specialisation? It seems sensible, but I can't find anything on this in RAW. The idea was suggested by the note in *Social Engineering* that one uses Group Performance for hiring performers: a specialist in casting might plausibly have an optional specialisation, for Group Performance (Directing (Casting)). And you'd want Empathy or Sensitive to be really good at it. I have a couple of characters with Group Performance (Conducting) one of whom also has Performance, and aspired to be an opera singer before she ended up at Bletchley Park in early 1941. But I've never played a GURPS campaign where performance skills were a major part of the game. Another thing to try, sometime. How have you wowed the audience?