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johndallman · 10-16-2015, 02:16 PM

History is the IQ/H skill of knowing about the recorded past. Archaeology, Palaeontology and other skills that study the past deal with what can be deduced from its remains, while history starts from records and supplements them with examination of the locations and remains, and occasional practical experiments. The only default is IQ-6.

The history of Earth is much too vast for a single skill, so specialization is required. The two main forms of specialization are a region, no larger than a small nation-state, over a long period of time, or the combination of a shorter period of time and one of a large region, a culture, or a concept, such as economic or military history. This creates unavoidable -- and realistic -- scope for overlap between specializations. Overlaps allow defaults between specializations, usually at -2 to -4. The Geographical and Temporal Scope rules on B176 can also be useful. Many Expert Skills contain specialized history. History was included in GURPS 1e, as a single Hard skill with no specializations, which were added at 4e.

Banestorm's Yrth has a sufficiently developed history to have meaningful specializations: Cardiel is a small enough state that its history is all one skill, while Megalos needs several skills for different periods, and several other specializations exist. Dragons has History (Esoteric), which needs a period under 4e, and DF9 gives ghosts History to represent their general knowledge of the place and time of their origin. Fantasy expands on the relationship between history, fiction and mythology. High-Tech uses History as an example for libraries. History is quite important in some styles of Horror, where knowing what you're up against is important, and the same applies in Infinite Worlds and Monster Hunters. PU2, PU3 and PU7 have examples for this skill. Social Engineering: Back to School has Expert Skill (Bardic Lore), which covers a lot of History.

History is fairly important in my Infinite Cabal campaign, primarily for getting the approximate date of worlds by observation, without having to interact with anyone. One character, not one of the mad wizards, has specialised in this, and is now quite expert in the evolution of architectural styles during the 19th and 20th centuries.

What history have you made, or made up?

10-16-2015, 02:16 PM	#1
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	[Basic] Skill of the week: History History is the IQ/H skill of knowing about the recorded past. Archaeology, Palaeontology and other skills that study the past deal with what can be deduced from its remains, while history starts from records and supplements them with examination of the locations and remains, and occasional practical experiments. The only default is IQ-6. The history of Earth is much too vast for a single skill, so specialization is required. The two main forms of specialization are a region, no larger than a small nation-state, over a long period of time, or the combination of a shorter period of time and one of a large region, a culture, or a concept, such as economic or military history. This creates unavoidable -- and realistic -- scope for overlap between specializations. Overlaps allow defaults between specializations, usually at -2 to -4. The Geographical and Temporal Scope rules on B176 can also be useful. Many Expert Skills contain specialized history. History was included in GURPS 1e, as a single Hard skill with no specializations, which were added at 4e. *Banestorm's Yrth has a sufficiently developed history to have meaningful specializations: Cardiel is a small enough state that its history is all one skill, while Megalos needs several skills for different periods, and several other specializations exist. Dragons* has History (Esoteric), which needs a period under 4e, and *DF9* gives ghosts History to represent their general knowledge of the place and time of their origin. *Fantasy* expands on the relationship between history, fiction and mythology. *High-Tech* uses History as an example for libraries. History is quite important in some styles of *Horror, where knowing what you're up against is important, and the same applies in Infinite Worlds* and *Monster Hunters. PU2, PU3* and *PU7* have examples for this skill. *Social Engineering: Back to School* has Expert Skill (Bardic Lore), which covers a lot of History. History is fairly important in my Infinite Cabal campaign, primarily for getting the approximate date of worlds by observation, without having to interact with anyone. One character, not one of the mad wizards, has specialised in this, and is now quite expert in the evolution of architectural styles during the 19th and 20th centuries. What history have you made, or made up?