08-07-2017, 01:34 PM | #1 | |
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Animal Handling - odd side bonus
I was reminded recently that Animal Handling has the following perk attached:
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I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident. |
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08-07-2017, 02:00 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Denmark
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Re: Animal Handling - odd side bonus
Probably a leftover from 3e. Just change it to +1 to active defense. This also means that even if you are specially trained with tigers, if one catch you off-guard and get a surprise-attack on you it wont get a penalty to its to-hit on a pounce.
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08-07-2017, 08:42 PM | #3 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Animal Handling - odd side bonus
I agree: "attack rolls are -1 against you" is an oddball rule that doesn't fit how GURPS works. I earlier said as much in a blog post, Building the dungeon matador: Creatures and combat familiarity. The relevant text:
The text says the creature suffers AD and TH penalties because "you can predict its behavior." The penalty to the creature's AD nicely games your ability to predict its defenses; there's no problem there. But a penalty on the creature's TH isn't the right way to game your ability to predict its attacks. After all, if you happened to be unaware or immobile, what caused the creature to miss its attack? Your ability to predict attacks should aid you only when you're aware, mobile, and able to do something defensive with your prediction – i.e., when you're actively defending. In GURPS, the way to game this is with mods to Active Defense, not To Hit.My recommended fix: Turn the effects into -1 to the animal's AD vs your attacks, and +1 to your AD vs its attacks. Both of these perfectly fit the explanation "you can predict its behavior".
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08-07-2017, 08:52 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Re: Animal Handling - odd side bonus
That seems the right tack, though I would note +1 to active defenses is a larger modifier than -1 to attack rolls.
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I don't know any 3e, so there is no chance that I am talking about 3e rules by accident. |
08-08-2017, 02:53 AM | #5 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Animal Handling - odd side bonus
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If a GM is bothered by Animal Handling granting too high a bonus, he could do this: Rule that the character enjoys +1 AD vs the animal or -1 on the animal's AD (pick one every turn). Alternately – and I like this idea more: Once the character has Animal Handling high enough to claim these bonuses, charge a perk to claim each +1 AD, or each -1 on animal's AD. Pay for those extras! Just ideas. At the moment, I personally don't have a problem with freebie +/- AD benefits of Animal Handling...
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T Bone GURPS stuff and more at the Games Diner: http://www.gamesdiner.com Twitter: @Gamesdiner | RSS: here ⬅︎ Updated RSS link | This forum: Site updates thread (occasionally updated) (Latest goods on site: GLAIVE Mini levels up to v2.4. Update to melee weapon design tool, with more example weapons and commentary.) |
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08-08-2017, 01:49 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
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Re: Animal Handling - odd side bonus
I don't think I've seen a single player take animal handling, so I think I'm ok with the +1 to AD concept. If I was inclined to "balance" it, I'd ask for a skill roll at the start of the fight ( or when the animal enters the fight). Possibly perception based. No penalty if you do it out of combat, possibly at up to -5 in combat depending on conditions.
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08-08-2017, 03:49 PM | #7 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Animal Handling - odd side bonus
I see it a lot as a professional background skill. I don't think I've ever remembered this rule though (if it ever even has come up, it's not often that you are fighting horses or cows or whatever; I guess equines comes up a bit in cavalry combat).
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08-08-2017, 06:38 PM | #8 | |
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Northern Virginia, USA
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Re: Animal Handling - odd side bonus
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I think the AD bonus is better than the hit penalty, but I don't think it would come up often enough to make it worth house ruling. |
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08-09-2017, 12:45 PM | #9 |
Icelandic - Approach With Caution
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Reykjavík, Iceland
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Re: Animal Handling - odd side bonus
My current PC has 4-6 different Animal Handling skills. I also tend to take AH(Equines) if the PC works in some fashion with horses.
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08-09-2017, 12:55 PM | #10 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Animal Handling - odd side bonus
I'd probably do it based on points in the skill rather than absolute skill level, similar to how the damage bonuses for karate/brawling/etc changed from skill/N to (skill at DX+n).
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