Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic

[Captain Joy]

EDIT: Last update – 5 March 2021

From the GURPS Fourth Edition Traits Sorter: "In future versions of the Sorter, we plan on implementing a variety of defaults." Let's see if we can't help that along.

I have attempted to split up skills into those appropriate to cinematic, exotic, magic, and mundane campaigns. If you believe I've got it wrong with any particular skill, I want to hear about it.

Similar listings for advantages can be found at the Advantages List: Cinematic vs Realistic thread. Similar listings for disadvantages can be found at the Disadvantages List: Cinematic vs Realistic thread.

Cinematic Skills:
Computer Hacking/TL "This skill is cinematic", B184
Enthrallment "Depending on the setting, these skills might be magical, psionic, or a cinematic form of hypnotism.", B191
Flying Leap Trained by a Master prerequisite
Hypnotism at skill 15 you have a 50% chance to induce a suggestible state in an unwilling subject with Will 10 in 5 seconds (See http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...ight=Hypnotism)
Immovable Stance Trained by a Master prerequisite
Invisibility Art Trained by a Master prerequisite
Kiai Trained by a Master or Weapon Master prerequisite
Light Walk Trained by a Master prerequisite
Mental Strength Trained by a Master or Weapon Master (or Mage or Psi) prerequisite
Musical Influence "This cinematic skill…", B210
Power Blow Trained by a Master or Weapon Master prerequisite
Pressure Points Trained by a Master or Weapon Master prerequisite
Pressure Secrets Trained by a Master and Pressure Points at 16+ prerequisites
Push Trained by a Master prerequisite
Weird Science "This skill allows you to formulate astonishing new crackpot scientific theories that are far ahead of their time . . . or at least utterly different from the usual assumptions of your tech level.", B228
Zen Archery Trained by a Master or Weapon Master prerequisite

Exotic Skills:
Enthrallment "Depending on the setting, these skills might be magical, psionic, or a cinematic form of hypnotism.", B191
Mind Block Although, "The techniques involved are wholly mundane", B210
Flight
Innate Attack

Magic Skills:
Skills useful only in magical settings.
Alchemy/TL
Enthrallment "Depending on the setting, these skills might be magical, psionic, or a cinematic form of hypnotism.", B191
Exorcism "It is not a magical skill, but a religious ritual.", B193
Herb Lore/TL
Mind Block Although, "The techniques involved are wholly mundane", B210
Ritual Magic
Symbol Drawing
Thaumatology

Mundane Skills:
Skills that, while technically mundane, merit special consideration.
Aerobatics assuming you can fly, e.g. jet pack, etc.
Breath Control Kromm says it's "totally realistic", but Douglas H. Cole says, "This skill as written is basically a cinematic super-skill, since it’s more than twice as effective as Fit and has no down side." Pyramid #4/33, "The Last Gasp", p. 11
Dreaming Has both mundane and supernatural utility.
Esoteric Medicine "It is usually associated with a magical or spiritual tradition.…It should always be at least as good as First Aid…", B192
Fortune-Telling "This skill is not a paranormal talent, and the GM is under no obligation to supply you with hints of future events.”, B196
Hidden Lore "The GM might even require you to purchase an Unusual Background before you can learn Hidden Lore skills. Of course, the GM is also free to forbid Hidden Lore skills to starting characters . . . or to PCs in general!", B199
Religious Ritual magic in some campaigns

All other skills are so obviously mundane they don't merit comment and are not listed to save space.

[simply Nathan]

I have a hard time seeing Esoteric Medicine as mundane.

[NineDaysDead]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

Cinematic Skills:
Breath Control [COLOR="DimGray"]"This skill as written is basically a cinematic super-skill, since it’s more than twice as effective as Fit and has no down side."

Krommquote:

Originally Posted by Kromm

A trained jock with Fit and Breath Control (which in 4e is the totally realistic skill of pacing yourself) can get back 1 FP per minute (1 per 2 minutes with Breath Control, doubled for Fit). Okay, that's more like 10 minutes than 3-6 minutes, but it's the right general order . . . if we're comparing 1 minute, 10 minutes, 1 hour, etc., 10 minutes comes closest.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

Mundane Skills:

I disagree with many of these classifications:
Dreaming: simple lucid dreaming techniques are basically a hobby skill, and realistic enough. Using dreaming to improve your memory is cinematic, using it to resist malign supernatural influences requires the existence of malign supernatural influences and is thus Magical or Exotic.
Esoteric Medicine: actually useful alternate medical traditions are either magical/exotic, or they're some other medical skill at one of (a) a lower TL, (b) an alternate TL (e.g. 7+1 instead of 8), or (c) the same TL but using nonstandard techniques and vocabulary. Most of the examples given in the text are completely useless in a realistic setting.
Exorcism: this ability doesn't make sense outside settings with spirits. It's either Magical or occasionally Exotic.
Hidden Lore: as far as I can tell, Hidden Lore is just an Expert Skill that requires special permission to buy. I'm not sure why the skill exists (and why Occultism exists separately), but I agree that it's mundane.
Fortune-Telling: it might be nice to have a more generic 'grifter' skill, but yes, as presented here it's mundane.
Mind Block: this ability doesn't make sense outside settings with abilities that allow mind reading (and for some strange reason, only works against magical or psionic techniques), which makes it pretty clearly Exotic.
Religious Ritual: mundane (though unclear why it exists, it's a specialty of Perform); in a setting where priests have supernatural powers, stripping the priest of power (say, a zero mana/sanctity zone) is unlikely to make him unable to perform rituals, unless those rituals use supernatural techniques.

[PTTG]

Originally Posted by simply Nathan

I have a hard time seeing Esoteric Medicine as mundane.

I read it as "I give them an infusion of willow bark to sooth their headache" and other real-but-marginal stuff rather than acupuncture, chiropractry, etc.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by PTTG

I read it as "I give them an infusion of willow bark to sooth their headache" and other real-but-marginal stuff rather than acupuncture, chiropractry, etc.

That's actually Pharmacy (Herbal, TL 4). For some odd reason Physician skill is noted as not existing before TL 5, so I guess if it's a TL 1-4 medical technique that doesn't fit in some other category it's Esoteric Medicine.

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by Anthony

I disagree with many of these classifications:
Dreaming: simple lucid dreaming techniques are basically a hobby skill, and realistic enough. Using dreaming to improve your memory is cinematic, using it to resist malign supernatural influences requires the existence of malign supernatural influences and is thus Magical or Exotic.
Exorcism: this ability doesn't make sense outside settings with spirits. It's either Magical or occasionally Exotic.

Mind Block: this ability doesn't make sense outside settings with abilities that allow mind reading (and for some strange reason, only works against magical or psionic techniques), which makes it pretty clearly Exotic.

These are all mundane in the sense that you don't have be a mage, psi, etc. yourself in order to use them. Anyone can learn and use them.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Dalillama

These are all mundane in the sense that you don't have be a mage, psi, etc. yourself in order to use them. Anyone can learn and use them.

I was taking 'realistic' to mean 'works in a realistic setting', not 'can be learned without cinematic or supernatural prerequisites'. Alchemy, Enthrallment, Herb Lore, and Ritual Magic are also 'mundane'.

[Minuteman37]

Originally Posted by simply Nathan

I have a hard time seeing Esoteric Medicine as mundane.

As I understand it Esoteric Medicine is just the unscientific physician skill used back before we actually applied the scientific method to things and it was more what "feels" right. The Medical Help Table's low patient coverage and infrequent cure rolls at TL 1-4 are for Esoteric Medicine and what you see is a reflection of the poor effectiveness of the skill.

[simply Nathan]

Originally Posted by Minuteman37

As I understand it Esoteric Medicine is just the unscientific physician skill used back before we actually applied the scientific method to things and it was more what "feels" right. The Medical Help Table's low patient coverage and infrequent cure rolls at TL 1-4 are for Esoteric Medicine and what you see is a reflection of the poor effectiveness of the skill.

You say Esoteric Medicine, I say First Aid TL0-4, Surgery TL0-4, and Pharmacy TL0-4.