What GURPS skills do you have

[Dangerious P. Cats]

There is this person who often games with me who likes to play really combat orientated characters (as in minmaxed to do so), but has no knowledge real-life combat or fighting skills (he's a bit on the really weak/unfit side). I find that I am constantly explaining how things work in the real world to him to help his roleplaying (not that I am an expert, but I am a pretty competent martial artist). I addition to that I find my real-world political knowledge comes in handy much of the time, as does my knowledge of history.

So, what of your real-life knowledge helps to muchly in GURPS? or other roelplays for that matter?

[Pmandrekar]

Originally Posted by Dangerious P. Cats

There is this person who often games with me who likes to play really combat orientated characters (as in minmaxed to do so), but has no knowledge real-life combat or fighting skills (he's a bit on the really weak/unfit side). I find that I am constantly explaining how things work in the real world to him to help his roleplaying (not that I am an expert, but I am a pretty competent martial artist). I addition to that I find my real-world political knowledge comes in handy much of the time, as does my knowledge of history.

So, what of your real-life knowledge helps to muchly in GURPS? or other roelplays for that matter?

Real life knowledge?

It's not much, but I trained in Okinawan Sanchin Ryu Karate from 1983 to 1988. Received a Black Belt in Karate. I have deep interests in ancient weaponry, and watch every documentary I can get close to on the subject, on Ancient Rome, on Medieval Warfare.

I have been described by my players as being pretty good at describing action. Especially low-tech warfare.

I have very good people skills. I am routinely described as "personable" "friendly" and "diplomatic". I tend to gravitate towards playing the con artist/ bard character in most groups that I am a part of. I like people, and even my characters like people. I *cannot* play a misanthrope, as I probably have Chummy at -5.

This shows up in my characters, most of the time. I am curious, and ask questions that a lot of GM's didn't think to prepare. Most of my characters tend to have Curious, actually.

I have had a long history of leadership, and teaching.
I was one of the most popular undergrad TA's, then a very effective Graduate TA. Am now a fairly well-received lecturer, when asked to give general interest or even scientific speeches.

My characters tend to be clever, but let others lead. I am frequently the wise voice in the leader's ear.

My sense of humor (which you can probably see online from time to time) frequently comes through both in and out of character.

Finally, when I play Hard SF, I have a lot of time being around scientists, and being a scientist. I tend to bring some of those real life talents to bear. I think like a researcher, which in part, means that I think like a detective. I ask a lot of questions about the environment we're in, and play with the implications of such.

Oh, if you hadn't guessed, if there is a character type I play more than any other, it is the detective/information gatherer/bard/rogue type of character.

-P.

[Sumner Kai]

I have an eclectic collection of knowledge that influences my GMing and role-playing at the table.

I was a signals analyst and cryptographer in the military. I currently work as a dispatcher for the local police, fire and EMS services. Therefore, I tend to really get into the details of comms gear, codes, communications analysis, etc.

Obviously, I was in the Army. Most of my characters have the Soldier skill, as I tend to use that knowledge extensively.

I have always loved reading about the spy/covert ops/Intelligence communities during the Cold War. As a result, the games that I run normally have a conspiracy or intrigue at their heart. Likewise, my characters usually take Acting, Fast-talk, Lip-reading, Shadowing, Stealth, Streetwise, and an unarmed combat skill.

Add to these the "normal" collection of background knowledge and skills from growing up in Midwest USA and you have "me".

(Interesting that you ask this question now. My friends have asked me to stat myself up in GURPS 4e in preparation for a World War Z campaign where we will play ourselves starting in our own hometown right before the Great Panic! Whee!)

[Razgovory]

Hey! You live fairly close to me (relatively speaking, I live in Jefferson City). Closer to where I went to College (Missouri Western!)

Me, I really can't think of many skills I would have in GURPS. Maybe some History. I'm not even sure I would have area knowledge. I don't go out alot anymore.

[tengu-sama]

Originally Posted by Razgovory

..where I went to College (Missouri Western!)

Oh dear God, That's in my home town. :wince:

Although, I haven't even stepped foot in that backwater burg for more than seven years.

EDIT: I forgot to talk about skills. I would bet my life that I have the teaching skill at at least 13. That comes in handy when teaching new people how to game :)

[Bending Arms]

I have to say use alot of my life experince into gming or if I dont know a subject ask someone better informed than me.

Spent my teen years in Las Veags and had something of a rougish youth while going through school. I was always courious and read alot or try to experince something new. Started to get bored around twenty (friends were getting long term realtionships or kids) and joined the U.S. army as 91 bravo (field medic) to do something new. After my four year contract moved with some family in Great Bend, KS and learned Ranching while voulenteering as EMT. Learned about hunting and trapping while I was there. Met my wife during Pan-Am games and move to Manitoba, Canada working on a ranch. Now I own a small herd slowly making it bigger.

I use lot of those experinces to help with derscription of places, combat, or people. I like any time or setting for my games, I just replace Firearms with swords and Psi with magic. My major theme is exploring in my games.

Play some brash and courious person, always put some social skills or advantages with any character. I tried one those cold hearted characters and couldnt play it long becuase I couldnt find the drive in it.

[Razgovory]

Originally Posted by tengu-sama

Oh dear God, That's in my home town. :wince:

Although, I haven't even stepped foot in that backwater burg for more than seven years.

EDIT: I forgot to talk about skills. I would bet my life that I have the teaching skill at at least 13. That comes in handy when teaching new people how to game :)

Heh. We are having a little Missouri convention here!

[Sumner Kai]

Originally Posted by Razgovory

Hey! You live fairly close to me (relatively speaking, I live in Jefferson City). Closer to where I went to College (Missouri Western!)

Me, I really can't think of many skills I would have in GURPS. Maybe some History. I'm not even sure I would have area knowledge. I don't go out alot anymore.

Heh. The fact that you know where Richmond is belies your denial of Area Knowledge (Missouri)! Or, at least a Computer Operations skill high enough to Google it. ;-p

I forgot about the knowledge skills. History, Mathematics, and Theology at fairly low levels.

Originally Posted by tengu-sama

EDIT: I forgot to talk about skills. I would bet my life that I have the teaching skill at at least 13. That comes in handy when teaching new people how to game :)

I also forgot about teaching! Although I don't have any "training" at teaching, I do have a talent for it.

[pawsplay]

So, what of your real-life knowledge helps to muchly in GURPS?

Boffer combat enthusiast, plus SCA armored combat and some dabbling in martial arts. That has obvious applications, mostly from a knowledge standpoint; knowing how to fight is a lot more useful to a game designer than to a GM! But I can recognize most major styles and I know a lot of history, so I can say things like, "Actually, to the average fighter in the middles ages, shields were a specific armament with a specific use, and neither held a special place nor were omnipresent," and "Actually, the dominance of shields in the SCA and Amtgard has more to do with the kinds of shots that are legal and the difficulty in disabling a shield; in real life, both grappling and shield breaking were common activities." This is useful when you have players complaing about historical NPCs wielding axe and broadsword.

I can cook and make fires, which is interesting from a gaming standpoint but not all that useful.

I'm a psychology major, so I imagine that helps with characterizations, and to motivate players and PCs.

My computer skills are basically useless in gaming, because I don't often run "network engineer" or "Freelance web designer" campaigns.

[Tommi_Kovala]

From a gaming point of view, I'm a gimped build for an action campaign. Only a point each in Guns (Rifle), Soldier and Naturalist. Most of my points are in hobbies, musical skills, a professional skill and an expensive and useless expert skill.
I like to collect trivia in my head, which makes GMing easier. Having a basic idea of, say, the general workings of the slave trade makes preparation faster. I can spend less time studying the basics and focus more on fleshing out NPCs. In GURPS terms, this might be covered by the History skill, or perhaps a Perk.