Braille in GURPS, or, am I Splitting hairs yet? :)

[Aleric]

Hi All,

So I go through periodic phases in my RPG interests, and right now I'm strongly interested in GURPS. I've not managed to play in a game yet, but was thinking of trying to stat myself for a challenge. I'm totally blind, and thus this adds a few wrinkles.

I'm wondering how to handle Braille literacy. I could probably just hand wave it, but it's obviously distinct from being able to read and write print. I was thinking I might use the sign language idea and say "English Braille (written)." I'd then probably get a few points for functional print illiteracy. :)

As a random aside, I tried searching "GURPS Braille," in Google and was directed to a page where Braille copies of the books could apparently be ordered, once upon a time. I know the gal who used to provide them, and thought it was a shock to find that page asking how to get in touch with her. :)

[patchwork]

For a blind character in a setting where braille exists, I would handwave it. Literacy is the assumed default in such a setting, and that's how literacy works for that person; worrying about a No Range or Extra Time limitation for something that would cost at most 3 points anyway seems a waste of time to me.

For a sighted person who can read braille, I'd probably treat it as alternative written language and let them stick the No Range and possibly Extra Time limitations on it, which would be 2 points if I'm not mistaken (for Fluent; Accented would be 1, but since I can't imagine what "Accented Braille" is like I'd demand the full Fluent). Perhaps its not realistic that GURPS characters must be either fluent or entirely ignorant of braille, but I don't need a prolonged debate on exactly how long it takes Bob to read the document that says it's a Bible but really isn't when avoiding that land mine is as easy as demanding one more point from the PC.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by patchwork

For a blind character in a setting where braille exists, I would handwave it. Literacy is the assumed default in such a setting, .

Yes, but in this case "Default" means you get 3 pts in reading your Native Language. Illiteracy means you get -3pts.

Braille(specific Language)_ is just a case of reading fluency costing 1 -3 pts depending on how good you are at it. A blind person (from birth or who orherwise never learned conventional reading) could claim it as the 3pts he gets in his Native Language.

You do not generally put modifiers on Fluencies. If a script is difficult and slow to read then that's the norm for that script. If it's difficult and slow for a specific person but not others that's probably reflected in his level of Fluency. "Needs Extra Time and a dictionary" is probably the norm for Broken Literacy.

[Carnwennan]

Don't get me wrong, I've never seriously tried learning braille but surely it's easier to learn braille which keys off of your own language than to learn an entirely new language with different grammar constructs and what have you?

[patchwork]

Originally Posted by Carnwennan

Don't get me wrong, I've never seriously tried learning braille but surely it's easier to learn braille which keys off of your own language than to learn an entirely new language with different grammar constructs and what have you?

For someone accustomed to sight and visible scripts...no, it really isn't. It involves paying attention to small tactile variations on your fingertips to a degree that sighted people never do for any reason.

[Flyndaran]

It's just a unique script. For sighted characters, I would at most call it a perk, and handwave it as literacy for the blind.

[patchwork]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Yes, but in this case "Default" means you get 3 pts in reading your Native Language. Illiteracy means you get -3pts.

Braille(specific Language)_ is just a case of reading fluency costing 1 -3 pts depending on how good you are at it. A blind person (from birth or who orherwise never learned conventional reading) could claim it as the 3pts he gets in his Native Language.

We are in full agreement.

You do not generally put modifiers on Fluencies. If a script is difficult and slow to read then that's the norm for that script. If it's difficult and slow for a specific person but not others that's probably reflected in his level of Fluency. "Needs Extra Time and a dictionary" is probably the norm for Broken Literacy.

The Extra Time is indeed questionable; No Range seems entirely appropriate to me, though. Having to touch something in order to read it is an atypical inconvenience; it can be exploited. And I agree it's unnecessarily complicated and I'd probably suggest to someone to just take a friggin' Quirk, but either answer works.

[Not]

I don't think that Braille qualifies as a language (though American Sign might). It's an alternative script for reading English. Another example is Shorthand. Sounds like a perk for sighted characters and free for PCs with Blindness and without Illiteracy.

[Peter Knutsen]

GURPS isn't too keen on dealing with the distinction between being able to read a language, and being able to read an alphabet. Either accept that, or look for house rules (Alphabet Familiarity Perk, perhaps? The first alphabet should be free, though). Although braille isn't just a new alphabet, it's also a completely different modality.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

GURPS isn't too keen on dealing with the distinction between being able to read a language, and being able to read an alphabet. Either accept that, or look for house rules (Alphabet Familiarity Perk, perhaps? The first alphabet should be free, though). Although braille isn't just a new alphabet, it's also a completely different modality.

I disagree. It's not impossible to read it by sight. Slightly altering the most common medium of information transfer shouldn't count much for those capable of perceiving it.