[Basic] Advantage of the Week (#27): Common Sense, Intuition

[Otaku]

Last Time: Combat Reflexes; Enhanced Defences; Enhanced Time Sense
Related:[Basic] Advantages By Category (Hiatus discussion)
Next Week: Compartmentalized Mind

Though long overdue, it is at last time to resume our [Basic] Advantage of the Week discussion. While I am less prepared than I wanted to be, I at least have planned out an approach. In order to keep things running more smoothly than last time, I am thinking it might be good to work with others; anyone interested can PM me. This week we look at “Common Sense” (p. B43) and “Intuition” (p. B61).

Basic Set

Common Sense is a Mundane, Mental Trait that costs 10 CP. It is designed to assist a player in running a thoughtful character, and functions in a passive manner, waiting for circumstances to trigger it. Should the player inform the GM that his or her character is going to say or do something stupid, the GM should secretly roll against the PC’s IQ. Success means the GM cautions the player, suggesting the player rethink the aforementioned speech or action. Failure means the GM allows things to proceed with no word of warning. Even on a success, it will be up to the player to determine a better course of action. The exact wording on p. B43 says “...start to do something the GM feels is STUPID…” so it would appear some level of retroactivity is applicable; if your character starts to do or say something stupid, the GM intervenes.

Intuition is also a Mundane, Mental trait but it costs 15 CP. This Advantage can help you play a character far cleverer than yourself, but unlike Common Sense this is not a passive ability. Instead, you may ask the GM to roll against your Intuition when confronted with some kind of choice. The GM rolls against your IQ in secret, with a bonus equal to the number of good choices and a penalty equal to the number of bad. Additional modifiers may apply according to the circumstances. The only time the GM will give you a false response is if he or she rolls a critical failure for the IQ check; a regular failure just means you get no information at all. A regular success means the GM guides you to a good choice, and a critical success means the GM tells you the actual best choice. You cannot use this ability more than once for the exact same decision, and write up warns a GM not to permit Intuition unless he or she is certain to keep it under control; it is meant to be an aid in decision-making, but not to do things like immediately solve the mystery around which a particular adventure is based.

Other Supplements

GURPS Powers includes more Modifiers for both Common Sense (p. P45) and Intuition (p. P56), as well as emphasizing that they are not the exact same thing. Common Sense helps you avoid incorrect choices that are blatantly stupid but doesn’t necessarily help you make a good or even the best choice, however, it can still prove worthwhile as it doesn’t require you actively choose to use it (unlike Intuition). GURPS Powers includes new modifiers for these traits, including one that turns Common Sense into something your character can consciously use, allowing it to work a bit more like Intuition. The two are still treated as separate things, and in fact there is an example in the Sample Abilities section that combines this enhanced version of Common Sense with Intuition, Oracle, and various other Enhancements to provide a means of your character thoroughly analyzing a situation, and the options (good or bad) available therein. GURPS Powers also includes sample Powers (and Power Modifiers) that could reasonably include Common Sense and/or Intuition, as opposed to the “wild” mundane version found in [Basic].

Common Sense and Intuition both show up in Powers-Ups 3: Talents as optional prerequisite Advantages for certain Talents, while Common Sense and how it can help with navigating social situations is covered in Social Engineering. If others wish to share what other supplements reference either or both traits, I will edit this section to include them.

Useful Links

These will be added as suggested. If it doesn't specify, it means it is to another part of the sjgames.com website.

• DF 15 Servant and Common Sense
• How do you GM Intuition [15]
• GURPS Action, why is Common Sense not allowed?

Now, on with the discussion!

[NineDaysDead]

Powers: the Weird adds this rule for Intuition:

Originally Posted by P:tW p.34 Gnosis

If you have too little information to define the alternatives, you can still roll, but at ‑5 to IQ or skill.

Which looks pretty abusive to me.

[simply Nathan]

One of the party members in the only GURPS campaigns I played was a 100-point ninja with IQ 8, Impulsiveness, and...Common Sense, for some reason.

Our very merciful GM not only ignored the requirement to roll for this trait, but also extended it to other party members if this PC was present. "His common sense is telling you that's a bad idea".

The player was himself very good at ignoring the advice he was getting out of this trait.

[vicky_molokh]

One of the PCs in my current campaign (still) has Intuition. In my experience, there's one important addition to the way it should be handled that may or may not be obvious to others. I realized I need it after some while.

Specifically, when making a choice, it is important for the GM what the PC considers a desirable/good outcome in the context of the choice. Because which of the two (or more) choices is the 'best' may depend very much on character priorities, and often those are not obvious to the GM.

[Celjabba]

This thread have some nice comment on Intuition, including some Kromm ruling:
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=22019

I like the advantage, both as player and GM but

-you should be carefull with reliable. reliable +10 is only [+8] for intuition ...

-the GM need to strongly enforce the 'one intuition roll per question' and assess the penalty from the final goal.
(to avoid the cascading binary intuition munchkin)

[ericthered]

I don't like or use common sense. Not because its a bad mechanic, but because most of the time I find my players doing silly things its because I explained the situation wrong and they don't understand where they are.

I can be argued that I thus give it for free, but its a different play philosophy.