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Old 03-06-2018, 10:55 AM   #1
Chris Goodwin
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Default Is there a 'power' skill?

Recently coming back to GURPS from a long time away.

HERO has its Power Skill, which has a number of uses: activating a power that has the Requires A Skill Roll limitation, changing around points in a Variable Power Pool that requires a skill to do so, coming up with a new power stunt. In fantasy games, casters might have a Magic Skill, which would be the skill they would use for casting their spells, and most magic systems would require their spells to take the Requires A Skill Roll limitation.

Does GURPS 4e have a similar skill? There doesn't seem to be one that fits in the Basic Set, so I'm guessing that one of the supplements might. If so, which one?
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Old 03-06-2018, 11:06 AM   #2
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Default Re: Is there a 'power' skill?

GURPS 4e doesn't have a generic "power" skill by default. You can set it up so that it does - GURPS Powers has some guidelines for this. There's also Power Talent - this is an advantage that adds a bonus to all your rolls to use abilities from a given power. This is described somewhat in the Basic Set, p. 255, under "Psionic Talents", but it's greatly expanded on, again, in GURPS Powers.
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Old 03-06-2018, 11:23 AM   #3
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Default Re: Is there a 'power' skill?

To clarify a bit, you can set up an ability so it uses a skill, but most abilities except for attacks that require a roll typically default to an attribute roll. GURPS Powers is your best source for rules on that.
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Old 03-06-2018, 11:32 AM   #4
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Default Re: Is there a 'power' skill?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Goodwin View Post
Recently coming back to GURPS from a long time away.

HERO has its Power Skill, which has a number of uses: activating a power that has the Requires A Skill Roll limitation, changing around points in a Variable Power Pool that requires a skill to do so, coming up with a new power stunt. In fantasy games, casters might have a Magic Skill, which would be the skill they would use for casting their spells, and most magic systems would require their spells to take the Requires A Skill Roll limitation.

Does GURPS 4e have a similar skill? There doesn't seem to be one that fits in the Basic Set, so I'm guessing that one of the supplements might. If so, which one?
Maybe you could employ the "Innate Attack" skill. And that "pool" could be a "modular ability". How about it?

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Old 03-06-2018, 12:35 PM   #5
David Johnston2
 
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Default Re: Is there a 'power' skill?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Goodwin View Post
Recently coming back to GURPS from a long time away.

HERO has its Power Skill, which has a number of uses: activating a power that has the Requires A Skill Roll limitation, changing around points in a Variable Power Pool that requires a skill to do so, coming up with a new power stunt. In fantasy games, casters might have a Magic Skill, which would be the skill they would use for casting their spells, and most magic systems would require their spells to take the Requires A Skill Roll limitation.

Does GURPS 4e have a similar skill? There doesn't seem to be one that fits in the Basic Set, so I'm guessing that one of the supplements might. If so, which one?
"a" similar skill? It has many similar skills. One such skill is "Ritual Magic" used for Path/Book Magic (Thaumatology). Innate Attack is another. But GURPS is much more specific than Hero about just about everything.
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Old 03-06-2018, 01:21 PM   #6
Chris Goodwin
 
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Default Re: Is there a 'power' skill?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kelly Pedersen View Post
GURPS 4e doesn't have a generic "power" skill by default. You can set it up so that it does - GURPS Powers has some guidelines for this. There's also Power Talent - this is an advantage that adds a bonus to all your rolls to use abilities from a given power. This is described somewhat in the Basic Set, p. 255, under "Psionic Talents", but it's greatly expanded on, again, in GURPS Powers.
I'm aware of the Power Talent. It's not quite what I'm looking for, but is very useful.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MrTim View Post
To clarify a bit, you can set up an ability so it uses a skill, but most abilities except for attacks that require a roll typically default to an attribute roll. GURPS Powers is your best source for rules on that.
I guess Powers will be my next purchase.

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Originally Posted by Hide View Post
Maybe you could employ the "Innate Attack" skill. And that "pool" could be a "modular ability". How about it?
Sure, the GURPS version of a HERO Variable Power Pool would be a Modular Ability pool, perhaps backed by one or more Innate Attacks with Alternative Attacks. The Innate Attack skill is used for targeting abilities built with Innate Attack; the Power skill from HERO is less for attacking and more for activating, stunting, and so on.
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Old 03-06-2018, 01:23 PM   #7
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Default Re: Is there a 'power' skill?

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Originally Posted by David Johnston2 View Post
"a" similar skill? It has many similar skills. One such skill is "Ritual Magic" used for Path/Book Magic (Thaumatology). Innate Attack is another. But GURPS is much more specific than Hero about just about everything.
Sure, I get that. But there isn't anything in the Basic Set that matches what I'm looking for, and I was wondering what supplement(s) might have a closer fit. It looks like Powers is next on my list.
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Old 03-06-2018, 01:48 PM   #8
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Default Re: Is there a 'power' skill?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Goodwin View Post
I guess Powers will be my next purchase.
Great choice.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Goodwin View Post

Sure, the GURPS version of a HERO Variable Power Pool would be a Modular Ability pool, perhaps backed by one or more Innate Attacks with Alternative Attacks. The Innate Attack skill is used for targeting abilities built with Innate Attack; the Power skill from HERO is less for attacking and more for activating, stunting, and so on.
I played and ran more Champions Supers games than GURPS ones.
Chapter 4 is where most of the answers your looking for are.
Skills can be used to replace IQ or DX rolls, see the Skills for Everyone box in the Using Abilities with Skills section.
Examples include Religious Ritual for Spirit based skills.

Modular Abilities is a close match to Variable Power Pools.
Alternative Abilities are a close match to Multipowers.
Power Stunts are in some ways similar to Gadget pools but can be used with non gadget powers so there a variation on Variable Power Pools.
GURPS Powers really expands the power system.
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Old 03-06-2018, 01:49 PM   #9
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Default Re: Is there a 'power' skill?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Goodwin View Post
Sure, I get that. But there isn't anything in the Basic Set that matches what I'm looking for, and I was wondering what supplement(s) might have a closer fit. It looks like Powers is next on my list.
To be clear, it's not that there is a 'power skill', it's just that Powers gives you the general-use Requires Skill Roll modifier. Which you can then use to make any given ability dependent on whatever skill (as GM/with GM approval). So you can turn a given skill into the 'power skill' for a particular set of abilities, or in principle for all abilities if you wanted.
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Old 03-06-2018, 02:34 PM   #10
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Default Re: Is there a 'power' skill?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Goodwin View Post
Sure, I get that. But there isn't anything in the Basic Set that matches what I'm looking for, and I was wondering what supplement(s) might have a closer fit. It looks like Powers is next on my list.
You very much want Powers, I think. With the kind of familiarity you have with HERO, I think it has the crunchy bits you need. It introduces power stunts, power parry, for example, along with the skills-for-powers.
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