06-21-2018, 11:42 AM | #1 |
President and EIC
Join Date: Jul 2004
|
Unskilled rolls
If you don't have the skill for a normal weapon you can use it at -4.
GURPS extends this principle to most of its skills, though some have no "default." Depends on whether it seems reasonable that somebody could try it without training. Silent Movement, for instance - not all of us are ninja, but all of us can try to put our feet down quietly and not knock over the hatstand. Well, we can try. TFT does something similar in some places, usually be saying the figure with the talent rolls fewer dice, but there is no overarcing rule on the order of "If you don't have the talent, the GM may let you try anyway, rolling 1 more die, if he thinks it's reasonable." Discuss. |
06-21-2018, 11:50 AM | #2 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
|
Re: Unskilled rolls
Quote:
I think your statement is Ok, but I'd probably say "at least 1 more die, if he thinks it's reasonable." |
|
06-21-2018, 11:57 AM | #3 |
Join Date: May 2018
|
Re: Unskilled rolls
I like "roll an extra die" better than -4 because there aren't enough times when you have to roll more dice. An extra die isn't quiiite a -4, it's -3.5 on average but I think the tactility and rarity of having to roll an extra die is worth the 0.5 point gain over -4.
|
06-21-2018, 12:01 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
|
Re: Unskilled rolls
Quote:
Thinking about it, shouldn't using a weapon without the requisite Talent be 4d6 v DEX, rather than -4? |
|
06-21-2018, 12:04 PM | #5 |
Join Date: May 2018
|
Re: Unskilled rolls
|
06-21-2018, 12:16 PM | #6 |
Banned
Join Date: Mar 2018
|
Re: Unskilled rolls
I only have one mathematical point to make, and one word of warning to add for consideration on this topic:
My 2 cents. JK |
06-21-2018, 12:21 PM | #7 |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
|
Re: Unskilled rolls
I agree with that Jim, but I think that's where good GMing comes in. Now I admit that's not easy and takes time to develop, so the rules need to give some guidance to newcomers but by being too prescriptive they could play into the hands of those who would unfairly manipulate the rules.
It's a tricky balancing act for Steve to get right. |
06-21-2018, 01:02 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Arizona
|
Re: Unskilled rolls
Adding dice (2d-5d) might be the answer for many Untrained Talents, depending on the cost of the Talent. Chemistry might require +3 dice to do the specific thing untrained, but only +2d for some other specific use of the Chemistry talent.
I think the place many players will skimp is combat skills. Even a -4 or +1d isn't that big a detriment to a character wiuth a good dex. The 2-shot archer and master fencer could easily forgo other weapon talents because the limitation of -4 or +1d doesn't hurt their 18 DX as much as it would the 10 adjDX meat shield.
__________________
So you've got the tiger by the tail. Now what? |
06-21-2018, 01:38 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Arizona
|
Re: Unskilled rolls
We generally went with the "roll an extra die" for most things, because "beginner's luck" often seems to really be a *thing*, and because it DID improve the player's chance of success a bit, and if the players spend all their time failing at things, they get disgusted and quit. ;-)
If the task was really complex or unfamiliar to the "normal" person in the game world (like re-loading a blunderbuss or shooting a longbow at a target), we kept the -4DX modifier or even said "you simply can't do it," depending on the task. But of course, YMMV... |
06-21-2018, 01:43 PM | #10 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
|
Re: Unskilled rolls
Quote:
|
|
|
|