Pole Dancing?

[Mailanka]

This is how I see it: Some skills are highly specific and cover exact movements or concepts, and to do multiple things, you need multiple skills. A classic example of this is Two-Handed Sword vs Broadsword, or Spear vs Staff. "Spear" is not enough to use a spear as a staff, you also need "Staff."

I think those that are arguing that Pole Dancing must use Acrobatics believe dancing works like this. "Dance" involves rhythmic movements, and "Acrobatics" involves the sort of contortions and balance necessary to swing on the pole, and thus you need both to make it work.

However, not all GURPS skills work so precisely. Some are very broad and general, like Soldier and the Crewman skills. They more-or-less cover lots of things, but in a very limited way. You can use Soldier to fix a gun, but it's not as good as Armory. You can use Soldier to operate your radio, but it's not as good as Electronic Ops (Comms). For example, Soldier probably wouldn't let you try to defeat someone's jamming signal, but Electronic Ops (Comms) would let you give it a shot.

I think Dance works more like this. A stripper can swing on a pole, but she cannot vault or do handsprings or somersaults. Her skill gives her breadth, but no depth beyond what you'd expect someone who studies Pole Dancing to know. This resembles a Soldier's skill breadth more than it resembles the Spear/Staff divide: someone who knows both Staff and Spear, in addition to using a spear like a staff, can also make full use of a staff, whereas a stripper cannot make full use of Acrobatics anymore than Soldier can make full use of his radio.

[davidtmoore]

If you really want it to go into detail, treat it as a style, like martial arts and magical styles.

Primary Skills: Dancing; Sex Appeal.
Techniques: Pole-Dancing.
Optional Skills: Acrobatics.

Where Pole-Dancing (Dancing -2) (A) is the utterly arbitrarily-defined technique of dancing halfway up a pole.

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by davidtmoore

If you really want it to go into detail, treat it as a style, like martial arts and magical styles.

Primary Skills: Dancing; Sex Appeal.
Techniques: Pole-Dancing.
Optional Skills: Acrobatics.

Where Pole-Dancing (Dancing -2) (A) is the utterly arbitrarily-defined technique of dancing halfway up a pole.

Yup. I was actually pondering this earlier, and you could argue that Ballet has Jumping as a Primary skill and so on. You could probably make quite a few dancing "martial arts." Not sure how much demand it would have, but it might be fun.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Yup. I was actually pondering this earlier, and you could argue that Ballet has Jumping as a Primary skill and so on. You could probably make quite a few dancing "martial arts." Not sure how much demand it would have, but it might be fun.

Here's one I made a couple of years ago.

[tjmiller07]

Originally Posted by davidtmoore

If you really want it to go into detail, treat it as a style, like martial arts and magical styles.

Primary Skills: Dancing; Sex Appeal.
Techniques: Pole-Dancing.
Optional Skills: Acrobatics.

Where Pole-Dancing (Dancing -2) (A) is the utterly arbitrarily-defined technique of dancing halfway up a pole.

Yea, I agree with davidtmoore, make it a style, or just plain out use a technique roll, depending on the 'situation'

[blacksmith]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

This is how I see it: Some skills are highly specific and cover exact movements or concepts, and to do multiple things, you need multiple skills. A classic example of this is Two-Handed Sword vs Broadsword, or Spear vs Staff. "Spear" is not enough to use a spear as a staff, you also need "Staff."

I think those that are arguing that Pole Dancing must use Acrobatics believe dancing works like this. "Dance" involves rhythmic movements, and "Acrobatics" involves the sort of contortions and balance necessary to swing on the pole, and thus you need both to make it work.

Note that I originally said acrobatics art, and suggested specializing it for most pole dancers.

[Captain-Captain]

I would allow a pole dancer under certain conditions, properly underdressed in a setting where the patrons have lots of alcohol at hand etc. To use the Dancing skill in place of the governing Attribute for EA or Sex Appeal rolls. This gives a character with a good investment in the Dance skill a general boost over DX based Erotic Arts, and likely a big boost over HT based Sex Appeal.

[aesir23]

Pole Dancing (H)
Defaults to Acrobatics -4, Climbing -4, Dancing (Erotic) -2, or Sex Appeal -2
Cannot Exceed Prerequisite Skill +4

This is the skill of dancing erotically using a pole in the middle of the stage as a prop. What this looks like depends on which skill you're defaulting on (those using Acrobatics or Climbing hang and spin precariously from high on the pole, those using Sex Appeal may simple hold on to it while moving sensuously.)

A successful use of this skill counts as an influence role against all observers. Any bonus and penalty that would apply to Sex Appeal apply to Pole Dancing, but only for targets who are attracted to the dancer's gender.

[jacobmuller]

Doesn't have to be erotic, can just be awesome dancing

The erotic part would be adding a Sex Appeal roll, although it wouldn't take much:)

[arnej]

Originally Posted by Mailanka

Yup. I was actually pondering this earlier, and you could argue that Ballet has Jumping as a Primary skill and so on. You could probably make quite a few dancing "martial arts." Not sure how much demand it would have, but it might be fun.

Reminds me of my IOU character's elective PE class, "Combat Polka."

arnej