05-20-2019, 08:56 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Trondheim, Norway
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A thought about cross-stat defaulting
Some skills default on skills with another underlying attribute. If the attributes have wildly different values, the defaults can feel strange.
As an example, consider Animal Handling (IQ/A) and Riding (DX/A). A clumsy, but intelligent character with DX 8, IQ 15 and Animal Handling IQ+2 -17 gets Riding -14 defaulted from Animal Handling (-3). Using the "normal" default (DX-5) for Riding, the character would have an effective skill level of 3, instead of the 14 from Animal Handling. What about having Riding default to DX-based Animal Handling? That would give an effective skill level of 7, which would feel more right (to me, at least) for someone who's not an experienced rider, but is good with animals. Is this reasonable? What are your thoughts on the subject?
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05-20-2019, 01:51 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: FL
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Re: A thought about cross-stat defaulting
I was under the impression that this was how it worked... but I see that is not explicitly stated in the Basic Set where I'm looking. It doesn't seem very clear: a literal reading has the actual skill defaulting to actual skill, without the attribute being taken into consideration. I think it is probably fine if I keep treating it as I have been.
My example has always been Intimidation (Will/A) and Interrogation (IQ/A, defaults to Intimidation-3).
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05-20-2019, 02:53 PM | #4 |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Re: A thought about cross-stat defaulting
It seems to be the case that a lot of time the cross-stat default is meant to imply some level of attribute substitution built in. This is why, for example, Piloting is DX-based but its default is IQ-based (not IQ skill based!). One of the important effects is that you can benefit from having high IQ even when you're a trained pilot by using Improving Skills From Defaults (B173) rather than just using 'main' attribute skill increases.
Had cross-attribute defaulting worked differently, Improving Skills From Defaults would malfunction (e.g. it would be pointless to select smart people to become trained pilots). Last edited by vicky_molokh; 05-20-2019 at 02:58 PM. |
05-20-2019, 03:21 PM | #5 |
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Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Southeast NC
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Re: A thought about cross-stat defaulting
There are two subtly different interpretations as to defaults:
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05-20-2019, 03:31 PM | #6 | |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Re: A thought about cross-stat defaulting
Quote:
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