08-10-2015, 04:34 AM | #1 |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Alternate GURPS: Seeking a minimalistic (25-50) skill list . . .
Greetings, all!
This thread is partially inspired by the observation that in GURPS, attributes are relatively cheap compared to skills, such that a wide specialist, and often even a moderate specialist, is too often best built using high attributes. GURPS' enormous skill list is kinda notorious, and it was barely reduced in 4e. Wildcards, while superficially similar to broad skills, actually serve a different purpose than unified skills, and are priced non-favourably compared to attributes anyway. So, what I'm thinking is an Alternate GURPS / houserule idea of making a minimalistic generic skill list. As in, fitting not for any one specific setting or genre, but rather flexible enough to cover everything, and in such a way as to prevent further skill creep like 'and now let us add a new Professional Skill (Fisher), because having a Fishing skill is not enough'. That is to say, the intent is to make every skilled task encounterable strictly covered by no less than one standard skill. Sure, unfamiliarity penalties can be a thing, but the intent is to make sure that after gaining the proper familiarities, people don't need to add a second or even third page of a skill list. Looking at other systems, ones that tend to build skills on the assumption that everything falls under at least one predefined skill, I'm seeing Exalted use 25 (though with specialisations within Craft, which got out of hand for them Real Fast) , FATE Core default to 18, and various incarnations of WoD seem to go for around 30 before adding the skill-bloat-creep supplements. I think GURPS' legacy will make it difficult to reduce the skill list below 50, but even that would be really nice compared to the current list of primary-skills, category-skills and mandatory-specialisation-skills in the Basic Set alone (before counting stuff found all over the place). I'm not saying that specialisations should be impossible to buy, but it would be nice to avoid bloated charsheets that anyone wanting a flexible character has to deal with. I'm also, once again, not looking for a list that is meant for some specific campaign, but rather a universal/generic one that can be adapted to any or almost any campaign. If someone's interested in the goal, I'm interested in reading comments, ideas etc. Thanks in advance! |
08-10-2015, 05:18 AM | #2 |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
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Re: Alternate GURPS: Seeking a minimalistic (25-50) skill list . . .
Some thoughts on grouping up skills:
Accounting, Administration, Politics, Law, Current Affairs (Business), Finance, Merchant, Research, Market Analysis, Economics, Heraldry, and less-artistic uses of Writing - covered by Bureaucracy. Assorted ranged weapon skills covered by Marksmanship, with a strong attention to TL-related familiarities (so e.g. no easily picking up a bow and sniping with it until you adapt to using without penalty). Linguistics, Public Speaking, Writing, Detect Lies, Literature, Poetry, Artist (Calligraphy and Illumination), Gesture, Propaganda, Lip Reading - covered by the Wordsmith skill. Acrobatics, Aerobatics, Aquabatics, Climbing, Running (sprint), Skiing (sprint), Swimming (sprint), Jumping, Free-Fall, Body Sense, Dancing, - Athletics. Running/Skiing/Swimming (endurance), Power Blow, Hobby (Feats Of Strength), Roll With The Blow, Lifting, Breath Control, Hiking, Forced Entry - Toughness or Physique. Acting, Fast-Talk, Disguise, Mimicry (Human Speech), Make-Up, Feints and Ruses in combat, optionally Holdout - Guile or Deceit. Animal Handling, Falconry, Riding, Packing, - Animal Ken. Armoury, Mechanic, Carpentry, Cooking, Architecture etc. - Craftsman, with strict familiarities. First Aid, Physician, Diagnosis, Physiology, Autohypnosis, Biology, Esoteric Medicine, Hazmat (Bio), Hypnotism, Genetics, Bioengineering, biological uses of Chemistry, Poisons, Forensic (biomedical), Body Language - covered by Biotech. Camouflage, Survival (non-urban), Fishing, Mimicry (Birds and Animals), Tracking, Hiking, Weather Sense/Meteorology, Swimming, Naturalist - covered by Outdoorsman. Chemistry, Biology, Psychology, Linguistics, Physics, Physiology, Mathematics, Cryptology - Science. Computer Operation/Programming/Hacking, Electronics Operation/Repair/Engineering, Cryptology, - Wire Rat. Criminology, Tracking, Traps (detection and disarming), ElOps (Security), Forensics, Search, Observation - Investigation. Psychology, Body Language, Detect Lies, Brainwashing, Brain Hacking, Sociology, Interrogation, Hypnotism, Autohypnosis/Meditation, Propaganda, Memetics, Teaching - Psych. Streetwise, Intimidation, Gambling, Pickpocket, Lockpicking, Savoir-Faire (Mafia), Filch, Surival (Urban), Traps, Forced Entry, Forensics/Housekeeping (only to remove clues), Forgery/Counterfeiting, Holdout, Escape, Smuggling - Larceny. |
08-10-2015, 05:32 AM | #3 |
Banned
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Bristol
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Re: Alternate GURPS: Seeking a minimalistic (25-50) skill list . . .
Politics, Current Affairs (business), Current Affairs (politics), Economics, Public Speaking, writing, Propaganda, History! Research, Philosophy (Marxism), Merchant (selling radical papers and books etc), Enthralment, Persuade. Socialist Agitator?
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08-10-2015, 05:50 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Snoopy's basement
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Re: Alternate GURPS: Seeking a minimalistic (25-50) skill list . . .
I'm not sure I understand the purpose of this effort, but I see downsides.
Certainly in many of the examples given it seems to me that it is possible, and even likely, that a person would have some of the skills within an umbrella and not others. For example the typical maverick litigation lawyer is typically tempermentally unfit for learning a lot of Administration. On the other hand, I would consider reducing inter-skill defaults by 1 across the board. |
08-10-2015, 06:15 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Feb 2013
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Re: Alternate GURPS: Seeking a minimalistic (25-50) skill list . . .
This looks like a d6 skills list.
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08-10-2015, 06:21 AM | #6 |
Join Date: Feb 2009
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Re: Alternate GURPS: Seeking a minimalistic (25-50) skill list . . .
If its supposed to look like a D6 skills list, could easily look at some of the sundry Open D6 books
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08-10-2015, 06:41 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Chicagoland
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Re: Alternate GURPS: Seeking a minimalistic (25-50) skill list . . .
HERO System is another one to look to as a good example of an any-genre skills list that is small. Of course, they do that partly through having three "misc." skill areas: Knowledge Skill, Professional Skill, and Science Skill. Each is defined when purchased. For example, you might buy Professional Skill (Plumber) or Knowledge Skill (Medieval History), or Science Skill (Chemistry).
Otherwise, skills tend to be pretty broad, with just a few cascade skills such as Driving and Piloting (where you pick from a list of vehicle types when you buy the skill).
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08-10-2015, 07:24 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
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Re: Alternate GURPS: Seeking a minimalistic (25-50) skill list . . .
Quote:
I suppose the other limit that still preserves some of the GURPS engine is not to have any skills at all. Just roll everything against the attribute you'd base the skill on instead. Effectively you have as many different skills as your game has attributes. This worked OK back before all games *had* skill lists, and still should.
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08-10-2015, 07:24 AM | #9 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Medford, MA
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Re: Alternate GURPS: Seeking a minimalistic (25-50) skill list . . .
I actually like the number of skills in GURPS...but I'm a "lots of skills" GM.
However, if you really want to reduce the number of skills radically, why don't you go the Over the Edge route and remove the defined skill list completely? Have the players define their own skills (I think they each character has three Skills/Traits in Over the Edge/Warp) So one character can have: Marksmanship Brawling Detective Another can Have: Businessman Well-Read Computers Then you never have more skills than you need. |
08-10-2015, 07:39 AM | #10 |
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Re: Alternate GURPS: Seeking a minimalistic (25-50) skill list . . .
You could use profession.
For example. Profession ranger would replace the following skills: Survival, tracking, naturalist, and land navigation.
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alternate gurps, house rule, skills |
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