Question about a description in a skill

Jareth Valar · 12-29-2017, 07:52 PM

In the description of Savior-Faire (Dojo) it states "Recognized skill determines relative standing."

Emphasized by italics in the book. Having done some serious digging, I'm still not sure what that means.

Thanks

mlangsdorf · 12-29-2017, 08:20 PM

Recognized skill is acknowledged skill in what the dojo considers important. If you're in a Hung Gar Kung Fu dojo that considers Breath Control and Philosophy (Buddhism) as important as your skill in Karate, the fact that you've got Karate-22 and Breath Control-9 means you're in the beginner class, even if you can beat the sensei in a fair fight.

Similarly, if you're the janitor who's been secretly observing training for three generations and actually have Breath Control-22, Karate-22, and Philosophy (Buddhism)-22, you're still at the bottom of the pecking order because no one knows that you're more skilled then the sensei.

Bengt · 12-30-2017, 12:22 AM

Doesn't recognised refer to skills you have tested in? E.g. what belt colour you have earned.

malloyd · 12-30-2017, 04:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bengt

Doesn't recognised refer to skills you have tested in? E.g. what belt colour you have earned.

Yes. If you want it in game mechanics I think it amounts to there are skill prerequisites to purchasing any given level of Rank in your dojo, but if you don't have to purchase the highest level of Rank your skills would justify.

whswhs · 12-30-2017, 08:15 AM

In terms of game mechanics you might, for example, have a character whose skill in Karate or Broadsword is higher than their skill in Karate Sport or Broadsword Sport. They would actually know how to fight, but their "recognized" skill would tend to be proportionate to their skill in the formalized techniques suited for competitive events.

Normally I would assume that "recognized" skill equates to Combat Sport skill; there doesn't seem to be much reason not to qualify for whatever official standing your skill allows. I suppose maybe you could have a quirk of "low standing" for someone who holds off on demonstrating their skill before official judges, though I'm not sure if it merits the 1 point gained from taking a quirk.

Anaraxes · 12-30-2017, 10:05 AM

"Recognized skill" is not a GURPS game-mechanical term of art. So the phrase is not like "base skill", "effective skill", "wildcard skill", and so on, with a defined meaning to be discovered. It's some in-setting social mechanism, the details of which depend on the dojo and culture of the martial art in question. (A school very concerned with proper ettiquette might, frex, cap recognized skill by your Savoir-Faire. Only gentlemen can be King's Musketeers, no matter how good they are with a blade.)

(Just for kicks, I ran a search for "recognized skill" across all the PDFs I happen to own, and the reference in Characters in the Savoir-Faire description is the only place where that phrase appears.)

12-29-2017, 07:52 PM	#1
Jareth Valar Join Date: Aug 2013	Question about a description in a skill In the description of Savior-Faire (Dojo) it states "Recognized skill determines relative standing." Emphasized by italics in the book. Having done some serious digging, I'm still not sure what that means. Thanks

12-29-2017, 08:20 PM	#2
mlangsdorf Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, TX	Re: Question about a description in a skill Recognized skill is acknowledged skill in what the dojo considers important. If you're in a Hung Gar Kung Fu dojo that considers Breath Control and Philosophy (Buddhism) as important as your skill in Karate, the fact that you've got Karate-22 and Breath Control-9 means you're in the beginner class, even if you can beat the sensei in a fair fight. Similarly, if you're the janitor who's been secretly observing training for three generations and actually have Breath Control-22, Karate-22, and Philosophy (Buddhism)-22, you're still at the bottom of the pecking order because no one knows that you're more skilled then the sensei. __________________ Read my GURPS blog: http://noschoolgrognard.blogspot.com

12-30-2017, 12:22 AM	#3
Bengt Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ronneby, Sweden	Re: Question about a description in a skill Doesn't recognised refer to skills you have tested in? E.g. what belt colour you have earned.

12-30-2017, 08:15 AM	#5
whswhs Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lawrence, KS	Re: Question about a description in a skill In terms of game mechanics you might, for example, have a character whose skill in Karate or Broadsword is higher than their skill in Karate Sport or Broadsword Sport. They would actually know how to fight, but their "recognized" skill would tend to be proportionate to their skill in the formalized techniques suited for competitive events. Normally I would assume that "recognized" skill equates to Combat Sport skill; there doesn't seem to be much reason not to qualify for whatever official standing your skill allows. I suppose maybe you could have a quirk of "low standing" for someone who holds off on demonstrating their skill before official judges, though I'm not sure if it merits the 1 point gained from taking a quirk. __________________ Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more.

12-30-2017, 10:05 AM	#6
Anaraxes Join Date: Sep 2007	Re: Question about a description in a skill "Recognized skill" is not a GURPS game-mechanical term of art. So the phrase is not like "base skill", "effective skill", "wildcard skill", and so on, with a defined meaning to be discovered. It's some in-setting social mechanism, the details of which depend on the dojo and culture of the martial art in question. (A school very concerned with proper ettiquette might, frex, cap recognized skill by your Savoir-Faire. Only gentlemen can be King's Musketeers, no matter how good they are with a blade.) (Just for kicks, I ran a search for "recognized skill" across all the PDFs I happen to own, and the reference in Characters in the Savoir-Faire description is the only place where that phrase appears.)