Divergent TLs: skill modifiers and High/Low TL traits

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

True but that is a description someone from a lower tech would understand. Just 600 years ago people would look at a rifle and think, "gun".

I don't think that people at all tech levels would recognize the ergonomics of a rifle automatically.

Someone from TL4 probably would, because it's basically the same as an arquebus.

[Kallatari]

So, first of all, I think most people seem to agree that, for the purpose of High TL/Low TL traits, the divergence is irrelevant. He's effectively 1 TL higher, therefore he needs High TL 1 [5] to have access to his /TL5+4 skills.

Although not specifically mentioned by others in the posts I've read, I'm extrapolating that, with respect to this character learning a skill at TL8, there shouldn't be an issue because he's purchased High Tech TL9, so he can learn a skill of any level or any divergent level that is equal to or less than 9... so long as they're obviously a familiarity with a given TL, divergent or otherwise.

With respect to skill penalties/defaults, I think we're still a bit fuzzy. While I have no doubt he can grasp what TL8 things do - and use them without penalties if DX-based - but he will, as others have pointed out, have a penalty to understanding, designing, building, repairing, etc. (i.e., IQ-based skill rolls) using the principles of TL8. So this does give a penalty. This is RAW. But what is the value of the penalty?

If I use take the same approach decided above for High TL/Low TL of not caring if it's divergent or not, then that's only -1 for one TL lower. I think that's insufficient. After all, they don't use, for example, radios, they use crystalwave communicators. Although not specifically defined as such, I get the impression that Cyrano is a mix "space patrol" and "crystal-based psi-tech" derived technology, which means that it's a radical different way of how tech works. It should be a huge penalty.

Granted, this likely means that he's going to be better off just using default (unless he has a really high skill level).

[Ulzgoroth]

Well, I think 'generic' TL penalties are pretty well one-size-fits-nothing.


But I'd seriously consider setting the generic penalty as corresponding to the number of TL to the point of divergence down plus the number of TL from the point of divergence up the other side. Which is pretty crushing, but a modern EE or IT person isn't going to have any practical handle on how super-evolved Babbage engine hardware does its thing, for instance.

In some areas where convergent evolution trumps divergent underpinnings this could be much less. Tech is a very case-by-case setting element, ultimately...

[Flyndaran]

I fully agree. We would only be temporarily confused with Flintstones' TL0+7 but wholely out of our element with some TL0+7 crystal power society that lacks the trappings of our tech.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

I fully agree. We would only be temporarily confused with Flintstones' TL0+7 but wholely out of our element with some TL0+7 crystal power society that lacks the trappings of our tech.

It's not just which tech either, it's also which skills. A modern crane operator could probably run a brontocrane with a familiarity penalty (because that's the joke) but a heavy machinery mechanic couldn't 'repair' a sick one.