10-28-2018, 08:57 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: The Kingdom of Insignificance
|
TL8 Prosthetic Legs
I have a player in a TL8/9 game that wants his PC to be a double leg amputee, but with prosthetic blades akin to those worn by the South African athlete Oscar Pistorius.
Any advice regarding how to stat them?
__________________
It's all very well to be told to act my age, but I've never been this old before... |
10-28-2018, 10:40 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
|
Re: TL8 Prosthetic Legs
Lame (Paraplegic) (Mitigator: Cybernetics, -70%) is the canonical way of handling it in Ultra-Tech; I'd place "Late TL8 Advanced Prostheses" as a -60% or -70% Mitigator.
I'm not sure if he qualifies as having DR on his lower legs due to their nature; for simplicity, I wouldn't add any.
__________________
"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991 "But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!" The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation. Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting |
10-28-2018, 11:56 AM | #3 |
Untagged
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Forest Grove, Beaverton, Oregon
|
Re: TL8 Prosthetic Legs
The Wikipedia article suggests that they're rather awkward and unstable for walking. Probably a reduction in body Dexterity compared to walking prosthetics if anyone cared to be that detailed.
__________________
Beware, poor communication skills. No offense intended. If offended, it just means that I failed my writing skill check. |
10-28-2018, 12:43 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Jul 2006
|
Re: TL8 Prosthetic Legs
As I understand it Pistorious' blades traded in walking stability for an advantage in running ... although I don't understand the ergonomics of the thing well enough to model it. Unless the character intends to do a lot of track running, the blades are probably a bad idea.
Although as well all found out at the trial, it's not an either/or thing - the user can switch between standard prosthetics and running blades with not much more effort than putting on a pair of boots. |
10-28-2018, 01:29 PM | #5 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Denver, Colorado
|
Re: TL8 Prosthetic Legs
Quote:
In game terms, Pistorious made up for the reduction in "Move" by putting a lot of points into "Running" skill, justified through intense training. He can outrun most people, but still can't beat a similarly-trained runner with two healthy legs.
__________________
-- MXLP:9 [JD=1, DK=1, DM-M=1, M(FAW)=1, SS=2, Nym=1 (nose coffee), sj=1 (nose cocoa), Maz=1] "Some days, I just don't know what to think." -Daryl Dixon. |
|
10-29-2018, 01:57 AM | #6 |
GURPS FAQ Keeper
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Kyïv, Ukraine
|
Re: TL8 Prosthetic Legs
Oh, if he can't beat a similarly-trained runner with healthy legs, why would there be a push for banning him for having an unfair advantage over said healthy runners . . .
|
10-29-2018, 03:44 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: On the road again...
|
Re: TL8 Prosthetic Legs
Because people are idiots. "He has advanced prosthetic lower legs that help him run" invariably became "he has bionic legs that help him run faster!!" in their minds. Also, he might have beat someone's time, but everyone has good days and bad.
__________________
"Life ... is an Oreo cookie." - J'onn J'onzz, 1991 "But mom, I don't wanna go back in the dungeon!" The GURPS Marvel Universe Reboot Project A-G, H-R, and S-Z, and its not-a-wiki-really web adaptation. Ranoc, a Muskets-and-Magery Renaissance Fantasy Setting |
10-29-2018, 05:25 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Meifumado
|
Re: TL8 Prosthetic Legs
A presumably-not-so-idiotic professor of biomechanics who studied him said:
The report claimed that Pistorius's limbs used 25% less energy than runners with complete natural legs running at the same speed, and that they led to less vertical motion combined with 30% less mechanical work for lifting the body.[56] In December, Brüggemann told Die Welt newspaper that Pistorius "has considerable advantages over athletes without prosthetic limbs who were tested by us. It was more than just a few percentage points. I did not expect it to be so clear." (Wikipedia!!) However, that's only in full speed straight line sprinting, while he had disadvantages in take-off and turning. ETA: More in-depth analysis here. I'll leave it to those more grognardly than I to stat up how that all works. ETA2: OOPS, that link was in the OP. Shame on those who didn't check it before commenting.
__________________
Collaborative Settings: Cyberpunk: Duopoly Nation Space Opera: Behind the King's Eclipse And heaps of forum collabs, 30+ and counting! Last edited by Daigoro; 10-29-2018 at 05:40 AM. |
10-29-2018, 07:12 AM | #9 | |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
|
Re: TL8 Prosthetic Legs
Quote:
Arguably, that means he has something like enhanced move .5 and basic move -1, which is actually a pretty cool combo, all things considered. If I were the GM I'd probably make up an "Enhanced move .25" that increases your speed when sprinting by 25%, not 50%, and costs [5], not [10]. This makes you slightly but not drastically faster on long sprints.
__________________
Be helpful, not pedantic Worlds Beyond Earth -- my blog Check out the PbP forum! If you don't see a game you'd like, ask me about making one! |
|
10-29-2018, 11:46 AM | #10 | |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Canada
|
Re: TL8 Prosthetic Legs
Quote:
This study has also been criticized for the methodology, but I don't know enough to judge how valid the criticisms are.
__________________
All about Size Modifier; Unified Hit Location Table A Wiki for my F2F Group A neglected GURPS blog |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|