What's with the modesty about stats?

[Fwibos]

Originally Posted by Gollum

Most often, in role playing games, we don't really care about that because role playing adventures are full of heroic actions... And cooking is not one! Heroes in movies rarely cook.

God of Cookery!

[vicky_molokh]

And the deadliest of them all was Kitchen Kung-Fu.

(If I ever get to play in an over-the-top Martial Arts or Supers campaign, particularly in the Kung Fu Panda or WoW setting, I want to make a Tailor Kung Fu Guy.)

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Gollum

Most often, in role playing games, we don't really care about that because role playing adventures are full of heroic actions... And cooking is not one! Heroes in movies rarely cook.

The thing is, when it does come up, cinematic heroes are usually in one of two modes: they're absolutely normal, or they're geniuses.

[trans]

Sam Gamgee, hero, gardener, cook. He yomped all the way to Mordor with his cooking pots, for goodness' sake!

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by trans

Sam Gamgee, hero, gardener, cook. He yomped all the way to Mordor with his cooking pots, for goodness' sake!

Certainly... Heroes who know how to cook does exist. And Sam is a very good example... Bilbo is able to make very good cakes for the tea, too...

But how many minutes to see Sam cooking in Peter Jackson's movie? ... Even worse: how many pages to describe how he cooked in Tolkien's quite big three tomes of The Lord of the Ring? ... About none... If any!

Stories really don't care about cooking. Having a character who knows how to cook is fun. But, for authors, it is just a piece of background.

So, in role playing games, it is just summarize by one roll at the end of the day, to prepare dinner for the group... At best.

Now, we are talking about what a character is able to do in our realistic world, which is different... And cooking, in our realistic world, requires several different actions and several abilities. Not just one. And this is precisely where there is a different between a high default level and the same level with training...

And this is also right for any other mental skills as well: finally, it all depends how the GM handle them.

Maz is right about that.

[Ji ji]

I mainly read ASOIAF to find ideas for new recipes.

[trooper6]

Originally Posted by Gollum

But how many minutes to see Sam cooking in Peter Jackson's movie? ... Even worse: how many pages to describe how he cooked in Tolkien's quite big three tomes of The Lord of the Ring? ... About none... If any!

Stories really don't care about cooking. Having a character who knows how to cook is fun. But, for authors, it is just a piece of background.

So, in role playing games, it is just summarize by one roll at the end of the day, to prepare dinner for the group... At best.

I think it is important to point out that books are RPGs are really quite different. And things that might be boring in books may not be boring in an RPG due to the interactive nature of the medium.

So for example, Cooking was an important part of the Transhuman Space Game I played in under whswhs. Many, many scenes happened at dinners cooked by one character (Aki)...and then there were the less exciting dinners cooked by my character, or the various food related events and moments.

Different sorts of games put emphases on different skills. My character's most important skill was PS: Parenting. That was the one he used most often and that had the most impact for the whole group and the campaign (out of the skills on my sheet). His Boxing skill? I don't think it was ever even used. Boxing: Sport? That got used a few times. And he never used his Guns skills, not once...in three years of gaming real time. Actually, most of the characters didn't use their Guns skills.

So...whether Cooking is important...that depends on the game.

[Fwibos]

Also in Changeling: The Lost where a duel to the death can involve cooking. Or Earthdawn, to prove you aren't Horror-marked

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by trooper6

I think it is important to point out that books are RPGs are really quite different. And things that might be boring in books may not be boring in an RPG due to the interactive nature of the medium.

You're right, here...

But a question, then.

Did you use only the usual cooking level (IQ based roll) or did the GM ask you to may different rolls for the same lunch, as we usually do a lot of different rolls for the same combat. And did he use the relative skill with different attributes or only IQ?

[trans]

Sam's cooking in Ithilien attracted the attention of Faramir's troops, which in the end had a major effect on the War of the Ring. These "unintented consequences" are one of Professor T's strong points, whatever his other faults as a writer. Certainly Sam is one of the great understated heroes.