DR (Tough Skin... No Signature?)

[Tallor]

In a certain GURPS book (not sure if I should reference), I found that a character template had "DR 3 (No Signature, +20%; Tough Skin, -40%) [12];", which I found particularly weird.

Isn't tough skin just... tough skin? Realistically, you may have leathery skin or the bulky fingertips of a wrestler, but would that really be something so noticeable..?

As an addendum: It was part of a template, and perhaps the No Sig was just to round it up to 200 points... but you could have gone with DR 4 (Tough Skin) [12] and be done with it. :P

[Christopher R. Rice]

This pretty much explains it all.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Tallor

In a certain GURPS book (not sure if I should reference), I found that a character template had "DR 3 (No Signature, +20%; Tough Skin, -40%) [12];", which I found particularly weird.

Isn't tough skin just... tough skin? Realistically, you may have leathery skin or the bulky fingertips of a wrestler, but would that really be something so noticeable..?

As an addendum: It was part of a template, and perhaps the No Sig was just to round it up to 200 points... but you could have gone with DR 4 (Tough Skin) [12] and be done with it. :P

Elephant hide is DR 4, per Campaigns. DR 3 hide isn't quite that, I suppose, but it's very substantial stuff, tougher than bear or boar hide...big crocodile hide maybe? Without No Signature it would be pretty obvious by touch and probably also quite noticeable by sight if skin is exposed.

DR is, in general, not a subtle trait. Adding Tough Skin doesn't change that.

(Also, referencing what book you're finding things in is usually a good idea. It means that people can put things in context if they have the relevant source, which is occasionally very useful.)

[Warlockco]

No clue on what book you are looking at, but just going with Powers.
No Signature would be so that the DR(Tough Skin) would be practically undetectable from normal skin.

[Tallor]

So someone like Superman would have No Signature, whereas Killer Croc... not so much. :P

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

This pretty much explains it all.

Can my biker dude get a bonus to Intimidation if he has DR (Tough Skin) 2? :P

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Tallor

So someone like Superman would have No Signature, whereas Killer Croc... not so much. :P

I'd agree, though from Ghostdancer's link it seems that RPK might not apply the same rules in a supers context. (And indeed Supers does not use No Signature on DR.)

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

I'd agree, though from Ghostdancer's link it seems that RPK might not apply the same rules in a supers context. (And indeed Supers does not use No Signature on DR.)

Imagine the paperwork though. "You get a +100 to notice this guy has super-strong skin."

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

This pretty much explains it all.

In Supers, we sometimes use Tough Skin (no Signature). As PK said, it's not realistic, but I think it works just fine for Supers.

[Phantasm]

I admit, I'm one of those that does not add No Signature to DR for my supers builds. As PK explains in the link, supers is often its own wonky genre with different genre assumptions. Therefore Superman and Killer Croc both get DR (Tough Skin) without No Signature although they look radically different.

I should note that folks with obvious DR like Ben Grimm I normally don't give Tough Skin to. Folks like that are rarely taken down with touch attacks anyway. This can get slightly wonky compared to most expectations, as it makes Ben Grimm immune to Rogue's "bare skin to bare skin" power leech!

That said, if I was taking a more realistic approach, then yes, Superman would require No Signature.