Techniques - half penalty vs full?

[hal]

Originally Posted by malloyd

There isn't?

Seriously if a player really wanted to learn Targeted Attack (small stationary objects) I'd certainly consider allowing it.

Part of the problem with this is the fact that the hit location penalty may not exactly equal the ability to precisely aim and hit a given spot. For instance, if you look at the range/speed table on page 550, you will see that the ability to hit a 2" target is -9.

I've seen fencers who can reliably hit a spot with a 2" diameter, over and over and over. The problem is, this kind of accuracy is muscle memory and constant practice.

So, that's one issue to take into consideration where it comes to buying off "hit locations".

The next issue is one I fixed with a house rule:

"thou shalt only place 1 character point per game session per skill used".

Allowing players to put 4 points into a single skill in a single game session permits them to reach unrealistically HIGH skill levels that in reality, would take YEARS to reach. In other words, a player character can achieve in a mere few weeks what would realistically take years to do.

If you as a GM adopted that general rule, and required that increasing techniques requires down time learning instead of adventure experience - then buying off that -9 penalty to hit the eye would NOT be anything that could be done quickly once game play started. The problem however, is that players can easily purchase such techniques before start of play and side step the whole issue. A young individual who wants that technique should be told "you're too young to have spent that much time in it" as a GM overruling an unrealistic build. On the other hand, an older character might very well have done just that - practiced until they perfected it.

Now, here is another thing you may want to consider: Anyone who is THAT good with their precision of skill, should have an accompanying reputation. One doesn't grow up in a vaccuum insulated from the rest of the world. If your character is an expert in something, they should have a reputation that announces it to the entire world. A person whose lance skill is 16+ should be renowned for that skill. A gun slinger who is that accurate - should be renowned for that skill. Someone with a Dexterity of 15 should be renowned for that.

It is all up to you as GM what you do or don't want to do with your game world. My advice? Try the game rules with the experiment "can buy off the entire hit location penalty" and see what it does to the game. But always remember this as GM at the gaming table. It will strike fear into the hearts of your players...

"What is good for the Goose, is good..." and let them finish the saying. It will be a sobering thought that when they go up against someone whom you've designated as an "Expert marksman" or "Expert swordsman" that your NPC's can do what they can do. You'd be surprised at how cautious it makes some players. ;)

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by hal

Now, here is another thing you may want to consider: Anyone who is THAT good with their precision of skill, should have an accompanying reputation. One doesn't grow up in a vaccuum insulated from the rest of the world. If your character is an expert in something, they should have a reputation that announces it to the entire world. A person whose lance skill is 16+ should be renowned for that skill. A gun slinger who is that accurate - should be renowned for that skill. Someone with a Dexterity of 15 should be renowned for that.

There are people without such skills that have large reputations. And the reverse is also true. For example, a martial artist studying with a hermit on the mountain might have a prodigious skill without having any reputation (at least at the start -- once he leaves the mountain and starts cracking heads, he'll grow a rep).

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

There are people without such skills that have large reputations. And the reverse is also true. For example, a martial artist studying with a hermit on the mountain might have a prodigious skill without having any reputation (at least at the start -- once he leaves the mountain and starts cracking heads, he'll grow a rep).

Depending on setting, he may well not do so, or at least not do so in a manner that would require buying Reputation or similar. In One Punch Man, Saitama is a complete unknown to the world at large prior to joining the Hero Association (and is still fairly unknown thereafter), despite having single-handedly destroyed several high-profile threats, because he doesn't bother with promoting himself in any way. I also remember reading some of a manhua where the main character underwent the whole "training with a hermit" bit in order to become the world's best martial artist, intending to return to the mainland to defeat his master's enemies. Upon arrival, he discovers all of his master's enemies have already died, so he becomes the delivery man for a local dumpling place. He eliminates multiple groups of bandits trying to prey on the town, as well as several highly-skilled assassins who were unfortunate enough to target clients he was delivering to, and at most I think there's basically just a rumor that you'll suffer some form of divine retribution if you try to do anything bad in that region. And, of course, a secret master of a given skill set may well make an effort to avoid anyone finding out about him or her.