Single usage versions of skills?

[BraselC5048]

I'm wondering about reduced point cost versions of skills that only allow a few things a character can do with them. I had two in mind; first is Electrician for the sole purpose of the types of things a thief would be interested in, such as cutting power and the like. There's no way you could possibly build or repair something, and in all likelihood you don't even know what tools to use.

Personally, I'm thinking this might end up being wrapped up under something along the lines of Solder skill (from GURPS:WWII), that has far less equipment usage but much more in the way of tactics (in fact it's mostly tactics, but mainly not for combat use). IQ/Average sounds a little cheep, IQ/Hard seems a little expensive. Considering Tactics (Police) is IQ/Hard, it would probably have to be that. On the other hand, it might just be Tactics (Thief).

The second is Judo that only is usable for escaping from a grapple, and nothing else (it's Karate instead for everything else, a very no-grappling style that encourages immediately trying to break away). Basically, it's a way to improve that roll from a plain quick contest of ST, and just about everybody who knows the style is going to be at a disadvantage ST-wise.

EDIT: What skills/techniques exactly can you improve to help with trying to break free from a grapple? Anything?

I'm thinking perhaps treating the second one as a technique for point cost, but using attributes rather then a skill, and can be bought up past attribute level.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by BraselC5048

Electrician for the sole purpose of the types of things a thief would be interested in, such as cutting power and the like. There's no way you could possibly build or repair something, and in all likelihood you don't even know what tools to use.

That's a textbook One-Task Wonder perk; see GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks, p. 17. If you need to be able to improve it, though, go with an optional specialty (pp. B169-170).

Originally Posted by BraselC5048

The second is Judo that only is usable for escaping from a grapple, and nothing else (it's Karate instead for everything else, a very no-grappling style that encourages immediately trying to break away). Basically, it's a way to improve that roll from a plain quick contest of ST, and just about everybody who knows the style is going to be at a disadvantage ST-wise.

That's basically a Skill Adaptation perk (also GURPS Power-Ups 2: Perks, p. 17). GURPS Martial Arts offers an example, Clinch, that lets you use a striking skill for a specific kind of grappling. This is in the same ballpark.

[BraselC5048]

Err, just read the grappling section again in Campaigns, and it doesn't actually say anything about being able to use Judo, or any other skill, instead of ST.

So the bigger question is, can any skill help with trying to break free from a grapple? That's pretty much the only grappling thing I'm interested in here, and if you're ST 10, even Flexible isn't enough to deal with somebody who is ST 14 grabbing with two hands. What exactly can you do to improve your odds (other then more ST)

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by BraselC5048

Err, just read the grappling section again in Campaigns, and it doesn't actually say anything about being able to use Judo, or any other skill, instead of ST.

So the bigger question is, can any skill help with trying to break free from a grapple? That's pretty much the only grappling thing I'm interested in here, and if you're ST 10, even Flexible isn't enough to deal with somebody who is ST 14 grabbing with two hands. What exactly can you do to improve your odds (other then more ST)

Learning Wrestling will help a bit; it can give up to +2 to ST here. GURPS Martial Arts: Technical Grappling extends this some. Ultimately, though, low-ST characters deal with grappling by having high defenses and not getting grappled. Once they're grappled, ST is king and skill won't help all that much.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by BraselC5048

So the bigger question is, can any skill help with trying to break free from a grapple?

At GMs option, some advantages can be explained as trained skills. The most obvious one is slippery.

[aesir23]

Technical Grappling introduces Break Free as a technique that can be improved (with a Technique Mastery perk). It also works somewhat differently than breaking free in Basic, and would be prime suspect for Skill Adaptation.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Technical Grappling introduces Break Free as a technique that can be improved (with a Technique Mastery perk). It also works somewhat differently than breaking free in Basic, and would be prime suspect for Skill Adaptation.

Yeah, this would be a good combo. Skill Adaptation to your striking skill, then Technique Mastery to get to up to your skill+4. Fair warning: if you're very skilled but have low Trained ST, you will "succeed" in your break free attempts often, but remove very few Control Points with each success. And Karate and Boxing use the Slow progression for Control Points, so "getting good at escaping using Karate" should be looked at very carefully compared and contrasted with "low levels of Sumo Wrestling with Technique Mastery for Break free," since the Trained ST bonus is better.

I believe you have just inspired a blog post.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Anthony

At GMs option, some advantages can be explained as trained skills. The most obvious one is slippery.

That seems like the best route for Basic combat. If you want, you could allow it with a limitation (only for escaping grapples). Call that a -50% limitation and it'll cost the same 1/level a technique does and thus should be more or less balanced against characters who have taken some more complex Martial Arts path with Unique Technique.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by malloyd

That seems like the best route for Basic combat. If you want, you could allow it with a limitation (only for escaping grapples). Call that a -50% limitation and it'll cost the same 1/level a technique does and thus should be more or less balanced against characters who have taken some more complex Martial Arts path with Unique Technique.

From Technical Grappling:

Slippery
see p. B85

Every two levels of Slippery add one point of Control Resistance (see p. 27), in addition to the effects in the Basic Set. This affects both you and your opponent, as if you were sweaty or oiled (see Sweat, Clothing, and Armor, pp. 7-8). When attacking to break free or attempting to use the Escape skill, every two levels give +1 to CP rolled.

See Claws (p. 27) and Teeth (below) for interaction with those traits.

Special Enhancement

Affects Others Only: The Control Resistance imparted by this trait does not affect your own grappling, only that of your foe! +100%.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

"getting good at escaping using Karate" should be looked at very carefully compared and contrasted with "low levels of Sumo Wrestling with Technique Mastery for Break free," since the Trained ST bonus is better.

This would meet the reality test. Really th Best way to learn how to counter grappling techniques is simply to learn how to grapple. But that doesn't stop some striking styles from teaching "anti-grappling."