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01-09-2018, 01:01 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Making Techniques Worthwhile
With rare exception, like Ground Fighting, it is often better to improve the base skill than it is to improve more than one underlying Technique, as the improvements increase all of the underlying Techniques and any defenses associated with the base skill. In order to make Techniques worthwhile, I propose the following changes. When feinting with a trained technique (or resisting a feint by a technique that you are trained in) you gain a +1 bonus per level in the technique to the quick contest (cumulative with any feint technique). What do you think?
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01-09-2018, 01:10 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Austin, TX
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Re: Making Techniques Worthwhile
I find that making techniques cheaper works well in making them a better buy. +2 to a technique (Hard or Average with no buy-in cost) for 1 CP makes them fairly attractive: you can get +8 in bonuses for the cost of a single level of increased skill. That's a decent deal.
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01-09-2018, 01:15 PM | #3 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Making Techniques Worthwhile
Putting 1-3 points in techniques can raise your style perk cap and still have a useful effect, whereas putting points 1-3 points in primary skills does nothing at high levels (and there is also zero rules support for it).
ETA: Also having one or two techniques on the character sheet is a feature, not a bug. GURPS needs less clutter on the sheets, not more, and players need less decision paralysis (not more). Making your trademark move really effective and doing it all the time isn't just efficient, it is also a pretty realistic reflection of the way people actually train. Last edited by sir_pudding; 01-09-2018 at 01:20 PM. |
01-09-2018, 01:47 PM | #4 | |
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
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Re: Making Techniques Worthwhile
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Now, where I argue with myself. A nice feature of the current method is representing gradual progression a bit better. Most of the time, you have to get the full four CP invested in a Skill, bumping it to the next level before you see any return. I don't know if it is permitted via RAW, but I like the thought of investing points into Maneuvers, then - so long as nothing drops below where it was before - eventually shuffling those points over into the underlying Skill when the final point needed has been spent. Example: Vince has DX 12 [40] and Brawling-14 [4]. The adventures keep allowing some downtime to practice, so Vince decides to work on some of his Brawling-based Techniques. After enough study time, he ends up with Elbow Strike (Brawling)-13 [1] and Kicking (Brawling)-13 [2]. Instead of investing his next 1 CP of Brawling practice into another Maneuver and getting Knee Strike (Brawling)-14 [1], the 3 CP from Brawling Maneuvers get moved over to the Brawling Skill itself, along with the latest 1 CP of Brawling practice, so that Vince now has Brawling-15 [8], Elbow Strike (Brawling)-13 [0], and Kicking (Brawling)-13 [0]. Again, without more advanced rules that would make the CP invested matter. If some of the rules in [Basic] already mess with that, let me know. I won't be surprised if I missed something. XP
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My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :) |
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01-09-2018, 02:07 PM | #5 | ||||
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Making Techniques Worthwhile
Then characters are free to take unlimited numbers of perks.
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I can't actually think of any martial arts training that I have ever done that really emphasizes more than a few GURPS techniques, notably in Akido I drilled Breakfall, Hand Catch Parry, and Arm-Lock more than anything else, in what GURPS calls Assaulter, Failure Drills and Masked Shooting, MCMAP was mostly body hardening and really not focused on any specific techniques at all, in the I.33 Counterattack, and because my sword is well suited, Binding and Disarm and in the weird varient of kusarijitsu I am learning for this weird sport I do now just Return Strike is the only technique that I focused on more than just mastery of the weapon. Last edited by sir_pudding; 01-09-2018 at 11:40 PM. |
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01-09-2018, 07:40 PM | #7 | |||
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: South Dakota, USA
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Re: Making Techniques Worthwhile
I think I'm bordering on one of those massive miscommunications with you, sir_pudding. I will try and clarify where I can; if it doesn't work, or if you understood all of what I said and it is only I who am confused, my apologies.
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You know your players; I don't. What I can tell you from my own experience, back in 3e, it was a lot easier for us when we started including the Martial Arts Record Sheet (GURPS Martial Arts, Second Edition p.157) as part of one's character sheet, at least for characters focused on such fighting. Yes, yes, that is from a supplement, but Techniques weren't actually part of the Basic Set (Third Edition, Revised); you needed a supplement to know of them. This gave you room not only for Techniques you had studied, but even some of the ones you might like to use by Default, instead of having to look them up on the fly or memorize them. I guess I'm saying... if your players are wanting a more detailed game, even if 4e has abandoned such a sheet, you might want to bring it back. Looks scarier, but makes things easier in the long run. Like creating a separate "Grimoire" sheet for a Mage, listing out his Spells and any relevant notes from them, instead of trying to cram them all into the "Skills" section. :) I don't want to bury any points, so I'm going to risk double-posting, to break up the first third of what you said from the last two-thirds.
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My GURPS Fourth Edition library consists of Basic Set: Characters, Basic Set: Campaigns, Martial Arts, Powers, Powers: Enhanced Senses, Power-Ups 1: Imbuements, Power-Ups 2: Perks, Power-Ups 3: Talents, Power-Ups 4: Enhancements, Power-Ups 6: Quirks, Power-Ups 8: Limitations, Powers, Social Engineering, Supers, Template Toolkit 1: Characters, Template Toolkit 2: Races, one issue of Pyramid (3/83) a.k.a. Alternate GURPS IV, GURPS Classic Rogues, and GURPS Classic Warriors. Most of which was provided through the generosity of others. Thanks! :) |
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01-09-2018, 01:36 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Medford, MA
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Re: Making Techniques Worthwhile
Additionally, remember that techniques stack when using them together.
So let's say I am a Fencer with the style La Verdadera Destreza. And I dual wield Rapiers. Style Perks: -Technique Mastery (Dual-Weapon Attack: Rapier) -Technique Mastery (Counterattack: Rapier) I have the Techniques: -Dual-Weapon Attack(Rapier) +4 -Feint (Rapier) +4 -Counterattack (Rapier) +4 Because they stack, if I do a Dual Weapon Attack, onne being a Feint and the other a Counterattack? I roll at +8 to my Rapier skill for each. That is nice! |
01-11-2018, 05:26 PM | #9 |
Icelandic - Approach With Caution
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Reykjavķk, Iceland
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Re: Making Techniques Worthwhile
That I did not know. Seems like I have to point out a certain page in Martial Arts to my GM.
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01-11-2018, 11:32 PM | #10 | |
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Michigan
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Re: Making Techniques Worthwhile
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