[Basic] Disadvantage of the Week: Innumerate

[johndallman]

Innumerate is a mundane mental disadvantage. You lack a firm grasp of arithmetic, and have no clue about more complex mathematics, due to lack of education and/or talent. This disadvantage appeared during the 3e period, although I’m not sure where.

You can count on your fingers, and do simple arithmetic that way, but you have Incompetence with Computer Programming, Economics, and all of the skills that are boosted by the Mathematical Ability talent. This means that although you can use calculating machines, you have no idea if the results from them are correct, and you’re easily cheated in any transactions that involve more than a few coins (-4 to rolls to notice).

Game settings might include cultures where this disadvantage is normal for most people (such as most historical ones at TL4 or below). This disadvantage should not count against any campaign disadvantage limit in such settings. There could also be in-game cultures where this disadvantage attracts a [-5] Social Stigma, presumably “Ignorant,” giving -1 to reactions.

Innumerate, like illiteracy, is irrelevant for creatures with IQ below 6. It mostly shows up on templates for species with limited cultural development, and Discworld has several examples. Bio-Tech applies it to most uplifted animals, and it’s an option for the DF Shaman. Fantasy makes it an option for barbarians, and Horror gives it to werewolves, in their beast-man form, which has a lot of other mental limitations. Madness Dossier has technology to impose this disadvantage, of course, and Lands Out of Time applies it to cavemen. Low-Tech points out that some languages used at TL0 lack words for numbers, and LTC1 has guidelines for doing arithmetic if you aren’t Innumerate. Power-Ups 6 has a quirk-level version, and Back to School describes the process of buying off Innumeracy that is part of education at TL5+.

I’ve never put this disadvantage on a PC or NPC sheet. I have played caveman RPGs where counting was vague, at best, but that’s not the same as being Innumerate in a setting where most people aren’t. Has it multiplied problems in your games?

[RogerBW]

I played GURPS Bunnies & Burrows once, but like John I've never seen the situation of one Innumerate PC in a party who mostly aren't. I guess it might work in a dungeon bash for barbarians from the frozen north, though Dungeon Fantasy leaves it out completely.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by RogerBW

I played GURPS Bunnies & Burrows once, but like John I've never seen the situation of one Innumerate PC in a party who mostly aren't. I guess it might work in a dungeon bash for barbarians from the frozen north, though Dungeon Fantasy leaves it out completely.

Hmmm. Yeah, that'd make a great "regular IQ but not smart" Disad for a Barbarian.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Low-Tech points out that some languages used at TL0 lack words for numbers, and LTC1 has guidelines for doing arithmetic if you aren’t Innumerate. Back to School describes the process of buying off Innumeracy that is part of education at TL5+.

I'm glad to see those called out, as I thought they helped make it clearer what Innumerate actually represents.

[khorboth]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Hmmm. Yeah, that'd make a great "regular IQ but not smart" Disad for a Barbarian.

I've used it for this purpose at least twice. Once for a half-ogre raised among ogres and once for a really damaged fighter who was raised in a viking-style society and then regressed while being held as a gladiatorial slave.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I'm glad to see those called out, as I thought they helped make it clearer what Innumerate actually represents.

So did I, which was why I mentioned them. Doing a keyword search over all my GURPS PDFs is often quite illuminating.