Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Ambidexterity
 

Well, okay. I don't think that it matters in comparison to handedness. I shoot better with default and familiarity penalties than I do with a familiar weapon and skill left handed.

Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Ambidexterity
 

Is this what we see in nature? First - do animals have handedeness issues? Second- do animals with more than four limbs limbs have handedeness issues? Third - do radially symmetrical animals have handedeness issues? Fourth - why do humans have a handedeness issue?

Looking at making ambidexterity a species trait for extraterrestrial species.

Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Ambidexterity
 

The more linguistically adept a species is the more handed individuals there are. Parrots have similar proportions to us 85/15 but reversed. Left clawed more common.
The asymmetry tilts with which hemisphere hold the language centers most often. In humans it's the left, with parrots its the right.
I've read that most other animals have an 80/10/10 split with no preference being the most common.
I've read of octopuses having a single preferred limb.

Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Ambidexterity
 

I've been told — but I did not see the research paper myself — that people with ambidexterity perform slightly worse than people with a distinct handedness at tasks that involve co-ordinated use of both hands, such as aiming a rifle.

Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Ambidexterity
 

Well then it would seem that terrestrial handedness is generally a function of the growth of one part of the brain for language and the basic model of brains being very similar (though the octopi do bear watching) accounts for it. That may not hold true for extraterrestrial species so I am thinking there is no onus to letting them be ambidextrous. Unless of course handedness would be a trait that crosses species lines because of ancient life seeding programs with the same root stock.....(Cue portentous music)

Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Ambidexterity
 

If it's supposed to be feature instead of just the Ambidexterity advantage, it needs to have some kind of downside. GURPS racial templates represent differences from humans, not some kind of universal basis.

Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Ambidexterity
 

Handedness is merely specialization. And it's hard to imagine a species that gets the best of both sides without any drawbacks. But life is full of no-fairs, both good and bad.

Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Ambidexterity
 

I long ago decided that _Ambidexterity_ was a _Hard Technique_ of life. Thus one could buy-off the off-hand penalty in levels.

Though rather than making it 2/3/4/5 I make it 1/2/3/5 to encourage people to take it but leave it at -1. Something I extend to all _Hard Techniques_, it's 1/level but the last is 2.

Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Ambidexterity
 

I often go for Ambidexterity. Also Extra Attack and TBAM. I like someone dangerous with a wide range of skills and weapons. I tend to play very focused assassin types, the advantages above lend themselves to flexible responses to challenges.

Re: [Basic] Advantage of the Week: Ambidexterity
 

It would be almost mandatory for any cinematic combat monster, I agree.