Extremely simplyfied GURPS Skills
 

To be honest, i am not such a big fan of all those Skills in GURPS ...
Too much :)

Now, i had a second look at "GURPS Skill Categories" and one thought popped up:

Why not using all this very broad categories as bang skills?

Did anybody try this?

Here is the list:

ANIMAL
ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
ATHLETIC
BUSINESS
Melee Combat
Ranged Combat
CRAFT
CRIMINAL/STREET
DESIGN/INVENTION
ESOTERIC
EVERYMAN
KNOWLEDGE
MEDICAL
MILITARY
NATURAL SCIENCES
OCCULT/MAGICAL
OUTDOOR/EXPLORATION
PLANT
POLICE
REPAIR/MAINTENANCE
SCHOLARLY
SOCIAL
SOCIAL SCIENCES/HUMANITIES
SPY
TECHNICAL
VEHICLE

Seems to be a *bit* broad :)
But still, it may suffice ... or not?

This way, a mediaval fighter may only have a handful of bang skills ...
There is some appeal to me :)

Re: Extremely simplyfied GURPS Skills
 

Wildcard skills.

Re: Extremely simplyfied GURPS Skills
 

Hmm.
Need to re-read what´s the difference between wildcard and bang skills ...

Here is, what a mediaval fighter may need:

ANIMAL
Melee Combat
Ranged Combat
EVERYMAN
KNOWLEDGE
MEDICAL
MILITARY
OCCULT/MAGICAL
OUTDOOR/EXPLORATION
REPAIR/MAINTENANCE

That´s only ten skills.
I like it :)

Re: Extremely simplyfied GURPS Skills
 

And GURPS does this! It considers such Wildcards in Action and DF series and recommend in MH series.

Re: Extremely simplyfied GURPS Skills
 

There is no difference. They're different words meaning the exact same thing.

Re: Extremely simplyfied GURPS Skills
 

Thanx!

I just realized, that there is no "official" Attribute those wildcard skills would be based upon ...

So, i tried to couple skills and attributes:

Too much IQ, it seems ...

What do you think?

Re: Extremely simplyfied GURPS Skills
 

I don't think wildcard (or bang!) skills are a good approach to reducing the skill list. It's not so much that you need a character that can design anything from a stone bridge to a starship with equal facility (Engineer!). You want one that can develop a special modification to a starship drive (Hyperspace Physics and Engineer), find the parts needed in a junkyard (Scrounging), and build and install the device themselves (Mechanic and/or Electronic Repair). That sounds more like talents than wildcard skills.

Re: Extremely simplyfied GURPS Skills
 

Why don't you just use a much simpler system where players create a bang skill based on character concept?

So you could have Detective!, Reporter!, Ninja!, Boxer!, Femme Fatale!, Professor!.

Make the bang skill based on the concept. Players put their points in that, and if they want any particular specific skill on top, they can get that as well. You don't have to worry about DX or IQ based, you just float to the appropriate state based on the situation.

Detective needs to investigate a crime scene? Then it is Detective! IQ-based. The Detective needs to shoot someone with this pistol? Detective! DX-based. Detective needs to stay awake while on a stakeout? Detective! Will-based. Detective needs to avoid getting sick from eating lots of donuts and stale coffee on said stakeout? Detective! HT-based.

Then everybody gets main skill and they then spend points on skills that fall outside of their bang skill. You as GM decide that Tommy Guns don't fall under the Detective! skill, and your Detective PC wants to use Tommy Guns...then he or she buys that skill in addition to Detective! Your Detective wants to also be good at dancing? That wouldn't fall under Detective! so has to be bought separate.

You could then have some PCs with only one skill if they don't want to be good in anything outside their Concept, but you could also have some PCs with one main skill and a few side skills.

I'm a skill heavy GM, but that would be how I'd do it if I were allergic to skills.

Re: Extremely simplyfied GURPS Skills
 

I think, that i cannot get my players to do such things :)
They do not read the rules and they play mostly like with a war game ...
Dungeon Fantasy may come close :D

And i was searching for the base, as this ideas can only work when i can assign levels and cost - for this, i need the base attribute.
Your idea is fine, of course - could still be applied, but the cost should be based on the attribute given above. At least, that seems to work.

Thanx!

Re: Extremely simplyfied GURPS Skills
 

Many skills can use more then one attribute.