Width vs depth, IQ vs DX skills

[johndallman]

Looking at characters I play, and others of which I have copies, there seems to be a strong tendency for them to have a large number of IQ-based skills with 1-4 points in each, and a smaller number of DX-based skills, many of whom are in the 1-4 points range, but a few of which have rather more: 8, 12, or more points. IQ skills with more than 4 points invested seem very rare.

This doesn't seem desperately surprising to me, since most of those DX skills with lots of points are the character's primary combat skill, or some other important specialisation, like Stealth on a sneak-artist. But I wondered if it was an artefact of my groups' play styles, or something that occurs widely?

[Kalzazz]

I have definitely seen 'my favorite weapon' skill hiked to the skies

It isn't uncommon on say a gadgeteer to see 'my favorite engineering skill' hiked to the skies, or say Alchemy on an Alchemist etc

Usually once you get to 4pts a level though people start looking for talents or raising the Stat. There are a lot more Talents with 'my favorite IQ skill'

[Anaraxes]

It's not just your group.

I think part of the effect is simply that the combat skills are seen as (literally) life-or-death matters. Failure there is a hard failure, whereas the IQ skills are more of a "soft" failure. You can fail that research roll or knowledge check and just suffer a bit of delay.

In some cases, it's a matter of numbers. Those DX specialists probably only need a handful of skills to implement their schtick -- a melee weapon or two, Stealth, Acrobatics, Throwing. For a space game, I made a chart showing the techy skills for running a starship, of which there were 40 after I consolidated a few. Scotty the Chief Engineer has to spread the points around a lot more than Dai Blackthorn, or even Sulu the Helmsman.

[Halinn]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

For a space game, I made a chart showing the techy skills for running a starship, of which there were 40 after I consolidated a few.

Do you happen to have a link to that? I'll be playing in a space game soon, and making sure we don't forget to cover something would be nice.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by Halinn

Do you happen to have a link to that? I'll be playing in a space game soon, and making sure we don't forget to cover something would be nice.

Certainly -- for what it's worth: Design / Repair / Use chart (MS Excel format)

I made this in prep for an GT:ISW game, so it's not all-inclusive. My goal was to make sure I understood which skills matched up with which other ones in the Design / Repair / Use triads.

Changes from RAW include:

- Contragrav and maneuver drives are closely-related tech, so one Gravitics specialty covers both for design and repair

- The "Plant Operation" skill was invented as the skill to run power plants. (Doesn't exist in RAW as far as I could tell.)

- Electronics Operation has a couple of merges: "Security" and "Surveillance" are combined. "Medical" and "Scientific" are combined, along with other unnamed specialties, and dubbed "Application". One skill is sufficient to operate whatever electronic instruments and tools are usual for other skills that you also have (Physician, Astronomy, Archaeology, etc). I'm tempted to do away with this category and just declare that it's part of the other skills.

- Pilot (Jumpspace) is the skill for "using" the jump drive. (RAW has Mechanic (Jump Drive). Pros and cons here related to giving multiple crewmen something to do. I was also trying to complete the the triad.)

[Halinn]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Certainly

Thank you :)

[Captain Joy]

Originally Posted by Halinn

Do you happen to have a link to that? I'll be playing in a space game soon, and making sure we don't forget to cover something would be nice.

Hey, I did something similar for my Star Trek game if you want to take a look. You'll need to click the "Tech Skill Triads" switch towards the bottom of the display.

[Phantasm]

Part of it is that IQ-based skills don't normally need to soak as many penalties as DX-based ones, so topping them out at the 12-14 range is common except for the ones that are "core concept" (Alchemy, Engineering, Thaumatology, etc) or combat-useful (look at how many skills requiring TBaM are IQ, Will, or Per as opposed to DX). You kinda need Bow-30 to reliably hit someone in the jaw at 50 yards (I did that in play once o/`)... you don't really need Mechanic-30 to get the seaplane engine fixed before the storm front hits or Lockpicking-30 to rig the electronic lock to stay closed long enough to get away from the soldiers chasing you through the space station. Yeah, they help, but they're not exactly vital for those tasks.

[GodBeastX]

I tend to see the skills used most getting lots of points. If the GM gives you a place to feel good about the points, the players tend to stuff them in.

I played a char who had the most points in Smithing stuff, just so I could make awesome low-tech masterwork swords and such. Plots revolved around the char's reknown with smithing. An invasion at their home village just to try to kidnap my char, nobility coming to hicksville with custom weapon orders. It was great!

I think that it's EASIEST to just focus on combat, but if the nob-combat gets focus, giving the player making the char ideas of how these IQ skills can benefit them, they will definitely go for it.

[aesir23]

There are a two categories of skills that attract a small (1-2 point investment):

1. Skills which you don't think you'll use, but which your character would logically have based on their concept/characterization: (e.g. Area Knowledge (Home Town), Current Events, Connoisseur (any), Hobby Skills).

2. Skills which are great to have at some level, but which you don't usually need to have at a high level (Computer Operation, Swimming).

Certainly more IQ skills fall into these two categories than DX skills.