Waterproof surface: a perk?

[Bruno]

The survival rules, whichever you're using, put a pretty big penalty on characters who get wet in cold conditions (and rightly so).
There are a lot of animals who have a surface covering designed to either separate themselves from the water, shed water rapidly, or both. Obviously they partly include some Temperature Tolerance (cold), but I'm thinking of a trait that exempts you from the "wet" penalty, at least as long as your fur/feathers are in good condition.

With the "natural" limitations (doesn't work if ruffled or dirty), a perk seems fine. What I'm having a little more difficulty eyeballing is if you don't have those natural limitations. Perhaps you have a skin-hugging force-field bubble.

In related questions, does Sealed include ignoring the wet penalty among its benefits?

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Bruno

In related questions, does Sealed include ignoring the wet penalty among its benefits?

Well, seals are known to have water-resistant fur so obviously. :o)

I'd say it's a perk and that Sealed characters ignore the wet penalty. It makes you waterproof, after all.

[Phantasm]

Don't the Fur, Scales, and Feathers perks include waterproofing, or am I misremembering?

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Phantasm

Don't the Fur, Scales, and Feathers perks include waterproofing, or am I misremembering?

Thanks for the reminder.

Fur and Scales only give you protection from sunburn and an excuse to buy traits like DR or Temperature Tolerance. Feathers (as the perk) prevent sunburn and eliminate -2 in penalties for being wet - not the entire -5.

[Railstar]

I would see it as essentially reverse-Rinse, so a perk sounds very fair to me.

[Humabout]

This sounds like a solid perk-level Sealed to me.

[Ulzgoroth]

I think I'd allow 'water-repellent' as a perk.

I would not include it in Sealed. Being wet causes you to get cold because of water evaporating off your outside, not because the water gets into you.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Bruno

The survival rules, whichever you're using, put a pretty big penalty on characters who get wet in cold conditions (and rightly so).
There are a lot of animals who have a surface covering designed to either separate themselves from the water, shed water rapidly, or both. Obviously they partly include some Temperature Tolerance (cold), but I'm thinking of a trait that exempts you from the "wet" penalty, at least as long as your fur/feathers are in good condition.

With the "natural" limitations (doesn't work if ruffled or dirty), a perk seems fine. What I'm having a little more difficulty eyeballing is if you don't have those natural limitations. Perhaps you have a skin-hugging force-field bubble.

It's a perk. See the Umbrella perk from GURPS Psionic Powers (p. 56) for a canonical example.

Originally Posted by Bruno

In related questions, does Sealed include ignoring the wet penalty among its benefits?

I'd say yes.