[Traveller] Does Luck have to be PSI?

[Tuk the Weekah]

Originally Posted by adimar

I'm continuing in fashioning my gurps traveller character, and would like him to have the Extraordinary Lucky advantage.
I also like the idea of explaining it as an unconscious use of a PSI power. (this explanation is purely fluff).

I have two questions:
1) Do I also need to take the unusual background(PSI)?
The same can be asked about a character with Danger Sense (Unconscious use of ESP) etc...
2) Does that character have a Secret? (I mean, he's a psi but he doesn't know it, make active use of it or train it)

Best regards
Adi

Nothing on B.152 about a character needing to know what the secret is. It sure helps you to keep the Secret, though.

If you're planning on using Luck as a Psi power, I'd suggest looking at the Probability Alteration, or Micro-PK, Powers from Psionic Powers, pp. 43-46. I don't know if this would fit into the GURPS Traveller universe's version of Psi, but reading this section might at least spark some campaign ideas for you.

If it is an unconscious Power, would you consider having it be an Unconscious Only [-20%] power?

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by Tuk the Weekah

If it is an unconscious Power, would you consider having it be an Unconscious Only [-20%] power?

Unconscious Only is for use in conjunction with Uncontrollable, not on its own.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Tuk the Weekah

If it is an unconscious Power, would you consider having it be an Unconscious Only [-20%] power?

Note that that also requires Uncontrollable (-10%), which means the power can activate when the player doesn't want it to (not hugely inconveniencing in itself, but it uses up the Luck's "charge"). The combination of Uncontrollable and Unconscious means the player has no control of the power; it triggers entirely at the whim of the GM, hopefully in situations where it actually does some good.

An alternate to consider is Emergencies Only (-30%). This means the player (not necessarily the character) does have control of the power, but can only activate it in moments of extreme stress or danger (again, up to the GM).

[Tuk the Weekah]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

Note that that also requires Uncontrollable (-10%), which means the power can activate when the player doesn't want it to (not hugely inconveniencing in itself, but it uses up the Luck's "charge"). The combination of Uncontrollable and Unconscious means the player has no control of the power; it triggers entirely at the whim of the GM, hopefully in situations where it actually does some good.

An alternate to consider is Emergencies Only (-30%). This means the player (not necessarily the character) does have control of the power, but can only activate it in moments of extreme stress or danger (again, up to the GM).

Again, if I were the Player here and not the GM, I would not be adverse to having the power initially Uncontrollable & Unconscious [-30] at the beginning of play, with the agreement that, once the character understands what's going on, I can switch to Emergencies Only [same point cost] and then slowly, with experience & training, buy it down to varying levels of Unreliable [-25% to -5%] as I gain mastery of my powers.

[vierasmarius]

Originally Posted by Tuk the Weekah

Again, if I were the Player here and not the GM, I would not be adverse to having the power initially Uncontrollable & Unconscious [-30] at the beginning of play, with the agreement that, once the character understands what's going on, I can switch to Emergencies Only [same point cost] and then slowly, with experience & training, buy it down to varying levels of Unreliable [-25% to -5%] as I gain mastery of my powers.

That seems fair. Trigger could also be an appropriate "trade", representing the character using drugs to gain a measure of control over it.

[Tuk the Weekah]

Originally Posted by vierasmarius

That seems fair. Trigger could also be an appropriate "trade", representing the character using drugs to gain a measure of control over it.

Sure; and you could use the "commonality" scaling to represent needing smaller doses of the drugs as the character builds up a reservoir of the drugs in his system (if you want it scalable).

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Tuk the Weekah

Nothing on B.152 about a character needing to know what the secret is. It sure helps you to keep the Secret, though.

That's not right, actually. The point of a Secret is that the character can be compelled to take action by the imminent threat of the Secret being revealed, and more generally that they will lead a life organized to avoid its being revealed. A character who does not know they have some trait can't very well be motivated to keep that trait Secret.

Bill Stoddard

[Tuk the Weekah]

Originally Posted by whswhs

That's not right, actually. The point of a Secret is that the character can be compelled to take action by the imminent threat of the Secret being revealed, and more generally that they will lead a life organized to avoid its being revealed. A character who does not know they have some trait can't very well be motivated to keep that trait Secret.

Bill Stoddard

But one could take an "unknown" Secret, to be revealed later in play, in character generation. That would make the first opportunity of the Secret to come into play in-game a kind of 'origin story' moment. After that moment, of course, it is a 'normal' Secret. Of course, this kind of approach should be player-driven, rather than GM driven, as it is all about character development.