Perk: Singing based on IQ

[JazzJedi]

I'm of the opinion that Musical Aptitude is more closely related to IQ than any other attribute. I've been a music teacher at university for 20 years, and my brightest students are usually the most musical as well. I've had many students who were seriously athletic (including a professional Hockey player and an Olympic-level cross-country skier) with obvious high HT, but little in the way of musical aptitude. Perception is interesting, but I've never seen any evidence that the ability to relate pitch in any musical sense is related to acuity of hearing. General intelligence seems the most reliable to me, but this isn't always the case either! I've had brilliant students (including a retired heart surgeon and both his kids who all became surgeons) who were clearly high IQ but chronic over-thinkers with very stiff technique and poor musical instincts.

I've also toyed with the idea that Musical Aptitude is basically a rarely used fifth stat that is equal to 10 + Musical Ability level. It's not really worth taking the talent unless you are going to learn 2 or more musical skills. If I ever run a Rock-Opera campaign, or maybe a film-noir campaign with Jazz musicians from the 50s, I'd consider tweaking the rules this way. But unless it's a major campaign theme, I'd base all music skills on IQ and leave it.

But for added realism, I also think that low HT does affect Singing and Wind Instruments especially. Having high HT isn't much of a bonus in my experience, but I've seen older musicians whose health degrades suddenly struggle to play or sing. So maybe the base musical attribute is equal to the lower of 10 or HT. That would cover that.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by JazzJedi

I'm of the opinion that Musical Aptitude is more closely related to IQ than any other attribute. I've been a music teacher at university for 20 years, and my brightest students are usually the most musical as well....

I've heard that mathematicians are often good at music and visa versa. If you ignore the (admittedly huge) ascetic side of it, music is largely mathematical with ranges, rhythms, and frequencies/ratios/overtones. A musical staff is essentially a version of a mathematical graph. I also remember a university musical group that consisted of physics professors.

[dataweaver]

Originally Posted by Alden Loveshade

I've heard that mathematicians are often good at music and visa versa. If you ignore the (admittedly huge) ascetic side of it, music is largely mathematical with ranges, rhythms, and frequencies/ratios/overtones. A musical staff is essentially a version of a mathematical graph. I also remember a university musical group that consisted of physics professors.

I have no problem with Musical Composition bring IQ-based. And I could see IQ-based rolls against Singing or Musical Instrument to read music

[a humble lich]

I think that IQ based singing makes a lot of sense for some characters. I would say it represents a singer who might not have the best sounding voice, but who is a skilled performer. Think singers like Rex Harrison, Bob Dylan, Johnny Rotton, or Tom Waits. They might not have a purest voice for opera, but that hasn't stopped them for selling many albums. That style of singing is really more like Performance, which is IQ based.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by a humble lich

I think that IQ based singing makes a lot of sense for some characters. I would say it represents a singer who might not have the best sounding voice, but who is a skilled performer. Think singers like Rex Harrison, Bob Dylan, Johnny Rotton, or Tom Waits. They might not have a purest voice for opera, but that hasn't stopped them for selling many albums. That style of singing is really more like Performance, which is IQ based.

If I recall correctly, I think whswhs (Bill Stoddard) recommended musical performers roll on both their musical skill and Performance for a concert. I know I've seen some traditionally-trained singers who stood stiffly with arms at their sides; I found I liked their singing better if I closed my eyes.

[dcarson]

IQ might also apply in on the fly lyrics. A bard praising or slagging someone for something that just happened or a rap battle.

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by a humble lich

I think that IQ based singing makes a lot of sense for some characters. I would say it represents a singer who might not have the best sounding voice, but who is a skilled performer. Think singers like Rex Harrison, Bob Dylan, Johnny Rotton, or Tom Waits. They might not have a purest voice for opera, but that hasn't stopped them for selling many albums. That style of singing is really more like Performance, which is IQ based.

I think this is on the right track. Supposedly what made Frank Sinatra a successful singer was his ability to tell a story with a song.

But maybe that just means these type of singer are using a different skill.

[dataweaver]

Poetry, maybe.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by a humble lich

I think that IQ based singing makes a lot of sense for some characters. I would say it represents a singer who might not have the best sounding voice, but who is a skilled performer. Think singers like Rex Harrison, Bob Dylan, Johnny Rotton, or Tom Waits. They might not have a purest voice for opera, but that hasn't stopped them for selling many albums. That style of singing is really more like Performance, which is IQ based.

That's kind of like an average IQ person who happens to be a capable mathematician. You don't give them ST or DX based math skills. You just buy up their skill. Which is cheaper anyway. Or in this case, they rely for their success on their abilities as a performer and songwriter even though objectively they are not great singers.

[Alden Loveshade]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

...Or in this case, you rely for your success on their abilities as a performer and songwriter.

Definitely agreed on Bob Dylan. RollingStone rated Roy Orbison the 13th greatest singer of all time, and Bob Dylan the 7th. I'm a huge Bob Dylan fan, but in terms of pure Singing definitely do not see him beating out Orbison. What Dylan has, in addition to being an incredible songwriter, is the ability to catch an audience in his Performance.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/m...l-time-147019/