What's the highest skill level you've ever had for a PC or NPC?

[Devil_Dante]

i used 17 as example.. i don't remember now what was the cap, but the point is: if you want to reach higher numbers, you have to reach a state of "overhuman, real hero, godlike" or whatever you can think about it. Why?
There are two reason: first of all, when i accepted "power blow" in my campaign, my entire campaign went messy: 50 damage in one round is not something i really like. What sense has fighting with a greatsword who can only attack or parry, for 2 more damages and one more yard of reach, compared to a broadsword, that attacks every round, parry even, and be used with a shield, for an higher defense, and comparable damage?

Second, what sense has, using a AoA to increase damage by 4? It's less than 10% of total damage. Or try different apporoaches to a fight, when the "I yell, i charge and i smash" is the best/more reliable tactic you can use?

Remaining human (with acceptable, even if high level in stats), tends to reward the players with a "better" campaign, where choices affect an action. Otherwise everything becomes a roll of dice, without any tactics whatsoever.

If you play cyberpunk campaign, of corse, you can have an implant that boosts your ST to 23, using FP and for a limited amount of time. Same for magic. But, after 20 years of RPG, i experienced that better rewards, from the view of a player, is not to 1 hit everything who dares to move, but to use the skills of the entire team in order to create a memorable fight/whatever you can imagine. And GURPS does it very well, before you reach absurd numbers, where, to balance your world, you have to introduce the "mega ultimat super dupa boss". And, in the end, you'll do the same things, but with higher numbers, slowing down the game.

For a super campaign could be a different story of corse, and it's the strength of GURPS, but for majority of settings i play, those numbers are not healty for the game, nor for players.

Saying something like: "in order to unloack power blow, you have to reach, 20 in strength, 18 in health, 25 hp, 25 in two fighting skills", it means: "before you are a demigods, you cannot use such power".
Could be gritty, could be bad, whatever you may think, but at least you don't see a player rolling ten millions dice. And for who doesn't chose to learn power blow, the game is not boring. And, in the end, when you sit at the table, that's the most important thing to achieve: everyone has to enjoy the session. And you will not, if your character does nothing compared to your fellow companion.

To end this wall of text: this is my way to play. None says is the better way, but after had understood that balance is an illusion, i've changed point of view. I don't want the perfect balance (Even if a bit of it is appreciated), i want every player enjoys the game, having fun and think about how he had done something that save his team.

I can't create ad adventure based on the way to avoid my monsters/NPCs/encounters been 1 hit by the power blow of the knight. Otherwise i would fall in the opposite direction, where the knight becomes useless.

[maximara]

Several of the characters in GURPS Who's Who 1 and GURPS Who's Who 2 have insanely high skill levels.

Archimedes: Mathematics-22
Hannibal: Leadership-19
St. Augustine of Hippo: Area Knowledge (Hippo Regius)-21; Theology (Christian belief)-23; Public Speaking-20
Dante Alighieri: Poetry-21
Sir Isaac Newton: of his 17 skills only 7 are below 18 and he has 4 skills that are 20 or higher.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Writing-20

Yes these are 3e books but skills levels didn't change that much between 3e and 4e.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by maximara

Yes these are 3e books but skills levels didn't change that much between 3e and 4e.

Not a good assumption to make. Check out Martial Arts for 3e. It assumes MA skills of 36 and maybe higher.

[Rupert]

Power Blow for 50 points of damage... assuming slashing damage and Weapon Master, and a good damage roll (4 on the dice, on average) that requires ST30 (5d+2 base damage). Good news - that's the cap on damage with a boardsword, so it's doable. However, with a greatsword (which when used in two hands can attack and parry in the same turn, etc., just like a broadsword), you can apply up to ST12 x 3 = ST36, for 6d+1 base damage. Thus while the broadsword does 5d+2 +1 (weapon) +10 (weapon master) = 5d+13 cut, the greatsword can do 6d+1 +3(weapon) +12 (WM) = 6d+16 cut, or about 21% more damage.

[AlexanderHowl]

Well, that was partially because Karate increased damage by (skill/5) and TBAM gave one extra attack and defense per three skill levels above 12. In 3e, a character with ST 12, TBAM, and Karate-36 did 1d+5 crushing damage with a punch and could attack and defend nine times per turn without penalty (of course, they likely spent 160 CP on Karate alone, but still).

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Not a good assumption to make. Check out Martial Arts for 3e. It assumes MA skills of 36 and maybe higher.

That appears only in the Life after the Black Belt section (MA3e pg 47) and it points out "There are very few masters of Fifth Dan level or higher" (skill 22-23) and states "Tenth Dan martial artists (minimum skill level 36!) are extremely rare."

More over anyone claiming to be that high a level must either have a reputation (which when you think about it is not really a representation of actual skill) or "can provide solid documentation to back their claim; this documentation (the equivalent of a diploma) must come from a well-known school or master." No one takes the claim of anyone under 40 being a 10th Dan seriously.

Also remember per the belt system that, until the Black Belt, the rankings are based on the average of the all the relevant skill levels. There is no reason assume the same isn't true of the Dan ranks.

Ironically it is easier (ie cheaper) to level up DX based skills in 4e then it was in 3e (it costs half as much for Average and Hard DX skills) but even in 4e just to get one DX skill for a DX 18 martial artist to skill level 36 in an average DX skill is a staggering 72 (!) points. At 200 hours per point, assuming sleeping and eating take 10 hours, and our martial artist is beyond even Ranma Saotome levels of training happy (ie spending every moment that they don't sleep or eat training) you are still talking about 900 days or 2.7 years to get that one skill to that level.

Going over The Historical Styles tabel over on GURPSwiki you will see that there are many schools where the time requirement would be just insane.

But again 3e did have a habit of sending skill in orbit for the simple reason that a mare generalized form of Techniques simply didn't exist. Which given they existed in Martial Arts 3e indicates the writer when the easy route and sent the skills off into orbit rather then use techniques.

[AlexanderHowl]

3 years to become the best person on Earth is pretty quick. If we assume self-teaching after DX+2 at 4 hours a weekday (8 hours on weekend days), a character effectively receives a +1 skill every year. To reach DX+18 (assuming DX 18) would require 18 years, so an individual who started at age 14 would reach that level at age 32. Of course, that level of dedication is only marginally effective without TBAM, as they cannot use the cinematic rules without TBAM.

Honestly, I think that Style! would probably be a better choice for 72 CP for a character with TBAM and Unusual Background (Ultimate Skill), which would fit for Ranma, Shampoo, etc. It would give them every skill in Ultimate Style (including cinematic skills) at (Attribute)+4 and every technique possible at maximum. Yes, they only (!) benefit from skill 22 when punching, but that is still pretty good.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

3 years to become the best person on Earth is pretty quick. If we assume self-teaching after DX+2 at 4 hours a weekday (8 hours on weekend days), a character effectively receives a +1 skill every year. To reach DX+18 (assuming DX 18) would require 18 years, so an individual who started at age 14 would reach that level at age 32. Of course, that level of dedication is only marginally effective without TBAM, as they cannot use the cinematic rules without TBAM.

Honestly, I think that Style! would probably be a better choice for 72 CP for a character with TBAM and Unusual Background (Ultimate Skill), which would fit for Ranma, Shampoo, etc. It would give them every skill in Ultimate Style (including cinematic skills) at (Attribute)+4 and every technique possible at maximum. Yes, they only (!) benefit from skill 22 when punching, but that is still pretty good.

Ranma 1/2 is in a weird place with regards to Style!; IMHO, its close but not quite there as many of the styles are quite narrow. Heck, for the write up on Mousse (which I did as soon as 4e Martial Arts came out) I avoided wildcard skills.

[WingedKagouti]

I've had at least one NPC Ancient Martial Arts Master™ with several relevant skills at 35-38. The skill levels were mostly used as a partial justification of several feats and as something to measure PCs against.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by WingedKagouti

I've had at least one NPC Ancient Martial Arts Master™ with several relevant skills at 35-38. The skill levels were mostly used as a partial justification of several feats and as something to measure PCs against.

Couldn't those same feats have been handled by Techniques which, unless the Ancient Martial Arts Master™ have at least four per skill (not style), would have been more cost effective and not requires to skill to be off in orbit? Never mind even with DX at a somewhat insane 18 your are talking about 72 points for the 35 minimum in one skill.

I agree that Style! in the 18-20 range is more effective for such an NPC then sending the skill levels off into orbit.