Simplifying skills with many specialties

[Anders]

I've been thinking about simplifying skills with lots of mandatory specialties, like Artist, Guns, or Driving, without going full Wildcard. I think reversing the procedure that creates an optional specialty might work - simply increase the difficulty of the skill one step and assume it encompasses all sub-specialties. Of course, don't use this in a campaign where you also use mandatory specialties, but it can do a lot to simplify a character and create someone who is competent with, say, all guns without knowing how to handle a crossbow or flamethrower (as Gun! would make you).

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Anders

I've been thinking about simplifying skills with lots of mandatory specialties, like Artist, Guns, or Driving, without going full Wildcard. I think reversing the procedure that creates an optional specialty might work - simply increase the difficulty of the skill one step and assume it encompasses all sub-specialties.

I've done this a bit. In reasonably gritty campaigns, it works OK for things like folding Mechanic for several related specialisations (all wheeled vehicles, or all fixed-wing aircraft) into one skill. It's used by high-IQ characters who can get a useful level in a Hard skill from 1-2 points.

[Phantasm]

One thing I've done - which I know I've mentioned a few times here and on the Discord - is what I call "Condensed Specialties", reverse-engineered from Optional Specialties.

In short, you raise the skill difficulty by one step (Easy becomes Average, Average becomes Hard, etc.), and it covers all specialties (unless you specify exceptions; I generally exclude Nanotechnology from Mechanic (All) (IQ/H), f'rex).

Hope this helps.

[Varyon]

As soon as I saw the title, my suggestion was going to be... exactly what you stated. Take a skill with optional specialties, bump it up a difficulty level, and get rid of the specialties. Personally, I feel a lot of closely-related skills could be condensed in a similar fashion without going all the way to wildcards. As a side note, if you opt to do this with Thrown Weapon, I'd suggest letting Throwing come along for the ride (for a DX/A skill that functions just like the DX/H Throwing Art, but without the damage bonus).

[ericthered]

Back in 2014, I played around with an advantage that cost [10] and was the equivalent of spending [2] points in all specialties of a skill. It was offered for a game, but I don't think anyone actually took it (though a lot of people gave it consideration).