Knowledgeable but not Smart

[JCurwen3]

How would you price IQ that only represented "book learning"? I know GURPS IQ represents a lot of things, including extensive time studying. So how much is IQ (Knowledge only) worth?

Let's say I wanted to build a character that isn't particularly talented (as per Talent) at any skill or knowledge area. They just have been obsessed with being "well-read" and are spending all their time learning things, non-fiction aficionados, etc. They're "know-it-alls". They don't have enough training / studying in any skill to count as one point (they know about, not know, the skill). Imagine the guy who can talk about anything, like theoretical physics and the lay understanding of quantum mechanics or general relativity, but couldn't solve an equation (let alone recognize it) or be useful in the field if it would save their lives.

What does this count as? How would you build this? It seems like IQ with a limitation to me.

[Nereidalbel]

It's just having a decent IQ with no actual IQ-based skills. Sure, they can attempt things at defaults, but some defaults can be quite harsh.

[Polydamas]

I would make a special talent for whatever they spent a lot of time studying (what one learns from book learning varies a lot by culture) and give them appropriate skills such as Expert Skill, Literature, Hobby (Geographic trivia), and so on. Don't be obsessed with the name "talent" ... mechanically it is the way to build someone who is good at a group of skills smaller than "all IQ skills" or "all DX skills" which have a common theme.

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

How would you price IQ that only represented "book learning"? I know GURPS IQ represents a lot of things, including extensive time studying. So how much is IQ (Knowledge only) worth?

Buy IQ 10 or whatever, and add basic levels of general knowledge skills (Literature, History, Current Affairs, Biology, Naturalist, Physics) and beyond that use the Dabbler perk.

[NineDaysDead]

Jack of all Trades? That boosts defaults.

[JCurwen3]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

Buy IQ 10 or whatever, and add basic levels of general knowledge skills (Literature, History, Current Affairs, Biology, Naturalist, Physics) and beyond that use the Dabbler perk.

I don't want them to be especially good at those skills. Or have an IQ that allows them to be clever and figure out stuff, or have a good memory. They're just well-read. They're the fictional archetype that knows about everything, but can't actually perform at a decent level at any skill. They've just read about it all - it's all academic, but they know about almost everything, but can't do anything useful. IQ 10 makes sense, as I want this person to be about average real world I.Q.

I guess how would you build an average I.Q. 100 guy that has spent virtually all their time reading about almost every subject matter but has never specialized, even a little bit, as isn't particularly good at feats of memory or of problem solving (as I.Q. 100 would suggest).

[Kraydak]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

I don't want them to be especially good at those skills. Or have an IQ that allows them to be clever and figure out stuff, or have a good memory. They're just well-read. They're the fictional archetype that knows about everything, but can't actually perform at a decent level at any skill. They've just read about it all - it's all academic, but they know about almost everything, but can't do anything useful. IQ 10 makes sense, as I want this person to be about average real world I.Q.

I guess how would you build an average I.Q. 100 guy that has spent virtually all their time reading about almost every subject matter but has never specialized, even a little bit, as isn't particularly good at feats of memory or of problem solving (as I.Q. 100 would suggest).

I'd build such a character with an IQ 11 or 12 (but Will/Per 10) and with a bunch of skills bought at the 1-2 point level, and a bunch more bought up with Dabbler? Why wouldn't that work? Avoid buying the Versatile advantage, of course. Maybe Hidebound?

[CousinX]

Originally Posted by JCurwen3

How would you price IQ that only represented "book learning"? I know GURPS IQ represents a lot of things, including extensive time studying. So how much is IQ (Knowledge only) worth?

I can think of a few ways using official rules, depending on exactly what you're going for. I think the simplest is to just use a Talent, as some have mentioned. Pick the "Knowledge skills" that you want the character to be good at, and build the talent from there ... Literature, History, Occultism, etc. Another is a Wildcard Skill, like Well-Read!, covering the same kinds of skills.

The Jack of All Trades talent doesn't seem to me like all that good a fit, because it makes a character better at any skill he doesn't know. It might be a reasonable starting point, but it would look more like IQ (Only for knowledge skills, maybe -40% to -60% depending on what skills are covered). Doing it this way seems pretty much like a Talent, though.

In any case, I think the first step is to identify what skills in particular you want to cover.

[Langy]

It sounds like it's just Expert Skill!

[NineDaysDead]

Perk: Seems Smart [1/level]. For every level of this perk you have you will seem to others to have an IQ 2 points higher than you do.