Using Erotic Art Skill

[AlexanderHowl]

In many ways, the Erotic Art Skill is the redheaded stepchild of skills in GURPS because, while it deals with one of the most important parts of human existence, more important than combat to the majority of the population, it does not seem to do anything. I offer a few suggestions for the effects of the Erotic Art Skill. Please feel free to use them in your campaigns or to offer your own suggestions.

1. After characters successfully use the Erotic Art Skill, their partner(s) experience Ecstasy for minutes equal to the character's margin of success (minimum one minute) and Euphoria for hours equal to the character's margin of success (minimum one hour) when the Ecstasy ends.

2. After characters successfully use the Erotic Art Skill, they receive a reaction bonus from their partner(s) equal to their margin of success of their most recent use of the Erotic Art Skill for the next month.

3. After characters successfully use the Erotic Art Skill, their partner(s) receive a bonus to their self-control rolls equal to the character's margin of success (minimum +1) for the next day.

4. After characters successfully use the Erotic Art Skill, they receive a bonus to their self-control rolls equal to their margin of success (minimum +1) for the next day.

[Ashtagon]

I suspect SJG glossed over exact details of what the skill can be used for because, while it is a thing that really exists, it is also a thing that gets the Mary Whitehouse brigade very upset, and SJG is keen to keep GURPS as a family-friendly product. A single paragraph among hundreds of pages with no specific rules consequences is fine; giving specific incentives to ham it up in that direction, not so much.

[vicky_molokh]

It can be used to transfer FP (or presumably ER) between characters, I call that useful.
Also, the RAW reaction bonus is a +1 or +2 for MoS×2 days, and the effects of success are toned down roughly one step compared to your write-up.

[Pursuivant]

The rules proposed are good "Social Engineering" guidelines.

I assume that Erotic Art covers all manner of NSFW material, and that while it is nominally DX-based (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more!), its HT-based and IQ-based skill rolls are more important.

HT-based rolls are used for stamina-based tasks, such as satisfying a partner with a very high libido, satisfying multiple partners, performing various tantric techniques, or surviving an orgy at the Unseelie court.

IQ-based rolls are possibly the most important aspect of the skill, since they allow you to recall anything from obscure bits of the Kama Sutra to the latest slang, sex toys, and sexual subcultures. It's basically an Expert Skill regarding anything to do with applied human (or similar) recreational sexuality. In pre-modern times, it covers knowledge of effective birth control methods. (Abortion, not so much. That's Physician, Poisons, or Professional Skill.)

It is a complementary skill to various Professional Skills involving the sex trade, which cover the commercial and (il)legal aspects of human(oid) sexuality.

In game terms, that makes EA a much more useful skill for investigators. ("That's not an accidental suicide due to autoerotic asphyxiation, the ligature marks on the victim's neck are all wrong!" or "That sex toy isn't just something you'd get off the internet, it's 18th century Chinese.")

By comparison, Sex Appeal covers psychological manipulation involving sexuality. You use SA to get a partner into bed, EA to get them back into bed.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Pursuivant

By comparison, Sex Appeal covers psychological manipulation involving sexuality. You use SA to get a partner into bed, EA to get them back into bed.

Minor nitpick / expansion to ensure an old misunderstanding isn't unintentionally perpetuated:
Sex Appeal neither holds a monopoly among Influence skills on getting people into bed, nor is a necessarily restricted to that task.

[AlexanderHowl]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

It can be used to transfer FP (or presumably ER) between characters, I call that useful.
Also, the RAW reaction bonus is a +1 or +2 for MoS×2 days, and the effects of success are toned down roughly one step compared to your write-up.

Interesting, I do not remember running into that. Which book has those rules?

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Interesting, I do not remember running into that. Which book has those rules?

Chinese Elemental Powers, of course, where else would one expect GURPS to explore the Tantric topic . . .

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

I would also allow it to....support? (haven't memorized the Skill rules).....any social check made to fluster prudes and make sex jokes. I mean there's no Dirty Old Pervert skill.

[whswhs]

My own view is that the application of EA often involves floating it to Per.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Chinese Elemental Powers, of course, where else would one expect GURPS to explore the Tantric topic . . .

It's a generalization of the Body Discipline perk from GURPS LTC1, IIRC, and I believe it requires the practitioner to have Blessed (Harmony with the Tao), which grants access to peaceful chi-based skills.