01-08-2016, 12:44 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Heartland, U.S.A.
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Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic
EDIT: Last update – 5 March 2021
From the GURPS Fourth Edition Traits Sorter: "In future versions of the Sorter, we plan on implementing a variety of defaults." Let's see if we can't help that along. I have attempted to split up skills into those appropriate to cinematic, exotic, magic, and mundane campaigns. If you believe I've got it wrong with any particular skill, I want to hear about it. Similar listings for advantages can be found at the Advantages List: Cinematic vs Realistic thread. Similar listings for disadvantages can be found at the Disadvantages List: Cinematic vs Realistic thread. Cinematic Skills: Computer Hacking/TL "This skill is cinematic", B184 Enthrallment "Depending on the setting, these skills might be magical, psionic, or a cinematic form of hypnotism.", B191 Flying Leap Trained by a Master prerequisite Hypnotism at skill 15 you have a 50% chance to induce a suggestible state in an unwilling subject with Will 10 in 5 seconds (See http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread...ight=Hypnotism) Immovable Stance Trained by a Master prerequisite Invisibility Art Trained by a Master prerequisite Kiai Trained by a Master or Weapon Master prerequisite Light Walk Trained by a Master prerequisite Mental Strength Trained by a Master or Weapon Master (or Mage or Psi) prerequisite Musical Influence "This cinematic skill…", B210 Power Blow Trained by a Master or Weapon Master prerequisite Pressure Points Trained by a Master or Weapon Master prerequisite Pressure Secrets Trained by a Master and Pressure Points at 16+ prerequisites Push Trained by a Master prerequisite Weird Science "This skill allows you to formulate astonishing new crackpot scientific theories that are far ahead of their time . . . or at least utterly different from the usual assumptions of your tech level.", B228 Zen Archery Trained by a Master or Weapon Master prerequisite Exotic Skills: Enthrallment "Depending on the setting, these skills might be magical, psionic, or a cinematic form of hypnotism.", B191 Mind Block Although, "The techniques involved are wholly mundane", B210 Flight Innate Attack Magic Skills: Skills useful only in magical settings. Alchemy/TL Enthrallment "Depending on the setting, these skills might be magical, psionic, or a cinematic form of hypnotism.", B191 Exorcism "It is not a magical skill, but a religious ritual.", B193 Herb Lore/TL Mind Block Although, "The techniques involved are wholly mundane", B210 Ritual Magic Symbol Drawing Thaumatology Mundane Skills: Skills that, while technically mundane, merit special consideration. Aerobatics assuming you can fly, e.g. jet pack, etc. Breath Control Kromm says it's "totally realistic", but Douglas H. Cole says, "This skill as written is basically a cinematic super-skill, since it’s more than twice as effective as Fit and has no down side." Pyramid #4/33, "The Last Gasp", p. 11 Dreaming Has both mundane and supernatural utility. Esoteric Medicine "It is usually associated with a magical or spiritual tradition.…It should always be at least as good as First Aid…", B192 Fortune-Telling "This skill is not a paranormal talent, and the GM is under no obligation to supply you with hints of future events.”, B196 Hidden Lore "The GM might even require you to purchase an Unusual Background before you can learn Hidden Lore skills. Of course, the GM is also free to forbid Hidden Lore skills to starting characters . . . or to PCs in general!", B199 Religious Ritual magic in some campaigns All other skills are so obviously mundane they don't merit comment and are not listed to save space.
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Last edited by Captain Joy; 03-05-2021 at 07:08 AM. |
01-08-2016, 01:04 PM | #2 |
formerly known as 'Kenneth Latrans'
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Wyoming, Michigan
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Re: Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic
I have a hard time seeing Esoteric Medicine as mundane.
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01-08-2016, 02:22 PM | #3 | ||
Banned
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic
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01-08-2016, 02:31 PM | #4 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic
I disagree with many of these classifications:
Dreaming: simple lucid dreaming techniques are basically a hobby skill, and realistic enough. Using dreaming to improve your memory is cinematic, using it to resist malign supernatural influences requires the existence of malign supernatural influences and is thus Magical or Exotic. Esoteric Medicine: actually useful alternate medical traditions are either magical/exotic, or they're some other medical skill at one of (a) a lower TL, (b) an alternate TL (e.g. 7+1 instead of 8), or (c) the same TL but using nonstandard techniques and vocabulary. Most of the examples given in the text are completely useless in a realistic setting. Exorcism: this ability doesn't make sense outside settings with spirits. It's either Magical or occasionally Exotic. Hidden Lore: as far as I can tell, Hidden Lore is just an Expert Skill that requires special permission to buy. I'm not sure why the skill exists (and why Occultism exists separately), but I agree that it's mundane. Fortune-Telling: it might be nice to have a more generic 'grifter' skill, but yes, as presented here it's mundane. Mind Block: this ability doesn't make sense outside settings with abilities that allow mind reading (and for some strange reason, only works against magical or psionic techniques), which makes it pretty clearly Exotic. Religious Ritual: mundane (though unclear why it exists, it's a specialty of Perform); in a setting where priests have supernatural powers, stripping the priest of power (say, a zero mana/sanctity zone) is unlikely to make him unable to perform rituals, unless those rituals use supernatural techniques. |
01-08-2016, 03:06 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Feb 2011
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Re: Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic
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01-08-2016, 03:23 PM | #6 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic
That's actually Pharmacy (Herbal, TL 4). For some odd reason Physician skill is noted as not existing before TL 5, so I guess if it's a TL 1-4 medical technique that doesn't fit in some other category it's Esoteric Medicine.
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01-08-2016, 03:33 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Re: Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic
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01-08-2016, 04:38 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic
I was taking 'realistic' to mean 'works in a realistic setting', not 'can be learned without cinematic or supernatural prerequisites'. Alchemy, Enthrallment, Herb Lore, and Ritual Magic are also 'mundane'.
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01-08-2016, 05:20 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Kenai, Alaska
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Re: Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic
As I understand it Esoteric Medicine is just the unscientific physician skill used back before we actually applied the scientific method to things and it was more what "feels" right. The Medical Help Table's low patient coverage and infrequent cure rolls at TL 1-4 are for Esoteric Medicine and what you see is a reflection of the poor effectiveness of the skill.
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01-08-2016, 05:57 PM | #10 | |
formerly known as 'Kenneth Latrans'
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Wyoming, Michigan
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Re: Skills List: Cinematic vs Realistic
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Tags |
aids, cinematic, question, realistic, skills |
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