[IST Supers] Icepick's sexuality

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Whatever the exact meaning is, it doesn't make a proper quirk as it doesn't invoke character-actioned behavior.

Updating her, I'd put it as "Reacts coldly to romantic overtures."

[WingedKagouti]

Originally Posted by whswhs

That rule was not strictly applied in 3/e, as it is in 4/e. Icepick seems a likely case in point.

From 3E Basic (I could not find additional rules for Quirks in either Compendium):

A "quirk" is a minor personality trait. It is not an advantage, and is not necessarily a disadvantage - it is just something unique about your character.
<snip>
The only drawback to a quirk is this: you must roleplay it.

And ending the (one page) chapter with

Anything else that you can think of that will make your character into a "real person"!

With basically no limitation other than having to roleplay quirks and quirks being used to differentiate a character from the norm, "Not straight" (in any variation) is a valid quirk for most settings in 3E.

[pawsplay]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Whatever the exact meaning is, it doesn't make a proper quirk as it doesn't invoke character-actioned behavior.

She isn't particularly interested in men. There's your behavior.

I don't like it just because it's vague. Is it that she's heterosexual but just down on relationships? Or is she more gray asexual? Is she more of a career woman?

[the_matrix_walker]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

Whatever the exact meaning is, it doesn't make a proper quirk as it doesn't invoke character-actioned behavior.

Seems to indicate it speaks to the character's reaction to romantic overtures by the opposite sex. Passes my sniff test.

[Polydamas]

I thought that GURPS 4e was more explicit about what a Quirk has to do, and why "likes the colour orange" is not a valid Quirk.

Originally Posted by pawsplay

She isn't particularly interested in men. There's your behavior.

I don't like it just because it's vague. Is it that she's heterosexual but just down on relationships? Or is she more gray asexual? Is she more of a career woman?

People fake interest a lot of things for a lot of reasons. As someone else said, I think this means that Icepick would avoid flirting with men to obtain some short-term goal, or developing close friendships with men, and therefore gives up some social resources which the default GURPS character can exploit.

There are lots of reasons why someone can be attracted to a gender, but try to push people of that gender away. As far as Quirks go, the important thing is how it restricts the character's behaviour or causes behaviour from others. Whether a character is into girls, guys, both, or neither is a Feature but Secret (Closeted gay in a homophobic society) is a Disadvantage and "Aggressively masculine" is a Quirk.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by pawsplay

She isn't particularly interested in men. There's your behavior.

That isn't really much a behavior. If a player proposed that quirk, I'd ask for more detail. Basically, what would someone who interacts with her take about related to it.

Something more like "Fakes interest in romance... poorly" for an ace that doesn't want to be publicly identified as such, perhaps.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by RyanW

That isn't really much a behavior. If a player proposed that quirk, I'd ask for more detail.

But that's true for almost all quirks. A sentence, let alone a 1 word name, isn't a lot to go on, and that's all quirks usually ever got until the Power Ups PDF. Yes you'd want more from a PC in an ongoing game, but you aren't going to get it from a character stat block or character sheet, where brevity counts.

Honestly, I often want more even for full blown advantages and disadvantages, given they can be interpreted multiple ways. What I'd really like to see a few paragraphs describing your character's personality, mentioning [no] GURPS traits, but I know I'm not getting that very often.

[pawsplay]

Originally Posted by RyanW

That isn't really much a behavior. If a player proposed that quirk, I'd ask for more detail. Basically, what would someone who interacts with her take about related to it.

I'd like more detail, but because it's unclear, not because it's brief.

Something more like "Fakes interest in romance... poorly" for an ace that doesn't want to be publicly identified as such, perhaps.

That sounds like an OPH.

[Anders]

I went with asexual lesbian (yes, they exist but this is not the place for a discussion on what that means) and a Social Stigma. At this point, lesbians didn't have the same rights as heterosexual couples and a minor reaction penalty seems appropriate.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Anders

I went with asexual lesbian (yes, they exist but this is not the place for a discussion on what that means) and a Social Stigma. At this point, lesbians didn't have the same rights as heterosexual couples and a minor reaction penalty seems appropriate.

Earlier on, they had a Secret: being exposed could cost them jobs and family ties, if not send them to prison. But by the time Icepick came into print, those effects were much diminished; they were more like being subject to other people's Intolerance.