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Old 08-31-2018, 04:37 AM   #1
Dalillama
 
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Default Doing two things at once/Non-combat DWAs

The same sort of practice that allows the DWA technique can, in theory, be applied to any skill(s) that allow one-handed use, within limits. A successful roll allows either two simultaneous uses of the skill, or a reduction in the t8me it takes to perform, as appropriate. E.g. DWA (Piano) would allow you to play separate melodies with your right and left hand, or DWA(writing) to mimic James Garfield's famous trick of writing in Greek and Latin simultaneously. For skills where a roll represents a succession of short tasks rather than a single prolonged task, reduce the total time taken by 30%; e.g., DWA (Cooking) allows meals to be prepared in 2/3 the time, as 2 pots can be stirred at once, or the next ingredient grabbed while the current one is being added, etc. I'm not 100% certain what skills this could reasonably be applied to; the three examples are ones I know can be done.
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Old 08-31-2018, 06:26 AM   #2
Anaraxes
 
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Default Re: Doing two things at once/Non-combat DWAs

I'd quibble about the piano, simply because that's a routine use of the skill. Sure, pianists often are accompanying themselves, rather than playing two melodies, but that's not because that's easier to do. It's because that's the way we usually structure a song (and the point of a piano, like a guitar, is that you can play chordal music). Most people practice the hands independently and put them together, regardless of the piece; it wouldn't really matter if you learned two melodies. And then there's forms like fugues and elements like countermelodies where multiple simultaneous melodies are part of the piece.

Just for fun, if you want to see melodic DWA in action, there's this guy on YouTube.
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Old 08-31-2018, 08:56 AM   #3
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Default Re: Doing two things at once/Non-combat DWAs

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Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
I'd quibble about the piano, simply because that's a routine use of the skill.
Many Techniques are "routine" uses of a skill, they're just not the "main" use of a skill.

Juggling would be a good one for DWA (... Dual Handed... Action?)
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Old 08-31-2018, 10:28 AM   #4
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Default Re: Doing two things at once/Non-combat DWAs

I think an example of DWA (Piano) would be playing two different tunes on two different pianos at the same time.
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Old 08-31-2018, 11:16 AM   #5
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Default Re: Doing two things at once/Non-combat DWAs

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Originally Posted by Daigoro View Post
Many Techniques are "routine" uses of a skill, they're just not the "main" use of a skill.
True enough, but then, playing two different things with each hand is the main use of a piano. You don't normally double the melody in a different octave or in parallel at some fixed interval.

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I think an example of DWA (Piano) would be playing two different tunes on two different pianos at the same time.
Would come in handy for your 80s band, where the keyboardist has a stack of instruments, if for no other reason than you have to patch them differently to get different sounds at the same time.
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Old 08-31-2018, 04:00 PM   #6
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Default Re: Doing two things at once/Non-combat DWAs

It seems odd tbut me that an event like cooking BT would recessed be a constant durable top me bonus. No matter how quickly one mixes the ingredients the cooking time should or be constant (unless one employs an environmental chamber to increase pressure and temperature considerably).
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Old 08-31-2018, 04:07 PM   #7
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Default Re: Doing two things at once/Non-combat DWAs

I have to agree. Multitasking is just part of cooking, especially when you are cooking for a family, and you almost always use two hands while cooking. I could see ATR allowing a character to cool multiple meals at the same time without penalty though, but I do not think that DWA would do anything.
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Old 08-31-2018, 06:16 PM   #8
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Default Re: Doing two things at once/Non-combat DWAs

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anaraxes View Post
I'd quibble about the piano, simply because that's a routine use of the skill. Sure, pianists often are accompanying themselves, rather than playing two melodies, but that's not because that's easier to do. It's because that's the way we usually structure a song (and the point of a piano, like a guitar, is that you can play chordal music). Most people practice the hands independently and put them together, regardless of the piece;
Really? I never did; always practiced playing the melody and harmony at once, never could get the hang of doing a separate melody instead of the harmony. Had a friend who could, though.



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It seems odd tbut me that an event like cooking BT would recessed be a constant durable top me bonus. No matter how quickly one mixes the ingredients the cooking time should or be constant (unless one employs an environmental chamber to increase pressure and temperature considerably).
You would think that, but I have ticket times about a third less than my coworkers.

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I have to agree. Multitasking is just part of cooking, especially when you are cooking for a family, and you almost always use two hands while cooking. I could see ATR allowing a character to cool multiple meals at the same time without penalty though, but I do not think that DWA would do anything.
You would think that, but in fact most cooks use their off hand purely for assistive purposes. Nobody else in my kitchen can flip two omelettes at once, nor measure out pancake batter with one hand whilst breaking eggs into a pan with the other, and I turn out the food notably faster than people with years or decades more experience.
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Old 08-31-2018, 06:48 PM   #9
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Default Re: Doing two things at once/Non-combat DWAs

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Really? I never did; always practiced playing the melody and harmony at once, never could get the hang of doing a separate melody instead of the harmony.
Probably a good way to do it if it doesn't become too difficult. Seems to be standard instructional advice to practice the hands separately and put them together. But I always thought the parts tend to work together, and sometimes it's easier to learn them both to get the effect of the whole piece. It's kind of a tradeoff between taking longer to get anywhere, since it's slower to train both together while splitting your attention, or having that additional delay after you know them separately and then have to go back and integrate them anyway.

The style of music probably affects it, too. Ragtime (frex) seems like you're just missing half the song if you learn one hand at a time, so it seems harder to me harder to learn some arbitrary gaps than just do both parts. (At least play it in your head so you're not just counting rests!) Or something like Fur Elise, which is about 2/3s basically one part at time anyway, even if it does span both hands.
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Old 09-01-2018, 12:59 AM   #10
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Default Re: Doing two things at once/Non-combat DWAs

Of course we often use our off-hand to assist our on-hand with some activity- using two hands to do something shouldn't count as "dual handed". The question is whether the off-hand is working in concert or doing something independently.

For piano playing, I guess it depends on what style of music you're playing, what piece, and how difficult it is to learn. Part of the difficulty in learning some pieces would effectively be the buying off of the dual-hand penalty. As for playing two separate melodies- that sounds like its own extra-advanced technique. DWA isn't used for attacking two enemies. DH-Piano would be for playing equally difficult sections on both hands, not melody+harmony, or for using two separate keyboards, which still seems to be a thing.

I must say, though, that -4 for for DWA seemed a bit steep for some weapons, especially things like paired short batons (escrima sticks) which are trained in by using both to attack..... which I guess is an argument for spending points in buying off the penalty.
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