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Old 10-28-2017, 11:18 AM   #11
talonthehand
 
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Default Re: High Skill Vs Talent

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Originally Posted by Railstar View Post
While I don't disagree with the general point, those specific examples sound more like Wealth + Debt, or a cost-of-living increase from disadvantages that requires him to live at a lower status to account for those expenses.

Then again, I can understand saying "too much book-keeping for me, a reduced effective-Wealth is easier."
*shrugs* I won't insist on it being the most precise way of representing it - the general point is of course that there are reasons why an expectedly rich person might not be rich.
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Old 10-28-2017, 01:11 PM   #12
mlangsdorf
 
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Default Re: High Skill Vs Talent

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Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl View Post
It would probably be more realistic (for a given level of narrative realism...) to encourage that capable of a doctor to invest in a high IQ.
Why? What is realistic about a doctor that is a highly skilled physician is also a talented amateur actor, passable stand-up comic, decent mathematician, not-bad musician and artist, and passably skilled at dozens of other IQ based skills, but is not realistic about a highly skilled doctor who is just a really good doctor and not noticeably skilled at every other IQ skill?

GURPS IQ is a mildly cinematic trait as it is. People don't need to be discouraged from taking it, especially in cinematic games, but they don't need to be encouraged to take it for realism purposes, especially if the concept is an exceptional talent in a relatively narrow band of skills.
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Old 10-28-2017, 01:17 PM   #13
ericthered
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Default Re: High Skill Vs Talent

I like to still make the player explain why the guy is broke. If only so that I can have wife number two show up looking to get back together in the middle of a life-or-death situation. Or bringing a lawsuit. Or whatever.

Of course, this is a fallout character, so alimony isn't a big deal. Actually, the after the end books don't use the wealth trait at all, so its actually less of an issue than normal. (yes, I know they probably aren't using the AtE books, but its still a basis for not having high wealth on a doctor).

In this sort of situation I'd normally just make a custom talent with the skills he needs at 5/level. It will give him a flatter arrangement of the skills, rather than the single sky-high skill dragging everything else with it. Yes, its a little bit of talent abuse, but despite the number of skills relating to it healing is really a very narrow use of IQ.
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Old 10-28-2017, 01:19 PM   #14
sir_pudding
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Default Re: High Skill Vs Talent

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Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
Or the doctor is the best doctor in a country where doctors aren't automatically rich, which is a great many countries in the real world. Or the best doctor in a war zone where nobody is getting paid at all. Or from such circumstances, and not licensed to practice in her or his current country of residence.

Or the doctor voluntarily went into such circumstances for humanitarian reasons and stayed there, and is functionally broke.

Or the doctor is a devout follower of a religion or philosophy that places great significance on charity or self-improvement through poverty, and gives up everything to patients in need.

Honestly, the view that all the best doctors are materialists who come from and remain in First World surroundings is a little narrow.
Given the setting all of these things are not only possible, they are likely. A doctor in the wasteland is effectively in a war zone, a frontier doctor needs to treat impoverished clients and deals in barter, a slave doctor is a slave, a doctor in the Followers of The Apocalypse is an idealist doing humanitarian work, a doctor in the Brotherhood of Steel is a monk in all religious order, doctor in a vault lives in an engineered society that is caste-based and collective, ect. Only something like a civilian doctor living well within the interior of a reconstruction state like the NCR is going to be anything like a first world wealthy professional.

Last edited by sir_pudding; 10-28-2017 at 04:14 PM.
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Old 10-28-2017, 02:44 PM   #15
Culture20
 
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Default Re: High Skill Vs Talent

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Originally Posted by Empada View Post
The only drawback I found is the Electronics Operation (Medical)(IQ-1)
This is entirely real in my experience. That’s often the purview of nurses / practitioners. The doctors also have much lower computer operation skills than administrative staff.
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Old 10-28-2017, 03:29 PM   #16
mr beer
 
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Default Re: High Skill Vs Talent

Not that it matters for the sake of writing up a character, but if they're going to draw blood, better a nurse than a doctor.
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Old 10-28-2017, 04:01 PM   #17
Flyndaran
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Default Re: High Skill Vs Talent

Better a phlebotomist than anyone else. Better an experienced blood taker regardless of job title.
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Old 10-29-2017, 12:54 AM   #18
dcarson
 
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Default Re: High Skill Vs Talent

In a AtE setting a Doctor might have Social Status: Valuable Loot. Wear a Red Cross on the shirt so they know they should take you alive.
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Old 10-31-2017, 06:49 AM   #19
Empada
 
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Default Re: High Skill Vs Talent

Thanks for all the answers
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Originally Posted by Fred Brackin View Post
First define your problem. Is it that you don't like that his build was so efficient? Is that why you offered him a much less efficient one?
well, when I started the topic I wasn't sure why it bothered me but reading the answers I understand.
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I tend to agree that the one-high-skill route looks entirely fair to me.
For some reason I think it wouldn't be fair. (don't know why, but when I made some character I never spent more than 16 points in one skill unless if the character was made for some super kind of game. Good to know I don't need to be stuck on that anymore!)

about the wealth level, in this game I will not account it. They are full time adventurers and they have what they loot and carry. We are playing the story of the Fallout 1 and Valut 13
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Old 10-31-2017, 09:11 AM   #20
mlangsdorf
 
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Default Re: High Skill Vs Talent

20 skill points lets a person of average ability (DX or IQ 10) achieve mastery (skill 15) of an Average difficulty non-combat skill. I don't think an IQ 10, Cooking-15 [20] chef is some kind of superhuman, power-gaming character. I think that represents a fair number of restaurant head chefs that are really good at cooking, but don't have the personal skills, business sense, or drive to become multifaceted TV personalities like Martha Stewart or Gordon Ramsey (and thus we don't know much about them because they aren't celebrities).

I'm still not seeing the problem, and while you say "it wouldn't be fair", the question remains, fair to what? The other PCs that only spent 1 point on First Aid and are reasonably competent at patching each other up but have another 36 points to spend on being good at whatever they want to be good at?
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