What else can we define as a 'style'?

[Gigermann]

Really, you have to define what the difference really is between Templates and Styles. The only difference I can think of, at the moment, is that Styles come with the Style Familiarity Perk—which would have to be redefined to make some of these other situations work as a Style (although, the SF Perk was expanded for Tactical Shooting a bit, for that reason).

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Mind you it won't be meaningful unless you can think of some relevant perks and techniques or special skills.

Well, the basic "Style Familiarity" (SF) perk for certified professions and academic programmes is functionally akin to a Courtesy Title, License, or Office perk – and even apprenticed and casually taught metiers have a community that you're either "in" or not. In a campaign where violence and deception take a back seat to social interaction and earning a living, being an accepted member of such a group is a meaningful advantage in its own right. By analogy to SF, you'd get immunity to the -3 for lack of Cultural Familiarity when interacting with others in your field, a 1-point Claim to Hospitality with the subset of those people you've worked with, and the right to learn "trade secrets," be they conjuring tricks or patented processes. In modern societies, there's the further advantage – which you could view as replacing the combat benefit of SF – of benefiting from training incentives, seed grants, etc. because you have a résumé and/or certificate that says you're really a member of your profession.

And to be honest, this seems sound.

I'm familiar with the belly dancing community via my wife. Belly dancers all the world over seem to have a network, and giving your teacher's name and showing a few moves can get you in the door. Plus various arts councils and granting agents will provide limited resources for shows, setting up schools, etc. And of course there are "trademark moves" that don't get taught to casual dancers showing up for the beginners' course.

The same goes for physicists. Those of us with graduate degrees can, provided we share a language, interact via the common culture of "being a physicist." The piece of vellum is grounds enough to apply for various fellowships and summer schools. And despite 16 years away from the field, I still have a gang of people who invite me to parties, let me stay at their place, etc. simply because we all have similar pieces of vellum hanging on our walls.

Conversely, no matter how much you practice or self-teach, good luck convincing anybody that just because you have the right knowledge, you "belong." In game terms, that's having all the right skills, and maybe a few of the expected techniques or perks, but not the special SF perk. The SF perk represents witnessed, mentored learning of the right stuff in the right order, often with some variety of formal or informal certification (which may well travel by word of mouth only). Those without it frequently aren't taken seriously, even if they can demonstrate prodigious knowledge. And unlike the fighting arts, most real-world professions don't have anything equivalent to "sparring" where you can whup butt to change minds.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Burlesque

Skills: Dancing; Performance; Sex Appeal.

For belly dance you would want to include Musical Instrument (Small Concussion), I think.

Bill Stoddard

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Kromm

And unlike the fighting arts, most real-world professions don't have anything equivalent to "sparring" where you can whup butt to change minds.

Copy editing is actually testable in this way. You can hand a bad manuscript to someone, and when they bring it back you can tell whether they know how to edit or not, often with just a quick glance. But getting that manuscript handed to you may take a bachelor's degree.

Bill Stoddard

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by whswhs

For belly dance you would want to include Musical Instrument (Small Concussion), I think.

For belly dance, I would. However, burlesque isn't belly dance and doesn't encompass it. Belly dance has cultural and even religious overtones the opposite of burlesque in many ways: conservative, Eastern vs. liberal, Western. This gets blurred in American belly dance, as seen in cabaret acts, but that's a bizarre fusion. Outside of the specialized American cabaret scene, burlesque and belly dancers move in different circles, study different skills, etc.; the overt sex appeal of burlesque is actively discouraged in belly dancing, especially in raqs baladi.

Edited to add: Which helps underline the reason for different SF perks, in a campaign where it matters. Dance-based entertainment styles like this differ at least as much as ways of punching people in the face, and can have fusions, odd subtypes, and even trademarked programmes . . . just like martial arts. Burlesque, belly dance, and American cabaret dance differ about as much as, say, boxing, karate, and kickboxing, and the baladi and sharqi varieties of belly dance are probably valid substyles, not unlike te vs. shotokan karate.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Kromm

For belly dance, I would. However, burlesque isn't belly dance and doesn't encompass it. Belly dance has cultural and even religious overtones the opposite of burlesque in many ways: conservative, Eastern vs. liberal, Western. This gets blurred in American belly dance, as seen in cabaret acts, but that's a bizarre fusion. Outside of the specialized American cabaret scene, burlesque and belly dancers move in different circles, study different skills, etc.; the overt sex appeal of burlesque is actively discouraged in belly dancing, especially in raqs baladi.

I can certainly see that, and wasn't intending to suggest otherwise, or to classify belly dance as a form or aspect of burlesque. My takeoff was just "all right, what's a different form of dance that would include different skills in the style?" I could have picked ballet, which would include Jumping and, at least for men, Lifting . . . and would surely not include Sex Appeal.

In fact, you could have an interesting supplement dedicated to performing arts styles. But I'm not nearly knowledgeable enough to write it. I could see that as a Susan Koziel project, maybe.

Bill Stoddard

[Wolf]

I'm assuming you'd have to do a great deal of work, but I'm sure you can take a Cyberpunk/Transhumanist computer hacking as stylistic... In fact I'm sure that would add a bit of tension to certain "hacks" into systems. Give the those "Console Cowboys" back some of their '80's flair... maybe... but man, that would be some work to do... game dependent.

[Sam Baughn]

Originally Posted by Perfect Organism

The other day it occured to me that BDSM Doms kind of have a 'style' which could be defined in GURPS; central skills would probably be Erotic Art and various forms of Combat Art (Brawling Art, Wrestling Art, Whip Art and whatever you use for canes and crops...) with stuff like Knot Tying, Intimidation and Hypnotism as options. Not sure I'd actually want to play a game where anyone went into that much detail on the subject (I like to keep my hobbies seperate, thanks) but an amusing thought.

God help me, I actually wrote it up to see how well it would fit and it seems to work. If you replaced the Combat Art skills with actual combat skills, it would be a moderately functional Martial Art (probably well suited for the racier kind of fantasy Dark Elf and so on).

BDSM
2 points

Skills: Erotic Art.
Techniques: Arm Lock {D}; Choke Hold {D}; Crack {D}; Handcuffing {D}; Scissors Hold.
Cinematic Techniques: Binding {D}.
Perks: Attribute Substitution (Sex Appeal based on Will) {D}; Cheaper Gear (Fetish Wear or Restraints); Controllable Disadvantage (Callous) {D}; Dabbler (Carpentry, Electrician, Leatherworking and Machinist); Efficient (Knot Tying) {D}; Fearsome Stare {D}; Hands-Free (Erotic Art or Housekeeping) {s}; Patience of Job {s}.

Optional Traits
Advantages: High Pain Threshold {s}.
Disadvantages: Callous {D}; Lecherousnes {s}; Odious Personal Habit (Indiscreet Kinkster); Reputation (Pervert). Pop-culture dominants often add full-blown Sadism while pop-culture submissives are likely to have Low Self Image.
Skills: Autohypnosis {s}; Brawling Art {D}; Breath Control {s}; Connoisseur (Fetish); Escape {s}; Garrote Art {D}; Housekeeping {s}; Hypnotism {D}; Intimidation {D}; Knot Tying {D}; Sex Appeal; Smallsword Art {D}; Whip Art {D}; Wrestling Art.
Techniques: Slip Handcuffs {s}; Work by Touch (Erotic Art or Housekeeping) {s}.
Perks: Compact Frame {s}; Flourish (Brawling Art or Whip Art) {D}; Ground Guard; High-Heeled Heroine*; High-Heeled Hurt* {D}; Improvised Weapons (Brawling Art, Whip Art) {D}.

Traits marked {D} are generally only suitable for dominants/sadists while those marked {s} are more suitable for submissives/masochists. I wrote it up as one style instead of two because (a) they should share the same style familiarity, (b) they do have a fair number of traits in common and (c) some people like to 'switch' between roles and reportedly learn a lot about one role while performing the other (in GURPS terms, they take Dom perks while buying sub skills or vice-versa).

[Trachmyr]

I use styles for a number of "Professions" in my campaign, showing different techniques and specialties depending on the "clan" one comes from. The professions are "Provider", "Cook", "Crafter", "Chemist" and "Healer". By learning a clan style, you gain access to specialty techniques and Secret Perks, and it's worked out very well.

I do require Style Familiarity, but commute the bonus vs. Feints/Deceptive Attacks to +1 to Teamwork benefits.

For Instance, here are three very different types of "Providers":

--------------------------------------------

Long Beach Providers
The Long Beach Clan is renowned for maintaing the largest orchards of fruits in the Moonsea, comprising orchards on seven outlying islands. They know more about soil, planting, harvesting and preservation of these fruit crops than anyother clan. Experts from this clan are often called upon when new orchards are established, and their advice is greatly appreciated.
Skills: Climbing, Gardening, Natural Philosophy (Fruit Trees)*, Naturalist, Survival (Island/Beach), Weather Sense
Techniques: Orchard Growing (Gardening)
Perks: Efficient (Harvesting Fruit from Orchads)**, Coconut Farming, Papaya Farming, Banana Farming, Mango Farming, No Nuissance Rolls (Routine Tree Climbing), Unusual Posture (Harvesting Fruit While Climbing), Soil Recovery
Advantages: Reputation (Master Orchard Growers)
* If the optional specialty is not taken, then two points are required.
** This means they gain 25% more food per hour worked.


Sand Shell Providers
The Sand Shells are noted for gaining much food right along the beach line, by clamming and building complex artifical tidepools to trap fish. They excel at meeting their dietary needs through efficent and low energy techniques.
Skills: Fishing, Naturalist (Clamming)*, Survival (Island/Beach), Swimming, Weather Sense
Techniques: Hand Fishing (Hard, Fishing-5), Preservation (Island/Beach)
Perks: Clammer, Efficient (Clamming)*, Efficient (Fishing in Coastal Corrals)*, Sustainable Harvesting (Island/Beach), DR1 (Tough Skin, Underside of Feet)
Advantages: Resistant (Sunstroke)
* If the optional specialty is not taken, then two points are required.
** This means they gain 25% more food per hour worked.


Wing Shark Providers
The providers of the Wing Shark clan are notable fishers, but specialize in hunting rays, skates and reef sharks. They often provoke sharks with blood, staring down the charging beast, dodging at the last momment to drive a blade into it's gills. Then they doggedly follow the beast until it gives out from pain and exhaustion.
Skills: Breath Control, Knife, Fast-Draw (Knife) or Fast-Draw (Knife from Mouth), Fishing, Natural Philosophy (Sharks & Rays)*, Naturalist, Spear, Survival (Reef), Swimming
Techniques: Butchering, Underwater Weapon Use (Short Spear), Preservation (Reef), Underwater Blood Tracking
Perks: Sustainable Harvesting (Reef), Shark Lore, Ray Spotting
Advantages: Combat Reflexes, Increased Perception, Enhanced Dodge (only vs. Sharks you see when taking a wait manuever, -80%), Luck (Defense vs. Sharks)
* If the optional specialty is not taken, then two points are required.


----------------------------------------

New Techniques

Butchering (Average)
Defaults: Survival + 0
Maximum: Survival + 4
Effect: Use this in place of butchering rolls.

Fish Corraling (Average)
Defaults: Survival (Island/Beach) + 0
Maximum Default + 4
Effect: Roll in place of Survival when building fish traps on the coastline.

Hand Fishing (Hard)
Defaults: Fishing - 5
Maximum Default + 0
Effect: Roll in place of fishing without gear, cannot be used in conjunction with netting bonus.

Orchard Farming (Hard)Defaults: Gardening - 3
Maximum: Default
Prerequisite: one of the secret Farming perks (i.e., Coconut Farming)
Effect: Allows the use of Gardening Skill as if it were Farming/TL3 for the crops covered by all secret Farming perks.

Preservation (Environment) (Average)
Defaults: Survival (Environment) + 0
Maximum Default + 4
Effect: Roll in place of the monthly rolls to maintain Environment level.

Underwater Blood Tracking (Average)
Defaults: Naturalist - 5, Perception -5, Tracking - 0
Maximum: Deafult + 0
Effect: You can track a wounded creature underwater that is bleeding. Roll every minute to stay on it's trail and roll at a penalty equal to twice it's SM if less than SM+0.

Underwater Blood Tracking (Average)
Defaults: Naturalist - 5, Perception -5, Tracking - 0
Maximum: Deafult + 0
Effect: You can track a wounded creature underwater that is bleeding. Roll every minute to stay on it's trail and roll at a penalty equal to twice it's SM if less than SM+0.

Underwater Weapon Use (Short Spear) (Hard)
Defaults: Spear - 4
Maximum: Default - 1
Effect: Use this inplace of Spear skill when weilding a Short Spear underwater for thusting attacks. When 3 or more points have been placed into this skill, you may ignore the -1 penalty to damage. Note that the Short Spear version of this technique allows improved effect, but does not cover spears more than 1 yard in length.

----------------------------------

New Perks

Clammer: During Low-Tide, increase the amount of food gained by 1/2 a meal per point the Naturalist or Survival roll succeds by; at other times, a success by 3 or more increases the yield to 3 meals.

Ray Spotting: Ignore up to -3 in penalties to find rays that are camouflaged or hiding.

Secret Farming Knowledge: This allows you to use Gardening Skill at -3 as if it were Farming/TL3 for one specific crop. Examples include Coconut Farming, Papaya Farming, Banana Farming, Mango Farming.

Shark Lore: You may treat your Natural Philosophy skill as Biology/TL4 when dealing with question of Sharks and Rays. This also gives a +2 to find any shark in the immediate area.

Soil Recovery: On any critical success on a yearly Farming roll to avoid the loss of a level of Environmental abundance, you may recover one level for the specific regions that you have tended.

Sustainable Harvesting (Environment Type): The time between checks for environmental level decrease is one year if all gatherers/hunters have this perk, otherwise if alteast one person has this perk the interval time is ((Number of Gatherers & Hunters with this Perk / Total Number of Gatherers & Hunters) x 10)) +2 months) rounded down. So if there are 6 Hunters/Gathers and two have this perk, then the interval between checks will be five months.

[Lord Carnifex]

Originally Posted by Perfect Organism

God help me, I actually wrote it up to see how well it would fit and it seems to work. If you replaced the Combat Art skills with actual combat skills, it would be a moderately functional Martial Art (probably well suited for the racier kind of fantasy Dark Elf and so on).

BDSM

Nicely done. I'd probably add Dabbler (Psychology) and optional skill First-Aid. Most of the professionals I know are CPR certified at the very least, as well as having some basic familiarity with treating minor wounds and sterilizing instruments.

At some point I've always meant to write up firefighting and paramedicine* as styles, Also, the 7th season of The West Wing is playing in the background right now, so "Political Operative' or 'Campaign Manager' might be useful social styles.

*Yes, 'paramedicine' isn't a recognized word, but shouldn't it be? It's the kind of medicine paramedics practice.