Absurdly high skill levels

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

Originally Posted by Kromm

. . . Having the Flexibility advantage helps here for reasons that anybody who has ever looked at the Kama Sutra or watched more, er, "artistic" [material] should find self-evident. Unless you seriously believe that hanging from a swing to have sex, or folding feet behind head, make no demands on human flexibility. Beyond that, I'm not getting into details. This is a G-rated forum.

I may be dating myself (no crude comments, please) but:

"Wouldn't they sprain themselves?" -- Mary Hartman, of Mary Hartman Mary Hartman

[Ze'Manel Cunha]

Originally Posted by Molokh

I don't get it. If Erotic Art is what Karate is to DX-punching, then what is the erotic equivalent of Brawling, the middle ground between Karate and DX?

There's no middle ground between Acrobatics and DX either, I don't see your point.

Personally for my games, I tend to assume that the average unskilled person knows intimately IQ-5 ways of giving pleasure and can actually pull off DX-5 of them. To go beyond that they need actual skill, and if they so choose, a successful roll against skill can leave their leave their partner trembling and unable to walk at will, or begging for more. YMMV

Though most of my players don't usually want to go that far into detailed sex, in fact over the years their preference tends to be of the fade to black variety. Just as well, keeps my games often in a not quite R level and out of the X level.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Ze'Manel Cunha

Though most of my players don't usually want to go that far into detailed sex, in fact over the years their preference tends to be of the fade to black variety. Just as well, keeps my games often in a not quite R level and out of the X level.

My game sessions generally aren't fit for podcast, but not so much due to explicit descriptions of actual acts as due to the nature of the encounters in the first place. Let's just say that at some point I found myself answering a serious question about allowing the extended Rapid Strike rules for Trained by a Master to work with Erotic Art, and thought, "We all know how Master trained you . . .". :P

[Dalillama]

Originally Posted by Kromm

As noted above, both would certainly benefit from physical backup, but that's another skill no matter how good you get. That's why p. B172 strongly recommends branching out into "subsidiary" skills after you reach level 20-25.

Of course, if you have enough points to spend, you can do both. Branch out into other skills and keep improving your primary skill. And of course, your Broadsword-50 does no good at all when you're escaping from the Orcish prison camp and the only weapon you can get is a wood ax.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Kromm

My game sessions generally aren't fit for podcast, but not so much due to explicit descriptions of actual acts as due to the nature of the encounters in the first place. Let's just say that at some point I found myself answering a serious question about allowing the extended Rapid Strike rules for Trained by a Master to work with Erotic Art, and thought, "We all know how Master trained you . . .". :P

Nya! Not only does Dr. Kromm have a personal version of GURPS Hentai rules, but now we know that they are intertwined with Martial Arts! Could you tell the whole story of that session/situation/etc.?

[sjmdw45]

Originally Posted by DAlillama

Of course, if you have enough points to spend, you can do both. Branch out into other skills and keep improving your primary skill. And of course, your Broadsword-50 does no good at all when you're escaping from the Orcish prison camp and the only weapon you can get is a wood ax.

Sure it does. Break off the blade and use it as a Light Club, which gives you your full Broadsword skill.

I agree that backup skills are nice, but it seems smarter to be really good with one weapon and decent with a couple more than to be quite good with seven or eight. Of course being insanely good with *all* of them is best, but that's not point-efficient and unlikely unless you're Benedict of Amber and ten thousand years old...

-Max

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by sjmdw45

Sure it does. Break off the blade and use it as a Light Club, which gives you your full Broadsword skill.

I agree that backup skills are nice, but it seems smarter to be really good with one weapon and decent with a couple more than to be quite good with seven or eight. Of course being insanely good with *all* of them is best, but that's not point-efficient and unlikely unless you're Benedict of Amber and ten thousand years old...

-Max

Who should be built with wild card skills.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Molokh

I don't get it. If Erotic Art is what Karate is to DX-punching, then what is the erotic equivalent of Brawling, the middle ground between Karate and DX?

Erotic Sport puts the play in foreplay?

Otherwise, let's be blunt. If you need a middle ground, make one up. By and large, the precision in GURPS combat skills is because there are differences that enough people want to model that matter.

Most weapon skills, for example, are either "Default to DX" or "Full-on skill," with no "easier" intermediate step (although some related skills share defaults). The open-hand combat skills are somewhat unique in this regard (with THREE flavors each for striking/grappling) and this has caused no small degree of angst in and of itself...by you as much as others...in being perhaps TOO finely graded.

So in the "gettin' it on" in the non-fightin' sense front, you've got "doing the best with what you've got," and "advanced nookie-fu." Much like you've got "swing a short-sword wildly at the bad guy" [DX default] and "study the swinging of the sword" [shortsword skill]. Finer gradations are, and should, be left to the reader for campaign specific details.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by sjmdw45

Edit: perhaps the thing that's confusing people is that it's listed as a HT-based skill and not an IQ-based one. Perhaps that's because basic attractiveness (which consists mainly of "a good constitution and a cheerful disposition") is a prerequisite to using these techniques effectively. In practice, the skill probably floats between IQ, HT, and 10 + Attractiveness.

-Max

From that point of view, it would seem to be a decent candiate for a PER base (perhaps even modified by Charisma and empathic style advantages), since noticing other's cues and responding accordingly matters.

Or perhaps unconscious use of the skill is HT (cause that's innate) while it floats to Per for active style use.

[Witchking]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

"advanced nookie-fu."

<shakes head sadly>

I hope Ed the Coastie's daughter doesn't catch you at that...