Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

[shadowcat1313]

based on the quote from Time Enough for Love

 

Heinlein's Renaissance Man

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

11 STR 1 11- Lift 114.9kg; 2d6 [2]

11 DEX 2 11- OCV: 3/DCV: 3

11 CON 1 11-

10 BODY 0

14 INT 1 12- PER Roll 12-

14 EGO 1 12- ECV: 3 - 3

11 PRE 1 11- PRE Attack: 2d6

 

 

5 PD 0 Total: 5 PD (0 rPD)

3 ED 1 Total: 3 ED (0 rED)

2 SPD 0 Phases: 6, 12

4 REC 0

20 END 0

20 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 8

 

Movement: Running: 12m/24m

Leaping: 4m/8m

Swimming: 4m/8m

 

Cost Powers END

3 Brilliant: +3 INT

3 Tough: +3 PD

3 Sensible: +3 EGO

12 Specialization is for Ants: +1 Overall

 

Skills

A Human Being should be able to

3 1) Change a Diaper: KS: Child Care 12-

3 2) Plan an Invasion: KS: Logistics 12-

3 3) Butcher a Hog: PS: butcher 11-

2 4) Conn a Ship: Large Military Ships, Large Motorized Boats, Large Wind-Powered Boats

3 5) Conn a Ship: Combat Driving 11-

3 6) Design a Building: KS: Architecture 12-

3 7) Write a Sonnet: KS: Poetry 12-

3 8) Balance Accounts: KS: Accounting 12-

3 9) Set a Bone: Paramedics 12-

3 10) Comfort the Dying: KS: Psychology 12-

3 11) Comfort the Dying: Persuasion 11-

3 12) Solve Equations: Science Skill: Mathematics 12-

3 13) Give Orders: Oratory 11-

3 14) Give Orders: PS: Leadership 11-

3 15) Program a Computer: Computer Programming 12-

3 16) Cook a Tasty Meal: KS: Cooking 12-

3 17) Pitch Manure: PS: Stable Hand 11-

3 18) Fight Efficiently: Tactics 12-

3 19) Analyze a New Problem: KS: Problem Solving 12-

 

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 77

Total Cost: 85

 

200+ Disadvantages

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 85

 

Background/History:

 

Personality/Motivation:

 

Quote:

 

Powers/Tactics:

 

Campaign Use:

 

Appearance:

[Shadow Hawk]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

1st thought: raise presense, for the "give orders". At least to 13.

[Lucius]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

I believe he also said "Take orders?" or am I misremembering?

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary wonders if that would be PS: Waiter

[shadowcat1313]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

hmm

PS: Soldier?

[Escafarc]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

[Escafarc]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

I think Deduction is needed and Teamwork too.

[Yansuf]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

based on the quote from Time Enough for Love

 

Heinlein's Renaissance Man

Skills

A Human Being should be able to

3 1) Change a Diaper: KS: Child Care 12-

3 2) Plan an Invasion: KS: Logistics 12-

3 3) Butcher a Hog: PS: butcher 11-

2 4) Conn a Ship: Large Military Ships, Large Motorized Boats, Large Wind-Powered Boats

3 5) Conn a Ship: Combat Driving 11-

3 6) Design a Building: KS: Architecture 12-

3 7) Write a Sonnet: KS: Poetry 12-

3 8) Balance Accounts: KS: Accounting 12-

3 9) Set a Bone: Paramedics 12-

3 10) Comfort the Dying: KS: Psychology 12-

3 11) Comfort the Dying: Persuasion 11-

3 12) Solve Equations: Science Skill: Mathematics 12-

3 13) Give Orders: Oratory 11-

3 14) Give Orders: PS: Leadership 11-

3 15) Program a Computer: Computer Programming 12-

3 16) Cook a Tasty Meal: KS: Cooking 12-

3 17) Pitch Manure: PS: Stable Hand 11-

3 18) Fight Efficiently: Tactics 12-

3 19) Analyze a New Problem: KS: Problem Solving 12-

 

Very few of the above require a 3 point skill.

#1, 3, 5, 7-14, 16, 17 are all AT MOST a one point familiarity. (If they are not "everyman" skills.)

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

And you can buy all those skills with this Psychological Complication (Frequently, Fully Impairing, 11-).

 

...Must contain snark....

[shadowcat1313]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

some of this stuff is now almost outdated...

 

what would a now mondern renaissance man have?

[Cancer]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

Well, his programming would probably be done now in Java or Python rather than Fortran or Cobol. Details.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

Fortran will never die!

 

...Although if we dust off and nuke it from orbit, that would be a good idea.

[Burrito Boy]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

I like that Comfort the Dying takes KS: Psychology and Persuasion.

[Markdoc]

Re: Character: Heinleins Renaissance Man

 

My take on it is .... ah ... somewhat different.

 

A human being should be able to:

Change a diaper. Everyman skill. I've done this with zero training and zero problems. It's kind of disgusting, but it's not in the slightest bit hard.

Plan an invasion. Hoo Boy. Talk about unrealistic! This is way, way harder than he imagines. I've had to plan to move small teams (less than 20 people) into a different country, including military personnel and that was a major effort. A real invasion? Even professional military do this in large teams. Still, Logistics 11-, Military History 11-, PS: Staff officer 11- at a minimum.

Butcher a hog. I'd be inclined to go everyman on this too, though at a stretch FAM: Butcher 8- would do it. I've never butchered hogs, but I have butchered sheep and deer. Like changing a diaper it merely requires some tolerance for icky stuff and (practically speaking) a bit of strength.

Conn a ship TF: Ships.

Design a building. Hoo boy again. Unrealistic much? OK, if all you are talking about is a shack, that's one thing. But an actual building? PS: Architect 11- at a minimum. Probably, need Civil engineering 11- too.

Write a sonnet Write a sonnet? Everyman skill. Write a good sonnet? PS: Poet 11-

Balance accounts Again - everyman (if you are talking about your personal accounts: I've done it easily with oh .... about no training whatsoever). If you are talking about a global corporation, or even a medium sized company, that's a whole different kettle of fish. PS: Accountant 11- (again, at a minimum)

Build a wall How big of a wall are we talking about? Garden wall? Everyman. I did this as a pre-teen with no training. Just requires patience and sweat. A large, load-bearing wall? Requires specialist tools and probably at least FAM: engineering or FAM: Architect.

Set a bone Paramedics 11-

Comfort the dying. Again, everyman. I've seen kids do this. Hell, I've seen a dog do this.

Take orders. Again, everyman. You don't need any skills to take orders, just a willingness to follow orders

Give orders. Again, everyman. You don't need any skills to give orders - any skill involved is deciding what is a sensible order to give, in the circumstances.

Cooperate Again, everyman. You don't need any skills to cooperate - just a willingness to do so.

Act alone Again, everyman. You don't need any skills to take act alone - just the resolution to do so. Of course what skills you do have will determine how effectively you can act - but I've known plenty of people who decided to act alone, even though clearly they lacked the skills to do so!

Solve equations KS: Math 11-

Analyze a new problem As a consultant, I get paid to do this. One thing is overwhelmingly clear - it ain't a skill. Again, what skills you have will affect how effectively you can do this, but so do your existing prejudices. Like so many of the things in this list all it requires is the determination to make the effort.

Pitch manure Everyman. Seriously, how hard is it to use a pitchfork or spade. I've done this - a lot. It requires no training, not even verbal instruction - just a spade and a pointed finger.

Program a computer KS: Computer programming 11-

Cook a tasty meal Pretty close to everyman, but IMHO FAM: cooking 8- (since I know too many people who are apparently helpless when it comes to the kitchen). We're talking tasty, here, not 5 star gourmet

Fight efficiently This is a hard one. Clearly not everyman, but what does he mean "fight efficiently"? As a squad? In a bar? At the company level? I'd actually simply translate this as "Stay cool in combat" which is probably best modeled by PRE defence - say 5 points worth. Alternatively, Tactics 11-.

Die gallantly. Again, everyman. You don't need any skills to die - in fact, that is the most everyman of all everyman skills. Everybody gets to do it. The gallant part is simply a decision not to embarrass yourself or others on the way out.

 

Much of what is in this list - things like "die gallantly" "change a diaper" or "pitch manure" have nothing to do with skill or training and everything to do with attitude. I've known people who felt they were above "sordid tasks" like pitching manure or the more mundane jobs we usually encounter, and all too many who had the skills to carry out an order given .... but chose not to anyway. A lot of it is simply unrealistic. Plan an invasion? Why? Why spend years learning to do something highly specialised, you will never ever be called on to do - unless you actually want to? You might, one day, be called on to fight in an invasion (not very likely, but still) but it's certain you won't be called on to plan one, unless that's what you do for a living. Likewise "design a building". We stopped letting people design their own buildings a while back because of the tendency of such buildings to fall down or catch fire and kill people in the process.

 

Specialization isn't just for insects.

 

That said, I do like the idea of the Renaissance man or woman and genuinely believe that people who seek out new tests, opportunities and challenges tend to be happier and stronger than those who don't.

 

So what would you put on your list?

 

cheers, Mark