Christopher Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 I often have the problem that I want to give my characters a handfull of background skills/perqs, but I usually run into cost issues. I plan on proposing my GM(s) some custom Skill Enhancers and wanted to know what you think about them. Lawyer: Would apply to Language: Latin, PS: Lawyer (and specialisations, Like Divorve Lawyer), KS: (variuos law areas), Contacts in the Law Enforment world (Police, other Lawyers, ...) Science Teacher: PS: Teacher, KS/SS: Physics/Geology/Geography/Botany/Zoology/Astronomy/Chemistry/Math; Contacts coudl include other Teachers or people in Science laboartories/observatories of the proper direction (ones where the character has the SS or KS). What do you guys think? Could this help make well rounded characters, or does it sounds like trying to get to much for almost nothing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Re: Custom Skill Enhancers Skill enhancers are one approach. I've seen some games establish a separate pool of points for background skills/perqs, so your "lawyer" example could spend up to 25 points on things like Language: Latin, PS: Lawyer (and specialisations, Like Divorve Lawyer), KS: (variuos law areas), Contacts in the Law Enforment world (Police, other Lawyers, ...), without those points counting against the "main character". Your character is a tabula rasa with no appropriate background skills, etc.? Then he doesn't spend that 25 points, but he doesn't get 25 more points for his combat abilities. These options seem to suggest, at least to me, that points spent on these abilities are not as useful, in game, as points spent somewhere else. That means we create separate "free" points to buy them, or we reduce their cost in some way. The alternate approach, to me, is to build similarly well rounded NPC's (if the NPC's of similar point levels spend everything on combat abilities, then the PC's need to spend similarly or they won't be competitive), and to make sure those "background skills" come up in play with a frequency and value equivalent to the same points spent elsewhere. If 3 points spent on Breakfall is useful every game, why would the player want to redirect those three points to "Language: Latin" and never have it come up in play? To continue the lawyer example, if the combination of Language: Latin, PS: Lawyer (and specialisations, Like Divorve Lawyer), KS: (variuos law areas), Contacts in the Law Enforment world (Police, other Lawyers, ...) only comes up as often, in total, as that Breakfall skill, then maybe PS: Lawyer, purchased for the same 3 points, should automatically bundle in all of those other benefits. Just as a Complication which is not complicating/disadvantageous has its value reduced or eliminated, and we focus on how limiting a Limitation will be, if a suite of skills and perqs the book suggests cost 25 points only generates 3 points of benefits, then it should not cost 25 points. You should get what you pay for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Hiemforth Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Re: Custom Skill Enhancers I often have the problem that I want to give my characters a handfull of background skills/perqs, but I usually run into cost issues. I plan on proposing my GM(s) some custom Skill Enhancers and wanted to know what you think about them. Lawyer: Would apply to Language: Latin, PS: Lawyer (and specialisations, Like Divorve Lawyer), KS: (variuos law areas), Contacts in the Law Enforment world (Police, other Lawyers, ...) Science Teacher: PS: Teacher, KS/SS: Physics/Geology/Geography/Botany/Zoology/Astronomy/Chemistry/Math; Contacts coudl include other Teachers or people in Science laboartories/observatories of the proper direction (ones where the character has the SS or KS). What do you guys think? Could this help make well rounded characters, or does it sounds like trying to get to much for almost nothing? I had this exact concept, with the exact same execution, in my house rules for many years. Never caused any problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister E Posted January 6, 2012 Report Share Posted January 6, 2012 Re: Custom Skill Enhancers ... maybe PS: Lawyer' date=' purchased for the same 3 points, should automatically bundle in all of those other benefits... [/quote'] Why not then convert all the Skill Enhancers into Profession Skills, too? PS: Jack of All Trades PS: Linguist PS: Scholar PS: Scientist PS: Traveler PS: Well-Connected PS: Pilot (APG p.45)... Speaking of APG p. 45, on it there is a new version of Skill Enhancer called "Expert" which is categorized by subject (e.g., lawyering or teaching science), rather than by type (AK, KS, SS, PS...). The only serious difference between the "Expert" Skill Enhancer rules as written, and the idea put forth by Christopher in the original post, is that Expert suggests itself for Background Skills only & makes no mention of Perks (like Contact or Favor). As far as I'm concerned, this is an oversight of the APG. IMHO, a "Lawyering Expert" ought to get cost reductions for any Perks related to the subject of lawyering... on top of cost reductions for any likewise appropriate Background Skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JmOz Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Re: Custom Skill Enhancers This is originally from Dark Champions actually. I know it has specifically been said not to include contacts, which I ignore to no ill effect Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Re: Custom Skill Enhancers I've always thought Contacts could be a kind of Knowledge Skill anyway. It's not what you know, it's who you know. Lucius Alexander I know a palindromedary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christopher Posted January 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Re: Custom Skill Enhancers So, you mostlcy agree taht backgrounds skills should be cheaper, because they tend to have little effect (at least in the superheroic world). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Re: Custom Skill Enhancers So' date=' you mostlcy agree taht backgrounds skills should be cheaper, because they tend to have little effect (at least in the superheroic world).[/quote'] That totally depends on the individual campaign. The agreement seems to be that their cost should be commiserate with their effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Re: Custom Skill Enhancers I did a Custom Talent for a character - Bilingual/Bicultural Heritage. I priced it at 3 pts and it includes an extra Native Language and two Native Culture Knowledges. Lucius Alexander The palindromedary wonders if you could have a Skill Inhibitor that's worth negative points and lowers the roll for a number of Skills.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbywolfe Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Re: Custom Skill Enhancers The palindromedary wonders if you could have a Skill Inhibitor that's worth negative points and lowers the roll for a number of Skills.... You should write one up. Your incompetent fighter martial arts build was brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted January 7, 2012 Report Share Posted January 7, 2012 Re: Custom Skill Enhancers I believe there is an "expert" skill enhancer in one of the books that allows you to define its scope/applicability. So "Expert: Lawyer" would allow you coast break on all background skills related to the legal profession irrespective of their category (KS, PS, SS, Etc) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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