Has anyone ever concocted a set of everyman skills for demons?

[Panpiper]

I've got a character who has spent pretty much their entire life living in a hell dimension, very recently returned to her original human form. She has by now utterly forgotten any human everyman skills she might have had, but of course would have those of her demonic realm. I have no clue what those might be however. Anyone know of such, or care to take a stab at suggestions?

 

Character attached in subsequent post, updated. Clearly inspired by Illyana Rasputin, and named as she is to pay homage.

 

[LoneWolf]

For the most part everyman skills are something that almost any sentient creature can do.  About the only variables are campaign specific things like TF.  A physical complication is probably the best way to handle a character not familiar with modern society.  They would still have most of the everyman skills.  Even someone raised in hell can try and climb a tree, or try and talk someone into something.

 

The only exception seems to be that computer programing is considered an everyman skill for science fiction.  Personally I think that is a mistake, because the designers seem to think that using a computer requires knowing how to program.  This is probably due to the creators of the game being game designers not engineers.  Most people who use computers in their jobs know how to use it for specific things and would have absolutely no clue as to how to actually do anything else.  Most of what people do on a computer would be covered under a PS, or not even need a skill.  Do you require a skill to open a door, or use the phone?  Then why does using the internet require one?

[Gnome BODY (important!)]

10 minutes ago, LoneWolf said:

The only exception seems to be that computer programing is considered an everyman skill for science fiction.  Personally I think that is a mistake, because the designers seem to think that using a computer requires knowing how to program.  This is probably due to the creators of the game being game designers not engineers.  Most people who use computers in their jobs know how to use it for specific things and would have absolutely no clue as to how to actually do anything else.  Most of what people do on a computer would be covered under a PS, or not even need a skill.  Do you require a skill to open a door, or use the phone?  Then why does using the internet require one?

Keep in mind how old the skill rules are and how far UX has come since then. 

[Killer Shrike]

25 minutes ago, LoneWolf said:

The only exception seems to be that computer programing is considered an everyman skill for science fiction.  Personally I think that is a mistake, because the designers seem to think that using a computer requires knowing how to program.  This is probably due to the creators of the game being game designers not engineers.  Most people who use computers in their jobs know how to use it for specific things and would have absolutely no clue as to how to actually do anything else.  Most of what people do on a computer would be covered under a PS, or not even need a skill.  Do you require a skill to open a door, or use the phone?  Then why does using the internet require one?

 

I agree with the core premise that a computer user is not a computer programmer. As to the designer's original intent, to be fair when the rules were written computers were much less pervasive in everyday life, most interactions were via command line / terminal as GUI's weren't much of a thing, and to even use one required some basic technical knowledge. It was not yet consumer grade technology. 

 

It has been a long while since I ran a sci fi setting, but the last time I did I split it into two skills, Computer Usage and Computer Programming with a great deal of expanded granularity including a detailed list of modifiers,hacking rules, and a more realistic means of determining how long it should take to make new non-trivial software.

 

http://www.killershrike.com/MetaCyber/MetaCyber_Technology_ComputerUsage.aspx

 

http://www.killershrike.com/MetaCyber/MetaCyber_Technology_ComputerProgramming.aspx

 

It was written in the 5e era and has some content specific to the setting's version of virtual reality, but is generally reusable for 5e or 6e if you just trim away the setting specific bit.

 

I also took a stab at generic-ising real world programming languages, to avoid having to use real-world IP mentions in gaming content; so for example "Enoch" and "Enoch Plus" are obvious stand ins for C and C++. I made this list a long time ago, and if I were to revisit it I would update it to include more recent trends, particularly the encroachment of FP and FP-influenced languages, but it would just be embellishment:

 

http://www.killershrike.com/MetaCyber/MetaCyber_Technology_ComputerProgramming_Languages.aspx

 

In the model I put forth, a character with a high computer programming skill is good at fundamentals, theory, and practice, but they also need one or more computer language skills to actually apply that skill and take penalties when forced to program in a programming language they don't know.

 

 

[death tribble]

One skill would be knowing who the players are.

A demon would know who the ones in charge are and their names. Most normal people would not

A familiarity with rituals so that if they are summoned, they would know what to expect and if the ritual was done incorrectly they could break out.

I would also look at any sorcerer or magic using character as they might have skills that a demon would be aware of.

[Duke Bushido]

There was actually an old Issue of White Dwarf that had some suggestions.

 

I attempted to find it, but got side tracked with all the nostalgia....  

 

 

[Killer Shrike]

The 5th edition book The Ultimate Skill has an Everydemon skill list on page 45, under the heading "EVERYMONSTER SKILLS".

[Panpiper]

Got it. This will do the trick. Pretty obvious in retrospect, though I'd never have thought to include ritual magic. Updated character attached in case anyone is curious.

 

[Crusty]

On 5/10/2020 at 3:50 PM, Duke Bushido said:

There was actually an old Issue of White Dwarf that had some suggestions.

 

I attempted to find it, but got side tracked with all the nostalgia....  

 

 

Love that old Hero material. Don’t blame you

[Spence]

On 5/10/2020 at 12:55 PM, Killer Shrike said:

The 5th edition book The Ultimate Skill has an Everydemon skill list on page 45, under the heading "EVERYMONSTER SKILLS".

 

That was mean.  I just lost two hours from that.