Skeleton modifications

[Meson]

So we are playing the basic scav setting until we try the medium-power level game in about a week. I had a player come up with a really good concept for a character, an archeology professor who thinks that being a scav would lend to opportunities to view ancient wrecks and get enough data to write a book (and get tenure ). She will, of course, keep this a secret from the party. How would I tweak the skeletons to allow for this background?

I was going to up the history and related academic skills (including adding antiquities) at possibly the cost of maybe a few of the skeleton skills levels. I am mostly unsure of what skills levels would be appropriate for the scav starting characters while still allowing this wonderful character concept. Any ideas?

BTW, happy/merry holidays

[Rob Lang]

What a superb concept! Love it. Far be it for me to dictate for your game, here's what I might do for the new concept:

Base it on 'Human Resouces' but remove all the 'Street' skills except 'Streetwise' (unless the character is very academic!) Then do the following:

Bump History up to 70-90 (so 70 + 2d10)
Give then Antiquities at 60ish
Graphics at 60ish
Create a brand new skill:

Art History
3rd Epoch, Requires: Graphics, Antiquities
Art History is the study of communication through the past. Analysing sculpture and painting can tell a lot about the artist, who commissioned the art and the owner. This skill allows the user to value art quickly and fight for its value at auction. Art History can also be used for understanding iconography and hidden messages in art.

How does that sound?

As for making them all medium power, I would bump all the skill percentages up and let them choose 4 more skills to have a basic level (ie 40+ 2D10). Just to give them a bit more scope.

[misterecho]

I really like percentile based skill systems, as is shown here it's much easier to come up with unique/interesting concepts.

70-90% indicates a professional's main area of expertise so you could apply this idea to any acedemic. i.e.

Professor of Statistics
Mathematics 70% + 2d10

then add on 3 other more general job skills at 50+2d10. As long as the player can justify the choice, Occultism as a choice would not be acceptable, in his professional skills anyway!

[Rob Lang]

Indeed, MrE. For all the difficulty of addition and subtraction, percentile definitely has its benefits.

I'd be wary about making any new skills too specific because they become less useful. However, if the player wants a bunch of very specific skills just to show that the character has that knowledge then that's ok - as long as they know those specific skills won't get used that much.

[misterecho]

To be honest I would only allow the creation of one skill, the others should be more general ones which exist already.

[Meson]

What a superb concept! Love it. Far be it for me to dictate for your game, here's what I might do for the new concept:

Base it on 'Human Resouces' but remove all the 'Street' skills except 'Streetwise' (unless the character is very academic!) Then do the following:

Bump History up to 70-90 (so 70 + 2d10)
Give then Antiquities at 60ish
Graphics at 60ish
Create a brand new skill:

Art History
3rd Epoch, Requires: Graphics, Antiquities
Art History is the study of communication through the past. Analysing sculpture and painting can tell a lot about the artist, who commissioned the art and the owner. This skill allows the user to value art quickly and fight for its value at auction. Art History can also be used for understanding iconography and hidden messages in art.

How does that sound?

As for making them all medium power, I would bump all the skill percentages up and let them choose 4 more skills to have a basic level (ie 40+ 2D10). Just to give them a bit more scope.

That sounds great (as does the generalization). My main difficulty with learning to GM ICAR right know is to get a feel for what the skill levels "mean" (in terms of expertise). This helps a lot. I think the player would also like that particular build.

BTW,I continue to be shocked at the amazingly creative stuff my group comes up with (until we are actually playing and forces me to redo all of my notes).

[Rob Lang]

Please do share any creative stuff the players come up with! Even little things can help other players and GMs. We have at least one other active group (DOC_Agren and randolph) and my players on here too.

[DOC_Agren]

Yeah great Player idea are wonderful..

GM idea, not so much!!

Glad to see there are more out there playing