From: CX6L@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CX6L)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.advocacy
Subject: Re: Burn, GURPS, BURN!
Date: 28 Jan 93 21:42:01 GMT
Organization: McGill University

In article <1993Jan28.183940.23946@news.columbia.edu> jhk6@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (John H Kim) writes:
>doug@abby.chem.ucla.edu writes:
>>dv52151@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (RedSwordTarga) writes:
>>>I think that the whole idea of default skills is one of GURPS biggest
>>>holes. High stat characters can do everything well, which isn't reality
>>>at all. If they want to pay points for the skills, I can deal with a high
>>>IQ person being great at lots o' stuff, but getting it for free makes
>>>GURPS seem kind of bogus.

>>The point is, I am a firm believer in default skills because of personal
>>experiences like this.
>>You don't get these things for free in GURPS.  You pay for them as part of
>>the cost for IQ.

> The trouble is then that you can't get a person who is very smart
>without his being knowledgable in *everything*, because of all of the
>defaults which come from IQ. Not only does it represent an overall 'intelli-
>gence' that I don't believe in any more than IQ tests, but it also represents
>training in an endless array of fields, willpower, perception, social
>skill, etc.
> Defaults in many cases are justified (especially those from other
>skills), but the defaults from IQ in particular assume an unwarranted level
>of education (defaults for Literature, etc.).

Disclaimer: a lot of what lies below is a "fix". Yes, that implies
that *some* GURPS rules may need tinkering. Please don't quote this
as "proof" that GURPS is a bad system. The fact that the "fix" I
suggest is so simple means GURPS is a good system. All systems have
holes, but few systems are this easy to "fix"! -Kromm

Keep in mind that IQ represents a *lot* of things, for bad or for
good (we won't debate that here), *including* education, not just
raw reasoning ability. However, if one does not like this, one is
always free, as a GM, to interpret each character's default in the
light of that character's education and occupation, regardless of
IQ.
     In my campaign, for example, career mercenaries get IQ defaults
to Savoir-Faire (Military), Tactics, Strategy, etc . . .  that work
just like the real skill, which is rarely abusive, since most career
mercenaries spend their points on ST, DX and HT, and not IQ. On the
other hand, mages get IQ defaults to Occultism, Research etc . . .
that work just like the real skill, which will be high, due to
the typically high IQ of such characters. Then again, that PC spent
years in school to learn magic: surely *some* theory was taught?
     Conversely, a smart mage simply gets my interpretation of their
"best guess" for Tactics, Strategy, etc . . . defaults, and usually
in a very informal and procedurally incorrect form, from the point
of view of a real soldier. Likewise, all the mercenary gets from an
Occultism default is whatever the rumours were in his home town
regarding the monster/spirit/ritual in question.
     I would charge an Unusual Background of 10 points plus for
any PC whose education is so truly exceptional that *all* of the
PC's IQ defaults work as if the PC were trained in the field. I
would call it "Jack of All Trades", or, "Trivia Buff", and I
might even scale its cost to the IQ of the buyer (cost = IQ ?).
At least in my campaign, though, defaults are not equal to the
real, trained skill, except in a few, rare, *GM-determined*
cases!
     As for IQ representing too many things besides intelligence,
I have a personal approach to share which *I* find works. Keep in
mind, I am discussing my players and game: this may not work for
everyone. In my game, I have each player judge, roughly, just how
smart, perceptive and strong-willed they would like to be. I then
tell them to buy an IQ that shows only how *smart* they wish to
be, and get their perception and will from Alertness and Strong/
Weak will. In my game, there is a tough mercenary who wished to
be unbreakable under torture and a real challenge for mages. He
also wanted to be an excellent scout and sentry. So he bought his
IQ, and then took a *lot* of Alertness and Strong Will. He is now
*quite* competant, but not superintelligent.
     In general, encourage players to take abilities such as
Alertness, Strong Will, Mathematical Ability, Language Talent
et al. *instead* of lots of IQ. Using starting attribute limits
will aid you in this task. As a case in point: consider mages.
How many mages take IQ 15 and Magery 1 when, for less points,
they can get IQ 13 and Magery 3? This gives them the same spell
levels, which is normally what they want anyhow, it saves them
points, *and* it prevents campagn IQ-inflation, along with its
accompanying default-inflation.
-Kromm

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