Everyman Skills

GURPS has a long list of skills. Having the right skill for the task can be essential, and GURPS does not assume that all characters 'just know' how to do things like bandage wounds or climb a cliff. In two classic forum posts, Sean Punch suggested some lists of skills which many characters will want.
Some GMs require characters to keep a few points in reserve to buy skills and other traits which they forgot at character creation but prove essential. Character Templates can also help make sure that a character has the skills to be good at the tasks which the player expects them to be good at.
== Skills for Adventurers (2007) ==
http://forums.sjgames.com/showpost.php?p=369148&postcount=21
*Carousing, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, or Interrogation -- Eventually, everybody wants to interrogate NPCs. I'm generous about what skills work, but some skill is required.
*Climbing, Hiking, and Stealth -- The party is only as good at these things as its worst party member, and nearly every party has to move around as a unit at some point.
*Driving or Riding -- Travel is vital to adventure, and while "every hero can drive/ride a horse" is often assumed, it isn't automatic in games that have skills for these things.
*First Aid -- Effective bandaging isn't an unskilled activity, AD&D notwithstanding. Non-action heroes often want to do this to "contribute" to party combat effectiveness, so they especially need this skill.
*Gesture -- Sooner or later, communication without making a sound will be vital to almost any party's survival.
*Observation, Scrounging, or Search -- Noticing interesting things takes training, and finding clues and useful items is so central to adventures that no PC should lack at least basic training here.
*Savoir-Faire or Streetwise -- Everybody came from somewhere. It's passing annoying when a player just assumes that her PC would "get on with folks in her element" without having any practical social skills to back up the assumption.</blockquote>Note that some of these lists have OR, and other lists have AND!
== Skills for Action Heroes (2007) ==
*Axe/Mace, Broadsword, Knife, Shortsword, or Staff -- Wielding a stick, knife, or heavy tool to any real effect requires practice. These common improvised weapons are not idiot-proof, trivial, or safe to use without training.
*Beam Weapons, Bow, Crossbow, or Guns -- However easy "point and shoot" looks, it's quite tough in reality. No credible action hero lacks competency at all ranged combat.
*Boxing, Brawling, or Karate -- Fisticuffs are the worst place to be untrained. Your fists are the only weapons you always have, so learn to use them.
*Forced Entry -- No, it isn't easy to kick in a door. Actually, unless you know how, you'll hurt yourself.
*Holdout -- "Concealable" equipment only works if you have skill at concealment, and frustratingly few players realize this.
*Judo, Sumo Wrestling, or Wrestling -- The number of people who think they should be able to grab others automatically is astounding. In fact, this is a difficult feat, trickier than hitting people, and absolutely requires training.
*Throwing -- Whether you're tossing spare magazines to friends or grenades at enemies, this is a trained skill, so it pays to know it.
== Skills for Life in the 21st Century West (2008) ==
http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=45850
As for skills for the modern West:
* Area Knowledge of where you live, unless you never go anywhere and just spend all your time in the basement.
* One of Carousing, Connoisseur (any), Games (any), Hobby Skill (any), [Edit: Musical Instrument (any), Singing,] or Sports (any), unless you truly do nothing but watch paint dry (probably down in that basement).
* Computer Operation . . . yeah, at this point, between ATMs, smart phones, and even DVD players, everybody is using a computer interface of some kind almost daily, even if they don't regard it as a "computer" per se. Most people, though, can use a computer per se. Especially in the basement.
* Current Affairs of some sort, unless you want to be a complete dud in conversation and have people see you as the freak who lives in that basement I keep mentioning.
* Housekeeping, unless you're either filthy rich (and have "people" for that) or just plain filthy (and have no social life down there in the basement).
All of these lists are suggestions and different people may envision slightly different lists. For example, in some parts of the world today, Driving or Bicycling might be essential skills. Although a few minutes on the road suggest that many drivers are relying on their default ...
== See Also ==
* Everyman Tasks by William H. Stoddard
Category:Skills