[Torg] Stat/Skill balance

[Phil Dack]

----- Original Message ----
> From: Kansas Jim <ksjim at sdc.org>
> To: torg at justintimeadventures.com
> Sent: Wednesday, 23 July, 2008 3:16:47 AM
> Subject: Re: [Torg] Stat/Skill balance
> 
> Phil writes:
> 
> Skiing though has always thrown me for a loop. Is it worth making it
> a skill of its own? It's not like there's an existing skill that really
> covers it. And it does show up in Bond movies and the like often enough
> that you want to throw a chase scene on skis into an adventure at least
> once. But I've have enough trouble getting players to consider pretty
> basic abilities like Running, Swimming and Climbing to be skills a
> character should have, I'm not sure I could get anyone to take Skiing
> as a skill. So maybe as a cheap specialism, but what skill would it
> apply to? Land Vehicles? :D

I'm in two minds about it. In a cinematic bondian realm (eg CE as writ) it seems right that everyone can ski. But I'd like my Torg to be able to be truly multigenre and allow for less heroic realms where skiing isn't something everyone can automatically do. But you're right that it doesn't fit into any obvious skill. Actually, I've just had a revelation. It's obvious. It's clearly a sub-skill of Running, just as Scuba is a sub-skill of Swimming. Wow. Moment of clarity when I'm still drunk from last night's steak n poker soiree!!

> 
> > I'm also toying with less detail, as well as more detail, to go for a 3-tier 
> skill system overall, to bring a narrative element into play. I'll illustrate 
> through example: 
> 
> I've never really liked the idea of 'career' skills, though I suppose
> if you rebuild the entire skill system around the idea it would be
> feasible. 

And actually I've changed my mind. While Torg has a lot of skills, many are general enough - and the unskilled penalties on the most part light enough - to cover most situations. I'm going to (as you suggest) greatly increase the number of skill points available and ensure characters can get a good spread, but that ought to be enough to cover it. 

Phil



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