[Torg] Improving Attributes in play: Edges

[Sam Frazier II]

>>> > Well it makes sense if you think about it. Why 
>>> > should it cost the same to raise a trained skill as it would 
>>> > a non-trained skill. Teachers, which make things easier halve 
>>> > the cost.

>> *shrug* Teachers have never really done much for me, in real life. I'm much
>> better off with a textbook, generally.

Well a teacher is defined as an individual with more experience in the skill than you that can show you, from their experience, something you didn't know before. Essentially you learn from what they know. You can learn by yourself, from making your own mistakes, from someone who knows what you don't, or from someone elses mistakes. A teacher is someone who covers the latter of those two.

It doesn't mean someone who sat you down in the class room. It could be anyone who you've learned from. I'm sure there have been plenty of teachers in your life, whether you've recognized it or not.


>>Not necessarily. Assuming you use "trained skill" to refer to those skills
>>that cannot be used unskilled (the rulebook doesn't actually use that term),
>>a lot of skills are actually cheaper for you than they would be under
>>standard rules, when you have access to a teacher. Out of 47 skills listed
>>in the Torg Rulebook, only 12 would be trained skills.

Yes, a trained skill is a skill that cannot be used unskilled. The rule book doesn't use that term specifically, but it is shorter, and easier to grasp.

While the standard Torg Rulebook may only have 12 trained skills, there are many more when you combine all the realms together. Honestly I haven't looked at the brown covered TORG Rulebook in over 10 years. Other books have a more complete listing, and in the past few, we've used TORG R&E, and that list is complete so....I assure you there is use for this.

>>What you're really doing is screwing over the mages and priests. All four
>>magic skills, Faith and Focus are trained skills.

And Martial Artists, Weird Scientists, Doctors, Occultists, Psionists, etc, etc...It isn't screwing, it is investing. Those skills are inately more powerful than the unskilled brethren. Their results on the Effect Values are significantly higher with a higher success rate. I have enough experience playing to game (even under this appearent House rule) to see that.

It also makes the players more aware of finding teachers, which assists with Role Playing, and adding a dynamic to the plots of games. It encourages them to use possibilities more wisely so that their investments in skills is more important than spending possibilities every encounter, every time they take a wound (instead of sucking it up, it is just one wound. More than one, meh, get to three and it is understandable), or relying on their team to accomplish a task instead of making it personal. 

>>The only combat skill which are trained skills is Heavy Weapons, and just
>>how often is that useful compared to the others?

Dex based skill I'm assuming. After all Martial Artists, Nile's Powers, All magic skills, Faith and Focus, Reality, etc etc are combat skills. If you don't consider them combat skills, well....you are missing out on a dynamic of combat. An important one at that.

>>So on balance, I'd say you are probably giving yourselves a discount on
>>combat stuff.

Much of the simple stuff like Fire-Combat, Persuasion, Intimidation, Dodge, etc ... yea. But that should be unskillable. Medicine, Cyber-tech, etc should be Trained. 

Of course cross-cosm skills are considered trained too. Energy-Weapons would be untrained for a Cyber Papist, as would Computer-Usage for a Core Earther, but an Orrorshian would cosnsider those trained skills. 

SDF II