Yes, I remember the half point and have complained about losing it... but losing the -2 does much the same, just harder to track. Entering the skill at zero points 9if it will let us) will do that.

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 12):

Keeping track of familiarity is both GMs and players task, but it makes more sense when using gear you may have skills for but are unfamiliar with.

With text editor, you can do anything!
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:21, Tue 13 Oct 2015.

Not if your desktop took a dump and is in the Apple store... they think the power supply went ... hopefully nothing more. A newish iMac is way expensive.

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 14):

lol, true. But I do a lot of text editing from my phone nowadays anyway. Perhaps you can tell...

I use the phone in a pinch, but the screen is too small to be very useful ... younger eyes probably help a lot.
They showed me the iPhone 6+, but I don't want a mini-tablet for a phone.

I haven't forgotten about updating my CS, just haven't had any time to sit and think...

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 17):

Thats cool. You can save them up...

Any way to build on the Psi talent?
Not sure how useful it might be... but curious...

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 19):

Practice...it does not officially exist so there is no teaching!

So sit quietly in a corner and try to do Psi things until one or more work?
Needs a Crit?

So far, nothing works... but maybe Telepathy has potential.

14:07, Today: Secret Roll: Cyril Zotmund rolled 15 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,5,6.  Teleportation efforts.
14:07, Today: Secret Roll: Cyril Zotmund rolled 12 using 3d6 with rolls of 4,6,2.  Telepathy Efforts.
14:06, Today: Secret Roll: Cyril Zotmund rolled 18 using 3d6 with rolls of 6,6,6.  TK Efforts.
14:06, Today: Secret Roll: Cyril Zotmund rolled 14 using 3d6 with rolls of 6,5,3.  ESP Efforts.

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 21):

You can be assumed to be practising in your spare time. I would say you can roll once per week, and if you roll 5 or under for any group, we can say you mastered it. It might sound like a tall order, but you are breaking new ground with it, and actually quite likely to learn all within a year game time...

Seems fair... let me know when I can roll again...

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 23):

Despite having duties, anyone who is willing to devote the time during the 75 days (maximum 600 hours) you are here can  improve one skill. Remember, it takes 200 hours of Learning to gain one point in a skill (I include languages in this).

Work normally counts as 1 hour of learning in 4, but in Dukes case, since you have easily worked 200 hours in the game so far on fusion reactors, you can add 1 point to Mechanic (Fusion Reactors). Most of your time here was working with fusion reactors.

Self teaching counts 1 hour every two. With the language of the Talz, I would consider this as self teaching, since none of them are professional teachers, and the benefit of amateur teachers is offset by the very unusual language they have. Any other teaching they offer is offset by language difficulties...

Note that if you spend all your time with the Talz, you can learn the language and Culture, gaining 1 point in each as per B294, as well as learning a skill from them. But that means spending ALL the 75 days with them, only sleeping on the ship!
This message was last updated by the GM at 08:56, Thu 12 Apr 2018.

I’ll stick with the Psi efforts

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 25):

OK, then I would say about 10 weeks pass. That is a lot of rolls, but go for it...

In reply to Fate (msg # 26):

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 27):

Wow.

Clairsentience [50]
Danger Sense [14]
Detect Psis or psionic activity [10]
Medium [10]
Oracle [15]
Para-Radar [40]
Penetrating Vision [10]/level
Precognition [23]
Psychometry [18]
See Invisible [15]

Telepathy
Animal Empathy [5]
Empathy [15]
Invisibility (Substantial only, Can carry objects, unencumbered) [40]
Mind Control [45]
Mind Probe [18]
Mind Reading [27]
Mind Shield [4]/level
Possession [90]
Speak with Animals [25]
Special Rapport [5] (Other party must also be a psi with this advantage!)
Telesend [27]
Terror]
This message was last edited by the GM at 08:14, Fri 13 Apr 2018.

OK, I have 3 points to spend, so lets go with Psychometry (18 points) and Telesend (27 points) (alternatively Mind Link w/ Kat for 5 Points)
I assume ESP level 1 and Telepathy Level 1? I don't think I have enough points to buy those too... the each cost 5 points per level.
I did buy Telekinesis at some point, so that could be converted to Telepathy... basically 8 points to work with and would need 33 minimum as I read GURPS, less any GM mandated waivers.  Not sure how the self taught weighs in ... as obviously I have spent quite a while (from before the games start) trying to learn/do these things, and there was only a cost in personal time.

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 29):

Neither Telepathy nor ESP exist as advantages in GURPs, hence I had to look deeper.

The critical success means you have worked out the basic principles of one ability. The ability does need to be developed though.

I am happy for you to use the Telekenesis advantage since I cannot find when you got it. So the three cp spare, =5 from Telekenesis and 2 from time training, to give you 10 points.

Psycometry and Telesend are worth quite a bit more...you should have at least one point tin each, but the advantages would not be usable until they are fully paid for. The do not have to be paid for evenly, though. The other option is to choose abilities less costly...

If we work of developing these in your personal time, then we should probably go with no more that 10 hours self-taught per week, on average. Some more (such as in warp), but some not at all, as building a relationship with Kat will take a LOT of time. So we are looking at 1 point every 40 weeks...since the game started in January 2170, and it is now November 2171, that would be about another 2 points...but you only got the critical success now! So we cant really backdate it to character creation or before, or points should have been spent on it then! Not to mention the attention that secret psi colleges should have paid you then!

Really, we have to keep this balanced with all the other folk who might be spending their time developing other skills or abilities.

Telepathy and ESP exist... look at pages 256-257 of CHARACTERS

The way it works in GURPS is you buy an area (TELEKINESES for instance) and then develop skills with in those areas. Clumsy and expensive, but it's their way.

Most of the cheaper skills are cheap for a reason, they are mostly of little value. Some have other side affects (Animal Friend wants you to be a Vegetarian)... so I'll work on my skills.  the 10 points will grant the areas of ability; then I'll work on the skills; although how you know you have achieved an area w/o being able to use any skill escapes me.

May I suggest that the 10 points grant the areas, and a crit allows you to use the skill. As you put points into it, your die roll for success increases. To start, my skill in Psychometry would be 13+1 (IQ + Level) - 18 [succeeds on a crit] after I put 2 points in it, I succeed on a 3,4,5 or 6 and each additional 2 points adds another +1 to my success roll. The difference between 5 and 14 is 9, so at 2 points per +1, I eventually work up to a normal skill level.

For telesend, it would be 3 points [because 9x3=27]; Mind Link with Kat would be MUCH cheaper, as we are close (married). Per the rules only 1 point if she is close.

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 31):

They exist as talents, not as advantages.

Reading through, you suggest that a psi buy at least one level as a talent, and is then free to work on the abilities associated with it? That makes sense, then. So 1 level of Psycokinesis and 1 level of ESP then, and you can now start working on an ability of your choice for each. That sounds reasonable.

The side effects are often associated with the advantages for other reason. I see no reason someone with the psi talent 'Animal Friend' was vegetarian...carnivores would not like them at all!

For Minklink, Kat must also develop the psi ability or it is limited to one way communication! Simply being married is not enough to allow her to send thoughts to you without a similar ability of her own. Telesend is worth 27 points, but is transmit only, and Kat does NOT require the ability for that. Sending to her receives a +3 to skill because of the relationship, but does not reduce the cost of the advantage.

Note that Mind Reading, part of Mindlink, requires you to be able to see the target. Mindlink also reduces the maximum range possible for Telesend, which is theoretically unlimited.Cost of Mindlink also does not depend on the value of the other person to you, but I would think it rather would increase the skill in a similar way to Telesend.

Incremental increases sound reasonable. I would go with 10% increases corresponding to the cost of the ability/10, rounding up. So for Telesend, worth 27 points, 10% rounded up is 3 points. Once you have 3 points, you have only a -9 to your ability, and for every 3 points thereafter, the penalty drops by one. This will mean that the jump is from -2 to zero for the last three points, from 24 to 27, but this can represent fully mastering the ability. This principle will then be easy to adapt for any ability.

OK Talents... I said Areas, not Advantages but your way will work... I used nine as it fit better and I like simple round numbers.
but ten is doable too...  We'll stick with telesend and Psychometry ... I understood the Mind Link was one way...  but for the difference, Telesend offers more flexibility.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:56, Sat 14 Apr 2018.

In reply to Cyril Zotmund (msg # 33):

True, so Telesend [27] and Psycometry [18], with increments of [3] and [2] respectively.

Yup...seems workable...

Alright, soryr for the minor absence, working onsite this week... I'll figure out where i'd like to spend the extra 400hrs too :) My guess is he wouldn't be so dedicated to anything in particular, after working so much.