All of that talk in occ4 about what the makeup of people was made me think: what makes us?


Gwythaint
64 points
Att: 45 adv:315 D/q:-55 skills:24
St 11 [10] Dx 9 [-20] IQ 13 [60] Ht 9 [-10]
Hp 11 [0] Will 13 [0] Per 12 [-5] fp 9 [0]
Adv
5 Ally (wife)
4 Attractive
5 Artist
5 Versatile
5 Magery 0
5 almost comfortable
Dabbler:
 1 Xray  tech:+2 defaults for biology, physiology, pathology,
   Physics
 Security Guard: +2 defaults to security guard, brawling,
    wrestling, baton
 1 Artist: +2 to defaults for sculpting, engraving,
  architecture, art history
 1 Crafty: +2 default for carpentry, cooking, sewing, poetry
 1 White witch: +2 defaults for wiccan theology, Meditation,
  ritual magic (wiccan), mythology
1 one hit wonder: can do an arm lock at DX.
1 trivia sponge: knows random useless things
Languages English native/native
          Spanish  accented/accented [4]
Disadvantages
-5 Code of honor professional
-5 bad back (reduced)... [replaced with bad leg...]
-5 klutz
-10 bad vision (mitigated)
-12 bipolar (mitigated)*includes migraines
   This seems to me to be more than the cyclothymia quirk due to time and cost
   spent medicating, aranging therapy sessions, avoiding drug interactions
   and trying to resist the impulse to berserk, especially vs inanimate
    objects
   (and of late, medication is working less and moods are more extreme,
  Rapidly cycling, and random)
and frequent bouts of low level paranoia.
-3 fat
-3 Oblivious
-5 selfish


Quirks
Easily distracted and bad with names; gaming geek; Wiccan;
 Sleep of the dead; cannot drink alchohol; tolerant; argues with inanimate objects (occasionally violently)

Artist  drawing [4] 15 painting [2] 14
Electronics op: medical diagnostics [4] 14
Diplomacy [1]  11
Psychology [1] 11
Computer operation [1] 13
Area knowledge  hospital [1] 13
First aid [1] 13
Swimming [1] 9
Writing [1]12
Public speaking [1] 12
Teaching [1] 12
Connoisseur fine art [1] 13
Rpg games [2] 14
Theology, Catholic [1] 11
Occultism  [1] 12

Biology-9
Pathology-9
Physics-9
Physiology-8

Security guard-10
Brawling-7
Wrestling-6
Baton-6

Sculpting-11
Engraving-11
History, Art-9
Architecture-10

Carpentry-11
Sewing-7
Cooking-10
Poetry-10

Meditation-9
Theology, Wiccan-9
Ritual magic, wiccan-8
Mythology-9
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:12, Thu 21 July 2022.

In reply to Narrator (msg # 1):

Total CP: [105]

Attributes [63]
ST 10 [0];
DX 10 [0];
IQ 13 [60];
HT 10 [0].

Damage: Harmless
BL 20 lbs.;
HP 10 [0];
Will 15 [10]; (Just ask my wife!)
Per 11 [-10];
FP 10/10 [0];
Basic Speed 5 [0]
Basic Move 5 [0]
Dodge 8

Languages
Native (Verbal and Written): English
Russian (Verbal And Written): Broken [2]

Cultures
Australian (Native)
Russian [1]

Advantages: [80]

Ally (Wife, 100%, Quite Often) [10]
Ally (Family, 100%, Group up to 10, Quite Rarely) [15]
Ambidexterity    [5]
Empathy   [5]
Intuition   [15]
Wealth (Very Wealthy) [30] Own House I live in, assets worth Aus $300k approx


Disadvantages: [-106]

Debt (Home Loan) Owe $150 k(38% of starting wealth!) Payments Aus $1 k/mth [-1]
Dependant (Daughter, 0%, Loved One, almost all the time) [-60]
   (Wife helps with looking after her)
Discipline of Faith (Christian) [-5]
Loner [-5]
Slow Riser  [-5]
Stubbornness (Resist on 12 or less)[-5]
Truthfulness [-5]
Unfit [-5]
Unlucky [-10]

Quirks [-5]
Attentive
Humble
Imaginative
Responsive
Does not Drink Alcohol

Skills: [68]

Accounting  (H) IQ-2 [1] (11)
Animal Handling (Livestock) (A) IQ-1 [1] (12)
Area Knowledge (Melbourne) (E) IQ [1] (13)
Area Knowledge (Forster, NSW) (E) IQ [1] (13)
Axe/Mace (A) DX-1 [1] (9)
Bicycling (E) DX [1] (10)
Boating (Motorboat) (A) DX [2] (10)
Boating (Unpowered) (A) DX-1 [1] (9)
Bow (A) DX-1 [1] (9)
Brawling (E) DX [1] (10)
Camouflage (E) IQ [1] (13)
Carpentry (E) IQ [1] (13)
Chemistry (H) IQ-2 [1] (11)
Computer Operation (E) IQ [2] (14)
Computer Programming (H) IQ-2 [1] (11)
Crewman(Seamanship) (E) IQ [1] (13)
Current Affairs (Politics) (E) IQ [1] (13)
Detect Lies (H) Per-2 [1] (9)
Driving (A) DX [2] (10)
Engineering (Ships) (H) IQ-1 [2] (12)
First Aid (E) IQ [1] (13)
Fishing (E) Per [1] (11)
Games (RPGs) (E) IQ [1] (13)
Gardening (E) IQ [1] (13)
Guns (Rifle) (E) DX [1] (10)
Guns (Shotgun) (E) DX [1] (10)
Hiking (A) HT-1 [1] (9)
History (Europe)(H) IQ-2 [1] (11)
History (Asia)(H) IQ-2 [1] (11)
Housekeeping (E) IQ+1 [2] (14)
Karate (H) DX-2 [1] (8)
Knot Tying (E) DX [1] (10)
Knife (E) DX [1] (10)
Lasso (A) DX-1 [1] (9)
Leadership (A) IQ-1 [1] (12)
Machinist (A) IQ [1] (12)
Masonry (E) IQ [1] (13)
Mathematics (Applied) (H) IQ-2 [1] (11)
Merchant (A) IQ-1 [1] (12)
Naturalist (H) IQ-2 [1] (11)
Navigation (A) IQ-1 [1] (12)
Physics (VH) IQ-3 [1] (10)
Physiology (E) IQ-2 [1] (11)
Psycology (H) IQ-2 [1] (11)
Research (A) IQ-1 [1] (12)
Scrounging (E) Per [1]-11
Scuba (A) IQ-1 [1] (12)
Sewing (E) DX [1] (10)
Staff (A) DX-1 [1] (9)
Shiphandling (Ship) (H) IQ-2 [1] (11)
Speed-Reading (A) IQ-1 [1]-14
Survival (Desert) (A) Per-1 [1] (10)
Survival (Mountains) (A) Per-1 [1] (10)
Survival (Island/Beach) (A) Per-1 [1] (10)
Survival (Plains) (A) Per-1 [1] (10)
Survival (Woodlands) (A) Per-1 [1] (10)
Swimming (E) HT [1] (10)
Theology (H) IQ-1 [2] (11)
Tracking (A) Per-1 [1] (10)
Writing (A) IQ-1 [1] (12)
Traps (H) IQ-1 [1] (12)

Attributes: 40
ST 10
DX 10
IQ 12
HT 10

12 Advantages:
Less Sleep 			[2]
Rapid Healing			[5]
Versatile			[5]

[3]Perks:
Dabbler:
Artist (Drawing), Artist (Painting), Artist (Sculpture), Artist (Digital Layout),
   History (Art), Electronics Operation (Media) - Default +2
Current Affairs (Headline, Pop Culture, Politics, Science/Tech) - Default +3
History (20th century American, 19th Century American, Victorian British Empire,
   Medieval Europe, Medieval China, Classical Antiquety) - Default +2

[-46]Disadvantages:
Light Sleeper			[-5]
Overweight			[-1]
Pacifism (Self Defense Only)	[-15]
Poor				[-15]
Stubbornness			[-5]
Unfit				[-5]

[-5]Quirks:
Taoist
Proud
Forgetful
Responsive
Mild Squeamishness

[35]Skills:
Acting				IQ-1	[1]	11
Bicycling			DX	[1]	10
Carousing			HT	[1]	10
Computer Operation		IQ	[1]	12
Computer Programming		IQ-2	[1]	10
Cooking				IQ-1	[1]	11
Diplomacy			IQ-1	[2]	11
Dreaming			Wil-1	[1]	11
Driving (Automobile)		DX	[2]	10
Fast-Talk			IQ	[2]	12
Games (RPGs)			IQ	[2]	12
Group Performance (Directing)	IQ-1	[1]	11
Housekeeping			IQ	[1]	12
Occultism			IQ-1	[1]	11
Professional Skill (Author)	IQ	[2]	12
Propaganda (Social Media)	IQ-1	[1]	11
Research			IQ+1	[4]	13
Swimming			HT	[1]	10
Writing				IQ+2	[8]	14

Any given skill might be replaced by the appropriate delusion "I have X skill instead of operating from default" instead. IQ might be higher.

haha we did this in high school. back in the mid-late 90's. i was 80 pt's back then... i'm SO doing this.

In reply to Oren (msg # 3):

Wealth Poor? At TL 8, that means you own less than $4000 worth of gear TOTAL, including a car, clothes, computer, software (legal) and kitchenware. Unless you are living in the third world, that would seem extremely unlikely...most of us have a computer worth at least $500, and clothing worth at least 5-10 times that. Hell, even a single suit is worth that! And lets not talk about cars...

Having lived in the third world for a while, I see that most westerners grossly underestimate their wealth or worth. Sometimes it is scary to do an honest appraisal, but insurance companies regularly say most folk are grossly under-insured.

No friends or family that could count as allies?

Yep. Wealth Poor. No car, live in an apartment, entire wardrobe fits in a suitcase, and the most expensive items are the $75 boots I bought three years ago. I am lucky enough to have a slightly older pair of $20 sneakers, but that's it for shoes.

Computer is the most expensive thing I own, and I bought that a year and a half ago for $500, including monitor. I use free open-source software when possible, but I paid $25 or so for Scrivener on sale.

Rather doubt the sum total of my possessions reaches $2k let alone $4k, allowing for depreciation.

I'd be on the dole if I wasn't entirely self-employed.

Allies:
I could probably count a few of my friends as Contacts, and a handful might be covered by the Friend perk. The rest are just people I know.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:51, Sun 24 July 2016.

In reply to Oren (msg # 6):

Bummer. I would send you some old clothes if I knew where you lived. What work do you do, if I may ask?

I write books. I make barely enough to cover my rent, utilities, and food, but there's nothing I'd rather be doing with my time.

But really, I don't own a lot of stuff because I spent most of my 20s homeless and living out of a suitcase, so I just don't think about buying stuff, even when I can afford it. I just don't have those habits.

I should have bought a new pair of jeans months ago. I just... haven't.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:04, Sun 24 July 2016.

Hmm.  I don't have time to do this right now, but this is something cool.  I did this once before, in 1980, for a D&D one-shot when I lived in northern Idaho.  May 18th, it was: I recall the date because through the entire one-shot game, we were seeing cloud cover build in the west-southwest, not knowing until around the middle of the session that what we were seeing was the ash cloud from the eruption of Mt. Saint Helens.

I've also done it once for GURPS, either 2nd or 3rd edition (don't recall which).  I think GURPS will do a better job of letting me simulate the huge array of 1-point skills I have (some of which I put in as half-point in that previous edition).  Not to mention an even bigger array of occasionally useful defaults that I call on often enough to put on a character sheet.  Stuff like Lock Picking, Climbing, Animal Handling (Dog), etc.

claim to hospitality (childhood friends) 3 families, and a single friend. how much would this cost?? anyone help me out? i dunno 4e that well yet

In reply to Chye Isuel (msg # 10):

Could you call that single friend an Ally,  ie someone who would help you out if you were in a real pickle?

yeah, 3e  handled it 1 pt for a single friend w/ a house, 2pts for a small family etc... if that were the case, i'd say thats about 7 pts worth..
This message was last edited by the player at 19:58, Sun 24 July 2016.

wouldn't call 'em allies, just a place for basic aid, food, shelter, small-loans, etc. but it cuts both ways, or you lose the benefit, and or aquire a bad rep. (mooch,etc.)

There are no half point skills, but the dabbler perk performs the same function.

Between the 200 hour training requirement for a single point in a given skill and the fact that disused skills atrophy, it gets hard to justify taking a ton of skills for me. Like... I was a boy scout, but I haven't practiced any first aid in decades. I took karate ten years ago.

Yet I didn't take Karate, Survival, First Aid, Knot Tying, etc because those skills are gone. I'd be relying on defaults at this point.

The dabbler perk is useful for skills you occasionally use, but not often enough to have a full point in.

Friends:

Here are the different levels of Friend advantage.

Ally: Always has your best interests in mind. Will never betray you.
Contact: Won't go too far out of their way, but will help you out. Probably. Has a useful skill.
Friend Perk: Acts as a claim to hospitality. +3 on reaction rolls when asked for help.

This message was deleted by the player at 18:49, Tue 19 Apr 2022.

:D* i'mma badass xD 20 yrs later, i more than doubled my point value! my life has indeed been intensive training from 2006-2015
This message was last edited by the player at 14:12, Sun 24 July 2016.

This message was deleted by the player at 14:53, Sun 24 July 2016.

Stats:  90  Ads:  113  Disad:  -89  Skills:  28

Stats  [90]
  [20]  ST 12
  [40]  DX 12
   [0]  IQ 10
  [20]  Per  14
  [20]  Will 12
  [20]  HT 12

Ads  [98]
   [5]  Animal Empathy
  [15]  Combat Reflexes
  [10]  Common Sense
   [2]  DR 1 (Tough Skin)
   [5]  Eidetic Memory
  [10]  High Pain Threshold
   [4]  Less Sleep 2
   [3]  Night Vision 3
   [5]  Rapid Healing
  [10]  Recovery
  [30]  Jack Of All Trades 2

Perks  [14]
   [1]  Alcohol Tolerance
   [1]  Dabbler 1:  Running, Sport (Lacrosse), Sport (Tennis)*, Strategy (Miniatures)* +1;
	Lifting*, Wrestling* +2
   [1]  Dabbler 2:  Animal Handling (Dogs)*, Camouflage*, Fishing*, Guns (TL7 Longarms)*,
	Guns (TL7 Pistols)*, Survival (Woodland)*, Survival (Mountian)*, Survival (Swamp)*
   [1]  Dabbler 3:  Acting*, Architecture*, Philosophy (Cynicism)*, Poetry*, Psychology*,
	Public Speaking* +1; Linguistics* +2
   [1]  Dabbler 4:  Spear*, Tactics*, Two-Handed Axe/Mace*, Two-Handed Sword*  +1;
	Judo*, Karate* +2
   [1]  Dabbler 5:  Axe/Mace*, Blowpipe*, Bow*, Broadsword*, Knife*, Saber*, Shield*,
	Shield (Buckler)*
   [1]  Dabbler 6:  Electrician*, Leatherworking*, Occultism*, Packing*,
	Smith (TL4 Blacksmith)*, Traps +1; Alchemy* +2
   [1]  Dabbler 7:  Theology*  (Christianity, Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, Shinto,
	Native American, Nordic, Hindi)
   [1]  Dabbler 8:  Filch*, Intimidation*, Lockpicking*, Observation*, Search*,
	Stealth* +1; Sleight of Hand* +2
   [1]  No Hangover
   [1]  Friend
   [1]  Reach Mastery (Naginata)
   [1]  Weapon Adaptation (Polearm to Staff)
   [1]  Weeble:  May make Breakfall checks and Change Posture (From Prone to Kneel,
	Crouch or Stand) even if Stunned

Disads  [-89]
 [-10]  Bad Sight (Nearsighted, Mitigated)
  [-5]  Callous
  [-5]  Gluttony  (12)
 [-10]  Laziness
  [-5]  Light Sleeper
  [-5]  OPH: Dissocial Personality Disorder
  [-7]  On The Edge (15)
  [-7]  Paranoid Schizophrenia (15)
 [-15]  Very Unfit
  [-5]  Very Fat
 [-15]  Wealth (Poor)

Quirk  [-5]
  [-1]  Alcoholic (Recovered)
  [-1]  Unusual Biochemistry (Painkillers Do Not Work)
  [-1]  Loner (16)
  [-1]  Selfless (Animals and Children Only) (12)
  [-1]  Phobia (Zombies)  (15)


Skills [28]							
	Skill			Level	Bonus	Stat	Difficulty	Bonus
   [0]	Alchemy (TL5)		2	+2/+2	IQ	VH	Jack, Dabbler 6
   [0]	Architecture (TL7)	5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 3
   [1]	Comp Op (TL7-8)		10		IQ	E	
   [2]	Cooking			10		IQ	A	
   [0]	Electrician/TL		5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 6
   [1]	First Aid/TL		10		IQ	E	
   [1]	Housekeeping		10		IQ	E	
   [0]	Leatherworking		8	+2/+1	DX	E	Jack, Dabbler 6
   [0]	Linguistics		3	+2/+2	IQ	H	Jack, Dabbler 3
   [1]	Meditation		10		Will	Will-6
   [0]	Occultism		5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 6
   [0]	Philosophy (Cynicism)	4	+2/+1	IQ	H	Jack, Dabbler 3
   [0]	Poetry			5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 3
   [0]	Psychology		4	+2/+1	IQ	H	Jack, Dabbler 3
   [1]	Research/TL		9		IQ	A	
   [1]	Sewing/TL		10		DX	E	
   [0]	Smith (Black TL4)	5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 6
   [0]	Theology (Dabbler 7)	4	+2/+1	IQ	H	Jack, Dabbler 7

   [0]	Axe/Mace		7	+2/+1	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 5
   [0]	Blowpipe		6	+2/+1	DX	H	Jack, Dabbler 5
   [0]	Bow			7	+2/+1	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 5
   [0]	Broadsword		7	+2/+1	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 5
   [0]	Guns (TL7 Longarms)	8	+2/+1	DX	E	Jack, Dabbler 2
   [0]	Guns (TL7 Pistols)	8	+2/+1	DX	E	Jack, Dabbler 2
   [0]	Judo			5	+2/+2	DX	H	Jack, Dabbler 4
   [0]	Karate			5	+2/+2	DX	H	Jack, Dabbler 4
   [0]	Knife			8	+2/+1	DX	E	Jack, Dabbler 5
   [2]	Polearm			12		DX	A	
   [2]	Polearm (Disarming)	13		Polearm	H	Polearm-0	
   [2]	Polearm (Retain)	13		Polearm	H	Polearm-0	
   [0]	Saber			7	+2/+1	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 5
   [0]	Shield			8	+2/+1	DX	E	Jack, Dabbler 5
   [0]	Shield (Buckler)	8	+2/+1	DX	E	Jack, Dabbler 5
   [0]	Spear			7	+2/+1	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 4
   [2]	Staff			12		DX	A	
   [0]	Strategy (Miniatures)	4	+2/+1	IQ	H	Jack, Dabbler 1
   [0]	Two-Handed Axe/Mace	8	+2/+1	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 4
   [0]	Two-Handed Sword	8	+2/+1	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 4
   [0]	Tactics			4	+2/+1	IQ	H	Jack, Dabbler 4
   [0]	Wrestling		6	+2/+2	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 1

   [2]	Acrobatics		10		DX	H	
   [5]	Breakfall		15		Acro	A	Acro+5
   [0]	Camouflage		6	+2/+1	IQ	E	Jack, Dabbler 2
   [0]	Fishing			10	+2/+1	Per	E	Jack, Dabbler 2
   [1]	Hiking			7	+2/+2	HT	A	
   [0]	Lifting			6	+2/+2	HT	A	Jack, Dabbler 1
   [0]	Packing			5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 6
   [0]	Running			7	+2/+1	HT	A	Jack, Dabbler 1
   [0]	Sport (Lacrosse)	7	+2/+1	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 1
   [0]	Sport (Tennis)		7	+2/+1	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 1
   [0]	Survival (Forest)	9	+2/+1	Per	A	Jack, Dabbler 2
   [0]	Survival (Woodland)	9	+2/+1	Per	A	Jack, Dabbler 2
   [0]	Survival (Swamp)	9	+2/+1	Per	A	Jack, Dabbler 2
   [1]	Urban Survival		14		Per	A	

   [0]	Acting			5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 3
   [0]	Animal Handling (Dog)	5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 2
   [1]	Diplomacy		8		IQ	H	
   [0]	Public Speaking		5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 3
   [0]	Intimidation		7	+2/+1	Will	A	Jack, Dabbler 8
   [1]	Streetwise		9		IQ	A	

   [0]	Filch			7	+2/+1	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 8
   [1]	Forced Entry		12		DX	E	
   [0]	Lockpicking (TL6)	5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 8
   [0]	Observation		9	+2/+1	Per	A	Jack, Dabbler 8
   [0]	Search			9	+2/+1	Per	A	Jack, Dabbler 8
   [0]	Sleight of Hand		5	+2/+2	DX	H	Jack, Dabbler 8
   [0]	Stealth			7	+2/+2	DX	A	Jack, Dabbler 8
   [0]	Traps (TL4)		5	+2/+1	IQ	A	Jack, Dabbler 6

This message was last edited by the player at 04:43, Mon 25 July 2016.

I donno.... figuring myself out (for however reliable this was) I don't feel very "point optimized"...

have a special horror for zombies, as a quirk.. eh?

i could.. justify having, "on the edge, but it hasn't manisfested in over a year... so i think i may have bought it off, sometime between my last episode, and now. xD that one needed to go asap.

The only horror movies or video games that have ever scared me as an adult were ones that featured zombies.  The only time I've ever been frightened into a blind "RUN AWAY!" panic was over a zombie in a video game.  True story:


So I'm playing Thief 1 and I'm creeping around in the zombie filled church in the undead section of town, already on fricking edge over the ghosts*, and I have Garret try to pick a lock.  The computer has surround sound, I'm sitting in the dark... and suddenly there's a zombie moan from behind me!  Next thing I know, I'm outside, behind a tree, looking back at my apartment doorway, that dreadful pitch black opening**, waiting for the zed to come out.

Took me almost ten minutes to begin to calm down, and the only reason I returned to the apartment at that point is one of the cats finally started to investigate the front porch, so I had to shoo her back inside and close the door.  Even then  I had to turn on all the lights and check everywhere to make sure it was just the video game.

Garret was just as I'd left him, turns out the zed was upstairs and had approached from behind.  In the game they moan when they get to a certain distance to alert you that they're there, not that you've been spotted or anything.  But the damage was done.  I was to agitated to even think about playing that mission, had to use a cheat code to get passed it.



* The ghosts do this freaky multi-voiced whispering... which sets my paranoia and schizophrenia off.  Had the same problem playing the hell levels in Diablo 1, the creepy 'subaudio' children's laughter was setting me off.  Had to turn off the game's music to keep playing.  I don't even want to talk about the zombie moans in Minecraft.

Even thinking about zombies to much starts a very mild panic attack.

** I can still picture it.  A normal doorway, just to dark to see because I'm in the light and the apartment was dark.  But for some reason (because I was completely panicked) that rectangular of darkness took on the most fearsome of aspects.



But strangely I love zombie movies, books, comics, etc.

haha yeah, i know level you mean, i know which exactly. in the late 90's had a friend, we'd play those games in pitch black, silent hill and clock tower along with resident evil 2, were good ones for that effect.

Dungeon Master, was pretty humorous/scary when you were camping in the dungeon, and got ambushed by a horde of mummies. They made this scary sound, when they attacked. xD at least it was scary to happen suddenly out of nowhere, when you were playing it in the dark, when you where 11 yrs old. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbUbYAyNvBg

Been working on my own character sheet.  I need to look up that Dabbler perk -- there are a lot of things I know how to do, better than default, but not well enough to justify the skill level of a 1 point skill.  Some of those I can cover with Wild Talent (yes, I have it, at some level -- I have a long history of succeeding on the first try at stuff I've only heard/read about), but some I do often enough to justify having them on the sheet.  Like fountain pen repair (probably a hobby skill anyway), desktop computer assembly, sewing, etc.

I was pretty surprised to see I'm only 155 points (probably more like 160-165 by the time I finish tweaking skills).  Not much of a physical specimen, and certainly not an athlete, I presume that contributes.

I'll post the result here when I get the skills tweaked...

i've never been an athlete myself, but i've always been able to move very well, and i'm quite stout. i hardly ever get sick, and i've been through alot of injuries, and have made good recovery, owing to good, overall health. most of my skills are things common for a kid growing up around alot of rural stuff, and outdoorsy things, and working outdoors, doing farm work and landscape. most of my edgier social skills i picked up later in life, after i left home and started living in seedy areas, due to cheapness of accomadations. I've had to put fear into my neighbors to leave me be, and have been in plenty of altercations. i think i more or less, nailed it. there's some things, as i may have mentioned , that i have recently bought off, that would have lowered me by at least -25 more points... if only i could buy off my depression, i could overcome some other things keeping me down.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:50, Sat 30 July 2016.

i'm pretty much a picture of wasted potential.

Name: JustJessie
Race: Human

Attributes [90]
ST 10
DX 12 [40]
IQ 12 [40]
HT 11 [10]
HP 10
Will 12
Per 13 [5]
FP 11
Basic Lift 20

Damage 1d-2/1d
Basic Speed 5.5 [-5]
Basic Move 5
Ground Move 5
Water Move 1

Social Background
TL: 8 [0]
Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native) [0].
Languages: English (Native) [0].

Advantages [17]
Ally (Brother in Arms) (25% of starting points) (12 or less) [2]
Charisma (1) [5]
Claim to Hospitality (Several Overlapping Social Groups) (3) [5]
Resistant (Sickness) (Common) (+3) [5]

Perks [4]
Off-Hand Weapon Training (Knife) [1]
Off-Hand Weapon Training (Shortsword) [1]
On Alert [1]
Style Familiarity (Taijutsu) [1]

Disadvantages [-67]
Bad Back (Mild) [-15]
Bad Sight (Nearsighted) (Glasses) [-10]
Debt (-2) [-2]
Dependent (Children) (No more than 50%) (9 or less; Group of Dependents; Loved one) [-
20]
Intolerance (Drug Users) (One group) [-5]
Lecherousness (12 or less) [-15]

Quirks [-5]
Congenial [-1]
Delusion [-1]
Solipsism [-1]
Truthful [-1]
Yin-Yang Imbalance [-1]

Skills [96]
Administration IQ/A - IQ+0 12 [2]
Area Knowledge (Phoenix Metro Area) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Arm Lock (Judo) Tech/A - 14 [1]
Back Kick (Karate) Tech/H - 11 [3]
Bow DX/A - DX-1 11 [1]
Broadsword DX/A - DX+1 13 [3]
Choke Hold (Judo) Tech/H - 12 [2]
Computer Operation/TL8 IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Connoisseur (Visual Arts) IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Disarming (Judo) Tech/H - 14 [2]
Driving/TL8 (Automobile) DX/A - DX+1 13 [4]
Driving/TL8 (Motorcycle) DX/A - DX+0 12 [2]
Elbow Strike (Karate) Tech/A - 12 [1]
Erotic Art (Human) DX/A - DX+2 14 [8]
Fast-Draw (Balisong) DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Fast-Talk IQ/A - IQ+0 12 [2]
First Aid/TL8 (Human) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Flail Art DX/H - DX+0 12 [4]
Freight Handling/TL8 IQ/A - IQ+0 12 [2]
Games (SJG Games) IQ/E - IQ+2 14 [4]
Ground Fighting (Judo) Tech/H - 11 [3]
Ground Fighting (Karate) Tech/H - 11 [3]
Guns/TL8 (Pistol) DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Guns/TL8 (Rifle) DX/E - DX+1 13 [2]
Hobby Skill (PC Games) IQ/E - IQ+0 12 [1]
Judo DX/H - DX+1 13 [8]
Karate DX/H - DX+1 13 [8]
Knee Strike (Karate) Tech/A - 13 [1]
Knife DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Leadership IQ/A - IQ+1 13 [2]
includes: +1 from 'Charisma'
Merchant IQ/A - IQ+0 12 [2]
NBC Suit/TL8 DX/A - DX-1 11 [1]
Professional Skill (CBRNE Decontamination) IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Professional Skill (Customer Interface) IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Professional Skill (Data Management) IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Public Speaking (Punning) IQ/E - IQ+1 13 [1]
includes: +1 from 'Charisma'
Sex Appeal (Human) HT/A - HT+1 12 [4]
Shortsword DX/A - DX+1 13 [4]
Soldier/TL8 IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Teaching IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
Two-Handed Sword DX/A - DX-1 11 [1]
Typing DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Writing IQ/A - IQ-1 11 [1]
This message was last edited by the player at 01:03, Sat 30 July 2016.

This is always a fun exercise and I've played myself a few times dumped into different scenarios (of which Supers and Banestorm are the most prominent).

The downside is, people always over or under estimate their abilities and no rpg system has the granularity to accurately model all of your lifes experiences and all of the nuances of who you are.  Of course, I think GURPS handles it better than anyone (should I add GURPS zealot to my character sheet?).  Plus if you're going to run a game with these characters, many people expect it to be point balanced, so one friend comes in at 36 points, one at -20, one at 125, and one at 250.  How do you get them all on the same page without messing up their character?

i agree! gurps does it  best. that's why when i was a kid, and first did this excercise, it was a first-time ever being able to really try and do it , best as we could. same results, though. most of us were very over-powered for 14-15 yr olds. i mean, i was an 80 pt charactor by my reckoning, when i was that age. that is NOT what your average teen-ager is, by any means. more like 25 pts, if that...
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 04:26, Sat 30 July 2016.

This message was deleted by the player at 04:26, Sat 30 July 2016.

In reply to Dareos Madrigar (msg # 29):

It gets iffy. If your friends include special Ops veterans, doctors, folks with doctorates or mid lifecareer changes, they  do run up in points. You can stat a med student at 100-45, but not adecent heart surgeon. You can  do a gruntfor 60 pts, but a Seal would be over 200.

Best way I've found to make people stat themselves is give them a set point budget and tell them to make a character based on themselves using only that budget. Like an alternate universe version. That way, the people who overestimate themselves by a hundred points are reigned in without you having to call them out on being full of shit.

And the people who underestimate themselves get to work up more ideal versions of who they are.

This explains it, though: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...2%80%93Kruger_effect

Inept people are unable to evaluate their capabilities accurately, while highly skilled people underestimate themselves and assume that tasks that are easy for them are also easy for other people.

So everybody is wrong: Unskilled people are wrong about themselves, and skilled people are wrong about everyone else.

As a skilled person* I take exception to this statement.  I know everyone else is far less skilled than I am!


* [cough]Bullshit![/cough]


Yeah, though, I do experience that cogdis where I'm trying to figure what has someone stumped and it's always the most simple thing that they aren't grokking.  But then spending a few years in custserv has helped to align my steps on "Always start with the simplest, stupidest thing and work your way up from there".

it depends on your background, and community expectations/social norms alot, too. in rural/semi rural communities,for example, theres a whole shit-ton of things youngsters are expected to know how to, or they get outcast,ridiculed,beat-up,etc. xD the most expensive costs are usaully wrapped up in attributes, as well. back to when we were kids, and tried this. my friends, had stats of like 14 for ST and 15 DX, and i was like ..."no" and we fixed things. everyone shrank from well over 100 pts to 20 and 40 pts below that. we were then, unable to factor in things at that time like living with parents, having no job, or working minimum wage, etc. lol
This message was last edited by the player at 18:41, Sat 30 July 2016.

The other side of this is that, for many highly skilled people, the tasks they're skilled in were easy the first time they attempted them, and remain difficult for others who've been doing them for long enough that they ought to be competent.  I work with men who have more than twice my experience, in number of years, but who constantly call on me for assistance in repairing stuff I never found difficult.

those men could have the lazy disadvantage....or the odious personal habit (delegates work to other fellow employees) xD
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 19:42, Sat 30 July 2016.

Or as is more likely Incompetence.

My Mom is liek that with Math.  Simple addition and subtraction is not beyond her, but she never trusts herself to compute more than 3 things in series... and for good reason as she almost always makes an error.

In reply to Jareth Mooncalled (msg # 38):

Those with ease have talent. Others have q level incompetencies with certain aspects of skills or have low self esteem, which gives a penalty when being watched.
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:31, Fri 27 Jan 2017.

Name: Joe
Race: Human

Attributes [79]
ST 8  [-20]
DX 12 [40]
IQ 13 [60]
HT 10 [0]
HP 10 [4]
Will 13
Per 13
FP 10
Basic Lift 12

Damage 1d-2/1d
Basic Speed 5.5 [-5]
Basic Move 5
Dodge 8

Social Background [4]
TL: 8 [0]
Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native) [0].
Languages: English (Native) [0]
           German (Broken) [2]
           Spanish (Broken)[2].

Advantages [10]
Common Sense [10]


Disadvantages [-98]
Bad Back (Mild) [-15]
Bad Sight (Nearsighted) (Glasses) [-10]
Debt (-2) [-2]
Overweight [-1]
Very Unfit [-15]
Mental Illness [-20]
Nightmares (12) [-5]
Sleep Disturbances (Insomnia) [-10]
Stress Atavism [-15]
Shy [-5]


Quirks [-5]
Congenial [-1]
Proud [-1]
Curious [-1]
Truthful [-1]
Imaginative [-1]

Skills [50]
Administration IQ/A - IQ+0 13 [2]
Area Knowledge (Charlotte Area) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Area Knowledge (East Tennessee Area) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Computer Operation/TL8 IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Connoisseur (Visual Arts) IQ/A - IQ+0 13 [2]
Cooking IQ/A- IQ+1 14 [4]
Driving/TL8 (Automobile) DX/A - DX+1 13 [4]
Games (Card Games) IQ/E - IQ+2 15 [4]
Games (Board Games) IQ/E- IQ+2 15 [4]
History (WWII) IQ/H- IQ+0 13 [4]
History (Civil War) IQ/H- IQ+0 13 [4]
Hobby Skill (PC Games) IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Leadership IQ/A - IQ+0 13 [1]
Mathematics/TL8 IQ/H- IQ+0 13 [4]
Theology/ TL8 (Christianity) IQ/H- IQ+0 13 [4]
Philosophy/ TL8 IQ/H- IQ+0 13 [4]
Typing DX/E - DX+0 12 [1]
Writing IQ/A - IQ+1 14 [4]

for somebody that knows you personally, joe, i can vouch that you did a pretty good job. maybe by a differance of -7, but that's chicken feed. xD
This message was last edited by the player at 22:18, Sat 30 July 2016.

In reply to Chye Isuel (msg # 41):

Thank you. :)

no problemo.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:59, Sat 30 July 2016.

In reply to Chye Isuel (msg # 43):

Had to updare mine, as wife reminded me I am a klutz.

haha. i've been editing mine like crazy, mostly sprucing it up, making it more organized looking.

I spent several days painstakingly 'perfecting' mine... maybe I should add a mild OCD on there...


GAAAAAAAH!
This message was last edited by the player at 19:45, Sun 31 July 2016.

Talent may be part of it -- I got into tool repair because I'd been fixing 50-80 year old camera shutters (for which, then, there were no readily available service documents and were and are generally no parts).  I gave myself Talent (Artisan), which fits almost perfectly, though I should probably temper that with Incompetence (Electronics) given my discomfort with anything component level involving transistors or microchips.

I'm also very good at fixing stuff I've never seen before (for example, I fixed the hammer spring in a Saiga shotgun -- essentially a 12 gauge AK -- having never seen any AK up close, never mind seeing one disassembled, and using only a Leatherman multi-tool).  I have a running joke at work that you can fix anything with a hammer, if you know where to hit it.  I have no idea what to call that, in game terms, but for now, I've got it on as Wild Talent (Mental) with Retention (seems like too many points, but I don't know anything else that fits).  As a result of that, if something comes in for repair and we have to look it up on Google to find out what it does, I get to fix it.  Hydraulic torque wrenches, water system pressure testers, banding tools, capstan hoists, power feed magnetic base drills, and so forth.

Beyond that, I don't know if the other techs where I work have Incompetence, Laziness (Learning), or Self-Conscious -- I just wish my boss wouldn't make it my fault when I "waste time" by answering their requests.

Talent gives a bonus on default and shortens learning time.

yeah, i warrant the quirk "perfectionist", but i think i'm gonna leave mine be, as i already have my most prominent quirks..

Ah.  Didn't read closely enough.  Talent (Artisan) combined with Incompetence (electronics) would completely cover it, then, no need for Wild Talent.  My default on Mental/Easy skills is pretty high with the Talent bonus...

You could still take Delusion (I have Wild Talent) or something.

odious personal habit: (refers to real life, situations in gurps terms) *trips, falls, scrapes knee* "auugggh! that was at least two HT points of damage!" xD or would that be a delusion....

Well...

...then there's what I call "the touch."  Frequently, things that don't work (correctly, or at all) will start working if I just touch them.  Example: at a writer's meeting a year or so ago, someone's laptop backlight stopped working.  Reboot didn't fix it.  I held the machine for a moment, gave it a flick with a fingertip near one lid hinge, and handed it back -- and it worked perfectly, and continued to work for at least several months.  Makes tool repair a little tricky; it's hard to figure out what the customer means by "broken" when the tool works fine for me, but it's sure handy for actually getting use out of stuff.

Also, my "portable parking spot" -- when I lived in Seattle, I used to be able to reliably find a parking space within a half block of my destination in no more than one orbit around the block.

The latter might reasonably be a delusion; the former (I tell myself) is probably pareidolia -- except that pareidolia doesn't actually fix stuff.

Or it's a combination of normal cognitive bias and delusions.

han solo had that, with the falcon. xD *touch*
This message was last edited by the player at 17:52, Mon 01 Aug 2016.

In reply to Chye Isuel (msg # 55):

A recent Pyramid had a bit on a character who was a mystical tech, had some degree of ritual path that gave an empathic relationship with tech. Let me look that up, as it went well for describing a knack like that.

"technomancy"

In reply to Chye Isuel (msg # 57):

Technomysticism. From the Thaumatology IV issue.
Base items are Machine empathy 10 and technomystic talent at 5 per level, and 18 points for repairing touch. That version works on all tech, so your non elelectronic version is probably worth 9-12 points.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:30, Tue 02 Aug 2016.

Oh, my repairing touch works just as well on things I probably couldn't fix in the mundane way (like a loose ribbon cable -- if the ribbon comes loose from the connector, they're almost impossible to reseat).  It's only my Talent that excludes electronics, and then only at the component level.  I can troubleshoot and replace the correct modular boards (like those in a classic desktop PC, as well as the ones in many electric power tools) about as well as anyone around.

Yes, Oren, it might well be a combination of cognitive bias and wish fulfillment delusion -- but it sure gave me a lot of trouble on my first tool repair job, when I often had to get the end user to come into my shop and demonstrate how the tool was malfunctioning, after completely failing to get it to misbehave in my hands.

In reply to Narrator (msg # 62):

New players are invited to give a go at statting themselves here.

Thanks for the reminder -- I've never gotten around to actually doing this, just chatted about it.  I'll have to scroll back up the thread and look for the discussion...