Instinctive Skills

[CRMcNeill]

I was reading back through some old posts on another topic and I cam across a conversation about the possibility of certain skills occurring automatically, as if the character using them simply does it without thinking, such as Darth Vader being intimidating, or a Intel Operative always on the alert and watching everything. I won't rehash the whole conversation, but it did make me think of an idea.

I think there is a definite difference on the Intimidation scale between Darth Vader just walking down a hallway and Darth Vader all up in a prisoner's face and actually trying to be intimidating. The same could be said for other skills, mostly Perception skills, but others may fit. The idea I have bouncing around is that, at level-up between missions, a character could choose to buy an "Instinctive" skill upgrade instead of improving his dice level. Once the character purchases the Instinctive upgrade, they can take an automatic 2 result on their skill dice every round as a free action.

For example, Vader, with his 11D Intimidation, is a good example of someone who is instinctively intimidating. With this rule, he exudes an automatic aura of Intimidation, equal to 2 for every 1D of his skill level. In other words, Vader automatically passes Intimidation checks up to Difficult level (22), just by being Vader. He can still amp up the pressure to become even more intimidating, but only by rolling his Intimidation skill as a standard action.

Intimidation is an obvious example, but I can also see this being applied to Search. Other skills might be possibilities, but I haven't really looked at them yet...

Thoughts?
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Fallon Kell]

Would you go into the details for buying the upgrade?
_________________
Or that excessively long "Noooooooooo" was the Whining Side of the Force leaving him. - Dustflier

Complete Starship Construction System

[CRMcNeill]

[garhkal]

If i could get behind this, i would not apply it to actively pushed skills (like search or intimidation).. When i think of an instinctive skill, i think like swimming should be for a fisherman, or cultures for a bar tender.. Something that fits in the backround and skill set for the person.

It would definitely not apply to any combat related skill.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Bren]

[CRMcNeill]

I agree. I read through the skill list and came up with a short list of skills that this would apply to, and the list is pretty short, and mostly from Perception. I included examples:

Intimidation (Vader. Need I say more?)

Command (Grande Admiral Thrawn, who was always described as having an "aura" of command about him).

Con or Persuasion (Someone with an aura of likeability or respectability about them, even when they aren't actively trying to convince anyone).

Search (For the highly trained Intel Agent or Commando who is always on alert, even in their sleep)

Sneak (For the same Agents and Commandos who have been trained to blend into their background so well that it is practically second nature).

I pretty much limited "Instinctive" to things that a character could potentially do without doing anything. All my choices are debatable, IMO, but this is what I was thinking.
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[garhkal]

I am still not seeing search or sneak being able to be 'instinctive'.. same with con or command..
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[CRMcNeill]

[Bren]

[CRMcNeill]

[Bren]

[CRMcNeill]

It's more of an outgrowth of a discussion that certain characters are so good at certain skills that they do them naturally, without any real need to act consciously. The specific example discussed was Vader being naturally Intimidating, so that in certain situations, he just automatically succeeded at being intimidating, without the need for a rule of any kind. It got me thinking about other possible skills that characters might embody so completely that they perform them without really thinking about it (up to a certain point). Of course, to achieve that level, they would have to pay a relatively high one-time CP cost (10-20CP, although I haven't decided yet...)
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Bren]

[CRMcNeill]

[atgxtg]

I can kina see the point here. In fact it touches on something I put in an email!

I can see someone like SHerlock Holmes always "keeping up" some PER skills. I'd probably lower the automatic level, say 1 pip per D. But I might keep the wild die as a kicker.

Another way to go might be to reduce the MAP peantliy. There is some RPG where there is a perk that gives a character a free PER roll een when they are not actively looking. Something like that could be applied to other abilties. Like Vader being Intimidating.

The problem I see with he automatic skill use isthat in many cases it wouldn't make sense. For instance if Vader wants to intimidate someone, his player is going to want to roll te dice and get the full roll. Unless the GM is giving away the difficulty numer and the PC can take the automatic success.


IMO this shouldn7t be something that is bought, but a natural effect of a very high skill. For example, someone with Computer Programming 12D should intrinctively look at some code and get an idea about it. Even if he isn't actively thinking about it.