Skill Specialities

[LordEntropy]

Hi, I have just picked up BRP but I used to own Runequest back in the 80's and also Superworld for a time.

I have been skimming through the new book and have a question on skill specialities.

Using half the score of a related skill is mentioned in the example but not in the text. Is this a hard and fast rule or have I missed it elsewhere?

The book is awesome and is certainly taking me back to my early days of gaming as well as being a good value product for the size of it.

[Jason Durall]

Originally Posted by LordEntropy

Using half the score of a related skill is mentioned in the example but not in the text. Is this a hard and fast rule or have I missed it elsewhere?

It's a "where appropriate" rule, when the skills have some relevance to one another, and is only to be allowed at the GM's approval.

For example, a Science (Mathematics) skill might be halved for a Science (Physics) skill attempt, but a Language (Spanish) would not be useful for a Language (Sanskrit) skill attempt.

The infinite number of potential combinations prevents any hard-and-fast rule about it, or equivalency chart, so the GM should be the final arbiter.

[LordEntropy]

Originally Posted by Jason Durall

It's a "where appropriate" rule, when the skills have some relevance to one another, and is only to be allowed at the GM's approval.

For example, a Science (Mathematics) skill might be halved for a Science (Physics) skill attempt, but a Language (Spanish) would not be useful for a Language (Sanskrit) skill attempt.

The infinite number of potential combinations prevents any hard-and-fast rule about it, or equivalency chart, so the GM should be the final arbiter.

Jason thanks for the reply. OK now I understand why half skill was quoted in the example but not put as a specific rule, more or less could be used at GMs discretion. Cool thanks.

By the way thanks for all the hard work you must have put into BRP it is a great book and I am looking forward to reading more of it.

One of the things I like about it is that I already have a comfortable feeling with these rules despite not having really played any BRP based game since the 80's but the % system is just so damn intuitive.