As gms has anyone added new skills to the game?

If so, what were they and how did you do it?

I wish I could say that I've done this. I haven't.

I have considered it, but so far I have not seen the need.

FFG added Cybernetics in an adventure (and I believe it is in Special Modifications), which sort of is like a mix between Mechanics and Medicine, as I recall (I may be wrong). So, it allows creating (I think) and applying cybernetics. On the other hand, it is limited to working with cybernetics - so it doesn't allow the character to heal wounds and critical injuries (that is not affecting cybernetics), or repairing your starship - or crafting a blaster.

I've considered making new skills, however, the question is if they are new or if it is just a more specialised use for a skill, or combined uses of two (or more) skills. Limitations would be important with new skills. One of my players keeps playing a bio-engineer-type character, so I've considered making a skill for her, that deals more directly with analysing, designing, and creating stims, drugs, poisons, cures, and stuff like that. I've not introduced this skill into the game.

Similarly, the modder is more into specialised and more narrow engineering than conventional mechanics as such, which is fine, and usually (in my mind) slightly more difficult than normal maintenance and repairs... so an Engineering skill could make sense, however how would it benefit the player and how would it limit him? Making certain checks easier, and other more difficult? It seems a bit too much to add.

What kind of skills are you considering?

Greetings!

Perform in some games and some specific "magick" skills from Genesys and suggestions from all SW books.

I've considered adding more knowledge skills too, but to strike that perfect balance of general vs specialised where you don't end up with too many skills ... well... I err on the side of keeping to the books.

Also, as I make use of the passive checks optional skill resolution rules (page 322 EOTE CRB), so this means that in some instances, when players are specialised (through fluff), I let them pass without the roll of the dice (if they have enough skill ranks - and in some other instances, when a skill check is unnecessary, at least if they have skill ranks - and sometimes requiring skill ranks (or fluff experience) to even make a skill check (borrowing from AGE/Expanse in that regard).

1 hour ago, Jegergryte said:

I've considered adding more knowledge skills too, but to strike that perfect balance of general vs specialised where you don't end up with too many skills ... well... I err on the side of keeping to the books.

Also, as I make use of the passive checks optional skill resolution rules (page 322 EOTE CRB), so this means that in some instances, when players are specialised (through fluff), I let them pass without the roll of the dice (if they have enough skill ranks - and in some other instances, when a skill check is unnecessary, at least if they have skill ranks - and sometimes requiring skill ranks (or fluff experience) to even make a skill check (borrowing from AGE/Expanse in that regard).

I have done some similar things. With Genesys, I got rid of Knowledge. Instead (in a fantasy setting) I have Lore, Geography, and Tactics as replacements without "Knowledge (lore) or Knowledge (geography) such as in Terrinoth's guide. Then, I have a "familiarity" house rule system. Most of the time, I apply one automatic Failure result when a character is doing something unfamiliar with a skill. For example, if he travels to a place he doesn't know, Geography is going to get that penalty until he knows it well. Or, a wizard delves into forbidden Lore that she knows little about, she receives the unfamiliar penalty. I've also extended it to other skills (not just Knowledge-based ones). For example, in a SW setting, use of Mechanics. A Soldier character who is good at repairing blasters using Mechanics may find himself unfamiliar when working on a hyperdrive for the first few times.

In some cases, I've gone without the default auto-Failure added to the roll, and instead go with a lesser auto-Disadvantage or greater upgrade of difficulty. For example, if a person using the Mechanic/Crafting skill in a fantasy setting is trying to make gunpowder for the first time, I'm going to add upgrade(s) until he/she becomes familiar with the process.

I've toyed back and forth with adding talents to unlock some of these "familiarities" as opposed to just referee fiat. For example, I've added a Sea Dog talent in a fantasy setting which makes a character automatically "familiar" with using Crafting to repair ships, Operating a large ship, Tactics in naval warfare, Geography at sea, etc.

I've planned on adding "Animal Handling" if I ever have a game that focuses on riding mounts.

I have added some skills, sort of.

For an Engineer/Technician focused game, we split up Mechanics into three so everyone has their own niche.
Mechanics: Vehicles and Starships
Mechanics: Weapons and Devices
Mechanics: Droids

Then we also added in the Cybernetics skill, though unconnected from Mechanics if I remember correctly.

Because of overlap of applicable knowledge, each PC who got Mechanics as a career skill got all three as a career skill (though free ranks went into a specific specialty) and got to pick a "primary" and a "secondary" specialty. As long as they will have more ranks in the primary than in the secondary after adding an additional rank in the secondary, ranks in the secondary skill cost 5 XP less.

Nope. Haven't added any skills for the FFG Star Wars game. The ones listed so far have worked out well enough.

ON the plus side, my players are familiar with the limited nature of D&D skill lists and are NOT aware of the options available to a GURPS characters . . .

Oh the 'Talents' and 'skills' possible!

I really like how most of the skills are broken down and structured, so outside of the Knowledge skills I've left it alone. I really like the difference between Cool/Vigilance; Vigilance/Perception; Athletics/Coordination, etc.

I do mess with the Knowledge skills a bit, depending on the campaign, because I'm not really a fan of the geography and socially based ones. Eg: Knowledge Underworld could easily be rolled into Lore and/or Streetwise; while Core and Outer Rim could be bundled under "Current Events" (history would fall under "Lore").

Like P47, Animal Handling is the only one I've considered, to cover riding etc, as I think Piloting Planetary os just completely inappropriate for it.

I think there's room for an active insight skill. Vigilance works pretty well and that's how I run it, but there's a strong argument for something more explicit and active and I don't like conflating it with perception. Perception is a good enough skill without using it to read people.

11 hours ago, kaosoe said:

I think there's room for an active insight skill. Vigilance works pretty well and that's how I run it, but there's a strong argument for something more explicit and active and I don't like conflating it with perception. Perception is a good enough skill without using it to read people.

You have heard of “human perception”?

On 10/26/2020 at 9:53 PM, Stethemessiah said:

Like P47, Animal Handling is the only one I've considered, to cover riding etc, as I think Piloting Planetary os just completely inappropriate for it.

Riding and training a mount is handled by Survival checks I believe

4 hours ago, Rimsen said:

Riding and training a mount is handled by Survival checks I believe

It is.

Stay On Target page 80.

I added Etiquette (Presence) as the social perceptive counterpart to Streetwise.

11 hours ago, Tramp Graphics said:

You have heard of “human perception”?

If you are implying that Percepton should also cover reading people, then I refer back to to the short paragraph you quoted where I said I didn't want to conflate it with the Perception skill because in our experiences, Perception is already a really good skill.

2 hours ago, wilsch said:

I added Etiquette (Presence) as the social perceptive counterpart to Streetwise.

That's sounds like charm with extra steps.

3 hours ago, kaosoe said:

If you are implying that Percepton should also cover reading people, then I refer back to to the short paragraph you quoted where I said I didn't want to conflate it with the Perception skill because in our experiences, Perception is already a really good skill.

It’s a really good skill because it does cover all forms of perception. You perceive subtle changes in a person’s mannerisms, facial expressions, body language, etc. this is no different than perceiving a subtle clue in your surroundings, such as a faint footprint in the dirt. So, I’m not implying that Perception should still be used for active insight into people’s moods. I’m flat out saying it. Perception is the ideal skill for that purpose.

2 hours ago, Rimsen said:

That's sounds like charm with extra steps.

If Charm has been expanded to a super-skill, maybe.

The key is what a social perceptive skill like Streetwise is for, right there in RAW. Take it and swap for adjectives associated with high society -- something FFG should have done but never did.

26 minutes ago, wilsch said:

If Charm has been expanded to a super-skill, maybe.

The key is what a social perceptive skill like Streetwise is for, right there in RAW. Take it and swap for adjectives associated with high society -- something FFG should have done but never did.

I think they intended Knowledge (Core Worlds), (Outer Rim), or (Xenology) to apply in those circumstances.

The problem with all these new skills like Insight and Etiquette is that it's impossible to get really PC-level amazing at them because the Talents key off them do not exist.

The challenge to adding skills well is that so many talents key off skills, or add boosts/upgrades, or reduce setbacks. This should be the same for houseruled skills, so you are then into rebalancing careeers.

I'd be much more in favour of reskinning them if appropriate and necessary for an unusual campaign.

39 minutes ago, Darzil said:

The challenge to adding skills well is that so many talents key off skills, or add boosts/upgrades, or reduce setbacks. This should be the same for houseruled skills, so you are then into rebalancing careeers.

I'd be much more in favour of reskinning them if appropriate and necessary for an unusual campaign.

There are some talents that key to a particular use of a skill, and if you are adding those uses as separate skills, then you can easily adjust the description of the talent to match.

The easiest examples are the Beast Rider and Cyberneticist careers, which have talents that either require a check or remove Setback from a particular skill, and those can easily be ported over to "Animal Handling" and "Cybernetics" if you were to add those skills.

2 hours ago, wilsch said:

If Charm has been expanded to a super-skill, maybe.

The key is what a social perceptive skill like Streetwise is for, right there in RAW. Take it and swap for adjectives associated with high society -- something FFG should have done but never did.

If it came down to it in my game, I would rule it a knowledge check, core/outer rim/education.

Edit: you stated it as well. Should have read all the new comments

2 minutes ago, Rimsen said:

Edit: you stated it as well. Should have read all the new comments

Slight case of mistaken identity... That was your favorite sentient fighter plane (me!).

22 hours ago, micheldebruyn said:

It is.

Stay On Target page 80.

That'll be why I wasn't aware.

Edge player here, don't own any AoR books.