Re: (TFT) Skill, knowledge, tricks and talents

["David Michael Grouchy II" <david_michael_grouchy_ii@hotmail.com>]

> > DMG writes:
> >
> >Look at the Mathematician talent for example.  It includes
> >algebra, geometry, some Trig, accounting, astrology, even
> >astronomy.

> From: Dan Tulloh <dwtulloh@zianet.com>
>
> Yes, but only at a certain level of understanding.  A TFT
> Mathematician isn't going to know that the galaxies recede,
> about quasars, pulsars and black holes.

Dan,
  I don't know how to respond to this.  Let me get to your second paragraph 
first.  Then I'll come back to this one.

> I *do* think its a good idea to have "macro" talents.  A
> TFTer can buy SWORD, for instance and get "KNIFE" for free.
> But you need to be aware of the time frame in which the
> talents are being used.
>
> That said, I think that makes a better argument for the
> "SpellCasting" talent I proposed earlier.  Suppose you
> could learn a "SpellCasting" talent at IQ 8 at a cost of 4
> IQ points or maybe even 6(!).  With this talent, you can
> learn up to your IQ level of spells at no talent cost.
> Without this talent, each spell is a separate talent
> costing 1 IQ point to learn.  With this idea, it should be
> a simple matter to do away with the extra IQ costs for
> wizards or a warrior to learn a talent and you can get, for
> example, shipwrights that can warp wood to match a mold
> without going through the process of wetting the wood, etc.
>
> Good post, David!

   Why do you call it good?  To tell the truth it was your "Spell casting 
talent" Idea that brought my argument into focus for me in the first place.  
I remember reading it and thinking "Well, if spell casting is made a talent, 
and spells get their own book; then all talents should have their own book." 
 Or to say it forward: If one can't write a whole book on it, then it isn't 
a talent.
   Then I remembered the early days when TFT had entire AD&D character 
classes sumed up in short paragraph talents.  And the list was much much 
larger than anything offered by AD&D.  That really put what GURPS has 
become, into perspective for me.  It also stimulated my imagination.  
Imagine if every TFT talent was a TFT book.  Wizard, Ship Building, Gold 
Smith, Disguise, Physick.

  Now back to the first paragraph.

> If TFT ever moved into a Sci-Fi setting, then the talents
> will have to be changed to reflect that.  Astronomy n such
> will need to be broken out from the general field of math.

  I don't think that a talent for mathmatics would preclude someone from 
knowing that galaxies receed.  Poor optics would.  The mathmatics required 
to understand that galaxies receed, once they are discovered and measured 
with red shift, doesn't strike me as that complex.
  Now I feel compelled to drop my Science fiction version of TFT on the 
group.  But I'm not ready yet.  Let me go whip it up real quick.  Back in a 
week.

  David Michael Grouchy II

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