[PnP] pnp Digest, Vol 135, Iss 7 re: Talents

[Scott Adams]

No Talents as in rule optons.
Here is a snippet
---
NATURAL TALENT (Optional)
The existing rules place a ceiling on how far a person can
improve a given skill. It is based on the characteristics
that apply for its use. A factor that is not considered is
whether the character has a natural talent for a given skill
or set of skills.
ROLLS REQUIRED
         A player who chooses to risk this option rolls 1D3. He must
         roll once each on the talented table and the liability table
         for each, i.e. if the result is a 2 he rolls twice for talent
         and twice for incompetence.
If the player chooses to use the talent option, he must take both rolls
  below. Roll 2D10.
2 Two Combat Skills
2 Two Other Skills
3+4 One Combat Skill
3+4 One Other Skill
4-18 No Born Talent
4-19 No Born Incompetence
18+19 One Other Skill
20 One Combat Skill
---
and so on....
Not seen that?
Its after Special Events.
Problem is it snot in the step by step section.  (I've let Wout know 
this for new folks unsure on it).
b1 v2 rules.
Check it out. :)

I should be doing skills next month. So I have to figure out code for 
these talents but was curious how many folks use it.
Based on your email probably not many are aware.

I think I only have 2-3 pcs that took the risk.
This is seprate from special attributes.






At 02:37 PM 1/14/2017, you wrote:
>My response here is based on the assumption that by "talents" you 
>mean "Special Attributes." If not, I need clarification, & you can 
>ignore the rest of my note here: I confess it is the talents that 
>drew me in to P&P. I have rolled well over 150 characters, but find 
>my favorites are the ones with Special Attributes, or talents (I 
>assume that's what you mean by talents.). I use the adjustments from 
>the later corrections that lowered some of  the talents' maximum 
>powers (the supernatural attributes), which still make a nice 
>improvement. I find the higher starting number in one attribute 
>means I don't have to spend as many points building up that main 
>attribute I want my PC to have - I can use more points to build up 
>other attributes to go with the primary one. For example, with a 
>supernatural intelligence, I can spend a few more points on Empathy 
>and Will to strengthen a magical PC, or with a fighter, I can 
>increase dexterity and agility to improve fighting skills. And it 
>can give a Scholar some points to spend on building fighting skills, 
>or a spy/agent points to spend on secondary skills, such as 
>languages, disguise, or a tradecraft (sailor, boatman, teamster) to 
>help hide his primary career. And I confess that I prefer my PCs to 
>have at least one talent, even a negative one. They are more fun to 
>play with because I find they help create the character's background 
>story & help create personal goals for each of them. Of course, a 
>lower class PC without a Special Attribute can just be tossed into a 
>weird situation that helps him/her get either a sponsor or just 
>extra funding to buy better equipment, especially a horse. I have a 
>few good peasants created that I hope to throw into my stories, but 
>they need some luck to find a good party to join. And I don't think 
>the talents have to be any rarer - a 20% chance is a hard enough 
>roll for every 10 years of age, even rounded up, & I confess I have 
>cheated with multiple rolls to get a talent (best roll out of three, 
>usually) I needed to have a promising PC. I admit this is because 
>I'm writing stories, & I need inspiration to create interesting 
>characters, which Special Attributes gives. I have PCs with no 
>particular talents, and they do fine, but Special Attributes can 
>give a helping hand in providing a direction for them to develop. 
>The dice rolls might simply provide extra coins or a few gems for a 
>lower class PC to purchase a weapon, or even a starting horse & 
>equipment, or enable an improved chance at becoming a better 
>mage/shaman, warrior, scholar, spy/agent/thief, etc. I have a PC in 
>my active manuscript that had to flee his homeland or be arrested 
>for a "crime" he did not commit (for actually, it wasn't a real 
>crime, but a class issue & jealousy, all of which was inspired by 
>rolling the Special Attribute of having a bounty on him in his 
>homeland). This probably isn't helping you at all. I confess I use 
>Harn to create a PC's family (size, rank of PC in family (3rd child 
>of five, two sibs of which are still living, etc), & further career 
>options of parents), but that doesn't affect the game's play - it 
>just helps me fill out a background for those PCs I decide to use in 
>my stories. I have PCs which have strong families & a couple that 
>have been rejected by their families. Families have nothing to do 
>with the PC's attribute dice rolls, they just add a background story 
>- if you want one. I am curious about what you are planning to do 
>with Talents, so keep us informed.