Base Values for Perception Skills

[Paul_Va]

I love the BRP system, and I've run several games using it, but one thing that always somewhat bothers me is the base skills for the skills of perception; I always feel the base skills are too low. An Insight skill of 5% seems like something only someone with some kind of handicap or penalty should have, not something someone should have on account of just not adding any additional skill points to it, granted I'm assuming one is not using the optional rule that allows characteristics to influence skills. Does this bother anyone else? Obviously, I could just house rule it, and in the future, I'll probably just borrow the RQ rule for deriving the skill from characteristics.

[soltakss]

Don't forget that you also add the skill bonus to that. Most PCs will have a positive bonus.

 

Also, very few PCs start at the very base skill, these days, most have some sort of previous experience.

[tooley1chris]

Also as the Chronicler, you don't HAVE to call for obvious easy skill rolls.

I will typically only call for a skill roll from perception list if the target of the skill is actively rolling a skill to hide or deceive.

The person skilled in hiding or deceiving, as example, might be much better at doing so than the one initiating the perception skill roll is at spotting it. That's just tough. Put some of those free experience gain points in perception skills.

If there is NO target rolling against the initiator, such as a hidden door as example, I usually make it an easy Skill roll if tthey're actively searching.

[Chaot]

Also as the Chronicler, you don't HAVE to call for obvious easy skill rolls.

I will typically only call for a skill roll from perception list if the target of the skill is actively rolling a skill to hide or deceive.

 

I too usually only use skill checks in very stressful situations and view a score between 20% and 30% as proficient.  Even if a character starts of completely oblivious with a 5% Insight skill, they are bound to increase that  quickly with a little practice.