Learning sorcery

[Joerg]

23 minutes ago, Shiningbrow said:

Neither suggests that magic can't (over-)compensate for that...

If a character (e.g., young child) picked up a sword for the first time, and somebody cast Bladesharp, what would their skill be like?

Sword skill has a basic ability percentage, everybody can figure out which end to grab and which end to move towards the target. Swimming on the other hand is a skill that needs to be learned, which not everybody does (even the dead man floating on the back position requires some training instruction, and while desperate dog paddling may keep an unencumbered person above the water for a while, it doesn't create enough propulsion to move the non-swimmer into the desired direction for more than a meter or so per melee round).

Most children will have experienced riding on their parents, uncles/aunts, or elder siblings (the latter also on their knees, the former mostly on their shoulders), which may explain everyone possessing a basic percentage.

[Shiningbrow]

29 minutes ago, Joerg said:

Sword skill has a basic ability percentage, everybody can figure out which end to grab and which end to move towards the target. Swimming on the other hand is a skill that needs to be learned, which not everybody does (even the dead man floating on the back position requires some training instruction, and while desperate dog paddling may keep an unencumbered person above the water for a while, it doesn't create enough propulsion to move the non-swimmer into the desired direction for more than a meter or so per melee round).

Most children will have experienced riding on their parents, uncles/aunts, or elder siblings (the latter also on their knees, the former mostly on their shoulders), which may explain everyone possessing a basic percentage.

True, but I was hoping to go to the point that the stats would bring about sufficient negative to hit 00 in my example.

However... If someone can't swim (00), and a spell of "Swim like a fish" is cast on them, can they now swim like the proverbial? As per the above discussion on knowledge skills?

[Joerg]

3 minutes ago, Shiningbrow said:

True, but I was hoping to go to the point that the stats would bring about sufficient negative to hit 00 in my example.

However... If someone can't swim (00), and a spell of "Swim like a fish" is cast on them, can they now swim like the proverbial? As per the above discussion on knowledge skills?

I notice that this thread is about sorcery, but: consider that fish don't surface for breathing. If the recipient of that spell has the ability to breathe water or to hold their breath indeterminately, they may move through the water. If you are a nasty GM, by attempting to use lateral bending of the spine, arms and legs (like fish, serpents, alligators) rather than vertical (as marine mammals do).

[PhilHibbs]

3 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

Neither suggests that magic can't (over-)compensate for that...

If a character (e.g., young child) picked up a sword for the first time, and somebody cast Bladesharp, what would their skill be like?

We don't have rules for playing children. If they have seen sword fights then that might provide a small base. I think pretty much all physical skills should have a 5% base anyway, unless they are particularly complex like juggling or martial arts.

[Shiningbrow]

1 hour ago, PhilHibbs said:

We don't have rules for playing children. If they have seen sword fights then that might provide a small base. I think pretty much all physical skills should have a 5% base anyway, unless they are particularly complex like juggling or martial arts.

The kid with sword thing was just the first example that popped into my head....

I'd think juggling is worth 5%... Martial Arts isn't considered physical but knowledge. (which, brings us back full circle! Perhaps it was a RoundHouse!)

[Kloster]

6 hours ago, Shiningbrow said:

If a character (e.g., young child) picked up a sword for the first time, and somebody cast Bladesharp, what would their skill be like?

RAW, base value + STAT modifier + 5% per Bladesharp level. You can argue that the base value is less than the one written in the rules, but watching my younger son playing, I can ensure you the base is not 00%, so magical bonus would apply.

[Shiningbrow]

2 hours ago, Kloster said:

RAW, base value + STAT modifier + 5% per Bladesharp level. You can argue that the base value is less than the one written in the rules, but watching my younger son playing, I can ensure you the base is not 00%, so magical bonus would apply.

My intention for my hypothetical was for a child that can't even pick up the sword (or barely be able to manage it).

Would you still give them that skill?

[Kloster]

4 minutes ago, Shiningbrow said:

My intention for my hypothetical was for a child that can't even pick up the sword (or barely be able to manage it).

Would you still give them that skill?

I would not, even for a 10 years child. I said "RAW, the answer is ..." . But RQ (whatever version) rules are not made to represent children. And what you describe now seems to me not a problem of skill, but a problem of minimum STR and DEX.

[Bill the barbarian]

Slight thread drift initiated by thread creator...

9 hours ago, PhilHibbs said:

We don't have rules for playing children. If they have seen sword fights then that might provide a small base. I think pretty much all physical skills should have a 5% base anyway, unless they are particularly complex like juggling or martial arts.

On a scale of 5% to 40% in 5% increments, I have always played that 5% (2H Swords, Lore Skills, Ride) is a very difficult skill to use, whilst 25% is literally point and click (Crossbows, Fist) and outliers such as 40% would be things a child could do without even thinking about it (Climb)*.  Automatic is set at 100% (no 95-100 fail) No Roll Required (walk, chew bubble gum)**. I think using a club is something even a toddler understands, anyone been hit by a kid wielding a toy hammer? It hurts! I would still give him the adult 15% when using a child sized hammer (i.e.. a club, "Ow! You little s#^*. you wait until your mother get's home!).

Characteristic Mods, situational mods will be very different and mostly negative, not to mention damage being less. Or I would use a normal weapons base with mods if a child sized item is wielded. I used to swordfight when I was a child—with branches of course (use club).

So a kid with a sword wielded at 5% sounds okay to me (assuming they could lift it and make STR and DEX requirements..

* If the child thinks abut it, it becomes much harder to near impossible in the case of climb.

** not necessarily at the same time

[Kloster]

Seems ok to me.