What does a n% skill really mean?

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From: David Cheng (drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu)
Date: Fri 02 Jul 1993 - 00:05:12 EEST

DC finally sneaks in a reply. I'm reading everything; there's just no
time to fully speak my mind...

Paul Reilly suggests for craft skills that certain levels (30%/60%/90%)
impart given benefits.

The idea that a certain level in a skill "guarantees" a certain result
has been kicked around here before. I remember Loren Miller having
a system I particularly liked. (Come to think of it, I believe the
discussion happened on r.g.f.misc, not this mailer...)

Personally, I think the idea has a lot going for it. What holds
me back from wholeheartedly embracing it is pure fear of the
unknown: "It's just so different from the way we do it now..."

One other drawback is the idea of 'breakpoints' that we have all
(legitimately) come to dread. "Last week I was at 89%. I gained
2% from experience, so now I can maintain foreign equipment without
a roll. I couldn't at 89%, but at 90%+ I'm golden..."

(Hmmm... sounds like a certain taboo RPG...)

The idea has a lot of face validity. Let's take something simple
like Dancing. It makes a lot of sense that 25% dance means you've
got the basics down, but are not terribly graceful. 50% means
you've very comfortable. 85% means you are so good that others
derive enjoyment from watching you. * All without a roll.*

It does not make as much sense to say:
A has Dance 15%, and gets a lucky special.
B has Dance 75%, and gets a normal failure.

Thus: A wow's the crowd, whereas B trips and falls...

The complexity really sneaks in when you've got opposed skill rolls,
especially combat. How to handle it? I dunno...

-David Cheng
 drcheng@sales.stern.nyu.edu
 * Still not too late to get RQ-Con events into the pre-reg!

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