Specializations: The Return

[Pope]

I know this ground has been covered before (and most of what gets said is "this is how I do it; but it's your game so...") but after reading through character creation in my newly aquired Dune RPG (which also uses the ICON system) I was considering the whole fiasco again. I see specs being the one flaw of the ICON system, not because it uses specs but because of the whole "what happens when the stat is more than a spec" deal. This cam up a couple of times in my reading when Dune skills would end up being 2 (1) or something like that.

So hows about this. What if when you're getting specializations you only notate the amount they are greater than the base skill (i.e. Athletics (Climbing) 1 (1) would mean a Climbing Spec of 2). The only real problem I see with this system is that most would want to raise base skills only because their specs would always be higher.

Anyway, this would probably change DP and Exp costs in some way or another, but do ya'll think it could work? I know there are various ways to handle Specs but I was hoping on some comment on this idea (or discussion of similar ideas to "fix" the bug).

Cheers in advance,
Pope.

[Tzeentch]

Shadowrun handles this pretty simply, a Specialization is -1/+1 base skill.

So if you had Snowsports (Icescating) or whatever at an original base level of 3 then the final skill levels would be 2/4.

[Keny Suda]

Er...?

Always thought it would work like this:

Phaser(Rifle) 2(3) -> 3(3) -> 4(4)

As you improve in your skill, you still remain an expert in a certain aspect of that skill.

Specs only determine your "speciality" in a skill. It allows an officer to
e.g. cope with more complex engineering problems
or use a system in a unorthodox way.
They also give you the possibility to raise a skill in a certain field with less XP. (Well, actually not much less...)

[REG]

If the skill level surpasses the specialization level, then use the highest value when resolving the Test roll for that particular specialization.

But when it comes to improving skill and specialization (usually after receiving XP), the skill and specialization must be bought separately. You may choose not to purchase level in specialization if the skill level is better, but... and everyone repeat after me... "it's up to you."

[Keny Suda]

"it's up to you!"

[calguard66]

My understanding of how this whole thing works is: IF you want to raise an entire skill, including _all_ specializations, it costs 3 points. In effect, you are increasing your underlying, foundational knowlege of the skill.

If you only want to raise a specialization, it costs 1 point. You are narrowly focusing on one application of the skill.

So if a character had Ship Systems (Tactical) at 1/2... and spent one more point of Tactical, they would get 1/3... if they later spend one point on Communications, they would have 1/3/2... if still later they spend 3 points they get 2/4/3... etc.

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"I'd rather die standing than live on my knees..."
Shania Twain

[Paul]

Originally posted by calguard66:
So if a character had Ship Systems (Tactical) at 1/2... and spent one more point of Tactical, they would get 1/3... if they later spend one point on Communications, they would have 1/3/2... if still later they spend 3 points they get 2/4/3... etc.

Hence my house rule where characters may not increase base skill levels until they have acquired a certain number of specialisations all at two points higher than the base skill's current level...this simulates an understanding of the base skill to the point where the specialised knowledge overflows into a greater knowledge of the base skill's principles...

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