IQ bonus and Hardware Special Skills

[Razorwing]

Okay, this has probably been asked a few times before, but I can't seem to find an answer for this... either on my own or with the search function (yes, I admit that my search-fu is weak).

It states in the Attribute bonus section that the IQ bonus is added to ALL skill percentages, so I am inclined to believe that this also applies to the Special Skills that Hardware characters get... even though those skills already start out at a much higher level of proficiency than regular skills. Furthermore, since these skills are not capped at 98%, I see that adding this bonus is just further enforcing the idea that these individuals are truly remarkable people... especially with high IQs.

I'm just curious if this is right (and if there is any support to this idea).

[Glistam]

That is how I do it. The I.Q. skill bonus is applied to all skills a character has, regardless of source.

[say652]

Ditto.

[Daniel Stoker]

Me too. It's scary when we all agree....


Daniel Stoker

[say652]

Now my question is things that give leys say 15% bonus to physical skills why doesn't that teansfer to a +3 bonus on skills not percentile based??

[Daniel Stoker]

No I wouldn't go with that.


Daniel Stoker

[say652]

I don't either but "technically" its just using the 15% bonus from the occ.

[Glistam]

I don't either but "technically" its just using the 15% bonus from the occ.

Based on the rules for Perception listed in other books, the +15% would actually translate into a +1. Which coincidentally is about what I might be able to be convinced to allow if a player made a strong enough case for this.

[Reagren Wright]

That is how I do it. The I.Q. skill bonus is applied to all skills a character has, regardless of source.

Same here. I think Greg's Hardware manuscript includes the same thing.

[NMI]

That is how I do it. The I.Q. skill bonus is applied to all skills a character has, regardless of source.

Same here. I think Greg's Hardware manuscript includes the same thing.

*Checks his copy of the manuscript... "You are correct sir!"

[drewkitty ~..~]

Now my question is things that give bonuses say 15% bonus to physical skills why doesn't that transfer to a +3 bonus on skills not percentile based??

Technically, No, % numbers do not convert into D20 numbers. Nor the inverse.

However, sometimes I do this with char I make for fun.

[The Artist Formerly]

That is how I do it. The I.Q. skill bonus is applied to all skills a character has, regardless of source.

Yep. That.

[Razorwing]

I just came across another related question... would you allow a character's Scholastic bonus to be applied to special skills as well? What of normal skills that are given to the character (unless they are also given a higher bonus)?

This would also apply to other power categories that gain specialized training, such as Special Training and Mystic Study, yes?

[Glistam]

No to the scholastic bonus.

[eliakon]

Scholastic bonus wouldn't apply....since that is a bonus to the skill programs that you get from your education roll. The Hardware skills (and any other power category skills) are not from your skill programs, and thus don't get your Scholastic bonus.
They get the IQ bonus because they are skills. And the IQ bonus only provides +X percent, thus it does nothing for skills that are not percent based.

[Nightmask]

I just came across another related question... would you allow a character's Scholastic bonus to be applied to special skills as well? What of normal skills that are given to the character (unless they are also given a higher bonus)?

This would also apply to other power categories that gain specialized training, such as Special Training and Mystic Study, yes?

Any skill that has a percentage chance to it should benefit from the IQ bonus irrespective of its categorization, since they're all things you're spending time learning and that IQ bonus specifically improves all your learned abilities that have a percentage success rate.

[Razorwing]

The reason I ask is because when you roll up such characters, you give up one entire skill program (that would normally get the scholastic bonus for skills) to gain these other skills. Since these skills replace a scholastic skill program, shouldn't they benefit from the scholastic skill bonus (or the bonus provided... whichever is higher)?

[Glistam]

No, because you didn't learn them as part of the skill package. You spent time learning other things and because of that, didn't get to learn a whole skill program.

[eliakon]

No, because you didn't learn them as part of the skill package. You spent time learning other things and because of that, didn't get to learn a whole skill program.

^this^
They aren't actual scholastic skills, they are 'skills that you get instead of scholastic skills'

[Nightmask]

No, because you didn't learn them as part of the skill package. You spent time learning other things and because of that, didn't get to learn a whole skill program.

Irrelevant, you don't have to acquire skills via a Skill Program to gain the IQ bonus, that extra intelligence applies to what you're learning however you learn it, just like it also applies to Secondary Skills which also aren't learned as part of a skill program but gain the bonus anyway. Nothing about the bonus lists any restrictions that say 'well your smarts only improve these skills over here but not those over there'.

[NMI]

No, because you didn't learn them as part of the skill package. You spent time learning other things and because of that, didn't get to learn a whole skill program.

You don't learn Secondary skills as part of a program either, but yet, you still get your I.Q. bonus to them.

[Razorwing]

Okay, just to make sure everyone is on the same page.

IQ bonus applies to all skills.
Scholastic bonus only applies to skills learned as part of the character's actual schooling (wasn't learned on their own time).

The special skills from Special Training, Hardware and Mystic Study cost an entire Scholastic Skill set/program as it is specialized training... no different than the Military, Police and Criminal Skill programs (which also require specialized training and thus are available to only certain education levels). Now, those programs do benefit from the Scholastic bonus... so why doesn't the specialized skills of these classes? They replace an entire set of scholastic skills.

Just to be perfectly clear... I am not so much interested in the "building" skills one gets from say the Hardware category... but rather the actual skills like "Electrical Engineering" the Hardware character could get... skills that more or less are exactly the same as what anyone can get. Yes, the bonus the class provides is usually higher than what most educations provide for, but not always for all such skills. Mystic Study provides 3 skills that are like this but for a measly +10%... insulting to any character who gave up a skill program from an Education level that provides +15% or more to such skills. So, for these skills that are more or less exactly the same as skills they could pick up with the right program... why not let them have the Scholastic program or the bonus provided (whichever is higher).

[Glistam]

So, for these skills that are more or less exactly the same as skills they could pick up with the right program... why not let them have the Scholastic program or the bonus provided (whichever is higher).

Because they didn't learn the skill as part of their scholastic training, they learned it as part of their Power Category training. That's why the scholastic bonus doesn't apply to those skills. A Mystic Study didn't learn Archaeology at a college, he learned it from his wizard mentor while also attending college for other things.

However, if the character actually takes the skill through an educational skill program (i.e., a Mystic Study taking Archaeology through the Science program), then they would apply the skill program bonus.

And to be clear for the sake of others who have misunderstood my earlier responses, I do still maintain that the I.Q. bonus applies to all skills. My stance in that regard has not changed.