Uses for the RPG Design Skill

Guest · Unread post by **Guest** » Thu May 12, 2005 12:18 am

Seriously, has ANYONE come up with an in-game use for this skill in N&S? I swear that it's the only skill I haven't found an actual use for in the game. There's got to be some creative use of this skill out there somewhere.

Gomen_Nagai · Unread post by **Gomen_Nagai** » Thu May 12, 2005 2:06 am

To Design Really interesting Abduction, Terrorism, Fraud Scenarios.

Glistam · Unread post by **Glistam** » Thu May 12, 2005 7:51 am

Doesn't the skill description say that it teaches the user how to stay up late repeatedly and function with little sleep? Then you could use it to offset sleep deprivation penalties for a short period of time.

You could also use it as a source of income for the character. Kind of like a specialized writing skill.

Guest · Unread post by **Guest** » Thu May 12, 2005 10:08 am

ash_wednesday wrote:It was just an inside joke. Wasn't meant to be useful

I know it was an inside joke. The point is, has anyone come up with creative in-game uses for it.

Sentinel · Unread post by **Sentinel** » Thu May 12, 2005 10:13 am

Only for a character who was trying to make a living using his skill as an RPG writer.
His idea was to take the adventures he experienced in life and make a game out them and get rich and retire.
Which of course, all game designers do, right?

Guest · Unread post by **Guest** » Fri May 13, 2005 12:23 pm

Sentinel wrote:Only for a character who was trying to make a living using his skill as an RPG writer.
His idea was to take the adventures he experienced in life and make a game out them and get rich and retire.
Which of course, all game designers do, right?

I think you're confusing game designers with fantasy/sci-fi novelists.

Jefffar · Unread post by **Jefffar** » Fri May 13, 2005 12:29 pm

I've seen a few saving throws made by the difference of having that +1 to PE.

Guest · Unread post by **Guest** » Fri May 13, 2005 12:32 pm

Jefffar wrote:I've seen a few saving throws made by the difference of having that +1 to PE.

That's not really an in-game use of the skill though, that's using a bonus to PE provided by the skill, not the skill itself.

Sentinel · Unread post by **Sentinel** » Fri May 13, 2005 2:47 pm

Kuseru Satsujin wrote:
Sentinel wrote:Only for a character who was trying to make a living using his skill as an RPG writer.
His idea was to take the adventures he experienced in life and make a game out them and get rich and retire.
Which of course, all game designers do, right?
I think you're confusing game designers with fantasy/sci-fi novelists.

Well in my campaign, RPG designers can get Bill Gates rich.

Slag · Unread post by **Slag** » Fri May 13, 2005 4:17 pm

We had a NB/N&S/PF cross over campaign ("Nerds with Nards")where we all played college Geeks, Nerds, Goths, and other outcasts that knew each other through RP. Several of us had RPG design, so we worked on rules for our own RPG system.

We eventually ended up in some medieval world where my computer/chemistry nerd made gunpowder to fight off the demonic hordes. Others used old Dragon Lance strategies and such. You never heard so many Army of Darkness quotes in your life!

Nekira Sudacne · Fri May 13, 2005 11:17 pm

the Role Playing Game Design skill has the SAME purpose as the Sing Skill, the art skill, the play musical instrument skill.

it lets you design a Role Playing Game. what more do you need?

Killer Cyborg · Fri May 13, 2005 11:33 pm

Sentinel wrote:
Kuseru Satsujin wrote:
Sentinel wrote:Only for a character who was trying to make a living using his skill as an RPG writer.
His idea was to take the adventures he experienced in life and make a game out them and get rich and retire.
Which of course, all game designers do, right?
I think you're confusing game designers with fantasy/sci-fi novelists.

Well in my campaign, RPG designers can get Bill Gates rich.

They don't need to; Bill Gates is already rich...

Killer Cyborg · Fri May 13, 2005 11:35 pm

Nekira Sudacne wrote:the Role Playing Game Design skill has the SAME purpose as the Sing Skill, the art skill, the play musical instrument skill.

it lets you design a Role Playing Game. what more do you need?

Yup.

Although it might be kind of cool to allow the character to realize that he's a character in a RPG, and to let him use the skill to figure out (and maybe fix) the funky Palladium physics...

Guest · Unread post by **Guest** » Fri May 13, 2005 11:50 pm

Nekira Sudacne wrote:the Role Playing Game Design skill has the SAME purpose as the Sing Skill, the art skill, the play musical instrument skill.

it lets you design a Role Playing Game. what more do you need?

I take it your characters never had to sing the "beast" to sleep, draw anything, or participated in Lancer's Rockers.

Killer Cyborg · Sat May 14, 2005 12:09 am

Kuseru Satsujin wrote:
Nekira Sudacne wrote:the Role Playing Game Design skill has the SAME purpose as the Sing Skill, the art skill, the play musical instrument skill.

it lets you design a Role Playing Game. what more do you need?

I take it your characters never had to sing the "beast" to sleep, draw anything, or participated in Lancer's Rockers.

What about the Art skill...?

(Although I did have a basilisk named Kudzu who used his Art skill to stone people in particularly striking poses...)

Ten Tigers · Unread post by **Ten Tigers** » Sat May 14, 2005 12:16 am

Creative use....

*reaches into his magic hat*

PUH-POOF!!!!

Give the skill to an Entrepreneur and put all 4 business "points" into the RPG indudstry.

His name:

The Game Master

His Retinue:

A Veteran Grunt
A Dreamer Gizmoteer
A Dedicated Martial Artist

Guest · Unread post by **Guest** » Sat May 14, 2005 12:16 am

Killer Cyborg wrote:
Kuseru Satsujin wrote:
Nekira Sudacne wrote:the Role Playing Game Design skill has the SAME purpose as the Sing Skill, the art skill, the play musical instrument skill.

it lets you design a Role Playing Game. what more do you need?

I take it your characters never had to sing the "beast" to sleep, draw anything, or participated in Lancer's Rockers.

What about the Art skill...?

(Although I did have a basilisk named Kudzu who used his Art skill to stone people in particularly striking poses...)

Well, if you're really creative (and depending on which version you take), you can use it to draw a map, sketch an object, carve your way out of prison (or a cave-in), blind/poison someone by knowing what paints are lethal, forge documents (poorly unless you've also got the literacy and/or forgery skills), alter objects, make disguises, and probably several things I haven't thought of.

Killer Cyborg · Sat May 14, 2005 12:20 am

Maybe you could use RPG Design as a catch-all knowledge skill....

"Of course I know the air speed of an African Swallow... I had to write it up for The Big Book of Migrating Animals..."

Mike Taylor · Unread post by **Mike Taylor** » Sat May 14, 2005 12:26 am

Killer Cyborg wrote:What about the Art skill...?

1. Showing your character has some degree of refinement and appreciation of beautiful things.

2. Making a little extra money on the side as a painter, sculptor, glassblower, whatever.

3. Role-playing opportunities outside of killing ninjas and taking their stuff.

Nekira Sudacne · Sat May 14, 2005 2:49 am

Mike Taylor wrote:
Killer Cyborg wrote:What about the Art skill...?

1. Showing your character has some degree of refinement and appreciation of beautiful things.

2. Making a little extra money on the side as a painter, sculptor, glassblower, whatever.

3. Role-playing opportunities outside of killing ninjas and taking their stuff.

I prefer killing Gizmoteers and taking their stuff.

I can only get so many mis-named ninja swords before my collection is too full.

Gizmoer's tend to have great new stuff each succulent dead corpse:)

acreRake · Unread post by **acreRake** » Sat May 14, 2005 6:59 pm

Killer Cyborg wrote:Maybe you could use RPG Design as a catch-all knowledge skill....

"Of course I know the air speed of an African Swallow... I had to write it up for The Big Book of Migrating Animals..."

That's the best idea so far.

Personally i pretend to use it when an NPC ["The Dungeon Master"] creates a new lair/deathtrap/scheme.

Nekira Sudacne · Sun May 15, 2005 2:27 am

Sightblinder wrote:LOL! I Know!!

"Using my advanced knowledge of the matrices that define our universe, I will shift some of my PS, PP, and Spd attribute points over to my now ultra-high IQ and devise a plan that will allow us to easily and safely escape."

"You can do that!?"

"Of course, one merely needs consult the ancient texts to know these mysteries...."

*sniff sniff*

do I smell an 8-bit theater reference?

Guest · Unread post by **Guest** » Sun May 15, 2005 11:40 am

Trust Red Mage to get me out of this jam. :lol:

drewkitty ~..~ · Sun May 15, 2005 1:07 pm

Its for making up RP game to play with your fellow agents while taking those long flights across the world.

Sentinel · Unread post by **Sentinel** » Sun May 15, 2005 1:44 pm

Sightblinder wrote:LOL! I Know!!

"Using my advanced knowledge of the matrices that define our universe, I will shift some of my PS, PP, and Spd attribute points over to my now ultra-high IQ and devise a plan that will allow us to easily and safely escape."

"You can do that!?"

"Of course, one merely needs consult the ancient texts to know these mysteries...."

sounds like a scientific plausibility for breaking the fourth wall, ala She Hulk.

Guest · Unread post by **Guest** » Sun May 15, 2005 6:49 pm

C.R.A.F.T. wrote:I'm surprised they have a "useless" skill with such useful bonuses.

There are no useless skills. You just have to find the right way to use it.

Guest · Unread post by **Guest** » Wed Jun 08, 2005 10:10 pm

C.R.A.F.T. wrote:
Erick Wujcik wrote:In Shanghai recently there was a social gathering of all my studio's Game Designers. At one point Michael (the guy responsible for "Rome: Total War") answered some incredibly obscure question. When asked why he would know, we Game Designers described our traits, explaining that collection of bizarre knowledge was a professional requirement. In the impromptu quiz that followed, we did a good job of proving it.

Erick

Where I'm from there's a big trivia craze going on and some of the questions and answers are waaaaaay out there. Either you know or you don't, you can't really guess on some of them.

My brother-in-law was once the all-time money winner in a game-show (until they changed the rules on Who Wants to be a Millionaire).

He's a trivia guru.

I thought about going on Millionaire once, but I'd be liable to smack the current host when she plays around with giving the answers.