Yaaaay! I'm currently working on USR Fantasy. I'll be recreating USR Cyberpunk and Beyond Fear will be USR Cosmic Horror.
Viewing post in USR 15th Anniversary Edition comments
Ooh that is terrific! I'll especially be on the lookout for the reanimated Beyond Fear.
Quick "rulesy" question: can Specialisms be stacked for a single dice action? Or must only one Specialism be chosen to add to a roll? Example: if a character has the Specialisms "computer science" and "security" - can they add both of those Specialisms to a single roll to hack a computer? Or do they pick only one of them to add to the roll? Another example: a character has the Specialisms "tell lies" and "disguise" - could they add both of them to a single roll to bluff past a sentry, or must they select a single Specialism ("tell lies" OR "disguise") to add to a single roll?
Thanks for any guidance you can provide!
Heh! I appreciate the vote of confidence! Years of playing with a (wonderful) min/maxing friend who could squeeze every possible bonus out of the proverbial rock have probably got me overthinking this. I just like to "get it right" or "as intended by the game itself," you know?
Being able to stack applicable Specialisms into a single dice roll does make that particular character (or foe) a juggernaut in certain circumstances.
Then again, if their Specialisms are stacking in a narrow set of circumstances, it likely means that character is very narrowly focused ("You had one job! One!") and - while they shine (or are terrifying) in that one type of situation - they're less capable in other activities.
That amazing gunslinger who stacks their selected Specialisms "Quick Draw" and "Dead Eye" in single rolls during a gunfight is going to be an absolute terror, but quite less impressive when trying to bluff at poker or sweet talk the saloon girl, having put all their Specialisms in one basket, so to speak.
So I guess I've talked myself into allowing multiple Specialisms in a single roll - but is that the "right" call? Cheers!
That is probably how I would handle multiple applicable bonuses from Specialisms myself. I have done so in other games. It still makes perfect sense, and I don't think the numbers from dice rolls + bonuses would get out of hand. You could implement a house rule saying that only two of a character's Specialisms would apply to a situation, or maybe even all three.