A “skill” is a particular kind of knowledge; for instance, karate, physics, auto mechanics, or a death spell. Every skill is separate, though some skills help you to learn others. Just as in real life, you start your career with some skills and can learn more if you spend time training.
A number called “skill level” measures your ability with each of your skills: the higher the number, the greater your skill. For instance, “Shortsword-17” means a skill level of 17 with the shortsword. When you try to do something, you (or the GM) roll 3d against the appropriate skill, modified for that particular situation. If the number you roll is less than or equal to your modified score for that skill, you succeed! But a roll of 17 or 18 is an automatic failure.
Controlling Attribute
Each skill is based on one of the four basic attributes. Your skill level is calculated directly from this “controlling attribute”: the higher your attribute score, the more effective you are with every skill based on it! If your character concept calls for many skills based on a given attribute, you should consider starting with a high level in that attribute, as this will be most cost-effective in the long run.
- DX-based skills rely on coordination, reflexes, and steady hands.
- IQ-based skills require knowledge, creativity, and reasoning ability
- HT-based skills are governed by physical fitness
Difficulty Level
Some fields demand more study and practice than others. GURPS uses four “difficulty levels” to rate the effort required to learn and improve a skill. The more difficult the skill, the more points you must spend to buy it at a given skill level
Easy skills are things that anyone could do reasonably well after a short learning period. Average skills include most combat skills, mundane job skills, and the practical social and survival skills that ordinary people use daily. Hard skills require intensive formal study or training. Very Hard skills are difficult even for those with both the talent and the work ethic to attempt to learn them.
Buying Skills
TLDR: Computing skill levels is a little bit complicated, but your character sheet will handle it all automatically. If you want, just put 1, 2, 4, or 8 points into a skill you want to be good at, and then check your character sheet to see what your skill level ends up being.
In order to learn or improve a skill, you must spend character points. When you spend points on a skill, you are getting training to bring that skill up to a useful level. Skills are easy to learn at first – a little training goes a long way! But added improvement costs more.
The point cost of a skill depends on two things: its difficulty and the final skill level you wish to attain. Use the Skill Cost Table (above) to calculate a skill’s point cost
Look to the first column and find the number of points you've spent on the skill so far. Then choose the column that matches the skills difficulty. This shows what your skill level will be in that skill, depending on how many points you spent on it. "Att" stands for attribute, which will be IQ, DX, etc., whatever the skill description says.
Skill Defaults: Using Skills You Don't Know
Most skills have a “default level”: the level at which you use the skill if you have no training. A skill has a default level if it is something that everybody can do . . . a little bit. As a general rule, a skill defaults to its controlling attribute at -4 if Easy, -5 if Average, or -6 if Hard.
Some skills have no default level. For instance, Karate is complex enough that you cannot use it at all without training.
The Rule of 20
If a skill defaults to a basic attribute that is higher than 20, treat that attribute as 20 when figuring default skill. Superhuman characters get good defaults, but not super ones.