The Making of the Universal Man
GURPS Wildcard Skills in Historical Games
by Phil Masters
The "wildcard skill" rule in GURPS 4th edition (page 175 of the Basic Set) is a useful feature for use in a range of games -- especially those at the cinematic scale, although wildcards can also be used, in small doses, in slightly more realistic settings, as was examined in Taming the Wild Skill. This article is a follow-up to that piece, looking at some specific options for a particular use.
The GURPS Basic Set gives four examples of wildcard skills (Detective!, Gun!, Science!, and Sword!), which is a decent start, and a few more have appeared in various books. The most extensive list of additions is on pages 36-37 of GURPS Supers, which is one of the things that makes that a very helpful resource for a wide range of GURPS games, not just those dealing with four-color superheroes. However, Supers has a perfectly reasonable focus on the modern-day period, and its list of wildcard skills reflects that; this article extends the concept for use in games set in historical and similarly low-tech settings. The ideas discussed herein can apply to a wide range of such campaigns, but this article takes as its focus and theme a historical period that has become a true by-word for human omnicompetence: the European Renaissance.
The Renaissance and the "Universal Man"
All the while he acquired every sort of accomplishment and dexterity, cross-examining artists, scholars . . .
This article originally appeared in the second volume of Pyramid. See the current Pyramid website for more information.
Article publication date: March 7, 2008
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