Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 11:58:12 +-1000
From: Alan Atkinson <ackslog@beyond.net.au>
Subject: New Skill: Skateboarding (or Sk8tin')

One of my more recent players wanted to have a character who was really
good at the various aspects of skateboarding; as I knew next to nothing about
the sport, he loaned me a book on the subject.  He left town before the game 
could really get going, but here are some of the ideas I had:

Sk8tin' (Physical/Average)	Defaults to DX-5 or Surfing-5
Sk8tin' is the art and science of riding a skateboard.
One of the basic concepts of this skill will be the average speed, 
abbreviated to AS.  This is the speed that any sk8ter will be capable of 
maintaining on level ground, or (on average) through a series of obstacles 
(assuming that some obstacles will speed up the sk8ter, even as others slow 
him down).  This is also the highest speed that the sk8ter will be able to 
travel at (downhill, for instance) before penalties start to accrue due to 
excessive speed.  AS for any sk8ter is the average of Basic Speed and half 
of Sk8tin' skill, rounded off, in yards per second.  Therefore, a sk8ter 
with Basic Speed 6 and sk8tin' skill of 12 has an AS of 6 [12 mph]. 

There are many stunts prevalent in today's sk8tin' world, and this 
description can only scratch the surface (that is, until they write GURPS 
Sk8tin').  However, many of the more basic stunts are variations on other 
basic moves, and others are simply combinations.  Below are some of the more 
common stunts (taken as Maneuvers, a la Martial Arts).

Board Riding (Special)		Roll vs. Sk8tin'
Cannot be improved
This is simply standing on the board as it rolls forward on a flat surface.
A single skill roll is required to start.

Carving (Special)		Roll vs. Sk8tin'
Cannot be improved
This is leaning the board as it travels, in order to enter a long, slow 
curving turn.  A single skill roll is required to perform the entire carve.

Speedsk8tin' (Hard)		Defaults to Sk8tin' -4
Prerequisite: Sk8tin' skill
Cannot exceed prerequisite skill level
This is the art of getting the heck outta Dodge.  There's no style, no 
finesse.  Anything goes, so long as it gets you where you have to go - fast.
As with Speedsk8tin' is multiplied by 1.25 at Sk8tin'-3, 1.5 at Sk8tin'-2, 
1.75 at Sk8tin'-1, and by 2 at Sk8tin' skill level.  Also, penalties for 
any stunt you use specifically to get from one point to another are reduced 
by from 1 to 4, depending on the level you have in Speed-Sk8tin'.
This skating style cannot be used in conjunction with Style-Sk8tin'.

Style-Sk8tin' (Hard)		Defaults to Sk8tin'-4
Prerequisite: Sk8tin' skill
Cannot exceed prerequisite skill level
This allows you to skate with exceptional finesse and grace.  Using it cuts 
your AS by half, but reduces penalties for nearly all stunts by 1 if taken at 
Sk8tin'-3, by 2 if taken at Sk8tin'-2, by 3 if taken at Sk8tin'-1, and by 4 
if taken at Sk8tin' skill level.  No skill roll need ordinarily be made, 
unless the character wants to 'pose' in the middle of a stunt, for the benefit
of onlookers.  A successful roll will net double the amount of 'success points'
that a normal Sk8tin' success roll would make (a roll that makes it exactly 
will instead make it by 1), and this will count as a bonus on any Reaction roll
made by someone watching.
Failure will cost dearly, however, as the margin of failure will similarly
double.  It could take a reputation years to recover from a muffed 
Style-Sk8tin' roll...
This cannot be used in conjunction with Speedsk8tin'.

Any skateboarders out there, I'd value your opinions and input...

GURPS-Nut