Quickness and mental/physical tasks

[Folkert]

I'm wondering about the exact separation (or not) between physical and mental tasks for the purpose of the Quickness power.

For example, Quickness can be used with both Notice and Search. Are they mental or physical tasks (or even both)?

What about reading?

[Dr Archeville]

I think a good rule of thumb would be that if a Skill is modifed by a physical ability score (Str or Dex, no Con-modded Skill in M&M), or if the skill requires tools, then it's a "physical" thing.

I'd say Notice would be mental, but Search is both. With Notice, the skill determines what you passively sense, but Search assumes an active... well, search of the area, moving things around and so on.

I'd say reading would be both, since you need to be able to turn the pages (be they physical or electronic).

[Folkert]

Thanks, Dr. A, that's a good rule-of-thumb to use as the whole matter has me rather thoroughly confused.

I'd like Finder to excel (both skill and speedwise) at certain tasks but it becomes more cost-effective to just go with general quickness or a wild mix/combination at some point of the equation, leaving me with some undesireable side-effects like being able to do all physcial tasks at 50x speed or such.

BTW, no speed-reading for the Dr. then? :cry:

[Dr Archeville]

Nah, but that's fine. I'd be more interested in having Quickness (only for repair Craft checks). And since you can Take 20 on repair checks -- it's the only function of Craft you can Take 20 on -- it's something Quickness can apply to (though I'm not sure if "repair Craft checks" is limited enough to count as "One Task," it may need to be something like "repair Craft/electronics checks" and "repair Craft/mechanical checks" and so on in order to be limited enough to count as One Task).

[Barnum]

FWIW, in my own games, I usually do allow lower ranks of Quickness [Limited] to apply to reading. My guess is the average person (average physical ability and average reading skills) could turn pages about about 50x (1 page turn per second) faster than they could read (about 1 page per minute average). Same is true with scrolling through electronic pages (about 1 click per second). I don't think I'd go much higher than 50x though.

[Folkert]

My bad, then, I had associated the Dr.'s quickness with the typical comic "A higher-developed brain can do everything faster, you fool!".

Thanks for the asnwer's, Barnum and Dr. A! Now I'll have to find the best balance for Finder where I still get what I want from quickness without incurring those "side-effects".

[Folkert]

A follow-up question as I tighten my PC's build:

The Supersense "Postcognition" has the Search skill working with it. My guess would be that this form of Search is a mental task as there is no physical component to it.

Correct?

[Dr Archeville]

I'd probably say "sure."

[Folkert]

I'll make the flaw "Probably Limited -1 (Mental search only)" then.

;)