Re: Re: What's a Keyword? Gender Issues

From: Roderick Robertson <rjremr_at_...>
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2007 12:02:19 -0800

> Sure; not putting Dagger skill in the cultural keyword means that not
> 'everyone' has the ability, but it doesn't deny the ability to those for
> whom it would make sense. Indeed, I don't think there is a formal
> mechanism in HQ for saying 'this culture never teaches this skill'.

Well, there were some crude attempts at it - check out the Flaws section of the in the Bison Rider keyword. Swimming and Missile Weapons are specifically not taught. So even if you've got a Bison People Warrior, Nomad or Hunter, his missile abilities start at 6, even though he would normally get them at Occ. KW rate. (Swimming is a silly addition - no Occ. KW available to the Bison People teaches it (heck, no Occ. KW in the book teaches it), so it would default to 6 anyway. A *Real* flaw would make it 0. If a Bison Rider gets in over his head, he's dead!

Could these be described better? I definitely think so. How? I'm busy doing other things at the moment, but a Flaw like "Can't Swim" should be on an ability that would otherwise be available to the culture (Like Missile skills), or something that everyone does well (like Walk). Saying that a culture doesn't teach a certain ability, when no-one else does either, is a waste of words.

RR
He was born with the gift of laughter and the sense that the world was mad R. Sabatini, Scaramouche