RE: Re:Superheroes

From: Bruce Ferrie <bruceferrie_at_...>
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 02:12:52 +0100

On Wednesday, July 16, 2003 11:48 PM, Roderick and Ellen Robertson wrote:
>
> Well, education above High School/First year of college is less likely to be
> general knowledge as much as specific Sciences (If you count things like
> "Management" to be a science...). I'd go with "General Education", with the
> rating reflecting the grades the hero got in school (or at least, how much
> he paid attention in class).

Yeah. My selection of keywords is a bit light on academics so far - well, I've got students, lawyers and scientists...

I think you're right. A "General Education" skill to represent what everyone knows - y'know, sums and stuff. Anything more specialised would have to be:

• A write-in skill.
• From another keyword.
• Subject to a big improvisation penalty from "General Education"

Much like the TV watching skill - I'd assume that [Your Country] Customs probably includes some knowledge of TV, cinema, social mores, etc. The only reason to take a specific skill in watching/knowledge of television would be to represent a deeper interest than average.

>
> As long as you allow people to *not* take it - I haven't watched more than
> an hour of TV a week in over a month...
>
> Yep, not only do I not drive, I don't currently watch TV (hopefully we'll
> get a satellite dish before the next season of the Shield starts...).

I've always taken it as an unwritten rule that you don't have to take all the abilities in a keyword if you don't want to. Is anything of the sort actually stated anywhere in HeroQuest, I wonder?
If it makes you feel any less of an outsider, I don't drive either. I do ride a bicycle, though, and have been known to gesture angrily at drivers.

Regards,

Bruce