Broad Skills and Specialization

From: Mikko Rintasaari <mikrin_at_...>
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2001 17:56:48 +0300 (EET DST)


On Wed, 13 Jun 2001, Christian Wanamaker wrote:

>
> How exactly are these intended to work? Like an Affinity, where you have a
> score, and buy feats for it? Or just an ability you can apply broadly, but
> cost 3 to advance rather than 1? Or can you buy up individual applications
> of the skill, like Close Combat 3w2, Broadsword +3, Spear +8 (giving a skill
> of 6w2 for Broadsword combat and 11w2 for Spear combat)?
>
> I personally especially like the last option- it provides a good balance
> between broad skills and specialized skills.
>
> Curiously,
> Christian

Heartily seconded.

That's how I like CC, Affinities and Grimoires (all broad abilities, actually)

Let's concider a Heortling warrior:

  Close combat 17

This means he has good feel to the rythm and timing of fighting. Things that apply whether you use an axe or your fist. It's also a measure of his calmness in combat. Raisin CC costs 3 HP / point.

He also has some spesific combat techniques under CC.

Spear & Shield +8

brawling	+3
shieldwall	+4

So he would have a CC score of 17, from which he would improvice things like "parry missiles", and open new techniques.

But in actual fighting, he would use his

Spear & Shield  5w	(17+8)
brawling	20	(17+3)
shieldwall	1w	(17+4)

  ***

The same for a wizard/sorcerer

Grimoire "passage of fire" 16

Wall of Flame   +3		=19
Project fire    +8		=4w
heat metal 	+28*		=4w2

*Must be some sort of a smith


The same goes for theist affinities and individual feats. I find it much more interesting when people can specialize in techniques, feats and spells, instead of the level in everything being set by the affinity/CC/ read grimoire.

When the broad skill costs 3/level and subskills cost 1/level the scheme seems to work very nicely.

I hope we'll see that in the new edition of the corerules, at least as an option.

        -Adept

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