Quoting Mike Holmes <mike_c_holmes_at_...>:
>> Of course if you have a world where diplomats usually learn all the
>> languages they encounter then fine.
>
> Well, yes. We're all agreed that the rule is something like, "If it's
> somehow typical." The question is "typical at what level?" You seem to have
> an answer below...
>
>> My criteria is very simple - does the keyword fit the world and
>> particular culture in that world.
>
> That's the level that I was using as criteria previously, too. That is, a
> Heortling diplomat might be constructed differently than a Lunar diplomat at
> the very least.
I wouldn't make "Diplomat" a Heortling keyword at all. A Keyword is a description of a profession (or religion or area) that is discernable and definable, to give parameters useful for defining a bundle of abilities typical for a person of that profession.
But Diploma isn't a Heortling profession. Sure, there are people who act as diplomats, but there aren't any professional diplomats. The cultural level just isn't that sophisticated. To me, "Heortling Diplomat" is like "Heortling Scientist." Inappropriate to the culture.
> But the question is how small do you go on cultures?
YGWV, of course, so you can make it for an individual (as has been mentioned). But this rather defies the the idea of a Keyword as being a definition of a group.
> Nominally you could make the easy decision to only allow the cultures in the
> book. But its implied that one can narrow the culture somewhat. That is (and
> to use the example I always do), would it make sense to have the same
> survival skills for a Heortling from Boldhome as it would for a Heortling
> who lives out in the hinterlands?
One could, but you'd have to decide if there is a significent difference would be that between between an urban and a wilderness dweller. But is dwelling place the key to be used in a keyword? I'd suggest not. The profession would, however. I'd suggest that a Keyword of Potter, for instance, implies the urban nature of the job.
> If Boldhome Heortlings can have their own
> keyword, then can you tailor down to lower levels of culture? Can you take a
> cultural keyword specific to a tribe? To a clan? To a vilage of the clan? To
> a subculture of the village of the clan?
I'd say that you are wasting the potential of a Keyword this way. It is dwelling on the diferences rather than ont he similarities, and Keywords are essentially designed to mark the simi9larities.
> Kolating from the Lismelder Village of Spearstand?
Kolating: a religious Keyword, and significantly different from other
religions.
As for "Lismelder Village of Spearstand," to me this implies that
there is a skill set that is different from a Colymar village from
anywhere. But there isn't., at a Keyword level.
Differences would be fond at specialty words within the keyword set. IF THEY EVEN NEEDED TO BE DEFINED. If someone said to me, "Hey, I'm from the Lismelder and we know a lot about undead. Can I used my Keyword skill to determine what kind of undead these are?" I'd say "Yes."
> Then, if so, can the occupations be taken specifically down to that level,
> too? Diplomat Kolating from the Lismelder Village of Spearstand?
No such thing. Not among Heortlings.
> It's pretty simple to just limit to something like a "national" level for
> culture. And that works fine. But I like to allow a bit more flexibility.
I'd say that this is not being flexible, but rather narrowing the definitions.
> And so that's why I've gotten to the criteria that I currently use. Which is
> that the character's keywords simply have to be indicative of some type,
> even if imaginary. Just so long as the abilities involved can't be said to
> be just things that the character picked up despite the keyword.
>
> That's pretty broad. But I'm testing it in use, and, for the very little
> that I've used it, so far, so good.
YGWV
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