[johndallman]

Here are some more draft Focussed techniques. All of them are Average, with a default equal to their prerequisite skill, and cannot exceed prerequisite +4. All of them are about buying up a skill with a narrow focus. Many of them will not be very useful to adventurers, but they allow ordinary people to become quite skilled at something specialised.

Acting Honest (Acting). This is "acting innocent", seeming like a normal and uninteresting person, as boosted by the Honest Face perk. Buy the perk first, because it does several things that a level of this technique does not.

<Terrain type and season> (Camouflage). Camouflage is IQ/Easy, and so can't have optional specialisations, but a specific type of terrain in a specific season is a valid Technique for the skill.

<Specific crop> (Gardening). Gardening is IQ/Easy, and so can't have optional specialisations, but a specific crop, such as a particular herb or kind of fruit is a valid technique for the skill. Grass is quite common, since it's what sports field grounds-keepers grow.

<Equipment form> (Fishing). Fishing is Per/Easy and so can't have optional specialisations, but a specific familiarity of Fishing, such as tickling, spear fishing, net fishing, or line fishing is a valid technique for the skill. Thanks to Bill Stoddard for the list of methods.

<Specific hazard> (Hazardous Materials (specialisation)). Dealing with a specific hazardous material or combination of materials, within a specialisation of HazMat that you know, can be bought up as a Technique. For example, Infectious Human Bodily Fluids (Hazardous Material (Biological)) is common enough for nurses to specialise in, while Fizzled H-bomb Debris (Hazardous Materials (Radioactive)) would only have been useful a few times in human history. So far.

<Specific problem> (Housekeeping). Dealing with a specific problem can be bought up as a Technique. For example, Implicating Human Bodily Fluids (Housekeeping) would be a useful technique for an Action-style Cleaner.

<Specific item> (Jeweller). Making lots of rings, or pearl necklaces, would be a valid Technique.

March-leading (Leadership). This technique increases Leadership for the specific purpose of leading a march. If the campaign features races with very different styles of locomotion, such as humans and giant centipedes, they require different Techniques. Leading a convoy of vehicles is also a different Technique, although it works the same way.

<Specific item> (Smith (specialisation)). A smith who had to turn out lots of nails, or hatchets, or helmets, all pretty much the same, could buy up a technique for each kind of item.

Opinions?