Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - 'Historical' skills for modern characters?

Anaraxes · 06-01-2009, 02:22 PM

Unusual Background is the catch-all charge to compensate for advantages that are, um, unusually advantageous in a particular campaign because they're generally unheard of. The textbook example is a magic-user in the modern world, which doesn't believe in magic, and thus has a complete lack of magical defenses, counterspells, and so on.

UB is not used simply for rarity. Not a lot of people learn how to smith these days, but putting points into Smithing doesn't have extra powers because of that. It's unusual simply because the skill will often be a "waste of points" from the modern point of view.

Keep in mind that fictional heroes are usually unusual.

06-01-2009, 02:22 PM	#7
Anaraxes Join Date: Sep 2007	Re: 'Historical' skills for modern characters? Unusual Background is the catch-all charge to compensate for advantages that are, um, unusually advantageous in a particular campaign because they're generally unheard of. The textbook example is a magic-user in the modern world, which doesn't believe in magic, and thus has a complete lack of magical defenses, counterspells, and so on. UB is not used simply for rarity. Not a lot of people learn how to smith these days, but putting points into Smithing doesn't have extra powers because of that. It's unusual simply because the skill will often be a "waste of points" from the modern point of view. Keep in mind that fictional heroes are usually unusual.