New Technique family of the week: Focussed

[johndallman]

And some more Focussed suggestions:

Listening (Carousing, Psychology (Applied), Professional Skill (Bartender), Savoir-Faire (any) or Sex Appeal). This is the art of being a "good listener," which will often encourage people to keep on talking. This is a useful way of building up a relationship, as well as spying.

Somebody Knows (Administration, Diplomacy, or Savoir-Faire (any)). This is buying up skill in finding out who, within an organisation, knows the fact you're after or can easily do a task. If you only ask for favours, and don't perform them in return, this technique can suffer penalties of -4 or worse.

Shoemaking (Leatherworking). This is buying up skill in making and repairing shoes; Leatherworking is DX/Easy, and thus can't have an optional specialisation, but shoemaking was an important and widespread trade until it was industrialised in late TL5. Glover and Saddler were important enough to establish occupational surnames, and would also be focussed techniques.

Embroidery (Sewing). This is buying up skill in embroidery; Sewing is DX/Easy, and thus can't have an optional specialisation, but hand embroidery has been an art, and often an important craft, for thousands of years. Other Sewing focussed techniques would plausibly include Crotchet, Knitting, Furnishings, Sailmaking, and Tailoring. Clothing design is IQ-based Sewing, boosted by Fashion Sense, which has techniques of at least Men's and Women's.

<Object> (Sleight of Hand). This is buying up skill in manipulating a specific kind of object with Sleight of Hand. Decks of cards are a very popular choice, as are small quantities of powder for poisoners.

<Mineral> (Prospecting). This is buying up skill in finding a particular kind of mineral. Gold is always popular.

<Specific event> (Running). This is buying up skill in running specific distances, usually for sporting purposes. The techniques for similar distances have defaults to each other: 200 metres might default to 100 metres-2, but 10,000 metres has no default from either.