[Basic] Skill of the week: Housekeeping

[Otaku]

The main reason I have never run a PC with this skill is because I was unaware of it in 3e (if it was even around back then) and that means I got used to taking certain skills as a combination of "More useful than it looks, plus it adds some background flavor." I actually should revise some of my characters on stand by (that is, built but not yet used in any games) because this is probably a more appropriate fit for them than actually having them be a more skilled cook, tailor, etc.

I think the main reason for players to skip it is that their game isn't going for a different kind of "harsh realism": most of what this covers doesn't interest the players so until they (as the book example mentions) needs it for one of its less common uses like cleaning up a crime scene, it just becomes background material. If you're doing a campaign where you want a little more "mundane" bookkeeping in your adventure, several previous posts have highlighted problems that plague someone with poor housekeeping skills, like increased risk of infestation, which in an adventuring setting can mean increased risk of plague. ;)

I would say the hypothetical "average" person lacks the skill, but that it is still common; it is just that the ones without it drag down the average to where it is less than a full CPs worth (possibly less than even a Dabbler's worth). Again if the group wants this level of detail and as an alternate means of challenging the characters, the GM might want to start throwing in actual challenges where Housekeeping may not be the only the solution, but it is the one that makes sense for most characters.

For example... budget. An adventurers "household" budget might be a bit more flexible in what it includes, but if you've got a player that wants to calculate his expenses down to the penny and and encumbrance down to the ounce, Housekeeping is one of the potential skills to explain how the character is also doing it.