Late TL8 skills (almost) everyone has

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by Kromm

... Yet where I'm from (Nova Scotia),...

There go my assumptions; I figured you were descended from Potato Famine refugees in Quebec.

I still stand by Housekeeping as common, just less universal than it was. I don't think modern labor-saving devices are good enough to let ordinary people get by at default without it showing. What I do believe is that because more of our social lives happen online rather than in our homes, and because it's no longer traditional for half of a couple to stay at home being a housekeeper, it's now less stigmatized to lack this skill. But it's still very, very common.

It's hardly a big deal, but I do disagree based on this context:

As a youth in her home country, my mother attended a college program specifically for 'domestic work', i.e. being a professional maid. It was a year long program and when she would tell me about it I never understood what the content could be until our family bought a cottage/cabin rental business and I began to work with her. At that point I discovered that there is a real body of knowledge to doing housekeeping correctly. At first, I could spend literally hours cleaning a cottage and she could come and point out the numerous ways I fell short of professional-level work. On the other hand, she would take an hour and a half on the largest one and it would be done correctly. And eventually, yes, I did learn to tell the difference. Now, today, I have employed several home-cleaners over my lifetime and there are evident differences in the quality of outcome between ones who really know the work and those who don't.

So my impression is that most people, even those who keep a tidy home, don't match the level of a person with the actual skill. Typical things that even tidy people don't get right are windows, appliance filters, the proper cleaning products to be effective and protect the objects cleaned (silverware, grout), lampshades, drapes, hidden repositories of dust or other particles, etc. And even more important, the right approach, sequence and timing to doing all these tasks comprehensively and efficiently.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

There go my assumptions; I figured you were descended from Potato Famine refugees in Quebec.

Nope.

"Punch" is the name of my father's father's family, of course; they were from Ireland, but they left on their own terms to make their fortune, not to escape the Famine. My father's mother's family is a mixed bag of German-English types, with rather a large chunk of them being from the Isle of Man (to which we get invited for reunions, though I've never been). My mother's mother's family consists of yet more Irish, also unrelated to the Famine. Only my mother's father's family is from Québec . . . they're verifiably descended directly from Louis Hébert and Samuel de Champlain, making that side of the family semi-important at one time. But I live in Québec as an accident of education: the graduate school that appealed to me the most was in Montréal, so I moved here and stayed.

So my Area Knowledge skills are for Halifax, Nova Scotia (where I lived for 23 years) and Montréal, Québec (where I've lived for 30 years). My Current Affairs skill is for Montréal, too – I'm not up to date on events back home. My childhood skills that remain in workable shape are . . . um, probably Swimming and that's it. My adult hobbies are Dancing and whatever you think covers mixology. My choice social skill is probably Diplomacy. According to my girlfriend, my Housekeeping skill is far too high, and I'm annoying about it. My job skills are some mess of Professional Skill (Editor) and Writing.

Oh, and I have English (Native) and French (Accented).

I'm notably weird, by U.S. standards, for not having Driving or any Sports skills.

[WingedKagouti]

I would say that the majority of people whose daily work requires a computer have Computer Operation as part of a Dabbler Perk at most. To me it seems like many adults have Computer Operation + Driving (automobile) + Job skill + Housekeeping as a set of skills for the Dabbler Perk. It may include more depending on the culture they grew up in.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

As a youth in her home country, my mother attended a college program specifically for 'domestic work', i.e. being a professional maid.

I think I see the disconnect, then. You're assuming that Housekeeping is the professional skill of a maid. I wouldn't. I'd call that Professional Skill (Maid), as it's at least as tough as Cooking (also Average). Housekeeping covers all the aspects of Cooking that non-chefs can do, of cleaning that non-maids can do, of Accounting that cover home economics, and so on. It's a bit like Soldier: you can roll "in a situation where someone with one of those skills would roll at +4 or better for a routine task."

[Anders]

Originally Posted by Kromm

So my Area Knowledge skills are for Halifax, Nova Scotia (where I lived for 23 years) and Montréal, Québec (where I've lived for 30 years). My Current Affairs skill is for Montréal, too – I'm not up to date on events back home. My childhood skills that remain in workable shape are . . . um, probably Swimming and that's it. My adult hobbies are Dancing and whatever you think covers mixology. My choice social skill is probably Diplomacy. According to my girlfriend, my Housekeeping skill is far too high, and I'm annoying about it. My job skills are some mess of Professional Skill (Editor) and Writing.

I would guess you also have Physics and Mathematics, and Hobby Skill: Pop Culture. And Intimidation, for authors who are getting close to a deadline.

[Kromm]

Originally Posted by Anders

I would guess you also have Physics and Mathematics

I think they've degraded to Dabbler level, now. I probably qualify for an enhanced default, but I haven't kept current in 25+ years. That kind of decay is something many gamers don't want in their games, but it's realistic.

Originally Posted by Anders

Hobby Skill: Pop Culture.

I'm really, really not good at that . . . What you're seeing is my Writing skill letting me leverage my pathetic pop-culture references. :)

Originally Posted by Anders

And Intimidation, for authors who are getting close to a deadline.

You'd have to ask freelancers who've worked with me. I have no idea if I qualify for Administration, Diplomacy, Intimidation, Leadership, Teaching, etc. in their eyes.

[Anders]

Animal Handling (Cats)?

[Anthony]

The thing about skills (which no RPG really tries to implement because it would be unplayable, though GURPS Magic comes somewhat close) is that many skills, particularly technical skills, consist of a large number of narrow proficiencies which you mostly either have or don't have, and the person with a high skill either has a larger number of them, or is better at extrapolating from similar cases to solve new issues.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Anders

Animal Handling (Cats)?

Gloves (IQ/Easy) is a prerequisite.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

Gloves (IQ/Easy) is a prerequisite.

More like basic equipment than a skill, really - but you really need to avoid penalties for missing/improvised equipment for a VH skill like Animal Handling (Cats).