Skill to comfort the bereaved?

[Anders]

Writing up a skill list for the priests of the Death God. What skill would you use to comfort the bereaved? I have several alternatives - Diplomacy, Professional Skill (Mortician), Psychology, Savoir-Faire... but none seems to fit the bill exactly.

Any ideas?

[panton41]

Actually I think just Psychology would be enough, maybe specializing in grief consoling. Today people like priests and morticians take secular psychology classes to help with grief, so for game purposes I would just consider that aspect of their training to be Psychology for the relevant tech level.

[jacobmuller]

Savoir Faire (Bereavement)?
Or a technique based off Theology?

[Bruno]

Counceling of any kind is one part offering emotional support and sympathy, one part determining the correct action for the patient to take, and one part convincing them to do it.

Offering genuine emotional support doesn't require any skill rolls, but I'd suggest Acting to show the correct emotions if the counselor actually doesn't particularly care. People with Low Empathy or Callous may have difficulties detecting when the patient is disturbed, or caring enough to fake it.

Depending on the counselor, the correct course of action may be specified by theology (Theology roll), organizational policy (Administration?), or academic theory (Psychology, optional specialty probably taken for non-psychologists). It could even be determined by divination (spells, or just casting the lots). Fortune Telling skill may be useful here. Depending on the concelor's goals, this could be "helping them to work through their grief" or "getting them to channel their grief into the war effort" or whatever - this would probably influence which skill is used to determine the approach.

Getting the patient to take your advice is probably a straight up Reaction Roll (modified for how bad/hard the patient thinks the advice sounds), so any sort of social skill to help modify that is helpful. Religious practitioners may be able to get a modifier with a suitable Religious Ritual roll, depending on the culture/religion.

[Hockney]

Psychology is the contemporary skill for this kind of thing, but it really has the wrong flavor for anything before say, TL7 or so.

I'd go with Diplomacy, for the angle of the priest as the messenger of his god. Maybe Philosophy, or Theology, possibly paired somehow with Teaching, as the priest might be giving a small personalized sermon about the meaning of death.

If the priest is especially gifted, perhaps Persuade would be appropriate

For a darker spin, you might use Brainwashing, as well.

[Victor Maxus]

Tough one to call, but I would say Psychology. After that it either simply default That is to say, each culture of people have their views on death, and we all grow up with how to deal with it. Think of losing Sparky when he got too old or your gold fish kicking off when we were kids. From there, we learn to apply this to cope with the death of humans. It just seems to be a cultural thing we all have, and GURPS has no real skill for it because of that. And yes, Theology in a low tech setting should cover it as well.

Otherwise, after the Psych and Theo skills, as a legitimate means of dealing with it, there is the trying to do your best otherwise. Savoir Faire, Diplomacy are good options, and let us not forget Fast Talk. After all, you trying to convince some one that things will be okay, even though they may not.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by jacobmuller

Savoir Faire (Bereavement)?
Or a technique based off Theology?

I don't think theology would quite do it unless the victim was of a curiously intellectual bent that could actually be comforted by argument. Theology is systematic clerical lore, effectively the equiv of textbooks.

In The Chosen, it was the greatest fear of Danny Saunders father that his son's ability in memorizing theology(and everything else) would make him an Insufferable Genius who is Completely Missing The Point, and thus unfit to be a Rebbe, however well he might do as a scholar. Rebbe Saunders handled this in an extreme and rather abusive training technique, which is the point of the story.

Theology skill might be useful for this as a minor key. However, social skills might work better, perhaps savoire-faire, or leadership.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by Victor Maxus

Otherwise, after the Psych and Theo skills, as a legitimate means of dealing with it, there is the trying to do your best otherwise. Savoir Faire, Diplomacy are good options, and let us not forget Fast Talk. After all, you trying to convince some one that things will be okay, even though they may not.

Are you? What if the Mentor says,"I would be stupid to say it's OK and you would know it's stupid. I can tell you that I am here with you and so are all your friends and family"?

[sir_pudding]

Religious Ritual if the comforting rituals are formalized. Otherwise Psychology.

[Phaelen Bleux]

Definitely Psychology, at least to understand how to approach the situation:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...6081459AAPTmP5

As a veterinarian, I deal with this daily. Psychology gives you a heads up. Empathy, Acting, Diplomacy, Theology, Savoir-Faire and all the rest will let you do it better, by being able to respond to that particular person's needs.