Australian Aboriginal Army Knife

platimus · 10-10-2018, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcobb

ITL page 37: Spear Thrower (1). Prerequisite: either Pole Weapons or Thrown Weapons.

A human wizard would require six skill points instead of the two the halfling cheats. Just grab his staff away and you'll be fine. Exploded, but fine.

Another reason why I think "racial skills" shouldn't be "free". Racial languages, free. Other racial skills, not free.

I suppose I am too heavily influenced by MERP on this. IIRC, in MERP, most races started with about the same number of skills. Humans were generally free to pick whatever skills they wanted. Elves, hobbits, etc. had some of their skill slots specified as "this skill" and "that skill" with fewer "free electives" than humans. It's the same philosophy? that goes into our starting stat values. Why not apply it to talents/spells as well?

It would help discourage every halfling PC from being a wizard, which seems in-line with the notion that wizards are rare in general and perhaps even rarer among halflings.

In a narrative sense, all halflings naturally pick-up Throwing Weapons but those that take a little longer to learn it are noticed as being a little "challenged" by it and encouraged to try magic to see if that is where their aptitudes lie.

hcobb · 10-10-2018, 10:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by platimus

In a narrative sense, all halflings naturally pick-up Throwing Weapons but those that take a little longer to learn it are noticed as being a little "challenged" by it and encouraged to try magic to see if that is where their aptitudes lie.

So make the Halfling bonus 2 skill slots towards Thrown Weapons?

platimus · 10-10-2018, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hcobb

So make the Halfling bonus 2 skill slots towards Thrown Weapons?

I don't look at it as a bonus. That's what I'm saying. He's a halfling so he MUST learn Thrown Weapons. That skill should cost the same as it does for anyone else. His culture forces him to have it. It is not instinctual knowledge. It should cost 4 skill slots because Everhit is a Wizard. 2 if he were a Hero.

However, your ruling is a fair compromise I could accept at the table.