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Old 05-14-2016, 11:37 AM   #11
johndallman
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Cambridge, UK
Default Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Naturalist

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Originally Posted by Railstar View Post
One thing I would be interested in is seeing how far Naturalist could go towards reducing the cost of Herb Lore.
Point cost or monetary cost? Herb Lore lets you make many of the same things as Alchemy, and the materials are free, although you need Naturalist to find them. I could easily imagine a fantasy setting where you recognise a magician by the size of his garden and the variety of plants in it.
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Old 05-14-2016, 03:20 PM   #12
RogerBW
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Naturalist

I feel a bit edgy about the interaction of Naturalist and various sorts of Biology, which it seems to me are mostly the same skill with very slightly different emphasis. I'd be inclined to follow the example of Astronomy (Observational) and make Naturalist an optional specialty of Biology, which covers all living things but not in super-precise detail ("that plant is poisonous" rather than "that plant generates an F-ATPase antagonist").
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Old 05-14-2016, 03:43 PM   #13
johndallman
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Join Date: Oct 2010
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Default Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Naturalist

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Originally Posted by RogerBW View Post
I'd be inclined to follow the example of Astronomy (Observational) and make Naturalist an optional specialty of Biology, which covers all living things but not in super-precise detail...
That's quite a good idea. Wish I'd thought of it.
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Old 05-14-2016, 03:53 PM   #14
CoyoteGestalt
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Default Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Naturalist

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Originally Posted by RogerBW View Post
I feel a bit edgy about the interaction of Naturalist and various sorts of Biology, which it seems to me are mostly the same skill with very slightly different emphasis. I'd be inclined to follow the example of Astronomy (Observational) and make Naturalist an optional specialty of Biology, which covers all living things but not in super-precise detail ("that plant is poisonous" rather than "that plant generates an F-ATPase antagonist").
Though Naturalist as written does definitely have non-biological elements, so it would probably mean adding optional specializations of a few other skills to cover the same ground.
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Old 05-14-2016, 04:17 PM   #15
RogerBW
 
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Default Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Naturalist

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Originally Posted by CoyoteGestalt View Post
Though Naturalist as written does definitely have non-biological elements, so it would probably mean adding optional specializations of a few other skills to cover the same ground.
Hmm, yes, I see what you mean. Another game might call it "Outdoorsman". In which case it might fit under the generic metaskill category as an "inverted expert" skill - i.e. where an Expert Skill gives you the bookwork but not the practical, this gives you the practical but not the bookwork.
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Old 05-15-2016, 04:32 AM   #16
Railstar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Default Re: [Basic] Skill of the week: Naturalist

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Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
Point cost or monetary cost? Herb Lore lets you make many of the same things as Alchemy, and the materials are free, although you need Naturalist to find them. I could easily imagine a fantasy setting where you recognise a magician by the size of his garden and the variety of plants in it.
Monetary cost. While on the sidebar on Magic says potions made with Herb Lore cost 50% less in materials, it also says "...herbalists can do their work with gleanings of a day in the woods and a few Naturalist rolls" - implying that harvesting materials is an alternative to buying them.
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