Fantasy equivalent of a Materials Scientist?

[dragonfire8974]

This is just shooting from the hip here so feel to tell me I'm off base.

Ultimately, the benefits he will gain as a result of taking these CO skills will come through plot. Would it be reasonable to ask his plot team, "Dudez, I want my character to do X. What CO or combo of CO would you want me to have to get that done? Kthx."

In reality they could tell him to take Craftsman: Howlbear Whisperer, but as long as the plot team recognizes those craftsman skills for the purpose he wants it should be fine.

Right?

Stephen

in our chapter RP knowledge is more what matters, COs count for very little. our philosophy is that you get paid for doing what you're doing, it doesn't mean you're any good at it.

Edit: I would know, i started out withe 30 in COs, and have more now

 

[Dom]

Craftsman: Howlbear Whisperer

^^ I want this

 

[Michiko]

Hypothetical:
Ok, so I know how to track IRL and don't by the skill (shouldn't be forced if my character doesn't want/use it).
Does this mean I can use my RL skill in-game? No, considered meta-gaming, yes?
This would be akin to telling someone they need to learn how to assassinate someone before taking the skill.

I'm a little confused by this statement. I wouldn't consider someone meta-gaming as long as it made sense for their character to know tracking. There are some incredibly talented/knowledgeable people who play this game. I don't think that someone should have to buy a CO to back up their OOG skills. If they want to then that is cool, but in my mind COs are to give characters skills that their players don't/can't have, not to to give characters skills because their players already do have them.

Just my two cents!

 

[Dom]

I think the point of spending build on COs is to represent the idea that you took the time to study said skill and that time was not available for combat training

 

[Mobius]

I don't think that someone should have to buy a CO to back up their OOG skills. If they want to then that is cool, but in my mind COs are to give characters skills that their players don't/can't have, not to to give characters skills because their players already do have them.

Craftsman Other just means you can make money off the skill; it imparts no abilities In or Out of Game whatsoever. Some Plot Teams will allow certain COs leeway when dealing with this or that situation, but that's a Local decision.

In fact, just because your character has a CO doesn't mean she can actually do said task. It's just a likely that your CO skill is a bluff or hustle: I once knew a Fighter with "CO- Elemental King" - he fleeced yokels into thinking he was a FlamePoomba and they paid him protection money. All CO means is that you have a profession where you can make money, it has nothing to do with ability, skill, or finesse (as Congress shows us every day, you don't need skillz to get da mad cash).

As for "CO: Tracker", it's meaningless, don't worry about it. If you have the skills to follow a person through the woods "In Real Life", there's no reason your Character need not have that skill too. Now, if you want Plot to give you a Silver a logistics, then you have to sink the Build.

 

[Icey]

Or slip them some love nine

 

[Davion]

In my mind, COs are great for reinforcing what your character does offstage. I'm not going to cut down a tree at the local boyscout camp, but my character might have CO: Logger and at some point he might try to make a log cabin offstage. Yes, it'd be great if I knew which trees were maples and which trees were ash in order to roleplay it well - but it might never come up in game.

I feel your argument is flawed because you're saying, "Real Roleplay is better than character build points, therefore character build points should be meaningless." In reality, those two things are completely unconnected. "Real Roleplay is great." AND "Character Build Points spent to reinforce your character concept is great."

Think of it another way, how good would our game be if you could become a celestial guild archmage without buying read magic?

At some point I may take a CO: Metaether Analyst (or whatever), but this conversation has only convinced me to not bother.

 

[RiddickDale]

At some point I may take a CO: Metaether Analyst (or whatever), but this conversation has only convinced me that our player base is too immature to respect any build that isn't spent on "boom you go dead now."

Two forums.... two posts.... two responses. We just keep bumping into eachother at the wrong time.

These types of comments are no longer welcome on these forums. I don't have a problem with the opinion.... but you're going to need to phrase them in a more positive way.

This game is about community... how can we build that when we tear each other down like that with blanket statements?

Play nice. K?

Stephen
National PR

 

[MKing]

In my mind, COs are great for reinforcing what your character does offstage. I'm not going to cut down a tree at the local boyscout camp, but my character might have CO: Logger and at some point he might try to make a log cabin offstage. Yes, it'd be great if I knew which trees were maples and which trees were ash in order to roleplay it well - but it might never come up in game.

I feel your argument is flawed because you're saying, "Real Roleplay is better than character build points, therefore character build points should be meaningless." In reality, those two things are completely unconnected. "Real Roleplay is great." AND "Character Build Points spent to reinforce your character concept is great."

Think of it another way, how good would our game be if you could become a celestial guild archmage without buying read magic?

At some point I may take a CO: Metaether Analyst (or whatever), but this conversation has only convinced me to not bother.

COs, do rep what you do Off Stage...its the characters "job"..

the argument maybe be flawed in your mind...but I dont recall anyone saying Real Roleplay is better than character build points, therefore character build points should be meaningless"

the RAW state that CO's give you 1 silver per log period, per CO...anything else is up to your Local Plot and Marshals, so you can take your CO: metaether analyst and get your 1 sp per pick in it and hope that your Local Plot and Marshals give you a lttle something sometimes..

All Im getting from your posts are that you want a bunch of Info and Stuff for the 2 bp Skill you have...

 

[Davion]

All Im getting from your posts are that you want a bunch of Info and Stuff for the 2 bp Skill you have...

Actually, I'm already getting a lot of info and stuff for my character, and was thinking I'd purchase a 2 bp skill to reinforce that my character does something between market days besides sit around on his hands. That's what the original post says.

 

[Mobius]

All Im getting from your posts are that you want a bunch of Info and Stuff for the 2 bp Skill you have...

Actually, I'm already getting a lot of info and stuff for my character, and was thinking I'd purchase a 2 bp skill to reinforce that my character does something between market days besides sit around on his hands. That's what the original post says.

I'm sure you've already figured this, but you don't need to do that. CO doesn't impart any RP cred. or give you any more or less sway with Plot. If you want your character to be studying X,Y,Z 'tween games, send a note to Plot between games saying so, you don't need to have a CO for that. Plot shouldn't be restricting role-play or a character's non-combat aptitudes to those who sink Build into COs ("shouldn't" being the operative word here). COs shouldn't trump History, experience, and the willingness to submit good/interesting IBGAs.

 

[Alavatar]

My character is an alchemist and I've decided he spends a lot of time researching the different strange elements that have showed up. I was thinking that I wanted to take a CO equivalent of Materials Scientist. So when building a building, he might know nothing about architecture, but know that a particular type of granite makes that strongest walls. Or that frogs, when combined with cure light elixirs, make frog flavored cure light elixirs. (Not joking, I poured a lot of money into finding out that recipe).

Personally, I think the skill you are looking for is a conglomeration of several skills.

CSO: Alchemist (as noted by WCJP, an Alchemist IRL is different from what the skill Alchemy does IG)
- Knowledge of compounds, mixtures, reactions, and material properties. You won't know what material is best for a wall because you aren't an engineer, but you could state that Material A is more ductile than Material B, yet Material B has a higher thermal coefficient than Material A.
- Probably better to just take the Alchemy skill and call it good.

CSO: Engineer
- Knowledge of designing and building things, from buildings and roads to ballista and seige engines. You would have general knowledge of what materials are good for what task, such as what wood is best for a catapult vs. a boat, but you won't have much knowledge about amalgamations of materials or any sort of reaction when combined.

CSO: Apothecary
- Knowledge of drugs and remedies. You'll know how to make medicine and that a spoonful of sugar will help the medicine go down. You'll also know how preparing plants and other organic materials will affect the person using them, be it a salve, aroma, or elixir. You won't know much about material properties beyond their effect on living things nor will you know anything about reactions between Material A and Material B when mixed within Solution C.
- Could argue that Herbal Lore also conveys the same knowledge.

As others have noted, per the rules you aren't guaranteed any IG advantage, use, or service beyond the 1 silver per logistics period. Your plot team may choose to use your CSO skills if and when appropriate. But you knew that already.

 

[Alavatar]

All Im getting from your posts are that you want a bunch of Info and Stuff for the 2 bp Skill you have...

Actually, I'm already getting a lot of info and stuff for my character, and was thinking I'd purchase a 2 bp skill to reinforce that my character does something between market days besides sit around on his hands. That's what the original post says.

I'm sure you've already figured this, but you don't need to do that. CO doesn't impart any RP cred. or give you any more or less sway with Plot. If you want your character to be studying X,Y,Z 'tween games, send a note to Plot between games saying so, you don't need to have a CO for that. Plot shouldn't be restricting role-play or a character's non-combat aptitudes to those who sink Build into COs ("shouldn't" being the operative word here). COs shouldn't trump History, experience, and the willingness to submit good/interesting IBGAs.

Craftsman Skills definitely add flavor to the character and allows them to say "Hey! I'm a scribe by trade! Does that help me at all in identifying a forgery?" While not trumping experience, saying you have a trade skill can give the plot team the means, and a good reason, to give that character different results. I encourage that.