Last visit was: It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 4:34 pm


All times are UTC - 5 hours




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: Skill focus
PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2014 10:21 am 

Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:37 pm
Posts: 842
Location: Michigan
Why is the talent Skill Focus (pg 206) limited?

Skill Focus [Limited]
Benefit: When this Talent is acquired, it is always applied to a specific focus within a particular field of knowledge; some examples include Religion (Heresy) and Etiquette (Law) You gain a +10 bonus to all Logic Action Skill Rolls when attempting to recall facts within your focused field of knowledge.

How does that work for etiquette, which isn’t a valid subspecialty of knowledge? This becomes most relevant for an Oathcrafter (pg 125 CoH) who gets Skill Focus: Etiquette, even though it isn’t a knowledge skill.

I ask because the skilled surgeon talent (pg 87 CoH) requires Skill Focus: Healing or 9 ranks of heal, and I don’t see how one can get skill focus: heal, and I’m not sure what it would do if you did take it, since heal isn’t and knowledge (but it is a lore) skill.

Just to be complete, Journeyman Shaman gives Skill Focus: Wilderness Lore: (Spirits), which also make no sense to me. All other applications of the talent given in the paths were to normal knowledge skills.

_________________
AKA Kavaris, awakened "Human" from the Hinterlands, psionic transmutation specialist, adventurer, and no one important


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Skill focus
PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2014 11:21 am 
User avatar

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 3:59 am
Posts: 813
Location: Ontario, Canada
It might have been so people didn't try taking it for things like Melee: Balanced (Stabbing Crap) or Arcanum: Cants (Spells 'n Stuff).

The +10 bonus is pretty huge, so it is understandable that PCI would want some control over how it is applied. With that said, I think it would be a good idea for there to be a talent that gives a smaller bonus, perhaps a +2, to a single knowledge skill. You could call it 'Field of Study' or something like that.

_________________
Akira Currier
aka Raseri 'Crash' val'Emman - Master of the Incandescent Flame (Martial 3.7)
aka Leif - Skohir Warped One (Martial 2.6)
aka Rurik - Nol Dappan War Priest (Divine 2.3)
aka Karthik - Tultipetan Stonemason (Expert 1.4)


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Skill focus
PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2014 12:12 pm 

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:36 am
Posts: 1554
Etiquette(Lo) would probably apply to knowing about laws

Wilderness Lore (spirits) (Lo)

skill focus is really a specialized knowledge bonus, I think it is used correctly and granted a little less often than i would like but its pretty acceptable

_________________
--Josh Elliott
Oswald val'Inares V, The Seeker of the Val'Inares
Harvester Lord of the Eastern Fields of Iowa


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Skill focus
PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2014 9:52 pm 

Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:37 pm
Posts: 842
Location: Michigan
acurrier wrote:
It might have been so people didn't try taking it for things like Melee: Balanced (Stabbing Crap) or Arcanum: Cants (Spells 'n Stuff).

The +10 bonus is pretty huge, so it is understandable that PCI would want some control over how it is applied. With that said, I think it would be a good idea for there to be a talent that gives a smaller bonus, perhaps a +2, to a single knowledge skill. You could call it 'Field of Study' or something like that.


But it only applies to the knowledge skill, so you can't do that.

_________________
AKA Kavaris, awakened "Human" from the Hinterlands, psionic transmutation specialist, adventurer, and no one important


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Skill focus
PostPosted: Fri May 09, 2014 11:54 pm 

Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:17 am
Posts: 208
Quote:
Skill Focus [Limited]
Benefit: When this Talent is acquired, it is always applied to a specific focus within a particular field of knowledge


Not to a particular Knowledge skill. It's saying that it's used for Logic checks. That's why it gives the example of Etiquette (Law), and the Path gives Wilderness Lore (Spirits). It probably doesn't say "any Lore Skill" because not all Lore Skill checks are Logic, like Larceny (Disable Device). Also it probably Limited to avoid people making arguments that something like Battle (Set Up Ambush), which uses Logic, could fall under "field of knowledge". They are just keeping +10 bonus under their control. Which is smart.

_________________
The Vault


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Skill focus
PostPosted: Sat May 10, 2014 7:24 am 

Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 9:37 pm
Posts: 842
Location: Michigan
The Vault wrote:
Quote:
Skill Focus [Limited]
Benefit: When this Talent is acquired, it is always applied to a specific focus within a particular field of knowledge


Not to a particular Knowledge skill. It's saying that it's used for Logic checks. That's why it gives the example of Etiquette (Law), and the Path gives Wilderness Lore (Spirits). It probably doesn't say "any Lore Skill" because not all Lore Skill checks are Logic, like Larceny (Disable Device). Also it probably Limited to avoid people making arguments that something like Battle (Set Up Ambush), which uses Logic, could fall under "field of knowledge". They are just keeping +10 bonus under their control. Which is smart.


Hmmm. I can see that interpretation now, and I suspect it is right considering the occasional non-knowledge check skill given a skill focus, but to me that reads pretty clearly that it only applies to the various fields of the knowledge skill specifically. That's part of why I asked about it.

But I still don't know, how could one get skill focus: heal?

_________________
AKA Kavaris, awakened "Human" from the Hinterlands, psionic transmutation specialist, adventurer, and no one important


Top
Offline Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: Skill focus
PostPosted: Sat May 10, 2014 11:15 am 

Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2014 11:17 am
Posts: 208
Off the top of my head Knowledge Warden: Master grants Skill Focus (choose one).
Even though Skilled Surgeon says you need Skill Focus (Heal) remember you need to pick a focus for your knowledge like Heal (Disease).

As a side bar Knowledge Warden: Master says that it makes Monster Lore no longer a limited Talent, which might be a mistake.
Quote:
Knowledge Warden
Master
Requirements: Knowledge Warden: Initiate (pa)
Trained Skills: Ranged (Marksman) and any two Lore skills of your choice
Talents Exploit Weakness, Skill Focus (choose one) or Monster Lore (choose one)
Special (Access): Monster Lore is no longer a limited talent for you.


But Monster Lore isn't Limited in the first place. I think it might mean Skill Focus.

_________________
The Vault


Top
Offline Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 7 posts ]  Moderators: james.zwiers, PCI Eric, PCI_StatMonkey

All times are UTC - 5 hours


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group
Theme created StylerBB.net & kodeki