On page 172 of the AB ("Gain New Distinctive Feature"), it is specified that "(...) it is not possible to gain a new Specialty". On the other hand, it IS possible to replace an old Distinctive Feature with a new one.

That strikes me as weird, to say the least. You can change something that is inherent to your personnality or your upbringing, but you can't learn a new craft, or even replace an old one as you can with Distinctive Feature ?!?

The only reason I could come up with for this is if doing so would be game-breaking in some way. But no matter how I turn this up in my mind, I can't see how that could be?

If someone knows the reasoning behind this (Francesco? Jon?), I'd be very curious to see why this rule was put in.

Thanks!

I think that the idea is that personality traits can change over time, whereas you can't really forget how to do something you've mastered.

I think the term "Distinctive Feature" may hold part of the answer. It something that makes you stand out to others. These can and do change over time.

It is possible that the changing of a Specialty is a longer term timespan than is anticipated for most RPGs. I am not the same person at 47 that I was at 17 or 27. But the changes occurred over decades.

Brooke: you're right, you can't really forget what you have once mastered. I was thinking more about the possibility of learning something new.

Having thought about it, I think my mistake was thinking that a Specialty was something that your character chose to learn. If one wants to learn fishing, for example, one eventually learns and should get Fishing (AB p. 98), right?

But I now think learning to fish is made through the Skill mechanic, period. The different Specialties are what you got through your upbringing; that can't really change, I guess.

Horsa: I agree with you, they can change over time. Although from a strictly mechanical perspective, as opposed to a roleplaying one , I don't think there's a big incentive to use a Fellowship Phase to change one, especially considering the other undertakings possible. I don't know, I probably would allow an additional undertaking if one of my players wanted to change a Distinctive Feature, especially if it reflected in-campaign events.

I was just thinking about Niënor, of Silmarillion and Children of Hurin fame. She suffered from total amnesia, and ended up marrying her brother (gross). I could definitely imagine that such a character could end up with different Distinctive features, as her personality and life would basically be beginning anew. Obviously, there might be less extreme situations in which Distinctive Features might change, but Niënor's does seem like a situation wherein it would make definite sense.

Did her brother have amnesia too, or was he a bit 'dodgy'?

Mistakes were made.

I think to start he didn't know who she was (being unfamiliar with her appearance), consumated the relationship and then someone gave him a copy of "Who's Who". Thereafter I think he is totally guilty as he knows, she's ignorant, and things continue until the beans are spilled.

Nothing continues, Glaurung informs Nienor of the situation during his death throes, and Turin is unconscious. After learning the truth Nienor casts herself into the Teiglin. Witnessing all of this and believing Turin is dead, Brandir goes back to the Men of Brethil, and when Turin comes to and returns, he is informed of his incest, kills Brandir (for other reasons), and then throws himself onto his sword.

Long story short, no, Turin is not "dodgy."

Yes, he didn't know how she looked; they were separated as children.


Which brings up an interesting point.....Luke and Leia shared a couple pretty intimate moments, too......


As someone pointed out the dragon Glaurung used this piece of knowledge to taunt sadistically even as he was dying from Turin's blade - a last parting shot that he knew would leave a lasting scar on his wife/sister's psyche.


Another case where Tolkien's "evil" inherent in creatures is truly vile and sadistic to the core. There's very little shades of grey.

Thanks for the correction. That is the only thing wrong with Tolkien. Sometimes you read him too quickly and miss the details. But in trying to re-read, you sometimes skip stuff because you are so familiar with the content.