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Angelalex242 wrote:Hmmm. Which brings up another point. If a player wants to buy a new specialty or a new trait WITHOUT replacing old ones, how much should that cost?

Is it a new virtue called 'specialized?' (Sometimes, Elves want to know Elven Lore and Mirkwood Lore, but they want to know how how to make a fire too...) A new Trait "Distinctive" virtue (Why can't I be Swift, Quick of Hearing, AND Fair)? Or a flat XP cost? Or something else?

To my knowledge using the RAW it can't be done. If you want to do something like that in your game you would need to come up with a rules system for it.

Well, let's take them as if they were virtues.

Specialized (For specialties)

Distinctive (For traits)

Would such things be more powerful or less powerful then most cultural virtues? Or Confidence? Etc.

Angelalex242 wrote:Hmmm. Which brings up another point. If a player wants to buy a new specialty or a new trait WITHOUT replacing old ones, how much should that cost?

Is it a new virtue called 'specialized?' (Sometimes, Elves want to know Elven Lore and Mirkwood Lore, but they want to know how how to make a fire too...) A new Trait "Distinctive" virtue (Why can't I be Swift, Quick of Hearing, AND Fair)? Or a flat XP cost? Or something else?

I just went with an XP cost of 4 for a Distinctive Feature and 6 XP for a Speciality, although the number can easily be tweaked for any gamestyle, and both requiring a Fellowship Phase action to obtain; or even consecutive actions if the LM judges accordingly. What's important is that obtaining such a trait works within the logic of the game. Players need to have a reason that makes sense for their character to acquire such traits and justify it through RPing as well. What I try and do is talk to the players about how they want to develop their characters and put opportunities and events within their adventures for them to take advantage of.

I personally think allowing more Specialities and distinctive eatures may mess with the balance of the game; rate of AP gain, and number of things that can be auto succeeded at.

However from the point of view of the character you can effectively have more.

Rathlyn you can be quick of hearing and Swift as traits; and still be Fair - you are part noldor after all... just describe it through in your roleplaying... you get 2 two be defining, but more that you can characterise with...

As for Elf lore, Mirkwood lore and fire building; Well elves start with lore 3 - you can be mighty knowledgeable on Mirkwood without the trait, and put it in your Role Play and just pick up the other two traits see

James Harrison wrote:I personally think allowing more Specialities and distinctive eatures may mess with the balance of the game; rate of AP gain, and number of things that can be auto succeeded at.

That's why it's important to get the balance right. I have 4 players and we've had 3 Fellowship Phases. Out of all those opportunities to use my house-rule, only 1 PC has; for Smoking. So, no impact on the balance of the game as there are far more important things to do during an FP *and* to spend that XP on. Also, any Speciality or Distinctive Feature trait acquisition has the caveat that it must be justified within the setting. In my experience offering this kind of carrot, along with the required qualifiers, gets players thinking about RPing and developing their characters.

My Woodman uses his pipe quite a bit, I don't have smoking - On the other hand I think that is a good trait for an additional trait - it's not a "power trait". However I'm happy to be a fair spoken Tall, Smoker, while actually just being Bold and forthright in my traits.

If your Dwarf is concerned about not having the proper social skills to realize his character concept, I would advise that instead of messing with how advancement works you let him/her swap cultural ranks from one skill to another if the 10 bonus points aren't enough. With proper narrative justification, of course. I'm very much in favor of not letting the rules get in the way of fun, and a minor swap like this wouldn't be game breaking.