ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
Just because streetwise works for a character on one world, will it be of much use on another world? That other world having a different race and language/culture etc.
Streetwise
- Thread starter ShawnDriscoll
- Start date
CosmicGamer
Mongoose
Streetwise is not a one world skill just like pilot is not a one ship skill or admin, or engineering, or... the list goes on for skills that cover a variety of situations and not one specific.ShawnDriscoll said:
If the world and race is different enough the GM can modify the difficulty of the task.
Yeah; but there's something about the very concept of 'Streetwise' that suggests it is a highly mobile sort of skill set. I mean, do we really think a kid who is streetwise in Mogadishu would not also be streetwise in Paris?
Streetwise confers a certain concept of a set of skills—cool under fire; sly with the sleight-of-hand; know when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em; smash&grab, hit&run—that I would think are *fairly* transferrable place to place.
I think it is in the same concept realm as Jack Of All Trades. More descriptive of a kind of character than a kind of skill. My $0.02 -2.
Streetwise confers a certain concept of a set of skills—cool under fire; sly with the sleight-of-hand; know when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em; smash&grab, hit&run—that I would think are *fairly* transferrable place to place.
I think it is in the same concept realm as Jack Of All Trades. More descriptive of a kind of character than a kind of skill. My $0.02 -2.
It is to keep character's skills relevant. Otherwise, streetwise becomes pretty much useless.
But then again, a similar argument can be made about all sorts of abstracted skills in Traveller. A single skill will often allow you simply fly and fight using "jet aircraft" but an ace fight pilot in a MiG-15 isn't going to be able to just jump into a F-22 or for that matter a modernized MiG-29 and be able to operate the helmet mounted sight and digital instruments and weapons systems. Right now, you don't just get certified to fly "Boeing jetliners" - you have to certified to fly a 747 which is different from a 777 and so on. It can be argued at least part of this is just Boeing cashing in, but the fact is that even different "big airliners" from the same company are pretty different beasts. I'm not even sure an early 747 pilot could even operate a 787, let alone at a "skill penalty."
Futuristic skills like 'grav vehicles' and 'starship pilot' are probably also grossly oversimplified. While all that stuff is just conjecture, knowing how manufacturers work, operating a J-1 Free Trader is probably pretty different from operating a J-2 Far Trader.
If you want to put some "chrome" onto a skill like Streetwise, the skill across cultures is probably relatively rudimentary, but still very useful. It doesn't give you automatic knowledge of every criminal subculture's rituals. It gives you a certain practical knowledge about human psychology. Like even on Earth with its varying criminal subcultures, certain "values" are shared pretty strongly, particularly things like "respect" are extremely valuable in such cultures in a way that those not in the know don't quite understand. How to be respectful while at the same time not appearing weak. How to appear "dangerous" but not "threatening" and so on. The guy with high streetwise is likely to be able to identify at a glance or a short conversation which startown bartender to ask about the local criminal underworld, how to contact them, and get some pointers on how to behave around them. If the bartender doesn't know, he can hook the player up with someone who can act as a reliable guide, for a fee, of course.
As a result, instead of putting Streetwise as a penalty, I'd give the person with Streetwise a bonus if he or she is on his native planet where he or she learned the ropes. The standard level of Streetwise is simply the skill as applied generically.
But then again, a similar argument can be made about all sorts of abstracted skills in Traveller. A single skill will often allow you simply fly and fight using "jet aircraft" but an ace fight pilot in a MiG-15 isn't going to be able to just jump into a F-22 or for that matter a modernized MiG-29 and be able to operate the helmet mounted sight and digital instruments and weapons systems. Right now, you don't just get certified to fly "Boeing jetliners" - you have to certified to fly a 747 which is different from a 777 and so on. It can be argued at least part of this is just Boeing cashing in, but the fact is that even different "big airliners" from the same company are pretty different beasts. I'm not even sure an early 747 pilot could even operate a 787, let alone at a "skill penalty."
Futuristic skills like 'grav vehicles' and 'starship pilot' are probably also grossly oversimplified. While all that stuff is just conjecture, knowing how manufacturers work, operating a J-1 Free Trader is probably pretty different from operating a J-2 Far Trader.
If you want to put some "chrome" onto a skill like Streetwise, the skill across cultures is probably relatively rudimentary, but still very useful. It doesn't give you automatic knowledge of every criminal subculture's rituals. It gives you a certain practical knowledge about human psychology. Like even on Earth with its varying criminal subcultures, certain "values" are shared pretty strongly, particularly things like "respect" are extremely valuable in such cultures in a way that those not in the know don't quite understand. How to be respectful while at the same time not appearing weak. How to appear "dangerous" but not "threatening" and so on. The guy with high streetwise is likely to be able to identify at a glance or a short conversation which startown bartender to ask about the local criminal underworld, how to contact them, and get some pointers on how to behave around them. If the bartender doesn't know, he can hook the player up with someone who can act as a reliable guide, for a fee, of course.
As a result, instead of putting Streetwise as a penalty, I'd give the person with Streetwise a bonus if he or she is on his native planet where he or she learned the ropes. The standard level of Streetwise is simply the skill as applied generically.
ShawnDriscoll
Cosmic Mongoose
I have to remember this. I often forget to add the difficulty modifier.CosmicGamer said:
I was thinking, "This can't be an end all be all skill for every place?" I need to add more to what's going on via DMs to a roll.Epicenter said:
Exactly. Finding a generic nefarious weapons salesman is a streetwise test - because you know the sort of places you're looking for, and you know how to carry yourself in a downport bar without giving the impression - false or otherwise - that "I Am An Undercover Cop" or "I Have Lots Of Money And Have Told No-one Where I Am", both of which are liable to be terminal when talking to the wrong types.
If you actually know something about the region in question, the check gets easier. If you are actually from the region in question, it starts to become so trivial I don't make you pick up the dice.
You could equally say the same thing about diplomat or persuade; there is no 'one way of behaving' that will get anyone to agree with you those skills - but the skill is a real thing and is about not shooting yourself in the foot in the opening sentance and swiftly figuring out how you should behave in an unknown situation.
* unless it starts with the words "look into my eyes" or similar, anyway.
I think maybe a few of us misinterpret what the streetwise skill is.
Locarno has the closest.
It's a skill based on awareness more then anything else. Just something you generally use when trying to find criminal elements, or spotting them. The more skill you have in it, the more likely you could link an entire criminal organization together, along with who they are allied to. Though doing that would be a long serious of tests, and hoping you don't get spotted in the process.
It can be used as well to, as Locarno put it, avoid criminal elements effectively. Because you know how to spot them and what they are looking for, as those same elements are using the same skill to try and see if somethings wrong with you. Another criminal out to get them, or a cop or someone that could be a potential asset or target.
Some times a culture can change how it works, but with a little knowledge it's soon easier. Most criminal organisations operate roughly in the same way though. Cultural differences could also make it easier too. For example, only an example, you can find it easier to find brothels in one culture then a normal culture, where they are more open to it culturally, through traditions etc.
Locarno has the closest.
It's a skill based on awareness more then anything else. Just something you generally use when trying to find criminal elements, or spotting them. The more skill you have in it, the more likely you could link an entire criminal organization together, along with who they are allied to. Though doing that would be a long serious of tests, and hoping you don't get spotted in the process.
It can be used as well to, as Locarno put it, avoid criminal elements effectively. Because you know how to spot them and what they are looking for, as those same elements are using the same skill to try and see if somethings wrong with you. Another criminal out to get them, or a cop or someone that could be a potential asset or target.
Some times a culture can change how it works, but with a little knowledge it's soon easier. Most criminal organisations operate roughly in the same way though. Cultural differences could also make it easier too. For example, only an example, you can find it easier to find brothels in one culture then a normal culture, where they are more open to it culturally, through traditions etc.
I thought Streetwise was a skill that basically was only to be used in the players own culture and in Space cultures (within the space port and town). Isn't it a kind of catch all that is considered the Darker Side of human culture and life matters? So it is up to the GM in question to so how it aplys, or if it does. Is that not true?
Oracle said:
Here it is:
Streetwise
A character with the Streetwise skill understands the urban environment and the power structures in society. On his homeworld and in related systems, he knows criminal contacts and fixers. On other worlds, he can quickly intuit power structures and can fit into
local underworlds.
Pretty much as I stated. (my memory isn't as bad as my wife says :lol: )
