[UA] Varying skill costs . . .

[Timothy Groth]

UA skills aren't just character traits, they are player votes on what sort 
of stuff they want in the game.  If a character makes a combat/investigation 
cop and the GM fails to deliver situations to investigate and then use some 
violence all those skills are worthless.  In this way all the skills are the 
same, they represent the same amount of sway over the game and if picked 
well within character, as well as between characters, represent equal amount 
of oppertunity to not suck in situations that aren't designed for the skill.

Of course there is an obligation of the player to pick skills that aren't 
boring/safe.  That's the point of the whole making characters with high 
changes of survival in UA2.  Characters that are in little risk are boring, 
and have skills that reflect this.  If you take a skill you want to use it, 
obviously, but if you are taking things like Accounting you are not being 
cooperative.

Ok so what about interesting and quirky skills vs the hardcore power ones or 
the core ones?  Specific special ability ones (Do Two Things At Once, Speak 
A Language, etc) can get extended use by defining creative skill penumbras.  
Additional perks could be devised.  For instance the skills to speak 
languages would include cultural facts and where to find a good place with 
what ever type of cuisine in the city.

As for more obscure skills, like the Cat Lore, I think that they fall in the 
Accounting skill category.  They run counter to the point of the game, 
unless of course the individual with the skill is a proto-adept or something 
like that.

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