Topic: Skills Common to all Cultures/Socities

[arakish]

Mainly, this should be a list of all skills available for adolescence and standard hobby skills.

Here is a list I have come up with.

Remember, it should be COMMON to all...

languages
culture lore
region lore (own)
fauna lore
flora lore
history
species/race
religion
athletic games
climbing
running
body development
animal handling
wrestling
brawling
alertness
crafting skills
acting
dancing
play instrument
poetic improvisation
singing
tale telling
begging

You may ask why animal riding is not listed above.  Not all cultures/societies may have access to riding animals.  However, most, if not all, can have some form of herding.

Any others you can think of?

Don't list weapon skills since those are highly dependent on the culture/society.  For example, Sylvan cultures/societies tend to specialize in missile and thrown weapons, instead of melee, since they prefer to "take care" of intruders from a distance.

rmfr

[Peter R]

I would probably put some kind of first aid or medicine skill in there.

[Peter R]

Mainly, this should be a list of all skills available for adolescence and standard hobby skills.

Here is a list I have come up with.

Remember, it should be COMMON to all...

languages
culture lore
region lore (own)
fauna lore
flora lore
history
species/race
religion
athletic games
climbing
running
body development
animal handling
wrestling
brawling
alertness
crafting skills
acting
dancing
play instrument
poetic improvisation
singing
tale telling
begging

You may ask why animal riding is not listed above.  Not all cultures/societies may have access to riding animals.  However, most, if not all, can have some form of herding.

Any others you can think of?

Don't list weapon skills since those are highly dependent on the culture/society.  For example, Sylvan cultures/societies tend to specialize in missile and thrown weapons, instead of melee, since they prefer to "take care" of intruders from a distance.

rmfr

If you came from a very puritanical culture this list would not necessarily include the singing and musical skills.

[intothatdarkness]

This is tough because some of those things will also be determined by class. I'd further break it down by social class. Any "available to all" list would likely be shorter and include things like First Aid (as Peter mentioned) and not have play instrument (for example).

Class is important because it may not be considered proper for the upper class to herd animals, for example. The same for play instrument and possibly dancing.

[arakish]

@ Peter R

What is a puritanical culture/society?  Believe it or not, I truly do not know.

You never carved a flute from a tree branch?  I did.  Was not very good, but it played.  Got better at it when I grew some bamboo.  And believe me, it takes quite a bit to contain bamboo.  Four-foot deep concrete feet, two feet thick, surrounding aprx. 30m^2.  Used them for fishing poles.  Later carved flutes.

@ intothatdarkness

I know Social Status will also dictate, but even peasants sang and played their own-made instruments.  Ever heard of a Harvest Festival/Celebration?  Then again, I started me early years farming (5-10yrs).  We had our own 7 acre farm for me backyard.  Had a 0.7 acre yard, but it went into the farm with a wide-gated fence.  We cycled 3 acres per year.  I even learned how to load, fire, and clean a double-barreled 10 gauge shotgun when I was 5.  I did not fire both barrels at once until I was 10, and it knocked me on me behind.  And the shoulder hurt for about two weeks.  Dad figured if he ain't home when away on business trips, the next biggest man should learn how to fire a gun for protection.  Mostly feral/wild animals.

@ all

I am also a Tech Geek.  Not very advanced, but a Tech Geek.  For example, I only use spreadsheets to perform 100s to thousands of calculations.  Simple calculations.  I do not know advanced spreadsheet stuff.  But I can do complex GIS SQL Statements.  But that is a database.  Quite different.

However, I think the skills I chose are valid across all Social Statuses.  That is what I am asking.

I also know I included Religion, although I dislike most.  But it always seems some form of Religion forms.

Poetic Improvisation also helps singing.  As in song writing.

Athletic Games.  Ever played football tag?

Culture Lore.  Well they tend to mix.

You even have your travelling beggars.  They may actually do some work for their fare, but they are still beggars, carrying other lores.  My wife and I did it for four months bicycling to Savannah, GA and back home.  Most often at farms, ranches, orchards, "Hey, give us supper, bed, and breakfast, and we shall do the dishes."  Sometimes we left a tip, if we had cash.

rmfr

[Peter R]

@ Peter R

What is a puritanical culture/society?  Believe it or not, I truly do not know.

A puritanical society is one where many leisure activities and public displays of pleasure and emotion are supressed. For a period here in the UK non religious theatre was banned (prior to 1660AD). There was no public performance of  music, comedy or singing and that ban was backed up with heavy prison sentences and even in a few cases death sentences under the guise of heresy charges.

The Puritan period here in the UK lasted 18 years, more than enough time for an individual to go from birth to maturity having not experienced these things or have the skills passed on.

That of course is only one real world example, there could be many such in a fantasy setting.

[arakish]

@ Peter R

What is a puritanical culture/society?  Believe it or not, I truly do not know.

A puritanical society is one where many leisure activities and public displays of pleasure and emotion are supressed. For a period here in the UK non religious theatre was banned (prior to 1660AD). There was no public performance of  music, comedy or singing and that ban was backed up with heavy prison sentences and even in a few cases death sentences under the guise of heresy charges.

The Puritan period here in the UK lasted 18 years, more than enough time for an individual to go from birth to maturity having not experienced these things or have the skills passed on.

That of course is only one real world example, there could be many such in a fantasy setting.

And that is why I despise any and all Religions, excepting those who truly honor and hold very high esteem for Nature, such as many American Indian beliefs.  So many other Religions are filled with so much hate and evil they propose to fight.  Especially in their histories.  If I were to be said to have any religion, then it would be a worshipping and very high reverence of Mother Nature.  Enough...

Thanks for letting me know what a puritanical culture/society is/was.  Now that you defined it, I do now remember reading about such things and despising it.  I guess I suppressed such things...  Kind of similar to the Spanish Inquisition period I guess...

Basically, this is the institution of the Hatharnd.  However, they do allow major celebrations to occur, such as Harvest Festivals, the Prentice Ceremonies, and the Yuletide Holiday, or a visit by the High Queen and/or High Priestess.  But most other things, they have abolished, similar to that puritanical culture you defined above, along with the Prohibition, the Witch/Warlock Hunts of Salem, etc., etc.

Unbeknownst to the peoples, the Hatharnd use the celebrations to detect persons, specifically during the Prentice Ceremonies, to choose persons for Initiation at Tanlindon, which is actually a death sentence.  The Hatharnd can detect persons who have an affinity towards Power (or Magic, if you prefer).  They take them to Tanlindon and during a ceremony, the person is killed and their Power Affinity is absorbed by the Hatharnd, making them even more powerful.

rmfr

[intothatdarkness]

My example for singing and playing instruments was directed at upper classes, not more stereotypical peasants. And there can also be cultures where singing and playing instruments are both integral parts of either religious or cultural events and thus restricted to specific people.

I honestly think if you want your players to get into the background of their characters, these lists should be tailored on a cultural basis, with some nods made toward social class/status where appropriate. That's what I did with my world, actually, providing a set of background skills based on the culture a player came from. Generic lists, rather like wide-scope professions, tend to detract from flavor and make most characters look pretty much the same.

[arakish]

Guess more clarification needed.

That is what I was trying to do.  Specifically with humans.  I was trying to define a list of skills that would be common, although not all are available, to all cultures/societies.  Then build upon the specific cultures/societies from there.

rmfr