May I offer a slightly different perspective on talents.
Some Talents are things that are inborn and really should only be taken at character creation - although permanent supernatural (magical, divine or demonic) transformation could obviously occur. These would include Giantism, Succor, Regeneration, Shapechanger, Neutral Odor, Night Vision, Accelerated Healing, Dark Vision, etc. These are the Special Ability sense of Talent.
Some Talents are essentially equivalent to skill ranks in one or more skills OR stat bonuses essentially bought as a discounted package. These would include Outdoorsman, Physick, Scholar, Quiet Stride, Subtle, Athletic, Artistic, Enhanced Senses, Skill Specialization, Eloquence, Temporal Skill, Spatial Skills, Scope Skills, Lightning Reflexes, Blazing Speed, Dense Musculature, etc. This is the learns stuff faster and has better 'stats' sense of Talent
Some Talents are nothing more than arbitrary costs to acquire some game related benefit outside the skill/stat system. Arcane Power, Arcane Circle, Familiar, Additional Profession. No sense of Talent really applies.
Some Talents are essentially 'secret abilities' associated with long association with a particular profession/circumstance or could just be a natural ability. Speak with Normal Animals, Speak with Magical Creatures, Instinctive Defense, Sense Magic, etc.
Some Talents are really skills that are particularly difficult to learn and require special effort to develop. This includes Ambidexterity (this can be learned but is often present as a natural talent), Speed Loader, Reduced Sleep Requirement, etc. These are things that can be 'developed' but might seem like unattainable 'talents' to the novice.
Some Talents are just skills that don't fit well into the skill rank system. Either you can do it or you can't skills. Focus Styles, Mana Taps, and Affinities Talents from CoM and Shield Training.
This last category of talents COULD have been represented by skills but the designers went for the simplicity of a talent.
Then again...
Why isn't Mounted Combat just a Talent like Focus Style or Shield Training? In fact, why aren't most Combat Styles Talents - implementation of those skills would probably be easier as talents.
But if Combat Styles and Armor are skills, why isn't Shield Training?
Let's pick on Mounted Combat Style from Martial Law. Untrained person using weapon off a horse is -80 regardless of riding skill. Even with a lame riding skill of say 30, a warrior with 20 ranks in Mounted Combat Bow and ST/AG of +15 has a +85 bonus and hence would get +5 to their bow skill while on horseback over standing on the ground. Of course, that was 40 DP and so maybe they SHOULD. Just 20 DP reduces the -80 down to -15 and so probably should just spend the 20 and spend the other 20 DP on more ranks in the bow skill...
You could easily package up Armor and Combat Styles as Talents, priced at a discount like a training package. Then give out the Armor talents to the Fighters and make everyone else pay.
Armor Talents: (Reduces penalties to minimum for type)
Leather Armor: 5 DP
Chain/Scale Armor: 10 DP (Requires Leather Armor Talent)
Plate Armor: 20 DP (Requires Chain/Scale Armor Talent)
Mounted Combat Style (reduces penalty to -20)
Per Type: 15 DP
What's my point? I think the distinction between certain talents and skills is arbitrary and more for game play reasons rather than a real distinction. And its seems really easy to invent house rules to make the professions balance the way you want. Just change the professional abilities or make up entirely new ones. Be creative. Shoot post them here for us to sneer and cheer
Robin
