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I need clarification on a few things in the N&SS book.

1) Espionage: Professional Thief, lacks the Pick Lock skill. Is it not necessary when you have Locksmith skill?

2) Basic: Language Skill Program, any of them, they give a character the ability to speak a language, but not read/write those language, shouldn't they have them too, at an equal level? Also, by knowing that language, wouldn't you have basic familiarity of that language's culture as well, like you'd learn in a language class?

3) Martial Art: Kyokushinkai Karate, I don't understand the entry for the Martial Art Power: "Automatically receive 5th level skill in Tamashiwara." Looking up the ability/power, I find it listed under Martial Art Techniques. There's no level to the ability in the description. All you do is score 14 or better to break an object or deal double damage to the hit points of the living being. What am I missing here?

I appreciate some feed back and thoughts these ever perplexing questions.

1 = The Locksmith skill states it can be used to open locks.

2 = In N&S the language skill also includes literacy in that skill. It's the other settings that had the two separated into two skills (and rightfully so).

3 = I'm not sure what the writer was actually thinking when he wrote that. I never had the original printing so I can't compare it against the revised printing to see if it was changed.

The Beast wrote:1 = The Locksmith skill states it can be used to open locks.

2 = In N&S the language skill also includes literacy in that skill. It's the other settings that had the two separated into two skills (and rightfully so).

3 = I'm not sure what the writer was actually thinking when he wrote that. I never had the original printing so I can't compare it against the revised printing to see if it was changed.

1:yep
2: yup.
3: It like like a copy-paste error. In that when making revisions they didn't change some text to match the change elsewhere in the book.

hypothetical being that the MA powers once had a level requirement to get them. But that was changed, but the clause in the Kyokushinkai Karate MAF was not changed due to the editor forgetting to read the rest of the book's text to see how the taking out the level req. would change other text in the book.

But since EW has passed away, getting a 2nd ed that maintains the setting's uniqueness is unlikely. & If a 2nd ed comes around I would expect it to be Rifts'ized and made to suck.
So while I would like things in the N&S books to be fixed, I don't want it turned into just another rifts sourcebook because someone wanted to make it ""more compatible with rifts"" and thus making it stupid.

As such I would rather PB not to change a thing about the N&S book, to avoid it becoming stupid.

Thanks for the relies. I found them useful in my understanding.

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:

The Beast wrote:1 = The Locksmith skill states it can be used to open locks.

2 = In N&S the language skill also includes literacy in that skill. It's the other settings that had the two separated into two skills (and rightfully so).

3 = I'm not sure what the writer was actually thinking when he wrote that. I never had the original printing so I can't compare it against the revised printing to see if it was changed.

1:yep
2: yup.
3: It like like a copy-paste error. In that when making revisions they didn't change some text to match the change elsewhere in the book.

hypothetical being that the MA powers once had a level requirement to get them. But that was changed, but the clause in the Kyokushinkai Karate MAF was not changed due to the editor forgetting to read the rest of the book's text to see how the taking out the level req. would change other text in the book.

But since EW has passed away, getting a 2nd ed that maintains the setting's uniqueness is unlikely. & If a 2nd ed comes around I would expect it to be Rifts'ized and made to suck.
So while I would like things in the N&S books to be fixed, I don't want it turned into just another rifts sourcebook because someone wanted to make it ""more compatible with rifts"" and thus making it stupid.

As such I would rather PB not to change a thing about the N&S book, to avoid it becoming stupid.

That was one of my biggest pet peeves with World Book 25 (China 2)...even though EW himself was the author. I'm sorry, but while Chi can be converted to PPE, & Chi Mastery apparently lets you detect psionic ability/ISP (in a general sense), Chi <> ISP. Otherwise, you're going to have major issues converting the Chi magic (using P.P.E. & Chi for spells) from Mystic China to use in Rifts Earth.

HU2......you might want to check the text in the literacy skill. it says that 'educated' individuals will have 98% lit in their native lang.

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:HU2......you might want to check the text in the literacy skill. it says that 'educated' individuals will have 98% lit in their native lang.

Yes, in their native language.
Any and all other languages require taking Langue: <language> and Literacy <language>

eliakon wrote:

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:HU2......you might want to check the text in the literacy skill. it says that 'educated' individuals will have 98% lit in their native lang.

Yes, in their native language.
Any and all other languages require taking Langue: <language> and Literacy <language>

That is what I said.

eliakon wrote:

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:HU2......you might want to check the text in the literacy skill. it says that 'educated' individuals will have 98% lit in their native lang.

Yes, in their native language.
Any and all other languages require taking Langue: <language> and Literacy <language>

And they have to be educated. The ones that have Street Schooled for their education level don't get it for free.

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:

eliakon wrote:

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:HU2......you might want to check the text in the literacy skill. it says that 'educated' individuals will have 98% lit in their native lang.

Yes, in their native language.
Any and all other languages require taking Langue: <language> and Literacy <language>

That is what I said.

Then your statement would be a non sequitur
Since the claim that you were commenting on had said that HU had divided language skill and literacy skill.
Since native language is an intrinsic property of a characters existence and not a selected language skill it doesn't apply and a rule stating that you start with 98 R/W/S in your native language has less than no bearing on the rules for the actual Language skill.
To be clear
Language: Characters with a Language skill can understand and speak a language other than their own native tongue.
Ergo any thing involving the set [native languages] is not applicable to the discussion since the skill only applies to languages in the set [not native languages] which are mutually exclusive.

Conclusion
HU still is 100% in the camp of Language and Literacy are separate skills.

of course it was a non sequitur.
Because it only exists in HU (AFAIK) and a interesting cordial that could be looked into.