Language as Professional Skill

I notice that Language isn't on the professional skills list for any of the elite starship officer professions, which means either:

a) it has to be picked up using the 'Rounded' Ability, purchased once for each language; or,

b) it has to be picked up using the 'Rounded' Ability, purchased once to make the Language skill group a professional skill option.

Obviously, I'd like to know which of these was the intent. I would *assume* the latter, since when skill groups are listed as a Professional Skill, the implication is that the character can have as many skills in the group as the player desires. But one never knows... Also, it seems silly to create a communications officer who has to blow 3 picks per advancement for another purchase of Rounded, and then 1 or 2 more to toss levels at the Language skill chosen.


BJ

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Originally posted by CmdrBluejeans
I notice that Language isn't on the professional skills list for any of the elite starship officer professions, which means either:

a) it has to be picked up using the 'Rounded' Ability, purchased once for each language; or,

b) it has to be picked up using the 'Rounded' Ability, purchased once to make the Language skill group a professional skill option.

Obviously, I'd like to know which of these was the intent. I would *assume* the latter, since when skill groups are listed as a Professional Skill, the implication is that the character can have as many skills in the group as the player desires. But one never knows... Also, it seems silly to create a communications officer who has to blow 3 picks per advancement for another purchase of Rounded, and then 1 or 2 more to toss levels at the Language skill chosen.


BJ

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Do it as you like it, but I see nothing on screen to indicate that comm officers aren't as UT-reliant as anybody else. (Were I statting Hoshi Sato, I would certainly make her base profession Scientist, not Starship Officer--and Language is a professional skill for Scientists.)

Any character can pick up/purchase nonprofessional skills, albeit at a higher cost. The only impact is that it is more difficult. The Rounded trait, while unnecessary, simply reduces the cost.

Learning new (complete) languages is a difficult process!

This may be in the rules and I just haven't seen it yet but I'm guessing that it would not be unreasonable to allow a character's native tongue to be advanced as a professional skill?

>>This may be in the rules and I just haven't seen it yet but I'm guessing that it would not be unreasonable to allow a character's native tongue to be advanced as a professional skill?<<

It's not in the rules, but I don't think there'd be a problem with what you're proposing. Makes a nice little house rule.

Perhaps we should start a new list similar to the one for erata of nifty little house rules?

Perhaps not until everone has settled down from the clarifications/errata;)

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Originally posted by RIsaacs
It's not in the rules, but I don't think there'd be a problem with what you're proposing. Makes a nice little house rule.

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It kind of makes me wonder why it isn't in the rules, since it makes a lot of sense to me.

Of course, I was kind of hoping that CODA Trek would buck the trend of most RPGs and tell you what skill level in a language meant "native fluency," or maybe just give you your native language skill as a species freebie at the "native fluency" skill level. *le grand sigh*

Nothing intended to you or the game in general, Ross; that's just one of my pet peeves about most RPG systems. I wouldn't lose sleep over it. :)

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Perhaps we should start a new list similar to the one for erata of nifty little house rules?

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Sounds like a plan. You first. :)

Hey, while we're on the subject of languages: Is there an edge of some sort that gives you an affinity for languages? I know a couple of people in real life that pick up languages like most people pick up socks on laundry day. I've had an idea bubbling around in my head since the old FASA Trek days for a character, not unlike Hoshi Sato on Enterprise, who's schtick is languages. I don't know how well he'd do as a PC, but he'd be a nifty NPC. I don't think there's a way in the rules to really portray him as I've envisioned him, at least that I've seen so far.

>Hey, while we're on the subject of languages: Is there an edge >of some sort that gives you an affinity for languages?

I think there should be a Communications Officer Elite Profession where Language is a professional skill and that's one of the professional abilities.

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Originally posted by RIsaacs
>>This may be in the rules and I just haven't seen it yet but I'm guessing that it would not be unreasonable to allow a character's native tongue to be advanced as a professional skill?<<

It's not in the rules, but I don't think there'd be a problem with what you're proposing. Makes a nice little house rule.

Perhaps we should start a new list similar to the one for erata of nifty little house rules?

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Since a similar idea has been proposed for raising Klingon tradtional weapons skills with the SPECIES skill points, perhaps CODA should make SPECIES SKILLS professional skills.

I was considering a NAtrual Lingiust Edge for CODA. It would allow the character to:

1) Treat all Language skills as professional skills

2) Attempt to use a Language skill untrained, but at increased difficulty (probably double). As the character gets more familar with the langage, the penatly would drop.

I like the sound of that, Tony. I think it might need a little polish, but the basic idea is just what I had in mind. It's already evidenced in Trek canon, too; just look at how quickly Hoshi picks up languages on Enterprise, for instance.

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Originally posted by tonyg
Since a similar idea has been proposed for raising Klingon tradtional weapons skills with the SPECIES skill points, perhaps CODA should make SPECIES SKILLS professional skills.

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Um... They are. The sidebar on page 85 which explains Species Skills says so in the first paragraph under the listed skills. "Treat these species related skills as professional skills for the purposes of advancement."

Doug,

Ahhh. That makes sense.

Thanks. :)