Career-related skill system for WoDu?
Question for those with experience running World of Dungeons (WoDu): unlike DW, WoDu includes a skill list, with an associated “success with an even greater consequence” mechanic for 6- rolls related to a skill area. I’m thinking of replacing the skill list with Careers/Backgrounds (as in Barbarians of Lemuria). That way, you get the skill bennie for anything clearly connected to your career path (Example: “Pirate Captain” might give you leadership, as well as the “seafaring” skill sometimes hacked into WoDu, etc.).
So, question: any thoughts about pros/cons of making this approach work? Combined with the expanded list of special abilities (like in Matausch’s Advanced WoDu) I feel this would give a nice range to characters, especially if you allow several careers per character … but I wonder whether those with experience running WoDu RAW feel this would become too permissive for players? Thanks.
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The background as skill works great in 13th Age. I don’t see why it would cause any problems in DW.
I think that part of the issue would be “how many backgrounds/careers” to allow? Because a single background can cover what are currently multiple WoDu skills, multiple careers could make for some seriously talented characters (for example, anyone with Scholar at my table would be considered to have BOTH “decipher” and “lore” as well as other skills, potentially).
On the other hand, adding a context to a career could make this more interesting (I think 13th Age and 5e may do so already). A “lore-singer of the Icefang Tribe” would have a very different skills package from “Chief Scholar of the Royal Court.”
I’m a huge fan of this approach, frankly. Much more flavor.