Im about to run an adeventure that requires the survival skill and none of my acolytes have it. Can I offer them a class they can take about three days before the departure for the mission that will give them the survival skill for a discounted price? Or any skill or talent in that case?

You could always give them an IG issue “Survival Manual.” Let the Manual give them a +10 or 20 to survival checks.

ItsUncertainWho said:

...which will "rules wise" not help them at all, since Survival is an "Advanced" Skill. You do not have an entry for it, you do not get to role for it. Unless, you house rule it otherwise. In that case, you should slow down there travell a lot a force somebody to quick-read the guide before (Read/Write check to ensure how much they understood... perhaps +5 Bonus and another +2 for any level of success). Books are one thing... but experience is something else. And imagine the following "this ...huge animal thing there staring at us from the high grass...what IS that? Will it attack? How should we behave?" "do not know, wait, I will read it up" "Now it appraoches slowly...should we ready our weapons or is it best to stay still?" "One minute...it must be here..."

Talking "class"
Why not? Perhaps 100xp for getting "Survival" at a BASIC Level (Half Attribute by the core rules. I house ruled "Attribute -10").

But still, I think it isn´t making much sense sending anyone into something if he/she/it is still "green". Me would expect the =I= provide a "guide" who has the matching skill. And yes, this takes the focus away from the pc. If you want to be mean, kill the guide half-way.

Other solution, give them a possibility to hire a guide themselves. Somehwere on the planet or "neighboring system" if you want to send them to a Deathworld or something

Question:
Is it obivous that the mission will need "the ability to survive in the wild" or will this "just happen"?

I was going to support the idea of a guide as well, since they never had the forsight to take survival (as it's a must that one PC have it in every group) i would punish them by making them spend some gelt on a guide, and let him be in control of their fates for a while. Hell if your feeling really evil, give them three different guides to choose from. All three cost different amounts of thrones, say one for 10thrones flat; but he doesnt speak low gothic at all. Another who will take the trip for 50 thrones, and a seemingly nice guy who can charm them; but in reality hes a theif who plans to leave them planetside, or kill them as he may be a cultist. And finally, a large man whos asking price is 120 thrones, but he in reality is loyal and will take them where they need to go, and hes a decent fighter just in case.

Its a good way to punish players for being stingy with their exp and thrones. It may be fun having them try to get a backround story on each one of the three guides.

Ira said:

I was thinking the same thing. If they skimp on important skills, it should bite them in the ass one way or another. However, they should have the option of realizing that the charming thief/cultist isn't a very competent guide with a Scrutiny check.

RoBro said:

I take it by this that none of the players are in classes that can access survival that easily? Whats your group makeup?

The Calixis Survival Kit from the IH gives a usefull +10 if they can access the skill. Plus you can always allow some skills as an elite advance package, maybe as follows:

Special Operations Long Range Recon Training Elite Package

Survival (200), Survival +10 (200), Awareness (100), Tracking (300), Primitive Weapons Training (basic) (200)

S.K.

Solomon Kane said:

A good package! I would add "Navigation (Land)" to it for (200xp). After all, one should be able to find his way around while "far away from home". Concealment (200) and Silent Move (200) would not hurt, too.

I would agree in making them hire a guide, or introduce a number of unpleasant ostacles they obviously would not have faced if they'd had the skill. (just what does quicksand look like anyway? Is that edible? Is that creature hostile? This sting burns, is it poisonous!?) Don't ruine their fun or make the mission impossible, but make them feel the burn of not getting so useful a skill. (mind you, if none of them had access to it to begin with, then you should be more lenient ... still make them hire a guide, but be gentler on the possible negative outcomes ... after all, they didn't write their skill list)

Gregorius21778 said:

Excellent comment, consider my suggestion amended... Although i would probably leave out silent move on balance, as concealment would be more useful in the field.

S.K.

Thanks, Solomon Kane. "Happy to be helpfull"

"Silent Move" came to my mind since you named the package Special Operations Long Range Recon Training Elite Package.

To me, it sounded like "military scout". I expected those to be "silent movers". Besides "military touch", I suspect a course in "survining outdoors WH40K-style" to include lessons aoubt "keep quiet!" since xeno worlds are hostile places with thing that want to eat you.

"Balance-wise", I do not think that 200xp for "Silent Move" isn´t hurting to much. If aren´t inside a skill list which offers "Silent Move +10" it will hardly unbalance anything.

I've never had to "make" my players do anything in this regard. In similar situations they've come up with the idea of looking for and hiring a native guide on their own. Even after one of their guys had the survival skill, they still kept the practice of rounding up a guide when going into the wilderness on an unfamiliar world.

DocIII said:

Which is, after all, "tried and true" and should be done whenever possible! But sometimes...well, you know...the circumstances... the need for not being noticed.... the lack for thinking on the side of the players...