Hello, there.
Sorry if this has come up before. I did a search but couldn't find a satisfactory answer. In Chapter IX: Playing the Game, when talking about using characteristic tests for things not covered by skills the rules seem to say you make a characteristic test against Perception to notice things you might not otherwise notice.
Yet the description of Awareness appears to say that such activity is covered by this skill instead. It is as if the two parts of the book were written by different people who didn't talk with one another. Obviously PCs without Awareness have a much greater chance of success if it is a Characteristic test rather than a Skill test (as unskilled characters use half their Perception if it is a Skill test, and all of it if it is a characteristic test).
In what circumstances should it be a Characteristic test and when do you enforce a Skill one? Or is one part of the book just plain wrong? Seems this bit is rather muddled and confusing (or I have missed something).
I was wondering how others reconcile this apparent contradiction. Any pointers or insight other players might have about this would be greatly appreciated. Haven't started our campaign yet and this is making me scratch my head.
Thanks.