Draw Steel skill
Culture
Culture is a skill in Draw Steel: Knowing the customs, etiquette, and social rules of different peoples and how to avoid giving offense.
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Key facts
- Characteristic
- Reason
Overview
Culture covers how a people lives: their greetings, taboos, dress codes, how a guest is expected to behave, what an insult looks like in a place where nobody raises their voice. It is a Reason skill because it is learned knowledge about societies rather than instinct about individuals. It comes up at courts and festivals, when negotiating with a foreign delegation, when reading a ritual site, and any time the party is somewhere its own habits could get it thrown out.
How it works
Characteristic: Reason. Skill group: Reason skills. Test: 2d10 + Reason; 11 or lower is tier 1, 12 to 16 tier 2, 17 or higher tier 3. Training grants a benefit and unlocks attempts untrained heroes cannot make. How it is used: Tier 3 recalls the specific custom and what it signals. Tier 2 gets the general shape right. Tier 1 misreads the situation, which in a formal setting can be a serious insult. Edges and banes: Prior travel among that people, a local guide, or written accounts grants an edge (+2). An isolated or secretive society, or a custom being deliberately obscured, imposes a bane (-2).
Tips and playstyle
Best for: The party's diplomat and any hero who expects to travel widely. Character concepts: Aristocrat career envoy, Sage who studied peoples, high elf raised on centuries of protocol. Synergies: Persuade and Flirt once you know what will land, History for how a custom arose, Dress for looking the part.
Frequently asked questions
Does Culture help in a negotiation?
Yes. Knowing an NPC's motivations and pitfalls in advance is exactly what Culture and Read Person are for, and Directors often reveal one on a good test.
Do I know my own culture automatically?
Yes. Culture is for other peoples and for edge cases in your own, such as an archaic rite or a specialized court.