Regional Benifit Question

[warderbrad]

Hi,
I have a question and this is not meant to step on anyone's toes or upset anyone just intended as a question.
I was reading the regional benefits section of the character creation, with a character concept in mind, and noticed that some region's benefit would apply fairly often, and some were nearly never at all. It seems a little unbalanced when compared to the FR regions and their benefits and how they are balanced to one another. I had wondered if the benefits were being looked at for revision, or if they were set that way for a reason (to discourage PCs from certain areas, or be sure that they were from there for a reason).
I in no way mean to call into question anyone's ideas on how they were set up, just giving feedback on what I felt may have been an accidental disparity.
In comparing the benefits nearly all areas have one benefit that is all the time, and a second one that is conditional of them being in their homeland. A few alter this pattern but for the most part it seems balanced, the most unbalanced I will compare below.

To give examples (and only noticed as I picked this region) the Kingdom of Jade is one that their regional benefit is not applicable often. Where compared to The Valley of Bone has a number of benefits the first of which apply all the time and the others are not hard to get to apply.

Kingdom of Jade: Regional Benefit

+1 on insight checks; individuals from the restrained culture of the Kingdom show very little emotion; a social response to fear that powerful emotions open the way to corruption by the shadow. While this bottling up of emotion doesn't seem to actually be particularly effective in resisting corruption non-members of their culture often find them excruciatingly difficult to read in social situations. They receive +2 on social bluff checks against individuals who are not from their region*.

(*)For the avoidance of doubt we reiterate that this bonus only applies to social situations. Uses of the bluff skill to Gain Combat Advantage or Create a Diversion to Hide (phb 183) do not receive the bonus.

Valley of Bone: Regional Benefit

+1 endurance checks, reflecting their resilience; The combination of respect and confidence they have in dealing with the unliving can be a potent tool... .they also receive a +2 bonus to monster knowledge checks involving undead and a +2 to diplomacy checks involving undead that they have correctly identified. These bonuses rise to +4 when dealing with undead that originate from the valley of bone (disposed as they are to interactions with mortals, they are more tolerant living who display the proper respect, often giving them an opportunity to speak when more typical undead would simply attack.)

Now I realize the first thing that someone will say is likely that I am looking to get a better deal, I cannot deny that. However there is a disparity in this comparison that is quite obvious. The Valley of Bone has 3 benefits the first applicable to all endurance checks, the others conditional. Where the Jade Kingdom only has a single bonus which is conditional and in PbP settings probably going to be handled by RP more than stat evaluation and "rolling".
I don't want to anger anyone, it is not my intent. I also don't want to come across as whiny, if I do I apologize in advance.

Edit - I just noticed the Regional Benefits thread, as that is a better place for this I will repost it there.

 

[Atanatotatos]

Uhm. To be honest the Kingdom of Jade benefit seems better to me. +1 to insight at all times, and +2 to bluff most of the times? Also, no, you do roll for social skill checks in Pbp... at least, in my experience, and in living4e too.