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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 7212491" data-attributes="member: 996">13A Backgrounds are not a terribly healthy mechanic, IMHO.  The problem with them is that you essentially get two, and it's reasonably smart to make one higher than the other, but, there's nothing in the way they're presented nor the examples used to keep you from shooting for very broadly-applicable backgrounds.  Also, it can be hard to come up with backgrounds that make sense, but don't overlap too much.   If your backgrounds overlap, the lower one is basically meaningless.  If your backgrounds are too narrow, they can end up, between them, coming up less often than one of another character's backgrounds, alone.They're just too 'soft' and open-ended a sub-system.  I'd consider subbing in a simple effect-based skill system (that is 'skills' that are broad and about what they accomplish, not how - "know stuff" "advance plot" "find stuff" "avoid stuff" - that kinda thing) centered around stat checks. They're not as crucial/expected as in D&D, but they're certainly nice to have, and the 13A system makes them a little more colorful and interesting - and gives you a reason not just Xmass tree yourself with tons of 'em.</blockquote>