Is it simply an oversight, or was there a reason the City Peddler only received one trait point and did not receive a bonus mental stat?
(In all other ways it is identical to its Village and Peasant counterparts, the only real difference being the trait lists)
Not an oversight. City Peddler is different than their country brethren.
Seems like the city peddler would face the same mental rigors as their country brethren as competition would be steeper, more graft to contend with, ect.
Trait points distribution seems like it should be the same too as all are in the peddler trade for the same amount of time. It would seem that they would have an equal opportunity to develop traits, even though those traits are rightfully from different lists.
But a City Peddler travels much less and sells much more.
Inside the city there’s a lot more push to perform, to sell; the graft is draining enough that “the character can not think while on the job and when off the job is too tired for other endeavours”; thus not getting +1M.
The more peripatetic nature of the peddler outside the city (inside the city a peddler is more of a hawker) also means that they do not “experience many different walks of life” in the same way, and the constant walking does less to “drive them a little crazy” which rules out 2 Tp.
Sounds like the city peddler is supposed to be more of a con artist than a vendor of goods.
Looking at their skill lists, all three would provide the same types of services, and each lifepath takes the same amount of time (years) to accomplish.
Even though the different settings would have their own enviormental challenges, those challenges must still be met with the same mental fortitude as keeping facts and figures in ones head while keeping your wits about you to keep from getting the short end of the deal is universal no matter where you do business. And those that devote the same amount of time in similarly challenging endeavors should have similar opportunity to develop traits in regards to their profession and lifestyle.
Sounds like you’re trying to justify City Peddler getting +1M.
It’s a game balance decision. Players have more opportunities in the city to boost mental stats.
And, relative to the other paths in the city, the peddler isn’t the most enlightening.
Thus, in the city, the peddler gets trod upon and loses his status as a wily and very necessary part of the country ecosystem.
Actually, I was trying to understand the reason for hamstringing the city peddler of a +1M and an additional Trait Point (for the reasons above).
City Shop Keepers, Merchants, Tinkerers, Criminals, Couriers, Pilgrams and Peddlers all must deal with the public at large without the benefits of armed guards or secured vaults such as a money lender or banker may be expected to have. Yet only the Peddler lacks the +1M.
Perhaps it is my perception of the city peddler in the roll of a pitchman having to draw a crowd (Sing) to tell them inspired tales (Falsehood coupled with The Story) about his latest creation (Mending, Chandler) making as much money as possible (Haggling) and fading away (Inconspicuous) when things go south. (More like an earlier “Boardwalk” version of Ed McMahon than a Medieval Mr. Haney)
Regardless, it’s a “Designers Call” type of thing, and you based that call on the reasons listed above.
I may not agree with your reasoning, but I can most certainly agree that it was your call to make.
Thanks for the answers, and thanks again for writing such a great game!