Do people think something breaks if I’m super kind to my Orc player and let her pick the Scavenger skill for her Scavenger Orc? She has a Trait for it already, and it makes sense that it might otherwise get included in the Lifepath of the same name.
The default Ob for scavenging common items is Ob 1, so—assuming the player doesn’t have terrible Aptitude—getting the routine tests needed to open the skill via Beginner’s Luck doesn’t feel like it would be onerous in a setting that is designed for a scavenging Orc.
So, letting them have it is denying them a bunch of Perception tests they’d otherwise get for testing Scavenging without a skill.
Haven’t played anywhere near enough with the numbers to know which is “more valuable”, but it doesn’t feel like it would send the entire game spinning out of control.
If it worries you, let them open it with lifepath points and perhaps advance it slightly, but require higher levels to cost general points.
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I’m not sure if you’re suggesting otherwise, but it’s still worth reiterating that tests for Beginner’s Luck only ever count for either one or the other, not both. If it would be a Routine Perception test before doubling, it counts for learning the new skill and not as a test to advance Perception, but if it would be a Difficult or Challenging Perception test before doubling, it gets marked as a test for advancing Perception and doesn’t get marked for learning Scavenging.
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I could have been clearer: my point was that you need successful non-routine Perception tests to advance Perception, so the choice is between starting with Scavenging and having fewer opportunities to make Perception tests or not starting with Scavenging and getting more chances to hit a few non-routine Perception tests before you get enough routine ones to open Scavenging.
I reckon that the Perception bonus is laughably small; Perception only advances on successful tests, and any test that’s Difficult before doubling is a complete shot in the dark. I’m not sure they could even use their C-O for it, when it’s still Beginner’s Luck.
But your point about easy opening makes sense.
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Very fair point in hindsight: as I said, I hadn’t done the numbers.
Helpers can earn stat tests, so not having Scavenging also opens up earning Perception tests on other people’s scavenging where it’s easier to get a successful difficult test. Again, the occurrence of that depends on what sort of game the table has agreed.
Ah yes, farming tests that advance Perception via some of the Scavenging Obs, while not yet having it open. That’s a subtle and worthwhile point; I see now that’s what you were getting at. Carry on! 
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