I was wondering why the Song of Soothing is rooted in Will/Perception while Herbalism is rooted in Perception alone?
As this is a Skill Song that mimics Herbalism, rather than a Spell Song like Lyric of Healing, it doesn’t have anything to do with your Will (it’s hardly like you have to convince someone to stop bleeding)
As I understand it, skill songs are the way elven skills are taught and remembered as winding verses sung whilst performing ones duties.
The other skill songs use the same roots as the general skills they mimic. Why is this one different?
Herbalism and Song of Sorcery don’t map so completely as other Skill Songs. The Recovery obstacles for Song of Soothing vary from those of Herbalism, for example.
My best guess for a reason why Will is important? Bedside manner.
Bedside manner?
“Using this special song, the Elf can attempt to soothe the pain of another injured character.”
So the soothing effect is what justifies the Will stat root, Thanks Why!
Bedside manner. Nowadays, a doctor, or any other practitioner, is not just aided by their skill but also by their ability to put the patient at ease and take their history in a calm manner. Yeah, I guess the way to sum it up may, in ltos of cases be, to “soothe” them.
Today, sure. But in BWG I think it’s more likely a part of the elven voice behind the Song of Soothing that calms the patient and alleviates his pain (the soothing quality of the song).
Note that this is absent in other treatment skills except for Child Rearing, which is probably a lot closer to modern day Bedside Manner.
Looking at the history of the thing, practitioners needing social skills hasn’t changed. Doctors used to give lists of possible diagnoses and treatments to their (rich) patients, although surgeons would have been less talkative and lived by their trade (not getting to be a profession for a long time). It was late Victorian/early 20th century that “paternal” medicine- doctor as learned person prescribing specific treatment- started. And that’s been being phased out over the last fifty years.
I’ll level though: only Elvish healing benefits from social graces directly in Burning Wheel. (Although Mannish doctors don’t need to be skilled healers to ply their trade, because their livelihood can probably be covered with Falsehood and/or other excuses)
Court Doctor required trait: “Incomprehensible Diagnosis”
No wonder that lifepath is listed right after “Court Lawyer”