The Quiescent trait

Split from this thread: http://www.burningwheel.org/forum/showthread.php?14591-I-don-t-understand-why-the-first-trait-has-to-be-bought - stormsweeper

The problem with the Quiescent trait in this case is that you pay your 2 trait points to get rid of Rabble Rouser on the City Student lifepath and your next trait becomes required, and for City Student, that happens to be Drunk. Far better to live with one false assumption and write an opposing belief about it, than to pay 2 trait points just to get hit with another false assumption to write an opposing belief about. The best use for Quiescent as far as I’m concerned, is to either get past a trait that doesn’t have another undesirable trait right behind it. Or better yet, to get rid of a trait that has a desired trait right behind it. That way you are forced to get what you wanted anyway.

(Note: I still think it’s better to write the opposing belief and just play against the false assumption.)

Quiescent doesn’t force you to take another required trait, that only happens when the lifepath is selected.

I thought that it only allows the player to neutralize and remove one required lifepath trait. If there is a second lifepath trait on the same lifepath doesn’t it then become required for that lifepath?

If you go from Religious Alcolyte (Tonsured, Faithful) to Cloistered Nun (Tonsured, Restless, Bored) your required traits become Tonsured and Restless. If you use Quiescent to get rid of Restless your required traits become Tonsured and Bored. If instead you used Quiescent to get rid of the Tonsured trait from Religious Acolyte, your required traits become Faithful and Tonsured.

The first trait as well as the first skill is required for the lifepath. If one or the other is already required by a previous lifepath, the next one becomes required for that lifepath.

If this is wrong I really need to know, and would also like to know why.

As I read it, the requirement is satisfied when you take the required trait. Then, when you take Quiescent, that trait goes away.

If it helps, think of it like this.

  1. You take lifepaths, and mark required traits.
  2. You buy your required traits.
  3. You spend your extra trait points to get new traits, including Quiescent.
  4. Quiescent erases your required trait, but you’ve already fulfilled the requirement.

The trait isn’t required for the lifepath, it’s required when you take the lifepath. If that makes sense?

It just removes the original trait, like it says in the description. You don’t shift requirements around again or anything.

As a rule of thumb, always go for the simplest reading of the rules text.

  1. The first trait on a lifepath is required.
  2. Quiescent “negates and removes” a required trait.

The “second trait is required” bit comes from the rules for repeating lifepaths.

Oh, I thought that it worked like skills when the same skill is listed first in two lifepaths then the second skill becomes required (City Sorcerer and Rogue Wizard each list Sorcery as their first skill, so you are required to take Sorcery and Inconspicuous as it is the second skill on Rogue Wizard). Don’t traits follow the same rule? Or, does the Quiescent trait not only neutralize and remove one required lifepath trait, but also removes any trait requirement for that lifepath.

I always thought that if the first skill or trait was duplicated or nullified in any way you had to move on to the next one in line, requirement wise.

(I came to these conclusions from reading pages
87-89 In BWG.)

My problem could come from the order of things.
I generally:
(1) make my lists by lifepaths
(2) total up my points and such
(3) allocate points in order of lifepaths, (including quiescent if I am neutralizing a trait)
(4) allocate points for skills
… (ect)…

It looks like I should purchase all required lifepath traits and then be spending extra trait points on other traits like Quiescent. If that’s the case, do I get the point I spent on the trait I had to neutralize back? The way I’ve always done this, Quiescent was purchased instead of the trait it was neutralizing (spend 2 points), the other way would require buying the trait to be neutralized (1 point) and then buying Quiescent (2 points) to neutralize it (spending a total of 3 points). That seems rather costly to me. I mean, if it is neutralize and removed, why should it have to be paid for in the first place?

O.K. after rereading and double checking a few times I believe I found my error.

Page 89 clearly states that all required traits must be purchased and that points left over after purchasing required and optional lifepath traits may be spent on special traits.

The Quiescent trait allows you to neutralize and remove one required lifepath trait. But you have to purchase the required traits before you can buy any special traits (like Quiescent). I had read it as remove the required lifepath trait. As meaning from the lifepath for your character (so it would never had been required in the first place).

I was wrong.