weathersong

It is specified that the elven spellsong weathersong can act as a linked test for navigation, orienteering, ect. I am trying to get an idea as to what other skills it can link into.

My understanding of the spell is that it can predict weather, not change it. Therefore, i feel it is much more useful when you are not in a rush. So for a skill like riding, when you are traveling a great distance, you could say “I sing weathersong and wait for favorable conditions”. However, i feel like this implies that you are not in a rush, because you are willing to wait for those conditions.

  1. Can you still link in if you are in a rush to travel, just based on knowing what weather to prepare for?

in this vein, i feel like weathersong could easily link into:

survival
tracking
riding
hunting

  1. There are likely others i’m sure, but you get the idea. Am i right to assume that linking into the above skills is nearly always acceptable (as i can think of some very basic ways to narrate how knowing the weather in advance could aide each of them)?

The rule is called Working Quickly. Reduce your time, up your Obstacle. This can be used in traveling too. I don’t know if you can Work Quickly on spellsongs, but you don’t need to if that’s the Linked test. The travel-related test would be the one done Quickly.

And yes, it’s a wonderful skill to link. Think of the awesome ways in which a failed test and the resulting weather could mess with the heroes’ journey. Typhoon! Flash Flood! Lightning Storm! Tornado! Mud! Drought! Blizzard! Dust storm!

I dream of such situations.

Even if you’re in a hurry knowing the weather is helpful. For a day’s journey you know whether you need your heavy oilskin to keep dry or if you’ll roast in anything heavier than a broadcloth shirt. If you’re on a week-long journey sometimes it’s better to hole up for the day than get caught in a mudslide or lose your way. If you know there will be a blizzard you might push on through the night to reach the inn where you can stay safely through the worst of it. Forewarned is forearmed.

As long as the player requesting the link or FoRK can justify it narratively (and isn’t trying to use Weathersong all the time!) go for it. A clever justification is a key aspect of BW.

Elves can’t Work Quickly, and you can’t use Spellsongs to FoRK, only to Link.

Here’s the way to get around that, if possible. Have your Elf Link the Weathersong to another non-elf character’s Working Quickly test. Cheatin’ at its finest!

WTFOMG! Cheating Elves??!