I had a few questions regarding the Other Memory talent as it came up during a session recently:
In the book, Other Memory is listed as such:
OTHER MEMORY (BENE GESSERIT TALENT) You have undergone the Agony attended by another Reverent Mother, and now you can draw upon the memories and wisdom of all your ancestors. In doing so, you have become a Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit.
You must be a Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit (and have an appropriate trait reflecting this) to select this talent. If this talent is selected in play, another Reverend Mother must be on hand and in physical contact to pass this genetic memory on to you.
Whenever you attempt a test where knowledge of past events—even those which may have occurred many generations ago—would be beneficial, you score three automatic successes. You may also share your genetic memory with other Reverend Mothers at will.
Im pretty sure I know the answer to this question, but I want to be sure;
Are the three auto successes the maximum possible one can attain when using Other Memory?
Can Other Memory be used to get three automatic successes on a skill roll?
For example: Say a Reverend Mother comes across some type of weapon that she is not familiar with. Could she draw on Other Memory to recall how to use that weapon and then get 3 auto successes when wielding it?
I think the interpretation is too narrow and too broad at the same time.
This is how I understand the talent.
I think what this is meaning is that you make your roll and then add 3 additional successes to it. So if you rolled 3 successes on your 2d20 you would then add the 3 additional to make a total of 6 successes.
I would raise an eyebrow at a player trying to pull that one at my table. It feels far too powerful to give 3 auto successes on such a broad range.
I would give the player 3 automatic successes on identifying what it is and the process of firing it, but when it came to actually using the weapon they wouldn’t get +3 successes constantly.
However, their colleagues may have penalties if they are having to figure what this little switch on the side of the weapon is for, while the RM is merrily switching between safe, semi and fully automatic modes.
On actually using something a RM knows via Other Memory, i would say one doesn’t gain any bonuses or successes.
OM grants knowledge, but knowledge is not skill or ability. (Also, delving deep into OM doesn’t seem to be a fast process, it takes some time.)
Yup, basically you get a set of bonus successes to start with and can then roll.
But these only apply to knowledge, not training. They are not Trill Symbiots
So she might recognize a knife, or even be able to tell the history of the blade when she remembers seeing it in the past, but she won’t remember being trained with it enough to gain a bonus. Her mind will remember but her body won’t.
It feels far too powerful to give 3 auto successes on such a broad range.
