Copyright (c) 1995 by Paul Wrider <pjw1650@is2.nyu.edu>

War Correspondent

Since the beginning of armed conflict, there have been people at
the frontlines, there to bring back news of the battle. That
tradition continues today, with the reporters who cover the Vietnam
war, Desert Storm, and the fighting in Bosnia-Hertzegovnia.

These people are a different breed, and often go into the line of
fire with only a helmet or flak jacket, and sometimes, without even
that protection. Common advantages to a war correspondent are
Alertness, Allies, Contacts (important for any reporter), Danger
Sense, Immunity to Disease (for plague-struck areas), Language
Talent, Reputation, Voice, and any other war reated advantages.

Common disadvantages could be Addiction, Alcoholism, Bad Temper
(Possibly a reason for being a war correspondent), Code of Honor,
Duties, Odious Personal Habits from being in extreme situations
for so long, Reputation with one side or another, Sense of Duty
(to the truth, etc.), Vow and so on.

In terms of skills, Performance, Research, Local Languages, Detect
Lies, Fast Talk, Streetwise, Writing, and any skills apprpriate to
the medium reported over are all directly related to being a good
field reporter. Skills such as Survival, First Aid, Area Knowledge,
and Savoir-Faire for the local culture can be instrumental to
survival in the field! While the reporter may know one or two
weapons skills, he or she will almost never carry a weapon, as that
would mark them as a combatant, and soldiers are notorious for
shooting first and asking questions later. Note, however, that not
carrying a weapon, or even being identified as a journalist, is no
guarantee of not being shot at.

Here's a new skill for journalists. My apologies if it's been done
before:

Journalism	M/A	Defaults to IQ-5, or Writing-2

This is the ability to cover a news story, and to sucessfully
communicate all aspects of the subject clearly and effectively.
Modifiers are as follows: -3 if you were rushed, +3 if you had a
gnerous amount of time, or good access to information, and -5 if
dealing with an unfamiliar subject/culture. THis is similar to
writing, but covers a more focused kind of writing.