Buff to grandmaster tracking

[Puciek]

As it stands GMing tracking is pointless and a waste of GM slot, there is just no real difference between 74 and 75, where other skills do provide such bonus, combat gives you an edge over an opponent, crafting gives unique recipe etc. So I suggest that with tracking at 75 the person will have visibility of tracks bumped by one notch compared to other people. So an observable track will become a clear one, a faint one observable, and obstructed faint etc. That will make the difference between 74 and 75 meaningful enough, and worth the GM slot for a dedicated tracker, but not enough to make it imbalanced - you will simply find more details out of tracks than other people. This will also make the fabled "clear" tracks a reality, as they generally speaking do not exist, heck in my whole tracking career I've seen them only three times total.

[kipperialovskii]

There are some skills that behave like this (Mostly combat skills). Most craft skills come with a final-item that has a mere chance of being done right that can be sold for mad dosh. Though, I'm afraid, it's mostly for show, or for the extra edge when it's relevant when it comes to most non-crafts.

Though, perhaps an upper echelon?

As it stands, you can tell the height, weight, sex, pace, and so forth of a person. Maybe something that hints to what clothing was being worn? Like if they're wearing a silk, velvet, cotton, linen, Farin Cotton, Vandagan wool, Vavardi silk, or Tubori purple due to its striking luster?

[Puciek]

The other skills do provide actual advantages, especially combat and crafting ones someone on 75 will fare better than 74 in a meaningful way when it comes down to it. It's not just for show. But that doesn't matter really when a skill is useless to GM, it should be adjusted. That's always been the trend.

And no, there is no need to add more details to tracking at all as 1-upping the visibility tier will more than enough to justify the validity of tracking GM. I won't spoil it more than helpfile does itself:

Beginning trackers will only be able to tell the most obvious details, such
as direction and age of the tracks, but more expert trackers may be able to
discern finer details such as the weight, gender, and even movement style
of the individual being tracked.a

[Rabek]

It's not always been the trend. The bump from 74 to 75 is borderline meaningless for most every skill that isn't combat or crafting (or magic, sometimes. Maybe. Depends on how much you like making it rain). And even some crafts don't really need GM'd.

That's not to say that this idea doesn't have merit, just that it isn't true that all skills are intended to have some clear benefit for GMing.