[The Pool] Questions about +2 and +3 traits

[Halzebier]

Hi there!

I've never played The Pool, but I'm planning to and reading up on it.

In Ron's review of The Pool, he says the following:

It turns out to be silly to buy traits any higher than +1.

Why is that? I don't understand.

One thing which occured to me is that you could buy a +2 or even +3 trait designed to replenish your pool after a crash, i.e. as broad as the GM allows and inherently harmless (to avoid getting hosed, though a creative GM will find a way), e.g. "likes to tell everybody about his tour in Vietnam +2", "bites his fingernails +1" etc.?

Granted, these are not good traits - "obsessed with Vietnam" and "displays neurotic behaviour under stress (e.g. biting fingernails)" are probably better -, but I fear that I wouldn't see them as problematic. They just sound like harmless colour.

Regards

Hal