Artisan, Because every team needs a bard Options

[Chrysalis]

It does say so ^_^ *yai!*

What about spinning the decks?

Would that also be a specialization? Artisan: DJing?

I was wondering can you use a vocal range enhancer with beatboxing?

[Fortune]

Yes, DJing would be considered to be under the Artisan skill.

[AllTheNothing]

Not exactly, see Enthralling performance.

It doesn't cover dancing, as Dancing is a specialization of Gymnastics, nor acting, as Impersonation is a specialization of Con, nor katas, as Martial Arts is a specialization of Unarmed Combat.

Other than that defined for other skills - yeah, it covers pretty much everything. A character of mine got even a specialization on cooking.

Where's coocking in the rules?

[Fortune]

Performance or otherwise 'artistic' cooking would be covered by the Artisan skill. Normal everyday cooking would be considered a Knowledge skill.

[Tachi]

What about poetry? I was considering a four armed Indian Character who calls himself Herendra Mukerji (Street name: "Mook" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) ) and thinks he's a reincarnation of Rudyard Kipling.

[Fortune]

With Poetry (and Music and Acting and the like) Artisan covers the Performance and / or creation aspect of Artistic skills, whereas Knowledge skills would cover the theory.

[Tachi]

So, it would only apply when he's reading poetry out loud?

[Fortune]

Or when actually writing a Poem.

Artisan covers creation and performance, as opposed to the appropriate Knowledge skills, which cover the study of poetry, famous poets, etc. etc.

[Chrysalis]

Knowledge and active skill are kind of weird. Does knowing chemistry be a knowledge skill. What about demolitions then? I assume that demolitions is a formal proficiency which involves knowing a lot about chemistry of explosives.

-Chrysalis

[Fortune]

Chemistry and Demolitions are strange. I believe that Chemistry has rules for its being treated as an Active skill.

But technically it is possible to have an abundant book knowledge of Demolitions without ever having touched an explosive. That would be an example of the Knowledge skill Demolitions Theory (or something of the sort), as opposed to the Active Demolitions skill. Likewise, it is possible (in real life) to have an extensive knowledge of chemicals without ever having visited a lab, let alone successfully mixed two ingredients together. Knowledge and practical use are two separate things, but sometimes the lines are drawn rather arbitrarily in Shadowrun.

[Stahlkörper]

Chemistry and Demolitions are strange. I believe that Chemistry has rules for its being treated as an Active skill.

Yes, Chemistry got some new rules in Arsenal to use it as an active skill. Chemistry in the core rulesbook doesnt have these rules and is listed as a knowledge skill.

But technically it is possible to have an abundant book knowledge of Demolitions without ever having touched an explosive. That would be an example of the Knowledge skill Demolitions Theory (or something of the sort), as opposed to the Active Demolitions skill. Likewise, it is possible (in real life) to have an extensive knowledge of chemicals without ever having visited a lab, let alone successfully mixed two ingredients together. Knowledge and practical use are two separate things, but sometimes the lines are drawn rather arbitrarily in Shadowrun.

Yes, imo it would be perfectly okay to take Demolitions Theory as a knowledge skill. Its the same as "Explosive weapons Theory" which would have the three defining arguments a knowledge skill should have.
Id allow knowledge skills like "guitar" (Artisan -> Instruments -> Guitar are three defining arguments imo) and "dancing disco-style" (Acrobatics -> Dancing -> Disco-style), too.

[Fortune]

Guitar and Dance (along with pretty much every other performance art) do indeed have Knowledge skill equivalents. This wouldn't cover the performance aspect, but would be a broad base for theory on the subject.

[Stahlkörper]

Guitar and Dance (along with pretty much every other performance art) do indeed have Knowledge skill equivalents. This wouldn't cover the performance aspect, but would be a broad base for theory on the subject.

Yes, you can have nearly everything as a theoretical knowledge skill but imo very specialised subcategories of active skills are okay as hobby skills with an active use, too. A "guitar" hobby skill wont help you to play keyboard or to paint and "Guitar 3" is of much less use than "Artisan (Music) 1 (+2)". Imo even "Left-winged Policlub Etiquette" would make a perfect knowledge skill which could be used instead of Etiquette when meeting a member of a left-winged policlub.
Why should a character who paints pictures like a kindergarten child not be good in playing guitar? Actually I never learned to read music but Im quiet good in playing drums because I practiced it a lot. I can tell you nearly everything you need to play drums but thats it.
Most of my SR3 characters had one artsy knowledge skill, like Sax, Beatboxing, Growling or Baking Hash Cookies. I enjoyed linking them to the music aspect of cyberpunk without having to spend as much karma as for any combat skill, because playing sax wont save my characters life.
Artisan has plenty uses and youd have to spend extremely much karma if you try to substitute it completely with single use knowledge skills.

[Fortune]

I understand what you are saying. In previous editions of Shadowrun, these kinds of skills were considered Knowledge skills.

In my game, I wouldn't really have a problem with removing the Artisan skill entirely for those people who are not intending to get an in-game benefit from the skill, and just using a Knowledge skill (like Guitar) in its place. But if the character was going to actually gain something in the context of the game, either Karma or Nuyen wise, then I would make him pay for the Active Skill.