Knowledges vs Actives, Which is truly more useful? Options

[Dumori]

I with a 30bp quality you can get all knowledge skill at 3 from chargen. Turn your wild card naitnes in to the ones that reduce the cost of knowledge skill mt rating free to buy up to lvl 3 only costing time. As a TM you can summon tutor sprites and learn any knowledge skill you can think of.

[Ryu]

I´d personally prefer a solution where Complementary skills added to the primary dp instead of there being another test. One could remove specialisations for Intuition, Logic and Charisma-based tests to compensate for the dicepool inflation, replacing them with a "half relevant knowledge skill" rule.

Charisma-linked skills add them for shared interests (if the topic comes up), professional knowledges apply if "playing the part", the other two should be easy to call. I´m just out of an idea for Perception.

(And yeah. Nice to have you back, Synner!)

[Ol' Scratch]

I honestly preferred how games like White Wolf originally handled it. Where your skills functioned as both 'active' and 'knowledge' skills, with the difference being which attribute you rolled with it. For example, if you come across some new spell, you would make an Intuition + Spellcasting test to try and identify it or a Logic + Spellcasting test to see if you remembered reading any of any research similar to it. As opposed to using an overly specialized knowledge skill like Magic Background. And using such a mechanic, you don't have to come up with any weird ideas for how to incorporate your knowledge into a skill because the skill includes the knowledge to begin with.

That would actually cover a huge amount of existing knowledge skills. Underworld Politics would be included with Etiquette, Security Systems would be covered by Infiltration, etc. The only ones that would be a bit harder would be more academic knowledge skills like Anthropology and Physics. But even then, quite a few specializations within those fields could be covered. Firearms History and Ballistics, for example, could be handled by their Firearms skills.

Other fields of knowledge would be on a case-by-case basis for each character. Topics that aren't covered by their overall concept, background, or education would probably require access to the Data Search skill and/or specialized datasofts. Maybe even introduce a new mechanic labeled something like "Training" or "Profession" that includes a broad group of knowledge skills, but which have no bearing on anything that could be covered by real skills.

Just a random thought, really. That said, the Attribute + Skill method really was one of my most favorite mechanics. I was disappointed when I saw White Wolf move away from it due to a lack of really delving into the possibilities. But such is life.

[RedFish]

I recently started playing Shadowrun, and so far Knowledge: Gambling has ended up with me being approximately 20,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) (10% interest rate each month (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) ) in debt to one of the other players, who is a Made Man with the Mafia, after I "accidentally" gambled away our Mechanic's car (in my defense he'd asked my compulsive gambling character to find a buyer for it).

It was the right choice if you look at the expected value of the gamble, but considering that I was already 30,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) in debt to the Made Man's superiors, I am currently looking at monthly expenses of 15,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) (High Lifestyle), and that's without any down payments on the loan.

That being said, Knowledge might not have helped me out in-game so far, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the experience, and Knowledge is hopefully going to be an increasing part of that.

This post has been edited by RedFish: Apr 17 2010, 08:31 AM

[Rotbart van Dain...]

I suppose the GM could call for an addiction test (it is a kind of simsense, and arguably hot sim) the failure of which would simulate your personality crumbling a bit under the false memories, and being unable to function.

No kind of skillsoft requires hot sim.