Help - Search - Members - Calendar
Full Version: Knowledge Skills & Specialization of Same
Dumpshock Forums > Discussion > Shadowrun
WearzManySkins
Ok from RAW it costs 2 bp to get a knowledge skill(Yakuza Territories) of 1, if you specialize that same knowledge skill(Seattle Locations) it costs an additional 1 bp, so the total bp costs is 3 bps. Is this correct?

Can one go right to a specialized knowledge(Corporate Security-Evo) skill and only spend 1 BP?

WMS
Zhan Shi
A related question. What skill covers basic knowledge of magic, as described in the rules? Would it be "Magical Theory"? What exactly should this skill cover (or not cover)?
Fortune
Knowledge Skills at chargen are purchased from a virtual Pool of points calculated from a character's Logic and Intuition. These are acquired on a 1 for 1 BP / Skill point basis (from this Pool only).

For example ...

Quik Rik has a Logic of 4 and an Intuition of 3. He would have a Pool of 21 points to apply to Knowledge Skills. Say he wants a Knowledge Skill of the Wild West, with a Specialization of Famous Gunfighters. He would spend 3 (Pool) points for the Wild West Skill and 1 (Pool) point for the Specialization.

Only when Rik exceeds the 21 points from this virtual Pool does he have to actually pay BP for Knowledge Skills.

No, you cannot just pay 1 BP for a Specialized Skill (Although you can just pay 1 Pool point for any Skill up to your chargen Pool max).
Fortune
QUOTE (Zhan Shi)
A related question. What skill covers basic knowledge of magic, as described in the rules? Would it be "Magical Theory"? What exactly should this skill cover (or not cover)?

Knowledge Skills are pretty mutable. Magic Theory is one option, as is Magic Background, and even more specific topics. What the actual skill encompasses would be up to the player (and GM) in question, but those two I listed cover most of the (known) basics of Magic in general.
WearzManySkins
@Fortune
In the example you gave, the 3 virtual knowledge points and 1 specialization spend on Wild West is for a Wild West 3(Gunfighters)?

WMS
Fortune
Yep. smile.gif

Or even just 4 Virtual Knowledge Points™.
WearzManySkins
@Fortune
On adding extra knowledge beyond the Virtual Knowledge points in your example:

Quik Rik has 21 virtual points, he uses all of them in knowledge skills, but he needs additional points for more languages, he can buy 21 more skill levels at a cost of 42 BPs? or just 21 more BP's in languages?

WMS
Fortune
He could buy 21 (or any number) more Skill levels in either Knowledge or Language Skills (they are considered the same thing for these purposes) at a cost of 42 BP (or 2 BP per Knowledge Skill/Language).
Glyph
Page 76 is ultra-clear - you can purchase Knowledge skill points equal to your "free" ones, at the rate of 2 BP per point. So in your example, it would be 21 more points at a cost of 42 BP. And language skills are purchased from the same pool as Knowledge skills, so there are no restrictions such as only Knowledge skills or only language skills - both the free points and additional ones bought can be spent on language or other Knowledge skills without restriction.


On the subject of using the "free" points to buy specializations, you can spend one of your "free" points to specialize in a Knowledge skill, instead of getting a skill point in it. This is not explicitly stated, but it is how it works in the archetypes. And yes, I know the archetypes are riddled with errors and rules inconsistencies. However, the Bounty Hunter, Drone Rigger, Gunslinger Adept, Occult Investigator, Street Samurai, and Technomancer all have Cityspeak specializations for English, at the cost of one of their "free" points, so it has been done pretty consistently across the board.
This is a "lo-fi" version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.
Dumpshock Forums © 2001-2012