See title. Feel free to insert qualifications, such as "for magical characters" or "comes in really handy for a bug hunt".

For example, I would think that UCAS law, corporate law, and Native American Nations (spec. Laws) would be invaluable in a typical Seattle-based game for a character with high Logic. It's good to know when you're breaking the law and the best ways to get away with it.

[Location] Underworld Politics
[Location] Safehouses
[Local Police Provider] Procedures

Unless your characters maintain legitimate identities while engaging in shadowrunning activities that skirt the boundaries of legality, I would say that law-based knowledge skills aren't essential. The common activities of most shadowrunners (using fake IDs, carrying illegal weapons, theft, breaking and entering, murder, kidnapping, etc.) are flagrantly illegal and wouldn't require a knowledge skill test to determine their illegality. Since most shadowrunners don't have real SINs, they are unlikely to receive a fair trial (or any trial) if captured, so it is probably better to know security and law enforcement procedures to help prevent capture in the first place.

I see your point. What about corporate security procedures/security systems?

At least one person should have Paranormal Critters.

From published Knowledge Skills -

For shadowrunners or anyone wanting to stay under the radar - Covert Ops Protocol.

[Location] Smuggling Routes
[Location] Area Gun Dealers (or whatever your character is likely to need)
[Location] Johnson's / Fixers
[Location] Gangs

I always give my characters either Knowledge (Major Corperations) or Knowledge (Current Events) so that they know which corps are on top and who is hiring at any given time. If you know Aztech is hurting this quarter, then chances are that big datasteal job from Ares that you have lined up is bankrolled by them.

Security Procedures is my number one. Since runners often go where they don't belong.

Some useful ones that haven't been mentioned yet.
[location] corporate politics
[location] black market/ crime malls
[location] data havens
[location] shadow clinics
matrix security procedures
magic security procedures
[location] shadow banks
[location] extraterritoriality

I usually run with:

AK: City of Origin/Current Play(the latter if it makes sense that he'll have it.)
Safehouse Locations(this one's a biggy.)
Shadowrunner Haunts(this one's come in handy, as well.)
If magic, they often have Magic Background, some higher than others.
Occult has come in handy, though it's pretty character-specific.
My characters all have some kind of Music Knowledge.

Area knowledge
Magic Theory
Lone Star Procedures

HeyaJa HeyaJe
Medicineman

For a social character, i usually run with
-knowledge of the local nightclubs/bars/other places you are likely to meet johnsons
-Street gossip/rumours
-Strip-clubs. This comes in quite handy a lot of the time for greasing the wheels.
-Fashion


Other than that, i dont really have any set ones.

[Location] Underworld Personalities. - Great for knowing when the people making threats are big fish you have to worry about or small fry you can get away with killing.

Strangely, our team spends a lot of time in adult performance and recreation venues,also. Must be the coconut oil.

The knowledge skills I have noticed we use the most are:
1)security procedures
2)safe house locations
3) current events
4)locations,gang turf
5) corporate politics
6)locations, noodle shops.
7) smuggling routes

Some Knowledge skills I have seen my PC's use a lot include

1.) Gang Identification. Always helps to know whos turf your on.
2.) Politics (Spec: Organized Crime) Whos who in da Bizness.
3.) Weapons Identification. Good for general ID on distant gunfire, Helps when performing recon on the opposition.
4.) Drug Sales. Is it good? How much should it sell for? Are we getting pinched? Where to get the best mindbenders.

Heres a new one our drone Rigger came up with. He was an exterminator before hitting the shadows.

Professional Knowledge
1.) Infestation Identification. He rolls a drone into an abandoned building, Sewer tunnel, whatever and looks for signs of infestation. Has saved the PC's hoops when he spotted signs of a Ghoul infestation. You know, gnawed bones, chunks of decaying flesh and an abnormal absence of every other type of living creature.

WTF?

Seattles Roads / Shortcuts - From an ex-PC that worked part time as a taxi driver, still useful for riggers in general though.

Two years ago I compiled a list of knowledge skills referenced in the Core Rules. I dug it out from the depths of my hdd, and I am reposting it here, with my notes from that time - may you find it useful Did you know you can take knowledge skills specializations...?

Academic (I): Biology, Medicine, Magic Theory (specialization of magic?), Politics (note there is Corporate Politics and others - they probably mean Political Science), Philosophy, Poetry (specialization of Literature?), Literature (by region, period, type - Sci-Fi, Poetry, Fiction, Romance), History (spec. listed: by era - Ancient, Medieval, Roman, Modern by region - continent), Music, Ancient Egyptian Magic (why not interest? quite specialized), Military History (specialization of history?), Parazoology (specialization of Zoology?), Magic Background (not really clear what this background is... history?), Finances (also Corporate Finances), Chemistry (spec. listed: Industrial, Organic, Inorganic, Pharmaceuticals), Astral Researching, Engineering (can also be prof.), Megacorp Law (can also be prof. or even interest), Corporate Finances, Political History, Cyberware Research, Magic, Economics (spec. listed: micro, macro), Biology (spec. listed: micro, anatomy, parazoology, physiology), Ares Macrotechnology (why street? can be prof or interest... spec listed: Damien Knight (founder), AresSpace, Ares Arms, Seattle Operations),

Professional (I): Journalism, Business, Military Service, Aztechnology Business Practice (seems rather limited, specialization of specific org and further, aspect of its operations?), Arms Manufacturers, UCAS Military (specialization of military organizations?), Lone Star Procedures (can also be street knowledge? specialization of specific org and further, aspect of its operations?), Number Running (huh? accounting? any different from Finances?), Auto Mechanics (can also be academic), Spirits (also, academic or interest), Data Haven, Matrix Theory (matrix. spec?), IC Identification (IC - ICE? Why not just Ice?), Architecture (spec. listed: Commercial, Residential, by style - Baroque, Bauhaus, German Ghotic), Business (Finance, Distribution, Manufacturing, Megacorp, Retail, Small Business), Engineering (Chemical, Civil, Electrical, Mechanical, Nuclear), Military (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coastal Guard, Special Forces), Security Procedures (spec listed: by company), Security Design (spec: corporate, magica, matrix, military, physical, private home)

Street Knowledge (L): Gang Identification (specialization in general gang knowledge?), Criminal Organizations (looks broader than Gang Identification, unbalanced?), Smuggling Routes (specialization of smuggling?), Fringe Cults (specialization of cults?), Seattle Talismongers (specialization of talismongers?), Seattle Street Gangs (specialization of street gangs? spec. listed: per name of gang), Seattle Safehouses (note there is also Safe Houses, specialization of?), Seattle Syndicates (Criminal Organizations limited to Seattle? Seattle specialization), Crook Hangouts (hangout specialization?), Mercenary Hangouts (hangout specialization?), Safe Houses (note there is also Seattle Safehouses), Local Junkyards (specialization of Local?), Gang Turf (gang specialization? note: not 'street gangs', not 'Seattle'...), Mafia Politics (another Politics specialization? or Mafia spec.?), Mafia Safe Houses (Mafia or Safe Houses Spec.?), Underworld Politics (consider: wouldn't Mafia Politics be a subgroup of that?), Local Area Knowledge, Radical Groups (can also be interest of academic), Border Patrol Tactics (quite similar to Corporate Security Tactics...), Smuggler Safe Houses (another related to smuggling and safe houses), BTL Dealers (dealers or BTL spec.?), Gang ID (same as Gang Identification?), Local Charity Shelters, Public Transportation Routes, Hong Kong Triads (spec. listed: Yellow Lotus, Red Dragons, etc.), Security Companies (spec. listed: Lone Star, Knight Errant, Hard Corps, Seattle Sec Corps), UCAS Politics (why street? spec. listed: Congressional, Presidential, by state, by lobby group, by party)

Interests (L): Woodworking, Urban Brawl Teams (specialization of Urban Brawl?), Sci-Fi Sims (specialization of Sims?), Elven Wine (specialization of Wine?), Ancient Mythologies (why not academic? specialization in mythologies?), North American Arms Dealers (specialization in Arms Dealers? Compare to common 'Seattle specialization', this is rather better. hould be rather street anyway...), Global Conflicts (specialization of conflicts?), Cop Trids (specialization of trids?), Urban Brawl Odds (I'd say Gambling with specialization in Urban Brawl or the other way around...), Fine Cuisine (Cuisine specialization? Can also be professional), Modern Literature (Literature specialization, can easily be academic), Computer Background (history?), Pirate Trid Broadcasts (spec. of Trids?), Racing Odds (another gambling specialization?), Fine Restaurants (restaurants specialization?), Urban Brawl Schedule (great, a third Urban Brawl specialization, like just 'Urban Brawl' is too good? sigh), Combat Bike Schedule (what's wrong with combat bike?), Firearms Design, Firearms History (so, why not just take Firearms with two specializations? seems more logical and hardly game breaking, but of course you can take History specialized in Firearms to cheat if needed, sigh). Hong Kong Action Movies (Movies specialization...), Conspiracy Theories, Corporate Matrix Security Procedures (specializations somewhere, certainly), Matrix Chatrooms, Operating Systems, Urban Brawl Statistics (mercy, fourth Urban Brawl specialization? Look me in the eye and tell me they are any different...), Zen Meditation, Goblin Rock (but Music is broader...), Comic Books (spec. of Literature?), Blade Design, Gun Trivia (why not Firearm...), Sim-Starlets, Seattle Troll Throttle Metal Bands,(sigh), Club Music (spec. listed - Goblin Rock, Powernoize, Rockabilly, Sintcore, WizPunk), Matrix Games (Dawn of Atlantis, Dark Eye, Grand Larceny, Killing Floor, Paranormal Crisis), Sports (Baseball, Combat Biking, Football, Hockey, Soccer, Urban Brawl, Wrestling), Street Drugs (BTLs, Cram, Deepweed, Novacoke, Spike), Wines (California Wines, Elven, French, Vineyards)

Not sure (never clarified): Poison Antidotes, Corp Security Tactics (can be P, S, I, Security Tactics with specialization in Corps? Or Corps with specialization in Security Tactics?), Corporate Politics (note we have also Politics...), Security Systems (why not Corp?)

Academic and Interests have a lot of skills that can be switched around (almost anything, ex. Music, Ancient Magic, Military History) - this means you can pick your better attribute (Logic or Intuition) and go with that alone. To a lesser extent, professional and street knowledge also seem switchable (albeit more depending on character history). Exploit?

Non-native languages: how many points is 'enough'? Shame so many players and GMs tend to forget not the entire world speaks English... Also, what good are 'lingos' (language specializations), really? They sound cool but mechanic wise look utterly useless (should give some bonuses, to social skills?) Lingos from book: hackers, mages, lawyers, corp wage slavers, tribes, street gangs, cityspeak/ Others specs: read/write, speak, by dialect. See language skill table, p.129). Charisma skills and language - p.130. Is the base attribute logic?

I like replacing the Native rating for languages with (Logic + Intuition) / 2, round up.

Ya gotta eat,Chummer and knowing which noodle shops have the best food is a necessity. Ya don't want to end up getting a case of the sprawl squirts in the middle of a run,do ya? (or worse, having your Troll buddy who is sitting next to you have the EBB's (exploding Barrens Bowels) .)

Reminds me of an axiom common to thieves: "Don't eat onions before a job".

This also applies to garlic.

Hey all!

Some were already mentioned, but I decided to post the whole list anyway.

Street Knowledge Skills
Appraising
Area Knowledge (General)
Area Knowledge (Specific)
Arms Dealers
BTL Dealers
Chop Shops
Corporate Finances
Corporate History
Corporate Personas
Corporate Politics
Corporate Research
Corporate Rumours
Corporate Security
Corporate Special Forces
Criminal Organizations
Data Havens
Lone Star Tactics
NAN Border Patrol tactics
Organised Crime Establishments
Organised Crime Finance
Organised Crime History
Organised Crime Personas
Organised Crime Territory
Ork Underground
Seattle Street Gangs
Security Companies
Shadowrunner Teams
Smuggler Routes
Torturing techniques

Academic Knowledge Skills
Elven Society
History
Law
Magic Background


Professional Knowledge Skills
Desert Wars
Forensics
Military Units
Military Tactics
Money Laundering
Police Procedures
Security Devices
Security Procedures
Security Systems


Interests Knowledge Skills
BTL Effects
Magical Artifacts
Dragons
Gambling Card Games

Spirits, magical theory, magical threats, magical background, magical phenomenon, parazoology, material sciences.

You know, just so even with a runner so mundane he's the next thing to a cyberzombie that I know what wants to EAT ME.

Forensics, Chemistry, Architecture, Military Science, Accounting.

Sex shops, venereal diseases, sex toys, and cheap motels.

I'll go back and read through the other posts, but someone in my group recently asked me the same question, So I actually just wrote up an "in character" post (like on shadowland) about the subject. *paste*

Knowledge is Power
by Secondhand Professor

Kids these days think that they know everything. But really, you're only a thug. You know how to shoot people, and steal their wallet. But the truth is, you don't know anything. You don't even know what you need to know. Stay up to date. SOTA, the State of the Art for those out of the loop, moves faster than your wired reflexes (which, in case you haven't heard, are out of date). If you're going to stay alive out here, you need to learn a few things. I'm not expecting you to become a master in all of these areas; even I don't know about all of this. The difference is for everything listed here that I don't know, I know someone who does know it.

Areas
It's all about having the home field advantage. If you know the area you'll be able to find a bolthole in a pinch. You'll also know how to dress to fit in, or to stand out. It is especially useful to know about the more dangerous areas of town, or any place you'll likely end up while on a run. So take the time to learn a little bit about an area before you go running in guns blazing. This skill is useful for a whole country, city, or a subsection of a city. It is also good to know about especially dangerous places before you have to be there. I'm not talking about your mother-in-law's house here; I'm talking about places like the Redmond Barrens in Seattle, Aztlan or the Mohave Desert.
Concentrations: As appropriate... generally a sub-section of the area.

Border Crossings
This is a necessity for all smugglers and shadowrunners alike. Up to now, you might have only been on runs within the boundaries of your home sprawl. The better you get with the program though. Every runner worth his weight in drek will eventually be offered a job in another city, even another country; and you can't very well bring that newly acquired prototype laser with you on the suborbital. Either way, it's always good to know how to get in, and how to get back out again.
Concentrations: By country, by vector (air, land, water, etc...)

Conspiracy Theories
This is the information that the paranoid know as fact. While they're usually wrong, everyone get's it right sometimes. This area of knowledge can be very useful to a shadowrunner as it covers everything from JFK's assassination to information about various secret societies. To get yourself started, you should go take a look at the post called Threats.
Specializations: By region, by group, by type (corporate, government, policlub, magical, etc.)

Corporation [Specific]
Maybe you're a shareholder. You might have worked for the corporation. Then again, maybe you're simply an interested party. Having the inside information about the activities of any corporation can be a lifesaver in the shadows. Some of the more important companies to keep an eye on are Lone Star, Knight Errant, or any of the AAA's.
Concentrations: Specific aspect of the company (R&D, shadow work, inter-department relations, interactions with other companies).

Current Events
Make sure to keep up with the newscasts and newsfeeds, as they are a wealth of knowledge about current events . You never know when something tidbit of actually important information will slip through. Maybe your Johnson will even make an appearance.
Concentrations: By subject matter, by geographical area, by news media

Gangs
Knowledge about the local gangs that you're most likely to run across can easily save your life, or at least make it easier. The general knowledge of how gangs operate, what to look for, and who to steer clear of will save you a lot of trouble. If you've been hired to kick the crap out of a gang leader, or if they're hassling you for passing through their turf you can avoid annoying confrontations by slipping over into their enemies territory and have the other gang do your dirty work for you. The best part is you won't even have to ask.
Concentrations: Gang colors, by city

Occult (Pseudo-magic)
This is not the same as the magic theory that mages and shamans know. This area of knowledge covers all sorts of theories that cannot be verified, such as folk magic, rituals from the 5th world and other obscure things. For the most part it's all hokey drek, but you never know when someone might accidentally be right about something. More importantly, this also covers a lot of the things that the general population believes about magic. This also covers what a lot of untrained (read: street) magicians think is happening when they cast spells of summon spirits accidentally. Actual magicians could use this skill to play on the false beliefs of the population to his advantage. Some talismongers are always looking for their next sucker... I mean customer.
Concentrations: By period, by region, by subject, by tradition.

Organized Crime
Similar to the knowledge of gangs, you should also know about the big players in the underworld. The Mafia, the Yakuza, the Tirads, the Rings... the list goes on and on. These groups are a little bit different than gangs in that they are, well, organized. These groups are generally in the business of crime to make a profit, while gangs are simply trying to survive. Frag the Yak.
Concentrations: By Group, By city,

Rumors [Specific]
Keep up to date with the latest from the shadows. As the sprawls extend, the grapevine grows. Make sure that you're on the right side of it. As I mentioned earlier, this is the way to keep up with SOTA. Keep your ear to the ground, and you'll stay one step ahead of the curve. Some of the better areas to focus on are Magic, Corporations, Shadowrunners, High Society, Technology and Weapons.
Concentrations: Aspect of the general skill (Magic �' Voudins, Corps �' Fuchi, Tech �' Deckers, etc.)

Security Devices
Being able to tell the difference between a camera and a pop-up turret is always useful. While you'll want to stay out of its range either way, you need to know what the device is, and what its range is, before you can reliably do that.
Concentrations: By company (who made it), by type (detection, weapons, traps)

Security Procedures
Since security personnel are generally your enemy, you should get to know their techniques, tactics, and standard operating procedures. You should be able to determine the alertness of typical security personnel, their level of training and equipment, as well as typical reactions to security situations. If you are trying to secure a facility for yourself, this will help you to set up shifts and duties and plan for optimal integration with other on-site security measures.
Specializations: By security force, by type (personnel, magical, technological)

Security Systems
This is all about the design, layout, and implementation of security systems, and specifically the integration of different types of devices into one security setup. When you understand the basic concepts of efficient security systems, you can usually determine the location and type of security measures, based on certain standards of operation. For example, when you're looking at a building plan that only shows where the cameras are you would be able to also determine likely locations for trip-lasers, motion sensors, or anything else that might be common.
Concentrations: By company, by type (detection, weapons, traps)

Smuggler Operations
We've talked about border crossing. This is another take on the same kind of knowledge. This includes the well-traveled routes that smugglers use to get the less-than-legal goods that we take for granted from one area to another as well as the day-to-day operations of the smuggling cartels. Know who the big players are, where to unload your cargo, and who to go to when you need a covert lift across international borders.
Concentrations: By country, by group, by vector (air, land, water)

Structural Engineering
Structural Engineering includes most aspects of designing and constructing a building or really any structure. Sure, with this knowledge, you could get a job building sturdy buildings that won't fall over onto anyone. More importantly though, you'll be able to determine which walls and pillars are load-bearing and which are for decoration. You never know when you might need to knock down a building, or at least a wall.
Concentrations: By culture, by building type (residential, office space, shopping complex).

The Underground
You may not know it, but almost every sprawl has an underground network of decommissioned sewers, subway lines, mines and other tunnels. These tunnels may have been officially decommissioned, however, many of them have been converted into usable spaces. Many sprawls have a whole society living underneath them that you won't find on any map. Most underground cities are populated by more meta-humans than not, though if you know how to act, and who to talk to you might bake it through alive no matter how smooth your skin is. The Underground is a great place to slip away to when the heat is on as most people don't even know it exists.
Concentrations: By city, by tunnel type (sewer, subway, mine, etc.)

Thats a very useful tool, Chibu. Thanks for posting.

We blew up a building once...re-routed the city gas main into the basement, then told a fire elemental to "have fun."

A second time we did almost the same thing, but with less magic (and more bad luck--the face who was planting the charges almost burned to death).

Can someone explain to me what you all mean by "Safehouse Locations" as a knowledge skill?

As far as I can figure there are not just random safehouses sitting around for anyone to use. You would either have your own safehouses, in which case you wouldn't need a skill to remember them, or you would be using someone else's, in which case you could ask them where it is. If you Walk into a safehouse that belongs to someone else, wouldn't they be mad? Don't people normally keep the location of their safehouses secret? If they're not secret, dosn't that make them not safe, and therefore completely pointless since someone in the gang you're hiding from could potentially have this same skill?

Everyone seems to think this is a very important skill to have, and I've seen it mentioned elsewhere. So, can someone help me out here?

I have run across this as well. It seems like a silly idea to me too. I basically decided that it was a knowledge skill involved in locating an appropriate location (strategic location, defensive layout, etc), making the contacts needed to secure a lease, setting up anonymized utilities, acquiring goods and equipment that may be needed, etc.