Languages
Characters are fluent in their native language plus an additional language for every Smarts die type above d4. For example, a character with a d6 Smarts is fluent in two languages (native language plus one). If characters want to take another language above their normal quota, they must take a Knowledge skill. Language fluency is considered to be d6.
Knowledge Skills
Knowledge is a catch-all skill that must have a focus of some sort, such as Knowledge (Occult) or Knowledge (Science). The player can choose the focus of his hero’s knowledge, which should reflect his background and education. An alchemist, for example, might have Knowledge (Chemistry). The skill can be taken multiple times with different focuses to reflect different areas of expertise.
General focuses such as Science are acceptable, but the GM should give a bonus to a character who has a more relevant focus, such as Knowledge (Biology).
Check: A character makes a Knowledge check to see if the character knows something.
The TN for answering a question within the character’s field of study is 4 for easy questions, one raise for basic questions, and two to three raises for tough questions. And four or more raises for really occult questions
Appraising the value of an object is one sort of task that can be performed using Knowledge. The TN depends on how common or obscure the object is. On a success, the character accurately identifies the object’s purchase TN. If the character fails, he or she thinks it has a purchase TN 1d4 higher or lower (determine randomly) than its actual value. If the character fails with snake eyes, he or she thinks it has a purchase TN 1d6 higher or lower than its actual value. The GM may make the Knowledge roll for the character, so he or she doesn’t know whether the appraisal is accurate or not.
The thirteen Knowledge categories, and the topics each one encompasses, are as follows.
Archaeology and antiquities:
Art: Fine arts and graphic arts, including art history and artistic techniques. Antiques, modern art, photography, and performance art forms such as music and dance, among others.
Behavioral Sciences: Psychology, sociology, and criminology.
Business: Business procedures, investment strategies, and corporate structures. Bureaucratic procedures and how to navigate them.
Civics: Law, legislation, litigation, and legal rights and obligations. Political and governmental institutions and processes.
Current Events: Recent happenings in the news, sports, politics, entertainment, and foreign affairs.
Earth and Life Sciences: Biology, botany, genetics, geology, and paleontology. Medicine and forensics.
Esotericism: The occult, magic and the supernatural, astrology, numerology, and similar topics.
History: Events, personalities, and cultures of the past.
Myths & Legends: You have knowledge of the myths and legends of different cultures of the world, the information may be correct or incorrect.
Physical Sciences: Astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and engineering.
Popular Culture: Popular music and personalities, genre films and books, and urban legends.
Tactics: Techniques and strategies for disposing and maneuvering forces in combat.
Technology: Current developments in cutting-edge devices, as well as the background necessary to identify various technological devices.
Theology and Philosophy: Liberal arts, ethics, philosophical concepts, and the study of religious faith, practice, and experience.
Try Again?: No. The check represents what a character knows, and thinking about a topic a second time doesn’t let the character know something he or she never knew in the first place.
Special: Without actual training, a character only knows common knowledge about a given subject.
