Shadowrun
Shadowrun Play => Character creation and critique => Topic started by: Bushw4cker on <10-05-16/0040:07>
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I have been compiling a list of Knowledge Skills for a while, and have recently begun revising it.
Updated List (Thanks for All the Responses!)
WHAT EVERY RUNNER SHOULD KNOW
Trid Shows
Word On The Street
Current Events
Literature
History
Local Area Knowledge
Music
STREET KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Syndicates
(Yakuza +2)
Local Gangs
(Street Gangs +2)
Shadow Community
(Deckers +2)
Street Drugs
(Dealers +2)
Corporate Politics
(Saeder-Krupp +2)
Local Politics
(Judicial +2)
National Politics
(UCAS Presidental +2)
Global Politics
(Europe +2)
Word On The Street
(Grudges +2)
Small Unit Tactics
(Fire Shield +2)
Munitions
(Lasers +2)
Global Hotspots
(Asia +2)
Mercenary Groups
(Private Contractors +2)
Security Companies
(Lone Star +2)
Combat Tactics
(Ambush +2)
Underworld
(Wetwork +2)
Local Area Knowledge
(Safe Houses +2)
Sprawl Life
(Uninhabited Squats +2)
Security Tactics
(Astral Intruder +2)
Dark Magic
(Blood Magic +2)
Astral Phenomena
(Astral Rifts +2)
Magic Theory
(Chaos Magic +2)
Magical Threats
(Insect Spirits +2)
Astral Denizens
(Free Spirits +2)
Magical Societies
(Mana +2)
The Metaplanes
(Metaplane of Air +2)
HMHVV Infected
(Vampires +2)
Laws
(UCAS +2)
Rumors
(Street +2)
Gambling
(Matrix Gambling Sites +2)
Alcohol
(Elven Wines +2)
Gear Appraisal
(Weapons +2)
Fences
(Seattle +2)
Emergency Response
(Docwagon +2)
ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Economics
(Macroeconomics +2)
Physics
(Particle Physics +2)
Material Science
(Metallurgy +2)
Psychology
(Behavioral +2)
Sociology
(Urban +2)
Kinesics
(Facial +2)
Geography
(Physical Geography +2)
Magic Background
(Manatech +2)
Parageology
(Ley Lines +2)
Parazoology
(Juggernauts +2)
Parabotany
(Crimson Orchid +2)
Paranormal Animal
Mating Habits
(Behemoths +2)
Botany
(Herbalism +2)
Earth Science
(Geology +2)
Biology
(Genetics +2)
Anatomy
(Human +2)
Chemistry
(Biochemistry +2)
Law
(Corporate +2)
Literature
(Fantasy +2)
History
(German +2)
Pharmacology
(Awakened Drugs +2)
Mathematics
(Algebra +2)
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Mechanical Engineering
(Aerospace +2)
Civil Engineering
(Structural Engineering +2)
Electrical Engineering
(Electronics +2)
Chemical Engineering
(Microfabrication +2)
Architecture
(Commercial +2)
Business
(Entertainment +2)
Military
(Army +2)
Military Science
(Logistics +2)
Security Design
(Access Control +2)
Matrix Security Design
(Corporate +2)
Talismongering
(Foci +2)
Criminal Justice
(Policing +2)
Forensics
(Magical +2)
Firefighting
(Prevention +2)
*Veterinary Medicine
(Paranormal Critters +2)
* I almost think this should be an Active Technical Skill.
INTEREST KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Jokes
(Troll Dick Jokes +2)
Insults
(n00bs +2)
Current Events
(UCAS +2)
Social Networks
(P 2.1 +2)
Social Engineering
(Pretexting +2)
Matrix Games
(Dunkelzahn’s Quest XII +2)
Simsense Entertainment
(Porn +2)
Trid Shows
("Reality" +2)
Music
(Gob Rap +2)
Sports
(Urban Brawl +2)
Fashion
(Mens +2)
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Lip-Reading
Japanese Sign
Tactical Sign Language
Iconography
Sperethiel
Or'zet
Sperethiel
Mandarin
Spanish
English
Hindi
Arabic
Portuguese
Bengali
Russian
Japanese
German
LINGOS
(Cityspeak +2)
(Creole +2)
(Street +2)
(‘l33tspeak +2)
(Milspec +2)
(Corp +2)
(Orbital +2)
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Some other useful knowledge skills my players have thown my way: 《Be warned, we bluecollar workers!》
Metallurgy: helps with demolitions by knowing the fracture and stress strengths of various metals and alloys.
Engineering/design/drafting: helps to read and understand construction blueprints, schematics and designs. (Helpful for infeltrations)
Anatomy: infomation extration. (You know how to hurt with out serious harm)
Electrical engineering: understand how electricity works, how its supplied, maintained, used and installed in buildings and equipment. (Cause sometimes the best way to defeat security is to turn off the power!)
Emergency Response tactics: if you know how they are going to come at you, that's a huge advantage!
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You can go absolutely wild with knowledge skills but I generally find it best to have a few staples as a runner:
Magic Theory: Know what mages and spirits can and can not do.
Underworld: Know what your local criminal scene looks like
Small Unit Tactics: The most powerful knowledge skill in existence with actual mechanics attached
Gangs: If you are in a city you'll have to deal with them sooner or later.
Business and Math: Understand how the corporations think and which numbers have to be involved for them to send a HTR after you
History: A general understanding of what happened where and when helps to understand the present immensely
Language (Understanding): It's always useful to be able to listen to someone talking without having to rely on machine translation.
After that you can get a bit of specialized knowledge added to flesh out your character (Knowledge: Architecture is always useful to find your way in and out of places)
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Face-ish characters (the guys and girls who can interact with people without pointing a weapon at them) may find Bureaucracy (Government/Corporate) and Laws (Region) very useful.
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Some other useful knowledge skills my players have thown my way: 《Be warned, we bluecollar workers!》
Metallurgy: helps with demolitions by knowing the fracture and stress strengths of various metals and alloys.
Engineering/design/drafting: helps to read and understand construction blueprints, schematics and designs. (Helpful for infeltrations)
Anatomy: infomation extration. (You know how to hurt with out serious harm)
Electrical engineering: understand how electricity works, how its supplied, maintained, used and installed in buildings and equipment. (Cause sometimes the best way to defeat security is to turn off the power!)
Emergency Response tactics: if you know how they are going to come at you, that's a huge advantage!
I have most listed, except Emergency Response Tactics, which I will add to list. Thanks )
I have Metallurgy as a Specialization of Material Sciences. I think Electrical Engineering could either be stand alone Knowledge or Specialization of Engineering.. what do you think?
Material Science
(Metallurgy +2)
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You can go absolutely wild with knowledge skills but I generally find it best to have a few staples as a runner:
Magic Theory: Know what mages and spirits can and can not do.
Underworld: Know what your local criminal scene looks like
Small Unit Tactics: The most powerful knowledge skill in existence with actual mechanics attached
Gangs: If you are in a city you'll have to deal with them sooner or later.
Business and Math: Understand how the corporations think and which numbers have to be involved for them to send a HTR after you
History: A general understanding of what happened where and when helps to understand the present immensely
Language (Understanding): It's always useful to be able to listen to someone talking without having to rely on machine translation.
After that you can get a bit of specialized knowledge added to flesh out your character (Knowledge: Architecture is always useful to find your way in and out of places)
I agree with all except I think Gangs is way too broad of a Knowledge Skill. I think it should be Local Gangs or a specific city/place, like Chicago Gangs.
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Face-ish characters (the guys and girls who can interact with people without pointing a weapon at them) may find Bureaucracy (Government/Corporate) and Laws (Region) very useful.
I will add Laws to list.
I already have Corporate Politics, Local Politics, National Politics, and Global Politics. I think that would cover Bureaucracy, or Bureaucracy could be specialization..
Full Definition of bureaucracy
plural bureaucracies
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a : a body of nonelective government officials b : an administrative policy-making group
2
: government characterized by specialization of functions, adherence to fixed rules, and a hierarchy of authority
3
: a system of administration marked by officialism, red tape, and proliferation
Full Definition of politics
1
a : the art or science of government b : the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing governmental policy c : the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government
2
: political actions, practices, or policies
3
a : political affairs or business; especially : competition between competing interest groups or individuals for power and leadership (as in a government) b : political life especially as a principal activity or profession c : political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices
4
: the political opinions or sympathies of a person
5
a : the total complex of relations between people living in society b : relations or conduct in a particular area of experience especially as seen or dealt with from a political point of view <office politics> <ethnic politics>
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Thanks for the Replies
Added these Knowledge Skills to List..
Emergency Response Procedures
(Docwagon +2)
Pharmacology
(Awakened Drugs +2)
Word On The Street
(Grudges +2)
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Pharmacology sounds a bit like a mix of Chemistry + Medicine or maybe Chemistry + Biology. There is definitely overlap either way but I don't think it's too bad for knowledge skill.
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engineers and electrical engineers are totally different. Like fighter pilots and race car drivers.
In fact 'engineer' is a very broad and general term. Aircaft, structural, automotive, robotic, mechanical (and many more) are all specialized engineers that cover different things.
And electrical engineer doesn't care about things like material stresses of a airplane, or the fracture point of compressed steel, they are concerned with power effeciency, power requirements and power generation....
But then again, this IS a game, not a real life simulator. Want to throw your players a bone and lump them together, go ahead :D
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engineers and electrical engineers are totally different. Like fighter pilots and race car drivers.
In fact 'engineer' is a very broad and general term. Aircaft, structural, automotive, robotic, mechanical (and many more) are all specialized engineers that cover different things.
And electrical engineer doesn't care about things like material stresses of a airplane, or the fracture point of compressed steel, they are concerned with power effeciency, power requirements and power generation....
But then again, this IS a game, not a real life simulator. Want to throw your players a bone and lump them together, go ahead :D
You are right.
What do you think of this breakdown?
Mechanical Engineering
(Aerospace +2)
Civil Engineering
(Bridges +2)
Electrical Engineering
(Electronics +2)
Chemical Engineering
(Microfabrication +2)
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Pharmacology sounds a bit like a mix of Chemistry + Medicine or maybe Chemistry + Biology. There is definitely overlap either way but I don't think it's too bad for knowledge skill.
I don't think Biology would help much with Pharmacology
I think Medicine would be useful in knowing what drugs to prescribe/administer
Chemistry could help you create drugs.
Pharmacology would help you design drugs and know how they will effect the metahuman body.
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Looks pretty good.
Keep in mind there are lots of other specializations that might come up.
(Players are sneaky that way!)
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As far as the Language Cityspeak... it's a Lingo so it should be a specialization of the base language. IMHO, of course.
When I GM it's primarily English\Japanese pidgeon so English(city speak) and Japanese (City speak).
2 guys conversing in Japanese(city speak) talking to each other do so without DP penalty,
One guy talking English(city speak) to another guy who speaks Japanese(city speak) do so with a -2DP penalty as they're each speaking their base language with smatterings of the other guys language.
Of course, if you view city speak as being like Blade Runner then it''s so convoluted English and Japanese; with lesser elements of Spanish and Cantonese; with a few words here and there from other languages,, that yes, it would be it's own language.
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Biology can absolutely have a speciality on how drugs affect the human body. While the part of knowing how to design drugs would fall into Chemistry.
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I use the active skill Chemistry with "Organic" specialization in conjunction with the active skill 'Medicine' for creating designer drugs.
(Biology and Parabiology skills apply where appropriate. I'm working on an "awakened veterinarian" currently)
Neurology is another fun "doc skill", that I use when doing R&D or other diagnostics on any 'ware that interfaces heavily with the human nervous system and brain.
EDIT: Good grief, even when I look at my characters and notes I keep skimming ahead and typing what I read instead of what I want to say. -_-
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I've found anatomy to be a useful skill. For everything from "The bullet missed your vital organs, just stay calm and you'll be fine" to "That is NOT supposed to bend that way!"
Lip Reading - Great way to eavesdrop on conversations when you can't actually hear what they're saying (too much ambient noise, deaf, etc.). If your character is deaf, you should definitely have this skill.
Tactical Sign Language - The GM thought our group was silly for taking this knowledge skill, but he let us have it anyway. Came in real handy when a bunch of us got our commlinks bricked. Also a good skill to have if you ever have to turn your commlinks off and don't have a mage with a mindnet spell handy.
Architecture - A vastly underused skill, IMO. Blueprints can get awfully complex pretty quickly. Having your decker swipe a copy of a building's blueprints for you won't help if you can't makes heads or tails of it.
Structural Engineering - It's also good to know which walls of a building are load bearing, so you know precisely where to plant explosives in order to cause the most amount of damage (or the least amount, if you're just going for a shock-and-awe distraction).
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I've found anatomy to be a useful skill. For everything from "The bullet missed your vital organs, just stay calm and you'll be fine" to "That is NOT supposed to bend that way!"
Lip Reading - Great way to eavesdrop on conversations when you can't actually hear what they're saying (too much ambient noise, deaf, etc.). If your character is deaf, you should definitely have this skill.
Tactical Sign Language - The GM thought our group was silly for taking this knowledge skill, but he let us have it anyway. Came in real handy when a bunch of us got our commlinks bricked. Also a good skill to have if you ever have to turn your commlinks off and don't have a mage with a mindnet spell handy.
Architecture - A vastly underused skill, IMO. Blueprints can get awfully complex pretty quickly. Having your decker swipe a copy of a building's blueprints for you won't help if you can't makes heads or tails of it.
Structural Engineering - It's also good to know which walls of a building are load bearing, so you know precisely where to plant explosives in order to cause the most amount of damage (or the least amount, if you're just going for a shock-and-awe distraction).
Thanks for the Response!
Added Tactical Sign Language to Language Skill List.
Is Lip Reading a Language Skill or Knowledge Skill? I have it as Language Skill.
After Reading some Replies, I broke up Engineering Skill into:
Mechanical Engineering
(Aerospace +2)
Civil Engineering
(Structural Engineering +2)
Electrical Engineering
(Electronics +2)
Chemical Engineering
(Microfabrication +2)
Structural Engineering is a sub-discipline of Civil Engineering.
One of our GMs is an Architect, so it is especially important for my characters to have that knowledge skill...
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Is Lip Reading a Language Skill or Knowledge Skill? I have it as Language Skill.
Yep, language skill.
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OK, I updated my list and broke down the Knowledge Skills into Academic, Street, Professional, and Interests.
Let me know what you think I missed.
Thanks again.
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I have been compiling a list of Knowledge Skills for a while, and have recently begun revising it.
Updated List (Thanks for All the Responses!)
WHAT EVERY RUNNER SHOULD KNOW
Trid Shows
Word On The Street
Current Events
Literature
History
Local Area Knowledge
Music
STREET KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Syndicates
(Yakuza +2)
Local Gangs
(Street Gangs +2)
Shadow Community
(Deckers +2)
Street Drugs
(Dealers +2)
Corporate Politics
(Saeder-Krupp +2)
Local Politics
(Judicial +2)
National Politics
(UCAS Presidental +2)
Global Politics
(Europe +2)
Word On The Street
(Grudges +2)
Small Unit Tactics
(Fire Shield +2)
Munitions
(Lasers +2)
Global Hotspots
(Asia +2)
Mercenary Groups
(Private Contractors +2)
Security Companies
(Lone Star +2)
Combat Tactics
(Ambush +2)
Underworld
(Wetwork +2)
Local Area Knowledge
(Safe Houses +2)
Sprawl Life
(Uninhabited Squats +2)
Security Tactics
(Astral Intruder +2)
Dark Magic
(Blood Magic +2)
Astral Phenomena
(Astral Rifts +2)
Magic Theory
(Chaos Magic +2)
Magical Threats
(Insect Spirits +2)
Astral Denizens
(Free Spirits +2)
Magical Societies
(Mana +2)
The Metaplanes
(Metaplane of Air +2)
HMHVV Infected
(Vampires +2)
Laws
(UCAS +2)
Rumors
(Street +2)
Gambling
(Matrix Gambling Sites +2)
Alcohol
(Elven Wines +2)
Gear Appraisal
(Weapons +2)
Fences
(Seattle +2)
Emergency Response
(Docwagon +2)
ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Economics
(Macroeconomics +2)
Physics
(Particle Physics +2)
Material Science
(Metallurgy +2)
Psychology
(Behavioral +2)
Sociology
(Urban +2)
Kinesics
(Facial +2)
Geography
(Physical Geography +2)
Magic Background
(Manatech +2)
Parageology
(Ley Lines +2)
Parazoology
(Juggernauts +2)
Parabotany
(Crimson Orchid +2)
Paranormal Animal
Mating Habits
(Behemoths +2)
Botany
(Herbalism +2)
Earth Science
(Geology +2)
Biology
(Genetics +2)
Anatomy
(Human +2)
Chemistry
(Biochemistry +2)
Law
(Corporate +2)
Literature
(Fantasy +2)
History
(German +2)
Pharmacology
(Awakened Drugs +2)
Mathematics
(Algebra +2)
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Mechanical Engineering
(Aerospace +2)
Civil Engineering
(Structural Engineering +2)
Electrical Engineering
(Electronics +2)
Chemical Engineering
(Microfabrication +2)
Architecture
(Commercial +2)
Business
(Entertainment +2)
Military
(Army +2)
Military Science
(Logistics +2)
Security Design
(Access Control +2)
Matrix Security Design
(Corporate +2)
Talismongering
(Foci +2)
Criminal Justice
(Policing +2)
Forensics
(Magical +2)
Firefighting
(Prevention +2)
*Veterinary Medicine
(Paranormal Critters +2)
* I almost think this should be Active Technical Skill
INTEREST KNOWLEDGE SKILLS
Jokes
(Troll Dick Jokes +2)
Insults
(n00bs +2)
Current Events
(UCAS +2)
Social Networks
(P 2.1 +2)
Social Engineering
(Pretexting +2)
Matrix Games
(Dunkelzahn’s Quest XII +2)
Simsense Entertainment
(Porn +2)
Trid Shows
("Reality" +2)
Music
(Gob Rap +2)
Sports
(Urban Brawl +2)
Fashion
(Mens +2)
LANGUAGE SKILLS
Lip-Reading
Japanese Sign
Tactical Sign Language
Iconography
Sperethiel
Or'zet
Sperethiel
Mandarin
Spanish
English
Hindi
Arabic
Portuguese
Bengali
Russian
Japanese
German
LINGOS
(Cityspeak +2)
(Creole +2)
(Street +2)
(‘l33tspeak +2)
(Milspec +2)
(Corp +2)
(Orbital +2)
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There is some examples in the CRB page 149 that would be worth adding or that contradict a bit your list:
- Local Gang: Specialization is directly one gang name like Halloweeners, Brain Eaters… contrary to the Street Gangs you chose.
- Biology: Microbiology and Parazoology are specialization of Biology instead of their own category.
- Engineering: Civil/Electrical Engineering are specialization.
- Police Procedures: Definitely one that is useful, knowing when, where and how a HTR team will hit might save your skin.
- Street Drugs: It's listed as interest in the CRB… I think it makes more sense as Street. It's the same roll anyway.
Also no French nor Italian language? I could definitely see a Face using those to try to seduce like in those cheap movies trid shows
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Languages are not really listed because there is sooo many of them :P But basically any language you think of can be picked - the question is, is it useful in your area?
Picking Hindi as a language probably isn't going to come into play much in Seattle. In India however, it would be very common.
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Which is why I mentioned the italian/french dandy cliche.
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Which is why I mentioned the italian/french dandy cliche.
*cough*Harlequin*cough*
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There is some examples in the CRB page 149 that would be worth adding or that contradict a bit your list:
- Local Gang: Specialization is directly one gang name like Halloweeners, Brain Eaters… contrary to the Street Gangs you chose.
- Biology: Microbiology and Parazoology are specialization of Biology instead of their own category.
- Engineering: Civil/Electrical Engineering are specialization.
- Police Procedures: Definitely one that is useful, knowing when, where and how a HTR team will hit might save your skin.
- Street Drugs: It's listed as interest in the CRB… I think it makes more sense as Street. It's the same roll anyway.
Also no French nor Italian language? I could definitely see a Face using those to try to seduce like in those cheap movies trid shows
Local Gangs (Or Seattle Gangs, as it is listed in book). I could go either way on this one. I was thinking of dividing the specializations into Street, Go-Gang, Wiz Gang, ect. Or by Tiers. I personally wouldn't care if my players did either or if they chose specific gangs like in the book, I would just raise or lower thresholds for knowledge skill roll depending on the situation.
Biology. I could see Microbiology being a specialization of Biology, but not Anatomy and Parazoology. I didn't realize I had Microbiology listed as it's own knowledge skill.
Engineering.
engineers and electrical engineers are totally different. Like fighter pilots and race car drivers.
In fact 'engineer' is a very broad and general term. Aircaft, structural, automotive, robotic, mechanical (and many more) are all specialized engineers that cover different things.
And electrical engineer doesn't care about things like material stresses of a airplane, or the fracture point of compressed steel, they are concerned with power effeciency, power requirements and power generation....
But then again, this IS a game, not a real life simulator. Want to throw your players a bone and lump them together, go ahead :D -Reaver
That's why I broke that skill up into:
Mechanical Engineering
(Aerospace +2)
Civil Engineering
(Structural Engineering +2)
Electrical Engineering
(Electronics +2)
Chemical Engineering
(Microfabrication +2)
Just Engineering is way too broad.
I think Police Procedures should be a Specialization. Criminal Justice (Police Procedures +2)
Street Drugs... Wow Kuirem you really notice everything don't you.. 8)