[Dwagonzhan]

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. -_-

[RowanTheFox]

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).

[Bushw4cker]

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...

[RowanTheFox]

Is Lip Reading a Language Skill or Knowledge Skill?  I have it as Language Skill.

Yep, language skill.

[Bushw4cker]

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.

[Bushw4cker]

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)

[Kuirem]

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

[Reaver]

Languages are not really listed because there is sooo many of them 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.

[Kuirem]

Which is why I mentioned the italian/french dandy cliche.

[RowanTheFox]

Which is why I mentioned the italian/french dandy cliche.

*cough*Harlequin*cough*

[Bushw4cker]

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 -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..