Fleshing out just what your character knows?

[Gadodel]

I have been inspired to rethink just what my characters know. I felt that the "Knowledge" skills were either not broad enough or too specific. A new Skill category emerged and it has helped me greatly. "Hobby".

Examples:

Hobby: Art, Comics, Current Events, Dance, Folklore, Mythology RPGs, Sports, Travel etc.

Knowledge: Behavioral Sciences, Business, Physical Sciences, Social Sciences, Religions etc.

It seems that divisions can be made, but then there are some areas that could easily belong to either the Hobby and/or Knowledge areas.

The difference: A Hobby is for Entertainment. Knowledge is for Fact.

Has anyone toyed around with the differences?
Has anyone thought of a better method of fleshing out what a character knows?
What would you do different?

 

[Tonguez]

I use a General Knowledge/Education check (inspired by Spycraft or Traveller (maybe both) iirc)

The General Knowledge/Education skill is checked to see how much 'general stuff' a person knows that isn't a specialist area (like the Knowledge skills).

So if something like say "what is the Worlds largest rodent?" comes up PCs can check their GK/E and see if they know because they saw it on the Discovery channel...

 

[Gadodel]

I had thought about that too.

Lemme see if I have the idea down right.

An Education Check *might* allow them to answer the above question, "What is the worlds largest Rodent". The DC might be a 15 or so. Whereas if the same question came up and character had say, Knowledge: Zoology, the DC might be low say around 10.

Would that be a fair example? Knowledge would simply lower the DC of any given question?

 

[Tonguez]

I had thought about that too.

Lemme see if I have the idea down right.

An Education Check *might* allow them to answer the above question, "What is the worlds largest Rodent". The DC might be a 15 or so. Whereas if the same question came up and character had say, Knowledge: Zoology, the DC might be low say around 10.

Would that be a fair example? Knowledge would simply lower the DC of any given question?

Yep thats precisely how it works Specialist knowledge makes it easier to know common stuff (lower DC) and also allows the character to know obscure facts (as per Bardic Knowledge) in their chosen area

Education will give you a chance of knowing commonly known facts

Someone succeeding on a DC 15 Education check can tell you that dogs and bears have the same evolutionary line (a fact I first learnt from the Muppet Show) whereas someone succeding with Knowledge Zoology DC 15 can discuss Dog/Bear Cladistics and Ursavus elmensis.

 

[Gadodel]

Ah! I see. Excellent example. Thanks for the tutorial!