johnsemlak
First Post
Are there any rules for specializing within one skill (say, knowledge of dwarven history)?
Specializing within a skill?
- Thread starter johnsemlak
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Altamont Ravenard
Explorer
Hm. I guess the need to specialize would come from determining what a certain Knowledge (for example) skill encompasses.
As it stands now, anyone with 10 ranks in Knowledge (History) knows as much about dwarven, elven, halfing, gnomish, orcish, etc. history as anyone else (with 10 ranks in Knowledge (History)).
Of course, specialization is pretty much a contemporary notion. The great minds of the past were great generalists.
I haven't seen any rules on specializing, although you could possibly play it (an example) that within your Field (History), you have a specialty, and that you receive +2 on Knowledge checks involving your specialty whereas you suffer a -1 penalty on Knowledge checks not pertaining to your specialty. I'm sure someone has come up with a better way of handling things.
AR
As it stands now, anyone with 10 ranks in Knowledge (History) knows as much about dwarven, elven, halfing, gnomish, orcish, etc. history as anyone else (with 10 ranks in Knowledge (History)).
Of course, specialization is pretty much a contemporary notion. The great minds of the past were great generalists.
I haven't seen any rules on specializing, although you could possibly play it (an example) that within your Field (History), you have a specialty, and that you receive +2 on Knowledge checks involving your specialty whereas you suffer a -1 penalty on Knowledge checks not pertaining to your specialty. I'm sure someone has come up with a better way of handling things.
AR
Lord Pendragon
First Post
The way I've played it, and ruled it, is that specialization is voluntary. You specialize for role-playing reasons, not necessarily because it gives you a mechanical advantage.
That said, since this narrows your scope, I will often add a +2 specialization bonus to rolls where the knowledge does indeed fall within the skill's pervue, but I don't promise that, nor expect it as a player.
That said, since this narrows your scope, I will often add a +2 specialization bonus to rolls where the knowledge does indeed fall within the skill's pervue, but I don't promise that, nor expect it as a player.
Blackadder
Community Supporter
I'd personally treat it like most other systems do. The more specific the knowledge skill, the easier the roll to know something about the subject.
Someone with knowledge(history) has a chance to know anything about any historic event. Knowing the name of the king of micronesia's mistress in 800ad would be possible to know, but a really high DC.
Having knowledge (micronesian history circa 600ad-900ad) would mean you'd have a really easy check to figure out that bit of information, but you'd know absolutly nothing about the great beer riots of 1972.
I don't think giving bonuses is all that... balanced. At level 1 +2/-1 for specialization bonus/penalty is all well and good. at 20th its meaningless.
Perhaps allow skill stacking (but only get the stat bonus once):
10 ranks knowledge (history)
2 ranks knowledge (dwarven history)
So you have 12 ranks with dwarves, 10 with general. Basically allow the player to determine HOW specialized he is rather than some one size fits all bonus. Sure, it might allow someone to get more ranks than strictly allowed at any given level, but I've yet to be in a game where a first level character have 8 ranks in knowledge (elven love songs) would really be all that unbalancing.
Someone with knowledge(history) has a chance to know anything about any historic event. Knowing the name of the king of micronesia's mistress in 800ad would be possible to know, but a really high DC.
Having knowledge (micronesian history circa 600ad-900ad) would mean you'd have a really easy check to figure out that bit of information, but you'd know absolutly nothing about the great beer riots of 1972.
I don't think giving bonuses is all that... balanced. At level 1 +2/-1 for specialization bonus/penalty is all well and good. at 20th its meaningless.
Perhaps allow skill stacking (but only get the stat bonus once):
10 ranks knowledge (history)
2 ranks knowledge (dwarven history)
So you have 12 ranks with dwarves, 10 with general. Basically allow the player to determine HOW specialized he is rather than some one size fits all bonus. Sure, it might allow someone to get more ranks than strictly allowed at any given level, but I've yet to be in a game where a first level character have 8 ranks in knowledge (elven love songs) would really be all that unbalancing.
jgsugden
Legend
There are no official rules that I know of for specialization in a subset of a single knowledge skill, but it would be easy enough to handle as a feat:
Feat:
Sage Knowledge (General)
You know a heck of a lot about a narrow area of knowledge that is a subset of a knowledge skill for which you have skill focus: knowledge.
Prerequisite: Skill Focus: Knowledge (related knowledge skill)
Benefit: Select a subset of information related to a knowledge skill for which you have skill focus: knowledge. You gain a +2 competence bonus on all skill check for that knowledge skill that relate to that subset of information. In addition, you may take 20 on all knowledge checks involving that subset of information without taking additional time.
Feat:
Sage Knowledge (General)
You know a heck of a lot about a narrow area of knowledge that is a subset of a knowledge skill for which you have skill focus: knowledge.
Prerequisite: Skill Focus: Knowledge (related knowledge skill)
Benefit: Select a subset of information related to a knowledge skill for which you have skill focus: knowledge. You gain a +2 competence bonus on all skill check for that knowledge skill that relate to that subset of information. In addition, you may take 20 on all knowledge checks involving that subset of information without taking additional time.
Altalazar
First Post
This sort of reminds me of the skill-web in Shadowrun, where skills are all related, some more distantly than others, and you could make a check based on a different skill, but with increased DC for each "node" of the web distance between the real skill and the skill you were using.
I wonder if some sort of "knowledge web" might not be handy to build for certain campaigns to facilitate this sort of thing. For most campaigns, this probably isn't necessary, but where the history of various lands is important, I can see it being useful.
I wonder if some sort of "knowledge web" might not be handy to build for certain campaigns to facilitate this sort of thing. For most campaigns, this probably isn't necessary, but where the history of various lands is important, I can see it being useful.
Spatzimaus
First Post
The Shadowrun system is OK, but I'd prefer to take advantage of the game's existing synergy rules:
If a player has 5 ranks of Knowledge(nobility), they get a +2 synergy bonus to their Knowledge(Dwarves) check (or vice versa, if you'd prefer) when learning something about Dwarven nobility.
Now you say, "but there IS no Knowledge (Dwarves) skill!" Add it. Make a Knowledge skill for each race, where that skill covers everything (nobility, history, culture, anatomy) having to do with that race. It's the racial analog of Knowledge (Local).
(Make it an automatic class skill for that race, too. So all Elves can learn Knowledge (Elf), even if they don't go Wizard or Bard. This causes problems with classes like the Loremaster since it now becomes easy to get two Knowledge skills as class skills, so be careful.)
So, you can now do synergy. Maybe call it a +1 synergy bonus for every 2 ranks of "related" Knowledge skill.
If a player has 5 ranks of Knowledge(nobility), they get a +2 synergy bonus to their Knowledge(Dwarves) check (or vice versa, if you'd prefer) when learning something about Dwarven nobility.
Now you say, "but there IS no Knowledge (Dwarves) skill!" Add it. Make a Knowledge skill for each race, where that skill covers everything (nobility, history, culture, anatomy) having to do with that race. It's the racial analog of Knowledge (Local).
(Make it an automatic class skill for that race, too. So all Elves can learn Knowledge (Elf), even if they don't go Wizard or Bard. This causes problems with classes like the Loremaster since it now becomes easy to get two Knowledge skills as class skills, so be careful.)
So, you can now do synergy. Maybe call it a +1 synergy bonus for every 2 ranks of "related" Knowledge skill.
I handle mine a lot like Black adder does. Changing the DC depending on the generalness of the Question. I also take into account the Characters background as well. Such as Character A has Knowledge History And so does Character B both at the same bonus. However the Question is about history of a noble family In Character A's city. I may give him A +1-+2 bonus. If character A was also playing a Noble I may go as high as +4 to reflect the chance that about this one subject he may know a little more. I do this constantly based on the backgrounds of certain characters.
I use a lot of knowledge skills if a session goes by without almost every characeter making a knowledge check (even the fighters) that would be unusual. I also allow researching to give a bonus. The Wizard recently researched Golumns and Stone golumns in particular since they know (or think they know) that they are going to face a particularly nasty one soon. So for his Knowledge Aracanna I'll give him a bonus. And to make it easy the Players have to remind me of what they have researched or offer reminders to what may get them bonuses so I don't have to rememeber everybodies little role playing things. I got enough to worrry about.
PS As far as the Fighters using knowledge skills I give 2 bonus Skill points to all classes to spend as they wish and allow Knowledges as class skills depending on what they are such as Knowledge (Ironhome ) the wizard has it its his home town. Anyone from their regardless of class would have that as a class skill someone from elsewhere has to pay as a cross class. Admittedly the fighters go for Knowledge tactics or seige warfare or castle defences etc. But since I have no Single class fighters the Front line mooks tend to have even more varing skills.
Knowledge is after all Power.
later
I use a lot of knowledge skills if a session goes by without almost every characeter making a knowledge check (even the fighters) that would be unusual. I also allow researching to give a bonus. The Wizard recently researched Golumns and Stone golumns in particular since they know (or think they know) that they are going to face a particularly nasty one soon. So for his Knowledge Aracanna I'll give him a bonus. And to make it easy the Players have to remind me of what they have researched or offer reminders to what may get them bonuses so I don't have to rememeber everybodies little role playing things. I got enough to worrry about.
PS As far as the Fighters using knowledge skills I give 2 bonus Skill points to all classes to spend as they wish and allow Knowledges as class skills depending on what they are such as Knowledge (Ironhome ) the wizard has it its his home town. Anyone from their regardless of class would have that as a class skill someone from elsewhere has to pay as a cross class. Admittedly the fighters go for Knowledge tactics or seige warfare or castle defences etc. But since I have no Single class fighters the Front line mooks tend to have even more varing skills.
Knowledge is after all Power.
later
