What Skill is Math!?

[nopantsyet]

I can see reasons for doing it both ways. I think historically abstract knowledge has been met with resistance until practical application was found. Of course, nobody's building nuclear reactors or landing on the mood in D&D. I think the skills represent any of a variety of methods for achieving a particular end. You might use Numerology and I use Tarot, but we both roll Scry. So if it doesn't allow you to do something in the fantasy world, it shouldn't have a skill. That said, I would probably say that Numerology is Scy and Mathematics is included in some practical skill such as Profession (Accountant).

 

[jester47]

I wouldn't have him use knowledge mathmatics. I would have him take ranks in skills that were obviously math heavy:

Know (arch engineering)
know (arcana)
Prof (bookkeeper, accountant, etc.)
Perform (music)
Decipher Script
Disable Device

etc.

If he wants a benefit from the background, create a feat called "Mathminded" or somthing that give him a bonus to Arcana, Engineering, Decipher Scipt and Disable Device.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I would have gone with Profession, but Profession uses the Wisdom modifier, not the Int modifier (and Mathematics seems to be more logical, less intuitive...). OTOH, if you're going to roll numerology into the same skill, it probably SHOULD be a proffession, perhaps with a bonus for a high rank in an Int-skill...

 

[fusangite]

Thanks everyone for your responses so far. It sounds like I should explain a few more things about my campaign and correct a few misimpressions.

In the real world
(a) Mathematics/numerology were very much part of the medieval education system and functioned as such. It is only in the modern era that these two disciplines have been decoupled -- the most obvious example of the intersection is Pythagoras.
(b) The medieval church, at no time, believed the earth to be flat.
(c) For much of medieval history, the philosophy that overlaid Christianity was Platonism -- a philosophical system which saw mathematics as the highest form of truth.

In my world, a character has discovered that an aspect of the religion of the dead civilization in my game (a religion of which he may be the only remaining priest in the world) is a type of cabalism. He has discovered that embedded in the sutras of the ancient religion is, in fact, a mathematical code from which he can derive the full texts. I want to give him a skill he can roll on to decrypt the sutras.