Roxxy
2014-08-03, 07:58 PM
My setting is a modern tech one. In the nations the setting focuses on, children spend 13-14 years in primary and secondary school, just like IRL. The setting focuses on professional monster hunters in government agencies, and people who get in are military or police veterans and/or college graduates. So, every PC is going to be knowledgeable about some subjects. All monster hunters have to learn about monsters, so that increases how much knowledge the PCs have. So, it would be expected that every PC has a fair number of points invested in knowledge skills. Not to wouldn't make sense, because you'd lack the knowledge you need to do your job. I also don't want to force players to spend some skill points on knowledge, because that becomes a skill point tax. If it's something all PCs need, they should automatically have it, not be required to buy it.
So, I want to make knowledge a separate part of the character sheet from skills, so that part of your character stats is what you know and everybody knows some things, while also expanding the number of knowledge fields. Each type of monster has a knowledge skill (Many common monsters, such as vampires and zombies, are actually monster types that have dozens of different monsters with different attributes, abilities, weaknesses, and habitats.). You get knowledge points equal to 2 plus intelligence each level, each knowledge is ranked 1-10 and rank is limited to half your level, and each PC gets five ranks of monster knowledges for free at first level. Many knowledges overlap. For example, geography questions can be answered by Geography or the appropriate Local knowledge, and sometimes a question can be answered by Geography or Earth Science. In these cases, characters with ranks in both skills get one check only, but with a synergy bonus. I am cribbing specialties from WOD. Each level, you get a specialty. You can sacrifice a knowledge point to gain another. A specialty gives you a bonus to checks within a specific subset of a knowledge skill. GM decides what specialties are appropriate.
Geography
Linguistics
Local (each nation in the campaign has a separate local knowledge skill, covers very basic geography, civics, popular culture, current events)
Profession
Craft
Physical Sciences
Earth Sciences
Life Sciences
Engineering
Behavioral Sciences
History
Mathematics
Computers
Vehicles
Medicine
Art
Witchcraft
Philosophy and Religion
Vampires
Shapeshifters (single) (werewolves and their ilk, other shapeshifters with only two forms)
Shapeshifters (multiple) (shapeshifters not limited to two forms or listed under another knowledge)
Zombies
Ghosts
Undead (other)
Fae
Magical Beasts (each terrain type is a separate knowledge)
Epic (daikaiju, tarrasque, other one of a kind powerful creatures)
Dragons
Demons (any evil outsider is a demon)
Witches (a mage is a witch)
So, did I miss any knowledge categories I should have? Any ideas or suggestions?
So, I want to make knowledge a separate part of the character sheet from skills, so that part of your character stats is what you know and everybody knows some things, while also expanding the number of knowledge fields. Each type of monster has a knowledge skill (Many common monsters, such as vampires and zombies, are actually monster types that have dozens of different monsters with different attributes, abilities, weaknesses, and habitats.). You get knowledge points equal to 2 plus intelligence each level, each knowledge is ranked 1-10 and rank is limited to half your level, and each PC gets five ranks of monster knowledges for free at first level. Many knowledges overlap. For example, geography questions can be answered by Geography or the appropriate Local knowledge, and sometimes a question can be answered by Geography or Earth Science. In these cases, characters with ranks in both skills get one check only, but with a synergy bonus. I am cribbing specialties from WOD. Each level, you get a specialty. You can sacrifice a knowledge point to gain another. A specialty gives you a bonus to checks within a specific subset of a knowledge skill. GM decides what specialties are appropriate.
Geography
Linguistics
Local (each nation in the campaign has a separate local knowledge skill, covers very basic geography, civics, popular culture, current events)
Profession
Craft
Physical Sciences
Earth Sciences
Life Sciences
Engineering
Behavioral Sciences
History
Mathematics
Computers
Vehicles
Medicine
Art
Witchcraft
Philosophy and Religion
Vampires
Shapeshifters (single) (werewolves and their ilk, other shapeshifters with only two forms)
Shapeshifters (multiple) (shapeshifters not limited to two forms or listed under another knowledge)
Zombies
Ghosts
Undead (other)
Fae
Magical Beasts (each terrain type is a separate knowledge)
Epic (daikaiju, tarrasque, other one of a kind powerful creatures)
Dragons
Demons (any evil outsider is a demon)
Witches (a mage is a witch)
So, did I miss any knowledge categories I should have? Any ideas or suggestions?