[Usda Beph]

Ok so I'm getting more intuned with how things are working in the Run. I have also been using the Excel Runner spreadsheet and it has a nice long list of Knowledge skills. SOme of them overlap active skils. So do these have synergy with one another? Does haveing knowledge Intimidation add to my active attempt to scare teh piss outa some chummer? Kinda like threatening to eat a leaf off of some sacred tree would intimidate an elf but to a troll he/she might just break out some Thousand Island.

So I've known some games that allow synergy of things like this where the knowledge skill adds like 1/2 the levels to a roll. Anything like that here?

[Angelone]

Knowledge skills do not provide any type of in game bonus. They used to, I think it might have been a houserule, now they are background fluff or legwork related (Used to ID gangs, or neighborhoods).

[The_Gun_Nut]

You could use the old rule that a completely relevant knowledge skill will aid the active skill by giving an extra die for every 2 hits scored on a knowledge test.  For example:  Small Watercraft knowledge (ski boats, personal fishing boats, etc.) could help you control or repair the ski boat you just "liberated" after making the knowledge test.  It wouldn't give you a huge bonus, even if you had maxed out Logic and the Knowledge skill (why would you?), but it would give you an edge in the upcoming die roll.

[Usda Beph]

A1, TGN Thanks. I was wondering how that would work, The bonuses would be up to Doomed, but thanks for the info!

[voydangel]

Does anyone have any house rules they use to make knowledge skills more useful? Such as "whenever you're doing legwork or trying to find gear (availability checks) you add relevant knowledge skills to the roll" or some such? Ive been trying to think of how to bring knowledge skills back out of the "fluff pool" without making them unbalanced. Anyone got anything?

[Kontact]

Design knowledge skills count as basic plans for mechanic tests?

Sorry, I got nothin...

It really does seem like they'd be helpful in negotiation in a sort of "listen bucko" sort of way.
But at the same time, future tech should basically make anything but applied knowledge obsolete.

On that note, when's the last time you settled an argument without Wikipedia?

[Glyph]

In SR3, they actually had rules for using knowledge skills to supplement active skills (using psychology to gain an edge in negotiation test, etc.).

In SR4, they are only indirectly helpful.  A knowledge skill of ork culture might let you fit in better in the Ork Underground, a knowledge of Italian cuisine might help you fit in when you dine with the don, etc.  They can either give you a bonus (or avoid a penalty) for social skill checks, or give you helpful information from the GM (your gang identification skill lets you notice that the stuffer shack is tagged with graffiti marking it as being protected by a local gang).

[Chaotic Insane]

Design knowledge skills count as basic plans for mechanic tests?

Sorry, I got nothin...

It really does seem like they'd be helpful in negotiation in a sort of "listen bucko" sort of way.
But at the same time, future tech should basically make anything but applied knowledge obsolete.

On that note, when's the last time you settled an argument without Wikipedia?

The last time I had to settle an intellectual argument. I've come across a couple too many pages looking up various things where the article only saying various awful things about someone's sex life (admittedly, refresh it and it goes away and the page is locked) but still... there is still the "any joe schmo can edit it." bit. XD My middleschool was temporarily IP banned from accessing wikipedia.

[FastJack]

I honestly don't know why Wikipedia keeps getting a bad rap. Sure, in the beginning there was a lot of spamming/tagging/vandalism, but I haven't seen any for the last two years or so. I'd put wikipedia in the same category as the old Encyclopedia Britannica; it's a good reference to start research or to look up something, which can lead you to more in-depth sources.

[Chaotic Insane]

I'll get started with it just browsing (... or play wikipedia hopping, clicking on random links trying to get to the most weirdass page), but citing it in a school paper is a death sentence.

However, using it as a search engine to pull up their sources on the other hand... my teachers don't need to know about that.

[FastJack]

I'll get started with it just browsing (... or play wikipedia hopping, clicking on random links trying to get to the most weirdass page), but citing it in a school paper is a death sentence.

However, using it as a search engine to pull up their sources on the other hand... my teachers don't need to know about that.

That's what I mean. In my day (god, I'm feeling old now), we did the same thing with EB. Looked up the references they used to get us started...

[Usda Beph]

Yeah us salty old guys actually had the joy of picking up books and thumbing through them to find information. Now all ya do is Google it or Ask Jeevs, or have Jarvis create a suit of super armor... Wait can they do that yet? I would like that 3D holotank interface Tony keeps reaching into. It totally rocks!

[Jeeves]

Does anyone have any house rules they use to make knowledge skills more useful? Such as "whenever you're doing legwork or trying to find gear (availability checks) you add relevant knowledge skills to the roll" or some such? Ive been trying to think of how to bring knowledge skills back out of the "fluff pool" without making them unbalanced. Anyone got anything?

If relevent, i allow the player to roll a knowledge skill test and every two hits reduces a modifier by one, but this only applies to tests where the player can take time and think, IE an extended test or a test that isn't done under duress. Repairing that Mercury Comet isn't gonna be any easier if you're in a gunfight, no matter how many ranks in engineering you have.

[FastJack]

Yeah us salty old guys actually had the joy of picking up books and thumbing through them to find information. Now all ya do is Google it or Ask Jeevs, or have Jarvis create a suit of super armor... Wait can they do that yet? I would like that 3D holotank interface Tony keeps reaching into. It totally rocks!

Check it out

To get back on topic, I'd add Knowledge dice to non-active skills if they apply to the situation. For active skills, I might add half the Knowledge dice if it's really applicable.

[Usda Beph]

Yeah us salty old guys actually had the joy of picking up books and thumbing through them to find information. Now all ya do is Google it or Ask Jeevs, or have Jarvis create a suit of super armor... Wait can they do that yet? I would like that 3D holotank interface Tony keeps reaching into. It totally rocks!

Check it out

To get back on topic, I'd add Knowledge dice to non-active skills if they apply to the situation. For active skills, I might add half the Knowledge dice if it's really applicable.

Now get the images off the screens and we have a winner.

Yeah I like the way you see that synergy too.