See the knowledge list under Lists and Tables for a more comprehensive list. This section describes out of the ordinary knowledge, and knowledge that requires some explanation.
Acting: The character knows how to act. Acting is based on charisma, as well as learning. Average charisma and learning, and use as learning for purposes of determining the Learning Modifier.
Amateur Radio: In order to decipher Morse Code, the character must have a Knowledge Score in Amateur Radio equal to the speed in words per minute.
Artwork: Specifically, Artwork covers drawing and/or painting. Charisma figures into art as much as Learning does. Average charisma and learning to determine the Learning Modifier.
Climbing: This knowledge covers climbing natural objects, such as mountains and cliffs. Agility figures into this as much as learning, so average agility and learning in order to find the Learning Modifier.
First Aid: This is simply the ability to apply quick treatment to wounds or other bodily disasters. A character with First Aid knowledge can stop bleeding. The character must roll less than 5 times their Knowledge Score, at a penalty equal to the number of penetrating DP lost, plus a penalty of 10 for each previous attempt. It takes 1 round to try and slow bleeding. Characters without First Aid knowledge can attempt to stop bleeding, but must roll less than or equal to learning on d100, with the same penalties. A successful roll halves the time between Bleeding Rolls.
Game, Mental/Luck: The character knows some sort of game. The Learning Time varies with the game. Dice Gambling tends to be about 1 hour, whereas Chess or Card Gaming is 2 hours. Fantasy Role-Playing Games have about a 20 hour Learning Time. Or at least, sometimes it seems that way.
Magic Tricks: This is show trickery. The magician must have time to set up the magic tricks. Magic Tricks involves agility and charisma as well as learning. Average agility and charisma together, and then average that with learning, to find the Learning Modifier.
Medical: A character with Medical can cure an amount of penetrating damage in the field equal to Knowledge Score divided by 25, rounding up. This can be done once for any wound. This takes 2d10 minutes, plus the number of points in the wound squared, minus half the character’s Medical score. Neither injury nor permanent damage can be healed in the field.
In the hospital, a patient’s Healing Roll and Bleeding Roll pools have a bonus of the doctor’s score divided by 10. This may be modified downward (and may even become negative) if hospital conditions are particularly bad.
In a properly equipped hospital, a doctor can use surgery to heal up to knowledge score divided by 25, round up, injury points, and knowledge score divided by 10 penetrating points. Again, hospital conditions can reduce the doctor’s knowledge score.
Permanent damage might be able to be cured under surgery. Subtract ten times the original point score of the wound (permanent damage only) from the physician’s knowledge score. Subtract d100. This is the percentage of the original wound that can be healed. If this is negative, it does increase the points of the wound, unless the doctor makes a save vs. knowledge score minus 5 times the Wound’s points. Normally, healed permanent damage simply becomes injury damage, which then heals at the normal rate.
A doctor can bring an unconscious person conscious, as long as the patient does not have more permanent body/head injuries than the patient has damage points. The doctor must roll d100 less than or equal to twice knowledge score, minus the ten times the number of points the patient is below zero. The doctor must also make another roll against the same number, or the patient loses 1 DP, penetrating, to the body. There is a bonus of up to the doctor’s knowledge score on both of those rolls if the attempt is made in a properly equipped hospital. The patient can then stay conscious according to the rules for remaining conscious when at less than 1 DP.
If a wound is worked on by more than one doctor, it will take a better doctor to do any good. The new doctor must heal more than what the previous doctors did, and the wound is reduced by this extra amount (the amount over what the previous doctor(s) did).
Double the doctor’s knowledge score if the doctor is specialized in the area in question (and half the score if the doctor is specialized somewhere else). Medical includes all the knowledge of First Aid, at double the score (a Doctor with 45 Medical effectively has First Aid at 90).
Memorized Words: A character can attempt to memorize words. The number of pages memorized is Knowledge Score, squared. Thus, a character could Memorize the Constitution. The Constitution is about 6 pages, so a Memorized Constitution Knowledge Score of 3 is required.
Partying: This is a social skill, involving knowledge of how, where, and when to party. This involves charisma as well as learning, so average learning and charisma when determining the Learning Modifier.
Playing an Instrument: The character knows how to play a musical instrument. This involves both charisma and agility. Average charisma and agility, and then average this with learning, to determine the Learning Modifier.
Psychiatry: A psychiatrist is a doctor of the mind and brain. A psychiatrist can reduce the amount of time a patient is insane. Roll d100. If this is less than or equal to the doctor’s knowledge score, divide the time insane by the square root of the difference between the roll and the psychiatrist’s knowledge score. If this is greater than twice the doctor’s knowledge score, increase the amount of time by a number of days equal to the difference between the roll and the doctor’s straight knowledge score.
Sculpting: The character knows how to sculpt statues or sculptures. Charisma figures into this, so average charisma and learning to determine Learning Modifier.
Singing: The character knows various singing techniques. As in most performing arts, charisma is important. Average charisma and learning to determine Learning Modifier.
Speed Reading: The character increases the rate of reading by a percentage equal to the knowledge score. Cramming speed can be increased by this percentage.
Sport, Physical: The character knows a physical competition sport. Each sport will have a different combination of abilities for finding the Learning Modifier. Average those abilities together, and then average the result with learning, to determine Learning Modifier.
Tennis: agility.
Football: strength, constitution, and agility.
Baseball: agility and strength.
Bowling: agility.
Hockey: strength and agility.
Crew: strength and constitution.
Stereo: This is the art of working a stereo system, for maximum volume, penetration, and (to a lesser extent), clarity. Average charisma with learning to find the Learning Modifier.
Teaching/Training: A teacher increases the ability of a person to learn skills or knowledge.
For knowledge, multiply the teacher’s Teaching knowledge score by the teacher’s knowledge score in the knowledge being taught. Divide by the student’s knowledge score.
For skills, multiply the trainer’s Training knowledge score by the trainer’s level in the skill. Divide by the student’s level.
Look up the result on the Doubling Chart. divide by 10, and add to 1. Multiply the time spent studying (or the Training Points Used for skills) by this, for time/points for the knowledge score/skill level increase. For example, Carol Channing wants to learn how to play chess better. Her current chess score is 27. She finds a chess teacher who has a chess score of 40, and a standard teaching score of 20. Twenty times 40 is 800, divided by 27 is 29.6. This corresponds to 2 on the doubling chart, for a 1.2 multiplier. If she studies 5 hours while under the tutelage of the chess teacher, she has learned as much as if she had studied 6 hours alone.
The teacher does not need to be present at all times, but must be available to guide the student. If the teacher has a knowledge score/level of 0, use 1/2 as the knowledge score/level. If the teacher has a teaching score of 0, use 1/2 for that, also.
Students who did not choose to be taught (public school students, for example) must make a saving throw vs. Willpower to take advantage of a teacher.
Writing: The character knows some form of writing techniques. Charisma plays a part here. Average the character’s charisma with learning to determine the Learning Modifier.