Learning tidbits

[FeiLin]

I was looking at the alternative hit location tables on B553, and the arachnid has a brain that can come up on a roll or be targeted for -7. Now, I can't remember anything explicitly against anyone targeting that location (although I may have missed it), but either way, I thought it'd be fun to make it a mini-side-quest for characters to find out, even if their players know it.

What's a good way to handle that kind of "minor learning"? That's like a hint they could pick up in say a textbook on monster hunting, learn from experience after hitting it by chance enough times, or in a bar during an adventure, for instance. Is that kind of knowledge worth 1 CP? How to handle if the players then gain that specific knowledge (by, say, asking a combat veteran about weaknesses); should they then get a point (or at least the opportunity to spend one) in that skill?

Or should this be treated as familiarity, and they can choose 2 free familiarities per CP spent in a knowledge so they indeed need to spend some points there?

[Refplace]

If they rolplay it or it comes up during game, free.
If they have a relevant skill they can roll against it.
Assuming no one in the party has the skill but they want to research I have that as a minor town adventure.

[evileeyore]

Is it a natural* spider? Then a Naturalist roll let's the person know where the brainy bits are located. Is it a demon spider? I'd allow either Hidden Lore (Demon) or Naturalist.

And that's how I roll.



* Even if it's Giant, Dire, Hybrid, or whatever. As long as it isn't a Hidden Lore covered adjective like Undead, Elder, Demonic, Angelic, Draconic, Fey, Elemental, Spirit, etc. Then it's covered under the Hidden Lore if it's cleanly of that nature, or either if it's a mix.

See also Occultism for "weird" things that don't fit neat taxonomics. Like a Colour From Outer Space. So a Giant Elder Spider From Beyond Time might allow Hidden Lore (Elder Thing), Naturalist, or Occultism (but I'd only allow Naturalist if it really was a spider and not just a vaguely spider shaped creature).

I also tend to allow Theology to cover Undead, Spirits, and Demons/Angels if they fit within the religion's wheelhouse.

For instance a Skinwalker/Outsider* would fit under either Hidden Lore (Elder Thing), Theology (Vodou), or Occultism. Or even the worst of all three if it doesn't fit any of them particularly well...



* An evil 'spirit' from outside time and space that possesses creatures (and people) hollowing them out and making them more and more monstrous before it moves to a new victim to better hide it's nature leaving a cored out, soulless husk of a monster behind.

[FeiLin]

Great! Sounds pretty straight forward.

How would you handle books on such subjects? A mini adventure or side quest to prepare for the big battle might include finecombing libraries for books, but I didn't find a way to handle that in the basic set.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by FeiLin

How would you handle books on such subjects? A mini adventure or side quest to prepare for the big battle might include finecombing libraries for books, but I didn't find a way to handle that in the basic set.

This is what the Research skill is for. A good Research roll can find relevant information, and bigger margins of success find it faster and/or find more useful information.

Spending time doing Research on a subject covered by a skill also provides a good reason for spending points on that skill, or on Research.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by evileeyore

Is it a natural* spider? Then a Naturalist roll let's the person know where the brainy bits are located. Is it a demon spider? I'd allow either Hidden Lore (Demon) or Naturalist.

Note I'm also skipping over Veterinary, Animal Handling, Physiology, Physician, Botany, Survival (Native Habitat) and a handful of other skills that may be equally as applicable as the case may arise.

Some skills may be so 'second hand' as to require a penalty. Say when you're dealing with a Giant Elder Spider From Beyond Time that is a Brown Recluse, might allow Survival (Woodland) at a -4 or -6 because you know what Brown Recluses are and how to deal with them, but this monster is a far sight bigger and maybe not put together in the exact same fashion and just scaled up.

But when your best doggo gets infected with the Hellscream Virus and becomes a Mutant Vampire Alsatian, if you have Veterinary (Canine) you know damn well where the heart and brain are, no penalty (except to your feels. They get penalized hard).

Originally Posted by johndallman

This is what the Research skill is for. A good Research roll can find relevant information, and bigger margins of success find it faster and/or find more useful information.

Spending time doing Research on a subject covered by a skill also provides a good reason for spending points on that skill, or on Research.

Research, Speed-Reading†, Eidetic/Photographic Memory*, Writing* to create clear notes for others to read, Teaching* to pass the information clearly on to others, Public Speaking* to address the information to a large crowd quickly and clearly, etc...



† To quickly scan the research topics while the monster is beating down the door, or as a Complimentary Skill to Research. Eidetic/Photographic Memory should also apply to these rolls.

* Only really required if the information is complex or dense, say "The only way to cast the Giant Dire Elder Spider From Beyond Time back beyond the void from whence it came is to complete this long-winded ritual while it's being rubbed down with honey..." so passing along the information on the ritual you'ld either make notes for what everyone individually needed to do (Writing), or teach them their parts (Teaching), or just remember it all and shout out instructions between chants (IQ memory roll with E/P Memory and Public Speaking if you're working with a crowd)... or all of the above where your best preritual skill is your Primary and the others are Complimentary.