See also: Simple Yags.
A quick list of skills for all periods and genres. Though an attempt as been made to keep the list simple, it was decided that the concept of skill defaults and prerequisites were important enough to keep in, mostly because of the sciences.
Where a skill defaults to another, the character can use the default skill, halving the total roll and doubling the fumble chance.
Where a skill has a prerequisite of another skill, the prerequisite skill must be at the given level before the new skill can be learnt. If no level is given, then it defaults to 2. Further, the new skill can never be more than twice the level of the prerequisite.
Where a skill is limited by another skill, the skill cannot be more than half the level of the limiting skill.
Skill limits and prerequisites may change between genres and periods, as the way people learn skills changes.
Noticing things.
Running, jumping, climbing, gymnastics and acrobatics.
Punching, kicking, wrestling and all forms or bar-room brawling.
Being nice to people.
Deceiving people.
Sleight of hand.
Creeping and hiding.
Throwing rocks, spears, bottles and grenades.
Knowledges are things that are learnt rather than physical stuff. It includes the sciences. They are sorted according to period, starting with the medieval period, working through the enlightenment and finally to the present day.
These knowledges are classical knowledges - as handed down since the ancient Greeks. They represent people's first attempts at understanding the world. They predate science, so the concept of experimentation and testable theories hasn't yet been invented.
The seven classical skills. Traditionally the skill consists of the Trivium (logic, grammar and rhetoric) and the Quadrivium (astronomy, music, arithmetic and geometry).
Covers ethics, economics and politics. It is different from the politics skill which is more about practical intrigue rather than the theory of different political systems. During the renaissance, Economics and Political theory will split out from Philosophy, but currently this isn't the case.
Sort of proto-science. Knowledge of the world and how it works, as taught by the ancient Greeks. A sort of mixture of science and philosophy, though science hasn't yet been invented. Also includes what was known as Metaphysics.
Knowledge of god, and what it means for the world. Knowledge of scripture and how to interpret it, and also how it applies to the natural world. Theology and Natural Philosophy are very much entertwined in medieval thought.
Basic medicine. Covers actual surgery as well as theoretical knowledge about why people get sick and how to cure them. It does not cover anything about modern concepts of bacteria, genes, viruses and the like.
Knowledge of mixing stuff together to see what it does. Mostly concentrated on turning lead into gold, but blowing things up can be part of it as well. It is the fore-runner to chemistry, but until people figure out how molecules really work, it isn't really that much use.
Knowledge of the stars and planets, mostly in order to figure out people's horoscopes, but can be used to predict start of summer and winter (useful for farming) and when eclipses will happen. In the distant future, Astronomy will split from it and start doing useful stuff.
The Renaissance saw the first steps towards true science. This period doesn't have any skills of its own, and still uses many of the medieval skills. However, Science and Mathematics are invented in this period, as is Medicine.
Many skills are limited by another skill. In this case, the former skill can be no more than half the level of the skill it is limited by. So science (limited by Natural Philosophy), would need a natural philosophy of 10 before it could be raised to 5. This is more a mechanic to limit the newer skills more than a representation that they are based on the older skills.
The first ideas about the scientific method come into play. The skill is the same as the future skill, however most people will be limited in how high they can take this skill. It can never be higher than half their Natural Philosophy skill.
At this time mathematics is beginning to split from Artes liberales. It is limited to no more than half of the latter skill in this period.
Limited by Astrology, this represents the change to a more scientific view of the stars and planets. Defaults to Science.
The first tentative steps towards understanding the world. Defaults to Science and is limited by Natural philosophy.
Limited to Chirurgury and defaults to Science.
The basic skill of the scientific method. Includes theory of logic, reasoning and how to perform experiments. Also gives very basic knowledge of physics, chemistry and biology (the sort of stuff generally learnt at school up to about GCSE level).
Knowledge of advanced mathematics - algebra, integration, set theory, probability, geometry, trigonometry, vectors and the like. Basic arithmetic is done on straight intelligence, though can be done using Mathematics if it would give a better result.
Default: Science; Prerequisite: Science 2
Knowledge of physics, including such things as electronics, basic nuclear and quantum mechanics.
Default: Physics; Prerequisite: Physics 4
Default: Physics; Prerequisite: Physics 6
Default: Science; Prerequisite: Science 2
Default: Science; Prerequisite: Science 2
Job related skills. Generally the boring stuff that non-adventurers use to earn a living.
Fighting skills.
Small hand guns.
Automatic, semi-automatic and non-automatic rifles.
Accurate single shot with rifles.