Knowledges

Knowledges include all of the abilities that can only be acquired through hard study, access to research materials, and frequently require a tutor who has already mastered the field. Most knowledge rolls involve the cognitive Attributes of your character and are usually rolled with either the Wits or Intelligence Attribute. Knowledge rolls are generally divided into two categories: common information, and extended study. For common information rolls, the character is interested in recalling a particular fact. Common information rolls may be made multiple times during a gaming session (either the character knows the answer off the top of their head or they do not). Extended study rolls, require weighing the esoteric principles of a particular field of study and may also require advanced calculations, and consultation of numerous sources before an answer is achieved. Extended study rolls, therefore, can only be made once per hour, and it is assumed that a character involved in study will spend a good chunk of that time engrossed in that activity.
If your character does not possess ability dots in a Knowledge they cannot attempt to roll for it unless the storyteller rules that there is a small chance that anyone might have access to a particular piece of information. Advancing in a knowledge requires access to some form of teaching media as well as the appropriate expenditure of experience points. This media can be personal, like a teacher, or it can be static like access to library books, how-to videos, or educational websites on the Ethernet. Keep in mind that not all educational media is created equal, and as your character progresses in a knowledge, they must also expand the quality of their sources. As a general rule, characters with three levels in a knowledge require advanced access to a university quality library, teacher, or mentor if they wish to progress further. A good Knowledge mentor must have more dots in the skill than your character to be an acceptable teacher. Likewise, the storyteller should rate the quality of a libraries’ resources to establish an upper level cap on the subjects that can be researched there. Should your character ever equal the skill of their mentor or outgrow the resources of their library, they must first acquire additional resources before they can obtain additional dots in their chosen field of study.