Common Lore

Advanced, Investigation
Intelligence
Skill Group: Adeptus Arbites, Machine Cult, Administratum, Ecclesiarchy, Imperial Creed, Imperial Guard, Imperium, Tech, Underworld, War. Other Common Lores may be available at the GM’s discretion.

Use the Common Lore skill to recall the habits, institutions, traditions, public figures and superstitions of a particular world, cultural group, organisation or race. This Skill does not represent scholarly learning (that is Scholastic Lore), nor obscure forbidden knowledge (that is Forbidden Lore), but rather the basics you learn by growing up or travelling extensively through a region.
When making a Common Lore Test, you recall basic information about the subject. Each degree of success reveals a bit more information as determined by the GM.
Using Common Lore takes no time at all. You either know something or you do not.
Adeptus Arbites: Knowledge of the various arms and sub-sects of the Arbites, including such things as their ranking structure and common procedures.
Machine Cult: A general understanding of the symbols and practices of the Mechanicus, as well as such things as formal greetings and identifying rankings.
Administratum: Broad knowledge of the inner workings, rules and regulations of the Administratum.
Ecclesiarchy: Understanding of the hierarchy of the Cult of the Emperor, its rankings, greetings and general practices.
Imperial Creed: Knowledge of the rites and practices of the Imperial Cult, the most common observances to the Emperor and the most well-known saints.
Imperial Guard: Basic information about the ranking systems, logistics and structure of the Imperial Guard as well as such things as their common practices, both tactical and strategic.
Imperium: Knowledge of the sectors, segmentums and most well- known worlds of the Imperium.
Tech: An understanding of simple litanies and rituals to sooth and appease machine spirits.
Underworld: Understanding of organised crime and sedition within the Imperium.
War: Knowledge of great battles, notable (and notorious) commanders and heroes, as well as famous stratagems.

Famous Stratagems

Whenever you would be called upon to make a Scholastic Lore (Tactica Imperialis) Test, you may instead make a Common Lore (Imperial Guard or War) Test, but at a –20 penalty, so long as the Test relates to famous battles or strategies.

Local Knowledge

For all a navigator’s charts and maps, sometimes nothing beats local knowledge. You may make a Common Lore (Imperium, or other related lore) to see if you know anything useful about the local area. If successful you gain a +10 bonus to the next Navigation or Survival Test made in the same locale.

Practices and Procedures

A little knowledge about an organisation’s practises and procedures goes a long way to smoothing things over when dealing with them. You may make a relevant Common Lore Test prior to dealing with members of an organisation. If successful, you gain a +10 bonus to Interaction Tests made when dealing with them.

Red Tape

Knowledge of the inside workings of the Administratum can give you the means to cut through endless layers of bureaucracy. When requesting information or assistance from the Administratum as part of an investigation, you may make a Common Lore (Administratum) or Scholastic Lore (Bureaucracy) Test. If successful, you may reduce the time taken by a further two hours for every degree of success. Alternatively, you can attempt to delay an attempt to get information by an enemy, increasing the time taken by two hours for every degree of success.
On a failed Test, you increase the time taken by two hours plus two hours for every degree of failure, or if delaying an enemy, decrease the time taken by two hours plus two hours for every degree of failure.