Feb 13
2009

 

Name Description
Anthropology The study of your native species.
Archaeology Old buildings, artefacts, and ancient cultures.
Arithmetic How to add, subtract, multiply, and divide–NOT Mathematics, below.
Astronomy Knowing what stars and planets really are.
Astrophysics The branch of astronomy and physics that deals with the physics of astronomical objects.
Biochemistry Knowing why the hemlock you drank will kill you, for example.
Biology How the organic world works, may be a particular knowledge, (Tree Surgeon, for example), should be Specialised.
Botany The study of plants, may be Specialised.  Level two specialising gives +2 Bonus, level three specialising gives +5 Bonus.
Cartography Mapmaking, specifically with attention to contours, geographic boundaries etc.
Chemistry Blowing your eyebrows off professionally.
Chemistry, Analytical The science of the composition, structure, properties, and reactions of matter, especially of atomic and molecular systems and the understanding of how to make sense of the results.
Composing Writing music of quality, or clash metal rock, your choice.
Computer Hacking Specifically, how to get into a computer system from which you are forbidden access.  You must have the Computer Programming and the Computer Operation Developments to have this Development.
Computer Operation Knowing how to work with computers, i.e. for ancient cultures, operate an abacus, for example.
Computer Programming Knowing how to write programs for computers, or repeated arithmetical operations for older cultures, or rapid mental calculation, such as knowing dates.
Cooking How to make food tasty and edible and not kill people.  A professional Development, which can be Specialised for a +1 Bonus, or further Specialised for a +5 Bonus.  Professional cooks are often famous in modern culture too.
Criminal Science Such as Pathology applied to policing.  Specialise.
Criticism Rendering a dialectic on the position of media in such a way that the audience thinks you know something, or are intelligent.
Cryptography The art and science of concealing data.  May be Specialised for a +2 Bonus, and further Specialised for a +5 Bonus.
Debate How to win the debate, or at least, convince your opponent you have a valid point.
Demonology The care and feeding of Demons for other dimensions, (probably), and their raising to a good standard.  Obviously this is a fantasy/gothic/horror development.
Diplomacy How not to start a fight with your neighbours.
Drafting Drawing designs of things that will be made.
Ecology Knowing how all nature works together.
Economics Knowing how money moves in a given society.
Editorial Self explanatory.
Fiction Writing for the masses.
Finance How control money, or goods if bartering, on a small or large scale.
General Repair A sort of jack of all trades Development.  You may use this development at -5 to replace most other repair Developments.
Geography Planetary mapping, or weather knowledge, etc.  Must be Specialised.
Geology Rocks, their care and feeding.
Heraldry Knowing a person by his/her registered symbols.
Higher Math Tin.
History (specify) Knowing about a given culture’s past.
Horticulture The practice of growing plants for consumption or pleasure in the controlled environment, largely unlike farming.
Identify Plants & Fruits Specifically what is good to eat and what is not.
Identify Potion Determine what type a potion is by smell and taste without coming to harm or being affected by it.  If the potion turns out to really be poison you will still have to make a Con roll against suffering the affects of the poison.
Instant Calculator Maths at speed.
Instant Measurer A good eye for size.
Knife Not the weapon skill, but for entertainment or other use, such as cooking for show.  Must be Specialised.  (Any idiot can carry a penknife, we’re talking about skill here).
Language (specify) Knowing how to speak a given language.
Linguistics The art and practice of determining meaning from new or previously un-encountered languages, also knowledge at the derivation of known.
Literacy Particularly for fantasy/ancient cultures.  How to read and write a little.  Professionals may know more than one language.  At around roll = 20 may translate.  See also Calligraphy in Administration, and Writing, further on in this category.
Literature Knowing about the books in your culture.
Logic Mathematical Logic.
Logistics Business Logic, for example.
Lore Must be Specialised.
Mathematics, Advanced May be Specialised as Applied; Pure; Engineering; Physics &c.
Mathematics, Basic Includes Numeracy, which should be used if there are no mathematical teachers in the vicinity while growing up.
Memorization Knowing how to commit something to memory, write it down if memorized.  The GM should take some time to check that you have recorded the memory correctly.  The GM should also make a quality check roll to see that the character remembers accurately and that their assessment of their recollection is good.
Meteorology May be Specialised for local conditions, i.e. country for Ancient cultures, and Planet wide for Modern and Post Modern Cultures.
Navigation Find your way by use of the stars and/or landmarks on the coast when travelling by water (crossing oceans, large seas, etc.).  This Development is similar to the Development of Orienteering but can only be used under way.  This must be Specialised.  At level two, there is a +2 Bonus, at level three there is a +4 Bonus.
Oceanography Study of the seas and oceans.  The major divisions of oceanography include the geological study of the ocean floor and features; physical oceanography, which is concerned with the physical attributes of the ocean water, such as currents and temperature; chemical oceanography, which focuses on the chemistry of ocean waters; marine biology, the study of the oceanic flora and fauna; and, in meteorology, the interaction between the atmosphere and the ocean.
Philosophy (specify) Knowing a given belief system, or understanding arguments for living, morals and ethics.
Photography How to take a good photograph.  Modern and post modern only.  May be Specialised for a +3 Bonus.  (Wedding photography for example).
Physics The study of bodies small and large to determine their properties and the laws pertaining thereto.
Predict Weather This  determine when the weather will change and what the change will be.
Preserve Food A specific Kitchen Development, particularly for ancient cultures.
Psychology (specify) Understanding the way a given race thinks.
Puzzle craft Knowing how to make and solve puzzles.
Research How to find out things you don’t know.  May be Specialised.
Sociology The study of human social behaviour, especially the study of the origins, organization, institutions, and development of society.  May be specialised to things like xeno-sociology, ancient-cultures, faerie-sociology etc. etc. 
Teaching How to show people how to do things.
Trivia Knowing all sorts of unrelated little facts.
Writing How to communicate in a written language, in prose or journalistically if Specialised.  Must already be literate by virtue of the setting or the Literacy Development.
Zoology The study of animals.