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| Knowledges involve application of the mind, not the body. If you don't have any dots in a knowledge, you cannot even attempt a roll (you can't hold a conversation in Spanish on wits alone). Academics - This catchall Knowledge covers the character�s erudition in the �humanities�: literature, history, art, philosophy and other �liberal� sciences. A character with dots in Academics is generally well-rounded in these fields, and at high levels may be considered an expert in one or more areas of study. Not only can this Knowledge impress at salons and other Elysium functions, but it can also offer valuable clues to certain past and future � movements in the Jyhad. (Poststructuralism, Impressionist Painting, Imperial Rome, American Realism) * Student: You�re aware that 1066 is something more than a Beverly Hills area code. ** College: You can quote from the classics, identify major cultural movements, and expound on the difference between Ming and Moghul. *** Masters: You could get a paper published in a scholarly journal. **** Doctorate: Professor emeritus ***** Scholar: Scholars worldwide acknowledge you as one of the foremost experts of your time. Computer - This Knowledge represents the ability to operate and program computers, as well as the savvy to keep up with the latest technology. (Computer Languages, Internet, Codebreaking, Viruses, Data Retrieval) * Student: Point and click. ** College: You can process data with relative ease. *** Masters: You can design software. **** Doctorate: You can make a very comfortable living as a consultant. ***** Scholar: You�re on the bleeding edge. Finance - You know the ins and outs of commerce, from evaluating an item�s relative worth to keeping up with currency exchange rates. This Knowledge can be invaluable when brokering items, running numbers or playing the stock market. Sufficiently high levels in Finance allow you to raise your standards of living to a very comfortable level. (Stock Market, Laundering, Appraisal, Foreign Currencies,Accounting, Fencing, Corporations) * Student: You�ve taken a few business classes. ** College: You have some practical experience and can keep your books fairly neat. *** Masters: You�d make a fine stockbroker. **** Doctorate: Corporations follow your financial lead. ***** Scholar: You could turn a $20 bill into a fortune. Investigation - You�ve learned to notice details others might overlook, and might make an admirable detective. This Knowledge represents not only a good eye for detail, but also an ability to do research and follow leads. (Forensics, Shadowing, Search, Discolorations) * Student: You�ve read your share of Agatha Christie. ** College: Police officer *** Masters: Private detective **** Doctorate: Federal agent ***** Scholar: Sherlock Holmes Law - With all the lawyers and lawmakers out there, this Knowledge can prove very useful. Law can be useful for filing suit, avoiding lawsuits or getting out of jail. What�s more, even the Kindred keep their own laws, and more than one vampire has saved his own unlife by deftly exploiting a loophole in one of the Traditions. (Criminal, Suits, Courts, Contracts, Police Procedure) * Student: You�ve watched your share of courtroom dramas. ** College: You�re either studying for or just passed the bar exam. *** Masters: Ambulance chaser **** Doctorate: Major public figures have your number � just in case. ***** Scholar: You could find the loopholes in the Devil�s contract. Linguistics - You begin play with the native language of your choice for free, but if you want to speak any other languages, whether modern or ancient, Linguistics is a must. This Ability allows you to understand additional languages, but at high levels also offers a more general understanding of linguistic structure. Linguistics may allow you to recognize accents or decipher word puzzles. (Romance Languages, Kanji, Idioms, Hieroglyphics, Written Expression, Ciphers) * Student: One extra language ** College: Two extra languages *** Masters: Four extra languages **** Doctorate: Eight extra languages ***** Scholar: 16 extra languages Medicine - You have an understanding of how the human body, and to a lesser extent the vampiric body, works. This Ability entails knowledge of medicines, ailments, first-aid procedures, and diagnosis or treatment of disease. Medicine is of great use to those Kindred with an interest in repairing, damaging or reworking the human body. (Organ Transplants, Emergency Care, Poison Treatments, Pathology, Pharmaceuticals) * Student: You�ve taken a CPR course. ** College: Premed or paramedic *** Masters: General practitioner **** Doctorate: You can perform transplants. ***** Scholar: You are respected by the world�s medical community as a modern-day Aesculapius. Occult - You are knowledgeable in occult areas such as mysticism, curses, magic, folklore and particularly vampire lore. Unlike most other Knowledges, Occult does not imply a command of hard, factual information; much of what you know may well be rumor, myth, speculation or hearsay. However, the secrets to be learned in this field are worth centuries of sifting legend from fact. High levels of Occult imply a deep understanding of vampire lore, as well as a good grounding in other aspects of the occult; at the very least, you can discern what is patently false. (Kindred Lore, Rituals, Infernalism, Witches) * Student: You�ve paged through the New Age section of a Waldenbooks. ** College: There seems to be some unsettling truth to some of the rumors you�ve heard. *** Masters: You�ve heard a lot and actually seen a little for yourself. **** Doctorate: You can recognize blatantly false sources and make educated guesses about the rest. ***** Scholar: You know most of the basic truths about the hidden world. Politics - You are familiar with the politics of the moment, including the people in charge and how they got there. This Knowledge can aid you in dealing with or influencing mortal politicians, or even offer some insight into the local Cainite power structure. (City, State, Federal, Bribery, Dogma, Radical, Camarilla) * Student: Activist ** College: Political science major *** Masters: Campaign manager or talk-radio host **** Doctorate: Senator *****Scholar: You could choose the next President of the United States. Science - You have at least a basic understanding of most of the physical sciences, such as chemistry, biology, physics and geology. This Knowledge can be put to all forms of practical use. (Chemistry, Biology, Geology, Physics, Astronomy) * Student: You know most of the high-school basics. ** College: You�re familiar with the major theories. *** Masters: You could teach high-school science. **** Doctorate: You�re fully capable of advancing the knowledge in your field. ***** Scholar: Your Nobel Prize is waiting for you. |