Give Secondary Skill (sage ability)

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Give Secondary Skill is an amateur-status sage ability in the study of Instruction, essentially the embodiment of teaching rules that are explained on the Instruction page. They are repeated here for convenience:

Before assuming the role of a tutor, the character must meet two prerequisites: first, they must hold an amateur status in Instruction; second, their knowledge in the sage ability to be taught must be at least triple the amount that can be granted to the student. For example, an amateur instructor possessing 10 points of knowledge in swimming could teach up to 3 points of swimming to a student. Although this may not suffice to elevate the student to amateur status, even a single additional point in many skills can have a significant effect. A student who already has 3 points of knowledge would need to locate a more proficient instructor to continue his or her studies.

An instructor's capacity to enhance another character's proficiency in any field is limited to a maximum of 12 points. Once the student has achieved this level of knowledge, any further advancement in the subject must be acquired through personal experience and independent learning.

Teaching Process

Knowledge is divided into two distinct categories: physical and cognitive skills. Physical skills revolve around enhancing a student's physical attributes, such as muscle strength, physique, and reflexes, and are crucial for mastering abilities like swimming, running, diving or climbing. In contrast, cognitive skills necessitate a prerequisite of at least 3 points in the ability to read and write before instruction can commence. These cognitive skills encompass a broad spectrum, including artistic pursuits, socially relevant disciplines like law, religion or the occult, as well as scientific fields like alchemy, geology and medicine.

Gaining a single point of physical knowledge necessitates two weeks of dedicated training. Following this training period, the character undergoes an abilities check, evaluating both their strength and intelligence. Successful outcomes in both strength and intelligence checks indicate the character has successfully acquired one point of knowledge. The character is free to repeat this training regimen as many times as needed until they achieve success in both rolls.

Securing a cognitive knowledge point shares a similar approach, but the evaluation process varies depending on the specific category of cognitive skill being pursued. In the case of artisanal skills, the character's knowledge is assessed through checks involving both their intelligence and dexterity. Social skills are evaluated through checks combining intelligence and charisma, while scientific skills demand checks encompassing intelligence and wisdom. This diverse approach ensures that cognitive knowledge points are gained through a tailored assessment that aligns with the nature of the skill being acquired.

Instruction is always tailored to individual sage abilities rather than whole studies. Instructors have the capacity to impart knowledge points to a maximum of eight individuals within a single week.

Other Factors

In many cases, the surrounding environment plays a crucial role in the process of instruction. For instance, mastering skills like sailing necessitates access to a ship, while crafting glassware requires the use of a kiln and appropriate materials. To teach acting, one must have an audience; acquiring expertise in farming demands access to a farm and weeks of a growing season. The experience gained from such hands-on training confers additional advantages, including enhanced abilities to contend with environmental challenges such as heat, disease and more.

Note that these environmental factors can also expose the student to potential danger. For example, to learn about the diagnosis and treatment of farmyard diseases, students may need to come into contact with those diseases. Fields like underground mining, woodcutting, backstabbing, bribery, foraging, pummelling, and gambling carry inherent risks that students must navigate as they acquire proficiency in these skills.


See Hireling