Player Knowledge

Here’s a detailed breakdown of what each rank represents in terms of your character understanding magical theory, including the dangers of opposing schools:

Knowledge (Arcana) Skill Ranks

Rank 0 (Untrained)

• You know very little about magic.

• You are aware that magic exists and that some people can use it.

• You might recognize that a spell is being cast, but even that is not certain.

Rank 1 (Apprentice)

• You know about the different schools of magic and basic magical theory.

• You can identify the schools of magic by name (e.g., Abjuration, Conjuration).

• You understand that magic is divided into categories based on its effects and applications.

Rank 2 (Neophyte)

• You know the schools of magic well and can describe their primary characteristics and general uses.

• You understand the dangers of mixing different schools of magic.

• You know which schools of magic oppose each other (e.g., Abjuration opposes Transmutation).

Rank 3 (Adept)

• You have a strong understanding of the effects and consequences of mixing opposing schools of magic.

• You can identify specific types of magical disruptions that occur from combining particular schools.

• You know common precautions that can mitigate the risks of such combinations.

Rank 4 (Adroit)

• You can accurately predict the specific nature of magical disruptions based on the levels of spells and the schools involved.

• You have a comprehensive understanding of magical theory and the interplay between different schools of magic.

• You can devise complex precautions to minimize the risks of combining opposing schools of magic.

Rank 5 (Adroit Master)

• You are familiar with historical case studies of magical disruptions caused by opposing schools.

• You can identify and explain rare and esoteric interactions between schools of magic.

• You have in-depth knowledge of ancient and modern magical practices and how they relate to the schools of magic.

Rank 6 (Savant)

• You are considered an authority on the subject of magical schools and their interactions.

• You can teach others about the nuances of magical theory and the safe practice of magic.

• You are capable of taking countermeasures in your magical techniques that can mitigate the risks of weaker combinations. (Combined 3rd level and lower)

Rank 7 (Preeminent)

• You possess nearly unparalleled knowledge of all schools of magic and their interactions.

• Your countermeasures allow to safely combine elements from opposing schools of mid to lower level magic. (Combined 4th level and lower)

• You are able to advise high-level magical institutions and governments on magical safety and policy.

Rank 8 (Grand Master)

• You have an almost instinctive understanding of magic and can intuitively predict magical interactions.

• You are regarded as one of the greatest magical minds of your age.

• Your knowledge of magical theory is so advanced that you can foresee and prevent potential magical catastrophes.

(As an Immediate action, you can treat the effects of opposing schools interaction as a Combined Level 1 or 2 lower. Doing so makes you suffer 8d4 non-lethal damage per level reduced).

Effective Knowledge (Arcana) Rank

Your ‘Effective Knowledge (Arcana) Rank’ has its base set by the actual rank you have in this skill. However, 2 things might increase this rank beyond the flat ‘rank’.

Class Skill Bonus

Characters for whom Knowledge (Arcana) is a class skill gain a +1 bonus, effectively allowing them to reach a maximum of 7 ranks. This also means character’s with this class skill and 0 ranks cound at 1 ‘Effective Knowledge (Arcana) Rank’.

Feats

Skill Focus (Knowledge ): Grants a +3 bonus to Knowledge (Arcana) checks. For the purpose of rank equivalence, this can be considered as an additional rank, allowing characters to effectively reach up to 7 ranks.

There may be other feats, but they have not been decided on yet. However, multiple feats that impact the ‘Effective Knowledge (Arcana) Rank’ do not stack for greater than a +1 to rank.