In the Shadowrun 5e core book, all knowledge skill examples are shown with specializations, do you need to designate a specialization whenever you take a knowledge skill? If not, does designating a specialization for a knowledge skill cost karma (or points during character creation)?
[RPG] Do Knowledge Skills require a Specialization
character-creationshadowrun-sr5skills
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The new errata answers the question clearly:
Change to following sentence: “You get a free Power Point whenever you increase your Magic attribute, and you can gain a Power Point through Initiation (p. 324) instead of gaining a metamagic.” To: “If you’re an adept, you get a free Power Point whenever you increase your Magic attribute (though this doesn’t apply to mystic adepts, and you can gain a Power Point through Initiation (p. 324) instead of gaining a metamagic.”
Therefore, further power points do not require spending of karma, but do require to forfeit a metamagic when initiating, and can only be acquired by initiation.
In general, potions and other enchanted items are like stored evocations, i.e. intended to hold a single, pre-generated effect that is stored until released (YS279).
But what can this effect be?
- As to the point of whether it can replicate a skill, that part I'd say is true.
- As to how long it can last, it can be for an extended period of time.
RAW isn't very clear on this, but the example of magical effects is. Look at (YS304). True Seeing Ointment grants a +6 to alertness checks for an extended period of time. Looking closer at the rulebook, for a potion, you get this blurb: "The effect strength of a potion, like enchanted items, is equal to the wizard’s Lore." (YS280) You can also boost that, by devoting more potion slots, and/or taking a compel.
So within those limitations on the effect level, I'd say that he can.
There's another important bit in play, that I think is worth mentioning.
My current ruling will be: No. (unless somebody can point me to some source material that more clearly defines the subject)
My Reasoning in addition to what is above: A Stunt (and by extension Refresh) is useds to add a new trapping to a skill. Essentially letting the chacter do things with one skill that that normally couldn't be done with that skill.
I've never ruled on anything in DFRPG. I've talked it over with players, consulted outside interpretation, and discussed rules. But Fate in general is a game where you have to take into account the story that the players and yourself are creating in a coordinated effort.
I'd advise that you be careful with making 'rulings', and instead consult your players and make clarifications and extensions to the world with them.
Best Answer
As far as I see, not all knowledge skill examples are taken with specializations. For example, if you look on p91 on James' skills choice, he took:
Of these, only Matrix Security Measures has a specialty ("IC"). Remember that (Street) and (Interests) are just categories of Knowledge Skills.
Furthermore, all the ratings in that example add to 15, while the characters has 16 free points. This seems to indicates that the one specialty was bought with the 16th free point.