History

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IQ/Hard

Default: IQ-6.

This is the study of the recorded past (compare Archaeology skill). A successful skill roll lets you answer questions about history, and might (at the GM's option) allow you to remember a useful parallel: "Ah, yes. Hannibal faced a situation like this once, and here's what he did..."

You must specialize. There are two general classes of specialty:

• A limited geographical region – no larger than a small nation – over multiple eras. Examples: History (Bavarian), History (Irish), or History (New York State).
• A single era (e.g., Victorian period, 20th century) and one of a broad geographical region (e.g., Europe), a culture (e.g., Muslim), or an idea (e.g., economic, esoteric, or military). Examples: History (20th-Century American), History (Ottoman Muslim), or History (Napoleonic Military).

The sheer variety of possible specialties makes it impossible to list all possible defaults. In general, if two specialties overlap at all, then GM should permit a default at -2 to -4.