Natural World

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 Natural World (10%) 

Originally the study of plant and animal life in its environment. By the nineteenth century, this study had long separated into a range of academic disciplines (Biology, Botany, etc.). As a skill, Natural World represents the traditional (unscientific) knowledge and personal observation of farmers, fisherman, inspired amateurs, and hobbyists. It can identify species, habits, and habitats in a general way, and identify tracks, spoors, and calls, as well as allowing guesses as to what may be important to a particular species. For a scientific understanding of the natural world, one should look to the Biology, Botany, and Zoology skills.

Natural World may or may not be accurate - this is the region of appreciation, judgment, folk tradition, and enthusiasm. Use Natural World to judge horseflesh at the county fair, or decide whether a butterfly collection is excellent or just excellently framed.

Opposing skill/Difficulty level:


 * Regular difficulty: identifying a particular species; remembering some common lore; knowing the best place to catch fish.
 * Hard difficulty: identifying an unusual specimen; locating a rare species of plant or animal; remembering a very obscure fact or piece of lore.

Pushing examples: spending much longer (forgetful of the time) examining the habitat; tasting the unknown mushroom or plant to get a better idea what it is; consulting with the old woman in the village about the local wildlife.

Sample Consequences of failing a Pushed roll: you spend long hours obsessively poring over books to identify the species; you get the facts wrong, and instead of the wasps being repelled by your concoction of swamp mud and herbs, they are drawn to you (with painful results); you picked the wrong mushroom and find yourself, hours later, walking naked towards a policeman.


 * If an insane investigator fails a pushed roll, they go native and will be lost in the wilderness until friends come to their aid.