Multi-skill books. Scrambled requirements. Partially ripped books

Books that can bring various skills up to various levels. For example: A book that can bring Mechanics to 6 and Electronics to 5. Therefore also possibly having varying requirements, such as must have Mechanics 3 and/or Electronics 3 to understand (with nominal Intelligence requirement).

OK, so how should multi-skill books work upon reading? There are several possibilites. Let’s say a book can increase two skills.

  1. Both skills increase in alternating turns per chapter. This would mean the skill gain is half as slow for both skills, until one is maxed out at which point the remaining skill will increase at normal rate. The skill to advance first would be chosen randomly.
  2. Both skills increase at the same time per chapter but by extending the chapter duration we could force overall slower learning speed.
  3. Each skill could have its own chapter duration, albeit each would be longer than normal. Both skills would increase concurrently.
  4. Both skills increase randomly per chapter.
  5. Skill increases are based on probability per chapter. For example: 75% chance to increase Mechanics, 25% to increase Electronics. Someone desperate for books about Electronics might still pick this up even if he might end up learning more about Mechanics. Once the other skill is maxed out, the book would function just like a normal skill book for the remaining skill.
  6. The player can choose which skill to increase with the book, as clearly the information in the book is well organized.
  7. One of the skills could be forced to be learned first. For example, we could have a book about Fabrication (up to 8) but it also requires basic understanding of Mechanics (3), but luckily the book covers that area as well, so that study must be completed first.

Cross-skill books and requirements. Such as a book about firearm inner workings - it raises Rifles skill (up to 3) but it requires Mechanics 3 to understand. Or the other way around - requires Rifles 3 but increases Mechanics skill (up to 3). In my mind Mechanics, Fabrication and firearm skills are closely related. Similarily First Aid (medicine) and Cooking (chemistry). Or Computers and Electronics. Or Survival and Cooking.

And finally, grand books with “chapters missing”. These books were originally complete and thorough works but some desperate or mad survivor has ripped the pages(!), now missing crucial intermediate level information. Therefore these books contain the newbie material and the master level material. An example could be a book that brings Electronics up to 3 (no requirements), but also up to 10 (requires Electronics 7). So the book becomes temporarily useless at level 3, but you wouldn’t want to get rid of the book now would you. :slight_smile: