Reading & Comprehension for Adventurers
Formula: (Page Count of Text)/((MOD of subject matter or intelligence modifier)*(Difficulty of text)*( 1d4 )) = hours required for total comprehension of the text.
MOD of subject matter - the character’s ability modifier based on the subject of the given text. If it’s about planar stuff, use arcana. If it’s about the Cult of Dydos, use religion. If it’s about a war during The Age of Anxiety, use history.
Difficulty of text modifiers are as follows:
- 10 - a children’s story. Simplistic words and phrases that take no effort in understanding.
- 8 - run-of-the-mill literature. No complex metaphors or ideas, just an enjoyable book. This includes things like Tusk Love.
- 6 - a ‘for dummies’ text, or something of an equal comprehension level. The most basic knowledge of a given field.
- 5 - literature that would likely be at the high end of a typical citizen’s comprehension in the world. These would include classics like Timothy Brenatto’s The Cantripbury Tales.
- 3 - texts getting into specific basics of a given field. These would be found in upper-level high school courses or introductory undergraduate courses. Typically more verbose and academic in nature, but still understandable with effort.
- 2 - increasingly difficult texts, likely at the level of a graduate student’s theses or extremely archaic forms of language. Effectively impossible for average citizens to understand.
- 1 - extremely challenging works, written by masters of the field. Even in ones that attempt to utilize accessible language to increase the audience, it’s still horribly difficult to understand. For non-wizards, this category includes looking inside a caster’s spellbook.
- 0.01 - eldritch texts. Be not afraid!
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