I think a really cool idea would be a bookshop. It would be nice if you could learn skills from reading about them. It would make it a little more realistic. But that would only relate to now. hmmm... How many people could read back then? But then what about the magic books? Very interesting. But if you are going to have magic books, you have to have books that raise skills.
You may be able to get skills by reading about them, but only to a certain extent. If you are training to be a knight, sitting around reading a book isn't going to get you very far, whereas physically training will let you master it.
you can go to the library and read the books on the shelves, and that will raise your library research skill allowing you to see more advanced hints, also letting you learn three new runes if you read enough.
But you can not just walk outside and be a knight. First you have to learn somewhere. Why not from a book? I am still waiting for those NPCs that i will be able to apprentice under
This is a good idea, I like it. But would you need to learn to read before you picked up a book? Take into account that we are not all born in Illarion and that many people's roleplaying background is that they left their own land and travelled here, therefore they could have read in advance, which could also go to all skills so I guess my own answer is that you would have to read, thank you Hermie.
I've got it after all this time. You raise your reading level in the library so you can read more advanced books, and they raise some level a little bit, but books would be expensive, because they all needed to be handwritten.
Or you could get the new items from books. eg you see a drawing of a round shield in a book, you know what it looks like but you still nead to practise making it by actualy smithing, But if you just go and find all the new items with no skil, you wont have a chance of making it.
I for one love reading books, so many things one can learn. However I hate having to be in town to read a good book I would love to take them hunting or farming with me.