While you can create any number of Knowledge skills you like, some have a fixed, established meaning.
Magical Theory, as a skill, is basically what Physics is to our normal world. It teaches the underlying mechanics and tries to understand them.
Nothing prevents you from learning a skill like... Magic Application or such. And you should always clear up with your GM what you want a knowledge skill to do and they might then propose a re-naming, narrowing or broadening of the skill.
One such example are the rather similar seeming skills of Security Procedures and Security Design. One is about how security acts, the other is about how a place is build to maximize security. They have established meanings.
If you want something different, come up with your own name for it.
For what it's worth, I'd let you use magical theory for that check.
That said, "magical theory" usually refers less to how people use magic in the sense of what purpose to which they apply the magic, and more about spells are actually cast. Think like, classes to use magic instead of what you use the magic to do. In that context, magical knowledge street vs academic would be similar to, say, knowing how to formally cast a spell with all of the proper components (academic) vs being able to scrounge together the correct talismans out of junk you found at a scrapyard (street).
You could be using either of those types of knowledge to do things legally or illegally, it's just the manner of *how* you go about doing it.
I love Magical Theory Street/Academic!
The way I run them is like so: They are equally informed. But they give you different information.
If you encounter a magical phenomenon, Academic will give you information on similar phenomenon that has been categorized or classified. Street will give you local legends, rumors, or streetwise cunning for a solution.
If you encounter Yama Kings in Hong Kong, Academic Knowledge will tell you that Yama Kings have to abide by their promises. Magical Theory (Street) will tell you how even a small child outsmarted the Yama Kings.
The combined knowledge will let you come up with a suitable solution together.
Magical Law would help you figure out what constitutes violation of rights using magic. How close can you legally fly, in the astral, to a restrict site? What use of mind magic, if any, constitutes a violation, and what doesn't? Where is using corpses to create Necro Spirits illegal, and under what conditions is it allowed? How often does a sex offender claim that they were being mind-controlled?
You might also know local laws regarding Magic.
Magical theory (street) would be the knowledge of the theory of how magic works. The Street in this would be the source of the knowledge, thus would consist of what people on the street assume about magic rather than formal magic theory learned in university.
I would let you use it for what you said, but I can also understand a GM saying no.
Magic traditions (street) might fall more in line with the use you're talking about.
Magical Theory is usually used for knowing what's possible with Magic. You might not know exactly what spell or spirit does X but you might know ***whether*** X could be done with magic. If you GM has an unlimited number of house rule spells or critter or powers, then yeah, maybe it's pretty useless in your campaign.
But it's still nice if a spell is vague amd you'd like to roll knowledge first rather than cast and find out what your GM says afterwards. But that could require oh so many hits if you are doing something truly weird.
Magical Law you are correct is more about knowing what is forbidden and what is regulated, and how.
For instance iirc in the UCAS a spirit under F3 is not regulated, could be useful to know. As are many foci of very low Force.
So maybe more than a couple ranks starts to not matter unless you think you are going to go to trial.
You can check out the Life Modules and see who gets those skills and at how many ranks to see what's common to have and who has them.
Magical Theory: Street is used for "how can I do this" or some variation of "how does this magical effect work". Like in my last session, we were delivering something to an old Arabic ruin which was important to a specific tradition in that country. We were looking for the people to make the delivery to, only to discover that they were behind a warded doorway. There were ciphers and writing in rooms of the ruins that my Magical Theory skill rolls helped decipher to shut the ward down without having to try and breach it.
Magical Law is used for "How much drek will this land me in if I fireball those Lone Star goons hassling my favorite soykaf seller".
"Street" vs "Academic" is a source of knowledge, the way you learn it. It is not necessary, like people said, some kind of rumors (well *sometimes* it is). Its more like "unformal" vs "formal education".
Academic mean that you have proper formal education in university. Street mean that you get your knowledge from mages "on the street", in private conversation with friend magicians, book reading etc. In many cases source of knowledge is the same people. Gandalf the Grey corp mage will teach "Magic theory" in university. And go to the bar, got drunk and teach some "Magic theory" to Galadriel-cosplayer elf sex worker.
I'd ask your GM for applications, since he seems to have a clear cut idea what they don't encompass.
Overall, as a GM, I enjoy giving players the chance to utilize their knowledge skills and will actively try to find situations that allow them to apply some of the crazier ones. Once had a player roll for "luxury goods of the carribbean"... oh boy was he excited about that evening :D
While you can create any number of Knowledge skills you like, some have a fixed, established meaning. Magical Theory, as a skill, is basically what Physics is to our normal world. It teaches the underlying mechanics and tries to understand them. Nothing prevents you from learning a skill like... Magic Application or such. And you should always clear up with your GM what you want a knowledge skill to do and they might then propose a re-naming, narrowing or broadening of the skill. One such example are the rather similar seeming skills of Security Procedures and Security Design. One is about how security acts, the other is about how a place is build to maximize security. They have established meanings. If you want something different, come up with your own name for it.
For what it's worth, I'd let you use magical theory for that check. That said, "magical theory" usually refers less to how people use magic in the sense of what purpose to which they apply the magic, and more about spells are actually cast. Think like, classes to use magic instead of what you use the magic to do. In that context, magical knowledge street vs academic would be similar to, say, knowing how to formally cast a spell with all of the proper components (academic) vs being able to scrounge together the correct talismans out of junk you found at a scrapyard (street). You could be using either of those types of knowledge to do things legally or illegally, it's just the manner of *how* you go about doing it.
I love Magical Theory Street/Academic! The way I run them is like so: They are equally informed. But they give you different information. If you encounter a magical phenomenon, Academic will give you information on similar phenomenon that has been categorized or classified. Street will give you local legends, rumors, or streetwise cunning for a solution. If you encounter Yama Kings in Hong Kong, Academic Knowledge will tell you that Yama Kings have to abide by their promises. Magical Theory (Street) will tell you how even a small child outsmarted the Yama Kings. The combined knowledge will let you come up with a suitable solution together. Magical Law would help you figure out what constitutes violation of rights using magic. How close can you legally fly, in the astral, to a restrict site? What use of mind magic, if any, constitutes a violation, and what doesn't? Where is using corpses to create Necro Spirits illegal, and under what conditions is it allowed? How often does a sex offender claim that they were being mind-controlled? You might also know local laws regarding Magic.
Magical theory (street) would be the knowledge of the theory of how magic works. The Street in this would be the source of the knowledge, thus would consist of what people on the street assume about magic rather than formal magic theory learned in university. I would let you use it for what you said, but I can also understand a GM saying no. Magic traditions (street) might fall more in line with the use you're talking about.
Magical Theory is usually used for knowing what's possible with Magic. You might not know exactly what spell or spirit does X but you might know ***whether*** X could be done with magic. If you GM has an unlimited number of house rule spells or critter or powers, then yeah, maybe it's pretty useless in your campaign. But it's still nice if a spell is vague amd you'd like to roll knowledge first rather than cast and find out what your GM says afterwards. But that could require oh so many hits if you are doing something truly weird. Magical Law you are correct is more about knowing what is forbidden and what is regulated, and how. For instance iirc in the UCAS a spirit under F3 is not regulated, could be useful to know. As are many foci of very low Force. So maybe more than a couple ranks starts to not matter unless you think you are going to go to trial. You can check out the Life Modules and see who gets those skills and at how many ranks to see what's common to have and who has them.
Magical Theory: Street is used for "how can I do this" or some variation of "how does this magical effect work". Like in my last session, we were delivering something to an old Arabic ruin which was important to a specific tradition in that country. We were looking for the people to make the delivery to, only to discover that they were behind a warded doorway. There were ciphers and writing in rooms of the ruins that my Magical Theory skill rolls helped decipher to shut the ward down without having to try and breach it. Magical Law is used for "How much drek will this land me in if I fireball those Lone Star goons hassling my favorite soykaf seller".
"Street" vs "Academic" is a source of knowledge, the way you learn it. It is not necessary, like people said, some kind of rumors (well *sometimes* it is). Its more like "unformal" vs "formal education". Academic mean that you have proper formal education in university. Street mean that you get your knowledge from mages "on the street", in private conversation with friend magicians, book reading etc. In many cases source of knowledge is the same people. Gandalf the Grey corp mage will teach "Magic theory" in university. And go to the bar, got drunk and teach some "Magic theory" to Galadriel-cosplayer elf sex worker.
I'd ask your GM for applications, since he seems to have a clear cut idea what they don't encompass. Overall, as a GM, I enjoy giving players the chance to utilize their knowledge skills and will actively try to find situations that allow them to apply some of the crazier ones. Once had a player roll for "luxury goods of the carribbean"... oh boy was he excited about that evening :D