Skills

The rare, complicated expertise of navigating in space.

Expertise in and understanding of cryptographical methods and cryptological technology, including creating and breaking ciphers. It may be used as a Cap Skill for Programming to write cryptological programs.

The application of science to design and its execution. Example skills include Aviation Engineering, Biotech Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Cybertech Engineering, and Military Engineering. Specialties can be invented for areas within these fields (e.g. Civil Engineering/Coastal), but are too numerous to list.

The general skill of knowing about the world around you—all that stuff people learn in school as kids. Unless you grew up in a Skinner Box, you have it. Almost any Academical Skill can be applied as a Specialty to relevant General Knowledge tests—but General Knowledge can never be used for tests that don't actually concern things that are common knowledge.

Each language is learned as a separate skill, which covers both the spoken and written forms. (Everyone is assumed to be more or less literate.) Acts as a Cap Skill for any use of a skill that uses that Language—this covers virtually all uses of Social Skills, and many uses of Performance Skills.

Optional: At the GM's option, an illiterate character could buy Spoken Language as if it were a Specialty.

This skill represents specialized and professional knowledge of the law, such as law enforcement officers, lawyers, judges, and scholars would have. It can be applied as a specialty to General Knowledge on questions most people could answer.

Specialties: By area (Business Law, Criminal Law, etc.) or jurisdiction (French Law, Russian Law, etc.).

Knowledge of a location or area. Individual skills may be acquired for countries, cities, and geographical regions of almost any size. The smaller the area covered by the skill, the more intimate the knowledge. Generally, two skills that cover the same area (England and London, for instance) can be added up, treating the one for the smaller region as a Specialty.

The knowledge and application of medicine. Hands-on works is TECH-based, long-term work is INT-based, and diagnosing what is wrong is PER-based (with no Awareness Cap).

Specialties: Cybernetics, First Aid, Surgery, by field (Oncology, Pediatrics, etc.).

Finding your way—determining north, calculating and estimating distances, and using maps and tools to plot courses.

The use of libraries, databases, and other written sources to find information. INT- or PER-based. No Awareness cap.

Skills in this group cover all sorts of areas of study not covered elsewhere. Can be considered specialties of General Knowledge for tests involving commonly known subject matter. Example skills include: Accounting, Anthropology, Architecture, Astronomy, Biogenetics, Biology, Biotech, Botany, Chemistry, Criminology, Cybertech, Forensics, Geology, History, Mathematics, Pharmaceuticals, Physics, Psychology, Wetware, and Zoology. Specialties can be invented for these fields.

The conduct of wars in the long term—strategic movements and objectives, the evaluation of entire countries' military capacity and plans, and so on.

Specialties: Aerial Warfare, Guerilla Warfare, Land Warfare, Logistics, Naval Warfare, Space Warfare, Urban Warfare.

Understanding, designing, and navigating information systems, like the Net, databases, and networks.

The conduct of battles in the short term, from individual or fireteam tactics up to company or battalion tactics.

Specialties: Aerial Warfare, Guerilla Warfare, Land Warfare, Naval Warfare, Space Warfare, Urban Warfare.

Your basic awareness of your surroundings. Used for most tests to notice something. Usually used with the PER Characteristic, but can also be used with EMP to read people, or INT to assess what you perceive or to remember something you've seen or heard. Often used as a Cap Skill to assess or evaluate things, such as on Martial Arts to recognize a fighter's style and level of expertise.

Specialties: Listening, Searching, Seeing, Smelling, Tasting.

Following someone without being noticed. Does not take a Stealth Cap.

Observing someone without being noticed. Does not cover the use of electronic surveillance gear. Does not take a Stealth Cap.

Following someone by tracks and marks left by their passing. Difficulty depends on the environment, and it is outright impossible to track someone in certain circumstances (like indoors on clean floors with clean shoes).

Covers acrobatics from breakfalls to flips and all the way to trapezes. Usually used with the REF Characteristic.

Specialties: Aerial, Balancing, Parkour, Tumbling.

The general all-purpose physical skill, regularly used with any of REF, STAM, or STR.

Specialties: Climbing, Jumping, Rowing, Running, Sports (Group), Throwing.

Twisting, bending, and turning your body to get loose from constraints, or to fit into or through small spaces. Usually used with TECH.

The skill of packing a parachute and using it correctly, making a landing safely. It covers rigging pallets, crates, and vehicles for parachute drops, HALO and HAHO techniques, and even ultralight gliders.

The skill of riding an animal—or a bicycle. A separate skill is required for each type of mount, such as horse, camel, or elephant. Acts as a Cap Skill for any action taken while riding.

The skill of hiding and sneaking, or otherwise acting surreptitiously. Acts as a Cap Skill when trying to do something without being noticed.

Swimming in water. This does not cover the use of any gear much more advanced than a snorkel and flippers.

Controlling your body underwater, used for any difficult or dangerous action while diving, especially with SCUBA gear of any sort. Acts as a Cap Skill for other actions underwater.

Controlling your body in a zero-gravity environment, whether in a spacesuit or not, including any difficult or dangerous maneuvers. Acts as a Cap Skill for other actions in zero-g.

Using archaic bows and crossbows. Mostly only practiced as a sport, but small-caliber conventional firearms are not actually all that far ahead an arrow in killing power.

Specialties: Bow, Crossbow.

The use of artillery, usually fired in a parabolic arc at a target quite far away.

Specialties: Howitzer, Mortar, Rocket, Spotter.

Getting out of harm's way. This includes dodging in a close-up slugfest and getting to cover when bullets or shells are flying.

Using large mounted weapons, usually on vehicles. Shares specialties with Heavy Weapons and Marksmanship; Gunnery is used when the weapon is mounted rather than man-portable.

Specialties: Flamethrower, Grenade Launcher, Guided Missile, Machinegun, Rocket Launcher.

The art of sticking it to somebody with your own hands, feet, and even nails and teeth.

Specialties: Bite, Claws, Cyberweapon, Grapple, Kick, Punch.

The use of man-portable heavy weapons, often called support weapons. Shares specialties with Gunnery; Heavy Weapons is used when the weapon is man-portable rather than mounted on something (but does include the use of weapons on tripods).

Specialties: Flamethrower, Grenade Launcher, Guided Missile, Machinegun, Rocket Launcher.

Training and experience at real combat—staying cool and acting quickly and smartly in a brawl or a firefight.

Shooting with firearms.

Specialties: Handgun, Machinegun, Rifle, Shotgun, SMG.

Hitting someone with a hand-held weapon.

Specialties: Axe, Club, Cyberweapon, Knife, Spear, Sword, others.

The difficult skill of fighting in close combat underwater, both unarmed and armed (usually with knives). Not capped by Underwater Maneuver.

The use of underwater ranged weapons. Not capped by Underwater Maneuver.

Specialties: Mini-Torpedo, Speargun.

The esoteric and weird art of close combat in a zero-gravity environment. Not capped by Zero-G Maneuver.

Acting in-character, pretending to be somebody else—faking it. Also used for lying convincingly, especially in the long term.

Putting words together to create something effective, evocative, or informative. Mostly INT-based, but EMP would be used for an attempt to appeal to peoples' soft side.

Specialties: Article, Essay, Legal Document, Poetry, Report, Screenplay, Speech.

Moving to music.

Specialities: By culture or style (Ballet, Folk Dance, Interpretative Dance, Modern Dance, etc.).

Changing your appearance and mannerisms to fool others, by a combination of grooming, make-up, clothing, and even prosthetics. Usually TECH-based. May be Capped by Grooming & Style when attempting to pass as a member of a specific culture.

Speaking effectively and evocatively, particularly to an audience. Unless speaking extratemporaneously, one would usually prepare a something to recite with a Composition test.

Specialties: Demagogy, Poetry, Rhetoric, Speech.

This group covers the various individual skills for all musical instruments, from drums to guitars to pianos to digital synthesizers.

What it says.

Specialties: By style (e.g. Death Metal, County & Folk, Opera, Rap, etc.).

Manipulating things by hand and finger, from picking pockets to magic tricks and shell games. Used almost exclusively with TECH. Not capped by Stealth.

The patient art of dealing with bureaucratic systems—who to talk to and how, what to file, and where to look for things. Can act as a Cap Skill for skills like Inquiry or Research when working inside a complex bureaucracy.

Understanding the conventions and often unwritten rules of a culture or group—in short, not making an ass of yourself. This group is divided broadly by culture (such as Western, Chinese, and Arabic). Often used as a Cap Skill when attempting to come across as belonging in a setting or environment.

Specialties: By subculture or country.

The art of talking circles around someone to briefly confuse them and hopefully get your way. Often used to talk your way out of (or into) a situation. This will usually not deter a determined or actively suspicious person, and the effects tend to be short-lived.

The art of looking good. This group is divided by culture and subculture (such as Western, Ganguro, etc.).

Getting information out of people, either against their will or good sense, or without giving away that you are pumping them. Usually paired with PER, EMP, or INT, but can be paired with STR if physical torture is used.

Specialties: Interrogation, Interview.

Threatening people, either subtly or openly. Combine with COOL, or with STR if you actually lay hands on the target.

Leading others. Usually combined with INT or COOL, but can be combined with EMP (for a friendly and personable style of leadershp) or STR (for literally pushing people around).

Specialties: Command, Demagogy, Management.

The general skill of getting people to see your side of things or do what you want. Usually combined with INT or COOL, but also with EMP (when appealing to someone's empathy; special rules cover this) or PER (when trying to discern what the other person wants or wishes to hear).

Specialties: Bribery, Haggling.

From innocent flirtation to aggressive sexuality. Usually combined with EMP or COOL. The target has to be generally receptive to you in a sexual or romantic sense.

The skill of getting along on the Street—knowing who to talk to and how, where to find people or things, and so on. Used with COOL in most interactions (EMP doesn't get you far on the Street), but with PER if trying to locate something.

The skill of instruction, passing on knowledge. Used as a Cap Skill for whatever skill you are teaching. See elsewhere for the rules on teaching, learning, and experience.

The skill of creating, recording, and editing Braindance material, including the operation of the equipment and programs involved.

Using computers for work—finding information and programs.

The ability to use the Net through a cybernetic link, using offensive and defensive programs, and the like.

The skill of creating, combining, placing, and disarming explosives. Mostly used with TECH, but determining the best points to employ your explosives is an INT-based test.

Specialties: EOD, IEDs.

This skill covers the aggressive and defensive use of communications equipment, including some highly complicated subjects.

Specialties: ECM/ECCM, Electronic Security, ELINT, Encryption, SIGINT, Radar, Sonar, Traffic Analysis.

A combination of theoretical understanding and practical knowledge of electronics, including construction and repair.

Specialties: By field or application (e.g. Digital Electronics, Electronic Security).

This covers the various fields of producing and editing images, still or moving.

Specialties: Photography, Trideography, Videography.

This is the increasingly rare skill of jimmying an old-fashioned mechanical lock.

The repair, maintenance, and construction of mechanical equipment, particularly vehicles.

Specialties: Aviation Mechanics, Auto Mechanics, Industrial Mechanics, Machinist, Nautical Mechanics.

The general skill of designing programs and writing code, for whatever purpose.

Specialties: Firmware, Software, Wetware.

The skill of operating various specialized systems and equipment, such as shipboard systems, power plant systems, etc.

Specialties: By subsystem.

Creating, maintaining, or modifying weapons and armor.

Spec: Gunsmith, by type (ACPA, Aircraft Weapons, etc.).

The basic everyday skill of driving most typical vehicles.

Specialties: Car, Motorcycle, Remote Op, Truck.

The operation of heavier, usually tracked, vehicles, from tractors and bulldozers to tanks.

Specialties: AFV, Construction, IFV, Remote Op.

This group includes the varied and often strikingly different operation of all sorts of vehicles and conveyances—everything not covered by the other skills, but particularly aerial vehicles. The following is a partial listing: Dirigible, Fixed Wing, Hovercraft, Rotorwing, Vectored Thrust; Deep Dive Suit, EVA Hardshell, EVPA; Large Boat, Small Boat; Large Sub, Small Sub; EVA, OTV, Space Shuttle, Spaceplane.

Specialty: Remote Op.

The operation of a suit of Power Armor (or Assisted Combat Personal Armor, ACPA) and its equipment, weapons, and sensors, including moving in it. Used as a Cap Skill for practically everything done while operating a suit, including Awareness tests (which are made using the ACPA sensor suite) and especially combat.

The use and basic maintenance of SCUBA equipment. This does not overlap with Swimming or Underwater Maneuver. This is NOT a Cap Skill.

Getting along with and training animals. Mostly used with COOL and EMP.

Specialties: By animal.

A broad measure of artistic ability and sensibility. This is mostly used as a Cap Skill for any attempt to create something aesthetically pleasing. Most uses of Performance Skills have an Artistry Cap, as do many Trade Skills, but it can also be used with Combat Skills to put on a show.

Understanding business and finance, from haggling over black-market weapons to running a Fortune 500 company.

Specialties: Haggling, Management, Stock Market.

The skill of working on, managing, and planning construction projects. The bigger the project and the greater the responsibility, the higher the skill required.

The skill of drawing clearly and precisely. With an Artistry Cap, you can create works of art. Without it, you can create technical drawings or accurate copies.

Specialties: Blueprint, Forgery, Painting.

Outdoorsmanship—getting along in the wild.

Specialties: Camping, Foraging, Fishing, Orienteering, by Environment: Arctic Survival, Desert-craft, Mountaineering, Woodcraft.

The art of making money off gambling games, either by cheating, playing the odds, or playing the opponent. It includes the art of the bluff and some degree of reading people.

Specialties: By game (Craps, Underground Indian Poker, etc.).

This group covers any and all crafts or professions not covered by other skills, from aardvark-counting to zookeeping.

The skill of working as a crew member or officer on a ship, including sailing sailboats.

Specialties: By type (Remote Op, Sailboat, Submarine, etc.).

Getting along in the city without spending anybody's cash. The urban homeless either learn this or die off.

Specialties: Scavenging.