Skills
Strength Skills
Strength measures a character’s physical power. To determine the result of an action involving Strength that isn’t directly related to a skill, a character makes a feat check (as described earlier on this page).
Lifting a heavy object is one example of a Strength feat. The GM doesn’t have to be specific when he declares a feat to be of a certain level of difficulty, but he will use the following as a general rule: A Marginal feat (no modifier) is one that handles weights of no more than 3 times the character’s Strength score in kilograms; a Slight feat (+1 penalty) handles weights around 5 times the character’s Strength; a Moderate feat (+2 penalty) involves weights of 10 times the character’s Strength score in kilograms; and an Extreme feat (+3 penalty) handles weights in the range of 15 times the character’s Strength score in kilograms. Feats involving heavier weights require an Amazing success to achieve and inflict fatigue damage upon the character (as detailed in the GM Guide). In this example, factors other than the weight of the object being lifted may also affect the situation die; for instance, a penalty if the object is slippery, or a bonus if the object has handles or protrusions that make it easier to hold onto.
| Skill Name | Cost | Prof. |
|---|---|---|
| Armor Operation * | 7 | C |
| Operation | 3 | C |
| Air Maneuverability * | 3 | C |
| Water Maneuverability * | 3 | C |
| Shield * | 2 | C |
| Athletics | 3 | — |
| Climb | 2 | — |
| Jump | 1 | — |
| Throw | 2 | — |
| Heavy Weapons | 6 | C |
| Direct fire | 4 | C |
| Indirect fire | 4 | C |
| Melee Combat * | 6 | C |
| Blade | 3 | CF |
| Bludgeon | 3 | CF |
| Powered weapon | 4 | CF |
| Power Martial Arts | 5 | CF |
| Natural Weapons * | 4 | CF |
Armor Operation
Armor that’s bulky, heavy, and cumbersome hinders the character using it. This is reflected by a penalty to the character’s action check and the lessening or negating of a character’s Dexterity resistance modifier.
The Armor Operation broad skill and its specialty skills help to alleviate these penalties.
Some armors allow the user to operate the armor underwater or even fly through the air(or maneuver in space), this movement modes proficiencies are represented by the three specialty skills of armor operation.
In the Armor page is the list of the various types of armor available and indicates which ones require the user to take an action check and Dexterity resistance modifier penalty. Under the “Modes” column on that table, an entry of “0” means that the Armor Operation skill is not needed to use the armor effectively on the particular mode, and no action check or Dexterity resistance modifier penalty is associated with it. Any value greater than “0” on a particular mode represent the penalties incurred when using the particular mode, while a value of “-” indicate that the specific mode is not available on the armor.
A character with the broad skill who is decked out in armor can attempt any actions he wants, though some strenuous physical activities (jumping, running, climbing, etc.) may require an Armor Operation-handling check. In general, an Ordinary result on this skill check indicates a half effect (run at one-half the normal rate, for example), while a Good result or better indicates a full effect (run at the normal rate).
For a character untrained in Armor Operation, an action check and Dexterity resistance modifier penalty associated with any type of armor always applies. An untrained character can’t do anything but walk and make simple attacks while using any armor that carries an action check and resistance modifier penalty. Simple attacks are just that—no rank benefits, such as the double-strike benefit related to the Melee Combat specialty skills, can be employed by an untrained character who is wearing cumbersome armor.
Operation
Each armor type requires a certain amount of training to be used effectively. The Operation specialty skill represents the amount of training the character has in the use of armor, this does not include the use of tactical equipment attached to advanced armors (covered by System Operation - Tactical Armor), nor the use of maneuverability assistant equipment like Jetpacks, Zero G maneuver thrusters, Reentry boosters, Underwater propellers, etc. (covered by Armor Operation - Air and Armor Operation - Water specialty skills).
Having just the broad skill allows a character to reduce the action check and Dexterity resistance modifier penalty of any type of armor by 1 step. An action check penalty can be reduced from +1 to 0, or from +2 to +1, and so on—but this benefit never provides a bonus. A Dexterity resistance modifier penalty can be similarly offset, perhaps returning the character’s resistance modifier to its original value.
A character with the Operation specialty skill at rank 1 reduces the action check and Dexterity resistance modifier penalty associated with armor by 1 additional step while operating on the specific mode. This reduction improves in one step for each rank purchased.
Shaking Off Stuns: A character with this specialty skill also gets better at shaking off stun damage—including secondary damage— while wearing armor. Any stun damage inflicted upon a character wearing armor is automatically reduced by 1 point for every 2 ranks attained, up to a maximum of 6 points at rank 12.
Specific armor models can expand/restrict the uses of certain modes, check the specific armor model for details. For example, some armor can have air mode only for drop-landing, and some armor can allow a skill check to improve water movement speed.
Changing modes require an action, unless a successful specialty skill is performed.
Air / Water Maneuverability
Some advanced armor include special equipment that allow maneuvers impossible otherwise, like fast movement underwater, maneuver freely in Zero-G environment, direct the point of impact and perform final deceleration during high altitude jump or orbital drop strikes, or gliding.
This kind of capabilities normally require ranks in the corresponding Armor operation - Air or Armor Operation - Water specialty skill to be used, but still can be used as normal armor.
The description of each armor indicate the kind of maneuver the armor allows, see the column “A / W” in the Armor table for the required ranks needed to use the maneuvers.
Shield
This specialty skill allows a character to effectively use armor integrated shield or a handheld one to defend against attacks.
Shield impose a penalty to Dexterity Resistance and Action checks in the same way armor does, this penalty can be reduced by one step for each rank in this specialty skill.
Shield always require a hand to be operated and cannot be used while dual wielding or using a weapon that requires the use of both hands.
Parrying with a Shield: The Armor Operation-shield skill applies when a character tries to parry an attack in melee combat with a shield, from rank 4 the character is able to an attack on each round without spending an action.
Resistance Modifier: At higher ranks, this skill provides an improvement to a character’s Strength resistance modifier, which makes it more difficult for opponents to successfully attack the character in close-quarters combat.
The character’s resistance modifier improves by +1 at rank 3, 6, 9, and 12 while using a shield, but this improvement do not stack with the bonuses provided by Melee Combat specialty skills.
Athletics
This broad skill provides a character with the abilities of a natural athlete—a competent level of strength, grace, and physical prowess. This skill is used to determine the success of physical actions such as climbing a tree, jumping over a large hole, or throwing an object at a target.
Climb
This specialty skill allows a character to improve this aspect of the Athletics broad skill. With the climb skill, a character can scale walls, ascend mountains, or otherwise climb up or over obstacles. In combat scenes, a character can climb a certain number of meters in a phase, depending on the result of a skill check: Critical Failure, fall (if possible); Marginal, no progress this action; Ordinary. 1 meter; Good, 2 meters; Amazing, 3 meters.
In challenge scenes or whenever the GM determines that a time unit other than rounds applies, a climb check is a complex skill check (TODO: add reference)(see Table P17, page 62). If a character gets a Critical Failure on a climb check, he loses his grip and falls (unless equipment prevents it). If he has any actions left in the round, he can attempt to regain his hold by getting an Ordinary success or better on a second climb check with a +1 penalty on top of any other modifiers that apply. If this attempt fails or if the character has no remaining actions, he falls. Damage from the fall (see Table PIS: Impact Damage on page 58 in Chapter 3: Heroes in Action)(TODO: add reference) is lessened if the character makes a successful untrained Dexterity check or an Acrobatics-fall skill check; see the description of Acrobatics-fall for more information.
| Surface Condition | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Sheer surface | +3 |
| Icy or slippery surface | +2 |
| Darkness | +1 |
| Wet surface | +1 |
| Surface with some handholds and footholds | -1 |
| Surface with many handholds and footholds | -2 |
| Minimal climbing gear(gloves & sturdy shoes) | -1 |
| Partial climbing gear | -2 |
| Full climbing gear | -3 |
Jump
This specialty skill allows a character to improve this aspect of the Athletics broad skill.
With the jump skill, a character can attempt to leap over obstacles by performing a horizontal running or standing jump, or a vertical leap.
In combat scenes, a character can jump a certain number of meters depending on the result of a skill check.
There are three types of jumps: standing jump, running jump, and vertical leap.
Standing jump
A standing jump is performed from a stationary starting position.
| Check result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Critical Failure | the character trips and takes a hard fall, suffering d6 points of stun damage. |
| Marginal | the character makes a leap of Ordinary distance (see below) but suffers d4 points of stun damage because of a poor landing. |
| Ordinary | 1 meter |
| Good | 2 meter |
| Amazing | 3 meter |
Running jump
A running jump requires at least 4 meters of space for a running start before making the jump.
| Check result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Critical Failure | the character trips and takes a hard fall, suffering d6 points of stun damage. |
| Marginal | the character makes a leap of Ordinary distance (see below) but suffers d4 points of stun damage because of a poor landing. |
| Ordinary | 2 meter |
| Good | 4 meter |
| Amazing | 6 meter |
Vertical leap
A vertical leap is made from a standing position; the distances indicate how far above his head a character can leap and reach.
| Check result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Critical Failure | the character trips and takes a hard fall, suffering d6 points of stun damage. |
| Marginal | the character makes a leap of Ordinary distance (see below) but suffers d4 points of stun damage because of a poor landing. |
| Ordinary | 1 meter |
| Good | 1.5 meter |
| Amazing | 2 meter |
Note: In an environment where the gravity is weaker or stronger than Earth normal, the distance figures for a jump should be adjusted accordingly. As a rough guideline, double the given distances in light gravity and reduce them in heavy gravity: For Earth normal x2, take one-half of the given distances: for Earth normal x3, use one-third; and so forth.
Increased Distance: As a character increases his ranks in this specialty skill, the distance that he can jump or leap also increases. The running jump improves by 1 meter at ranks 3, 6, 9, and 12; the standing jump improves by 1 meter at ranks 4, 7, and 10; and the vertical leap improves by 0.5 meters at ranks 5, 8, and 11.
Throw
This specialty skill allows a character to improve this aspect of the Athletics broad skill. With the throw skill, a character can accurately toss balls, darts, stones, throwing knives, grenades, and other small objects at a specific target. The accuracy of a throw depends on the range (distance from the thrower to the target) and the degree of success achieved on a skill check.
For example, at short range, any success hits the target or the target hex. (The target hex is a 2-meter-diameter hexagon centered on the target.) At medium range, an Amazing or Good throw hits the target; at long range, only an Amazing result counts as a direct hit. Other results miss the target by the distance shown. The distance a throw misses by isn’t important for most thrown objects, but it does matter for grenade results, since a grenade has a blast radius.
Accuracy by range
For thrown objects or indirect fire weapons
| Check Result | Short | Medium | Long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Failure | 4m | 8 | 12m |
| Marginal | 2m | 4m | 6m |
| Ordinary | on target | 2m | 4m |
| Good | on target | on target | 2m |
| Amazing | on target | on target | on target |
Heavy Weapons
This broad skill provides a character with training in the use of heavy weaponry that isn’t part of a ship or a vehicle, including mortars, grenade and rocket launchers, shoulder- fired missiles, and heavy firearms. Weapons that are part of a large ship or a single-operator vehicle require the use of System Operation or Vehicle Operation, respectively.
Heavy weapons are listed here (TODO: add link to table).
Each one is designated as either a direct fire weapon or an indirect fire weapon. The Heavy Weapons broad skill allows a character to use any heavy weapon at the trained level. The two specialty skills described below provide improved ability in the use of the two types of weapons.
Each heavy weapon has a set of range figures. Situation die modifiers for range, as shown above on Heavy Weapons: Range Modifiers table below, may apply when a certain type of heavy weapon is used against a target or a location that lies within a particular range category.
Heavy Weapons: Range Modifiers
| Range | Direct | Indirect |
|---|---|---|
| Short | -1 step | +2 steps |
| Medium | None | -2 steps |
| Long | +1 step | None |
In addition, the accuracy of an indirect-fire weapon depends on the range between the shooter and the target location as well as the type of success achieved, as shown on the table Accuracy by Range above.
For example, any success (Ordinary or better) hits a target at short range, but at medium range an Amazing or Good success is necessary. Other results miss the target location by the distance shown.
A few direct-fire heavy weapons (as well as some rifles and all submachine guns) are automatic weapons capable of firing multiple rounds of ammunition in every attack. The various attack modes for automatic weapons are described here(TODO: insert link).
Direct Fire
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency with direct-fire heavy weapons. These weapons work just like normal firearms, requiring the user to aim them at a target. Direct-fire heavy weapons include heavy-caliber firearms, plasma guns, and renders.
Indirect Fire
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency with indirect-fire heavy weapons. These weapons can fire over or around obstacles; they deliver an area effect attack instead of a attack against a specific target. Indirect-fire heavy weapons include grenade launchers, rocket launchers, shoulder-fired missiles, and mortars.
Melee Combat
This skill provides a character with training in the use of melee weapons, unarmed attacks as well as natural weapons if character have some (like claws, talons, or horns).
Melee weapons are listed here (TODO: link to melee weapons table)
Blade
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency with any bladed melee weapon—a sword, knife, dagger, ax, polearm. or any other weapon that inflicts damage by either piercing or slashing an opponent with its sharp edge. As a character achieves higher ranks in this specialty, he gains additional abilities as described in “Melee Combat Rank Benefits”.
Bludgeon
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency with any bludgeoning melee weapon—a club, mace, quarterstaff, or any other weapon that inflicts damage by striking an opponent with its blunt surface. As a character achieves higher ranks in this specialty, he gains additional abilities as described in “Melee Combat Rank Benefits”.
Powered Weapon
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency with any powered melee weapon—a chainsword, gravmace, star sword, pulse baton, or any other melee weapon that uses energy to enhance its performance and damage capability.
As a character achieves higher ranks in this specialty, he gains additional abilities as described in “Melee Combat Rank Benefits”.
Power Martial Arts
This skill can’t be used untrained.
This specialty skill allows a character to learn one of the many disciplines of unarmed combat that emphasize the use of muscles and bones for power. Direct movements and offensive attacks predominate. The power martial arts skill encompasses combat styles such as karate and tae kwon do.
A character with this skill enjoys improved damage on a successful unarmed attack: d6s/d6+2s/d4w, plus any Strength bonuses.
No Hands: When a character reaches rank 5 in power martial arts, he becomes able to make an Unarmed Attack even though his hands are cuffed, bound, or otherwise not usable.
Knockout: When a character reaches rank 3 in power martial arts, he has a better chance of knocking an opponent unconscious. When a character achieves an Amazing success on his skill check, thus forcing an opponent to make a Stamina-endurance check to remain conscious (see the section on “Damage” in Chapter 3: Heroes in Action), the opponent’s check receives a penalty according to the character’s rank in the skill
The opponent’s penalty is +1 at rank 3, +2 at rank 6, +3 at rank 9, and +4 at rank 12.
Increased Damage: When a character reaches rank 7 in power martial arts, the amount of damage done by a successful power martial arts attack increases to d6+2s/d4w/d4+2w, plus any Strength bonuses.
Natural Weapons
This specialty skill allows a character to learn how to use his natural or implanted weapons more efficiently.
Increased Damage: As the character gain ranks in the natural weapons skill his able to inflict more damage with his natural or implanted melee weapons.
The character gains a bonus to each damage category of: +1 at rank 4, +2 at rank 8, and +3 at rank 12.
Melee Combat Rank Benefits
As a character improves his ability in one or more of the Melee Combat specialty skills, he gains rank benefits as described below. Note: These benefits only apply when the character is using a weapon that is associated with the skill in question; for instance, having rank 4 in the blade specialty does not entitle a character to use a club to parry an attack.
Resistance Modifier: At higher ranks, any Melee Combat specialty skill provides an improvement to a character’s Strength resistance modifier. It improves by +1 at rank 4, by +1 again at rank 8, and by +1 again at rank 12.
Parry: When a character reaches rank 3, he can attempt to parry whenever a Melee Combat or Unarmed Attack is used against him. The parry attempt uses up the character’s next available action. For example, a character who achieves an Ordinary action check result and has 2 actions per round could attempt to parry attacks directed against him in the Amazing and Good phases, but then he’d have no actions remaining for the Ordinary and Marginal phases. A character with a melee weapon can attempt to parry a Melee Combat skill used against him. Parrying with a melee weapon requires that the character make a Melee Combat skill check (using a specialty skill if applicable) and compare his result to the attacker’s result. (The Armor Operation skill and its combat armor specialty are used by a character attempting to parry with a shield.)
The character who parries must achieve a degree of success that’s equal to or better than the attacker’s. For example, if the attacker achieved a Good success, the defender needs to achieve a Good or Amazing success to parry the attack. (A character who is untrained or has just the broad skill can attempt to parry, but those with ranks in the appropriate specialty skill have a better chance of successfully parrying an attack.) If the defender achieves an equal or better than degree of success, no damage is inflicted by the parried attack. A character can only parry in a phase when he has an action available; a character who achieves a Good action check result, for example, can’t attempt to parry an attack directed against him in the Amazing phase. Only one attack is deflected, and no other actions can be attempted in the same phase in which a character attempts to parry.
Characters with Two Weapons or One Weapon and a Shield: Applying the normal penalties associated with using two weapons at the same time (see “Attacking with Two Weapons” (TODO: insert link)), a character can use his off-hand weapon (or shield) to parry a Melee Combat skill directed against him in the same phase in which he attacks. If a character uses a reaction parry, he must wait until his action check phase comes up to actually make the attack, though both skill checks receive the appropriate two-weapon penalties.
Double-Strike: When a character reaches skill rank 6, he learns to make a double-strike against a target with a successful skill check. A double-strike works as follows: The player rolls one control die and two situation dice to make his double-strike attack. The first situation die is the base modifier needed to make an attack with a +1 step penalty; the second situation die is the base modifier with a +2 step penalty. Example of double-strike: Maarten has the double-strike special attack benefit. His base situation die for a melee weapon attack (after all modifiers have been considered) is -d4. He rolls a control die (d20), plus a +d0, and a +d4 (-d4 +1 step penalty = +d0; -d4 +2 step penalty = +d4). His skill score is 14. He rolls a 12 on the control die and a 3 on the d4. This means that for this double-strike, he scored an Ordinary hit (12+0=12) on the first strike and a Failure (12 + 3 = 15) on the second strike.
Multistrike: When a character reaches skill rank 9, he learns to make multiple attacks in a single phase. The character can strike with a melee weapon three times in a phase. These attacks can be directed at a single target or at up to three separate targets within two meters of the character. To resolve a multistrike attack, the character’s player rolls one control die and three situation dice at the same time. All results are read off the control die, as modified by the three situation dice. In a multistrike attack, the first situation die is the base die for the attack with a +1 step penalty. The second die is the base die with a +2 step penalty. The third die is the base die with a +3 step penalty. When calculating the base situation die, use the target that’s hardest to hit. Example of multistrike: Mad Dog faces three opponents wielding clubs and knives. He has a long sword and decides to try to finish this battle in one spectacular multistrike attack. The GM calculates the modifiers and informs the player that the base situation die for this action is +d0. This means that the player must roll a control die (d20) and a +d4, a +d6, and a +d8 to see how many hits Mad Dog scores.
Dexterity Skills
Dexterity measures a character’s agility, coordination, and reflexes. To determine the result of an action involving Dexterity that isn’t directly related to a skill, a character makes a feat check (as described on page 63). Grabbing the side of a building as the villain throws you off the roof is one example of a Dexterity feat. The GM doesn’t have to be specific when he declares a feat to be of a certain level of difficulty, but he will use the following as a general rule: A Marginal feat (no modifier) is one that more than half of all people should be able to accomplish: a Moderate feat (+2 penalty) is something that athletes should be able to do in most situations: and an Extreme feat (+3 penalty) is one that tests even the greatest of athletes. In this example, factors other than the difficulty of “simply” grabbing the side of the building may also affect the situation die. If the side of the building has numerous protrusions to serve as handholds, this might be worth a -1 or -2 bonus. If the surface is slippery or extremely smooth, a penalty of +1 or +2 steps (or more) would be appropriate.
| Skill Name | Cost | Prof. |
|---|---|---|
| Acrobatics | 7 | F |
| Daredevil | 4 | - |
| Dodge | 4 | CF |
| Defensive Martial Arts | 5 | CF |
| Fall | 3 | F |
| Flight | 2 | - |
| Zero-g Training | 2 | CT |
| Manipulation | 6 | - |
| Lockpick | 4 | F |
| Pickpocket | 4 | F |
| Prestidigitation | 3 | D |
| Ranged Weapons, Modern | 6 | C |
| Pistol * | 4 | CF |
| Rifle * | 4 | C |
| Shotgun * | 4 | C |
| SMG * | 4 | CF |
| Ranged Weapons, Primitive | 7 | C |
| Bow | 4 | C |
| Crossbow | 3 | C |
| Flintlock | 3 | C |
| Sling | 4 | C |
| Stealth * | 5 | F |
| Sneak * | 3 | F |
| Conceal * | 3 | F |
| Vehicle Operation * | 3 | - |
| Air Vehicle | 5 | T |
| Land Vehicle | 3 | T |
| Space Vehicle | 5 | T |
| Water Vehicle | 3 | T |
Acrobatics
Free to sesheyan characteres. This broad skill provides a character with basic training in acrobatics, including gymnastics, tumbling, vaulting, rolling, dodging, balancing, high-risk activities, and falling without incurring serious injury. Depending on the situation, the GM assigns modifiers to the action. This skill is used when a character wants to vault over a fence or other obstacle, dodge out of the way of an immediate danger, or try to land safely after a fall. Vaulting is basically a vertical leap that is enhanced by some form of assistance—either springing off another object or using a vaulting pole. When called upon to make a vertical leap, a character may use either his Athletics-jump skill or his Acrobatics skill. If the character has both skills, increase the distance noted under the jump description by 1 meter. If the character uses a pole, increase the distance by 2 meters.
Daredevil
This specialty skill enables a character to improve his ability to perform high- risk activities such as skydiving, scuba diving, hang gliding, surfing, bungee jumping, and whitewater rafting. The outcome of a daredevil attempt is determined by a skill check: On a Critical Failure, the attempted action fails and the character could suffer stun or wound damage at the GMs discretion. This outcome generally involves bad luck concerning some aspect of the equipment being used—scuba diving gear springs a leak, a parachute fails to open properly, and so forth. On a Failure, the attempted action doesn’t succeed, but the character does not necessarily suffer damage—a parachutist goes drastically off course and lands a long distance from his target, perhaps taking damage as well. (For more information on the use of a parachute, see page 58 in Chapter 3: Heroes in Action.) On an Ordinary success, the character is basically able to perform the action—he can manipulate a hang glider so that he stays aloft, but he has no control over his direction of travel. On a Good success, the character has limited control of the action—he opens his parachute at just the right time, and also is able to use it to maneuver so that he lands only a short distance from his target. On an Amazing success, everything goes right—he rides the raft all the way through the rapids without damage to himself or his equipment.
Defensive Martial Arts
This skill can’t be used untrained.
This specialty skill allows a character to learn one of the many disciplines of unarmed combat that emphasize fluid and circular movements, redirecting the force of an attacker. Training is often mentally oriented. The defensive martial arts skill encompasses styles such as aikido and tai chi chuan. A character with this skill can use throws, sweeps, flips, and holds to cause stun damage to an opponent. Damage is d4s/d4+ls/d4+2s, plus any increase a character receives for his Strength score. This is considered low impact (LI) damage for the purpose of determining the effectiveness of the opponent’s armor. In addition to causing damage, this skill may enable a character to knock an opponent to the ground, forcing that opponent to spend an action to regain his feet or else suffer a penalty to other actions he may try; see the GM Guide for details. Defensive martial arts can also be useful in an attempt to overpower an opponent, as described in the Unarmed Attack skill description on page 69.
Block: When a character reaches rank 2 in this skill, he can attempt to block or counter any unarmed attack against him (including an attack by an enemy who is also using defensive martial arts). Blocking requires that the character make a defensive martial arts skill check and compare his result to the attacker’s result. The character who blocks must achieve a success that’s equal to or greater than the attacker’s success. For example, if the attacker achieved a Good success, the defender needs to achieve a Good or Amazing success to block the attack. If the defender succeeds, then no damage is inflicted upon him by the blocked attack. A character can only block in a phase when he has an action available; a character who achieves a Good action check result, for instance, can’t attempt to block an attack directed against him in the Amazing phase. Only one attack is countered, and no other actions can be attempted in the same phase in which a character attempts to block.
Block: When a character reaches rank 4. he can attempt to block whenever any unarmed attack is directed against him. The block attempt uses up the character’s next available action (either in the current round or the following round).
Resistance Modifier: At higher ranks, this skill provides an improvement to a character’s Strength resistance modifier, which makes it more difficult for opponents to successfully attack the character in close-quarters combat. The character’s resistance modifier improves by +1 at rank 4, by +1 again at rank 8, and by +1 again at rank 12.
Fall
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his ability to survive a fall by twisting his body, catching nearby protrusions, or otherwise slowing his descent, thereby decreasing the damage he sustains from an impact. A character without the Acrobatics- fafi specialty skill makes a Dexterity feat check to determine the damage he suffers when he falls. A character with the fall specialty skill adds his rank in the specialty to his Acrobatics score and uses that number to make the skill check, with a +d0 base situation die. See Table Pl5: Impact Damage, and the accompanying text on page 58 in Chapter 3: Heroes in Action for details about falling damage.
Flight
This specialty skill can only be used by a character with flying ability, either innate (as sesheyans have) or obtained through a mutation (see Chapter 13: Mutants), or by a character using some sort of mechanical apparatus that serves as an extension of his body, such as a jetpack (see Chapter 12: Vehicles). A skill check is called for when a character tries an unusual maneuver, must fly with particular precision (through an obstacle course, for instance), or needs to accomplish a task while maintaining speed and direction (pulling out a weapon while swooping toward a foe).
Improved Movement: As a character improves his flight skill, he increases his flying movement rates: +2 to glide movement at ranks 3,7. and 11. and +3 to fly movement at ranks 4, 8, and 12.
Zero-g Training
This skill can’t be used untrained. A character with the zero-g training skill can function in weightless or near-weightless conditions better than someone who doesn’t have this skill. An untrained character has a +3 step penalty to the use of any Strength- or Dexterity-based skills in zero gravity, and a +1 step penalty in light gravity. Purchasing this skill immediately reduces the zero-g penalty to +2 steps, and eliminates the penalty for light gravity.
Improved Training: For a character with this skill at rank 4, the zero-g penalty is reduced to +1 step, and any actions attempted in light gravity receive a -1 step bonus. At rank 7 the zero-g penalty is eliminated, and at rank 10 any physical actions attempted in zero-g receive a -1 step bonus. (The bonus for light gravity never improves beyond -1 step.)
Sesheyan Advantage: Because of their familiarity with freefall conditions, sesheyan characters without the zero-g training skill can function as though they do have the skill at rank 1. If a sesheyan purchases this skill, penalties are reduced by 1 step and bonuses are improved by the same amount. For instance, a sesheyan with rank 4 in this skill has no penalty in zero gravity and a -2 step bonus in light gravity. (The bonus for light gravity never improves beyond -2 steps for a sesheyan.)
Manipulation
Free to t’sa characters.
This broad skill provides a character with a natural proficiency in manual dexterity and control. This proficiency allows a character to attempt such actions as picking a pocket without being noticed, performing a sleight- of-hand feat, picking a lock, or doing anything else that requires a steady hand, a sharp eye, and plenty of coordination.
Lockpick
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency al opening physical locks. The skill is usually employed with the assistance of tools of some kind, which provide a situation die bonus depending on their quality. (See the description of the lockpick set on page 146 in Chapter 9: Goods & Services.) Locks that can be affected by this skill include those protecting doors, safes, and vehicles, as well as handcuffs and any other physical locking mechanisms. The lockpick skill is useless against a computer-assisted lock unless it has a physical mechanism the character can manipulate. Almost always, the use of lockpick requires a complex skill check (see Table Pl7. page 62). The situation die modifier is affected by the quality of the lock, the quality of the tools (if any are used), and any other external factors as determined by the GM. How long the job takes depends on the complexity of the lock and the result(s) of a character’s lockpick skill check(s). One check can be made in every phase during which a character has an action, unless the GM dictates otherwise.
Pickpocket
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency at picking pockets or otherwise removing objects from a person (or planting something on a person) without that person noticing. The base situation die is determined by the target’s Will resistance modifier, plus any additional penalties or bonuses as set forth by the GM. On a Failure or a Critical Failure result, the pickpocketer slips up—he doesn’t get what he was after and he is noticed, either by the intended victim or someone else who witnessed the attempt. In some cases, such as when the target is unconscious and alone, the GM may determine that a Failure result is not possible, and thus any attempt results in at least a Marginal success. Repeated attempts by one pickpocketer against the same target are possible, but the GM has the final say on how often those attempts can be made, and he may assign a penalty to the second and subsequent attempts—trying to pick someone’s pocket successfully a number of times in succession increases the chance that the character will be spotted. The degree of success on a pickpocket skill check has no effect on the immediate result; whether the result was Ordinary, Good, or Amazing, the character succeeded in what he tried to do. But a result of Good or Amazing could help to offset any penalty the GM might attach to repeated attempts—you were so smooth that not only was your attempt not noticed, the target doesn’t have the slightest flicker of suspicion that something has just gone wrong. It Takes One to Know One: As a character improves this specialty skill, he becomes more familiar with the tricks of the trade, thus making it harder for others to pickpocket him. This is shown as an increase to the character’s Will resistance modifier—only for the purpose of spotting a pickpocket attempt. At rank 3, the benefit is a +1 penalty to the foe s attempt. At rank 6. the penalty to the foe is +2 steps, at rank 9 the penalty becomes +3 steps, and at rank 12 it is +4 steps.
Pickpocket Situation Modifiers
| Situation | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Object is in direct contact with target’s skin | +3 |
| Object is heavy | +2 |
| Object is kept in inner pocket of garment | +1 |
| Object is light in weight | -1 |
| Object is kept in exposed pocket or pack | -1 |
| Victim is distracted | -1 to -3 |
Prestidigitation
This specialty skill allows a character to become proficient in stage magic, also known as prestidigitation. In addition to entertaining others, the skill can also be used to slip small objects out of sight. These are items that are in plain view before a character decides to use prestidigitation, such as on a table, a shelf, or some other resting place, or even in the character’s hand at the time the skill is put into play (thus allowing the character to hide an item from discovery). The base situation die is modified by the opponent’s Will resistance modifier, and possibly by other factors as determined by the GM. On a Critical Failure, the character drops the item he is manipulating or otherwise fumbles the task severely. On a Failure, the manipulation of the item does take place, but the task is performed so clumsily or slowly that anyone paying attention can see what happened. On any success (Ordinary or better), the trick or task is pulled off without a hitch.
Ranged Weapons, Modern
This broad skill provides a character with training in the use of modem ranged weapons. This skill covers pistols, rifles, shotguns, and submachine guns of all types, including projectile weapons and energy weapons. All modern weapons have ammunition clips. To change a clip during a combat scene, a character must use an available action. If he wants to change a clip and shoot in the same phase, a +2 penalty applies to the attack action. Other factors that can influence the situation die used in a modern ranged weapon attack are listed under “Ranged Weapon Attack Modifiers” on this page.
Pistol
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency with modern pistols of all types, including projectile and energy weapons. If a character wants to draw and fire his pistol in the same phase, the action receives a +1 penalty.
Quick Draw: After a character reaches rank 3, he can perform a quick draw with his pistol. This allows him to draw his weapon and fire it in the same phase without the +1 penalty. As a character achieves higher ranks in this specialty, he gains other additional abilities as described in “Ranged Weapons Rank Benefits” on page 75.
Improved Aim: When a character reaches rank 5 in this specialty, he becomes able to hit a target with more dependability. This improvement in accuracy translates to a -1 bonus to the situation die for any pistol attack the character makes.
Rifle
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency with modern rifles of all types. Some rifles (as well as all submachine guns and a few heavy weapons) are automatic weapons capable of firing multiple rounds of ammunition in every attack. The various attack modes for automatic weapons are described in the “Automatic Weapon Attack Modes” sidebar on the next page.
Improved Aim: When a character reaches rank 3 in this specialty, he becomes able to hit a target with more dependability. This improvement in accuracy translates to a -1 bonus to the situation die for any rifle attack the character makes.
Precision Shooting: When a character achieves rank 6. his situation die penalties for making an autofire attack are reduced to 0. +1 step, and +2 steps. As a character achieves higher ranks in this specialty, he gains other additional abilities; see “Ranged Weapons Rank Benefits” on page 75.
Shotguns
SMG
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency with modern submachine guns of all types. All submachine guns (as well as some rifles and a few heavy weapons) are automatic weapons capable of firing multiple rounds of ammunition in every attack. The various attack modes for automatic weapons are described in the “Automatic Weapon Attack Modes” sidebar on the next page.
Precision Shooting: When a character achieves rank 3, his situation die penalties for making an autofire attack with an SMG are reduced to 0, +1 step, and +2 steps.
Rock-n-Roll: When a character attains rank 6 in this specialty, he learns to change clips more efficiently. There is no penalty for changing a clip and firing in the same action.
Extra Burst: When a character attains rank 9, he becomes able to get off four bursts of ammunition, instead of three, on every autofire attack. He receives a fourth situation die, with a +3 penalty assigned to it. If the autofire attack is directed against more than one target (as is almost always the case), the recipient of this extra burst must be specified before the dice are rolled. (This benefit doesn’t allow the character to shoot at more than three targets, however.) Firing this extra burst uses up one additional burst from the weapon’s clip.
Ranged Weapon Attack Modifiers
When a character uses any ranged weapon, either primitive or modem, a number of factors must be considered to determine the situation die for the skill check:
The base situation die of the skill (+d4 for a broad skill or untrained, +d0 for a specialty). The weapon’s modifier for range (see Table P22: Range Modifiers by Weapon Type on this page).
Any modifier for a target’s Dexterity resistance (-1 step bonus for DEX 3-6, +1 step penalty for DEX 11-12, +2 steps for DEX 13-14,+3 steps for DEX 15-16, +4 steps for DEX 17-18, +5 steps for DEX 19 or higher).
Any modifier for the target being obscured by cover (see the sidebar on page 50 in Chapter 3: Heroes in Action).
Any modifier for a dodging target (see the dodge skill on page 71).
Any additional situation modifiers as decided by the GM.
Automatic Weapon Attack Modes
Submachine guns and other automatic weapons provide a character with up to three attack options in an action phase: iire. burst, or autofire. Table P39: Ranged Weapons and Table P40: Heavy Weapons in Chapter 11: Weapons & Armor indicate the types of attacks each weapon can make with a letter code (F = fire. B = burst. A = autofire). Some weapons can only be used in one mode, but two or three modes are available for others. It does not require an action to switch a weapon from one mode to another.
Fire is a single attack aimed at a single target. It involves the use of one control die and one situation die, as with all normal actions.
Burst is a hail of ammunition aimed at a single target. The attacker receives a -1 step bonus to his skill check. A Critical Failure result when using a weapon in burst mode indicates that the weapon has jammed. A successful Technical Science-repair check is needed to unjam a weapon.
Autofire is a burst from an automatic weapon that is walked across its target instead of aimed. Up to three different targets within 6 meters of each other can be affected by autofire (the first target must be within 6 meters of the third target, with the second target falling somewhere between them). An autofire attack expends three bursts of ammunition from a weapon’s clip.
To resolve autofire, a player rolls one control die and three situation dice at the same time. All the results are read off the control die. as modified by the individual situation dice. In autofire, the first situation die is the situation die for the action in question with a +1 step penalty. The second die is the situation die with a +2 step penalty. The third die is the situation die with a +3 step penalty. When determining the initial situation die (before applying the autofire penalty), consider any modifiers that apply to the target that’s hardest to hit. (In most cases, this will be the target with the best Dexterity resistance modifier, or the one that is most protected by cover.) < Example of autofire: Sgt. Grimes wants to use his submachine gun on autofire against the three thugs near the door. The GM calculates the modifiers and informs him that the situation die for this action is -d4. This means that Grimes’s player rolls a d20 (the control die) and +d0 (situation die +1 step), +d4 (situation die +2 steps), and +d6 ( situation die +3 steps) to see how many hits he scores with his autofire attack. Note: If a “1” comes up on the control die during an autofire attack, every portion of the attack is considered an automatic success, as long as the situation die for that portion of the attack is less than +d20. In the example above, if Grimes’s situation die was +d6 instead of -d4, then his situation dice for each portion of his attack would be +d8, +dl2, and +d20. In this case, only the shots at the first two targets would be automatic successes. The shot at the third target is not an automatic success, but would still score a hit if the sum of the control die (“1”) and the +d20 is equal to or less than Grimes’s skill score. (See “Automatic Success” on page 48 in Chapter 3: Heroes in Action.)
Range Modifiers by Weapon Type
Weapon Short Medium Long Primitive* -1 step +1 step +2 steps Pistol -1 step +1 step +3 steps Rifle -1 step None +1 step SMG -1 step +1 step +3 steps (*) Bow, crossbow, sling only; flintlocks use figures for pistol or rifle, as appropriate
Ranged Weapons, Primitive
This broad skill provides a character with training in the use of primitive ranged weapons. This class of weaponry covers bows and crossbows, slings, and even primitive firearms such as flintlock pistols and rifles. Although there are significant differences between them (see Chapter 11: Weapons & Armor for more information), all primitive ranged weapons except flintlocks have the same modifiers for range; see Table P22: Range Modifiers by Weapon Type on page 73.
Bow
With the bow skill, a character can be- | U come increasingly more proficient with the long bow and the short bow. A bow can be loaded and fired in the same action by any character. As a character attains higher ranks in this specialty, he gains additional abilities as described in “Ranged Weapons Rank Benefits” on the next page.
Crossbow
With the crossbow skill, a character can become increasingly more proficient with this type of primitive weapon. It takes one action to load a crossbow and a separate action to fire the weapon. As a character achieves higher ranks in this specialty, he gains additional abilities as described in “Ranged Weapons Rank Benefits” on the next page.
Flintlock
This specialty skill covers the use of all types of flintlocks, including both pistols and rifles. It takes one action to load a flintlock pistol and a separate action to fire the weapon—and it takes two actions to load a flintlock rifle, plus a separate action to fire the weapon. As a character achieves higher ranks in this specialty, he gains additional abilities as described in “Ranged Weapons Rank Benefits” on the next page.
Sling
With the sling skill, a character can become increasingly more proficient with this type of primitive weapon. A sling can be loaded and fired in the same action by any character. As a character achieves higher ranks in this specialty, he gains additional abilities as described in “Ranged Weapons Rank Benefits” on the next page.
Stealth (WIP)
This broad skill provides a character with the ability to hide, sneak, or otherwise move about without attracting attention. The base situation die lor a skill check is usually altered by the opponent’s Will resistance modifier, as well as other conditions determined by the GM that may affect the character’s ability to remain unnoticed or undetected. How well a character uses Stealth or any of its associated specialties depends on the degree of success he achieves. This success translates into a modifier that applies to an observer’s chance of noticing the character with either an Awareness-perception, Awareness-intuition, or Investi- gate-search skill check (depending on the particular Stealth skill being employed). If the character’s skill check results in a Critical Failure, the character is liable to be noticed despite his best efforts: the observer’s skill check is made with a -2 bonus. A Failure result provides no modifier to the observer’s skill check. An Ordinary success gives the observer a +1 penalty; Good, a +2 penalty; and Amazing, a +3 penalty. (The GM may decide to make a character’s skill check secretly, so the character’s player doesn’t know the result of the attempt.) The following descriptions of the specialty skills include information on how to handle a skill check made for a particular purpose. The rank benefit that pertains to all three of the Stealth specialty skills is described on the bottom of this page. Obviously, a Stealth skill can’t be used if the character is presently in plain sight of his opponent, or if the character is emitting sounds or smells that can reach the opponent. Before you can hide from someone, or follow him without being seen, or sneak up on him, you first have to be in a situation or a position where the observer can’t immediately see or otherwise detect you.
Sneak
Sneaking is the ability to move silently so as to avoid being observed. While a character is sneaking, he can move at up to one-half of his walk movement rate. The skill used by an observer to detect a sneaking character is Awareness-perception if the observ- er is expecting trouble, or Aware- i ness-intuition if he is not. 1 The character must make a new sneak check in every round during which CzO he continues to use this Stealth skill. In addition, if a character succeeds in using the sneak skill to get adjacent to an opponent (or to get within short range, if the character is using a ranged weapon), he can make an attack in the same phase that the successful sneak took place—and the character receives a situation die bonus to that attack, since he has surprised his opponent. The bonus is determined by the level of success achieved: Ordinary, -1 step; Good. -2 steps; Amazing, -3 steps.
Increased Effect: character achieves higher ranks in Stealth specialty skills, he becomes even more difficult to detect. An Amazing result on his skill check causes a +4 step penalty (instead of +3) to be applied to the observer’s skill check: a Good success means a .3 step penalty; an Ordinary success +2 steps, and a Marginal success +1 step. The outcome of a Critical Failure result does not change. This benefit Is available to characters who have achieved rank 4 in hide, rank 5 in shadow. and/or rank 6 in sneak.
Conceil (WIP)
Vehicle Operation
Free to fraal, human, and mechalus characters.
This broad skill provides a character with a basic understanding of and proficiency with modem vehicles. Using this skill, a character can attempt to operate most normal land and water vehicles. Some military or specialized land and water vehicles may have controls that are too complex for the broad skill to cover, requiring at least some level of specialization before a character is able to operate them successfully. The ordinary operation of any normal land or water vehicle doesn’t require a skill check. During chases, races, or vehicle combat, or when navigating through heroic obstacles, skill checks may be called for. When a character purchases any of the Vehicle Operation specialty skills, he selects a specific type of vehicle to which the specialty skill applies. See the individual skill descriptions for more details. See Chapter 12: Vehicles for detailed information concerning the use of this skill in heroic situations.
Air Vehicle
This skill can’t be used untrained.
This specialty skill enables a character to become trained in the use of a specific type of air vehicle. If he wants to be skilled in the operation of more than one type of air vehicle, he must purchase and improve each specialty skill separately. Types of air vehicles include propeller planes, helicopters, private jets, commercial jets, and jet fighters. Other types of air vehicles may exist in your GM’s campaign.
Land Vehicle
This specialty skill enables a character to become trained in the use of a specific type of land vehicle. If he wants to be skilled in the operation of more than one type of land vehicle, he must purchase and improve each specialty skill separately. Types of land vehicles include automobiles, motorcycles, race cars, large trucks, and tanks and other heavy military vehicles. Other types of land vehicles may exist in your campaign.
Space Vehicle
This skill can’t be used untrained.
This specialty skill enables a character to become trained in the use of a specific type of space vehicle. If he wants to be skilled in the operation of more than one type of space vehicle, he must purchase and improve each specialty skill separately. This skill is also used to operate the helm of large, multicrewed space vessels. Other systems on space vessels require the specialized functions of the System Operation broad skill. Types of space vehicles include space fighters (ships of 10 durability or less): scouts and light freighters (ships of 11-32 durability); medium freighters and corvettes (ships of 33-60 durability); and capital ships (more than 60 durability). The types that exist in your campaign may vary: check with your GM before selecting a specific type.
Water Vehicle
This specialty skill enables a character to become trained in the use of a specific type of water vehicle. If he wants to be skilled in the operation of more than one type of water vehicle. he must purchase and improve each specialty skill separately. This skill is also used to operate the helm of large, multicrewed water vessels. Other systems on water vessels (such as battleships, submarines. and oil tankers) require a version of the specialized functions of the System Operation broad skill. Types of water vehicles include canoes, rafts and rowboats, power boats, jet skis, sailboats, large commercial vessels, large military vessels, and submersible craft. Other types of water vehicles may exist in your GM’s campaign.
Vehicle Operation Rank Benefit
Improved Proficiency: As a character achieves higher ranks in one or more of the Vehicle Operation specialty skills, he becomes even more adept at operating the specific types of vehicles he has specialized in. The benefit is a -1 bonus at rank 4, a -2 bonus at rank 8, and a -3 bonus at rank 12.
Constitution Skills
Constitution measures a character’s stamina, general physical condition, and ability to absorb or withstand physical trauma. To determine the result of an action involving Constitution that isn’t directly related to a skill, a character makes a feat check (as described on page 63). Fighting off the effects of nausea after being exposed to an unpleasant odor is an example of a Constitution feat. The GM doesn’t have to be specific when he declares a feat to be of a certain level of difficulty, but he will use the following as a general rule: A Marginal feat (no modifier) is one that more than half of all people should be able to accomplish: a Moderate feat (+2 penalty) is something that well-conditioned people should be able to do in most situations: and an Extreme feat (+3 penalty) is one that tests even those who are in perfect shape.
| Skill Name | Cost | Prof. |
|---|---|---|
| Movement | 3 | - |
| Race | 2 | - |
| Swim | 1 | - |
| Trailblazing | 3 | F |
| Stamina | 3 | — |
| Endurance | 4 | C |
| Resist Pain | 4 | C |
| Survival | 5 | CF |
| Survival Training * | 3 | CF |
| Adaptability * | 3 | CF |
Movement
This broad skill allows a character to increase the distance he can travel in a given time, and also provides him with the ability to make a journey less arduous for himself and his companions. A character with the Movement broad skill can engage in overland movement for longer than an untrained character can before he needs to begin making Stamina-endurance checks. (See “Traveling Long Distances” on page 56 in Chapter 3: Heroes in Action.) Such a character makes checks every 4 hours when moving at a stroll, every 3 hours when marching, or every 2 hours when moving under a forced march. The broad skill also enables a character to attempt trailblazing, as defined below in the description of that specialty skill.
Race
This skill can’t be used untrained.
This specialty skill allows a character to improve his ability to move faster and cover more ground in a combat scene. A character who purchases rank 1 in this specialty skill immediately improves his run movement rate by 2 meters.
Movement Rate Increase: As a character achieves higher ranks in the race specialty skill, he improves his run and sprint movement rates.
The run rate goes up by 2 meters at ranks 5 and 9, and the sprint rate goes up by 2 meters at ranks 4, 7, and 12.
These increases apply both to normal movement and all-out movement. Thus, a character with a sprint movement rate of 20 and rank 7 in the race skill can travel 24 meters in a single phase if he spends an action to engage in normal movement—or he can cover 24 meters in a number of consecutive phases if he declares that he’s using all-out movement.
Swim
Except to determine if a character can tread water to avoid drowning, this skill can’t be used untrained. This specialty skill is necessary for a character to be able to use his swim movement rate (see Combat Movement Rates table). Without this skill, a character can only tread water and paddle in a crude fashion, using his easy swim movement rate. In addition, a character with this skill improves his ability to hold his breath. ( See “Holding Your Breath”) Any Stamina-endurance checks a character must make to keep holding his breath, or to determine if he suffers stun damage from being underwater too long, are made with a -1 bonus at rank 1.
Improved Breathing: The bonus to a character’s Stamina-endurance check while holding his breath improves to -2 at rank 4, -3 at rank 8, and -4 at rank 12.
Movement Rate Increase: As a character achieves higher ranks in the swim specialty skill, he improves his swim and easy swim movement rates. Both rates increase by 1 meter at rank 4, again at rank 8, and again at rank 12.
Trailblazing
With trailblazing, a character learns to find paths through rough terrain or create paths that others can use to move faster and cover more ground during a full day’s travel.
The successful use of this skill reduces the adverse effects of traveling in conditions of Good or Amazing difficulty for the character and any companions who are traveling with him.
This skill check is made once per day, at the beginning of a day of travel.
On a Critical Failure result, the unlucky character manages to pick a route that is worse than the other travelers could have found for themselves, causing everyone in the group to suffer an additional +1 penalty to their fatigue checks, on top of any other penalties. (See Overland Movement Table and “Traveling Long Distances”)
On a Failure result, no help is provided.
An Ordinary / Good / Amazing success provides a reduction of 1 / 2 / 3 step(s) to any penalties that apply respectively.
Note that this reduction can’t be used to turn a penalty into a bonus; the best possible result would be negating a penalty altogether.
Stamina
Free to human, mechalus, sesheyan, t’sa. and weren characteres.
This broad skill measures a character’s physical fortitude with regard to the effects of mortal damage and fatigue.
Dying: A character who has suffered any amount of mortal damage is considered to be dying. At the end of a scene, a dying character (whether conscious or unconscious) makes a Stamina check.
| Check Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Critical Failure | suffers 2 additional points of mortal damage |
| Failure | suffers 1 additional point of mortal damage |
| Ordinary or better | his condition remains the same |
The dying character makes additional Stamina checks once per hour, with similar consequences applying on any Critical Failure or Failure result, until he receives medical aid (see the Medical Science-surgery skill).
The time between these Stamina checks can be lengthened to one per day if the character is helped by the application of Knowledge-first aid or Medical Science-treatment; see the descriptions of those skills for details.
Fatigue: When a character engages in certain fatigue-causing activities, he must make a Stamina check. This check is made after the activity takes place, or at set intervals for certain types of activity (see “Fatigue Damage”).
| Check Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Critical Failure | suffers 2 points of fatigue damage |
| Failure | suffers 1 point of fatigue damage |
| Ordinary or better | the character suffers no fatigue damage |
Endurance
As a character acquires ranks in the endurance skill, he becomes more able to withstand the effects of damage. For a character who has this specialty, endurance checks take the place of Stamina checks.
Resist Pain
This skill can’t be used untrained.
Resist pain allows a character to function normally and ignore some or all of the situation penalties for suffering large amounts of stun, wound, or mortal (but not fatigue) damage.
A character with this specialty skill may get an opportunity once per combat scene to check the effectiveness of his ability to resist pain. The first time during a combat scene when the character has received damage equal to more than half of his stun points or wound points, or when he receives at least 1 point of mortal damage, he makes a resist pain skill check. This check does not count as an action, and takes place before any characters attempt any actions.
The result of this resist pain check lasts for the rest of the combat scene. Any penalties caused by the damage are applied to the check. For instance, if a single attack causes a character to suffer 2 points of mortal damage, enough stuns to use up more than half of his stun points, and enough wounds to use up more than half of his wound points, then the check is made with a +4 penalty. (This example assumes that the optional “dazed” rule for stun damage and wound damage is in effect; if your campaign doesn’t use that rule, then the penalty is +2, taking into account only the mortal damage.)
| Check Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Critical Failure | character succumbs to the pain and can’t act for 2d4 phases |
| Failure | Failure, character suffers from damage penalties as per the normal rules |
| Ordinary | character ignores 1 step of penalty |
| Good | character ignores 2 steps of penalty |
| Amazing | character ignores 3 steps of penalty |
Resist pain only helps to lessen or eliminate situation penalties caused by cumulative damage.
The benefit a character receives from a successful skill check can’t be used to turn a penalty into a bonus.
If a character only has a +1 penalty due to damage when the check is made but the result indicates a reduction of 2 points of penalty, the character gets no immediate benefit from the extra reduction—but it might come into play if he suffers damage later in the scene.
Having this skill doesn’t help a character stave off dying or death results.
Survival
This broad skill provides a character with basic general training in survival techniques: finding shelter, procuring food and water, and avoiding environmental hazards.
Success depends on having any of these basic necessities available, as well as the result of a skill check.
Checks are made once each day unless the GM determines otherwise.
| Check Result | Effect |
|---|---|
| Failure | character can’t acquire basic necessities for this day |
| Ordinary | character acquires enough basic necessities to sustain himself for this day |
| Good | character acquires enough basic necessities for himself and up to six others for this day |
| Amazing | character becomes so familiar with the locale that survival is no longer an issue unless the situation changes |
The type of terrain or environment where the character is located can provide a modifier to the skill check, as shown in the “Survival Situation Modifiers” bellow.
Survival Situation Modifiers
| Terrain | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Arctic | +4 |
| Arid or wasteland | +3 |
| Mountainous | +2 |
| Swamp or ocean | +1 |
| Forest or grassland | 0 |
| Dense vegetation | -1 |
| Jungle | -2 |
| Small settlement | -1 |
| Small city or space station | -2 |
| Large city or space station | -3 |
Survival on Other Worlds
As it’s described here, the Survival skill is meant to apply primarily in the types of climate and terrain found on Earth. But the skill is also usable on other worlds. If the characters are on a planet with an Earthlike environment, then the given situation modifiers might apply just the way they are (assuming, of course, that the local vegetation and wildlife, if any, are edible). If the environment is drastically different from Earth, then it will be up to the GM to assign an appropriate situation modifier, ranging from a heavy penalty for a locale that offers little prospect for food or shelter to a sizable bonus for a place that has an abundance of usable resources. The use of the Survival skill might be Impossible in certain situations, as dictated by the GM—for instance, a barren and airless asteroid probably doesn’t have any food, and whatever shelter it might provide would be meaningless if the characters weren’t already equipped with protective gear.
Survival Training
This specialty skill enables a character to improve his ability to use the Survival broad skill in any type of terrain he rough knowledge of, this normally include all the types of terrain common in his native planet, plus anything the GM deems reasonable. For Alien environments refer to the Adaptability specialty skill.
Discern Dangers: while on a terrain he is familiar with, the character is able to quickly identify environmental risks that can go from collapsing buildings in the slums of a space station, to poisonous spores on a fungal jungle.
An ordinary success indicates the character feels some possible danger but cannot identify it, a good or better success allows the character to identify the danger with enough time to do something about it.
Adaptability
This skill cannot be used untrained
This speciality skill improves the ability of the character to adapt to alien environments.
The character is resourceful enough to grasp how to survive alien environment, this allows the character to make skill checks to slowly understand the mechanics of the environment.
The character can perform a Survival - Adaptability challenge, making a check per day the character spend studying the environment. After the first success the character is able to make Survival - Survival training against the base terrain modifier (defined by the GM) with an additional 5 steps penalty.
After that for every 3 successes he achieves this penalty is reduced by one step to a minimum of the base terrain modifier.
Once the character masters the terrain type, he no longer needs to make adaptability checks in this kind of terrains.