Revision as of 17:38, 18 March 2016

Back to Main Page
Chapter 5: Skills

Traits are the raw materials of a Hero, while Skills are the programming. The essence of a Future Imperfect encounter is task resolution, and tasks cannot be effectively resolved without Skills. Each Skill has an associated Trait. When rolling dice for a given Attribute, use the type associated with the Trait. Roll a number of dice equal to the level of the Skill.

Insert example here.

Skill List

The following Skill list is organized by associated Trait. Where appropriate, specialties and related skills are notated.

Default Attributes
Every Hero has a set of default Skills for no cost. These are Awareness 1, Search 1, Language (own) 2, any granted by the race and any campaign Skills as defined by the Master.

Acuity

Arts (As appropriate)
This skill is used to make various reproductions or representations in a variety of media, such as sketches, painting or sculpture.

Awareness
Possible duplicate skill (search). Or this could be used for passive checks while search can be used for active checks?

Electronics (low-tech, high-tech)
This skill is used to build, modify or repair electronic devices and components. Low-tech electronics might be devices that use wires, circuit boards, batteries and mundane electrical power supplies. High-tech electronics would be more futuristic devices and systems that utilize irregular or alien components. Fixing a taser would be a low-tech task; fixing a light sword would be high-tech task. This use of this skill, along with the mechanics attribute is intended for short-term fixes, field applications or relatively simple tasks. Large scale projects will likely fall under the appropriate engineering attribute.

Investigation
This skill is used to pick useful information out of a mess of data, to put clues together to learn the big picture, or simply track down people and events electronically or through interviewing witnesses or suspects. Police, detectives and certain types of mercenaries (like bounty hunters) will often be trained investigators.

Mechanics (low-tech, high-tech)
This skill is used to build, modify or repair machinery and devices. Low-tech machines are relatively simple (in principle) and the low-tech concentration would be used to work on things like a gas-powerd vehicle, a prop aircraft or hydraulic systems. The high-tech concentration would be used for working on things such as exotic power systems (fuel cell, fusion or antimatter power systems), robotic components or alien devices. This use of this skill, along with the electronics attribute is intended for short-term fixes, field applications or relatively simple tasks. Large scale projects will likely fall under the appropriate engineering attribute.

Navigation (Land, Astrogation)
Navigation is the ability to figure out where you’re at and how to get where you are going. Land navigation requires the ability to orient based on landmarks and geographical features, the local sun, moon(s) and stars (depending on planet type, its rotation, orbit and axial tilt). Space navigation (also known as astrogation) is the ability to plot optimal courses through tachyon space, and allows one to figure their location in space based on the distance, direction and relative magnitude of stellar bodies. Using land navigation may require maps or the appropriate area knowledge attribute. Using space navigation will most usually require access to starsector atlases, appropriate sensors for long-range scans, and almost certainly computers and programs to crunch the numbers. When plotting an FTL course, meeting the target number will place the ship as near as possible to the gravity well of the target system. Failing the roll will increase the difficulty of the piloting roll and will transition the ship from tachyon space much further away from the target, possibly requiring several extra hours or days to get in-system. Any raises might shave time off the subjective time spent in tachyon space, or use less fuel than expected.

Programming (Design, Hacking)
Computers can be wonderful tools, but to get them to do anything but take up space and collect dust, one must have the programming skill. Commercial or specialized programs may allow a person to utilize a computer system with little to no programming skill, but getting a computer to do something new (or something not intended by existing programs) requires the programming skill.

Scrounge
This skill is the ability to find common items in a hurry. Sometimes this means settling for less than what is needed, but a good scrounger (or requisition specialist) can usually come up with something that gets the job done. The Starmaster sets the difficulty of finding a particular object depending on the item and the amount of time available. Also, just because you have found something doesn’t necessarily mean it is free for the taking; you may have to beg, borrow or steal (or just buy it) when you find it.

Scrutinize
Any IPA investigator worth his salt can tell when a smuggler is lying through his teeth. Scrutinizing someone may not tell you everything, but it could help point out inconsistencies in another person’s story. Scrutinize is the ability to judge another person’s character, see through disguises or detect lies. A character with this skill is better able to resist bluff and persuasion attempts.

Search
This skill is used when the character is actively looking for items, clues or evidence. It is also used to detect movements of people or creatures that are sneaking. It can be used to spot tracks, but to follow a proper trail, the tracking skill should be used.

Security Systems
Alarms, motion detectors, electronic locks. They are all intended to draw attention if people breach other layers of security. If attempting to bypass an electronic lock or alarm system, the character can make multiple attempts with no penalty, but after each failure, he must make another roll versus the system’s TN. If this second roll fails, his attempts have had some consequence. He might have tripped the alarm, set off a silent alarm that will summon security forces to ambush him, or frozen the lock to require an administrator override. Sometimes, breaking into an electronic system (dismantling a keypad, for example) will expose the guts of the device and make the job of defeating the system easier. At the Starmaster’s discretion, cracking the device may yield a +2 bonus, but any one investigating the scene later will see the damage and probably raise an alarm of their own…

Starship Mechanics (repairs, upgrades)
Starships are incredibly complex vehicles, and keeping them operating at peak efficiency (to say nothing of just making sure they are space-worthy!) will demand that you have some ships’ mechanics on your crew. Some mechs specialize as damage control (DC) crews, some try to eke a few extra light-seconds out of the Torch drives or adding custom smuggler cubbies. The scope of these types of upgrades will usually be relatively narrow or short term; a secret stash for illicit goods may be quite small, or a boost to the ships drives might only last for a few minutes or hours before a part breaks down. To effect major changes to starship systems requires the appropriate engineering attribute.

Tactics (Land, Space, Naval)
The ability to overcome a greater force with a lesser one, or oppose an enemy while minimizing casualties often falls to who uses the best tactics. Making wise or foolish decisions will ultimately fall to the player’s choice; the successful application of tactics adds an ineffable something to your actions, or those of your crew. Nature of advantage to be determined later

Tracking
Good trackers usually find whoever or whatever they are looking for. Of course, on an alien world, that may not always be a good thing. A successful tracking roll helps a character find a trail, stay on it, and maybe even figure out how many targets he is following. One’s ability to track at all will depend on the terrain; finding out where someone went in a city would probably require investigation or streetwise. The difficulty for following tracks is shown on the charts below:

Targets trailed_________________TN

1-2___________________________11

3-4___________________________9

5-8___________________________7

9-15__________________________5

16+___________________________3

Condition___________________Modifier

Snow________________________+4

Night________________________-4

Rain since tracks were made_____-4

Rain before tracks were made____+4

High traffic area_______________-4

Target is large/heavy___________+2

Target is a vehicle_____________+4

Dexterity

Artillery (Ground, Starship)
This skill is used for the targeting of crew-served or emplaced weapons like projectile artillery batteries, mortars and surface-to-surface or surface-to-air missile or rocket launchers. Starship artillery are specially designed weapons intended to be used from higher altitudes (often low to high planetary orbit), or regular ship’s batteries fired at ground targets.

Athletics
This is a generalized catch-all attribute that reflects the overall athleticism of the character. People with high levels of athletics are those who tried out for multiple sports in school, or are active and physically capable. When attempting a feat such as jumping, gymnastics, throwing an object or diving for cover (to name a few examples) athletics may be the attribute called upon.

Climb
Be it trees, ropes, cliff faces or fire escapes, the climbing skill is used as a base to determine one’s speed while climbing. Some difficult climbing tasks (sheer cliff face, slippery drain pipe) may require one or more rolls to determine if the character can make it at all or if they fall in the middle of the climb.

Dodge
The dodge skill is used to effectively utilize cover in a firefight and avoid incoming enemy fire.

Drive (Hover, Tracked, Wheeled)
This skill is used to operate motor vehicles of various methods of propulsion. Not everyone will have this skill; it should not be taken for granted. Some cultures encountered will be of a low enough tech level that they do not have motor vehicles, while in some cultures, driving vehicles may require extensive licensing, privilege or wealth, or given the local geography, most common vehicles may be impractical.

EVA
Extra-Vehicular Activity is the use of pressurized “space suits” in low or unpressurized atmospheric conditions (like outside of a spacecraft or an airless planet, moon or asteroid). This skill is used in zero-gee environments, when using a suit’s thrusters or rocket pack to maneuver. Characters with no level in this skill may suffer penalties to any critical actions in adverse environments, or may even panic and be unable to act for short periods of time.

Fighting (Blunt; Brawling; Edged, Long; Edged, Short; Energy Blade; Hafted; Martial Arts; Special; Vibro Blade)
This skill is used to make hand-to-hand combat attacks with any number of close-combat weapons, including non-martial art unarmed combat.

Lockpicking
For some people, locks are just a clue to where the good stuff is. This skill is used to overcome physical security. Successful use of this skill does not always leave a lock in working order when you are done with it or hide the fact that someone opened it without a key; the easiest way to crack a safe is to bust it open (hence, safecracking), and using tools or picks will often leave “jimmy” marks on locks that can be easily detected by trained personnel. To leave a safe or lock unharmed so no one knows it was tampered with may increase the difficulty. A character can attempt to pick a lock multiple times if they fail, but each try after the first incurs a cumulative -2 penalty, up to -8. At this point, he is stumped until he earns another level in lockpicking, or, at the Starmaster’s discretion, returns with better tools

Mobile Infantry
Cap troopers are the stuff of legend, the bogeymen in the night of a distant battlefield. When a patrol comes across an enemy position that was smashed flat and they heard no chatter about it from above, you can bet the M.I. had a hand in it. The mobile infantry skill allows one to effectively use exoskeletal strength suits and various power armors; without this skill, one cannot master the negative feedback systems employed, and will wind up seriously injuring themselves, others or just making a mess of everything around them. A character’s level in mobile infantry will act as a cap on any martial arts, athletics or other gross-motor skills (Starmaster’s discretion). You may be a kung-fu master outside the armor, but if your skill while moving inside it is minimal, the armor will be a hindrance. The trade-off, of course, is the protection it offers and other on-board systems.

Parachuting
Sometimes you just need to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft. When this need arises, it’s good to have a way to soften the sudden stop at the end of the fall. On the field of battle, airborne troops are usually deployed behind the enemy lines, where aircraft cannot land or where stealth is key. Sometimes troops are dropped from a great altitude and they open their chutes low to the ground to minimize the opportunity the enemy has to spot them (a HALO or High-Altitude, Low-Opening jump), sometimes they deploy a great distance away (sometimes even several kilometers!) and open their chutes high in order to glide silently toward the target. There are many types of parachutes designed for multiple roles. Make sure you have the right one for the job and the atmosphere of the planet you’re dropping on! Success on your parachuting roll means that you landed near the position you intended; each point you missed by equals 1d100 meters of drift. If attempting a stealth approach, this roll will act as the character’s “sneak” roll versus an opposing force’s “search/awareness” roll.

Pilot: Atmospheric Craft (Fixed Wing Propulsion, Helicopter, VTOL)
Aircraft utilize several methods of providing lift, thrust and control. Some are related, others are quite different from each other. This skill is used to pilot craft that rely on an atmosphere to fly. Fixed wing craft use rotors or jet turbines for thrust and wings for lift and maneuvering. Helicopters use one or more rotors that provide lift, thrust and maneuvering and are capable of not only hovering but flying backwards and side to side. VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) craft are often similar to fixed wing craft, but they have rotors or jet turbines that tilt on one or more axes to provide lift and thrust in directions other than forward. VTOL craft can operate in some respects like a helicopter, but are much faster.

Pilot: Spacecraft (Conning, Personal Spacecraft, Shuttle)
Operating a craft that is capable of space travel requires a much different skill set than operating an atmospheric craft, and while many spacecraft may be able to operate in an atmosphere, they utilize vastly different means to stay aloft and maneuver (and in many cases do neither of these as well as aircraft!). The conning concentration is used to pilot a large vessel, often a military ship, where the pilot may have to relay orders to other crew members to change output to various systems (engines and drives) and because of the scales involved may have to rely on sensor readings to perceive the area around the ship (Like Sulu on the Enterprise). Personal spacecraft are those that can be operated by a one person, and rather than having a proper bridge they are more apt to have a “cockpit” (Like Luke Skywalker aboard his X-Wing). Shuttles are generally craft that ferry personnel and/or materiel ship-to-ship, land-to-ship or vice-versa, and have no FTL capacity. Shuttles include the broad category of “ship’s boats,” and on military vessels also include various armed assault craft used to deploy marines and act as gunships (Like Cpl. Ferro on the Bug Stomper, one of the Sulaco’s dropships).

Ride (Animal, Cycle)
If you can fall off of it, you’re probably riding. This skill is used to pull off fancy maneuvers or overcome obstacles while riding various animals or open vehicles like motorcycles, ATVs or CG land sleds. Trying to operate these kind of steeds/vehicles with no training is a dicey proposition at best.

Shooting: ARPOBDIF
Anti-robot positronic brain disruption field weapons are direct-fire weapons that target the advanced electronics of the positronic brains commonly found in most meks. ARPO weapons could be considered like EMP guns that specifically target robots.

Shooting: Handgun (Blaster, Laser, Disruptor, Fusion, Gauss, Projectile, Needler)
This attribute covers shooting any small, one-handed ranged weapon.

Shooting: Rifle (Blaster, Laser, Fusion, Gauss, Needler, Projectile, Disruptor)
Two-handed ranged weapons that have some kind of a stock held to the shoulder for stability and to absorb recoil are rifle-type weapons be they long guns, carbines or submachine gun style. Rifles generally have increased range over pistols and sometimes fire heavier rounds, but they can be slower and are not well-suited for firing in close-quarters.

Shooting: Flamer
Weapons that use pressurized incendiary material to ignite a target or area. Flamers come in several sizes, and their operations are similar. Specialized skill is useful to know how to effectively fan a target and make sure the flaming product gets where the shooter wants it.

Shooting: Heavy (Fusion, Laser, Blaster, Projectile)
Heavy weapons are usually not fired from the shoulder like a rifle. Instead, they utilize bi- or tripod stabilization or are turret-mounted (though some LMG variants are designed for either mounted or shoulder fire). This requires a different set of skills and fire discipline, as most heavy weapons are fully automatic.

Shooting: Grenade Launcher
With miniaturization and energetic explosive compounds, grenades can be made even more compact and devastating. Launcher-style weapons are effective to medium-long ranges, but precision deployment of ordnance at anything beyond short ranges will require some degree of indirect fire. Grenade types vary widely, and as such, launchers can be used as “multi-role” weapons.

Shooting: PML
Portable Missile Launchers use either direct fire (rockets) or guided/homing systems to put a powerful warhead on target. PML weapons are generally used for armor penetration or anti-aircraft roles. With these, explosive, anti-personnel effects are minimal and secondary. Some rockets may be primarily HE or incendiary, however, and their battlefield role might be that of a large-caliber grenade launcher.

Shooting: Recoilless
“Recoilless” weapons are true rocket guns. The slugs themselves are propelled by their own tiny, powerful rocket motor. They do not experience the bullet drop endemic to standard projectile firearms, as their rockets fire during their entire flight. Recoilless weapons are not as effective at very close ranges, however, as the projectile will not have gotten up to speed yet. Because the entire munition is expended in firing, recoilless guns do not have to cycle or eject spent cartridges, and have impressive rates of fire. The slugs of the larger caliber “infinite repeaters” are big enough to carry a warhead, and are often used for anti-armor or anti-personnel roles, the latter by saturating an area with fire. Recoilless weapons have little noticeable “kick,” and are therefore well-suited for zero gee combat.

Shooting: Special
Special weapons include stunners, tangleguns and dart guns.

Sleight of Hand
Misdirection and subtlety are the key when it comes to making things seem to appear or vanish at your fingertips. It can be used to cheat at the game table, pilfer small items, or quickly arm yourself in a dicey situation. Sleight of hand allows a character to draw or place small items out of or into his sleeve or pocket quickly and without notice. Bystanders may be allowed an opposed search/awareness roll to detect your actions. Sleight of hand may also be used like the quick draw attribute on any weapons smaller than a pistol (especially those classified as “hold out” weapons).

Sneak
Moving about without being detected by those around you requires a sneak roll. This is an opposed roll against a target’s search/awareness skill. When trying to sneak around or past a group of people, instead of each target rolling an individual search roll, use the following table:

Observers Search Modifier

1 +0

2-3 +1

4-8 +2

9-15 +3

16+ +4

Condition Search Modifier

Background Noise -2

Darkness -4

Target on alert/searching +2

Swim
The swim skill determines how fast a character can move in water; does he know the breast stroke, or is he limited to the dog paddle? Other feats like diving or rescuing someone who is drowning may call for a swim check.

Throw (Axe/Blade, Spears, Exotic, Grenade)
Sometimes you just need to chuck a knife at somebody. Or your dropship might have gone down with all your fancy gear, and all you’ve got is a pocketknife to make a spear. Perhaps you’re a ninja armed with throwing stars or bolas. Or maybe you’ve just got to get a frag grenade into the trench over yonder. Whatever the case, the throw skill will determine your accuracy.

Zero G
Like the climbing and swimming skills, weightless conditions are an environment all their own, and require a different subset of skills in order to maneuver and work safely or effectively. Movement speed in weightless conditions is determined by this skill, and skill checks may be required at critical moments. Performing any actions in zero g with no training may result in penalties.

Knowledge

Academia (As appropriate)
Specialized knowledge of various subjects is often underappreciated, but can sometimes be of vital importance. Some examples might be history, Forerunner Lore, or alien customs. This skill represents information a character might have “at hand” regarding a particular subject, with higher levels in the skill representing a more complete understanding of the associated coordination. For every different coordination, the skill should be purchased again separately, effectively treating each coordination as its own skill. Note also that some coordinations may be limited in scope; if your character is a history buff, he might only know the history of his native world. Knowing what historical events led to a war on another planet may be more difficult.

Area Knowledge (As appropriate)
This skill gives the character an in-depth understanding of the area in question. While every character may have detailed knowledge of the local area they grew up in, Spacelands characters tend to be upwardly-mobile, and their adventures often take them halfway across the skies. Specific information of a far-off place requires the area knowledge skill. Your knowledge of an area can be of any size, from a starsector to a single city on one world, but the larger the region, the less specific the information.

Armorer (armor, power armor, melee, firearms, energy weapons, launchers, heavy weapons, battlescreens)
While some soldiers are proficient in basic maintenance of field gear, overhauling, repairing or modifying armor and weapons will often fall to the specialized skills of the techs in a ship’s armory. Any gear that has suffered some kind of a breakdown will have to be tended to by a trained armorer before it is in working order again. The armor concentrations can be of vital importance; as armor gets bashed up in combat, your only choice is to either replace it or have it serviced by an armorer before it regains its chips.

Bureaucracy
The more advanced a society gets, the larger its population or the stricter its government, the thicker its red tape inevitably becomes. In some places permits will be required for any number of actions, tariffs or duties paid, officials bribed, et cetera. A well-connected bureaucrat can often mean the difference between a deal taking place on time and under budget or a project stalling out and dying on the vine. Successful uses of bureaucracy can yield such results as the reduction or waiving of docking fees, reduced wait time for permits or shipping, finding the right officials to talk to about issues or preventing underworld agencies from interfering with your crew or activities.

Demolitions Expert (Demolitions, Bomb Disposal)
While some explosives are dirt-simple and designed to be used by grunts in the middle of combat, the free-form use of explosives is best left to the experts. Sure, if you pack enough anti-personnel mines or grenades in something, you’re bound to destroy it, but a skilled hand can achieve the same results with much less ordnance (and probably do it safer, too!). This skill is also used to defuse the occasional bomb or booby trap that some enemies are so fond of leaving behind.

Disguise (make up/prosthetics, biometrics)
Making oneself unrecognizable is not terribly difficult; making oneself unrecognizable while still able to carry on with normal activities and not arouse suspicion requires skill in the art of disguise. Part of this skill is simply making a character look different. Another aspect is acting differently, as well. Whenever a character in disguise is spotted by someone who might catch on (someone who knows him or whoever he might be impersonating, or someone who might call out an alarm if the character is recognized), the character must make an opposed disguise roll vs. the observer’s scrutinize attribute. One success on the part of the observer might make him suspicious, but a success with at least one raise is required to see through the disguise. Without any level in this attribute, a disguise applied by someone else is little more than a costume or a change of appearance. To pull it off effectively requires the recipient of the disguise to have the skill. More advanced societies may also use computerized scanners to verify specific characteristics such as retina/iris scans, fingerprint analysis, or various recognition systems based on a person’s voice, gait/stride or facial features. Some of these can be defeated by experts while others may rely on high-tech gadgets to spoof the sensors. Other, even more secure systems might require DNA or neural authentication to trick, or even more arcane means…

Engineering (Armaments, Combat, Computer, Mechanical, Stardrive)
Mechanics can tinker. Engineers create. With the appropriate time, materials and equipment, it is possible for a trained engineer to design and/or build things, from defenses and fortifications, to weapons, even starships.

Forensics
When scientific principles are applied to the investigative process, forensics is the result. While there are nearly as many fields of forensics as there are fields of science and research, forensics is a catch-all that includes many common types of evidence collection and analysis, be it from fingerprints, autopsies, DNA, trace evidence, or even computer evidence. Successful use of this skill may point out clues, identify victims or perpetrators, or clear the name of the unjustly-convicted.

Language (As appropriate)
All characters are fluent (have 2 levels) in their native language. Over time and distance, the languages of most cultures will drift, sometimes becoming completely incomprehensible to outsiders. As a world’s methods of travel and communications improve, a mere handful of languages will likely be spoken by the vast majority of the world’s native population. By the time a culture has reached starfaring levels of technology, their race will often have developed a “common” form of language, with other dialects understood by some, especially in provincial areas. A character with 1 point in another language can speak and understand relatively simple ideas. At level 2, the character can read and write in the language, and has a larger vocabulary. Because of racial differences, the sounds of another language may be difficult to reproduce or might require a well-trained ear to distinguish, such as a human learning the growls of a canine or ursine race, or the whistles and chirps of an avian species. Treat these as one fluency level less, and at level one, the character may only be able to listen and pick up while being unable to speak. Some languages are truly “alien,” and require organs or body control that simply make it impossible for some races to “speak.” Languages are not always verbal, as well. Some cultures also have “sign” languages, and many military special forces have non-verbal “languages” that can range from simplistic to complex.

Medicine (First Aid, Surgery, Xenomedicine)
It’s easy to get hurt when you put the comforts of hearth and home far behind you and lead a life of fun and danger on the fringes of known space. When your hard living catches up to you, it pays to seek out a medic. Someone trained in first aid can stop you from bleeding out, set broken bones and generally treat most “flesh wounds.” This allows a character to heal up to heavy wounds. He can do nothing for serious and critical wounds and maimed limbs other than stop bleeding. A trained surgeon has had formal medical training in a university or equivalent. He can cut people open and treat internal injuries, perform operations. Proper surgery generally requires specialized equipment or facilities. Medtechs with training in xenomedicine can treat a variety of beings other than his own race, and this concentration will allow them to use their first aid or surgery skill at no higher than their level of xenomedicine. Attempting first aid or surgery on an alien as though it were a related skill check, subtracting 2 from the roll. Very alien races may incur a -4 penalty.

Personal Flight System (Jump Belt, Contra-gravity Harness)
Gravsled devices are able to nullify, harness and redirect a small portion of a planet’s gravity well. This allows characters so equipped advanced mobility. Jump belts nullify gravity, allowing the character to jump extremely high or far and coast through the air with their own momentum. CG harnesses are more heavy-duty and are “powered” with gravsled technology, allowing the user to maneuver and move at high speed. When using a jump belt, the common application is to move in short, controlled bounds. If the character is attempting to make a large jump, make a roll to see if they land on target. CG harness rolls should be made when critical maneuvers arise.

Pilot (FTL, Torch Drive)
Safely making the transition from Einsteinian space into the folds of hyperspace requires extensive training and practice, as any number of precise calculations could be disastrous if off by even a tiny bit. As such, many FTL pilots spend a good deal of time under instruction before they are ever allowed to perform solo jumps. Difficulty of making a hyperspace jump is determined by the distance, with shorter jumps being easer to compute, and by the accuracy of the course plotted by the astrogator. If the pilot fails his roll when making a hyperspace jump, the ship overshoots or undershoots the target, or travels in a random direction. Determining the ship’s location is space will require a navigation: astrogation roll, and another check to plot a new course. If there is no trained astrogator to plot a course while lost in space, one may simply have to turn on the distress beacon, and hope the ISP finds them before the scavs do…

Professional (As appropriate)
Professional skills are largely academic, intellectual “trades” such as journalism, photography, politics or the practice of law. Using the skills and performing them will often fall under different traits. Due to the wildly different nature of the possible professional skills, concentrations in the professional attribute are never considered related.

Science (Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Planetary, Social, Others)
This skill covers formal education, empirical data and skill in many forms of scientific pursuit. Engineers, researchers and doctors will often have multiple science concentrations under their belt. While some concentrations may be related, it is up to the Starmaster to determine how close they are and what penalty might be incurred for trying to say, solve a biology problem with your advanced understanding of chemistry.

SCUBA
Underwater environments can be every bit as deadly as the cold vacuum of space. The SCUBA attribute allows the character to safely use specialized gear for diving, breathing underwater and even reaching abyssal depths. This does not necessarily help you move faster in water (that’s what the swim skill is for), but use of select SCUBA gear may help. An untrained person can probably only swim to a depth of about 10 meters at most before they run out of air, panic or the water pressure hurts their ears too much. Each level of SCUBA beyond the first will provide training with increasingly effective equipment that will double the maximum dive depth (to over 150m at level 5!). Level one will train the character in how to use basic breathing apparatus to allow extended underwater operation at normal skin-diving depths.

Survival (Terraformed, Xeno, Hostile)
Planetary environments will fall into one of three categories. Terraformed environments are generally “earth-like,” falling in the Goldilocks zone of a stellar body, with adequate gravity and atmospheric pressure. They are either naturally or artificially similar to your race’s home planet and have been seeded with flora and fauna that are familiar. Xeno environments are generally habitable by terms of atmosphere, pressure and temperature, but have indigenous life that may not mesh with your race’s body chemistry and planetary phenomena (storms, seismic activity, solar activity) that can be hazardous. Hostile environments include various “Hell” worlds, where surface activity without proper training or protective gear could prove instantly fatal. For terraformed or xeno environments, a successful survival roll will feed one person for one day, with each raise providing enough sustenance for an additional person. For hostile environments, there will be no sustenance to be gathered; at the Starmaster’s discretion, every unit of time spent on the surface or outside of a secure hab might require a survival roll simply to avoid calamity.

Systems Operation (Engineering, Tactical, Computer, Medical)
This skill reflects a character’s ability to carry out regular duties in various areas of starship operations. None of these concentrations are related, as each role is vastly different. Engineers conduct power and drive operations and repair systems. Tactical staff are mostly astronauts and marines. They man the ship’s batteries, and operate the ship’s boats and fighters. Comp Techs man the various computer systems and aid the tactical staff in combat, as well as monitor ship’s systems, conduct security sweeps and sensor readings. Medical staff keep the crew patched up after battles or away-missions, and act as the science division, studying new lifeforms, diseases and sometimes artifacts the crew may come across.

Trade (As appropriate)
Trade skills are hands-on skills like the professional attribute. Professionals learned about something, Tradesmen learned how to do something, and can get paid for it, be it building houses with carpentry, slinging hash with cooking, or excavating ore with knowledge of mining.

Presence

Animal Handler
Even in a technologically advanced society, domesticated animals may still have their place as pets, work animals or beasts of burden. Getting animals to follow your commands requires time, patience and the animal handler attribute. Skill checks are opposed rolls versus the animal’s Presence. Teaching an animal a new trick usually takes 4-5 days.

Bluff
This is the art of telling tales, spinning lies or getting someone to look out for the Klackon right behind them so you can get in a cheap shot. Bluffing is a test of wills versus an opponent’s scrutinize skill. The more raises you get, the more your opponent falls for it.

Gambling
If you’re playing against the house, gambling (also known as “losing”) is a matter of math and memory or sheer, blind luck. When playing against other beings, gambling involves knowing how to hide your tells, read those of the other players and knowing when and how to bet to maximize wins and minimize losses. There are nearly as many games out there to bet on as there are people to play them. For purposes of game mechanics, characters should decide on stakes. Each player participating makes a gambling skill roll. The lowest roll pays the highest, the second lowest pays the second highest and so on. If there is an odd player in the middle, he breaks even. The stakes determine the payout. The difference between the high/low rolls multiplied by the stakes are what the loser must pay the winner. Each roll of this type might cover a considerable amount of gambling, perhaps an hour spent at a table. If a character wants to try and amass a fortune running a table, he may be able to make several gambling rolls in one night.

Intimidate
The threat of harm can be subtle or blatant, it can be backed up by authority, resources or strength. Convincing your opponent that you can back your words up is all part of intimidation: getting someone else to do something…or else. An intimidation attack is an opposed roll against an opponent’s guts attribute. If the attacker wins, the loser is usually compelled to obey under threat of harm. If forced to fight, the loser is shaken and fights at -2 to all actions for a number or rounds equal to how many points they lost their guts roll. Each raise for the intimidate roll increases the penalty by another -1. With a good intimidation roll, discretion may be the better part of valor.

Leadership
Besides using leadership to control NPC crew, this attribute has two specific uses: In a combat situation, a leadership roll can keep people from being surprised. Whenever a friendly crewmember fails a surprise roll, you can attempt to make the roll for him as long as your character is not surprised as well. This counts as an action for your character. Every success and raise you get on your leadership check allows the leader to affect one other individual. In addition, you can use your leadership attribute to actually trade action cards between friendly characters during combat. When it’s your turn to take an action, make a Fair (5) leadership roll. For every success and raise you get, you can help any two players (possibly even including yourself) trade a single action card in their hands. In each trade, both players must agree to make the trade, first.

Merchant
This is the ability to buy low and sell high. The knack of getting people to sell what they might be reluctant to part with, or purchase that which they may not need. If you’re going to be running cargo or offloading bounty, it will pay dividends to be a skilled merchant, or have one on the payroll.

Perform (Acting, Singing)
On a long trip in FTL, there is no communication with the real universe. Many a group of midshipmen have gotten together and treated the æthir with some slow jazz or a reading of Shakespeare’s sonnets just to pass the time and entertain their fellows. On frontier worlds, entertainment may be a premium, and live performances can be a viable way to gain fame or simply earn some credits. A good performance against a fair (5) TN can net the character 2d6 credits, plus 1d6 per raise. The wealth of the crowd or the venue may apply a multiplier; throwing your hat on the sidewalk and playing on the street may earn you peanuts but stepping up to the piano in a swanky lounge that serves 15-credit cocktails will likely earn you quite a bit more.

Persuasion
Persuasion is the friendlier, more genteel version of intimidation. Both are means of getting people to do what you would like, but with vastly different approaches. Each method will also leave a much different impression on the other party, as well! Talking someone into providing aid or information in times of need may be as vital as skill with a blaster. Persuasion attempts are opposed rolls versus the target’s scrutinize attribute.

Streetwise
No matter where you go, the streets have their own rhythm, and you can dance to that beat. You know how to work the streets to get information from the less reputable elements. While some level of area knowledge is helpful, it is not necessary; asking a few questions of the right people in the wrong part of town will tell you all you need to get the ball rolling. This attribute is generally used to get illicit goods, services or information. The difficulty generally depends on the prize and what hoops you have jumped through to secure it. The law level or local government model might also play a part; streetwise checks will likely be easier on a world whose government is classified as “Anarchy” as opposed to a “Religious Dictatorship.”

Reflexes

Quick Draw (Melee-short, Melee-long, Pistol, Long Gun, Others)
If the enemy gets the drop on you, you’d best be able to arm yourself fast. It usually takes an action to draw a new weapon in combat. If you’ve got this skill, you can draw a new weapon and use it in the same action. The TN is usually fair (5). If you fail, you draw the weapon normally and can’t use it in that action. If you go bust, you’ve dropped it. If you go bust and you’ve got bad luck, you might blast yourself or a friend, or slice yourself open on the draw.

Speed Load
In the thick of a firefight, guns will run dry depressingly fast, especially if you’ve got an automatic weapon and are heavy on the trigger. Speed loading helps keeps your guns roaring while missing as few beats as possible. For weapons such as revolvers, tube-magazine weapons (like pump shotguns or some rifles) or rifles with internal magazines (such as most hunting rifles), it normally takes one action to reload bullet or shell. A successful speed load check allows a character to slam up to 3 rounds into a weapon during a single action. If a weapon has a magazine, a fair (5) speed load roll removes the old mag and slaps a new one in place in a single action, otherwise it takes two actions. If you fail loading single bullets, you still get in one round. If you fail to load a magazine, you don’t get it in at all. Maybe the empty is stuck or the fresh mag snagged when you tried to get it out of the pouch. Try again next turn and remember that sometimes haste cuts both ways…

Essence

Bravery
This skill may be known by many names: guts, cool, courage. What it boils down to is one’s ability to face the unknown in the blackness of space and not back down. Wherever you go, you were likely not meant to be there. You have to surround yourself with a spaceship to survive the harshness of space that got you to some forsaken rock where man has never set foot. Taking that step off the dropship—and facing whatever horrors may be waiting—takes bravery. As your character travels the stars, he will become hardened. Hardness is added to bravery checks, which means that which did not kill you has made you stronger. Fear can be a powerful survival mechanism, though, and tales abound of battle-weary marines or grizzled astronauts looking some cosmic terror square in the eye and shrugging before squaring off for their last dance when flight might have saved their hides…

Psi
The psi skill is difficult to describe. Some might say you have it or you don’t. Others say it’s in the blood. Many an archaeologist has gone mad hunting Forerunner artifacts and archives trying to find the secrets of this art, hoping it is something that can be learned or taught. A strong psi skill is part intuition, part empathy. Perhaps a dash of luck, and an ineffable…something. The psi attributes are important to characters that wish to have Psionic talents, and can only be purchased or learned by characters that have latent psionic ability or are psionic Adepts. See Chapter XX: Psionics for a complete description of the psionic skill trees.

Advanced Martial Arts

Some players want a little more depth and complexity in their combat. With Master approval players may create their own martial arts styles to simulate techniques from anywhere in the known universe. Masters may also create styles to enrich the setting and differentiate between cultures.

The Future Imperfect concept of custom martial arts is based on the idea that each discipline has some number of foundation elements, and these elements act to provide certain benefits to the practitioner.

There are a limited number of potential maneuvers that can be performed in melee combat, and these maneuvers are broadly defined (we don’t need to worry about the difference between a d’arce choke and an anaconda choke, it only matters they are both holds with the choke element). The specific nature of each maneuver can vary greatly from discipline to discipline. What advanced martial arts attempt to do is classify the effect. Making the combat action come alive with description and unique flavor is the job of the crew and Master.

Elements

There are 5 Elements that can be used to create a discipline. These Elements are: Attack, Vulnerable Attack, Grapple, Throw, and Defend. A discipline may have an unlimited number of Elements, and the same Element may be included more than once.

Maneuvers

There are a total of 12 maneuvers that can be attempted in close combat. These maneuvers are: Strike (Short, Medium, Long, Low), Takedown, Hold, Lift, Lock, Escape, Block, Throw, and Disarm. Each Element has a value in each of these Maneuvers. A description of all Maneuvers is located at the end of the chapter.

Cost

A standard discipline has two Elements and costs 1 point per level like any other Attribute. For each additional Element, add 1 to the cost. Wrestling has two Elements: Grapple, Grapple. This costs 1 point per level. Kung Fu has three Elements: Attack, Attack, and Throw. This costs 2 points per level.

Enhanced Effects

Disciplines may also be distinguished from one another via Enhanced Effects (EE). These add something beyond extra attack dice to maneuvers. It would be impossible to describe every possible EE. Instead, guidelines are provided for building your own. Some example EEs are provided on the EE table.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has a Vulnerable Attack called Guillotine Choke. This adds the Choke EE to the Hold Maneuver.

Game designers note: I have never seen an RPG that handles grappling well. This is my attempt to be the ‘least worst’. Most games also either substantially overpower martial arts, or make them indistinguishable from one another. As a former wrestler and avid viewer of MMA, I have a pretty good knowledge of what kind of things work and what things do not. I would not call myself an expert, but an educated lay person.

This is not, however, an attempt at a ‘realistic’ treatment of martial arts. The goal is for the system to be playable, fast and diverse. The extra work that must be done to differentiate one discipline from another will all be done once, during character generation. Players should not need to consult the rules over and over during play to know what they can do. Everything important should be right on the character sheet and easily digestible. The important piece is that when a wrestler enters the fight, it plays differently than when a practitioner of BJJ does, even though both are primarily grapplers. The same goes for Muay Thai versus boxing. They aren’t the same.

This is an optional system, so if your crew is not interested in exploring this kind of nuance, it is easy to ignore it and just roll Fighting: Martial Arts. If this is your choice, it does not significantly change the power level of martial arts practitioners. It is even possible to mix and match within a campaign, since a basic martial art has exactly the same dice pool/effects cost as any standard custom discipline.

Elements: Mechanics

Primary Maneuvers

Each Element has an entry for each Maneuver. The X denotes Primary Maneuvers (PM). For each X the Element may place up to one die in that Maneuver. Dice are allocated from the Effect Dice, chosen during customization.

Attack: Customization Pool Each standard discipline may spend 13 points from the following table, plus 7 more per extra Element per level. A minimum of 6 points must be allocated toward Effect Dice.

Enhanced Effects Table

A: May only be taken once per Maneuver.
B: May only be taken twice per Maneuver, and no more than once per level. May exceed threshold.
C: May only be taken with the Hold Maneuver.
D: May only be taken with the Lock Maneuver.
E: May only be taken with Strike, Block or Strike Long.

Effect Dice are what you roll to attempt that maneuver. They are effectively your skill level with that maneuver. Any effect dice that would take your maneuver pool over 5 cost double.

Example: A Kung Fu practitioner may place 2 dice in Strike, medium per level (Kung Fu has the attack element twice). If at level 1 that practitioner selects +1 Die toward Strike, medium, that would cost 2. If that same practitioner again selects +1 Die at level 2, that would cost 4 (his pool would be going from 5-6).

The Choke element subjects the target to suffocation rules, as found under fire (page XX). During a Choke maneuver both participants are considered prone.

Disable pits the strength of the attacker versus the strength of the defender, albeit at a significant advantage for the attacker. The attacker must succeed with a maneuver with the Disable element before the defender is subject to these rules. Each participant makes a strength roll, but the defender is considered untrained (they divide their result in half). If the attacker wins, but does not get a raise, his action ends. During his next action if the hold persists test again, but at +1 (cumulative) for the attacker. As soon as a raise is achieved the limb is disabled, and is immediately dealt a serious wound (including the associated wind). If the defender wins any exchange, without getting a raise, all attacker bonuses are removed. The defender may choose to test again on their next action (provided the attacker has not gone in the interim and achieved a success), if they do, instead of untrained they are at -2. If the defender wins, they have escaped the lock. If the attacker wins, it is as if they had won on their action. If at any time the defender achieves a raise the lock is broken. Both participants are considered prone during a lock.

Extra damage is added before determining wound level. However, if the extra damage added does not result in an increased wound, then it is instead added to the wind damage dealt.

Extra dice are above and beyond what is allowed by the PM table. For example, if a discipline has but a single die in Escape, taking a second die would count as an extra. Remember, these limits are per level.

Target falls causes the defender to fall to their back. The defender must make a Vigor test versus a TN based on the height of the fall (5 under most circumstances). If they fail, they take 1 wind. If they go bust, they take d6 wind (minimum 2). In all cases the defender is considered prone after the fall is resolved.

Usage

Once the baseline PMs and EEs are set for your discipline, you have your dice pools and EEs for a level 1 practitioner in that discipline.

Advancement

Each level of advancement grants an allotment of Customization Points identical to the first level. These points are subject to all of the same requirements and limitations.

Maneuver Descriptions

Strike, short: Can be performed after a Close maneuver (see Melee combat). This type of strike can be performed in close quarters (after a close maneuver or inside 1 meter distance).
Strike: Strike is the only Maneuver that can take +1 Damage twice, but only if the discipline has two (or more) instances of the Attack Element. This attack is the standard strike attack, be it punch, kick, elbow etc. Cannot be performed after a Close maneuver (requires a distance of about 1 meter).
Strike, long: Strike, long is a special case, and is only available in armed martial arts when using a weapon with defense of at least 1. A creature with an appropriate Edge that grants them extra-long limbs or the ability to somehow extend their reach could also take this element with Master approval. This attack takes place at a distance of more than 1 meter.
Strike, low: May take the ‘target falls’ element. May not take the +1 damage element. This attack always hits the legs. Can be performed after a Close maneuver (within 1 meter).
Takedown: Includes ‘target falls’ element and is a hold, may also encompass a close. Does not deal damage (except as noted in target falls). May be performed after a close maneuver. Both participants are considered prone after a takedown.
Hold: Control two (or more, as appropriate) limbs of an opponent. In this case, head counts as a limb. On next action, may use a throw or takedown maneuver at +3 (if standing). Hold may only be attempted if the attacker has previously performed the Close maneuver, the defender has a defense of 0 with his current stance or the combatants are engaged in grappling.
Lift: Close 1 meter, hold and lift opponent. If opponent escapes, they fall. May throw opponent on following action.
Lock: Control a single limb. May take the disable element. Opponents must already be engaged in grappling to attempt a lock.
Escape: A successful escape cancels a ‘hold’ or ‘lock’ maneuver. If a raise is achieved, the practitioner may also either stand up or move up to 1 meter. Alternatively, a raise may negate falling damage when escaping a lift. Additionally, your dice in escape are added to your Martial Arts level to determine the opponent’s TN to attack you with lift, hold, lock, throw and takedown.
Block: Reduces damage from a strike (any type) attack to half. If performed with a weapon, cancels damage.
Throw: Includes ‘target falls’ element and is not a hold. Deals damage.
Disarm: Opponent loses hold of item. May attempt opposed strength roll if a raise is achieved to take item away. May automatically take item with two raises.

Example Martial Art: TU Space Marine Fighting

The Terran Union Space Marine service teaches a very economical style of hand to hand fighting. It eschews flashy or risky maneuvers in favor of straight-forward attack and defense. At first level the practitioner gains all of the Basic Maneuvers. At each subsequent level the practitioner chooses two Advanced Maneuvers and adds one die to six previously acquired maneuvers, or takes one and adds one die to each Primary Maneuver (+1 additional to Escape and Block).

Elements: Attack, Defend (1 point per level)
Primary Maneuvers: Strike, short; Strike, medium; Strike, long; Strike, low; Block, Escape, Disarm
Basic Maneuvers: Uppercut (Strike, short +1 Damage) 1 die, Cross (Strike, medium +1 Defense) 1 Die, Trip (Strike, low Target Falls) 1 die, Bob and Weave (Block) 2 Dice, Grab (Disarm) 1 Die.
Advanced Maneuvers (only once each): X Block (Block +1 Defense), Choke Hold (Hold Choke), Knee Strike (Strike, short +1 Defense), Chop (Strike, medium +1 Damage), Shrug Escape (Escape Target Falls) +2 Dice, Shove (Strike, short Target Falls), Roundhouse (Strike, medium +1 Damage)

When adding advanced maneuvers to a character sheet, add the number of bonus dice to the appropriate maneuver, and notate the extra elements as well. Only one set of elements can be used at one time, but all dice are always used. The only exception is +1 Damage with Strike, medium. If the practitioner has both Chop and Roundhouse he may add +2 Damage when using Strike, medium, or +1 Damage and +1 Defense.

Kayla Argent joins the Terran Union Marines and learns 2 levels in SM Fighting. At first level she has all of the basic maneuvers. At second level she chooses Knee Strike and Chop. She now has 2 dice in Strike, short; Strike, medium; Strike, low; Escape and Disarm. Her Block maneuver has 4 dice. Both her Strike; short and Strike, medium maneuvers may choose either +1 Damage or +1 Defense each time it is used.

Using Advanced Martial Arts

Adding advanced martial arts to a campaign will change the way combat is handled. The changes should be low impact, and are crafted to be interchangeable with players who choose to use them and players who do not.