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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 Skills
Reflex Skills
Dexterity Skills
Knowledge Skills
Presence Skills
Essence Skills

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.