Future Imperfect chapter 5
Contents
Chapter 5: Skills
Yang Neuman: Skill has nothing to do with this. It's gonna take pure luck this time.
Isamu Dyson: Luck is one of my skills.
--Macross Plus
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 skill, use the type associated with the trait. Roll a number of dice equal to the level of the skill.
Sid Scorpio isn’t the most nimble-fingered merc out there; his d10 in Dexterity is impressive, but his trait is only 1d10, meaning his chances at strait Dexterity checks are all over the map because he is only rolling one die. He is a crack shot with a blaster pistol, though, having the shooting handgun: blasters skill at level 5. When firing his blaster, he uses the die type associated with the skill (in this case, Dexterity), and his dice pool is equal to the level in his skill. When he fires, he rolls 5d10 to hit.
The skills listed below are most commonly associated with the trait they are grouped under, but they can sometimes be associated with other traits.
Stonewall Krantz slips behind the controls of the hover taxi he liberated in the last battle with the fiendish Ace Cab Corporation. He turns the contra-grav on, and cruises down the street hunting for ACC CorpSec. Little does he realize that loyalist cabbies have planted a bomb in a recess of the undercarriage, and the Master decides to give Stony an opportunity to notice before it blows. For extra flavor, the Master asks Stonewall to make a driving roll using Acuity instead of Dexterity because the electronics in the bomb are interfering with the CG unit. Stonewall uses his driving level 3 and his trait value for Acuity instead of Dexterity because he is being asked to notice something about driving instead of performing a driving maneuver.
Skill Points
Your starting skill points are determined according to the table on page XX of chapter 2: Building a Hero. The rank you place in skills determines your initial starting total, normally from 18 to 40 points. When creating your character, each skill level costs 1 point. To purchase a skill at level 1 costs 1 skill point. A skill at level 5 costs 5 skill points. The max starting point for skills is level 5, though. Skills at 6 and above are near-legendary, and you only start out as a mere Hero. You’ll need to do some adventuring to get that kind of game going!
Specializations
The skills will be organized by their associated trait. Some skills are a bit too broad and must be broken down into two or more specializations. Not every skill has any specializations, but when it does, you must choose one. If you would like to have another of the skill’s specializations, you must purchase it as a different skill.
Harold Funkhouser considers himself to be the consummate tech. As such, he wants to have equal skill in both mechanics and electronics (specializations of the General Technical Aptitude skill). He invests 4 points in both so that he doesn’t have any penalties when tinkering with machines or electronics.
Associated Skills
Some skills are similar enough to be used in the place of another at a reduced proficiency. If you have a specialization in a skill, you can usually use it in place of another specialization at a -2 penalty to your die roll. This may seem harsh, but it generally beats making an unskilled trait check.
Sid Scorpio is great with a blaster pistol, but after escaping his cell at the backwater IPA detention center, he finds that their jailors are only armed with laser pistols! He lifts one from the guard he knocked out. If he uses it, he can use his shooting handguns: blasters dice pool of 5d10, but he’ll subtract 2 from his roll.
Default Skills
Every Hero has a set of default skills for no cost. These are Awareness 1, Language (own) 2, plus any granted by the racial type and any campaign skills as defined by the Master.
Skill Lists by Trait
Acuity Skills
Dexterity Skills
Knowledge Skills
Presence Skills
Reflex Skills
Essence Skills
Advanced Martial Arts
Acuity
Artillery
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. These larger weapons do not rely so much on a steady aim and hand-eye coordination, but one’s ability to read charts, interpret data and other factors to place ordnance on target and not hundreds of meters off course.
Arts (As appropriate)
This skill is used to make various reproductions or representations in a variety of media, such as sketches, painting or sculpture.
Astrogation
Space navigation (also known as astrogation) is the ability to plot optimal courses through tachyon space, and allows one to figure their location in real space based on the distance, direction and relative magnitude of stellar bodies. Using space navigation will 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 escalations might shave time off the subjective time spent in tachyon space, or use less fuel than expected.
(Designer’s note: Is there the potential for a astrogator/pilot minigame here?)
Awareness
The Acuity trait is a general measure of how perceptive a character is, but some people are specially trained or hyper-vigilant to the point that it is difficult to slip something past them unnoticed. The Awareness skill is used passively to detect movements of people or creatures that are sneaking. This skill is also used when the character is actively looking for items, clues or evidence. It can be used to spot tracks, but to follow a proper trail, the tracking skill should be used.
General Technical Aptitude (electronics, mechanics)
This skill is used to build, modify or repair electronic devices or machines. This use of this skill, is intended for short-term fixes, field applications or relatively simple tasks. Large scale projects will likely fall under the appropriate engineering skill. Care should be taken with electronic tasks to ensure the proper skill is used; bypassing an electronic lock or security system would be better suited for the security systems skill. Working on a minicomp is a job for the programming skill or system operations: computer skill. If any of those devices were busted, you could roll out your GTA: electronics skill to fix them, but that’s about it.
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.
(Designer’s notes: This has been referred to as the “give me a hint” skill, with the implied potential for players to broadly claim that they want to apply their investigation skill to a person or a bunch of paperwork and expect the master to give them answers. Sometimes the master will have to determine salient information that might be deduced from any particular scene and figure out ways to impart it to the players. The investigation skill could just be one additional potential vector of information. Surely, just because someone is using investigate, it doesn’t mean they should be able to find information that is simply not available; we all know about squeezing blood from stones. However, if the player asks more pointed questions and offers some kind of a direction to the answers he is seeking, an investigation roll may determine how successful he is at extracting the information or determining the absence of information. Maybe the investigation skill could also be used to help players eliminate red herrings, allowing them to focus on more pertinent leads)
Navigation
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). Navigating on the sea might require star charts or tools like a sextant. Using land navigation may require maps or the appropriate area knowledge skill. Not all worlds will be so well-established to have satellites or orbitals that beam data (like GPS services) down to the surface, so the ability to navigate like our ancient forbears should not be dismissed.
Comp Tech (Program Design, Hacking, System Operation)
Computers can be wonderful tools, but to get them to do anything but take up space and collect dust, one must have the Comp Tech 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 program design specialization. When you are trying to get a computer to operate outside the bounds of its programs or get information from it or whatever networks it is linked to, use the hacking specialization. System Operation is for regular use of computers to achieve most computer-oriented tasks.
(Designer’s notes: Potential for a hacking mini game?)
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 Master 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 still have to beg, borrow or steal (or just buy it) when you find it.
(Designer’s note: Possible scrounging/salvaging minigame?)
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 persuasion attempts, and may be more less prone to get caught up in a deception.
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 using the GTA: electronics skill (dismantling a keypad, for example) will expose the guts of the device and make the job of defeating the system easier. At the Master’s discretion, cracking a device that has been broken into 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 Mechanic (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 TISA drives or add 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 ship’s drives might only last for a few minutes or hours before a part breaks down. To effect major changes to starship systems or to repair and maintain a large ship requires the appropriate engineering skill. Kaylee from the Firefly is a starship mechanic; Montgomery Scott aboard the USS Enterprise is an engineer.
Tactics (Land, Space, Naval)
The ability to overcome a greater force with a lesser one, or oppose an enemy while minimizing casualties is often accomplished by leaders who uses better 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, hopefully giving you the edge you need in a fight. If a member of the crew takes a speed 1 action, he can attempt to size up the battle and relay vital orders and information to members of the crew. He makes a TN 5 check, and if he succeeds, everyone nearby (or that he can communicate with) can draw an additional card at the beginning of the next round, with one extra card for each escalation. For a space or naval battle, a successful tactics check allows the captain to issue an additional order during a combat round, with one additional order for each escalation. (See starship combat in chapter XX).
(REVISIT WHEN STARSHIP COMBAT IS DRAWN UP)
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
Athletics
This is a generalized catch-all skill that reflects the overall athleticism of the character. People with high levels of athletics are often 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 skill called upon. Athletics also plays a major role in foot pursuits (See chapter XX for details about the Chase Scene).
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 (see the movement table on page XX). 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. The drive skill also plays a major role in vehicular pursuits (See chapter XX for details about the Chase Scene).
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-g environments, when using a suit’s thrusters, rocket pack or an EVA scooter to maneuver, and can only learn this skill up to the level of their zero g skill (see below). 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.
Hand to Hand Armed (Blunt; 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. These specialties are broken up into different weapon groups based on the tactics normally employed by weapons of a particular size or style. Energy blades covers laserswords and lightswords. Vibro blade covers short or long bladed weapons that have been modified with vibro or force units. If one has skill in the appropriate bladed weapon, they can use a vibro weapon as an associated skill (-2 to the attack roll), however, the vibro specialty is intended to make the best use of these weapons with “power steering,” and the vibro skill itself does not allow one proficiency with any weapon. Instead, a character’s rating with vibro weapons will be the max level he can apply his long/short edged weapons skills when using vibro weapons.
Hand to Hand Unarmed (Brawling, Advanced Martial Arts)
Sometimes you’ll get in a scrape when you simply don’t have any weapons handy, or you might just want to rough somebody up without killing them. You don’t always want to whip out your laser pistol to deal with a drunk at the bar. Brawling is rough and dirty fighting. There is no real organization to it other than taking advantage of openings when you find them and using whatever is handy to your advantage. As such, brawling may take advantage of improvised weapons (beer bottles, brass knuckles, chairs, pool cues, etc.). There are numerous types of advanced martial arts (see page XX for rules on crafting your own and page XX for sample styles). Martial arts have various maneuver groups, and attacks with martial arts may have attack/defense bonuses or deal extra damage. Brawlers have none of this, but they are tough; every level of brawling will allow the character to reduce CT damage from unarmed or melee attacks by 1 (to a minimum of 1). You can’t really learn brawling in the dojo; if your character has skill in brawling, you can figure he probably learned it the hard way by getting in plenty of fights over the years.
Lockpicking
For some people, locks are just a clue to where the good stuff is. This skill is used to overcome physical security in the form of key or combination locks. 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 Master’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 (Master’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, if there is the risk of the aircraft being spotted by ground forces. There are many types of parachutes designed for multiple roles. Make sure you have the right one both 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 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 (Helmsman, 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 helmsman specialization 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 USS 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 or Han Solo on the Millenium Falcon). 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. If involved in a pursuit, the ride skill is used in place of the driving skill (see chapter XX for details on the Chase Scene).
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 Gunnery (Novagun, Startorp, Megabolt Torpedo, Orbital Bombardment)
Aboard all starships and naval vessels, the gunnery tasks will be processed by powerful multicomps operated by the ship’s gunners. Novaguns have incredible ranges, but utilize a kind of tachyon delivery system to instantly place rounds on target rather than wait minutes or hours for them to travel to the target at sublight speeds. Startorps are guided, hypervelocity missiles, and megabolt torpedoes are modified heavy Novaguns. Using starship weapons from orbit to bombard surface targets also takes specialized skill, as the methods used to target the weapons are much different than firing at the battlescreens of another starship in space.
Shooting Handgun (Blaster, Laser, Disruptor, Fusion, Gauss, Projectile, Needler)
This skill covers shooting any small, one-handed ranged weapon. Pistols are well-suited for close range fights, or cramped conditions where using a long gun might be difficult. This category of ranged weapon is quick to aim, and often carries little to no penalty for “un-aimed” fire at the ranges they are designed for. Pistols also have the advantage of being concealable. Most rifles are not, and depending on the local law level or culture, openly carrying a weapon may be illegal.
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. Note that firing most rifle-type weapons without delaying your action to aim will often result in fairly severe penalties when it comes to hitting your target.
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 more 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. Dumb-fire rockets are usually fairly close range weapons while guided missiles might have effective ranges from hundreds to thousands of meters.
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 minimal “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 (Master’s discretion). Sleight of hand may also be used like the quick draw skill 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 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
When a character is attempting to be stealthy, the Master may wish to make your sneak roll for you, so you don’t know exactly how sneaky you are being. He might give the occasional hint (if you rolled poorly he might let you know “as you creep along the hall you hear the floorboards creaking beneath your feet”). If you are trying to sneak past multiple groups of people, the master might also have the stealthy character make his sneak roll just once (or again, make it for the player in secret), and have that be a “persistent” target number for enemies to spot him for the duration of his attempt.
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. Since all EVA maneuvers will take place in zero g or freefall conditions, it is highly recommended that one can operate in zero g before learning the EVA skill. Characters without this skill operating in zero g environments will draw one fewer action cards than they should during combat.
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 specialty. Academic specialties are almost never associated. Note also that some specialties 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 (this might be a related skill check, for example; Master’s discretion).
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, Heroes in Future Imperfect 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. The area about which you are knowledgeable can be of any size, from an entire starsector to a single city on one world, but the larger the region, the less specific the information.
Gip Zrepyp seems to know a little about every world in the Mutara sector; he knows which planets are groovy with his style of partying. If you make planetfall on Rial IV, however, you can’t expet Gip to know where to find you some black market weapons, though; his knowledge is too broad for that. Instead, you’d talk to Mac Scorpio, up on the bridge, who has area knowledge (Rial IV).
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. When weapons suffer a breakdown or armor gets pummeled in combat, armorers are the ones who can get things back in working order. See chapter XX for armor and weapons breakdown.
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. This skill plays a vital role in dealing with Red Tape (see chapter XX for the Red Tape minigame).
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 skill. 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 skill, 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, other as appropriate)
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. On larger vessels, the head of any given technical section will probably be a trained engineer directing lesser techs or mechanics. Whenever a ship system suffers a breakdown, a ship’s mechanic may be able to provide a temporary fix, but it will take an engineer to fix the problem for good.
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 The Rauwoof or Blarad, or the whistles and chirps of the avian Whistlers. 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,” such as Klackon or Mertun, 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. Since, in game terms, it will often be difficult or impossible for a player to predict what races they will encounter or locales they may have to visit, each level of the language skill gives the Hero 5 levels of fluency that he can assign as needed. He could speak a smattering of 5 different languages or speak one fluently (2 points) backed up by fluency in a slightly alien language (3 points). The Master reserves the right to veto any fluency choices if, for example, doing so helps the story somehow or maybe if your Hero would have never had the opportunity to learn the language in question. Deciding your Hero knows another language may be an excellent form of character development, as well, since you may need to explain where he learned to speak Hiss’ist…
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 excitement 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, treat internal injuries and perform operations. Proper surgery generally requires specialized equipment or facilities. Medtechs with training in xenomedicine can treat a variety of beings other than their own race, and this specialization 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 without knowledge of xenomedicine is treated as 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
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 an 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 may fall under traits other than knowledge. Due to the wildly different nature of the possible professional skills, specializationss in the professional skill 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 specializationss under their belt. While some specializationss may be related, it is up to the Master 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. (See minigames in chapter XX for how the science skill affects research.)
SCUBA
Underwater environments can be every bit as deadly as the cold vacuum of space. The SCUBA skill 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 may have 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 hazardous or even 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 Master’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.
Trade (As appropriate)
Trade skills are hands-on skills like the professional skill. 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 skill. 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 exceptional successes 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. For each exceptional success above the loser’s roll, the winner was able to get the loser to dump a large raise in the pot at some point, causing the pot to double. 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.
Mac Scorpio, Tara 7 and Kovnachuk have a few hours to kill after dropping hyper while the pilots conduct the long TISA burn into Rial IV’s orbital track. Tara inquires about the Terran game of poker, and Mac and Chuk are more than happy to show her, hoping to fleece her as a “learner’s fee” for some ready cash when they hit the bars planetside. They decide on 10 CR table stakes. Each makes a gambling roll. Tara is a fast learner and gets lucky on her unskilled roll with a 7. With the middle roll, she breaks even. She is saved largely by Mac and Chuk turning the game into a personal competition, largely forgetting about the noob in their midst. In the end, Mac rolls a phenomenal 14 while Chuck bombs out with a 3. The difference between Chuk's roll and Mac’s is 11. Multiplied by the stakes (10 CR), Chuck owes 110 CR. But, since Mac’s roll was 2 bumps higher, the pot is doubled twice, leaving Mac the unenviable task of trying to collect 440 credits from an angry ursoid, formerly of the GPR Marines, who is convinced that he was cheated. Feeling that she has learned enough about poker for one day, Tara 7 slips quietly out of the room and down to the sickbay, where she is sure to have a patient or two shortly…
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 bravery skill. See page XX for tests of will. With a good intimidation roll, discretion may be the better part of valor.
Leadership
Besides using leadership to control NPC crew, this skill 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 skill 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. See chapter XX: Minigames for the trading and commerce rules.
Perform (Acting, Singing, Play instrument)
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 since an “entertainment industry” requires a certain minimum population and infrastructure, and FTL communications bandwidth is too precious to squander on beaming the latest shows halfway across the galaxy. As such, 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 x 10 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 skill.
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 skill 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.”
Taunt
Some individuals or groups are particularly susceptible to verbal abuse. Some people view an attack on their reputation or character as tantamount to a physical attack! Whether it is because of pride, honor or ignorance, those who don't know how to respond to a scathing taunt are often easily manipulated and shaken when it comes time to act. Use of a well-timed taunt can put an opponent off his game. The use of the Taunt skill is an opposed roll against the target's Taunt skill. See page XX for more information on tests of will.
Reflexes
Double Tap (per weapon type)
Two to the chest, one to the head. Pistols should never be discounted as deadly weapons, but they are not nearly as deadly as larger weapons like rifles, and sometimes putting an opponent down right now is of vital importance. With their relatively low recoil, sometimes it is possible to get multiple reasonably accurate shots on one or more targets. See double tap rules in the Combat and Adventuring chapter for more information.
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: cool, courage, guts. 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 gets “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 match when flight might have saved their hides…
Empathy
Before there were psionics, people had to try to get into each other's heads the old-fashioned way: By talking to people and listening to them. Empathy is not an exact science by a long shot, but those who have high levels in this skill can talk to others and try to eke out what their secret feelings and motivations are by trying to understand the subject and identify with their situation. An empathetic character can also use this skill to his advantage by trying to relate his own thoughts and feelings to another person in such a way that they understand where the speaker is coming from and how they feel, as well. A successful empathy check may make certain types of investigations easier by revealing other actors' secrets, getting them to open up to the character or even giving them a feeling of trust. If you are attempting to use empathy to project thoughts and feelings that you know are deceptive, you should use the persuasion skill, or performance: acting skill instead.
Mental Conditioning
Certain types of psionic talents rely on the way that sentient beings think, the way the neural activity in their brains sprays minute radiant energy into the universe that a psion can pick up more easily or exploit under the right circumstances. Those who are mentally conditioned are more resistant. Their subconscious thought processes tend to either be meticulously ordered to prevent psychic radiation leakage or randomized and chaotic to keep a psion from locking on to their mind. Level one in mental conditioning will allow the character to use their full essence trait as a reflexive action to defend against mental intrusion or attack. Level 2+ will add 1 additional training per level to the defense roll, but this must be declared as an active defense, like using the dodge skill against melee or ranged attacks.
Psionic Focus (Telepathy, Telekinesis, Clairvoyance, Self-Awareness)
To start the game with or learn a psionic focus, the Hero must be a psionic adept or latent (see chapter 2: Building a Hero for more information on this). Each point in a psionic focus opens up a new level of talent(s) in the focus. These points in each level are purchased or learned like skills. Telepathy deals with getting into the heads of others. Telekinesis allows the adept to move matter and create psionic shields. Clairvoyants learn several kinds of extrasensory perception, while masters of self-awareness can condition their minds and bodies to an incredible degree. Only characters who started as Adepts can learn the self-awareness focus. A psion can learn more than one Psionic Focus. Each Focus has more than 5 levels (remember that you can only start the game with a max of 5 points in any skill), so the higher levels of any focus must be learned with experience. See Chapter XX: Psionics for a complete description of the psionic skill trees and rules governing its use.
