Dexterity Skills
Athletics
This is a generalized catch-all skill that reflects the overall athleticism of the character. Athleticism may cover physical acts of all the physical traits, strength (such as lifting a heavy object), reflexes (a check to see who grabs the gun on the table) , dexterity (a check to see if you can jump from this rooftop to the next) or fortitude (a check to see if you can continue to hold your chum's arm and keep him from plummeting off a cliff). When called upon to make such a check, the player may use the training with his trait, or his athletic skill, if deemed appropriate. Also, because of the extra training that athletes undergo, if you take a recovery action in combat, each level of Athletics allows you to recover 1 additional point of Concussion Threshold.
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.
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. Knowledge of EVA techniques will familiarize one with the operation of self-contained breathing apparatus, but will not impart any skill at diving, as the science and medicine behind the air mix for high-pressure (i.e., underwater) operations is fundamentally different.
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. If a character has the lockpicking skill, it is assumed they have access to some kind of lockpicking kit, or can improvise rudimentary picks when needed (paper clips, bobby pins and a screwdriver, anyone?), unless the Master expressly states that such items are unavailable.
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.
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. Some sub-machine guns can be fired like a pistol (also known as machine pistols). When fired as a pistol, SMGs use pistol ranges and aim stats. 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, but if given time to line up a shot, rifles can be aimed much more precisely than pistols.
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, body recoil harnesses, 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) If used to cheat at a game such as cards or table game, a successful TN 3 check will add +1 to your gambling check, with an additional +1 per bump, however, anyone nearby may make an awareness roll at -2 (with the TN being your sleight of hand roll) to catch you. When multiple observers are present, refer to the Sneak skill for the appropriate modifiers.
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.
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 just need 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. Make a TN 5 check of the zero G skill whenever firing a weapon that does not have the "low recoil" attribute. If this check is failed, you lose your next action card in an attempt to steady yourself and keep from spinning. 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. Moving in zero G can be similar to operating a jump belt or CG harness in that once you start moving, you will continue to move unless stopped, and any course corrections will require that you either have some propellant device (covered under EVA), or interact with other objects. As such, zero G movement can be considered a continuous action. Additionally, characters without this skill will draw one fewer action cards than they should during combat in zero g environments.
