Your skills (and how you use them) are what truly defines your character. Whether it's figuring out how to disable a complex trap, make a death-defying lead across a chasm to safety, or navigate a treacherous wilderness, it's all done with Skills. A character’s rank in a skill is based on how many skill points a character has accumulated in that skillset and whether the skill is a Trained or Mastered. (See Feats for more information on Training or Mastering skills.)

SKILL CHECKS

When your character uses a skill, you make a skill check to see how well you do. Your result must beat either the Target Roll (TR) or the result of an opposed skill check for the check to be successful. If you roll a number less than the TR, you fail your check. If you roll a number greater than the TR, you succeed.

The GM is responsible for deciding which Skill or knowledge is relevant to a particular task. Since these questions can often be tricky, the GM should listen to the player’s reasoning why a particular Skill or Specialisation might apply. The final decision belongs to the GM, however.

TARGET ROLLS

The Target Roll (TR) is a number set by the GM that reflects how easy or challenging any given task is to complete. Walking across a tightrope may be a TR 15 task one time but may be a TR 12 task the next time (the GM decides the rope is thicker or more stable this time) or the TR may be 22 (a thinner rope with a stiff and erratic cross-breeze). The GM must take all variables into account when assigning a TR to a task and should endeavour to remain as consistent in selecting the TR of a task as possible. If the GM decides a “difficult” task has a TR of 20, then all “difficult” tasks should have a TR of 20.

Because each campaign is different, things that are second nature to someone in a cyberpunk world (hacking computers, uploading files) woud be totally foreign to someone in a 1950's spy world, and so while both characters could attempt the same process, it would be decidedly harder for the latter.

We’ve left it up to the GM to determine the values of the checks. GM’s should use Table: Task Target Rolls as a rough guideline when determining the TR of a task. For example, if a task required general intellectual ability (such as remembering the name of a person the character had met), a Mental check would be made. Determining the origin of a rare alien species would also require a check, but this task is governed by the Knowledge of Biology or Exobiology.

UNSKILLED ATTEMPTS

Often, a character will attempt an action for which he or she does not possess the relative Skill or Knowledge.

FAMILIAR ACTION

If the character is undertaking a familiar action, the Skill check is unchanged — the task is treated as a simple Ability check without a bonus from the relevant Skill. The familiarity should have been established previously, such as in the character’s background story, or be consistent with the character’s role within the setting. The player should explain to the GM why his or her character is familiar with the current task. The GM, of course, has final say whether the character is sufficiently familiar to avoid an unfamiliar action penalty.

For example, a student who attends university to study astronomy undoubtedly has at least a cursory familiarity with many academic fields. Similarly, almost all characters living in New York City will be familiar with the process of driving a car, even if they do not possess the Drive Skill; in North America, attempting car-related actions is familiar to nearly everyone.

UNFAMILIAR ACTION

If the character is undertaking an action with which he or she is unfamiliar, the task should be treated as a normal Ability check with an unskilled penalty applied to the roll. This reflects how difficult it is for an unskilled character to accomplish the task. The unskilled penalty should range from -2 to -10, depending on how much the GM feels training is required and how background aspects of the character could affect the attempt. The TR does not change; rather, the character’s chance of succeeding is reduced.

For example, keeping a plane in the air after the cabin crew suddenly falls unconscious is a daunting task for anyone who is not trained as a pilot. An average character might therefore suffer a -8 penalty to the check. A character who is an aficionado of combat jets and aircraft documentaries might only suffer a -4 penalty … even if he or she has never actually piloted a plane before.

REQUIRED SKILL

The GM may decide certain tasks automatically fail when performed by characters lacking the required Skill. Examples of required Skill activities include performing brain surgery, deciphering ancient hieroglyphics, concocting an antidote for a poison, estimating the value of a rare piece of art, etc.

SITUATIONAL MODIFIERS

Some situations may make a skill easier or harder to use. If it is easier than normal to complete a task, you may get a +2 bonus to the result of the check. If it is more difficult than normal, you may get a -2 penalty.

TIME

Each skill has a specific amount of time it takes to use. Unless otherwise noted in the text, a check takes one action.

TRYING AGAIN

Often, a character can try a Skill check again if he or she fails, and can keep trying indefinitely. Some actions have consequences to failure that must be taken into account, however, as determined by the situation and GM.

COMBINING SKILL CHECKS

When more than one character tries the same Skill at the same time towards the same goal, their efforts may overlap — they can work together and help each other out. In this case, one character is considered the leader of the effort and makes a Skill check against the assigned TR; each helper makes a Skill check against TR 10 (the character can’t take 10 on this check). For each helper who succeeds, the leader gets a +2 circumstance bonus to his or her Skill check. In many cases, a character’s help won’t be beneficial, or only a limited number of characters can help at once. The GM may limit co-operation as she sees fit for the given conditions.

UNHURRIED CHECKS

When your character is not being threatened or distracted, you may ch00se to make an Unhurried check. Instead of rolling for the skill check, just use the number equal to half your maximum roll (An easy way to do this is just by taking a look at the die type used to roll the check. For example, if a check uses 2d8 normally, the Unhurried check would be 8). Taking a check Unhurried is especially useful in situations where a particularly high roll wouldn't help. You cannot make Unhurried Power checks. Distractions or threats (such as combat) make it impossible for a character to be unhurried.

GET IT RIGHT

When you have plenty of time and are not faced with threats or distractions, (unless otherwise noted in the text) you can just calculate your result as if you had rolled as high as possible amount. In other words, if you take enough time, you will eventually succeed. This will not result in a critical success. Getting it Right assumes that you fail many times before succeeding. For this reason, getting it right takes a number of minutes equal to 5 x TR. In addition, if you attempt to get it Right on a skill that carries penalties for failure, your character would automatically incur those penalties before you could complete the task. You cannot Get It Right on Power checks.

SET CHECKS

In some cases, a check is simply a matter of consulting your character sheet. You wouldn't make a height check to see who is taller, and you don't need to make a Knowledge check to see who knows more about bookbinding.

OPPOSED CHECKS

An opposed check is rolled against another character’s check result. If two or more characters are working directly or indirectly against each other (such as two people pulling on a contested object), each character must make a check. The character with the greatest degree of success (or least degree of failure if both characters fail) is considered to have the advantage over the contested action. In the event of a tie, the characters are locked in contest and may re-roll next round.

ATHLETICS

CLIMB

With each successful check, you can advance up, down, or across a slope or a wall or other steep incline (or even a ceiling with handholds). A failed check indicates that you make no progress, and a check that critically fails means that you fall from whatever height you had already attained unless you are secured with some kind of harness or other equipment or you catch yourself on the wall or slope.

Any time you take damage while climbing, you must make a Physical check equal to the damage taken, or you are unable to resume climbing for one additional round. You spend your move action maintaining your grip and do not move. A critical failure means that you fall.

Catching Yourself: Make a check with a TR equal to 5 + the original check to catch yourself on a wall. Make a check with a TR equal to the wall’s TR + 3 to catch yourself on a slope.

JUMP

The TR and the distance you can cover vary according to the type of jump you are attempting. Your Jump check is modified by your speed.

• There is no set TR for a Jump check. Rather, roll your Athletics check. If horizontal, the result is equal to the number of feet jumped. If vertical, the result is equal to the number of feet jumped, divided by two. A character may choose to jump less than the distance indicated by the roll.
• If your speed is less than 5, you take a penalty of –2 for each square less than 5 that you are currently able to move.
• If your speed is greater than 5, you gain a bonus of +2 for each square over 5 that you are currently able to move.

You land prone unless you beat the TR by 5 or more. Standing from a prone position is a move action.

A character can take an Unhurried check when making a Jump check. If there is no danger associated with failing, you can Get It Right.

If you fail the check, you don’t clear the distance, but if you were able to jump to within 5 feet of your target, you can make a Reflex defence to grab the edge. You end your movement grasping the far edge. If that leaves you dangling over a chasm or gap, getting up requires a move action and a Climb check. A critical failure means you fall.

SWIM

A successful Swim check allows a character to swim one-quarter your speed as a move action or half your speed as a full-round action. Roll once per round. If you fail, you make no progress through the water. A critical failure means you go underwater.

If you are underwater (from failing a swim check or because you are swimming underwater intentionally), you must hold your breath. You can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to your Physical defence score, but only if you do nothing but take move actions or free actions. If you takes an attack action or a full-round action, the amount of breath you has remaining is reduced by 1 round. (Effectively, a character in combat can hold your breath only half as long as normal.)

• After that period of time, you must make a Physical defence (TR 15) every round to continue holding your breath. Each round, the TR of the check increases by 1. If you fail the check, you begin to drown.
• The TR for swimming in rough water is 12.
• If the water is choppy, from high winds or a storm, add +3 to the TR.
• If the water is being buffeted by extremely strong winds (i.e. hurricane), add another +3 to the TR.
• Swimming in calm water does not require a check.

A character can take an unhurried check when making a Swim check, but can’t Get It Right.
Each hour that you swim, make a Physical defence with a TR of 20. If you fail, you become fatigued. If you fail a check while fatigued, you become exhausted. If you fail a check while exhausted, you become unconscious. Unconscious characters go underwater and immediately begin to drown.

A new check is allowed the round after a check is failed. A character takes a penalty of –2 for every 25 pounds of gear she carries over her Carrying Capacity, including armour and weapons.

USE ROPE

Most tasks with a rope are relatively simple. An action such as tying a relatively simple or well-known knot (such as the knot used to tie shoes) does not require a check. Tying a complicated knot or performing a trick with a rope does require a check. Securing a grappling hook also requires a Use Rope check.

If trying to tie a knot or performing a trick with a rope, failure results in the action not taking place correctly, leaving you holding the rope. A critical miss means the rope ends up in a mess tangled around you and your target.

If securing a grappling hook, failure by 4 or less indicates that the hook fails to catch and falls, allowing you to try again. A critical failure indicates that the grappling hook initially holds, but comes loose after 1d4 rounds of supporting weight. This check is made secretly, so that you don’t know whether the rope will hold your weight.

Rope Quality: A high-quality rope gives you a +2 circumstance bonus on your check. A low-quality rope gives you a -2 circumstance bonus on your check.

Bind a Character: When you bind another character with a rope, any Acrobatics check that the bound character makes is opposed by your Athletics check. You get a +5 bonus on this check because it is easier to bind someone than to escape from bonds. Make your Use Rope check as soon as you tie them up.

ACROBATICS

BALANCE

A successful check lets you move at half your speed along the surface as a move action.

• Any time you take damage while balancing, you must make a Physical check equal to the damage taken, or you are unable to remain standing.
• A character can take an Unhurried check but can't Get It Right.
• Failure means you spend your move action keeping your balance and do not move. A critical failure indicates that you fall.

TUMBLE

A successful check lets you control a fall so that you take less damage than normal. There is no TR for this check. Rather, make a skill check, divide the result by two, and reduce the damage taken in the fall by this amount.

• Damage may not be reduced below 5 by using Tumble. Damage is reduced by Damage Reduction and/or Protection before being reduced by Tumble.

ESCAPE

A successful check lets you escape ropes, handcuffs, being entangled in a net or by a Power, being grappled, or squeezing out of a tight spot.

• The TR for escaping from a bind is 12.
• If the quality of the materials used to bind you is higher than normal, add +3 to the TR.
• If the creature binding you is an expert at doing so, add +3 to the TR.
• Escaping a grapple is an opposed check, Acrobatics vs. Athletics.
• Escaping being tied up with rope is an opposed check, Acrobatics vs. Athletics.
• If escaping from a tight spot and the space is long, you may need to make multiple checks. Squeezing through a tight space takes one round per 5 feet.
• You can make another check after a failed check as long as you're not being actively opposed. A character can take an Unhurried check but can't Get It Right.
• Failure results in you remaining restrained.

AWARENESS

LISTEN

Make a Listen check against a TR that reflects how quiet the noise is that a character might hear or against an opposed Move Silently check.

A Listen check can be made whenever the player or GM thinks that the character might be able to hear something out of the ordinary.

The GM may sometimes make the Listen check in secret so that you don’t know whether not hearing anything means that nothing is there or that you failed the check.

A character can make a Listen check every time you have the opportunity to hear something in a reactive manner. As a move action, you may attempt to hear something that you failed (or believes you failed) to hear previously. A successful check when there isn’t anything to hear results in you hearing nothing.

A character can take an Unhurried check or Get It Right when making a Listen check. Getting it Right means you spend 1 minute attempting to hear something that may or may not be there to hear.

Failure means you think you hear something of the GM’s choosing. Alternatively, you hear nothing. The GM usually makes this roll secretly so you are not aware of the outcome.

SPOT

Spot is used to notice items that aren’t immediately obvious and people who are attempting to hide. The GM may call for a Spot check by a character that is in a position to notice something. A character can also make a Spot check voluntarily if you want to try to notice something in your vicinity.

The GM may make the Spot check in secret so that you don't know whether not noticing anything means that nothing is there or that you failed the check. A successful Spot check when there isn't anything to notice results in you noticing nothing.

Spot is often used to notice a person or creature hiding from view. In such cases, your Spot check is opposed by the Hide check of you trying not to be seen. Spot is also used to detect someone in disguise (see the Disguise skill), or to notice a concealed weapon on another person.
A character can make a Spot check every time you have the opportunity to notice something in a reactive manner. As a full-round action, a character may attempt to notice something that you failed (or believe you failed) to notice previously. A character can take an Unhurried check or Get It Right when making a Spot check.

Failure means that you think you see something of the GM’s choosing. Alternatively, you see nothing. The GM usually makes this roll secretly so you are not aware of the outcome.

BLUFF

A bluff is opposed by the target's Sense Motive check when trying to con or mislead. Favourable and unfavourable circumstances weigh heavily on the outcome of a bluff. Two circumstances can work against you: The bluff is hard to believe, or the action that the bluff requires the target to take goes against the target's self-interest, nature, personality, or orders.

To attempt a bluff, roll an Impress check opposed by the target's Sense Motive check. If your result exceeds the target's result, the target believes the bluff.

If it's important, the GM can distinguish between a bluff that fails because the target doesn't believe it and one that fails because it asks too much of the target. For instance, if the target gets a +10 bonus because the bluff demands something risky of the target, and the target's Sense Motive check succeeds by 10 or less, then the target proved reluctant to go along with it. If the target's Sense Motive check succeeds by 11 or more, he has seen through the bluff, and would have succeeded in doing so even if it had not placed any demand on him (that is, even without the +10 bonus).

A successful check indicates that the target reacts as you wishes, at least for a short time (usually 1 round or less), or the target believes something that you wants it to believe.

A bluff will generally only distract, confuse, or mislead for the short term. On the other hand, the bluff may be very sophisticated and well thought-out. A bluff will only deceive a character at least until you discovers evidence to the contrary, whether that is one round, or one year. A bluff requires interaction between you and the target. Targets unaware of you can't be bluffed.

Generally, a failed check makes the target too suspicious for you to try another bluff in the same circumstances. For feinting in combat, you may try again freely. A character can take an Unhurried check when making a bluff (except for feinting in combat), but can't Get it Right.

FEINT

A character can also mislead an opponent in combat so that the opponent can't dodge your attack effectively. make an opposed check vs. the target's Sense Motive. If you succeed, on the next attack you make against the target, gain a +2 bonus.

GAMBLE

To join or start a game, a character must first pay a stake. You set the stake if you start the game, or the GM sets it if you join a game. Your check is opposed by the checks of all other participants in the game.

If the gambling attempt concerns a matter in which the character can directly affect the outcome, a successful Bluff check gives the player a bonus to the Gamble check equal to half the difference between the Bluff check and the opposing Insight check.

If there are many characters participating, the GM can opt to make a single roll for all of them, using the highest skill modifier among them and adding a +2 bonus to the check.

Each gambling attempt gets only one save. A character may gamble as long as he wishes, even past the point he cannot put up the stake, per GM discretion. A character cannot take an Unhurried check or Get It Right when making a Gamble check.

DEVICES

A character can set traps, disable traps, repair or jury-rig mechanical devices, and operate computers.

DISABLING

The TR to disable disable a device, depends on the quality of the device or lock. You must be able to reach the actual device. If the device is monitored, the fact that you attempted to disable it will probably be noticed. When disabling a monitored device, you can prevent your tampering from being noticed. Doing so increases the TR of the check by +3. Disabling a simple mechanical device is a full-round action. Intricate or complex devices require 1d6+1 rounds.

Disabling (or rigging or jamming) a simple mechanical device has a relatively low TR. A more intricate and complex devices would have a higher TR. The GM might roll the check if success or failure wouldn't be immediately obvious. If the check succeeds, you disable the device. If the check fails, you have failed but can try again. If you critically fail, something goes wrong. If it's a trap, you spring it. If it's some sort of sabotage, you think the device is disabled, but it still works normally.

A character can rig simple devices to work normally for a while and then fail some time later (usually after 1d6 rounds or minutes of use). Disabling a simple mechanical device is a full-round action. Intricate or complex devices require 1d6+1 rounds.

You can try again if you are aware that you have failed. A character can take an Unhurried check when making a Disable Device check. A character can Get It Right to open a lock or to disable a security device, unless you are trying to prevent your tampering from being noticed.

REPAIR

Most Repair checks are made to fix complex electronic or mechanical devices. The TR is set by the GM. In general, simple repairs have a TR of 5 to 10 and require no more than a few minutes to accomplish. More complex repair work has a TR of 12 or higher and can require an hour or more to complete.

You can try the check again, though in some specific cases, the GM may decide that a failed Repair check has negative ramifications that prevent repeated checks. A character can take an Unhurried check or Get It Right on a Repair check.

You can use this skill to repair vehicles, star ships, mecha, cybernetic attachments, and constructs (including robots) – basically anything that is mechanical or electrical. Repairing damage takes 1 hour of work, and a proper facility such as a workshop or hangar bay.

At the end of the hour, make a Repair check. Success repairs 2d6 points of damage. If damage remains, you may continue to make repairs for as many hours as it takes to restore the vehicle or starship to full hit points.

The same rules apply to robots, other constructs, and cybernetic attachments, except that each successful application of the Repair skill restores 1d10 points of damage (instead of 2d6), and the Repair check is more difficult to achieve. This skill may also be used to transplant the “brain” of a destroyed robot into a similar but intact robot frame. See the Robot Resurrection for more information on robotic brain transplants.

JURY-RIG

A character can choose to attempt jury-rigged, or temporary, repairs. Doing this reduces the Repair check TR by 3, and allows you to make the checks in as little as a full-round action. However, a jury-rigged repair can only fix a single problem with a check, and the temporary repair only lasts until the end of the current scene or encounter. The jury-rigged object must be fully repaired thereafter. A character can also use jury-rig to hot-wire a car or jump-start an engine or electronic device.

When making a Repair check to accomplish a jury-rig repair, a character can’t Get It Right.

DIPLOMACY

A character can change others' attitudes with a successful check (see the table below. In negotiations, participants roll opposed Diplomacy checks to see who gains the advantage. Opposed checks also resolve cases where two advocates or diplomats plead opposing cases before a third party. Diplomacy can be used to influence a GM character’s attitude. The GM chooses your initial attitude based on circumstances.

Most of the time, the people the heroes meet are indifferent toward them, but a specific situation may call for a different initial attitude. The TRs given in the accompanying table show what it takes to change someone's attitude with the use of the Diplomacy skill.

You don't declare a specific outcome you are trying for; instead, make the check and compare the result to the table.

Generally, trying again doesn't work. Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character can only be persuaded so far. A character can take an Unhurried check when making a Diplomacy check, but can't Get It Right.

Failing means, the other character has probably become more firmly committed to their position.

HEAL

You can administer First Aid and treat diseases and poisons.

FIRST AID

You usually use first aid to stop bleeding or other continuous damage. If a character is taking continuous damage, you can stop the damage with a TR equal to 3x the amount of continuous damage last dealt to the character. Therefore, if a character is taking 5 points of damage per round, you would need to succeed at a TR of 15. A stablised character regains no hit points but stops losing them.

LONG TERM CARE

Providing long-term care means treating a wounded person for a day or more. Roll a Treat injury check, and multiply your result by 2. The patient recovers hit points equal to the roll. This requires the patient to rest for a full day. A half day of rest will heal a number of HP or Attribute damage equal to your Treat Injury roll. You can tend up to six patients at a time. You need a few items and supplies that are easy to come by in settled lands. You can't give long-term care to yourself.

TREAT POISON

To treat poison means to tend a single character who has been poisoned and who is going to take more damage from the poison (or suffer some other effect). Every time the poisoned character makes a saving throw against the poison, you make a Heal check. The poisoned character uses your check result or saving throw, whichever is higher.

TREAT DISEASE

To treat a disease means to tend a single diseased character. Every time you make a saving throw against disease effects, you make a Heal check. The diseased character uses your check result or your saving throw, whichever is higher.

Generally speaking, you can't try a Heal check again without proof of the original check's failure. You can always retry a check to provide first aid, assuming the target of the previous attempt is still alive.

INNUENDO

A character can send and understand secret messages while appearing to be speaking about other things.

The more complex the message is, the higher the TR will be. Both the sender and the receiver must make the check for the secret message to be successfully relayed and understood.
Anyone listening in on a secret message can attempt a Sense Motive check (TR equal to the sender's Innuendo check result).

If successful, the listener realises that a secret message is contained in the communication. If one of the checks is failed, the listener does not detect the secret message. If one of the checks is critically failed, the listener misinterprets the secret message.

INSIGHT

A successful check allows you to avoid being bluffed and lied to. You can also use the skill to tell when someone is behaving oddly or to assess someone's trustworthiness.

In addition, a character can use this skill to make an assessment of a social situation. With a successful check (TR 12), you can get the feeling from another's behaviour that something is wrong. In addition, you can get the feeling that someone is trustworthy and honourable.

Only one attempt may be made per check, though you may make a Insight check for each bluff made on you. A character can take an Unhurried check when making a Insight check, but can't Get It Right.

A character can use Insight to detect that a hidden message is being transmitted via the Streetwise skill (TR equal to the Innuendo check result of the sender). If your check result beats the TR by 5 or more, you understand the secret message as well.

If your check fails, you misinterpret the message in some fashion. If your check critically fails, you misinterpret the message completely.

INQUIRY

By succeeding at a skill check (TR 10) and spending 1d4+1 hours passing out money and buying drinks, a character can get a feel for the major news items in a neighbourhood. This result assumes that no obvious reasons exist why information would be withheld.

The higher the check result, the better the information. A character can take an Unhurried check when making a Gather Information check, but cannot Get It Right. Information ranges from general to protected, and the cost and TR increases accordingly for the type of information you seeks to gather, as given in the table below.

General information concerns local happenings, rumours, gossip, and the like. Specific information usually relates to a particular question. Restricted information includes facts that aren't generally known and requires that you locate someone who has access to such information. Protected information is even harder to come by and might involve some danger, either for the one asking the questions or the one providing the answer.

There's a chance that someone will take note of anyone asking about restricted or protected information. You can increase the ease of gathering information by offering a bribe. The bribe need not be monetary, but the value of the bribe will determine how much of a bonus you get to the check.

A character may try a new check every 1d4+1 hours, but characters may draw attention to themselves if they repeatedly pursue a certain type of information.

BRIBERY

Offering money or another form of favour can, in the right situation, improve a character’s chances with a Streetwise check. Bribery allows a character to circumvent various hesitations and wariness when a person in a possession of information is willing to accept such an offering. Bribery requires two willing participants – one to offer a bribe and the other to accept it.

When a character requires a bribe to render services, then a check automatically fails if a bribe isn't attached to it. If a bribe isn't required, a bribe can be added to get a bonus on the skill check. This can backfire, as some characters will be insulted by a bribe offer (their attitude changes one step for the worse) and others will report the hero to the proper authorities.

To attempt a Bribe, make a Wealth check, treating the target's Wealth score as your target TR. You may reduce the amount of the TR needed for your diplomacy check by -1 for each 1 point your result exceeds the TR.

INTIMIDATE

With a successful check, a character can forcibly persuade another character to perform some task or behave in a certain way. A character’s Intimidate check is opposed by the target's level check (1d20 + the target's character level or Hit Dice). Any modifiers that a target may have on Mental saving throws against fear effects apply to this level check.

If you succeed, you may treat the target as friendly for 10 minutes, but only for purposes of actions taken while in your presence. (That is, the target retains your normal attitude, but will chat, advise, offer limited help, or advocate on your behalf while intimidated.)

Circumstances dramatically affect the effectiveness of an Intimidate check. There are limits to what a successful Intimidate check can do. You can't force someone to obey your every command or do something that endangers that person's life.

A character may add a +2 bonus to your Intimidate check for every size category you are larger than your target. Conversely, you take a –2 penalty to your check for every size category you are smaller than your target. Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character can only be intimidated so much, and trying again doesn’t help. A character can take an Unhurried check when making an Intimidate check, but can’t Get It Right.

If you fail, the target is not influenced. If you critically fail, the target may actually do the opposite of what you wish.

KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge encompasses several categories. The number of Knowledge categories is kept purposely finite. When trying to determine what Knowledge skill a particular question or field of expertise falls under, use a broad interpretation of the existing categories. Typically, it is better not to arbitrarily make up new categories. Your GM may decide that the categories apply to new subsets, or that some of the examples we use are not appropriate. You may put each point you get in Knowledge toward a separate Knowledge focus. For each point you have in a focus, you get a +1 to your roll.

STUDYING

Studying a topic takes time, skill, and some luck. The GM determines how obscure a particular topic is (the more obscure, the higher the TR) and what kind of information might be available depending on where you are studying.

Information ranges from general to protected. Given enough time (usually 2d6 hours) and a successful skill check, you get a general idea about a given topic. This assumes that no obvious reasons exist why such information would be unavailable, and that you have a way to acquire restricted or protected information.

The higher the check result, the better and more complete the information. If you want to discover a specific fact, date, map, or similar bit of information, add +5 to +15 to the TR.

You may retry this check as many times as you wish, time permitting. Each time you retry the check you get an additional +2 bonus. A character can take an Unhurried check or Get It Right on a Study check.

CULTURES

You may be knowledgeable about various areas or ethnicities. The cultures listed here are for Earth. If your campaign is set in another setting, you will need to plan out which cultures you want to use, and change the available cultures accordingly.

AMERICA, CENTRAL

Any country from Mexico to Panama.

AMERICA, NORTH

Canada, the United States, or any related island.

AMERICA, SOUTH

Any country south of Panama.

ASIA, EAST

Korea, Japan or any related island.

ASIA, SOUTHEAST

Any country from Bangladesh to Singapore; it does not include China.

EUROPE, EAST

Any country between Germany and Russia.

EUROPE, WEST

Any country from the United Kingdom and Portugal to Germany or any related island.

CHINA

China or any contested territories (i.e. Nepal and Taiwan).

INDIA

India, Sri Lanka, or any related island.

MIDDLE EAST

Any country from Libya, to Turkey, to Pakistan.

OCEANIA

Any country to the southeast of Asia, not part of mainland Asia or any related island. (i.e. Australia, Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, Micronesia)

RUSSIA

Russia or any non-Islamic former USSR republics in Asia.

SAHARAN AFRICA

Any country touching the Sahara. It excludes Libya and Egypt.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Any country in Sub-Saharan Africa or any related island.

DRIVE

We list basic sizes of vehicles here because what is appropriate in a modern campaign (i.e. Automobile) may not be in a fantasy campaign (i.e. Wagon) or a space-based campaign (i.e. Shuttlecraft). Each vehicle is determined by power type, mode of transport, and size. For instance, a modern-day automobile would be a Motor-Driven, Ground-Based, Passenger vehicle. Once a character has learned one vehicle in any given category, he or she may be assumed to drive any vehicle of that type.

If your campaign covers more than one form of transport (i.e. Your campaign has both horses and motorcycles as available transport) a character would need to select both Animal-drawn, Ground-based Personal vehicles, and Motor-Powered, Ground-based Personal vehicles to be able to use both; one point will not cover both. Vehicles driven by outside control (whether robotic, satellite, or magic) do not need knowledge to be able to drive, however, if you wanted to take over control from the outside source, he would need the appropriate knowledge.

If your campaign includes vehicles that have more than one mode of transport (i.e. the DeLorean from Back to the Future), you must know all modes in order to operate the vehicle fully. If not, she will only be able to use the modes in which she is trained.

ANIMAL-DRAWN (POWER)

The vehicle is pulled or pushed or lifted by an animal that is driven by you.

MOTOR-DRIVEN (POWER)

The vehicle is pulled or pushed or lifted by a motor and the machine is controlled by you.

GROUND-BASED (MODE)

The vehicle's primary mode of transport is across the ground. It may be housed elsewhere, but cannot travel independently unless it is on the ground.

WATER-BASED (MODE)

The vehicle's primary mode of transport is across the water. It may be housed elsewhere, but cannot travel independently unless it is in the water.

AIR-BASED (MODE)

The vehicle's primary mode of transport is through the air. It may be housed or land elsewhere, but cannot travel independently unless it is in the air, other than when it lifts off.

SPACE-BASED (MODE)

The vehicle's primary mode of transport is through space. It may be housed or land elsewhere, but cannot travel independently unless it is in space, other than when it lifts off.

PERSONAL (SIZE)

A vehicle that will transport the driver, and one other in a pinch or up to 50 lbs. of cargo.

PASSENGER (SIZE)

A vehicle that will transport the driver, and up to 3 other passengers or up to 500 lbs. of cargo.

HEAVY (SIZE)

A vehicle that will transport the driver, and up to 7 other passengers or up to 2 tonnes of cargo.

FREIGHTER (SIZE)

A vehicle that will transport the driver, and up to 20 other passengers or up to 10 tonnes of cargo.

HIGH-CAPACITY (SIZE)

A vehicle that will transport the driver, and up to 100 other passengers or up to 50 tonnes of cargo.

EXTREME HIGH-CAPACITY (SIZE)

A vehicle that will transport the driver, plus over 100 other passengers or over 100 tonnes of cargo.

SPECIAL

A vehicle that has out of the ordinary features such as non-standard steering (i.e. New York City style fire engine), suspension (i.e. dune buggy), etc. This must be chosen for each new speciality or size. For instance, if you know how to drive a personal dune buggy, you would need to choose this again to be able to drive a passenger size dune buggy, and you would need to take it again to be able to drive a personal vehicle with a zero-turn radius.

LEARNING

You have had extra schooling or training in one or more of the following areas.

ART

Fine Arts, Graphic Arts, Antiques, Modern Art, Photography, Music, Dancing.

BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES

Psychology, sociology, and criminology.

BUSINESS

Business procedures, investment strategies, and corporate structures. Bureaucratic procedures and how to navigate them. Economics.

CIVICS

Law, legislation, litigation, and legal rights and obligations. Political and governmental institutions and processes.

EARTH & LIFE SCIENCES

Biology and botany. Geology and palaeontology. Medicine and forensics.

HISTORY

Events, personalities, and cultures of the past. Archaeology.

LINGUISTICS

Etymology, translation, and cryptography. Programming languages. Putting a point into this knowledge can be used to learn a secondary language.

ARCANE LORE

The alchemy, magic, the supernatural, astrology, numerology, psionics, religions, urban legends, and similar topics.

PHYSICAL SCIENCES

Astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, physics, and engineering.

POPULAR LORE

Recent happenings in the news, politics, entertainment. Popular music, actors, and personalities, genre films and books, comics, science fiction, and gaming, among others.

TECHNOLOGY

Current developments in cutting-edge devices, as well as the background necessary to identify various technological devices.

POWER

Power is used when making checks for fluid effects. The higher your power skill, the easier it will be for you to activate more complex effects, which have higher Power Costs. To calculate the Power Cost, add the number of components together, subtract any disadvantages, and add ten, plus five additional points for each extra power type after the first.

10 + Number of Components and Advantages - Number of Disadvantages + (5 * number of extra types after the first)

Each time you fail a check, you gain a penalty equal to the number of types of power you used in the failed attempt. This penalty lasts until you are able to take a full rest. If you critically fail, you cannot attempt to cast spells for a number of rounds equal to the number of types of power you used in the failed attempt.

Power Cost: Each Power has a cost equal to the number of components and Advantages selected, minus the number of Disadvantages selected.

SEARCH

You generally must be within 10 feet of the object or surface to be examined. A character can examine up to a 5-foot-by-5-foot area or a volume of goods 5 feet on a side with a single check. A Search check can turn up individual footprints, but does not allow a character to follow tracks or tell you which direction the creature or creatures went or came from.

Failure indicates that you find nothing, or you find something that you think is important, but is actually misleading.

INVESTIGATE

A character generally uses Search to discover clues and Investigate to analyze them. If you have access to a crime lab, you use the Investigate skill to collect and prepare samples for the lab. The result of the Investigate check provides bonuses or penalties to the lab workers.

ANALYSE CLUE

You can make an Investigate check to apply forensics knowledge to a clue. This function of the Investigate skill does not give you clues where none existed before. It simply allows you to extract extra information from a clue you has found.

• The base TR to analyse a clue is 15. It is modified by the time that has elapsed since the clue was left, and whether or not the scene was disturbed.
• Add +2 to the TR for each full day since the event happened that you are investigating, to a maximum of +10.
• If the scene is outdoors, add +5 to the TR.
• If the scene is slightly disturbed, add +2 to the TR. If the scene is moderately disturbed, add +4 to the TR. If the scene is extremely disturbed, add +6 to the TR.

COLLECT EVIDENCE

You can collect and prepare evidence for a lab. To collect a piece of evidence, make an Investigate check (TR 15). If you succeed, the evidence is usable by a crime lab. If you fail, a crime lab analysis can be done, but the lab takes a –5 penalty on any necessary check. If you fail by 5 or more, the lab analysis simply cannot be done. On the other hand, if you succeed by 10 or more, the lab gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its checks to analyse the material.

This function of the Investigate skill does not provide you with actual items. It simply allows you to collect items you have found in a manner that best aids in their analysis later, at a crime lab.

Generally, analysing a clue again doesn't add new insight unless another clue is introduced. Evidence collected cannot be recollected, unless there is more of it to take. A character can take an Unhurried check when making an Investigate check, but cannot Get It Right.

TRACK

To find tracks or to follow them for 1 mile requires a successful Search check. You must make another Search check every time the tracks become difficult to follow. The Search check is made opposed vs. the opponents Sneak check + the TR for the terrain type, as listed below. Both the Sneak and Search checks receive the same types of bonuses or penalties.

Very Soft Ground: Any surface (fresh snow, thick dust, wet mud) that holds deep, clear impressions of footprints. (TR equal to Sneak check)

Soft Ground: Any surface soft enough to yield to pressure, but firmer than wet mud or fresh snow, in which a creature leaves frequent but shallow footprints. (TR equal to Sneak check + 5)

Firm Ground: Most normal outdoor surfaces (such as lawns, fields, woods, and the like) or exceptionally soft or dirty indoor surfaces (thick rugs and very dirty or dusty floors). The creature might leave some traces (broken branches or tufts of hair), but it leaves only occasional or partial footprints. (TR equal to Sneak check +10)

Hard Ground: Any surface that doesn’t hold footprints at all, such as bare rock or an indoor floor. Most streambeds fall into this category, since any footprints left behind are obscured or washed away. The creature leaves only traces (scuff marks or displaced pebbles). (TR equal to Sneak check + 20)

• If the tracker moves at over half speed, add a -5 penalty to the Track check.
• If the quarry moves at over half speed, add a -5 penalty to the Sneak check.
• Each size category that the tracker is larger than the quarry adds a -2 penalty to the Track check.
• Each size category that the quarry is larger than the tracker adds a -2 penalty to the Sneak check.
• If there are multiple people being tracked as a group, add a -2 penalty to the Sneak check, or alternatively, have each individual roll separately and use the lowest result.
• Subtract a -1 penalty from the Track check for each full day of head start that the quarry has, for each hour of rainfall since the quarry passed through an area.
• Subtract a -1 penalty for each inch of snow that falls after a quarry is through an area.
• Subtract a -2 penalty from the Track check for poor visibility, or -4 for extremely poor visibility. (It is impossible to track someone in complete darkness without special vision.)
• Subtract a -2 penalty from the Track check for each full day of head start that the quarry has.

If you fail a tracking check, you can retry after 1 hour (outdoors) or 10 minutes (indoors) of searching.

SNEAK

HIDE

A character’s Hide check is opposed by the Spot check of anyone who might see you. You can move up to half your normal speed and hide at no penalty.

• If you more than half your speed, you take a –5 penalty.
• It’s practically impossible (–20 penalty) to hide while attacking, running, or charging.
• The hide check is modified by your Size Class. Decrease the TR if you are smaller than the creature you are hiding from. Increase the TR if you are smaller than the creature you are hiding from.
• Decrease the TR if the character has partial or full cover.
• If people are observing you, even casually, you can’t hide. You can run around a corner so that you are out of sight and then hide, but the others then know at least where you went.
• A character can take an Unhurried check when making a Hide check, but can’t Get It Right.
• Failure results in you remaining visible.

Creating a Diversion to Hide: You can use the Bluff skill to help you hide. A successful Bluff check can give you the momentary diversion needed to attempt a Hide check while people are aware of you. While the others turn their attention from you, you can make a Hide check if you can get to a hiding place of some kind. (As a general guideline, the hiding place has to be within 1 foot for every rank you have in Hide.) This check, however, is at a –10 penalty because you have to move fast.

Tailing Someone: A character can use Hide to tail a person in public. Using the skill in this manner assumes that there are other random people about, among whom you can mingle to remain unnoticed. If the subject is worried about being followed, you can make a Spot check (opposed by your Hide check) every time you changes course (goes around a street corner, exits a building, and so on). If you are unsuspecting, you generally get only a Spot check after an hour of tailing.

MOVE SILENTLY

A character’s Move Silently check is opposed by the Awareness check of anyone who might hear you. A character can move up to half your normal speed at no penalty.

• If you more than half your speed, you take a –5 penalty.
• It’s practically impossible (–20 penalty) to move silently while attacking, running, or charging.
• A character can take an Unhurried check when making a Move Silently check, but can’t Get It Right.
• Failure results in your movement being heard.

SLEIGHT OF HAND

A minimal check lets a character palm a coin-sized, unattended object. Minor feats of sleight of hand - such as making a coin disappear - also have a lower TR unless an observer is concentrating on noticing what you are doing. A character can also use Sleight of Hand to conceal a small weapon or object on his or her body.

When a character performs this skill under close observation, your skill check is opposed by the observer's Spot check. The observer's check doesn't prevent you from performing the action, just from doing it unnoticed.

When a character tries to take something from another person, your opponent makes a Spot check to detect the attempt. To obtain the object, you must get a result of 20 or higher, regardless of the opponent's check result. The opponent detects the attempt if your check result beats your opponent's check result, whether you take the object or not.

Any additional Sleight of Hand attempt against the same target, or when being watched by the same observer, has a TR 10 higher than the first check if the first check failed or if the attempt was noticed. A character can take an Unhurried check when making a Sleight of Hand check, but can't Get It Right.

SURVIVAL

You can keep yourself and others safe and fed in the wild. Basic Survival checks occur each day in the wilderness or whenever a hazard presents itself. The check may be made only once per day. A character can take an Unhurried check when making a Survival check. A character cannot Get It Right on periodic checks to get along in the wild.

NAVIGATE

Make a Navigate check when a character is trying to find your way to a distant location without directions or other specific guidance. A character does not need to make a check to find a well-known site or follow an accurate map. However, you might make a check to wend your way through a dense forest or a labyrinth of underground storm drains.

For movement over a distance, make a Navigate check. The TR depends on the length of the trip. If you succeed, you move via the best reasonable course toward your goal. The longer the journey is, the higher the TR will be.

If you fail, you still reach the goal, but it takes you twice as long (you lose time backtracking and correcting your path). If you critically fail, you travel the expected time, but only get halfway to your destination, at which point you become lost.

A character may make a second Navigate check to regain the path. If you succeed, you continues on to your destination; the total time for the trip is twice the normal time. If you fail, you lose half a day before you can try again. You keep trying until you succeeds, losing half a day for each failure.

When faced with multiple choices, such as at a branch in a tunnel, a character can make a Navigate check to intuit the choice that takes you toward a known destination. If unsuccessful, you choose the wrong path, but at the next juncture, with a successful check, you realise your mistake.

A character cannot use this function of Navigate to find a path to a site if you have no idea where the site is located. The GM may choose to make the Navigate check for you in secret, so you don't know whether you are following the right or wrong path.

A character can use Navigate to determine your position on earth without the use of any high-tech equipment by checking the constellations or other natural landmarks. You must have a clear view of the night sky to make this check. In a campaign that features space travel or dimensional travel, you can use the Navigate skill to plot a course between planets, star systems, or dimensions.

A character may not retry this check unless it becomes obvious that they have not succeeded. A character can take an Unhurried check when making a Navigate check. A character can Get It Right only when determining your location, not when travelling.