Skills

MENTAL

INSIGHT Used to determine NPC motivations or see through deception or false intimidation attempts. Opposed by Performance.

INVESTIGATION Used to gather infomation from publicly available sources.

OBSERVATION Detect difficult to notice things in the environment. Not just visual. Opposed by Stealth.

PERFORMANCE Not just for drama majors anymore; also used for intimidation and deception. Opposed by Insight.

PERSUASION Used to convince a non-hostile individual to do what you want.

RESEARCH Used for creation of new technologies. Analysis falls under academic categories.

PHYSICAL

Athletics Used for feats of acrobatics or endurance, such as running, leaping, climbing, or swimming.

Brawling Used for basic hand-to-hand combat

Common Weapons Used for a wide range of easy to use and commonly available weapons, such as baseball bat, knife, or pepper spray. Although a specific weapon has to be named, all other weapons in the category can be used with only a 10% penalty.

Dexterity Covers sleight of hand and quick movement. Also used for establishing initiative in combat.

Dodge Defensive skill for dodging incoming attacks. Not all attacks can be dodged, and there must also be room to maneuver.

Force Strength and ability to use leverage to push, force, or break objects. Can be rolled to add extra damage to unarmed attacks.

Stealth Used to avoid being seen. Typically opposed by Observation.

Martial Arts An attack skill that gives an automatic increase in unarmed damage.

Parry Defensive skill used to parry attacks, requires appropriate gear. Not all attacks can be parried.

Specialized Weapons Used for any weapon at or below Access Level 2 that requires a modicum of training, such as a sword or a gun. The weapon type must be specified. Similar weapons (at GM discretion; knowing how to use a sniper rifle will not help with a katana) can be used with a 10% penalty.

Tactics Used to organize and coordinate with NPCs, and rolled in place of their native attack OR defense. Can also be used to identify optimal positioning for a given situation, with advance planning.

Ultratech Weapons Used for any ultratech weapon, such as a monofilament blade or plasma cannon. The weapon type must be specified. Similar weapons with an Access Level of 2 or less can be used with a 10% penalty. Similar weapons at Access Level 3 or greater can be used with a 30% penalty.

ACADEMIC SKILLS

BIOLOGY Covers all aspects of biology from botany to zoology to ecology to anatomy. Useful for identifying plants, animals, and microbes, and/or understanding their habitat and behavior. Can be used at -10% to deliver first aid. Relevant to many specific psi powers, but especially telepathy and somatipsyche.

CHEMISTRY Bridges earth sciences and biology with understanding of the building blocks. Useful for identifying and characterizing chemicals and materials, for both organic and inorganic compounds. Relevant to specific (usually psychokinetic) psi powers.

EARTH SCIENCES A broad category covering geology, hydrology, meteorology, and so on. Useful for understanding how earth, water, and air move and interact. Relevant to specific (usually psychokinetic) psi powers.

ECONOMICS Joins the Arts and Sciences core skills. Covers not just broader economics, but also financial and bookkeeping analysis.

HISTORY For understanding political contexts, identifying historical places or things.

LITERATURE For identifying symbolism in hidden clues or deciphering cryptic texts.

MATHEMATICS Relevant to specific (usually psychokinetic) psi powers.

PHYSICS Relevant to many specific psi powers, but especially psychokinesis and dimensional projection.

ACADEMIC SPECIALIZATIONS

ASTRONOMY Analyze data related to satellites, celestial bodies, or other phenomenon outside of the atmosphere.

BIOTECH (Specify) Medicine or Crafting for Access Level 3-5 biotech, with suitable lab space. Categories are: Pharmaceuticals, Genetic Engineering, Biomods, Cybernetics.

COMPUTERS Computer programming and hacking.

ENGINEERING Crafting, operation, and repair of robots, vehicles, and mecha of Access Level 0-2. Crafting and repair of weapons and armor of Access Level 0-2.

MEDICINE Understanding of health and medical procedures as well as Access Level 0-3 medical equipmnt. Can be used to Heal with a suitable workspace area. Can be used at +30% to deliver basic First Aid.

ULTRATECH (Specify) Crafting, operation, and repair of specified category of robots, vehicles, or mecha of Access Level 3-5. Crafting and repair of weapons and armor of Access Level 3-5, with suitable workshop space. Categories are: Nanotech, Robotics, Vehicles, Mecha, AI, Cybernetics, Weapons, Armor.

HIDDEN LORE Used to analyze key components of some Systems.

PHILOSOPHY Used to analyze key components of some Systems.

PSYCHOLOGY Can be used as an investigative skill to create a psychological profile or guess at behavior based on known information.

OCCULT Used to analyze key components of some Systems.