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

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.
Also 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.
Also 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.
Also relevant to specific (usually psychokinetic) psi powers.

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

HISTORY
Useful for understanding political contexts, identifying historical places or things.

LITERATURE
Useful for analyzing symbolism for hidden clues or deciphering cryptic text.

MATHEMATICS
A fundamental skill that many others use in some form.
Also relevant to specific (usually psychokinetic) psi powers.

PHYSICS
The study of physical forces.
Relevant to many specific psi powers, but especially psychokinesis and dimensional projection.

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.