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Character Skills

Overview

Skills describe all the things your character can do well. From driving fast to hacking computers, Skills describe all the ways your character can apply his or her raw talents (Stats) in a constructive, destructive, or creative manner. During character creation, you will have a chance to purchase Skills, have Skills given to you, and earn some more through your Job, not necessarily in that order. :-)

The emphasis on the entire system is simplicity and ease of use. This is done to encourage more role-playing, and less "roll-playing." All Skills are separated into eight Skill Levels:

• A rating of zero would symbolize one that is untrained or otherwise totally lacking in this area.

1. This level describes an amateur or a person who has had limited practice in this area.
2. Denotes a practiced amateur.
3. Descrbes a professional, or a person who has otherwise had extensive training in this area, and could teach others.
4. This level represents a great amount of dedication and a likely equal amount of respect and reputation in appropriate circles.
5. At this level, one is widely considered to be a master of this Skill, or an expert in this field of study.

• Levels six and seven are covered in Specializations, below.

Skill Rolls

Whenever a character attempts an action for which the outcome is in doubt, the player must make a Skill Roll (or Skill Check, if you prefer). The player rolls 1D10 (one ten-sided die) and adds any applicable modifiers as set by the Narrator. If the total is less than or equal to the character's Ability (Base Attribute + Skill), the action is successful. Otherwise, it is not. Simple, right?

• There are two special cases:  If a Natural 0 or a Natural 9 is ever rolled, the player must check for Criticals. 'Nuff said.

To use a Skill, you must purchase it. No matter how much effort or Intelligence one may apply to hacking CIA computers, without any Hacking Skill, the likelyhood of success is exactly zero. However, if one really wants to take the chance, go ahead and try. The results may be unpleasant.

Rolling for a Skill at level 0, one rolls the Base Attribute. On a Critical Success, the action is successful. Anything other result is considered a Critical Failure! For instance, in the aforementioned hacking example, such a failure will not only mean that the goal was not acheived, but the CIA is also alerted to the would-be hacker's presence and very likely knows their exact physical location. Should a true Critical Failure be rolled in the attempt (a natural 0 followed by a Critical Failure according to the rules for Criticals) the results are likely to be deadly. To continue in the same vein, the CIA is not only alerted, some agents happened to be near-by and are now kicking the doors in, guns drawn. Have a nice day.  :-)

Job Skills

Each character will receive a "free" Skill Set based on occupation. These Job Skills reflect the education and training necessary to perform one's primary occupational function at a professional capacity. Job Skills are, generally, given at the lowest possible level. One need not be Sherlock Holmes in order to make the rank of Detective, after all. In the same vein, beat cops will not have the same level of weapons training as a SWAT officer. It's all relative.

See the Jobs page for more information, but come right back, because we are not done here.

Focus and Specialization

Focus

Focus is used for defining a specific area of personal expertise within a large skill "family" such as Science and Athletics. Focus may reflect a preference for a specific form of exercise [Athletics(Cross-Country)] or a special interest in a particular realm of scientific study [Science(Biology)] for a person with a generally scientific mind. For certain Skills, Focus may be required.

Focusing a Skill does not cost any points, but, once Focused, the Focus is treated as a partially separate Skill. Increasing Science (the Base Skill) will increase Science(Biology) (the Focus), but increases in Science(Biology) will not increase Science. Also, increasing Science(Math) will not increase Science(Biology). Skill Points earned with a Focus may not be spent on the Base Skill and Skill Points earned with the base Skill may not be spent on the Focus. Confused yet? Good.

• It should be obvious by now, but Focus is notated in the following manner:  Skill(Focus).

Specialization

Focus is not a prerequisite for Specialization, meaning one need not Focus in Science(Mathematics) in order to later Specialize in Math. It must be stated that a Specialization would likely be better described as Lifetime Dedication To X but the one-word descriptor is more succinct. Specializing in a Skill allows one to purchase two more levels in that Skill. A character possessing level six or seven in a Skill could, or should, be world-renowned as the undisputed master of the feat in question. This level of prowess is not easy to achieve as it, as hinted at above, requires incredible discipline on the part of the character. As such, Specialized levels of Skill may not be purchased as regular Skills. They can only be acquired by purchasing the appropriate Advantages either during character creation or over the course of play, with the caveat that the player roleplay the training and dedication required. Good luck.

Further Reading and Character Growth

Please see the Master Skills List for more information on individual Skills, and their prerequisites and Foci, where applicable.

Purchasing additional Skills during character creation will be covered later, in Upgrades. Purchasing additional Skills, or improving those already purchased, between sessions will be covered in Character Advancement.

Back to Character Creation.

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