Chapter 4: Skills

Balance

DEX

Eryn uses the Balance Skill as she moves along the narrow edge of the tower.

This Skill allows you to keep on your feet, and move faster in situations where you could fall.

Determining the difficulty: How narrow is the walk area? How slippery? Is their any wind? Taking your time and being careful makes it easier.

Success: A character can move 1/2 their movement, further on a really good success.

Failing by 5 or less means you do not move. Failing 6 or more means you become unbalanced and must make a reflex test. Reflex Test: 20 or higher means you recover. 10-19 means you fall but catch yourself on what you were standing on. (You will have to pull your self up next round.) A 0-9 means you fall over without catching yourself, likely taking falling damage.

Retry? A character may re-try each round.

The Feat Agile adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Drive

DEX

Red Shark uses the Drive Skill to make a difficult corner without wiping on his Fusion Bike.

This Skill allows you to handle most ground based empowerable vehicles, including bikes, cars and trucks. It also lets you drive some small water based vehicles. Routine tasks do not require a Skill check (for those who are trained).

Determining the difficulty:How routine is the action being preformed? At what speed is the action happening at? How manoeuvrable is the vehicle? Is the vehicle in top performance, or has it suffered damage? What are road conditions like? Is there a clear path?

You might make an opposed drive test, with a bonus or penalty given, based on the differences between the two vehicles.

Success: You are able to fully or partially pull off what ever driving manoeuvre you were attempting. Good successes can increase distance traveled, aiding an escape or pursuit.

Failure: The GM must look how close the result came. A close fail may mean not gaining on an escaping vehicle. A horrible failure could mean a crash, causing damage to the vehicle and passengers.

Hide and Move Silently

DEX

Finlay uses the Hide and Move Silently Skill to approach an enemy camp unnoticed.

This Skill lets you move stealthily.

Opposed Skill Check against a Listen and Spot check.

Determining a bonus or penalty: Is there a lot of cover? How dark or light out is it? What does the ground consist of? Is the character wearing appropriate armour, or heavy armour and a lot of equipment? Are the opponents not paying attention, neutral, on watch or actively searching?

Success: You were able to move and remain unnoticed, for now. Each time you move, everyone makes a new roll. Each minute (10 rounds) that goes by, the opponents get a new roll if they are still present.

The GM may give up to a +4 bonus to hit on the first attack from a character that has gotten into range of their target unnoticed. Additionally, the GM may give +1d8 damage to the first attack in some situations, such as an exceptional hide check.

Failure: If you fail just by a little, the opponents will think they saw or heard something, shifting into a more suspicious posture. If you fail by a lot, you have been heard and likely spotted. Drama ensues.

The Spell Shadow Stealth can make this Skill more effective.

The Feat Stealthy adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Pilot

DEX

Rankin uses the Pilot Skill to land a Hurgdawn during a thunder storm.

This Skill lets you pilot most empowerable Flight Craft, including one-man fighters, open cabins, and transports. It also covers some larger water based vehicles. Routine tasks do not require a Skill check (for those who are trained).

Determining the difficulty: How routine is the action being preformed? At what speed is the action happening at? How manoeuvrable is the vehicle? Is the vehicle in top performance, or has it suffered damage? What are the conditions like? (Wind and other weather affects most air based vehicles more than land based vehicles.)

Success: You are able to fully or partially pull off what ever driving manoeuvre you were attempting. Good successes can increase distance traveled, aiding an escape or pursuit.

Failure: The GM must look how close the result came. A close fail may mean not gaining on an escaping vehicle. A horrible failure could mean a crash, causing damage to the vehicle and passengers.

Ride

DEX

Hawk uses the Ride Skill to move his horse up beside an escaping fusion truck.

This Skill lets you ride appropriate land based animals such as horses or Grado-lions. Routine tasks do not require a Skill check.

Determining the difficulty: How routine is the action being preformed? At what speed is the action happening at? How talented or cooperative is the animal? Is the animal at top health, or is it hurt? What is the ground like?

Success: You are able to fully or partially pull off what ever riding manoeuvre you were attempting.

Failure: You do not succeed at the action being preformed. Results vary on how much a test was missed by and how ambitions the action was. One outcome may be that you are thrown from your mount.

The Feat Animal Affinity adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Use Rope

DEX

Ronin uses the Use Rope Skill to make sure his captured fugitive doesn’t escape from where he’s tied up.

This Skill allows you to make different types of knots in ropes, secure something or throw a grappling hook.

Determining the difficulty: Most knots have an average difficulty. Throwing and properly securing a grappling hook can be tough or challenging. Tying someone up is easy; making sure they can’t escape might not be. If you don’t have quite enough rope, that can make your task more difficult. If you have the escape artist Skill, that can make tying someone up a bit easier.

Success: You tie a competent knot. You are able to secure a grappling hook. You think you’ve tied someone up good.

Failure: Your knot comes way, now or later. Your grappling hook bounces and comes back down. Someone manages to free themselves.

Opposed checks: If someone tries to escape after you’ve tied them up, make a Use Rope check then and add 10 to set their Escape Artist DC. If you have the Escape Artist Skill, add +2 to the DC.

The Feat Deft Hands adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Acrobatics and Tumbling

DEX

Jaff uses the Acrobatics and Tumbling Skill to flip past an angry Krillzacore guard.

This Skill allows you to land better from a fall or get past an opponent unharmed. It also allows for impressive flipping and other assorted actions. It also can raise your AC under certain conditions.

Determining the difficulty: When falling, roll an Acrobatics and Tumbling test. A result of 15 reduces the damage by 10 feet. A result of 20 reduces the damage by 20 feet.

To get past an opponent without them getting an attack on you, the DC is 18. Under 18 means you don’t get past, and they get to attack you on their turn. (The GM may raise or lower the DC based on the circumstances, such as the size and Skill of the blocking opponent.)

Tumbling allows a character to move through the square on an opponent - important in tight restricted areas.

Raising your AC: By spending your standard action (your attack move) on Acrobatics and Tumbling, you can raise your Armour Class starting on your action and remaining until the beginning of your next action in the next round. First use your standard action to tumble, and then make a Skill test:

You can’t combine Acrobatics and Tumbling with Total Defence or Fighting Defensively at the same time. Acrobatics and tumbling cannot be used to raise your AC untrained.

The Feat Acrobatic adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Escape Artist

DEX

Hidorn uses the Escape Artist Skill to free himself from the lock-down restraints before the transport’s last stop.

This Skill allows you to more effectively free yourself from rope or restraints. It also can help you get through tight spaces or escape the grapple of an opponent.

Determining the difficulty: How well made are the restraints? (Even the most basic are designed to be tough or challenging to beat.) Does the character have any edge that can help them? (A smuggled or conjured tool can help a lot). How much time does the character have? Are they being watched or are they being ignored for the time being?

Escaping from being tied up is an opposed test (DC = Opponents use rope test +10).

Escaping a grapple is opposed by the attacker’s to-hit roll or grapple result.

Getting through a tight space depends on how challenging the small space is and how far the character needs to go before the area widens.

Success: You manage to free at least one limb, maybe more depending on how successful you were.

Failure: You do not succeed, but may try again at a cumulative +2 difficulty. Some escape actions may also cause minor damage.

The Feat Agile adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Locks and Traps

DEX

Syllia uses the Locks and Traps Skill to quickly open a locked door and slip inside before she is seen.

This Skill allowsyou to open locks, and disable traps. This Skill allows you to open both Chrono-timing locks and Fusion-latch locks, providing the proper tools are available. This Skill requires concentration.

Determining the difficulty: How well made is the lock? The more valuable the contents, typically the more difficult the lock. Does the character have the basic tools required? Better? Worse? How long do they have to spend on it? Do they care if the lock ever works again?

How complex is the trap? Can the trigger be easily identified or jammed? Does the character want to be able to re-activate the trap?

Traps must be noticed before they can be disabled. Having the locks and traps Skill gives a +4 bonus to Listen and Spot checks with regards to traps.

Success: You open the door or disable to the trap.

Failure: The lock remains locked, the trap still triggered. A bigger failure may set off alarms or a trap, depending on the circumstances. You may try again with a cumulative +2 penalty.

Related: Multi 3 Lockpick, Shadow Tool Spell, Unlock Spell.

The Feat Nimble Fingers adds some natural talent to this Skill.

Melee Slash

DEX

Kyzonna uses the Melee Slash Skill to add an extra twist of damage to her sword Attack.

Rules: This Skill allows you to use a Skill point to add 1d8 damage to a melee damage result, when using an edged weapon.

Sleight of Hand

DEX

Westmore uses the Sleight of Hand Skill to palm a diary off a desk while talking with a suspect.

This Skill allows you to pick a pocket, take a watch off a victims arm, do coin tricks, or conceal an item, such as a weapon.

Determining the difficulty: The player makes one roll against DC 20 to determine if they succeed at their action. Small objects can make the DC easier, as can distractions. Larger object and intense scrutiny can make the DC more difficult.

Regardless of the success, everyone watching should make a Listen and Spot check, with a DC equal to the Sleight of Hand result. Bonuses or penalties can be given to the Listen and Spot check based on suspicion or trust. Having the Sleight of Hand Skill adds a +4 bonus to see someone else use Sleight of Hand.

Concealing items requires similar opposed observation checks. Small weapons are easier to conceal, adding a bonus to the Sleight of Hand check. Some clothes and equipment may add a bonus as well. Physically searching someone adds a +5 to +10 bonus to a Listen and Spot check, depending on how extensive the search is.

Failure: Once you or what you’re hiding is seen, there is probably little point in trying again. Things now get interesting.

The Feat Deft Hands adds some natural talent to this Skill.