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| "I'll kill a man in a fair fight...or if I think he's gonna start a fair fight, or if he bothers me, or if there's a woman, or I'm gettin' paid--mostly only when I'm gettin' paid." |
| Jayne Cobb |
Click on rule title in the Table of Contents to jump to the specific. The text "New Rule!" indicates the rule was added since your last visit and "Updated Rule!" means that the rule has been updated since your last visit.
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Table of Contents Goals of the Rules Character Creation Attributes Secondary Attributes Initiative Maximum Hits Maximum Subdual Active Defenses Boons 3D Spatial Sense (2 CP) Absolute Direction (1 CP) Alertness (1 CP) Ally (2 CP) Alternate Identity (1 CP/3CP) Ambidexterity (1 CP) Appearance Attractive (1 CP) Handsome / Beautiful (2 CP) Very Handsome / Very Beautiful (3 CP) Big Damn Hero (10 CP) Big Hero (5 CP) Charisma (1 CP) Claim to Hospitality (1 CP-6 CP) Clerical Investment (1 CP) Combat Reflexes (3 CP) Common Sense (2 CP) Contacts (2 CP) Cultural Adaptabilty (4 CP) Double Jointed (1 CP) Followers (1 CP/level) Hard to Kill (2 CP) High Pain Threshold (2 CP) Influence (1 CP/level) Browncoats Bureacracy Corporate Guild High Society Industry Low Life Lower Decks Medical Military Politics Station Administration Station Operations Transportation Underworld University Legal Enforcement Powers (1 CP/2CP) Military Rank (1 CP) Reputation (1 - 3 CP) Toughness (2 CP/5 CP) Voice (1 CP) Wealth Comfortable (2 CP) Wealthy (4 CP) Very Wealthy (6 CP) Hitches Absent Minded (-3 CP) Acceleration Weakness (-1 CP) Alcoholism (-2 CP) Alcoholism, Recovered (-1 CP) Allergies (Mild) (-1 CP) Allergies (Severe) (-3 CP) Amnesia (-3) Appearance Unattractive (-1 CP) Ugly (-2 CP) Very Ugly (-3 CP) Monsterous (-4 CP) Bad Reputation (-1 CP - -3 CP) Bad Sight (-2 CP) Blacklisted from the Companion's Guild (-1 CP) Bloodlust (-2 CP) Callous (-1 CP) Charitable (-3 CP) Clueless (-2 CP) Code of Honor (-2 CP) Combat Paralysis (-3 CP) Compulsive Behavior (-2 CP) Cowardice (-2 CP) Curious (-2 CP) Delusions (-1 CP/-3 CP) Dependant (-2 CP) Duty (-2 CP) Dyslexia (-2 CP) Enemy (-2 CP) Fanaticism (-3 CP) Flashbacks (-1 CP to -3 CP) Gluttony (-1 CP) Gregarious (-2 CP) Honesty (-2 CP) Impulsive (-2 CP) Innumerate (-2 CP) Insomnia (-2 CP) Lecherousness (-3 CP) Megalomania (-2 CP) Migraines (-1 CP) Nightmares (-1 CP) No Sense of Humor (-2 CP) Odious Personal Habit (-1 CP to -3 CP) One Eye (-3 CP) Only One Tongue (-1 CP) Overconfidence (-1 CP) Phobias (Various) Programmed (-3 CP) Secret (-1 CP to -3 CP) Sense of Duty (-1 CP to -4 CP) Stubborness (-1 CP) Truthfulness (-1 CP) Vow (-2 CP) Wealth Struggling (-2 CP) Poor (-3 CP) Dead Broke (-4 CP) Skills Agility Based Skills Acrobatics Axe/Mace Beam Weapons Bolas Bow Boxing * Brawl * Broadsword Crossbow Dancing Dodge* Driving Escape Fast Draw * Fencing Flail Free Fall Gunner Guns Improvised Weapon Jeweler Jitte/Sai Judo* Karate* Knife Kusari Lasso Leatherworking Lock Picking Masonry Piloting Polearm Rapier Riposte Saber Sewing Short Sword Sling Spear Speed Load Sports Staff Stealth Sumo Wrestling Swimming Thrown Weapon Tonfa Traps Two-Handed Sword Whip Wrestling Might Based Skills Climbing Resolve Based Skills Animal Handling Intimidation Leadership Meditation * Panhandling Performance Smarts Based Skills Accounting Acting Administration Anthropology Archaeology Architecture Area Knowledge Armoury Artist Astronomy Biology Blacksmithing Camouflage Carpentry Cartography Chemistry Computer Hacking Computer Operations Computer Programming Connoisseur Cooking Counterfeiting Crewman Criminology Cryptography * Detect Lies* Diagnosis Diplomacy Economics Electrician Electronic Operations Electronics Engineer Environment Suit Erotic Art Explosives Falconry Fast Talk Finance First Aid Fishing Forensics Forgery Gambling Games Gardening Geography Geology Herb Lore Herbalist History Hobby Skill Holdout Intelligence Analysis Interrogation Knitting Languages Literature Mathematics Mechanic Merchant Metallurgy Meteorology Musical Composition Musical Instrument Naturalist Navigation Performance Pharmacology Philosophy Photography Physician Physics Physiology Poetry Poisons Politics Professional Skill Psychology Read Body Language Research Savior-Faire Scrounging Search Shadowing Sociology Strategy Streetwise Surgery Survival Tactics Teaching Theology Tracking Veterinary Writing Vigor Based Skills Breath Control Carousing Sex Appeal Singing Talent Groups Artistic Talent (2 CP) Business Acumen (3 CP) Green Thumb (3 CP) Gunslinger (3 CP) Mathematical Ability (4 CP) Mechanical Aptitude (3 CP) Musical Ability (2 CP) Natural Healer (3 CP) Outdoorsman (3 CP) Scrapper (2 CP) Smooth Operator (6 CP) Well Trained Companion (7 CP) Zen Pilot (5 CP) Finishing Touches Handedness Experience Spending Experience Unspent Experience Cap Systems Challenge Resolution Basic Challenge Resolution Standard Difficulty Hero Points Assisting in Challenges Combat Bonuses and Penalties Off Hand Penalty Damage and Armor Bleeding Out Falling Fighting With Your Fists Length of a Round Movement Ranged Combat Aiming Wounds and Healing Resisting Social Skills Swimming Holding Your Breath |
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Goals of the Rules Top! There are a couple of goals that we're trying to achieve in our system that we use as our guide when we write them. Quick. Any kind of conflict, either between a character and a task or between characters, the resolution should be quickly attained. We want to be role playing the night away, not rolling dice or throwing hand signs all night. Easy. The rules should be quick to learn and calculations should not require a slide rule. Granular. In short, we should be able to easily figure out how well you did or did not do. Scalable. Systems should be to handle the lowest of skill sets of greenhorns and be able to deal with the power brokers of the greatest heroics. When making a decission that affects the system, these are the four guiding goals. Character Creation Top! The Character Creation Flow worksheet has been posted to the Document Library at http://www.jidianstation.org/lifeintheblack:charactercreationflow. Character sheets are located on the Download page. Attributes Top! There are five attributes in Ji Dian Station, rated 0 to 5. A character with 0 in an attribute cannot use any skills under it. For example, someone with a Vigor of 0 should not go carousing. The attributes are: Might (MT) - Represents physical strength and body mass Agility (AG) - The manual dexterity of the character Smarts (SM) - The character's intelligence Vigor (VG) - The healthiness of your character Resolve (RS) - The raw force of will your character exhibits Secondary Attributes Top! Secondary Attributes are computed attributes based off your Primary Attributes. Initiative Top! Initiative is calculated by adding your Agility, Smarts, Vigor, and Resolve together. Maximum Hits Top! Maximum Hits represents the how much damage you can withstand and is calculated by doubling your Might. Maximum Subdual Top! Maximum Subdual represents how well your body can deal with non-leathal damage. Active Defenses Top! The Active Defenses of the character are Dodge, Block, and Parry. The base value of these stats is your Agility and then that is modified by specific skills. Boons Top! Boons are as the name suggests, something that would be of a benefit to the character. They range from physical, mental, societal, or cultural. You may purchase as many boons as you wish with your Character Points. 3D Spatial Sense (2 CP) Top! This Boon is a superior version of Absolute Direction and includes all of the benefits of that Boon. You are able to think in three dimensions and will never loose your way, even in deep space. This Boon gives a plus one (1) Skill Level to the following skills: Flight, Astrogation, and Piloting. Absolute Direction (1 CP) Top! You are always able to identity the compass points and can find a path you have already taken up to a month previous. This does not work in interstellar space (for example, on Ji Dian Station) , but it does apply underground, underwater, and certainly planet-side. This Boon gives a plus one (1) Skill Level to the following skills: Navigator. Alertness (1 CP) Top! You are more alert than the average person. For each time you take this Boon you get a plus one (1) to your Action Die for any roll involving the five senses (hearing, sight, smell, taste, and touch) or any roll where you must make a Smarts roll to notice something. You my take this Boon a total of three times, for a total plus three (3) to your Action Die. Ally (2 CP) Top! Alternate Identity (1 CP/3CP) Top! This Boon grants you a seemingly legal identity for each time you purchase it. Your finger prints, or in some cases other biometrics used for identity, are registered under another name, and you have an extra set of identity documents (birth certificate, licenses, travel papers, etc.) good enough to pass close inspection. These identities may also have credit and bank accounts, but does not grant you any additional funds. There are two types of Alternate Identity, Legal and Illegal. Legal ones are provided by the government for its agents, such as lawmen or spies. You must also have some sort of government rank to take this. Also, the identity can be revoked by the government. Illegal ones are or for criminals or rebels. This has the advantage of being completely unknown when you first start out and it cannot be revoked by the government. Of course, if you are discovered, you face quite a bit trouble. Ambidexterity (1 CP) Top! You can use both hands with equal skill. You do not suffer the penalty for using an "off hand", and can fight or act with either hand. Appearance Top! This is a measure of the appeal of your character's physical apperance. Attractive (1 CP) Top! You won't come away with the title for a beauty contest, but you are a bit of a looker. You gain a +1 to Action Die rolls where looks factor into the situation. Handsome / Beautiful (2 CP) Top! You could certainly come away with a few runner up titles in beauty pageants. People attracted to your sex will often give you a second look. You receive a +1 Action Die on social skill test against people not interested in your gender and a +2 Action Die to people who are. Very Handsome / Very Beautiful (3 CP) Top! You could regularly win beauty pageants and turn heads when you enter a room. Some might become jealous of your good looks and others may become obsessed with you. Furthermore you may have to deal with persistent talent scouts, friendly drunks, slave traders and others who would find a gorgeous creature a hot commodity. You receive a +1 Action Die on social skill test against people not interested in your gender and a +3 Action Die to people who are. Big Damn Hero (10 CP) Top! "Goram, Reavers!" Some days it isn’t enough being a big hero. If you find this to be true, perhaps you should purchase the Big Damn Hero boon. It grants you an additional four Hero points. Note, you may not have both the Big Hero boon and the Big Damn Hero boon. If you have the Big Hero boon and wish to “upgrade” to Big Damn Hero, you may pay the difference in XP points, effectively “turning in” the Big Hero boon and get the Big Damn Hero boon. Big Hero (5 CP) Top! Some days being just a hero just isn’t enough. If you find this to be true, perhaps you should purchase the Big Hero boon. It grants you an additional two Hero points. Note, you may not have both the Big Hero boon and the Big Damn Hero boon. Charisma (1 CP) Top! This is a measure of a special magnetic charm or appeal, allowing you to naturally impress or lead others. It is not a matter of good looks, etiquette or intelligence- either you have charisma or you don’t. For each time you take this Boon you add plus one (1) to your Action Die for all socially oriented Resolve rolls. You may take this Boon three times for a total of plus three (3) to your Action Die. This is a great skill for politicians, confidence men, socialites, companions, and ship captains. Claim to Hospitality (1 CP-6 CP) Top! You belong to some group that encourages its members to assist one another; when you are away from home, you may call upon members of this group for food, shelter, and basic aid. The cost depends on the size and wealth of the group. -1 CP for a Stuggling Group +0 CP for a Group with average wealth +1 CP for a Comfortably Wealthy Group +2 CP for a Wealthy Group +3 CP for a Very Wealthy Group +1 CP for a Group that has a small roster of members +2 CP for a Group that has a large membership, a good chance you'll find one on the planet you're visiting +3 CP for a Group that that has multiple members in most cities and towns You must pay at least one CP for this Boon, nor will you gain CP for taking this Boon. Clerical Investment (1 CP) Top! You are an ordained member of a recognized religion, a Shepherd or Rabbi for example. You enjoy a number of privileges a layman lacks, notably authority to preside over weddings, funerals, and similar ceremonies. This is purely social, it does not confer any miraculous powers or divine power. It includes Religious Rank 0, if you want more influence in your church, buy up your rank. Combat Reflexes (3 CP) Top! You have extraordinary reflexes, so much so that you gain a +1 to Initiative and +1 to your Active Defense. Common Sense (2 CP) Top! Any time you start to do something the Yarn Spinner thinks is stupid, he or she will roll against your Smarts. A successful roll means he or she will warn you that you might want to rethink your actions. Contacts (2 CP) Top! A contact is an NPC with whom you have at least a casual connection with, who for some reason is amenable to providing you with information. A contact can be almost anyone; from a lowly dock worker to a political aid to a former Browncoat pilot to a Blue Sun Manager. The Storyteller Staff has final approval on all contacts. You must by this Boon each time for each contact. Cultural Adaptabilty (4 CP) Top! This Boon gives you an instinctive knack at getting along with everybody no matter how culturally or psychologically alien. This Boon includes a free purchase of the Boon Charisma and a plus one (1) to your Action Die on all socially oriented Resolve and Smarts rolls. Double Jointed (1 CP) Top! Your body is unusually flexiable and you gain a plus one (1) level on the following skills: Climbing, Escape, and Erotic Art. You also get a plus one (1) to your Action Die on any roll involving reaching deep into an engine or electronic device (such as a engineering panel on Ji Dian Station or the guts of a ship). Followers (1 CP/level) Top! Followers are people who obey your character’s orders, for what ever reason. If your character is a businessman, they might be his loyal employees. If your character captains a boat, they might be your crew. Or they might be a group of people who admire, respect, and wish to aid your character in his or her endeavors. This is not to say that they are blindly obedient (unless you specify that your character’s followers are brainwashed minions or something). In short, they’re ordinary people. If treated poorly, they’ll likely become disillusioned. Take care to work out your characters with the Game Marshals since they’re going to be the ones portraying them. Followers generally aren’t the most skilled people in the world, otherwise they’d have followers of their own. A follower might have one asset or talent, but they won’t have access to the kind of power that an ally or a contact might have. New followers are acquired through roleplaying. 0) No one. You have yet to rally anyone to your cause. 1) Two followers of average ability. 2) Four average followers. 3) Eight ordinary followers. 4) Twelve followers. 5) Eighteen followers. Hard to Kill (2 CP) Top! Simply put, you are hard to kill. You have a +1 to your action die for all Vigor rolls made to survive. If you would fail the roll without the additonal +1 from this Boon, then you appear dead. A successful diagnosis skill roll will reveal signs of life. You awake from unconciousness at the standard rate. High Pain Threshold (2 CP) Top! You can be injured just like everyone else, but you just notice the pain less then the average joe. You never suffer a shock penalty when injured and you get a +1 to all Vigor checks to avoid being stunned. If you are tortured physically, you get a +2 to resist. The Yarn Spinners may also allow you a Resolve +2 roll to ignore pain in other situations. Influence (1 CP/level) Top! Influence represents some sway or other means of manipulating segments of society. Each level of Influence must be assigned to a particular Sphere of Influence. For example, Underworld or Police. Browncoats Top! the Browncoats Influence determines how much pull and favor you have within the Browncoats. Being able to pull in favors, do research, possibly even procur weapons. Bureacracy Top! You know people within the local government circles on Triumph, the closest satellite to the station. You can get information and pull favors, have paperword pushed through or even filed away, never to be recovered. Corporate Top! You know people. People in the upper and middle levels of the corporate structures. Of course, this is a tier of people who know each other. At low levels, the people you know are entry level employees and as your rank in this Boon grows, so does who you know. Guild Top! Guild influence represents the amazing pull and sway that the character has over a particular guild. Current guilds that are available are:
High Society Top! Industry Top! Manufacturing and production. The open market. Trades of goods and services. The wheels of industry never sleep, the cogs in the machine is always turning. Holders of this Influence have sway over the factories and the unions that move them. Low Life Top! The Low Life influence is of scums street thugs. You are attuned to the movement of the station on the lowest common denominator. Need something fenced, you know who to go talk to. Lower Decks Top! You know people on the lower decks. You've worked with them and they respect you. Sometimes they even listen to you. This Influence type is restricted. Medical Top! Military Top! Politics Top! Station Administration Top! Station Operations Top! Transportation Top! Underworld Top! Vice, drugs, guns, and money, a group of pasttimes that can be led by anyone who is viscious enough or talented enough to simply take what they want. Underworld Influence lets you on those for favors of all manner of illegal and illicit dealings and those who perpatrate them from the mafia of Little Italy on Londinum to the slavers on Greenleaf.
University Top! Legal Enforcement Powers (1 CP/2CP) Top! You have local jurisdiction, the ability to arrest suspected criminals, and the power to perform searches with an appropriate warrant. For an additional Character Point your jurisdiction can be expanded or you are free to to engage in covert investigations. Some concepts may require more points- if you have any questions, speak with a Yarn Spinner. Military Rank (1 CP) Top! You have an entry level military rank. For an additonal Character Point you have an officer entry level military rank. Reputation (1 - 3 CP) Top! People have said good things about you and your deeds. Perhaps you were instrumental in putting down a slaver ring on Haven or you threw the loot of a heist you took down upon the commoners of a little back water moon. What ever the reason, the good word has spread. Though some times, what might have gotten you good reputation wtih some, others won't think as highly of you for the same reason. Each level of Reputation gains you a +1 to a select social group for use in social challenges. Reputation may be taken multiple times for different groups. Toughness (2 CP/5 CP) Top! The character with this boon is simply tougher than your average Joe. So much tougher, that the character recieves a bonus to the character's Vigor when testing for damage. Cost: 2 points for +1, or 5 points for +2. Voice (1 CP) Top! You have a naturally pleasant and resonant voice. You get a plus one (1) to the following skills when speaking: Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Performance, Politics, Sex Appeal, and Singing. Wealth Top! The amount of money that a starting character has is $750 and your monthly income is $75 per month. Comfortable (2 CP) Top! You work for a living, but your lifestyle is better than most. Your starting wealth is $1500 credits and $150 per month. Wealthy (4 CP) Top! You live very well. Your starting wealth is $3,750 credits and $375 per month. Very Wealthy (6 CP) Top! Your life is opulant. Your starting wealth is $11,250 credits and $1,125 per month. Hitches Top! Hitches are negative aspects of your character You gain additional Character Points from Hitches that you can spend on your character. You may not gain more than eight (8) Character Points from taking Hitches. Certain Hitches can be resisted with a Resolve check against a difficulty of 3. For Resolve checks to resist a hitch, the highest effective resolve that can be used is a 4. Frequently resisting a hitch may be considered poor roleplaying and game marshals may require you buy it off. Absent Minded (-3 CP) Top! You have trouble focusing on anything that isn't of immediate interest. You are at a plus two (2) to the Difficulty Die on all Smarts and all Smarts based skill rolls, save those for the task you are currently concentrating on. If no engaging topic or task presents itself, your mind will drift to more interesting matters in about five minutes and you will ignore your immediate surroundings until something catches your attention and brings you back. You may attempt to stay focused by making a Resolve roll (with a plus two (2) to the Difficulty Die). Acceleration Weakness (-1 CP) Top! You cannot learn any piloting skills; Once on a moving space or air vehicle, you must make a Vigor roll. A failure means you vomit and our at a -2 to all Smarts and Agility based skills for the rest of your journey. Alcoholism (-2 CP) Top! You are addicted to alcohol and generally drink each day. Whenever you are in the presence of alcohol you must make a Resolve roll to avoid going on a binge. Alcoholism, Recovered (-1 CP) Top! You were once addicted to alcohol and it still tempts you. Whenever you are in the presence of alcohol you must make a + 1 Resolve roll to avoid going on a binge. Allergies (Mild) (-1 CP) Top! Your body reacts badly to dander, pollen, dust, or some other common substance and breathing it in, coming in contact, or otherwise ingesting it makes your life miserable. When contact with an allergen occurs, you suffer a +1 Difficulty penalty on all actions. Allergies (Severe) (-3 CP) Top! Your body reacts very badly to dander, pollen, dust, or some other common substance and breathing it in, coming in contact, or otherwise ingesting it makes your very difficult and may even kill you without immediate medical attention. When contact with an allergen occurs, you suffer a +3 Difficulty penalty on all actions. Once direct contact has been made and every minute of direct contact there after, the character must make a Difficulty 5 Vigor test. Failing this test result in the loss of 1 point of subdual damage, critically failing means the loss of 1 point of health and 2 points of subdual damage and critically succeeding the roll prevents any further loss of subdual or health, though the +3 penalty still applies until medical attention is sought. When the character reaches the maximum amount of subdual damage, the character falls unconscious and further failures result in loss of health points. Use of First Aid to apply medication to treat the allergy, such as an epinephrine pen, is a difficulty of 4, or a Difficulty 2 Physician roll. Amnesia (-3) Top! You've lost your memory. You can't remember any of your past life, including your name. With this Hitch, you actual gain an additonal 5 Character Points from Hitches, but which are unknown to the player and chosen by the Yarn Spinners and will become apparant during game play. Appearance Top! You don't look as good as other people. Unattractive (-1 CP) Top! Quite simply, you are less than plain. You suffer a +1 difficulty on all social tests where you can be seen. Ugly (-2 CP) Top! You are ugly, pure and simple, whether it warts and hair coming out of the wrong places, your visage comforts no one but maybe your mother. You suffer a +2 difficulty on all social tests where your appearance is a factor. Very Ugly (-3 CP) Top! You are very ugly. Your face and body is misshapen, and some people may consider you difficult to look at. Only your mother loves your face, but that is because she has to. You suffer a +3 difficulty on all social tests where your appearance is a factor. Monsterous (-4 CP) Top! Your appearance frightens children and people will cross the street to not have to walk past you. Your mother politely side steps conversations about your appearance, except when she has had too much to drink and then she cries. You suffer a +5 Difficulty on all social skills, except Intimidation, which you receive a +3 to your Action Die. Bad Reputation (-1 CP - -3 CP) Top! Among some group you have a bad rep, earned or not. The amount of the Hitch depends on the group; please work with the Yarn Spinners to determine the worth of this Hitch when you take it. Bad Sight (-2 CP) Top! You have very poor vision, either near-sighted or far-sighted. Near-Sighted: You cannot read small print, computer displays, etc. more than a foot away or road signs at more than 10 yards away. You are at a minus one (1) when making a melee attack. Far-Sighted: You cannot read text, except with great difficulty. You are at a -3 to all vision rolls to spot something within a yard and are -1 to all rolls involving fine motor control activities. Blacklisted from the Companion's Guild (-1 CP) Top! You've done something horrible enough that the Guild of Companions will not conduct business with you, no matter the price. Your background should reflect this incident. Bloodlust (-2 CP) Top! You like to see your enemies dead, whether that comes from the satisfaction doing away with them or you're just an overly cautious individual. You will typically go out of your way to ensure the victim of your wrath is dead, like unloading a clip of ammunition into its head or backing over the body after you've already ran over it two or three times. Callous (-1 CP) Top! You are merciless, if not down right cruel. You don't care about others feelings or pain. You are at a minus two (2) to all Teaching, or Psychology roles that are aimed to help someone. Being Ruthless has it's perks though, you get a plus one (1) to intimidation and interrogation skills when using torture or threats. You must role-play this hitch, as with any hitch. Charitable (-3 CP) Top! You are acutely aware of others' emotions and feel compelled to help others, even legitimate enemies. You must make a Resolve roll when you are in a situation where you could render aid; if you make the roll you may ignore the call, but a failure means you must give aid. Clueless (-2 CP) Top! You totally miss the point of any wit aimed at you and you are oblivious to any attempts to seduce you (+2 to resist Sex Appeal). The meanings of colloquial expressions escape you. Sophisticated manners are beyond you (You may not take the skill Savior-Faire). You may make jokes (lame ones) and can appreciate slapstick and low-brow written comedy, but verbal humor is beyond you, especially if you are the target. You are only really guillible in social situations- resisting Fast-Talk is not more difficult for you. Code of Honor (-2 CP) Top! You hold yourself to some specific code of honor, for your own personal honor, not out of a sense of duty. The code must be formal and only applies to peers, or informal and applies all the time. You must work with the Yarn Spinners to define your specific Code of Honor. Combat Paralysis (-3 CP) Top! You freeze up in combat. Whenever personal harm seems imminent, make a Reslove roll. If you fail, your are stunned for 2D rounds. You may make a Resolve roll each round to try and break free, however the first roll is at a +5 to the Difficulty Die, the next a +4 and so on until you are at a +1, where it will hold until you break free or the total number of orignal rounds is over, at which time you can act normally. Compulsive Behavior (-2 CP) Top! You have a habbit, often a vice, that wates a good deal of your time or money. Whenever an oppertunity to indulge in your Compulsive Behavior, you must make s Resolve roll; if you fail, you must partake. Examples are: Carousing, Gambling, Generosity, Lying, Spending, and Vowing. Cowardice (-2 CP) Top! You are extremely careful about your physical well-being. Make a Resolve roll any time you are called to risk physical danger. Add a +3 to the Difficulty Die if you must risk death. If you fail, you must refuse to endanger yourself, unless you are threatened with greater danger. Others may react negatively to you if your cowardice in known. Curious (-2 CP) Top! You are naturally very curious. This isn't the standard PC curiousity, (such as "What's in the Cave? Who was behind the cargo theft?"), but the real deal- what will happen if I press the button? When presented with an interesting item or situatuion you must succeed at a Reslove role to exercise your better judgement. Delusions (-1 CP/-3 CP) Top! You believe something that simply isn't true. Others may think you insane- and you may be. For 1 Character Point your delusion is minor; people who spend time with you will discover your delusion and it effects your behavior, but does not stop you from acting more or less normally. Example: Gremlins are in my ship, angels watch over me For 3 Character Points your delusion is major. It stongly effects your behavior, and may prevent you from living a normal life. Examples: Everything purple is alive Dependant (-2 CP) Top! There is someone in your life who depends on you- a spouse, a child, an infrim friend, parent, etc. You must contribute some of you wealth to support this person and provide shelter for them. Duty (-2 CP) Top! If your occupation or social situation saddles you with a significant personal obligation towards others, and occasionally require you to obey hazardous orders, you have a duty. Please work with the Yarn Spinners to define your Duty. Dyslexia (-2 CP) Top! You have crippling reading disorder-severe dyslexia, even road signs amd simple maps are beyond your comprehension. Enemy (-2 CP) Top! Somebody out there has it in for you. Work with the Yarn Spinners to develop your enemy. Fanaticism (-3 CP) Top! You believe so strongly in a country, organization, philosophy, or religion that you put it before all else, even to die for it. This does not make you mindless or evil, just a zealot. You must role-play this hitch at all times and you must choose what you are fanatic about at character creation. Flashbacks (-1 CP to -3 CP) Top! You experiance flashbacks when under stress. When a Yarn Spinner decides you are under too much stress, you must make a Resolve roll; failure means you have a flashback. -1 CP Mild: The flashback lasts for 2D combat rounds -2 CP Severe: The flashback lasts for 1D minutes -3 CP Crippling: The flashback lasts for 2D minutes You must define the nature of your flashbacks at character creation Gluttony (-1 CP) Top! You are overly fond of good food and good drink. Given the chance you must burden yourself with exta and/or elaborate provisions and will never willingly miss a meal. You must make a successful Reslove roll to avoid a tempting morsel or tasty beverage that for some reason you must pass on. Gregarious (-2 CP) Top! You work well with others and seek out company at all times. You are miserable when alone. You are at -2 to all Smarts based skill roles when alone and a -1 when with less than three other people. Honesty (-2 CP) Top! You must obey the law, and do your level best to get others to do so as well. If in an area with little or no law, you don't go wild, but instead hold yourself to the laws of your home. You must make a successful Resolve roll to break a law. You always keep your word and don't lie. In a war, you may act dishonestly against the enemy, but you won't like it. Impulsive (-2 CP) Top! You hate talk and debate-action is your way! When alone, you always act first, think second. If in a group, you put in your two cents quickly and try to get the group moving. You must succeed at a Resolve roll to wait and ponder before acting. Innumerate (-2 CP) Top! You have little or no grasp of numbers. You cannot take the following skills: Accounting, Astronomy, Computer Programming, Cryptography, Economics, Engineer, Finance, Mathematics, and Physics. Insomnia (-2 CP) Top! You don't sleep well. Each game session you must make a Vigor Roll. A failure means you did not sleep well the night before and you are at -1 to all skill rolls for the session. Lecherousness (-3 CP) Top! You have an unusually strong desire for romance. Make a resolve roll whenever you have more than the briefest contact with an appealing member of the sex you find attractive. If this person is Handsome/Beautiful, there is a +2 to the Difficulty Die. If they are Very Handsome/Very Beautiful there is a +4 to the Difficulty Die. If you fail, you must make a pass. You do not need to make a check more than once a scene. Note, you are likely to change your standards of attractiveness if no truely attractive members of the appropriate sex are available. Megalomania (-2 CP) Top! You believe you are a superman, that you have been chosen for some great task, or that you are destined to conquer! You must select your grandiose belief at character creation. This is nothing that you can be persuaded of as being wrong and you won't let anyone stand in the way of your goal. Migraines (-1 CP) Top! You suffer from severe headaches. You must make a Vigor roll each session and failure means you are at a -1 to all skills for the session. A successful diagnosis and pharmacy roll will remove the penalty. Nightmares (-1 CP) Top! You suffer from horrible nighmares. Each session you must make a Vigor roll. Failure means you remember your haunting nighmare and are at -1 to all Smarts rolls that session. A successful psychology roll (with a penalty of the amount your Vigor roll failed by) will cured the distaction and penalty. No Sense of Humor (-2 CP) Top! You never get any jokes, you take everyone as if they are earnestly serious all the time. Likewise, you never joke or kid around. You are earnestly serious all the time. Odious Personal Habit (-1 CP to -3 CP) Top! One Eye (-3 CP) Top! You have only one eye. You suffer a miuns one (1) penalty on all Agilty based rolls in combat and on any task involving eye-hand coordination. You suffer a minus three (3) on all ranged attacks. Only One Tongue (-1 CP) Top! Characters with Only One Tongue speak either Chinese or English, but not both. Overconfidence (-1 CP) Top! You believe you are cooler than you are; this is a lesser version of megalomania and as such you cannot be convinced of the truth of the matter. Generally you are not very cautious, because you know you can handle it. To act with a degree of caution, you must make a successful Resolve roll. Phobias (Various) Top! You are afraid of something- work with the Yarn Spinners to deterime your phobia and what the cost would be. Som examples are: Being Alone, Crowds, Open Spaces, Enclosed Spaces, Cats, Spiders, Fire, Dirt, Darkness, Dirt, etc. Programmed (-3 CP) Top! You have been subjected to some kind of mental conditioning and behavior modification. At times, you may find yourself performing an action for some reason unknown to you. You may have any number of triggers. Secret (-1 CP to -3 CP) Top! You have a secret that would cause you embarassment or maybe even harm were it discovered. You must work with the Yarn Spinners at character creation to develop the exact nature of your secret. The exact value of the Hitch is varies based on the consequences of the secret's discovery. Sense of Duty (-1 CP to -4 CP) Top! For whatever reason, the character has innate commitment to a particular class or group of people. The character will go out of his or her way to help them and will never betray them or abandon them. Letting a member of this class or group go hungry is simply right out. The point value is based on the how large the group is. A single individual, the station owner, the mechanic, etc.: -1 point Small group, such as close friends, a squad or adventuring group: -2 points Large group, every person a character knows personally, or a nation or a religion: -3 points Entire race, like all of humanity: -4 points Stubborness (-1 CP) Top! You always want things your way and generally are hard to get along with. Your friends may have to do a lot of convincing (or Fast-Talk rolls) to get you to go along with normal plans. Truthfulness (-1 CP) Top! You cannot tell a lie- at least not without first making a successful Resolve roll. Vow (-2 CP) Top! You have sworn a vow to do, or not to do, something. You must work with a Yarn Spinner to determine the nature of your vow and why you must keep it at character creation. Wealth Top! See Wealth, under Boons, for information on starting wealth and monthly income. Struggling (-2 CP) Top! Your starting wealth is $350 credits. Any job is open to you (You can be a struggling doctor or movie star), but you don't earn much. Your monthly income is $35 per month. Poor (-3 CP) Top! Your starting wealthy is $150 credits and $15 per month. No job you can get pays well. Dead Broke (-4 CP) Top! You have no job, no source of income, no money, and no property other than the clothes on your back. Either you are unable to work or there are no jobs to be found. Skills Top! Skills marked with an asterisk may not be used without training. To use a skill without training, you just use the attribute with a -3 penalty. Talent Group bonuses apply even to skils in which you are not trained. Some skills cover a broad group and require that you specialize with a subclass of that skill. For example, the Guns skill requires that you specialize in Machine Gun, Pistol, Musket, Pistol, Rifle, or Shotguns. Using a subclass that you are unfamilar with, like using a shotgun when you have a specialty in guns, incurs a -2 penalty. Skills that require specialization can be taken multiple times with different specializations. You could have Guns: Pistols and Guns: Machine Guns for example. Agility Based Skills Top! Agility based skills use the Agility attribute for their Attribute base when rolling for conflict resolution. Acrobatics Top! This skill enables you to perform acrobatic and gymnastic stunts, take falls, roll, and more. A separate roll is required for each maneuver you attempt. Some uses that his skill may be put to is walking a tightrope, building a human pyramid, or even swinging from a trapeze or rope. Your Acrobatics skill may be used in place of your Dodge to avoid a hit in a flashy manner. The same rule applies to Acrobatics as for Dodge, Agility + (Acrobatics / 2), rounded up. Acrobatics may also be substituted in place of an Agility roll for purposes of jumping, rolling, and so on. Acrobatics can also be used to effectively reduce the distance of a fall by 15 feet. Axe/Mace Top! Allows for the effiencet use of axes and maces in combat. Beam Weapons Top! This skill must be specialized for use with laser pistol or a laser rifle. Though using a laser pistor defaults to using a laser rifle with a -2 penalty. Bolas Top! Throwing a bolas, a length of leather cord with two or more weights attached, to entangle a victim. The bolas, from the Spanish word for ball, was designed to capture animals by entangling their legs, include herd animals and small game and birds. However, it also has applications in combat; it can be dodged and blocked, but a successful attempt to parry a bolas results in the parrying arm and weapon to become entangled. However, using an edged weapon to parry the bolas will result in cutting the cords. If a bolas hits, it automatically wraps the opponent as well as doing its damage. If the bolas hits the target in an arm, hand, or weapon, the victim of the attack needs to make a Might check with difficulty being the attacker's Agility + Bolas skill. If the victim loses the challenge, the weapon is dropped. Shields strapped to the arm are unaffected. If the leg is hit, then both legs are entangled. A running target must make a Diff 3 Agility Test or fall down, using a Diff 3 Might damage challenge to determine the amount of damage taken. Escaping requires three successful Diff 3 Agility (and one hand free) to escape, or a Escape Artist challenge with a difficulty equal to the attacker's Bolas skill. Bow Top! This skill covers the use of all types of bows, including the short bow, long bow, and all similar bows. It also covers the compound bow, though someone who had never seen a compound bow would need to makes a Diff 3 Smarts challenge to figure out how to use it properly the first time. Boxing * Top! Boxing is generally not thought of as a martial art, but it certainly is a scientific method of unarmed combat. In terms of precision and finesse, boxing falls somewhere in between Brawling and Karate. Boxing punches add 1/3, round down, of the character's Boxing skill level to the Action Die when punching someone using this skill. Boxing does not provide a similar bonus for kicks. Brawl * Top! The skill of fighting with out formal training. It's brutal, it's ugly, and it works in a pinch. Punching is AG+Brawl for Action Die modifier and the damage is MT-1, kicking adds 1 to your difficulty dice and the damage is MT. The Brawling skill allows you to Parry with your arms in a brawl as an Active Defense. Broadsword Top! This is the ability to effectively use a one handed, balance weapon with a length of 2 to 4 feet, such as a broadsword or baseball bat. Having the broadsword skill enables the user to add their skill level to their Parry Active DefenseHaving the broadsword skill enables the user to add their skill level to their Parry Active Defense when armed with an appropriate broadsword weapon. Crossbow Top! The ability to use all crossbows including a "prod" or stonebow. While you may have no special skill with firing crossbow-type siege weapons, you do have an understanding of how to use one. Dancing Top! The character has ability to perform dances that are appropriate to his or her culture and can even learn new dances quickly. Trying to perform a dance that is unfamiliar to the character infers a +3 Difficulty to the challenge. Once the dance has been successfully performed 5 times, it is no longer unfamiliar. Dodge* Top! Dodge adds one half of your skill level in Dodge, round up, to your Base Defense to be used as the difficulty the attacker has to beat in order to hit you. Dodge counts as an Active Defense and may only be used once per combat round. Driving Top! Driving must be specialized for Automobile, Heavy Wheeled, Construction Equipment, Half-track, hovercraft, locomotive, motorcycle, or tracked. Escape Top! The character has the ability to escape from various types of bonds, such as ropes, handcuffs, straight jackets, and so. The first attempt will take 1 minute to complete, after which the challenge roll is made. Subsequent attempts take 10 minutes to complete. The standard difficulty of 6 is modified by how securely the character has been bound. Fast Draw * Top! Fast Draw allows you to ready a weapon as a free action, instead of the normal turn that it usually take. When you take Fast Draw, you must specify what type of weapon it is used for. Some examples of what Fast Draw can used for include: Ammunition, arrows, knives, pole arms, pistols, and swords. Fencing Top! In addition to the sword play aspect of this skill, it also allows you to use your Fencing skill to Parry against 2 opponents in as an Active Defense. Fencing adds the skill level to the your Parray Active Defense. Fencing includes smallswords, rapiers, and sabers. Flail Top! This skill encompasses the ability to use unbalanced weapons that have a head attached to the handle by rope or chain. Some types of weapons that fall under this skill include the flail, morning star, and nunchuku. Flails are hard to use, but they are also hard to defend against. Block difficulty is reduced by 1 against a flail weapon. Parry difficulty is reduced by 2. Knives and fencing weapons cannot be used to parry a flail at all. Martial art defenses can parry, but their difficulty modifiers are reduced by 2. Free Fall Top! This skill is all about dealing with zero-gravity in space, and moving about effectively in it. A challenge is required when you first go into freefall to avoid becoming spacesick. If you fail the roll, a Vigor check is required to avoid choking. Another challenge is required for each action you try to undertake. Failure with this challenge simply means that your action fails. Gunner Top! This is the ability to use a heavy weapon, usually one mounted on a tripod or a vehicle, to make a direct-fire attack - that is, to aim and fire at a target to which you have a line of sight. You must specialize by weapon type. Beams: Any kind of heavy directed-energy weapon: laser, particle beam, etc. Cannon: Any kind of heavy projectile weapon - e.g., the main gun of a tank or an ultra-tech railgun on a starship - that fires single shots. Catapult: Any kind of large, direct-fire mechanical bolt-thrower, such as a ballista. Machine Gun: Any kind of heavy projectile weapon capable of firing bursts. Rockets: Any kind of free-flight rocket fired from a mount. Guns Top! This is the abiltiy to use a hand held projectile weapon that uses a chemical propellant. The Guns skill must be specialized to a specific type of gun. Examples of this include: Machine Gun, Musket, Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun. Using an unfamilar type incurs a -2 penalty to your action die. Improvised Weapon Top! Whether it's a broken bottle, a chair leg, or simply a rock, you've spent time figuring out how to fight with it and other items like it. Jeweler Top! This skill represents proficiency with not only the cutting and setting of gemstones, but also proficiency with forging and shaping precious and semi-precious metals such as gold, palladium, and copper. Jitte/Sai Top! This skill allows for any tined, one-handed sword designed to catch rigid weapons. Jitte/Sai weapons are built for disarming, and give +1 in the to disarm an opponent. Furthermore, if you attempt to disarm on the turn immediately after you parry your opponent's weapon, you need not roll to hit his weapon first. Just state that you are attempting to disarm. This still counts as an attack. Judo* Top! A martial art consisting of throws and grapples. In close combat, Judo may be used as an Active Defense, adding to your opponent's Difficulty Die in addition to your Agility. Karate* Top! This skill represents advanced train in at unarmed striking and kicking. Kicking has a +2 difficulty per attack. Knife Top! The character knows how to use any knife, stilleto, or dagger. Kusari Top! Allows the use of a weighted chain wielded in two hands as a weapon. Lasso Top! This is the skill of throwing the lariat: a long rope or thong with a sliding noose at one end. Its intended purpose is to snare animals, but it can also entangle opponents in combat at an increased difficulty. Leatherworking Top! This is the ability to work with leather to make belts, saddles, armor, etc. A successful skill roll lets you repair or create leather goods. Make an Smarts-based leatherworking roll to design items that are more artistic than functional. Lock Picking Top! This is the ability to open locks or combinations without a key. Each attempt takes one minute. Masonry Top! This is the ability to build things out of brick or stone. Piloting Top! When you take the Piloting skill you must pick a type of craft which you wish to pilot, such as tramp frieghter or Alliance Interceptor. Types of vehicles to pilot (Aerospace, Autogyro, Contragravity, Glider, Airplane, Helicopter, High-Performance Spacehip, Low-Performance Spaceship, or Ligher than Air) Polearm Top! The character has the ability to use any long, unbalanced, pole based weapon, such as a halberd, poleaxe, or glaive. Rapier Top! Allows for the use of any long (over 1 yard), light thrusting sword. Riposte Top! Saber Top! Any light cut-and-thrust sword. Note that cavalry sabers are quite heavy, and use the Broadsword skill instead. Sewing Top! This is the ability to work with fabric using needle and thread or tools. A successful skill roll lets you repair damaged clothing (or any other item made of cloth), modify garments (useful when you must wear another person's clothing, perhaps to impersonate her), or create new clothing or costumes from suitable materials. Short Sword Top! The character has the ability to use any 1 to 2 feet in length, one handed, balanced weapon, such as a shortsword, billy club, or baton. Sling Top! This is the ability to use the sling or staff sling. Spear Top! Allows use of any long, balanced pole weapon with a thrusting point, including spears, javelins, tridents, and fixed bayonets. Speed Load Top! Speed Load is the practiced art of quickly loading a ranged range weapon such as the clip in an automatic pistol, the power cells in a laser, or even the bolt in a crossbow. Speed Load will reduce the time taken to load the weapon by 1 round. Any weapon where the reloading time is reduced to 0 is considered a Free Action. Sports Top! This is the ability to play a particular sport well - perhaps well enough to earn a living. Each sport is a separate Sports skill. Make an Smarts-based Sports roll to recall the basic rules of your sport. Detailed knowledge of the full rules governing leagues and tournaments - as would be expected of a coach or referee - is covered by the relevant Games skill. Staff Top! This skill enables to the use a staff without penalty and a 1/2 skill Parry against one targetg in a combat. Stealth Top! This is the ability to hide and to move silently. A successful roll lets you conceal yourself anywhere except in a totally bare room, or move so quietly that nobody will hear you, or follow someone without being noticed. (To follow someone through a crowd, use Shadowing.) You can also use this skill to stalk game. A successful roll (and about 30 minutes) gets you within 30 yards of most animals. Another roll, at +2 difficulty, gets you within 15 yards. Sumo Wrestling Top! Swimming Top! This is the skill of swimming (whether on purpose or to keep afloat in emergencies) and lifesaving. Roll against the higher of Swimming or Vigor to avoid fatigue while swimming or injury due to aquatic misfortunes. Note that Swimming does not cover high diving - that's Sports (Diving). Thrown Weapon Top! This is the ability to hurl any one type of thrown weapon. You must specialize: Axe/Mace: Any axe, hatchet, or mace balanced for throwing (but not an unbalanced battleaxe or maul!) Dan: Any sort of small, finned dart. Harpoon: Any sort of tethered spear. Knife: Any sort of knife. Shuriken: Any sort of hiltless blade, notably shuriken ("ninja stars"). Spear: Any sort of spear, javelin, etc. Stick: Any balanced and shaped throwing stick, such as a boomerang. This type of throwing stick does not return to the user. Tonfa Top! Traps Top! This is the skill of building and nullifying traps. A successful Traps roll will (among other things) disarm a trap once you have found it, reset it after you pass, or build a new trap (given suitable materials). Time required is as for Lockpicking. To detect a trap, make a Perception-based Traps skill roll. Note that for the purposes of Traps skill, detection devices are 'traps.' Thus, this skill covers everything from covered pits to elaborate electronic security systems! Two-Handed Sword Top! This skill enables a character to use a long (four to five feet in length), bladed weapon in two hands. If you hold a bastard sword in two hands you use this skill, otherwise you would use the Bastardsword skill. Whip Top! Allows for use of a whip. A whip is a flexible weapon made from a length of chain, leather, wire, etc. A whip can be up to seven yards long - but note that a whip two yards or more in length cannot strike at one yard or closer, and is slow to ready after an attack. A whip tends to wind around its target, making it an excellent disarming and entangling weapon. However, a whip's lack of rigidity makes it a poor parrying weapon. Wrestling Top! This skill represents training at grappling and pinning. Might Based Skills Top! Climbing Top! This is the ability to climb mountains, rock walls, trees, the sides of buildings, etc. Resolve Based Skills Top! Animal Handling Top! Big Cats, Dogs, Equines, Raptors Intimidation Top! Leadership Top! Leader is the ability to organize and coordinate a group of people towards a common goal. If a character posesses the Leadership skill, then multiple individuals can assist with a challenge. Meditation * Top! Panhandling Top! Performance Top! Smarts Based Skills Top! Accounting Top! The skill of Accounting most has to do with keeping the financial records of a company, organization, or even that of an individual and can even be used to ascertain the financial condition of that organization. The primary usefulness of this skill centers around a job, but a successful skill test and studying the books for 2 hours, the character can tell whether the financial records are correct. If you are hastily looking at the books, add 3 to the roll difficulty. If you have the luxury of taking a day or two to go the books in fine detail, reduce the difficulty by 3. If you have the Mathematical Ability Talent Group, add 1 to Action Die. Acting Top! Acting is the skill of lying and portraying emotions in a convincing way over a long period of time. Administration Top! The Administration Skill encompasses the ability to run a large organization, like a corporation or government system. Administration is especially useful when trying to qualify for a high ranking position or attempting to earn money. Bureaucrats tend to look favorably upon people who are skilled administrators (win an Administration Test with a difficulty of 8 to gain a positive reaction from a Bureaucrat). A successful test may even enable your character to predict the best way to handle and navigate through a particular bureaucracy. Anthropology Top! Anthropology deals with the study of the history of man and the development of society and culture. Making a successful test will enable the character to recall general knowledge within the realm of antrhopology, identify traits of the society, understand the relationships within that society, and so on. Archaeology Top! The skill of Archaeology is about ancient civilizations and the people who inhabit them. An archaeologist is equally comfortable among inscriptions, excavations, and old potsherds, to name a few. Completing a successful test, an archaeologist is able to answer questions about dead languages, ancient history, or even identify artifacts, and so on. Architecture Top! Architecture is the skill of designing buildings and from that, being able to deduce the design of a structure based on the structure. A successful challenge will allow the character to figure out and learn things from strange buildings; find a secret door or room, and so on. Add 1 to the Difficulty if the build is of a strange type. Area Knowledge Top! Moon, Planet, SkyPlex, City, System Armoury Top! Armoury must specialized to one of the following subclasses: Body Armor, Heavy Weapons, Melee Weapons, Missile Weapons, Small Arms, Vehicular Armor, or Ship Armor. Artist Top! Body Art, Calligraphy, Drawing, Illumination, Painting, Illusion, Interior Decorating, Scene Design, Sculpting, Woodworking, Other Astronomy Top! Astronomy is the study of the stars and other extra planetary bodies in space. On a successful challenge, an astronomer could answer questions about the sun, planets, and moons of the system, in addition to those stars and planets beyond it. Biology Top! Biology is the natural science that studies life. The skill of Biology requires specialization. Two examples of specialization include botany and zoology. To recal general knowledge within the choosen field, perform lab work, or analyze data, for example, the character needs to make a successful challenge. Blacksmithing Top! Forging iron into new shapes and tools. Not used so much on the core worlds or border planets, but more common as you get out onto the rim. Camouflage Top! Camouflage is the skill of making people and equipment harder to see within an environment. To see through someone's use of the camouflage skill, make a test using a character's Vision roll (Smarts + Alertness + Acute Vision) or Camouflage Skill, which is higher versus a target difficulty of the target's Camouflage skill roll (Smarts + Camouflage) minus any modifiers. It is entirely possible that your character may remain hidden even if you fail a Stealth challenge. The base skill covers camouflaging yourself. The larger the object, the greater the penalty. Carpentry Top! Cartography Top! Chemistry Top! Computer Hacking Top! Computer Hacking enables the character to figure out how to get past computer security systems, or "hack" the system", and access to the data it contains. Prerequisite: Computer Operation Computer Operations Top! Simply this is using a computer to call up data, run programs, and play games, among other things. Typically, this is the only skill that end users will ever need. Computer Programming Top! Simply put, the Computer Programming skill is the ability to write and debug computer software. Succeeding in a challenge will enable you to find a bug, or defect, in a program, figure out the purpose of a program by looking at its source code, write a new program if given enough time, or answer questions about computers or computer programming. Prerequisite: Computer Operations Connoisseur Top! Dance, Literature, Music, Visual Arts, Wine, Other Cooking Top! Counterfeiting Top! Crewman Top! Airshipman: The skill of handling ballast, gas valves, mooring lines, etc. on a blimp, zeppelin, or other large airship. Seamanship: The skill of operating anchors, hatches, mooring lines, pumps, sails, windlasses, etc. aboard a large surface ship (but not a submarine). Spacer: The skill of working with airlocks, docking clamps, hull patches, pressure doors, etc. on a large spacecraft or space station. Submariner: The skill of handling pressure doors, pumps, valves, etc. aboard a submarine or an undersea base. Criminology Top! Cryptography * Top! Detect Lies* Top! The ability to tell if someone is lying to you. Diagnosis Top! Diplomacy Top! Economics Top! Electrician Top! Electronic Operations Using electronic equipment. Skill checks would be necessary in emergency situations or when you're trying to do something it wasn't necessarily designed for. Skill checks are not needed for everyday operations. Types of electronic devices include Communications, Electronic Warfare, Media, Medical, Scientific, Security, Sensors, and Surveillance. Electronics This skill covers construction and repair of electronic devices. Different types of electronic devices include: Communications, Electronic Warfare, Media, Medical, Scientific, Security, Sensors, and Surveillance. Engineer Engineering specializations include: Artillery, Civil, Clockwork, Combat, Electrical, Electronics (similar to the Electronics skill), Materials, Microtechnology, Mining, Robotics, Ship, Small Arms, and Vehicle Environment Suit This skill covers the use of a type of environment suit. Sub classes of Environment Suit includes: Scuba/Diving, Pressure Suits (for protection against rapid accelation), Hazardous Materials Suit, and Vacuum Support Suit. Erotic Art Top! Explosives Top! Falconry Top! Falconry is the skill of hunting small game with a trained hawk or falcon. A good falconer will know hunting and training techniques in addition to caring for a falcon. Finding a wild falcon's nest in the sprint time of the year requires a week of searching and a successful Falconry challenge at the standard difficult; a nest will have 1 to 3 chicks in it. Fast Talk Top! The character possesses the skill of lying and convincing others on the spur of the moment and the character's marks generally on realize something is amiss after the character is long gone. Finance Top! Finance is the skill of understanding how money works in a free market society as it pertains to investing. A character can make money by watching the markets and figuring out when to buy and when to sell. This is accomplished by a making Finance test, difficulty of 6. If the challenge has been won, take the current monthly income of the character, multiply that times the number of successes. If your modified Action Die was 10 and the modified Diff Die was 8, you would multiply those 2 success times your monthly income, $75 for the average character, for $150 credits. A critical success would be the double maximum spread difference, minimum of 2, times the monthly income. A critical failure means you would lose 1 month's worth of income. First Aid Top! First Aid is the skill of a patching someone up while you are out in the field. Make an Action roll to staunch bleeding, suck out poison, apply CPR, etc. The Difficulty is double the amount damage they have taken less their Vigor attribute. Tim has taken 4 his of damage from a pistol and has a Vigor of 2. Double of 4 is 8, minus 2 is 6. The number of successes determines the amount of hit points restored. Fishing Top! This skill represents the ability to fish. If you have the proper equipment, such as a pole, line, or a net, a Fishing challenge versus the standard Difficulty will catch you fish if there are fish in the water. You can improvise equipment, but not having proper equipment will result in an increased difficulty. Fishing for a grey whale, for example, with a ball point pen is very difficult. Forensics Top! The skill of Forensics covers the general science of laboratory analysis of crime scene evidence. Each piece of evidence is 1 challenge. Forgery Top! Gambling Top! Games Top! This skill represents knowledge of how to play one specific game, like chess or checkers. Gardening Top! Tending to your garden and growing plants, potentially for food or raw supplies. Geography Top! Geology Top! Earthlike, Gas Giants, Hostile Terrestrial, Ice Dwarfs, Ice Worlds, Rock Worlds Herb Lore Top! Herbalist Top! History Hobby Skill Holdout Top! The Holdout skill serves two purposes: Hiding objects on your person or on the body of other people, usually with their cooperation. It is also the skill of finding hidden items like that. One roll per item. Intelligence Analysis Top! Interrogation Top! Knitting Top! Languages Top! Every character gets English and Chinese at the same level as their Smarts attribute for free at character creation. Literature Top! Mathematics Top! Mechanic This is the skill used to repair and modify machines including starships and other vehicles. This skill must be specialized for each type of object you wish to be proficient with. Some classes machines include: Clockwork, Power Plant Merchant Top! This is the skill of buying, selling, and trading retail and wholesale goods. This skill involves salesmanship, bargaining, and an understanding of common trade practices. This skill covers all types of merchandise, but many merchants have an optional specialty in a single class of goods. Make a skill roll to judge the value of any piece of common goods, find out where any commodity is bought and sold, find the local fair market value of any commodity, etc. When two merchants haggle, the game marshall may settle it with a challenge between the two. Both characters roll using the Merchant skill of the other as their difficulty. The winner, who ever won by the most, adds or subtracts 10% of fair value, depending on whether he was trying to sell or buy. Metallurgy Top! Meteorology Top! Earthlike, Gas Giants, Hostile Terrestrial, Ice Dwarfs, Ice Worlds, Rock Worlds Musical Composition Top! Musical Instrument Naturalist Top! Navigation Top! Air, Land, Sea, Space Performance Top! Pharmacology Top! Philosophy Photography Top! Physician Top! Physics Top! Physiology Top! Poetry Top! Poisons Top! Politics Top! Professional Skill Psychology Top! Read Body Language Top! Research Top! Savior-Faire Types of Savior-Faire are Dojo, High Society, Mafia, Military, Police, Servant, and Other. Scrounging Top! Use this skill to find items you need from the space around you. Search Top! Shadowing Top! Sociology Top! Strategy Top! Streetwise Top! You know the lay of the street and which pub to find the information that you're looking for. It helps you from getting busted by police and knowing which gangs control where. Surgery Top! Survival Survival is a skill that requires specialization. Specialization of Survival can include: Arctic, Desert, Island and Beach, Jungle, Mountain, Ocean, Plains, Swampland, Urban, and Woodlands. Tactics Top! Teaching Top! Theology Tracking Top! Veterinary Top! Writing Top! Vigor Based Skills Top! Breath Control Top! Breath Control is the skill to breathe with the maximum amount of efficiency. With a successful challenge, a character can hold his or her breath for three times the normal length for any reason. Also, winning a Breath Control challenge allows a character to recover a point of subdual damage in 10 minutes. Carousing Top! The skill of being able to party and be social. Successful use of this skill may be used to grant you favors or getting information you've been looking for. Of course botching the roll could lead you to making an utter fool of yourself on the bwave feed. Sex Appeal Top! Getting favors and people doing the things you want the old fashioned way: by using your body. Singing Top! Talent Groups Top! Talent Groups are a special kind of Boon that represents a grouping of talents and traits that grant a bonus when performing certain tasks. Talent Groups may not be purchased after character creation. Artistic Talent (2 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to any four (4) artistic skills of your choice. You must specify which four skills at character creation. Business Acumen (3 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to the following skills: Accounting, Administration, Economics, Finance, Gambling, and Merchant. Green Thumb (3 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to the following skills: Biology, Farming, Gardening, Herb Lore, Naturalist, and one gardening related skill of your choice, as defined at character creation. Gunslinger (3 CP) Top! You gain a +1 bonus to the following skils: Guns: Pistol, Fast Draw: Pistol, Armory: Small Arms, Speed Load: Pistol, Fast Draw: Speed Loader, and Guns: Rifles. Mathematical Ability (4 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to the following skills: Accounting, Astronomy, Cryptography, Engineer, Finance, Mathematics, Meteorology, and Physics. Mechanical Aptitude (3 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to 2 Electronic Repair (type) skills and 4 Mechanic (type) skills Musical Ability (2 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to the following skills: Musical Composition, Musical Instrument (type), and Performance. You make take a bonus for a second Musical Intrument type or Singing. Natural Healer (3 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to the following skills: Diagnosis, First Aid, Pharmacy, Physician, and Physiology. You may take one more bonus skill from the following list: Psychology, Surgery, or Veterinary You must decide which skill at character creation. Outdoorsman (3 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to the following skills: Camouflage, Fishing, Naturalist, Navigation, Survival (type), and Tracking. Scrapper (2 CP) Top! You gain a +1 bonus to the following skills: Brawling, Dodge, Intimidation, and Improvised Weapon. Smooth Operator (6 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to the following skills: Acting, Carousing, Detect Lies, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Intimidation, Leadership, Politics, Savior-Faire (type), Sex Appeal, and Streetwise Well Trained Companion (7 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to the following skills: Accounting, Acting, Carousing, Connoisseur (type), Dancing, Detect Lies, Diplomacy, Erotic Art, Merchant, Psychology, and Sex Appeal. One from the following list: Bola, Bow, Crossbow, Melee (Fencing), Knife, Poisons, or Thrown Weapon Two from the following list: Anthropology, Archaeology, Artist (type), Astronomy, Connoisseur (type), Cooking, Economics, Falconry, Games, Gardening, Geography, Geology, Herb Lore, History, Hobby Skill, Jeweler, Literature, Mathematics, Meditation, Metallurgy, Musical Composition, Musical Instrament (type), Naturalist, Philosphy, Photography, Poetry, Politics, Riding, Sewing, Singing, Sociology, Sports, Teaching, and Theology Zen Pilot (5 CP) Top! You recieve a plus one (1) bonus to the following skills: Crewman (type), Electronics Operation(Comm), Electronics Operation (Sensors), Electronics Repair (Comm), Electonics Repair (Sensors), Gunner (type), Navigation (Air), Navigation (Space), Piloting (type), and Piloting (type) Finishing Touches Top! Handedness Top! The handedness of the character, specifically whether he or she is right handed or left handed, is assumed to be the same as the player unless otherwise stated. Characters can take the Ambidexterous Boon to avoid suffering a penalty to any action being performed with their off hand. See below for the Off Handed Penalty. Experience Top! Experience is gained primarily from attendance and participation.
Another means of getting XP:
Spending Experience Top! Spending experience is done through the Character Center.
Unspent Experience Cap Top! The most unspent experience you that a character can maintain at any given point in time is 30 experience points. Systems Top! How the sytem is setup to resolve conflict and modifiers that are applied in these situations. Challenge Resolution Top! A "Challenge" is defined as any situation that cannot be resolved with just role playing alone. For example, trying to shot someone is a Challenge. Swimming to the shore after your boat crashlands in a lake is a Challenge. Basic Challenge Resolution Top! Basic conflict resolution is achieved through the use of 2 six sided dice in a plastic bobble. One die is white, or a similar light color, and the other die is a black, or another dark color; these are the Action Die and the Difficulty Die, respectively. Both of the dice are rolled at the same time within the plastic bobble in full view of the conflict participants. The person performing the conflict resolution adds the appropriate attribute and the skill modifier, if any to the Action Die and then subtracts the difficulty value. Compare the total to the Difficulty Die. To win the challenge, you have equal or exceed the Difficulty Die. Success = Action Die + Attribute + Skill – Difficulty => Diff Die Critical Success = Action Die is 6 and Diff Die is 1. Critical Failure = Action Die is 1 and Diff Die is 6. Standard Difficulty Top! The Standard Difficulty on attribute challenges is 3. The Standard Difficulty on skill challenges is 6. Hero Points Top! In this game, you are assumed to be playing a hero, and you have 1 Hero Point. A Hero Point is allows you, the player to manipulate a die roll to be either an automatic success or an automatic failure or to counter a use of a Hero Point. The success or failure is considered to be "just enough to succeed" or "not enough to make it." For example, Bonnie Moon is trying to interrogate the Honorable Judge Rex Silas, and spends a Hero Point to ensure she is successful. However, Judge Silas is not so fond of this idea and spends a Hero Point to cause the incomparable Bonnie Moon to stumble over her words. Both Hero Points are lost and the Judge has avoided revealing the scandalous secrets he is hiding. Hero Points may only be spent during a live action scene. Assisting in Challenges Top! Characters can lend assistance to another in a task, subject to Game Marshall approval. When a character lends their skill, the person's action for the round is lending their skill and the recipient of the loan receives a +1 to his or her Action Die. Multiple characters can lend their skill to the same person if the recipient has the Leadership skill. This bonus is capped at the recipient's skill level. For example, if Joe Xia has a Sensors Operation of 3, the most Joe can be lent is a +3. Combat Top! Combat is where violence is used to resolve a situation. Bonuses and Penalties Top! Different outside events can tip the balance of a fight in one direction or the other. Here are some and the mechanics for them. Off Hand Penalty Top! Any time a character uses their off hand, a -2 penalty is applied to the Action Die for that contest. Having the Ambidexterity negates this penalty. Damage and Armor Top! Damage is calculated using a Might vs. Vigor test; either the attacker's Might plus any bonuses from the weapon or the Might rating of the weapon in the case of guns. The Vigor of the victim is modified by any armor the victim happens to be wearing. The amount of damage inflicted is the difference between the Might roll and the target number needed plus one. How successful you were hitting the target modifies the Action die when calculating damage. For example, if Jacob Li attacks the federal agent, swinging and hitting the agent with his large knife and he beats the difficulty by 1. A large knife is a MT+1 weapon, or 3+1 in this case for an Action Modifier of 4. Furthermore, since the test to hit his target succeeded by 1, the Action Modifier is increased by 1 to 5. The Agent's Vigor is 4 as well, but is not wearing any armor. The roll is made for damage and the result is: Action Die 9 (4); Diff Die 7 (4). The nine beats the seven by 2, add to that to get a damage of 3. If the damage challenge has failed, then attack did no measurable damage. A critical success on a Damage roll always does the Action Die modifier value plus 6 damage. Using the example above, the combined Action Modifier for damage was 5, so the total damage is 11 (5+6). Armor adds to the Difficulty die when resisting damage. In the above example, if the Federal Agent had been wearing concealable body armor with its +7 difficulty modifier, the Damage roll would have looked like this: Action Die 9 (4); Diff Die 14 (4). The total Difficulty modifier was Vigor 3 + 7, for a total of 10. Bleeding Out Top! When a character reaches 0 or less Hits, the character is mortally wounded and will die soon without treatment. The amount of time the character has before he or she dies is equal to the character's Vigor x2 minutes. For example, Elli Stone, whose Might is 3 and Vigor is 4, takes 8 points in damage when she is shot during a gun fight. Since her Hits is 6 (Might x 2), she is sitting at -2 hits. Unless she receives First Aid in 8 minutes, she will die. Falling Top! Falling damage is damage roll like any other with the fall itself trying to do damage to your character. The Action Die modifier is determined by how far you fall. To determine the Action Modifier, divide the distance of the fall by 3 rounding up for hard surfaces and divide by 5 rounding down for soft surfaces, to a maximum of 50 yards. Making a successful Acrobatics challenge versus a difficulty 6 will reduce the effective distance of the fall by 5 yards. For example, Jordan, a poor sod who has always been something of a klutz, falls over the railing and into the cargo 18 feet below. When he hits the ground, the damage roll is with an Action Modifier of 6 and a Difficulty Modifier of 3, which is based off of his Vigor. The dice are rolled with a total of 8 (2 + 6) vs. a 4 (1 + 3) and takes 4 damage and he is in bad shape as the floor of a cargo hold is pretty hard. What if the same fall had occurred and he landed on a pile of mattresses? He falls 6 yards, divided by 5 for the soft landing, for an Action Modifier of 1 and a Difficulty of 3. The dice are rolled with a total of 3 (2 + 1) vs. a 4 (1 + 3) and he takes no damage. If there character is falling into water, the character can make a Swimming challenge (Difficulty 6) after hitting the water. If the character succeeds in the Swimming challenge, the fall damage is treated as a "soft" landing and a failure indicates a "hard" landing. Fighting With Your Fists Top! When fighting with your fists, if you do not have the Brawl skill, your Action Die is modified by your Agaility and your Damage is calculated using your Might-2. The Brawling skilling changes the damage to Might-1. Length of a Round Top! The length of a combat round is 3 seconds. Movement Top! Movement during combat is limited to three (3) steps per round while walking, six (6) steps if you are running, or one (1) step if you are attacking within the same round. Characters that are walking or running are limited to Dodge actions only within the combat round. A character who takes a step may still choose to perform another action in the same combat round. Ranged Combat Top! Ranged combat has a couple of things to consider that really don't apply in a hand to hand fight. Aiming Top! Taking a round to aim grants the shooter a +1 to his or her Action Die to a maximum bonus of +2. If someone or something disrupts your aim, make a Resolve challenge at Diff 3, situational modifiers may apply. Wounds and Healing Top! A character can take up to two times their health levels in damage before dying. When taking damage, the best means it draw a line through the item when you are still positive. When a character reaches 1 Health, the character receives a +3 Difficulty modifier to all actions. When the character dips below 0 Health, begin crossing out health dots. Below 0 Health, the character is badly injured and will begin bleeding out, losing 1 Health every minute until stabilized. A character can be stabilized with a successful Difficulty 7 First Aid or a Difficulty 5 Physician checks. Resisting Social Skills Top! In a perfect world, people are able to roleplay their skills to perfection and the give and take of one character pulling a con another player would just happen through the course of roleplaying. This is a goal we would like to encourage people to strive for, but we understand that some characters possess skills their player has no clue about and that is what the Skill system comes into play. When confronted by a slick character trying to sell you a bridge, you may not want to buy it. You have three options: 1) Roleplay out the scenario to an agreable end by both players. Typical, if you're at the dice stage, this isn't an option. 2) Use an appropriate skill for the difficulty. For example, someone is using Detect Lies to see if you're lying. You could resist using your Fast Talk if you have it. 3) Use your Resolve as the difficulty for the roll if you have no appropriate skills. For example, you could use Fast Talk to defend yourself against the use of Fast Talk. You could also something like Detect Lies for the difficulty as well. Swimming Top! A swimming test is required when the character firsts enters the water over his or her head. Then begin making a swimming test every 5 minutes. If a test is failed, that means that the character has inhaled water and suffers 1 point of subdual damage. Make another test 20 seconds later until one of two things happen: The character drowns or the character gets his or her head above water by winning the test. Once the character gets his or her head back above water, make another test a minute later. If that test is successful, then go back to testing every 5 minutes. Once a character runs out of Subdual points, the character falls unconscious. The character then has 4 minutes to be rescued be the subject of a successful First Aid challenge. Holding Your Breath Top! If the character is not exerting herself in any fashion, she can hold her breath for her VG times 40 seconds. If the character is only mildly exerting herself, such as swimming slowly or walking, can hold her breath for VG times 15 seconds. If she is under heavy exertion, she may only hold her breath for VG * 4 seconds. Double these times if she hyperventilates first; multiply by 4 if she hyperventilates with pure oxygen. If the character was caught off guard and was not able to take a deep breath, halve the amount of time. |
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