Skills

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(for complete list of Skills, see Skill List)

(for optional rules for Skills, see Optional Rules (Skills))

(see also Interpersonal Skills: Disambiguation and Skill Points: What Do They Mean)

This section looks at skills in detail, providing definitions of their use and scope within the game. Each category of skill encompasses a range of possibilities and, to ensure brevity, descriptions have to be general summaries of intent and covered.

 Skill Definitions 

Skills represent what is known within a certain era, and some skills are tagged (Modern) to denote that they can only be used in modern-day settings. Some skills are given a more generic name which may not be appropriate for some settings; for example Drive Auto would not be suitable for a game set in Victorian London and should be reworded appropriately - in this case as Drive Carriage.

Skill percentages are not proportions of what is hypothetically knowable. If they were able to stack their respective knowledge on a table like poker chips and measure the difference, a Physicist of 60% skill in the modern day knows much more than a physicist of 90% in 1910.

Equally, some skills would be affected by location. A Japanese investigator might have a Law skill of 75% in Japan; however if the same investigator were tested on Spanish law then the Keeper would probably increase the level of difficulty for the roll.

A skill level of 50% is high enough to let a character eke out a living from it. If an investigator raises high in a skill unrelated to their profession, player and Keeper could confer about changing the investigator to a new profession.

Specific situations that arise in your game will require the Keeper to make judgments about how to apply the rules regarding skill use. Some suggestions on how to use the skills in specific circumstances are given under individual skills. This use of suggestions is to encourage the Keeper to make judgments rather than referring to a host of spot rules.

Certain skills embody a wide range of knowledge, such as Art and Craft, Fighting, Firearms, and Science, allowing investigators to specialize in narrower avenues of learning.

Some of the skills detailed below are termed (Uncommon) and are not included on the standard investigator sheet (Artillery, Demolitions, Hypnosis, Read Lips, etc.). If the Keeper wishes to include these extra skills in the game, or if you wish to take one, this should be made clear. The keeper may introduce other skills depending on the setting and period; for example, if one were to set a game in the far future on an alien planet then various new skills would be devised.

 Skill Specializations 

Some broad skills are broken into specializations. A player may spend skill points to purchase any skill specialization. The generic skill cannot be purchased. Thus a player may spend points in Fighting (Brawl) or Fighting (Spear) but not simply Fighting.

In the case of Art and Craft, Science, and Survival, these skill encompass a wide diversity of specializations. Your Keeper will decide on the applicability of a particular specialization to the situation in hand. Depending on the specific situation, the Keeper may allow the use of an alternate specialization at an increased level of difficulty if the Keeper agrees that there is sufficient overlap with that specialization.

Among the specializations there are often transferable skills and knowledge. See also Specializations: Transferable Skill Benefit

 Opposing Skill/Difficulty Level 

For each skill, entry notes are provided for which skill (if any) works in opposition, and suggestions given for what constitutes a Regular and Hard difficulty level. The Regular difficulty level (requiring a roll of equal to or below the skill value) is the default roll. Where things are significantly more difficult, a Hard difficulty level (requiring a roll of equal to or below half of the skill value) may be required. Rarely should the Extreme difficulty level (requiring a roll of equal to or below one-fifth of the skill value) be called for - only in the most extreme and dire situations. Sometimes this may be simply that the performance of the skill is greatly hindered, such as when being shot at or pursued, or when conditions are uniquely appalling.

Some examples of where an Extreme difficulty might be called for include:


 * Demolitions: to defuse an explosive device of a radically different design to any seen before, perhaps of futuristic or alien origin.
 * Electrical Repair: working on futuristic or alien technology that uses a form of electronics.
 * Listen: eavesdropping on a quiet conversation in an extremely noise environment.
 * Locksmith: opening a high-security lock with only a piece of wire (i.e. no tools); crack open the most secure of bank vaults.
 * Medicine: diagnosis and treatment of strange, new, or alien medical ailments.
 * Psychology: read someone's intent or determine that a person is lying if their relevant opposing skill (Intimidate, Fast Talk, Persuade, or Charm) is 90% or above.

 Pushing Skills 

When a skill roll is failed a player may attempt the roll again as a pushed roll, but only if they can justify to the Keeper what their investigator is doing to gain a second and final attempt.

For each skill, a number of examples are provided for what might constitute a "pushed roll", and also some of the possible consequences for failing a pushed roll. The suggests given should be viewed as simply that - suggestions. The latitude for what could just a pushed roll is wide and should be best determined by actions, motivations, and events within the game. Likewise, the consequences of a failed pushed roll will be best served if inspiration is drawn from the current game events, non-player characters, and the game world.

Where appropriate, an example is provided for a possible consequence of an investigator pushing a skill roll while insane. The very fact that the investigator is insane while performing the task heightens the stakes for the roll, as the consequences of a pushed failure will often be all the more extreme (or bizarre).

The examples merely provide ideas and it is intended that both players and Keepers fashion their own justifications and consequences as appropriate to their games and playing styles.

 Combined Skill Rolls 

In some situations the Keeper may ask you to roll against more than one skill. Only one dice roll is made and the result is then compared with each of the skills named. The Keeper will specify whether a success is required for both skills or if only one of the skills need to be successful.