SKILLS: WHAT CAN YOU DO?
After
the player has determined their Attributes, they may choose their
Skills. The player may choose a number of skills equal to
the Priority that the player has chosen from the table, or from
the points allocated, if the player used the Point system
instead. Each skills level is determined by the
average of two of the characters Secondary Attributes.
Some
characters may gain bonus skills based on their Tribe; these
should be noted on the Character Sheet before the player chooses
their other skills.
SKILL LIST
APPRAISAL:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
Appraisal
allows the character to judge the condition and worth of a piece
of equipment. The player draws their cards, and consults
the table below.
Successes | Information Gained |
0 | None |
1 | Basic functions |
2 | Value |
3 | Detailed functions |
4+ | All discernable facts |
the results are
cumulative; so if a character drew three successes whan
appraising an object, they would learn its value, as well as its
basic and detailed functions.
ARMOURER:
MEMORY PLUS DEXTERITY
Armourer
allows the character to make and restore all types of
armour. Repairs without the proper equipment and time can
only restore Wear equal to half the characters score in
this skill; repairs with the proper resources and plenty of time
(1 hour per point of Wear restored) can restore 1 point of Wear
per success. Each point of Wear takes 1 day to repair; the
player may elect to use successes to reduce the time instead of
increasing the Wear restored. Each success sacrificed in this way
halves the time taken.
If the
Armourer has access to an Armourers Forge (Low Tech, Low
Complexity facility), then they may add the rating of the
facility to their skill when determining times and/or points of
Wear restored. If the Armourer has access to a Nanotech
Forge (High Tech, High Complexity facility) then they may halve
the time needed for the repairs.
Note that
this skill may be used on any kind of armour, from leather
jackets to Battlesuit plating.
ATHLETICS: SIZE
PLUS DEXTERITY
Athletics
covers all aspects of physical activity running, jumping,
swimming, and so on.
AXE: BRAWLING
PLUS DEXTERITY
Axe allows
the character to wield axes, from small hatchets and tomahawks,
to Monoedge axes and cleavers, to the giant DU-headed axes
wielded by Battlesuit pilots.
BARGAIN:
INTUITION PLUS CHARISMA
Bargain
Allows the character to barter for goods. As currency per
se is no longer used in the Desert of the Real, this skill is
especially handy for Freeborns. Bargaining allows the character
to haggle over the price of items. The Target for this draw
is twice the opponents Intelligence; for every success, the
character may deduct 10% from the asking price (down to a minimum
of 50%); a Critical Success automatically lowers the price to 50%
of its original. However, if the character achieves no
successes, they must add 10% to the price; and a Critical Failure
increases the price by 50%. For example: a character with
Bargain: 5 tries to haggle over the price of a weapon (400 units)
with a tribal gun-runner (INT 3 Target 6). The
player is lucky, and draws four successes; so the character has
managed to haggle the price down to 240 units (400-160
[40%]). Note that an NPC with Bargaining may also roll
against the character in negotiations.
Bargaining
may be used when selling items as well; in this situation, every
success raises the price by 10% (to a maximum of 150%), while
failure subtracts 10% from the price.
BATTLESUIT:
SIZE PLUS DEXTERITY
This skill
allows the character to pilot the combat exoskeletons used to
fight the Machines in the Real World. Characters who are
able to jack into the Matrix are also able to jack into the
exoskeleton, which gives full use of the Battlesuits
sensorium systems. For further details, see the section on
Battlesuits, in Gear.
BIKE: INTUITION
PLUS DEXTERITY
Bike allows
the character to rise two- and three-wheeled motorbikes.
Unlike the other vehicle types, riding a bike requires more
manual dexterity, as reflected in the Secondary Attributes
indicated.
BLADE: BRAWLING
PLUS DEXTERITY
Blade
allows the character to use edged weapons in combat, from a
makeshift shiv, through conventional swords and knives, through
to the mighty DU Blade claymores of the Battlesuit pilots.
BOW: INTUITION
PLUS DEXTERITY
Allows the
character to use cross- and regular bows. Despite their
archaic overtones, an experienced bowman with a quiver of
EMP-head arrows can bring a Battlesuit brigade to a standstill.
CAMOUFLAGE:
INTUITION PLUS STEALTH
Camouflage
allows the character to hide. The player draws cards equal
to their skill score, with the highest result becoming the Target
for anyone to notice the character. The GM may impose
situational modifiers to this Target (like lighting, surveillance
measures, and so on).
CAR: MEMORY
PLUS INTUITION
Car allows
the character to pilot cars, vans and smaller trucks.
CLIMBING:
INTUITION PLUS STEALTH
Climbing
allows the character to climb vertical surfaces. Modifiers
for climbing depend on the grade of the climbing surface: an
ordinary wall would have no modifiers (or even a small bonus),
while a sheer rock-face (or a 20-storey building) will incur high
penalties. Climbing equipment, if provided, may reduce
these Targets.
The
character must make a test every (Dexterity÷3) metres (which is
how far they can climb in one turn), or at the start of every
Combat Turn.
CLUB: BRAWLING
PLUS SIZE
Allows the
character to use weapons that rely on blunt trauma to do damage:
clubs, maces, even the humble 2×4.
CODING: MEMORY
PLUS BELIEF
The modern
version of Computer, Coding allows the character to read,
comprehend and manipulate the code of the Matrix in its raw
form. Coding is used to create objects and training
programs in the Construct, as well as building the constructs
themselves.
COMPUTER:
MEMORY PLUS INTUITION
The
lifeblood of most Freemind characters, the Computer skill allows
the character to use computers. This includes programming,
hacking, and data processing. Freemind characters that take
this skill receive a +1 bonus.
CONSTRUCTION:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
Construction
gives the character knowledge of building things, from simple
ramps and walls to full-scale houses. It also allows the
character to assess such buildings and discover any
irregularities. A character with this skill will also have
the ability to use construction equipment (cranes, dump-trucks,
cement mixers, and so on) using their Large Vehicle skill.
CON: CHARISMA
PLUS INTUITION
Con allows
a character to bamboozle the subject with double-talk and so
on. It is basically used to bluff past guards, gain the
confidence of others, and to get out of jams without resorting to
violence. A successful draw against twice the Targets
Intelligence Rank will allow the character to distract the
target. The GM may impose modifiers to this Target as they
see fit; for example, bluffing your way past the doorman of an
apartment building would be much easier than trying to get past a
SWAT team member guarding a crime scene.
DEMOLITION:
MEMORY PLUS INTUITION
Demolition
allows the character to work with explosives. It includes
knowledge of fuses, timers, accelerants, and how exactly to bring
that 12-storey apartment down without crushing the school-house
next to it. A character with this skill is also able to
work with Demolition machinery (cranes, wrecking-balls, and so
on) using their Large Vehicle skill.
DISGUISE:
CHARISMA PLUS STEALTH
Disguise
allows the character to change their appearance; they may appear
to be of either sex, age or race (within reason, of course), and
about 5cm taller or shorter than they already are. The
characters highest draw when using this skill is added to
the characters score in the skill; the total is the Target
for anyone to notice the disguise.
This skill
is practically useless without a Disguise Kit (see
Equipment). If a character is attempting anything elaborate
without the use of this Kit, the guise is at half effectiveness
(round down).
ELECTRONICS:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
Allows the
character to understand and operate electronic machinery not
covered by Computer: Jump chairs, ATMs, Mobile Phones, and so on.
ENERGY WEAPONS:
DEXTERITY PLUS INTUITION
Covers the
use of plasma and laser weapons in the Desert of the Real, as
well as Gauss rifles and railguns. Because they dont
exist in the Matrix, this skill is usually only possessed only by
Freeborn characters.
ETIQUETTE:
CHARISMA PLUS MEMORY
Etiquette
is about knowing how to act around people, knowing any social
rituals, customs, taboo conversation topics, and so on, that must
be observed to be accepted in a social situation. Etiquette
can be specialised by social group, from the upper echelons of
big business to the underground hacker scene.
FARMING:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
Farming
gives the character knowledge of soil, crops, and other such
things. In the Real World, it also imparts basic knowledge
of hydroponics and genetic engineering, as well as rudimentary
knowledge of operating Genies and other nanotech
food-processors. A character with Farming can also operate
farm machinery (tractor, harvester, and so forth) using their
Large Vehicle skill.
FIRST AID:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
The art of
putting people back together. Allows characters to heal
others with the right equipment: a Medkit, or a medical facility
of some type.
FORENSICS:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
This skill
gives the character knowledge of the processes involved in crime
scene analysis: fingerprinting, reconstruction, and so on.
A character with this skill and First Aid may determine the cause
of death of a subject, according to the actual cause of death (so
a gunshot wound to the head will not require a draw, but
something like internal bleeding or head trauma would).
FORGERY:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
Forgery
allows a character to make and identify fake documents. The
characters highest draw when creating the forgery becomes
the Target for anyone to spot the fake. When trying to spot
a fake, a character with the Forgery skill may subtract 1 from
the Target.
GUNNERY: SIZE
PLUS DEXTERITY
Gunnery
allows the character to effectively fire large weapons such as
those mounted on vehicles, in defence towers, and so on.
HEAVY WEAPONS:
SIZE PLUS DEXTERITY
The Heavy
Weapons skill allows the character to effectively use any big-ass
guns medium and heavy machine guns, miniguns, and sniper
rifles.
HOVERCRAFT:
MEMORY PLUS INTUITION
This skill
allows the character to pilot conventional air-thrust hovercrafts
in the Matrix and the slightly more snazzy varieties in the Real
World.
INFORMATION
GATHERING: CHARISMA PLUS MEMORY
Information
Gathering entails using the characters contacts to find
information. The GM draws against the characters
score in this skill, using the relative difficulty and obscurity
of the information as the Target. The GM then compares the
result with the table below.
Successes | Result | Example |
Critical Failure | False Information | "Mr Black? I heard he got called back East." |
None | No Information | "Black, Black, hmm...Sorry, name doean't ring a bell." |
One | Very Basic Information | "Mr Black? He's staying in a hotel downtown, the regent or the Emperor, I'm not sure which." |
Two | Basic information | "He's at the Regent. I don't know why he's here, though." |
Three or more | Detailed Information | "Black? Regent Hotel, room 202. He's here to cut a deal with the Machines." |
A Critical
Success allows the character to ask questions about the
information, with the GM answering to the best of their ability.
As always,
it is up to the GM as to how much a draw reveals. The basic
time for gathering is four hours, plus one hour per category
above a No Information result (ie 5 hours for Very Basic
information, 6 for Basic, and so on).
This skill
cannot be loaded into the characters Flash Memory.
INTERROGATION:
CHARISMA PLUS INTUITION
Interrogation:
the not-so-gentle art of getting information. When
interrogating, the Target Rank is equal to twice the interrogated
persons Willpower. Success is determined on the
Information Gathering table, with False information counting as
No information instead.
LANGUAGE:
CHARISMA PLUS MEMORY
A character
must take one Language skill for each language they learn (ie,
one for Japanese, one for German, and so on); also, a character
can never learn more levels in Languages than they have points in
their Knowledge attribute. The Target for the roll depends
on what the character is trying to say. Simple phrases
(like What is your name? and Where is the
hospital?) may be draw-free, while more complex phrases
(detailed directions and descriptions, for example) will require
a draw.
To begin
with, the character knows their native language well enough not
to need a draw. For every language after that, the
character has the allotted points (The average of Charisma and
Memory) to distribute between them. For example, if a
character with Charisma 5 and Memory 7 wanted to learn Spanish
and Japanese in addition to English, they would have [(5+7)÷2],
or 6 points to allocate to the two Languages.
LARGE VEHICLE:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
Large
Vehicle allows the character to pilot larger vehicles, such as
buses, large trucks and semis, and, as a special bonus, any half-
or full-tracked vehicle. Now you too can go from bus driver
to tank operator in one easy lesson.
LIP READING:
STEALTH PLUS INTUITION
This skill
allows the character to decipher what is being said in a
conversation by tracking the movements of the lips of the
conversants. There are several provisos to this ability:
1) The
character must be able to naturally speak the language seen.
2) The
targets lips must be visible through normal sight (not
thermographic).
The target
is set by the GM, taking into consideration the light, line of
sight, and any other factors that may affect the characters
ability to see the mouths of the targets.
LOCKPICKING:
STEALTH PLUS MEMORY
Lock-picking
allows the character to open locked doors. An average lock
requires a draw against a Target of 8; a security lock is Target
9 to 10, and so on. Generally speaking, the more valuable
the thing protected is, the higher the Target to pick the
lock. This skill is useless without a Lock-picking Kit (See
Gear)
MACHINE GUNS:
SIZE PLUS DEXTERITY
Machine
guns, include any burst-fire or full-auto weapons larger than a
pistol or rifle but smaller than a Heavy Weapon.
MARTIAL ARTS:
BRAWLING PLUS DEXTERITY
Martial
Arts is a more refined version of Brawling, substituting finesse
for some of the brute strength of the former skill.
Characters cause (Brawling+2) stun damage with each blow.
Characters may also execute some of the moves below:
Jump
Kick Character may cover distance and attack at
the same time. +2 Damage, +1 difficulty. Failure
indicates character prone for next round.
Spinning
Kick Adds power to the characters
kick. +3 Damage, +1 difficulty. Failure indicates
character prone for next round.
Penetrating
Kick concentrates on bypassing armour. +1
Damage, +2 difficulty, no armour if successful.
Forceful
Kick concentrates on pushing the opponent.
1 Damage, +1 difficulty. Success indicates opponent
forced (Strength÷2) metres in the direction the character
wishes.
Sweep
Attacking the legs, causing the opponent to fall prone on
success. 2 damage, +1 difficulty, Close Range move.
Throw
Concentrates on a grab-and-pivot that sends the opponent
flying. Success indicates opponent thrown away
(Strength÷2) metres in a direction chosen by the
character. No damage, +2 difficulty, Close Range move.
Close
Range Allows the character to step into the
opponent to perform some of the close-up techniques.
Kip
Up allows the character to flip back to their
feet, allowing them to act in the next Combat Pass.
Multiple
Blow allows the character to attack multiple people in one
round. 1 damage per extra target, +1 difficulty to
all strikes per extra target (So striking three people in a
single turn will subtract thee points from the damage of each
attack, as well as adding 3 to all Targets to hit). May not
attack more than (Dexterity÷2) targets in one turn.
Hard
Strike increases the damage of the blow to
Physical rather than Stun. ½ damage, +2 difficulty.
Disarm
- Disarm allows the character to removve an oopponents
weapon from their hand in close combat. A standard attack
is made against the intended opponent; if the character wins the
combat, no damage is done. Instead, the opponents
weapon flies 1 metre per success in a random direction. For
example: Engel, with Martial Arts: 7 tries to disarm a police
officer with a nightstick. The police officer has Club:
5. They draw: Engel comes up with 3 successes, while the
officer manages only 1. Instead of causing damage, the
officers stick is knocked out of his hand and flies (3-1=)2
metres away in a random direction. A Critical Success in
this test allows the character to choose the direction and
distance of the weapon. On a successful Dexterity draw
against a Target of 10, the character may also pluck the weapon
from their opponents hands. No damage, +1 difficulty,
Close Move.
For every
two points in this skill, the player may choose one technique for
their character.
MOUNT:
DEXTERITY PLUS INTUITION
Although
rare in the primarily urban environments of the Matrix (and even
more rare in the Real World) the art of transportation by animal
means is still alive. In 99.9% of cases, this skill will
reflect the characters skill on a horse; the player would
have to do a LOT of explaining to get another mount (but to have
some fun with it, here are some alternate mount suggestions:
Camel, Elephant, Donkey
)
A character
will not have to draw when riding normally; however, other more
complicated tasks, like jumping, riding over rough ground, or
flat-out galloping, will require a draw against a Target set by
the GM.
NAVIGATION:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
The art of
using navigational equipment. This skill imbues the
character with a decent sense of direction, and it also allows
the character to effectively use the sensor equipment installed
in most Desert vehicles.
PISTOLS:
DEXTERITY PLUS INTUITION
Allows the
character to use semi-automatic handguns, machine pistols,
revolvers, and any other small arms.
POLE ARMS:
DEXTERITY PLUS SIZE
Pole-arms
is a catch-all category that includes any long-handled weapons:
spears, staves, glaives, and so on.
REPAIR:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY*
Repair
allows the character to maintain and repair the indicated
equipment. The character must decide what type of items
they are able to practice on, from:
Weapon
(Close-Combat/Projectile/Firearm)
Electronics/Computers
Vehicle
(Including Battlesuits)
This skill
also allows the character to do repairs on existing
equipment. The Rank Difficulty for repairing the item is
equal to twice the existing Wear hence, it is easier to
repair something that has been lightly scuffed than something
that has just been run over by a tank. The character draws
cards equal to their Repair score; every success removes 2 points
of Wear, to a minimum of zero. A Critical Success repairs
the object to perfect working order, while a Critical Failure
indicates that the character has screwed up the repairs, and must
add 1 Draw of Wear to the object.
For
example: Worker B, with Repair (Hovercraft): 8, is making some
repairs on his hovercraft (Wear 4) after an encounter with a
group of Sentinels. Worker Bs player gets to draw six
cards against a Target of 8 (4×2). He draws an Ace, a six,
two eights, a nine, and a ten, for four successes. This is
enough to restore up to 8 points of Wear. However, the
extra four points are not needed, as the hovercraft is restored
to perfect working order.
The base
time for repairs on items depends on the size and complexity of
the item.
Item | Base Time | Plus | Reduce Time by: |
Electronics | 2 hours | 1 hour per point pf Wear | ½ hour per success |
Close-combat weapon, Bow | 12 hours | 2 hours per point pf Wear | 1 hour per success |
Firearm | 36 hours | 4 hours per point pf Wear | 2 hours per success |
General Mechanics | 2 days | 12 hours per point pf Wear | 6 hours per success |
Bike | 3 days | 1 day per point pf Wear | 12 hours per success |
Small Vehicle (Car, Pick-up, Van) | 1 week | 1 day per point pf Wear | 12 hours per success |
Large Vehicle (Truck, Bus) | 10 days | 36 hours per point pf Wear | 1½ days per success |
Aircraft (Chopper, Plane) | 10 days | 2 days per point pf Wear | 1 day per success |
High-Tech vehicle (Hovercraft, Battlesuit) | 2 weeks | 2 days per point pf Wear | 1 day per success |
The item is
unable to be used during the period in which it is being
repaired. During this time, the item cannot be used in any
way. At the GM's discretion, extra successes may be used to
reduce the time needed to repair the item, according to the chart
above; the repair time may only be reduced to the Base Time,
never lower. So, in the above example, Worker B will have to wait
a base time of 14 days (High-tech vehicle), plus (4 points of
Wear × 2 days per point=) 8 days, putting the Hovercraft out of
action for a total of 22 days, or a little over three weeks. If
Worker B elected to use the two successes to reduce the repair
time, the hovercraft would only be out of action for
(22-[2×1]=)20 days.
This skill
is useless without some kind of Repair tools. An ordinary
Repair Kit (Low Tech, Low Complexity) can restore up to its
Rating in Wear; a Repair Shop (Low Tech, High Complexity) can
restore up to twice its Rating. A Nanotech Forge (High
Tech, High Complexity) can restore up to twice its Rating, as
well as cutting the downtime of the object in half.
This skill
also allows the character to create or modify the indicated
equipment given the right parts and time. The Target
depends on the complexity and size of the construction or
modification; for instance, it is easier to install a laser sight
on a pistol, than to build a Battelsuit from scrap.
* - The
ability to repair an item depends on the characters
understanding of the item both as an object made up of individual
parts, and a tool that is used in all manner of environments and
ways. What does this mean? It means that the Repair
skill score is calculated differently to other skill
scores. The base score for repair is the average of
Intuition and Memory, as listed above. When the player
decides which item they wish to be able to repair, the base skill
is modified. If the character is able to use (has the skill
for) the item, add the two scores and divide by two. If the
character doesnt know how to use (doesnt have the
skill for) the item, add the characters Repair skill to the
non-existent other skill (work it out from the formula) and
divide by three. Yeah, life sucks, get over it.
RESEARCH:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
Research
grants the character a proficiency at finding information in
written material ie libraries, the Internet, and so on. The
base Category and results are the same as those for the
Information Gathering skill. A character with this skill
and Computer who uses the computer as a primary source of
information may reduce the Target by 1.
RIFLES: SIZE
PLUS DEXTERITY
The Rifles
skill includes the use of shotguns and single-shot and semi-auto
rifles.
ROTORCRAFT:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
Rotorcraft
allows the character to pilot all manner of helicopter and
autogyro.
SAILCRAFT:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
Ahoy!
The Sailcraft skill allows the character to sail wind-powered
craft. While this generally means sailboats and the like,
there are some craft, like kite-karts, that run on land, too.
SALVAGE:
INTUITION PLUS MEMORY
This skill
allows the character to scrounge for useful things, as well as
recycle junked or damaged equipment into spare parts. These parts
have half the Wear of the thing that they are looted from, and
may be used to automatically (pending a successful Repair draw)
restore Wear to an item. In this case, the remaining Wear
of the parts (ie 10-existing Wear) is automatically removed from
the Wear of the repaired item. So, if Geezer wanted to use
parts from an augured-in Hovercraft (Wear 8) to repair his own
ship, a successful Repair roll would restore (10-8=)2 points of
Wear. Repairing an object in this fashion takes half the
listed time.
Scavenging
is a tricky business; one has to know where to look, and what to
look for. The GM must decide if there are modifiers for the
location and rarity of the part. For example, looking for a
replacement circuit board in a computer junkyard may require a
draw against a Target of 8 or 9, whereas looking for water in the
desert may attract a target in the low teens.
THEFT: STEALTH
PLUS DEXTERITY
Theft
allows a character to achieve several tasks: pick-pocketing,
sleight-of-hand pilfering, and so on. When using this
skill, the character pits Theft against twice their opponents
Intuition. If the character draws a Critical Failure, then
the attempt has been noticed.
THROWN WEAPON:
SIZE PLUS DEXTERITY
Covers the
use of grenades and other less explosive hand-thrown weapons,
like shiruken, darts and throwing knives.
TRACKING:
STEALTH PLUS INTUITION
Tracking
allows the character to follow a trail made by person, vehicle or
animal. The Target is twice the hunteds Stealth,
modified by weather, freshness of trail, and so on (GMs
discretion).
TUMBLING:
DEXTERITY PLUS STEALTH
A character
with this skill may flip, dodge, and cartwheel. It also
imparts an ease of movement that allows the character to add 10%
to all Armour ratings while their armour does not restrict the
characters movement (ie if the characters armour
decreases their Speed, it also negates this bonus).
VECTORED-THRUST
AIRCRAFT: MEMORY PLUS INTUITION
Vectored-thrust
vehicles rely primarily on directed air to keep them
airborne. Such technology is really only available outside
the Matrix; inside, only military and government agencies have
access to such equipment.
WATERCRAFT:
MEMORY PLUS INTUITION
Allows the
character to pilot motorboats, jetcats, and all other powered
watercraft.
WHIP: DEXTERITY
PLUS INTUITION
Not just an
Indiana Jones wannabe skill anymore, whips have progressed a long
way in the Desert. The latest development is a
nanotech-maufactured monowhip, a hair-thin filament
of carbon atoms that can slice through the toughest armour like
butter. However, people untrained in its use often find
themselves sort a few extremities. For the ninja in all of you,
the Whips skill also encompases the use of multi-piece club
weapons, like morning stars and nunchaku.
WINGED
AIRCRAFT: MEMORY PLUS INTUITION
Winged
Aircraft covers piloting aircraft, from Cessna to Harrier.
The latter may be a little harder to pass off as a recreational
vehicle, though.
Jason has an
impressive 9 skills to allocate. He wants a nice balance of
skills, with perhaps a slight emphasis on combat abilities.
In the end he chooses Theft, Martial Arts, Blade, Pistols, Bike,
Athletics, Electronics, Repair (Electronics), and Computer.
Because Jason's character is a Freemind, he automatically gains a
1-point bonus to his Computer skill.
While
Kate only has 5 skills to allocate, her character gains two bonus
skills as a Mouser: Appraisal and Salvage. In addition to
these, she chooses Theft, Bargain, Energy Weapon, Electronics,
and Repair (Electronics).