Characters use skills in all aspects of play. Each skill provides a character with expertise in a specific area of endeavor. The skill descriptions in this Chapter explain when and how each skill can affect play. Each character receives skills during character generation and, once he begins adventuring, a character may improve those skills and acquire others.
Each skill description lists the maximum level that may be achieved in that skill (for example, the maximum level that may be achieved in the geology skill is 7). Each skill also lists a characteristic limit, which is the highest level a character may achieve in a skill when his Characteristic Rating appropriate to a particular skill is lower than the maximum limit for that skill (thus, a character with an Intelligence Rating of 5 can increase his Geology skill to a maximum level of 5). These limits are summarized on the Character Record.
When the GM is organizing an adventure or offering employment to the characters, he should take their skills and professions into account (for example, a character with high scientific Skill Levels should have no problem finding a sponsor for a scientific expedition). During play, situations will surely arise that call for character abilities not specifically explained in these skills. After familiarizing himself with how the skills work, the GM should easily be able to determine the chances and effects of any task the characters wish to attempt.
Many skills are presented in the form of one or more tasks, each representing a particular use to which a character may put the skill during play. Each task is noted with a ► symbol and has a base chance of success expressed as a percentage. Each task is carried out according to the following procedure and any special rules listed with the skill or task description.
Unless specifically prohibited, a character that does not possess a given skill may attempt a task or other use of the skill. However, the base chance of success is not increased by a Characteristic Rating or any other attribute of the character, nor will equipment increase his Skill Level. Exception: Treatment, 12.0.
A character that fails at a task in a given situation may not attempt that specific task again. Another character may attempt the task. However, his chance of success is reduced by 1% for each percentage point by which the previous attempt failed (for example, if a character had a 60% chance of success at a task and failed by rolling an 80, the next character to attempt the task has his chances reduced by 20). This reduction is cumulative; if a third character attempted the task, his chance would be reduced for both the first and second characters' failures. The GM should not allow an additional task attempt until all the time required for the previous attempt has passed.
Once generated, a character possesses a variety of skills at Level 1 or higher. During play, he will be able to improve these skills and acquire others by collecting Experience Points (EPs). As a character conducts actions related to a skill, he slowly amasses EPs in that skill; when he has collected enough EPs, he expends them to increase his Skill Level. When a Skill Level is increased, further improvement becomes more difficult as the number of EPs required to advance to the next level increases with each advance.
A character that has no Skill Level in a given skill is unskilled in that area. He is also unskilled if he has an X in the skill space on the Character Record, but he is somewhat familiar with the skill and may learn it more easily than a character with nothing marked in that skill space. The fact that a character is unskilled does not prevent him from conducting actions related to that skill or gaining EPs for the skill. Exceptions: An unskilled character may not undertake a task from a psionic skill at all (see 10.0). An unskilled character may not undertake a task from a scientific skill unless he is familiar with the skill (has an X in the skill space; see 12.0).
Each character keeps track of all his current Skill Levels and the number of EPs he has for each skill on his Character Record. Pencil should be used, since Skill Levels change and EPs are collected and expended.
Certain die results obtained by a character when using a skill reward him with one Experience Point. Each skill description or section lists the die result needed and the type of rolls that are eligible to provide the character with an EP in that skill. Example: As explained in 12.2, a character that is attempting a treatment task receives an EP if either die of his percentile dice result shows a 0, 1, or 2. Thus, he would receive one EP if the dice result were 01 through 32 or any higher result ending in 0, 1, or 2.
When a character receives an EP, he immediately notes it in the EP space for the skill just used on the Character Record.
No more than one EP may be gained from a single die or dice roll, even if the appropriate number appears on both dice of a percentile dice roll. An EP may be gained by a character whether or not the skill was used successfully, as long as the appropriate number is rolled. (Exception: An unskilled character who is attempting a scientific task receives an EP only if he succeeds at the task and rolls the appropriate number.) Certain skill descriptions contain additional methods by which Experience Points may be gained.
Each character keeps track of the EPs he has gained in each skill on his Character Record. When he has collected a number of EPs for one skill equal to the next level in that skill, he erases all those EPs and increases the Skill Level by 1. Thus, a character must acquire 2 EPs to increase a Skill Level from 1 to 2, 3 more EPs to go from level 2 to 3, 4 more EPs to go from level 3 to 4, and so on. Skill Level increase may not take place during an Action Round or procedure; the, character should wait until a pause in the action to implement an increase.
Exceptions: A character that does not possess a skill, but has an X in the skill's space on his Character Record (noted during character generation, see 7.6) must collect 3 EPs to attain Level 1 in that skill. A character that does not possess a skill, and does not have an X in the skill's space, must collect 8 EPs to attain Level 1 in the skill. If a character reaches Level 1 in a skill by either of these methods, subsequent Skill Level increases occur normally.
When an EP is gained for using a skill, it may only be assigned to that skill. Note that the four vehicle skills are divided into sub-skills (see 11.11). An EP gained for a vehicle skill is assigned to the skill, not to a specific sub-skill.
When a skill reaches the maximum level that a character may attain, he may no longer earn any EPs for that skill. Skill Levels may never be permanently reduced, even if the characteristic limit for the skill drops below the current Skill Level attained by the character. This could happen if a Characteristic Rating is permanently reduced by injury (see 12.3). Temporary reduction of a characteristic has no effect on Skill Level increase; characteristic limits for Skill Levels are based on the Characteristic Ratings of a character at his best health.
Experience Points should not be confused with Skill Points and Initial Skill Points, both of which are used during character generation only.
Military skills include all those used in character combat (fighting NPC's, creatures, or other characters on a planet or in a spaceship), space combat (spaceship vs. spaceship), and other action-related situations. Specific personal weapon skills are explained in 9.1, and space combat skills are explained in 9.2. Explanations of other military skills follow.
ambushThe character may move silently and swiftly and may approach and attack a target undetected. The location of a character that conducts ambush successfully will be unknown to those he is hiding from. The character's Agility Rating, Battlefield Skill Level, Environ Skill Level, and the square of his Ambush Skill Level are added to the base chance of any ambush task. The highest Environ Skill Level and the square of the highest Battlefield Skill Level in the enemy force are subtracted from the base chance. The GM may secretly apply other modifiers as the situation warrants. A character who is performing ambush movement may move as far as normally allowed (see 29.2), but may not fire a weapon while moving. An unskilled character may attempt only the first task listed, and nothing is added to his base chance.
An ambush task may not be attempted in an area with a Terrain Value of less than 2 (including any modifier for darkness). When a character successfully performs an ambush attack, the GM controls the enemy force as if they had no idea of the character's where abouts. A dice result for any ambush task that is above the modified chance indicates failure; the character's location is known.
A character who rolls a 0 or 1 on either die when attempting an ambush task receives an Experience Point.
artilleryThe character is familiar with all aspects of mounted gun use. He may spot targets and aim stationary artillery, tank guns, and self-propelled artillery. The base chance to hit a target with artillery fire is 50%. From this chance, 1 is subtracted for every 100 meters away the target is located. The character's Intelligence Rating and the square of his Skill Level are added to the base chance. If the percentile dice result is greater than the modified chance for a given artillery fire, the shell strikes 2 hexes (ten meters) away from the target for each percentage point over the chance the dice result indicates (GM determines direction).
An unskilled character adds nothing to his base chance when firing artillery and, if he misses is target, the shell strikes 4 hexes away from the target for each percentage point over the chance the dice result indicates.
A character who rolls a 0 or 1 on either die when attempting to strike a target with artillery fire receives an Experience Point.
battlefieldThe character is experienced in ground combat and the execution of successful strategies and tactics. He recognizes the signs of battle and the warning signs of battles to come. Battlefield skill affects various procedures during encounters with NPC's and creatures.
Battlefield skill also aids a character who is planning strategy for a battle ahead of time. The GM should take the character's Skill Level into account, as well as the quality of his stated plans, when determining the reaction and performance of the enemy force.
A character who rolls a 0 on the die when making an Initiative Check receives one Experience Point for his battlefield skill. The GM may also give a player who successfully plans an attack (as described in the previous paragraph) an Experience Point. No other die or dice rolls concerning a character's battlefield skill may provide him with an Experience Point.
bladesThe character is skilled in the use of daggers and swords.
When attacking or defending in close combat, a skilled character adds his Dexterity or Agility Rating (his choice) and the square of his Blade Skill Level to the Hit Strength of his blade (see 29.9). An unskilled character uses the strength of his blade only.
A dagger (but not a sword) may be thrown as a ranged weapon as described on the Weapon Chart and in 9.1.
A character that rolls a 0 on the die when attacking with a blade in close combat receives an Experience Point. A character who rolls a 0 on either die when attempting to hit a target with a thrown knife receives an Experience Point.
body armorThe character has experience maneuvering and fighting in body armor and other protective attire. The body armor skill contains all the attributes of the EVA skill, plus the following:
A character who rolls a 0 or 1 on either die when attempting to avoid a body armor accident receives an Experience Point. A character who rolls a 0 on the die when using body armor to attack in close combat receives an Experience Point.
demolitionsThe character is skilled in the use of plastic explosives and dynamite to blow holes through walls and doors or simply destroy a structure. If the character has sufficient demolitions equipment, he may attempt to prepare explosives so that when detonated, they will destroy all that the character wishes destroyed while leaving surrounding structures unharmed. When setting explosives, he should declare whether detonation will be triggered by radio, wire, or timer.
The base chance to destroy a declared structure and nothing but that structure is 45%. The GM may reduce this chance if the structure to be destroyed is smaller than a trap door. The character's Dexterity Rating and the square of his Skill Level are added to the base chance. A percentile dice result that is greater than the modified chance by 30 or less indicates that the explosion occurs when planned but is too powerful (if an even dice result) or too weak (if an odd dice result). The effect of such a result is left up to the GM. A percentile dice result that is greater than the modified chance by more than 30 indicates that the explosives failed to detonate and are now defective (if an even dice result) or that the explosives went off while being set, thus injuring the character (if an odd dice result). The nature of such an injury is left up to the GM.
An unskilled character adds nothing to his base chance when setting explosives and, if his dice result is greater than the base chance at all, the explosives go off while being set (whether the result is even or odd).
A character who rolls a 0, 1 or 2 on either die when attempting to set explosives receives an Experience Point.
eva (Extra Vehicular Activity)The character is able to operate and maneuver in an expedition suit on the surface of a planet and in a zero-G environment.
When a character is wearing body armor or an expedition suit with an Encumbrance Rating (see the Protective Attire Chart, 20.0), his EVA Skill Level is subtracted from the Rating to determine the Movement Rate (see 26.4 and 29.2). A character wearing augmented body armor may not use his EVA skill to increase his movement (the body armor skill is used for augmentation). A character without EVA skill suffers the full effects of an Encumbrance Rating.
A skilled character's Agility Rating and the square of his Skill Level are added to his base chance to avoid a suit/armor accident (see 27.8). The base chance to avoid an accident and the procedure undertaken are similar to that of a vehicle accident (see 11.2). An unskilled character has nothing added to his base chance of avoid ing such an accident.
A character who rolls a 0 or 1 on either die when attempting to avoid an accident in an expedition suit or respirator helmet receives an Experience Point.
jet packThe character is able to operate a jetpack, a device strapped to the back that allows flight. A character's Jet Pack Skill Level affects the speed and maneuverability he may attain with the pack (see 29.3). A skilled character's Agility Rating and the square of his Skill Level are added to his base chance to avoid a jet pack accident (see 27.8). An unskilled character has nothing added to his base chance of avoiding such an accident. A character who rolls a 0 or 1 on either die when attempting to avoid a jetpack accident receives an Experience Point.
unarmed combatThe character is skilled in fighting with his hands and body. When attacking or defending in close combat, a skilled character uses his Dexterity, Strength, or Agility Rating (his choice) plus the square of his Unarmed Combat Skill Level (see 29.9). An unskilled character uses one half (round up) of his Strength, Dexterity, or Agility Rating only.
A character in close combat with a creature has his Unarmed Combat Skill Level reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1).
A character that rolls a 9 or 0 on either die when attacking unarmed in close combat receives an Experience Point.
All weapon fire is conducted in accordance with 29.5 and the Weapon Chart (19.0). The chance to hit a target with a weapon is equal to the base chance listed for the weapon on the Fire Chart plus the character's Dexterity Rating plus the square of his Skill Rating with the weapon. A character that is skilled with a weapon may often fire it more than once in a single Action Round (depending on the weapon).
A character that is not skilled with a weapon may use the weapon with the following restrictions:
The following skill descriptions list the specific types of weapons that each skill allows the character to use (if more than one).
arc gunThe character may fire an arc gun.
bowsThe character may shoot a short bow, long bow, or crossbow. When shooting a long distance with a short bow or long bow, the character's Strength Rating (as well as his Dexterity Rating) is added to his hit chance (see Weapon Chart).
handgunsThe character may fire a pistol, needle pistol, laser pistol, or stun pistol. Note that the latter two weapons are also included in the laser/stun pistol skill listing. A character may use either Skill Level when firing a stun or laser pistol; however, any Experience Points gained when doing so may only be applied to the laser/stun pistol skill.
grenadesThe character may throw fragmentation, smoke, illumination, and gas grenades. When throwing a grenade a long distance, the character's Strength Rating (as well as his Dexterity Rating) is added to his hit chance (see Weapon Chart).
laser/stun pistolThe character may fire a laser or stun pistol.
longarmsThe character may fire a musket, rifle, carbine, or needle rifle.
machine gunsThe character may fire a sub-machine gun or an emplaced machine gun (see 29.3).
paint gunThe character may fire a paint gun.
A character rolling a 0 on either die when attempting to hit a target with a ranged weapon receives an Experience Point. A character may not receive an Experience Point when using the Hit Table or rolling dice for any purpose other than actually attempting to make his hit chance. A character conducting more than on e fire in a single Action Round considers only his first hit chance dice roll of the Round for possible Experience Point gain. If a character is firing in a non-combat, non-pressure situation (such as putting holes in an immobile, helpless target), the GM should invalidate any dice rolls he conducts for EP purposes.
These skills modify the procedures outlined in the Delta Vee rules and 34.0. Any character aboard a spaceship or Battlecraft that is participating in combat may be assigned to the functions that any of these skills entail. However, if the character is not skilled at his function, his performance will threaten the spaceship's chances of survival.
A character may use two space combat skills at the same time, if he is skilled at both, in the following instances:
When a character is using two skills at once, the level of each is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 1).
gunneryThe character may effectively use shipboard laser and particle weapons against enemy craft. A character may be assigned to any single weapon aboard the spaceship (for instance, to the ship's burster, or to one of its pods that contains laser and particle weapons or to a battlecraft's burster. The character's Skill Level modifies any fire conducted from his assigned location as follows:
Unskilled: The Target Value is increased by 4. No Target Program modifier is applied.
Level 1: No Target Program modifier is applied.
Level 2: One half the normal Target Program modifier is applied.
Level 3, 4: Fire conducted normally.
Level 5: A −4 modifier or the Target Program modifier (whichever is greater) is applied.
Level 6: A −6 modifier is applied (instead of the TP modifier).
Level 7: A −6 modifier is applied (instead of the TP Level 8: A −8 modifier is applied (instead of the TP modifier) and may be used to reduce the range.
Level 9: As in Level 8. In addition, every hit achieved by the gunner is considered a critical hit.
A gunner assigned to an arsenal pod may conduct two fires in a single Fire Phase (see Delta Vee 8.1). When doing so, his Skill Level is reduced by 1. A gunner may also conduct two fires in a single Fire Phase if assigned an additional fire from a battle communications pod.
A character receives an Experience Point for gunnery each time he rolls a 1 when using the Fire Results Table (Delta Vee 8.6). He may not receive an Experience Point when using the Hit Table.
missile guidanceThe character may effectively launch missiles, control their course, and spot their targets. Any character may be assigned to oversee missile fire in a hunter, weapon, or arsenal pod of a spaceship. The character's Skill Level affects the launch and performance of missiles from that pod.
Unskilled: MIMS and Intelligent Missiles may not be launched at all. A guided missile may not receive Maneuver Commands once launched. 2 is subtracted from every missile interception chance.
Level 1: MIMS may not be launched at all. A guided missile may receive only one Maneuver Command for each Control Guided Missile Command issued to its spaceship. 1 is subtracted from every missile interception chance.
Level 2: MIMS may not be launched at all. 1 is subtracted from every missile interception chance.
Level 3: 1 is subtracted from every missile interception chance.
Levels 4, 5: No modifications.
Level 6: Prepare Missile Command not required to launch unguided or guided missile.
Level 7: As in Level 6 and 1 is added to every missile interception chance.
Level 8: Prepare Missile Command not required to launch unguided, guided, or intelligent missile. Each missile possesses 1 extra Energy Unit. 1 is added to every missile interception chance.
Level 9: Prepare Missile Command not required to launch any type of missile. Each missile possesses 2 extra Energy Units. 1 is added to every missile interception chance.
A character receives an Experience Point for missile guidance each time a missile he launched successfully intercepts a target (even if the target has an active force field). In addition, at the end of a space combat, the character rolls percentile dice. If the result is equal to or less than the total number of missiles launched by the character (counting a MIMS as one missile), he receives an Experience Point.
pilotThe character may effectively maneuver a spaceship or Battlecraft. Any one character may be assigned to pilot a spaceship or Battlecraft, and when doing so is considered to be in the bridge. The character's Skill Level modifies the number of Maneuver Commands he may issue to the ship each Command Phase and affects the performance limits of the craft.
Unskilled: No more than one Maneuver Command may be issued in a single Command Phase; no Weave Commands may be issued. The spaceship is destroyed upon entering a planet hex and automatically collides with an asteroid upon entering an asteroid field (see Delta Vee 6.6).
Level 1: No more than two Maneuver Commands may be issued in a
single Command Phase; no Weave Commands may be issued. The spaceship
may not receive free
Maneuver Commands upon entering a planet
hex (see Delta Vee 6.5).
Level 2: No more than three Maneuver Commands may be issued in a single Command Phase; no Weave Commands may be issued.
Level 3: No Weave Commands may be issued.
Level 4, 5: No modifications.
Level 6: Ship's Maneuver Rating increased by 1.
Level 7: Ship's Maneuver and Velocity Rating increased by 1 each.
Level 8: As in level 7, and the chances of missile interception and asteroid collision are reduced by 1 each.
Level 9: As in level 7, and the chances of missile interception and asteroid collision are reduced by 3 each.
Pilot skills may also be used when controlling a shuttle or any craft in low planet orbit, as described in 11.0.
A character receives an Experience Point for pilot skill at the conclusion of any space battle in which he piloted a craft that was fired upon. He may also receive an Experience Point when attempting to avoid an accident while controlling a craft in low planet orbit, as explained in 11.3.
space tacticsThe character may effectively direct battle strategies undertaken by a spaceship he is commanding during space combat. Space tactics may not be used aboard a Battlecraft. Any one character may be assigned to space tactics, and a character so assigned must occupy the ship's battle communications pod, if the ship has one. If not, he must be in the bridge, a weapon pod or an arsenal pod. The character's Skill Level affects the number of Battle Commands that may be issued to the ship and the number of fires that may be conducted from the ship.
Unskilled: No more than 1 Battle Command may be issued to the spaceship in a single Command Phase and no more than 1 fire may be conducted from the spaceship in a single Fire Phase. Active Search, Rendezvous and Tractor Beam Commands may not be issued at all.
Level 1: No more than 1 Battle Command may be issued in a single Command Phase and no more than 1 fire may be conducted in a single Fire Phase.
Level 2: No more than 2 Battle Commands may be issued and no more than 2 fires may be conducted.
Level 3: No more than 3 Battle Commands may be issued and no more than 3 fires may be conducted.
Level 4, 5: No modifications.
Note: If the number or Commands of fires a ship may normally receive or conduct is less than listed above, the ship's limitations take precedence.
Level 6: 1 additional Battle Command may be issued.
Level 7: 1 additional Battle Command may be issued and 1 additional fire may be conducted.
Level 8: As in level 7, and the Civ Level of the ship is increased by 2 when attempting to activate a force field during missile interception (see Delta Vee 9.8).
Level 9: 2 additional Battle Commands may be issued, and 2 additional fires may be conducted, and the ship's Civ Level is increased as in Level 8.
A character receives one Experience Point for space tactics at the conclusion of any space battle in which he commanded a spaceship that was fired upon.
Psionic skills allow a character to use the powers of his mind in tangible ways. These skills are restricted; that is, unless a character possesses a psionic skill or is eligible to possess the skill (has an X in its space), he may not attempt the skill at all. Furthermore, a character with a Mental Power Rating of less than 4 may never receive Experience Points for any psionic skill he uses.
With the exception of navigation, none of the psionic skills require any special equipment. However, a psionic rig may enhance a character's use of certain psionic skills.
Using certain psionic skills puts a terrific strain on the character's mind. If the skill is used poorly, the character may suffer psionic backlash, the effects of which range from a temporary blackout to insanity or death.
life senseThe character is sensitive to the living energy emanations of all living beings.
During the Encounter Procedure, the square of the single highest Life Skill Sense Level among the characters in the party is automatically subtracted from the awareness chance during a creature or NPC encounter. If the GM rolls a 9 on either die when checking for surprise/ambush, he should inform the character that contributed his life sense (if any) that he has gained an Experience Point.
The character may attempt to interfere with or actually take control of another individual's mind. During an Action Round, a skilled character may attempt to control any character, NPC, or creature (however, see 10.2) that is within his natural sight. A character wearing a psionic rig may attempt to control an individual with in 100 km whose exact location is known to him. A character attempting mind control may not move, fire, or attack during the Action Round.
The base chance of successful mind control is 10%. To this is added the character's Mental Power Rating and the square of his Mind Control Skill Level. The square of his target's Mental Power Rating is subtracted from the chance. The attempting character rolls percentile dice. If the dice result is greater than the modified chance, the attempt fails; check for psionic backlash. If the dice result is equal to or less than the modified chance, 1 is temporarily subtracted from the target's Mental Power Rating for every 10 (or fraction thereof) below the chance the dice result indicates. One of the following two procedures is then carried out:
A character who rolls a 0 or 1 on either die when attempting mind control receives an Experience Point.
navigation 9 Levels/Limit: IntelligenceThe character has learned the secrets of hyperdrive thought. He is familiar with the concepts, design and use of spaceship hyper-drives. If aboard a spaceship that has an explorer, hunter, jump, or augmented jump pod—and the spaceship is at a valid jump point—the character may attempt a hyperjump, within the limitations of 32.0. The character declares his destination star system (and planet within the system, if known) and calculates his chance of success as follows:
The square of his Navigational Skill Level (a jump or augmented pod jump increases the Skill Level), plus the square of his Mental Power Rating, plus 10 × the highest Starport Class in the destination system (if the character has been to the star system before, increase the Starport Class by 1; if the character frequents the star system, increase the Starport Class by 2; both of these increases may be applied to a 0 Class Starport, but may not increase the Class of any Starport above 4), minus the distance between the spaceship's current position and the destination star system (in light years).
The character rolls percentile dice, and the GM refers to the Hyperjump Table (see 32.3), using the difference between the dice result and the calculated chance to locate the outcome of the hyperjump. If the outcome includes Psionic Backlash Modifier, the GM rolls percentile dice again, adds the modifier to the dice result, and locates the result on the Psionic Backlash Table (10.4).
A character who rolls 0, 1, 2 or 3 on either die when attempting a hyperjump receives an Experience Point. An EP may not be gained from a dice roll for the Psionic Backlash Table.
psionic boostThe character may attempt to call upon the powers of his subconscious to improve his performance in a stress situation. In any situation where the character is called upon to use a military skill or a vehicle skill, he may declare that he is attempting to temporarily improve that skill with a psionic boost. Only those skills in 9.0 and 11.0 that the character possesses at Level 1 or higher are eligible for psionic boost.
The base chance of successful psionic boost is 25%. To this is added the character's Mental Power Rating and the square of his Psionic Boost Skill Level (may be increased if wearing a psionic rig). The character rolls percentile dice. For every 18 points (or fraction thereof) below the modified chance the dice result indicates, the declared Skill Level is increased by one. Thus a character with a 50% chance of psionic boost who rolled a 36 would increase the declared skill by 2 levels. For every 10 points (or fraction thereof) above the modified chance the dice result indicates the declared Skill Level is decreased by one. If an unsuccessful boost attempt reduces the declared Skill Level below 1, the character is considered unskilled at the task. The effects of psionic boost (successful or unsuccessful) last for one use (one die roll) of the declared skill only.
A character who rolls a 8 on either die when attempting psionic boost receives an Experience Point. A character may not receive an EP for a skill if he attempted to improve its current use with psionic boost.
psionic communicationThe character can send and receive thoughts with other individuals. At any point during play, the character may declare that he is attempting to send a psionic (unspoken) message to another character, NPC, or creature (however, see 10.2) within his sight. A character wearing a psionic rig may attempt to send a psionic message to an individual anywhere on the same world or within 200,000 km. The character declares the intended receiver and the GM calculates the chance of success as follows: To the base chance of 10% is added the character's Mental Power Rating, plus the square of his Psionic Communication Skill Level, plus the receiver's MP Rating, plus the square of the receiver's Psionic Communication Skill Level.
The GM rolls percentile dice. The GM subtracts the modified chance from the dice result and locates the difference in one of the following outcomes:
−20 or less: Successful communication has been established. The two individuals converse silently for the equivalent of one minute (adjudicated by GM).A character may not attempt psionic communication with a specific individual more than once per day.
A character that rolls a 0 on either die when attempting psionic communication receives an Experience Point. If successful psionic communication is established and the receiver has (or is eligible to acquire) the psionic communication skill, he also receives an Experience Point on a roll of 0. The GM should not allow EP gain for psionic communication if the skill is being used when normal or radio conversation could be safely used.
psychokinesisThe character is able to move and manipulate objects with the power of his mind. The character may declare that he is attempting to lift and/or move any unattached object within his sight. A character attempting psychokinesis during an Action Round may not move or fire.
The base chance of successful psychokinesis is 10% minus the size (0–9) of the world the character is on (considered 0 if in a zero-G environment). The character's Mental Power Rating and the square of his Skill Level are added to the chance. The character rolls percentile dice. If the dice result is less than the modified chance by at least a number of percentage points equal to the kilogram weight of the object (rounded up) to be moved, it is successfully lifted. Any additional amount that the dice result falls below the chance may be converted to movement of the object: Divide the difference by the whole kilogram weight of the object (rounding the quotient to the nearest whole number) to determine the number of hexes (five-meter increments) the object may be moved in one Action Round (ten seconds). Example: A character with a 45% chance of lifting a three kg object rolls a 25. He may lift the object and has 17 percentage points with which to move it. Dividing 17 by 3 provides the character with the ability to move the object 6 hexes in an Action Round. If the object had weighed between 14 and 20 kg , he would be able to lift it a short distance but would not be able to move it.
A character that is able to move an object with psychokinesis may hurl the object at a target. The Hit Strength of a hurled object is calculated as follows: ( 10 $+$ the Agility Rating of the target) is subtracted from the speed of the hurled object (the number of hexes it moves in an Action Round). If this number is 0 or less, the object may not harm the target. If the number is 1 or greater, multiply it by the whole kilogram weight of the object and then divide this product by 20. If this quotient is 1 or greater (after rounding fractions down) it is used as the Hit Strength on the Hit Table or the Equipment Damage Table (depending on the type of target); see 30.0. If this quotient is less than 1, the target is not harmed. In summary:
A dice result for a psychokinesis attempt that is above the modified chance at all in dicates failure; check for psionic backlash.
If a character is wearing a psionic rig while attempting psychokinesis rolls less than his modified chance, the number of percentage points below the chance the die result indicates is multiplied by 10. Thus, if the character in the preceding example were wearing a psionic rig, his dice result would be considered 200 percentage points below his chance. He could then move the 3 kg object 66 hexes in one Action Round and strike an NPC (Agility Rating of 6) with a Hit Strength of 7. A psionic rig does not increase the actual psychokinesis chance.
A successful psychokinesis attempt lasts one Action Round only. If a character wishes to continue controlling an object, he must conduct another attempt.
A character who rolls a 0 on either die when attempting psychokinesis receives one Experience Point. However, a character may receive no more than one EP when controlling an object through more than one Action Round.
If wearing a psionic rig while attempting psionic boost, a character's skill level is increased by 2. A Psionic Rig greatly increases the range (to 100 km) over which a character may attempt mind control and greatly increases the range (anywhere on the world) over which the character may attempt psionic communication. A psionic rig increases the effect of successful psychokinesis by a factor of 10. These effects are detailed in the specific skill descriptions. A psionic rig does not aid navigation, psion tech, or life sense. If a psionic rig is being worn by a character that must use the Psionic Backlash Table, 10 is subtracted from the result on the table.
A psionic rig weighs 3 kg and may be purchased in a psionic institute for 25 Trans.
Such a creature is considered to possess a Mental Power Rating of 1 unless otherwise specified. A character's Mind Control and Psionic Communication Skill Levels are reduced by 2 when dealing with a creature. If a creature has no Intelligence Rating or the characters are not aware that it has an Intelligence Rating, mind control and psionic communication cannot be attempted with it.
If a dice result for mind control or psychokinesis is above the modified chance, the difference is located on the Psionic Backlash Table and the listed effect is applied to the character (no additional dice roll is made). If the outcome of a hyperjump includes a psionic backlash modifier, the character must roll percentile dice again, apply the modifier to a roll, and locate the modified result on the Psionic Backlash Table to determine the effect on the character.
If a character is wearing a psionic rig, 10 is subtracted from the result on the Psionic Backlash Table. However, the rig may become damaged, as listed in certain outcomes.
A shock result from the table is carried out in accordance with 30.3. If a stunned character is not in an action situation, it can be assumed that he blacked out for a few moments and then came to with no long term effects.
A character that suffers Mental Power loss as a result of psionic backlash may regain the lost points only if he is healed at a psionic institute (see 10.5). Lost Mental Power Points may be regained at the rate of one per month (once healing has begun). If a character's Mental Power Rating is reduced by 2 or more, he may use none of his skills (psionic or otherwise) until healed; he is temporarily insane. The manifestation of his insanity is determined by the GM.
| percentile dice result minus chance* |
effect on psionic character |
|---|---|
| +10 or less | No effect. |
| +11 to +20 | Shock check (see 30.3). |
| +21 to +30 | Character is automatically shocked. |
| +31 to +40 | Character is shocked; loses one die roll of points from his Endurance Rating. |
| +41 to +55 | Character passes out; Endurance Rating reduced to 0. Psionic rig suffers superficial damage. |
| +56 to +70 | Character passes out; Endurance Rating reduced to 0. Mental Power reduced by 1 (see 10.3). Psionic rig suffers light damage. |
| +71 to +85 | Character passes out; Endurance Rating reduced to 0. Mental Power reduced by 2 (see 10.3). Psionic rig suffers heavy damage. |
| +86 to +100 | Character passes out; Endurance Rating reduced to 0. Mental Power reduced to 1 (See 10.3). The character may use no Psionic skills until cured (see 10.5). Psionic rig partially destroyed. |
| +101 or more | Character is dead. Psionic rig destroyed. |
*When checking for psionic backlash after a hyperjump attempt, roll percentile dice and add the modifier from the Hyperjump Table (see 32.3) to the dice result. See 10.5 for detailed explanation of use.
Any world with a class 3 or 4 spaceport has a psionic institute (see 25.5). The location of an institute on a given world is determined by the GM. Any character that is a psionic navigator or a thinker may always enter a psionic institute. Any character with a Mental Power Rating of 3 or greater may enter a psionic institute if accompanied by a psionic navigator or thinker. A character in an institute may be healed of any ill effects of psionic backlash and any physical ailments as well. Psionic rigs may be purchased and repaired at an institute.
Vehicle skills allow a character to safely drive or pilot all types of planet-based vehicles on the ground, in the atmosphere, or on or below liquid.
Any character may attempt to operate a vehicle. However, in situations that require skillful maneuvering or quick decisions, a character with the proper skill will be much more likely to see himself and his passengers through safely.
Vehicle skills are organized in a different way than other skills. There are four vehicle skills: ground vehicles, air vehicles, marine vehicles and military vehicles. Each of these skills is divided into five or six sub-skills, each representing proficiency with a particular type of vehicle in the skill category. As a character increases a vehicle skill, he receives Experience Points to assign to its sub-skills.
The following vehicle skills and sub-skills are available to the characters:
air vehiclesThe character is familiar with the theories of atmospheric flight and the operation of all types of air vehicles, broken into the following sub-skills:
Direct Lift. Any jet-powered craft designed for point take-off and landing.
Glider. Any air vehicle powered only by air currents or human
strength. Also includes mechanical birds,
such as an
ornithopter.
Helicopter.
Jet Plane.
Propeller Plane.
Shuttle. A rocket-powered vehicle designed to fly from a planet surface to low orbit and back. A character with pilot skill is considered to have this skill at the same level.
ground vehiclesThe character is experienced with all unarmed ground vehicles, broken into the following sub-skills:
All-Terrain Vehicle.
Animal Drawn. Includes all vehicles drawn by horses, oxen, and alien beasts of burden, and the riding of any such animals.
Automobiles.
Sled. Any powered or non-powered vehicle designed for travelling over snow and ice. If an animal-drawn sled is being used, the driver uses the lower of his Animal Drawn and Sled Skill Levels.
Tractor.
Truck. Any vehicle, designed for road use, with more than two axles.
marine vehiclesThe character is familiar with all aspects of maritime transport and the operation of a wide range of marine vessels, broken into the following sub-skills:
Motorboat. Any small engine-powered craft.
Oar boat. Any craft powered by human strength.
Sailing ship. A craft of any size powered by wind.
Submarine. Any submersible vessel.
Supervessel. Any large engine-powered ship, such as an ocean liner, supertanker, or aircraft carrier.
military vehiclesThe character is familiar with the operation of a wide range of military vehicles, broken into the following sub-skills:
Armed All-Terrain Vehicle. A character with this sub-skill may operate an unarmed ATV at the same skill level. When doing so however, any Experience Points gained must be applied to the Ground Vehicles Skill, not to Military Vehicles.
Armored Personnel Carrier.
Half Track.
Self-propelled Artillery.
Tank.
For example, a character at Skill Level 1 in Ground Vehicles could assign 1 point to the automobile sub-skill. When he achieves Level 2, he could assign 1 additional point to the automobile sub-skill and 1 point to the truck sub-skill. Upon reaching Level 3, he assigns 3 more points to any of the ground vehicle sub-skills, and so on until he reaches Level 9, when he receives 9 points to assign to any of the sub-skills (he would then have a total of 45 points assigned to all the ground vehicle sub-skills). Points received when reaching a new Skill Level may be assigned to sub-skills in any manner as long as a single sub-skill does not exceed Level 9, and as long as points are assigned only to sub-skills for vehicles that have been used by the character in some capacity since the last Skill Level increase.
Note: When choosing a vehicle skill during character generation, the player receives and assigns points to sub skills as follows: At Skill Level 1 he receives 1 sub-skill point; at Level 2 he receives a total of 3 points; at Level 3, a total of 6 points; and at Level 4, a total of 10 points.
The base chance to avoid an accident is 25%, 50%, or 75% (see Adventure Guide section 38.0). The Performance Modifier of the vehicle is added to the base chance. The character's Dexterity Rating and the square of his Sub-Skill Rating are added to the base chance. If an unskilled character is driving the vehicle, nothing is added to the base chance.
close callto the players). If the result is greater than the chance, an accident occurs and the following steps are conducted.
The character may also check for Experience Point gain after every
30 hours (or so) of driving time in which no accident check
occurs. The GM and/or the driving character should keep track of
safe
driving time since the last accident check for this purpose.
After 30 hours have passed, the player rolls percentile dice
and gains an Experience Point if a 0 or 1 appears on
either die. The dice roll has no purpose aside from checking for
Experience Point gain.
Two sub-skills are listed for certain vehicles on the chart. In this case, the driver must use the one sub-skill that applies to the current use of the vehicle. If the GM introduces a vehicle into play that is not covered by the Vehicle Chart (21.1, 21.2, 21.3), he must assign one (or two) of the applicable sub-skills to it, and announce this to the players.
Scientific Skills allow a character to attempt a wide variety of analyses, syntheses, studies and treatments that will often be of vital importance to the party.
A character may undertake a scientific task only if he possesses the appropriate skill, or if he is eligible to acquire the skill (that is, if there is an X in the Skill Level space on his Character Record, see 7.6). Exception: Any character may attempt to diagnose an ailing person.
Unless otherwise stated, all scientific tasks require a particular lab, scanner, or other piece of equipment. Some of these devices provide the character with a temporary increase in his Skill Level (as explained on the Personal Equipment Table). This increase is not applied if the character does not possess the skill required for the task. Exception: An unskilled character attempting treatment may receive an increase when using a mediscanner (his Skill Level is considered to be 0 for this purpose).
Each task requires a certain amount of time to perform. In most cases the time required is listed with the description of the equipment that must be used. If the task requires no equipment other than for its primary function, the time required is listed in the task description. The time required to perform a task may be reduced or increased, as explained in the chapter introduction.
The GM may have an NPC or service that the party has encountered attempt a task that the party previously failed. The GM should discourage repetitive use of a task (such as scanning for geological resources every 50 meters) by informing a character do ing so that he is not eligible to receive Experience Points.
astronomyThe character is learned in the study of celestial bodies and the geography of known space. His services are required when attempting to locate an unexplored planet or when attempting to locate one's own position after a hyperjump error. All spaceships contain equipment necessary to survey the stars. A Civ Level 8 spaceship or explorer pod increases a character's Astronomy Skill Level by 1. A survey pod increases the Level by 2.
The time required for any of the above tasks is 6 hours. A dice result for any of the above tasks that is no more than 10 above the modified chance indicates success with a 20% increase in the time required for each extra percentage point. A dice result that is more than 10 above the modified chance indicates failure.
biologyThe character is familiar with the science of living matter in all its
forms, and is learned in botany, zoology, biochemistry, and
xenobiology (the study of alien life). By observing a creature, he
may discover its unique at tributes, the danger it presents (if any),
how it eats, and where it fits into its ecological niche.
By
examining a creature with a bioscanner, the character may learn
details of its inner structure (it could be edible or of commercial
value). A character's biology skill is reduced by 2 (to a
minimum of 1) when dealing with non-carbon creatures (in some
cases this fact is know only by the GM).
Biology skill is also required to diagnose and/or treat ailments suffered by an alien life form (see diagnosis and treatment).
chemistryThe character is knowledgeable in all aspects in the study of chemical substances and elements. If he has a chemlab, he may analyze atmosphere, soil samples, or liquid samples for all chemical elements and compounds. If the character has a chemsynthesizer and the proper raw materials, he may attempt to synthesize any chemical compound. A dice result for chemical analysis that is no more than 10 above the modified chance indicates successful analysis with a 10% increase in the time required for each extra percentage point. A dice result that is more than 10 above the modified chance for analysis indicates failure. A dice result for chemical synthesis that is above the modified chance at all indicates failure.
The character is familiar with the theories of medicine and the nature of all ailments suffered by humans. His services are essential before a patient may be healed. If the character has a first aid kit or a mediscanner, he may attempt to diagnose injury or disease suffered by another person (not himself) and thus allow and aid the medical treatment of that person.
A dice result for diagnosis that is above the modified chance indicates that diagnosis has failed; treatment may not be conducted by the characters at all. If the dice result is less than the modified chance by more than 20, the Skill Level of the character that will treat the patient is increased by 1 (this may be the diagnosing character or any other with treatment skill). If the dice result is less than the modified chance by more than 40, the Treatment Skill Level is increased by 2. If the dice result is less than the modified chance by more than 70, the Treatment Skill Level is increased by 3.
A character without diagnosis skill may attempt to diagnose. When doing so, the 90% chance (with the subtraction for the ailment) may not be increased at all. Successful diagnosis by an unskilled character may not increase a character's Treatment Skill Level.
When attempting to diagnose an ailing alien life form, a character uses the lower of his Diagnosis and Biology Skill Levels. If he does not possess both of these skills, he is considered unskilled at the task. The GM may also apply this rule when a character is diagnosing a human with an alien disease.
geologyThe character can identify all known types of rocks and minerals and has studied the forces that compose and control planetary crusts and mantles. If he has a geolab or geoscanner, he may analyze a sample for mineral and resource content. If he has a geoscanner, on a planet surface, he may also survey the area for minerals, other resources, fissures, or volcanic activity. A dice result for any geology task that is no more than 10 above the modified chance for the task indicates success with a 10% increase in the time required for each extra percentage point. A dice result that is more than 10 above the modified chance indicates failure.
All resources listed on the World Resource Table (25.8) may be found with geology skill and geological equipment, except for light-fiber plants, wood, arable land, edible plants, and edible game. If a character has declared that he is scanning an area for a resource that is located only at a site, the resource is found only if the dice result is more than 30 less than the modified chance to locate resources.
physicsThe character is educated in the study of matter, energy, motion, and force. If he has an energy scanner, he may analyze an object, an area or an occurrence for the type of forces and energy that caused or might affect it. Unlike most other scientific tasks, the time required to conduct a physics task depends on the task itself, not on the attributes of the energy scanner, A dice result for any physics task that is above the modified chance at all indicates failure.
The physics skill is also required in order to attempt repair of a force field (see Energy Tech, 13.0).
planetologyThe character is well versed in the geography, meteorology, and other general physical features that make up a world. If he is orbiting a world in a spaceship capable of carrying at least 4 pods, or that has an explorer or survey pod, he may analyze the world to gain information about its climate, atmosphere, geographical layout, and natural resource distribution. When the character wishes to analyze a world, he chooses one of the following tasks. That task, and all listed above it (if not already known), may be determined in a single analysis attempt. If the character's analysis dice result is greater than the modified chance listed for the chosen task, analysis is still successful, but the time required is increased by 10% for each percentage point over the chance the dice result indicates.
An explorer or survey pod is required for any world analysis with less than a 40% base chance. A survey pod is required for any analysis with less than a 10% base chance. The GM may wish to reduce some of these percentages if the world has thick cloud cover, or has a side that never receives light from its star. The GM should provide the players with a world log that varies in detail, depending on how much of the world they have analyzed. Survey of a world from orbit will not reveal the exact location of any resource, and will not reveal the presence of the following resources at all: spices, light fiber plants, wood, edible plants, and edible game.
programmingThe character is familiar with the dynamics and operation of computers and robots. A character with programming skill may always use a computer or robot that he owns to its full potential (no chances are assigned and no dice rolls are made). He may use a robot that he does not own in the same way, as long as he has the robot's controller (see 16.2). If the character has access to a computer or robot owned by another person, company, or government agency, he may attempt the following tasks. When dealing with a robot, a character's Programming Skill Level is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 1).
A dice result for any of the preceding tasks that is above the modified chance in dicates failure. A dice result that is more than 10 above the modified chance may cause the computer or robot to alert its owners (openly or secretly) that the character is using the device in a way that may not be to their liking. The repercussions of such an occurrence are left up to the GM. A character must have the compu/robot tech skill in order to attempt any task not listed above that involves computer or robot hardware, or he must work with a character who has the tech skill (as ruled by the GM).
treatmentThe character is familiar with all forms of paramedical and surgical procedures. If he has a first aid kit or a mediscanner, and successful diagnosis has been performed, the character may treat an ailing person, thus speeding his recovery or even saving his life.
Effects of treatment (whether successful or not) are explained in 12.3. A character's Treatment Skill Level may be increased if diagnosis was successfully performed (in addition to any increase for using a mediscanner; see diagnosis, above). A character who is eligible to acquire treatment skill but has not may attempt to treat a patient. When doing so, his Skill Level (0) may be increased by successful diagnosis and use of a mediscanner (unlike most tasks performed by an un skilled character). However, treatment by an unskilled character is not as effective (see 12.3).
When attempting to treat an alien life form, a character uses the lower of his Treatment and Biology Skill Levels. If he does not possess both of these skills, he is considered unskilled at the task.
An eligible unskilled character who is attempting a scientific task adds nothing (not even his Intelligence Rating) to the base chance.
Note: A character that is unskilled at a scientific task receives an Experience Point for attempting the task only if it is successful and fulfills the preceding requirements.
A character that is regaining points lost from more than one characteristic must regain points for each characteristic as evenly as possible. Thus, a character that has lost points from his Endurance and Agility must regain a point in each before regaining a second point in either (until one or the other has returned to its full rating).
If one or more of a wounded character's Physical Characteristics are at 0, a check must be made every game hour to determine if permanent, untreatable damage occurs. Every hour (beginning one hour after the character incurred the wounds) he rolls percentile dice for each characteristic at 0. If the dice result is 10 or less, the full rating for the characteristic is permanently reduced by 1. If the Endurance Rating is currently at 0, and the dice result is a 01 or 02, the character dies. These checks are made every hour until all Physical Characteristics are increased above 0 by healing. As long as a character's Endurance Rating remains at 0, he is considered unconscious (see 30.2).
A character whose healing time is reduced by treatment begins healing at the new rate when the time required for treatment has passed.
| total points lost | days required to regain one characteristic point |
|---|---|
| 1, 2 | 1 Day |
| 3, 4 | 3 Days |
| 5–7 | 6 Days |
| 8–10 | 10 Days |
| 11–14 | 16 Days |
| 15 or more | 24 Days |
Technical skills allow a character, to repair weapons, robots, vehicles, and other equipment damaged during play.
When a device is damaged (as a result of weapon fire, other combat actions, or accident) the GM secretly determines the extent of damage (superficial, light, heavy or partially destroyed; see 30.5) and informs the players how the damage appears to them, without actually letting them know the category of damage. Any character may volunteer to repair a damaged device, but unless he has the appropriate Tech Skill, he will rarely be able to repair anything more than superficial damage to small items.
A character with a Tech Skill is familiar with the technology, materials, and operation of all devices related to the area of his skill. Aside from repair work, the GM may allow a character's Tech Skill to come into play in such other situations, as when the party is inspecting unknown equipment or, if the proper materials are available, when the character is attempting to build a device related to his Tech Skill.
A party may attempt to repair an item only if it has the requisite kit. A basic repair kit usually allows repair of superficial damage to any item smaller than a large ground vehicle, and superficial or light damage to any item that may be held by a character. Certain exceptions to this rule, and the type of kits required for repair of more extensive damage are listed with the appropriate Tech Skill description. Certain kits may increase a character's Tech Skill Level for purposes of a given repair attempt. In such instances, the increase is applied to the Skill Level before any reductions a re made for especially difficult repair jobs (as noted in certain Tech Skill descriptions). Detailed explanations of the attributes of all kits can be found in 22.2.
compu/robot techThe character may repair all types of computers, portable and installed. He may also repair robots with a reduction of two to his Skill Level (to a minimum of 1). An electrokit is required for repair of a computer that has incurred more than superficial damage. A robot kit is required for repair of a robot that has incurred more than superficial damage.
constructionThe character is familiar with the construction of houses, shelters and buildings sealed from harsh environments. He may repair any such structure. Building materials (made available at the GM's discretion) are required for repair of any small structure (survival hut, storage shed) that has incurred more than superficial damage, and any large structure (office building, barracks) that has incurred any damage. Certain kits may be used in specialized repair of structures (such as an armor kit for a damaged pill box).
electro techThe character may repair all types of handheld, non-weapon devices, including scan ners, portable labs, cameras, holographers, radios, and all other types of small electronic equipment. The electro tech skill may not be used to repair interstellar commlinks, psionic equipment, and computer systems. A character's Electro Tech Skill Level is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 1) when repairing or in specting any Civ Level 8 device. An electro-kit is required to repair any of these items that has incurred more than light damage. Electro Tech also allows a character to operate a two-way radio skilfully.
energy techThe character is familiar with all types of power systems. He may repair heating and cooling systems, electrical systems, air systems, and all non-combustion drive systems (including spaceship engines). The kit required for repair depends on the type of system undergoing repair. An electrokit would be used for most portable systems, a vehicle kit for damage to a vehicle climate-control system or engine, and a spaceship kit would be used for a spaceship engine or other spaceship system. A basic repair kit may not be used to repair power systems at all.
The character may also attempt to repair a damaged force field. When doing so he uses the lower of his Energy Tech and Physics Skill Levels. If he does not possess both of these skills, he may not attempt repair. An electrokit is required to repair a personal force field. A vehicle or spaceship kit (as appropriate) is required to repair a larger force field.
psion techThe character may repair interstellar commlinks, psionic rigs, and other psionic equipment. He may also repair psionic navigation equipment in the jump pod of a spaceship with a reduction of 2 to his Skill Level (to a minimum of 1). An electrokit is required to repair psionic navigation equipment that has incurred any damage.
spaceship techThe character may repair damage incurred by spaceship hulls and pods (including Battlecraft). Each damaged part of a spaceship must be repaired separately. When repairing damage to sp aceship engine or to spaceship armor, the character's Skill Level is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 1). Psionic equipment may not be repaired with the spaceship tech skill. Repair of superficial damage requires a Civ Level 6 spaceship kit, light damage a Civ Level 7 spaceship kit, and heavy damage a Civ Level 8 spaceship kit. A partially destroyed part of a spaceship may only be repaired at a Class 4 spaceport.
suit techThe character may repair all types of expedition suits, respirators, respirator helmets, and body armor. He may also repair armor on small vehicles. However, when repairing armor his Skill Level is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 1). A character that is repairing body armor may declare that he is repairing punctures only. If he does so, his Skill Level is not reduced, but any reductions to the projectile and beam defense strength of the armor may not be repaired. A suit kit is required to repair an expedition suit or body armor that has incurred more than superficial damage. A suit kit may not be used to repair the projectile and beam defense strength of armor. An armor kit is required to do full repair work on body armor and vehicle armor.
vehicle techThe character may repair all types of vehicles listed in 21.0. When he is repairing a military vehicle, an air vehicle, or armor on any vehicle, his Skill Level is reduced by 2 (to a minimum of 1). A vehicle kit is required in order to repair a small vehicle that has incurred any damage, or a large vehicle that has incurred any damage.
weapon techThe character is familiar with the workings of projectiles and beam weapons, both hand held and mounted. He may repair any type of weapon listed in 19.0. He may also repair artillery and spaceship missile, laser and particle fire systems with a reduction of 2 to his Skill Level (to a minimum of 1). A weapon kit is required to repair any handheld weapon that has incurred more than light damage and any larger weapon that has incurred more than superficial damage. A spaceship kit is required to repair any damage incurred by spaceship weapon systems.
When a character declares that he wishes to do so, and announces the type of kit he is using, the following steps are undertaken:
If the dice result in a successful repair attempt is less than the actual repair chance by more than 90%, the maximum repair time is reduced by 90% only.
A character without the appropriate Tech Skill may only attempt to repair superficial or light damage to an item. When doing so, his actual repair chance is equal to the base repair chance. He receives no adjustments for his Intelligence Rating or the kit he is using.
The GM may implement the passage of time when a character is attempting to repair an item in one of two ways: he may announce the amount of time at the outset and skip directly to the point in time that repair is accomplished or failure is realized; or he may allow time to pass normally and not reveal the result of the repair attempt until the moment of realization is reached. If he chooses the latter, and repair is successful but lengthy, he should inform the players that the attempt will be successful and how long it will take well before the repair is accomplished. The amount of time that passes before revealing successful repair may be calculated as in Step 3 above, except of course, that the GM announces success instead of failure.
| type of damage | base repair chance |
repair time multiplier |
|---|---|---|
| Superficial | 50% | × 1 |
| Light | 20% | × 2 |
| Heavy | −10% | × 4 |
| Partially Destroyed | −40% | × 8 |
| Totally Destroyed | Repair Impossible | |
The GM may also give a character an Experience Point in this manner when the character is rolling percentile dice for some other use of his tech skill.
A town or suburb area on a planet is considered to have services for repairing any item of a Civ Level equal to or less than that of the planet. An urban area is considered to have services for repairing any item of a Civ Level up to 1 greater than that of the planet.
Exception: Spaceships and spaceship parts may be repaired only at a spaceport. A Class 2 spaceport has facilities for repair of superficial and light damage, a Class 3 spaceport for heavy damage, and a Class 4 spaceport for partially destroyed spaceships. Psionic equipment may be repaired only at a Psionic institute (see 10.5).
An item taken to a repair service is automatically repaired. The repair time is always equal to the Base Repair Time multiplied by the Repair Time Multiplier. This product, when expressed in hours, also represents the cost to repair the item in 100's of Mils. Thus, an item with a Base Repair Time of 6 hours that has suffered heavy damage would take 24 hours of work time to repair and the job would cost 2400 Mils (2.4 Trans). The price of repair service may not be haggled over.
Interpersonal skills are used by the character when dealing directly with society, in business, leisure, legal, and communication matters. More so than with other skills, the GM should consider the player's actual interplay with NPC's or authorities when using one of these skills. For example, a character may have a high Diplomacy Skill Level, but if the player blatantly insults the individual that he is conversing with, the skill should not do him much good.
diplomacyThe character is experienced in all manner of official conversation and negotiation, and is generally well-spoken and tactful. He will be most effective when dealing with those from the local establishment or a higher social standing (see table 5.7).
When a character is acting as party spokesman, he may use his streetwise and/or diplomacy skill to aid the establishment of friendly communications with an NPC or group of NPCs (see 28.7). During Step 4 of the NPC Encounter Procedure, the chance of successful communication is calculated by the GM: To the base chance of 40% is added twice the spokesman's Empathy Rating. The spokesman declares whether he is using his streetwise or diplomacy skill. If he declares use of the skill that the NPC's social standing responds to, the square of the Skill Level is added to the chance. If he declares the skill that the NPC's social standing does not respond to, the Skill Level (not squared) is added to the chance. If the spokesman is unskilled in both streetwise and diplomacy, his Empathy Rating (not doubled) is added to the base chance only. The GM rolls percentile dice and applies the outcome to the NPC Reaction Table (28.8) in terms of shifts, as explained in the NPC Encounter Procedure.
In addition to the communications task, the GM should take a character's streetwise and/or diplomacy skill into account when the character is participating in any sort of extended dialogue with NPC's. These skills do not aid a character in financial negotiations (the trading skill is used for money matters).
A character who rolls a 0, 1, or 2 on either die when using his streetwise or diplomacy skill receives an Experience Point.
disguiseThe character can control his voice, mimic a wide variety of postures, and alter his facial appearance through the use of make-up, latex, skin injections and dyes. It is assumed a character with this skill possesses the requisite materials to alter his appearance; however, accessories such as clothing and insignia must be acquired by the character when necessary. The base time required to prepare a disguise is four hours. The character's Dexterity Rating and the square of his Skill Level are added to the base chance of the following tasks.
The GM rolls percentile dice secretly and compares the dice result to the modified chance:
Result under chance by more than 20: The disguise fools all except those intimately familiar with the subject. If the character is unskilled, the next outcome is used instead.
Result equal to or under chance by 20 or less: The disguise fools those who do not have everyday contact with the subject.
Result over chance by 30 or less: Anyone who gets a good look at the disguise, or hears the character say more than a few words will not be fooled. If the character is skilled, he is informed of this fact. If he is not skilled, he is told that the disguise looks fine.
Result over chance by more than 30: The character fails his attempt and is told that it will not work.
A character that rolls a 0, 1, or 2 on either die when attempting disguise receives an Experience Point.
economicsThe character understands the complex economic systems of the future; how the resources, shipping schedules and laws of supply and demand on the worlds of the federation affect the value of any item from place to place. If he has a business computer, the character may attempt to predict the price of any declared item in the future at a declared location. If the location is another star system, he must have access to an interstellar commlink. The base time required for price prediction is 12 hours.
The GM rolls percentile dice. If the dice result is equal to or less than the modified chance, the attempt succeeds; the GM immediately uses the Actual Price Table (18.0) to determine the price and announces it to the character. A dice result above the modified chance indicates failure (after 12 hours have passed). If a failing dice result is even, the character is told that the prediction is unsuccessful. If a failing dice result is odd, the GM reads the player a random result from the Actual Price Table as if it were a correctly predicted price.
A character who rolls a 0, 1, or 2 on either die when attempting to predict a price receives an Experience Point.
forgery/counterfeitingThe character is experienced in the art of forging documents used for identification, shipping, and other business and government transactions. If he has the requisite materials (as determined by the GM) and a model to work from, the character may attempt to copy a document or piece of currency. The character's Dexterity Rating and the square of his Skill Level are added to the base chance of the following tasks. The time required for each task is determined by the GM, depending on the complexity of the document.
The GM rolls percentile dice secretly and compares the result to the modified chance:
Result under chance by more than 20: The document passes all inspections (visual and electronic). Exception: If the character is unskilled and/or the world has a Law Level of 4, the next outcome is used instead.
Result equal to or under chance by 20 or less: Document passes all visual inspection. 50% chance that the document will be found false each time it undergoes electronic inspection.
Result over chance by 30 or less: Document found false by any electronic inspection. When undergoing visual inspection, the GM rolls percentile dice; if the result is less than or equal to the inspector's Intelligence Rating plus the square of his Forgery/Counterfeit Skill Level, the document is found false. Note: A character with forgery/counterfeit skill may attempt to detect false documents made by others in the same way.
Result over chance by more than 30: Document will not fool anybody. If the forger is skilled, he is told of this fact.
Any repercussions of character's forged documents being found out are left up to the GM.
A character who rolls a 0, 1, 2 or 3 on either die when attempting forgery receives an Experience Point.
gamblingThe character is familiar with all common games of chance. If he is at a casino, some other gaming establishment, a bar or inn with an informal game, or with another character or NPC who wishes to play against him, the character may gamble. He must state his bet size (if playing against another character or NPC, both agree on a bet size). The bet size is not the total amount to be risked, but rather an amount that will be continuously risked over the four or five hour period that each gambling attempt represents. The character's Intelligence Rating and Gambling Skill Level (not squared) are added to the base chance.
If the dice result is less than the modified chance, character wins an amount equal to the difference multiplied by the bet size. If the dice result is greater than the modified chance, the character loses the amount.
When gambling against another character or NPC, both individuals roll percentile dice separately, adding their Intelligence Rating and Gambling Skill Level to the dice result. The difference between the dice results is multiplied by the bet size, and the character with the lower dice result must pay the product to the character with the higher result.
A character may declare that he is cheating in any gambling attempt. If he does so, his Skill Level is doubled, but if his dice result is even, the GM checks for detection by his opponent. He rolls two dice. If the result is less than the opponent's Intelligence Rating plus his Skill Level, minus the cheating character's Skill Level, the character's cheating is revealed. A casino is considered to have a combined Intelligence and gambling skill of 18, and an informal gathering of 15 for this purpose. The consequences of revealed cheating and/or a character's inability to pay a gambling debt are up to the GM.
A character who rolls a 0 or 1 on either die when gambling receives an Experience Point.
lawThe character is learned in the structure of most federal and local laws and judicial systems. He is a skilful speaker and is eligible to practice law in court. The character may attempt any of the following tasks, adding his Intelligence Rating and the square of his Skill Level to the base chance. The chances of all these tasks assume that a basically honorable legal system is being dealt with; the GM should apply modifiers if the system is corrupt.
Any dice result under the modified chance indicates success. Any dice result over the modified chance indicates failure. If a bribery attempt fails by more than 10 percentage points, the authority will either accept the bribe and report the party anyway, or will report the party's bribe attempt as well as their original transgression, at the discretion of the GM.
A character who rolls a 0, 1, or 2 on either die when attempting a law task receives an Experience Point. An unskilled character may not defend a party in court.
linguisticsThe character is fluent in other languages other than Universal. He can speak, read, and write in a number of additional languages equal to his Skill Level. A character that receives the linguistics skill during character generation should choose any languages from among those listed in 1.0 and note them on the back of his Character Record. Exception: A language written in a non-roman alphabet may not be chosen until Skill Level 3 is reached. All characters are considered fluent in Universal.
When the party must speak with an NPC in an unknown language, a skilled character may attempt to comprehend the NPC and make himself understood. A translator (see 23.3) is not required to use the linguistics skill, but the device does increase the user's Skill Level (even if he is unskilled). A translator does not increase the number of languages a character may speak. The chance of successful communication equals the sum of the NPC's Intelligence Rating, the character's Intelligence Rating, (if skilled) and the square of the character's Skill Level. The GM secretly rolls percentile dice and compares the result to the chance:
Result under chance by more than 20: All information that the NPC and characters wish to exchange is understood.
Result equal to or under chance by 20 or less: Simple direction, numerical and identification information is exchanged.
Result over chance by 20 or less: Names and small numbers may be exchanged only.
Result over chance by more than 20: Absolutely nothing is understood by either party or, if the GM wishes, one side totally misunderstands the information or intent of the other.
The linguistics skill may also be used to attempt communication with certain creatures, once the desire to communicate has been established. See 28.6, Procedure CC.
A character who rolls a 0 or 1 on either die when attempting to communicate in an unknown language receives an Experience Point. Each time a character attains a new level in linguistics he may choose a new language. The new language should be one he attempted to use since his last Skill Level increase. A character never receives an Experience Point for a language he already understands.
recruitingThe character is skilled in the administrative and personnel side of business. When the party seeks NPC's to aid in any venture they are undertaking, the character may attempt to hire individuals with good qualifications. The character declares how many NPC's he wishes to hire and the pay he is offering. Two hours must be spent recruiting for each NPC declared, with a minimum time of 6 hours. The character's Empathy Rating and the square of his Skill Level are added to the base chance.
The GM may modify the base chance, depending on the pay offered, skills requested, the danger and legality of the job, and the means of seeking new employees (working through an employment agency would be helpful). A decent weekly salary for an individual is 100 Mils × the Civ Level of the equipment he will be dealing with. If the job is dangerous, the pay should be increased by 500 Mils to 1 Tran per week. An average individual for hire possesses a Mental Power of 1 and an Aggression of 6. His other characteristics average 4. He has a skill level of 3 in his home environ, of 1 in his home gravity, and has eight Skill Points distributed among all other skills by the GM.
If the dice result is equal to or less than the modified chance, the declared number of NPC's are found. The attributes of the NPC's may be improved by the GM as follows: For every percentage point below the modified chance the result indicates, each NPC is improved by one Skill Point of one Characteristic Point. The GM should apply these increases to characteristics and skills that would be helpful in the upcoming job. If the dice result is greater than the modified chance, fewer NPC's than requested are found and/or their attributes are reduced, at the discretion of the GM.
A character who rolls a 0, 1, 2 or 3 on either die when attempting to recruit receives an Experience Point. Only one recruitment attempt is allowed in a single area for a given purpose.
streetwiseThe character is up on the slang and friendly expressions used among the common folk throughout the federation. He will be most effective when dealing with those from the skilled tech class or a lower social standing. The streetwise skill is used for the communications task (see diplomacy skill description).
teachingThe character has experience teaching and/or tutoring and is able to pass knowledge he has acquired onto others. He may attempt to aid another character (hereafter called the student) increase his expertise in any skill that the teacher possesses at a higher level than the student. One week of both characters' time is required to teach a skill. This time may not be reduced but may be increased, as explained below.
When the teacher and student have declared the particular skill they
wish to study together, the chance of successful teaching is
calculated: To the base chance of 30% is added the student's
Intelligence Rating, the teacher's Empathy Rating and
the square of the teacher's Teaching Skill Level. The
teacher rolls percentile dice. The student receives 1
Experience Point in the studied skill for every 10 percentage
points (or fraction thereof) below the modified chance the dice result
indicates (for example, if the modified chance were 55% and
the teacher rolled a 31, the student would immediately gain
3 EP's for the declared skill). However, a student may never
increase a Skill Level by more than 1 in a single study
session
(any excess EP's are lost). If the dice result is no more
than 10 above the modified chance, the student gains
1 EP and the teaching time is increased by 10% for
each percentage point over the chance the result indicates. A result
that is more than 10 above the modified chance indicates
failure; one week is expended and the student gains no EP's.
No more than one student may be taught at a time, and any equipment necessary to use the skill being taught must be available (such as a weapon, vehicle, or tech kit). A teacher may attempt to teach a specific student a specific skill once only. An unskilled character may attempt to teach (using the base chance of 30% only); however, his student may receive no more than 1 EP from the study session. A psionic skill may be taught only if both the teacher and the student possess a Mental Power Rating of 4 or higher and the student has or is eligible to acquire the skill. A character with teaching skill may charge any fee he can get for his teaching services. Conversely, the GM may have an NPC offer to teach a character a skill as a favor or for pay.
A character who rolls 0, 1 or 2 when at tempting to teach receives an Experience Point.
tradingThe character is a skilled bargainer. He can get the most out of a transaction through his understanding of commerce and his ability to negotiate. When the GM is using the Actual Price Table (18.0) to determine the price of an item or service that a character is attempting to purchase or sell, the character may attempt to alter the price in his favor by bargaining. Any purchases from a federal establishment may not be bargained; such prices are set.
The base chance of successful bargaining is 20%. To this is added the character's Empathy Rating and the square of his Skill Level. The character rolls percentile dice. If the dice result is greater than the modified chance, the attempt fails; 10 is added to the GM's Actual Price roll. If the dice result is less than the modified chance, the difference is subtracted from the GM's Actual Price roll.
One character should check for bargaining each time such a situation arises. If the character is unskilled, nothing is added to his base chance.
A character who rolls a 0 or 1 on either die when bargaining receives an EP.
The character is skilled at farming tillable soil and in the science of hydroponics (growing without soil). Breakthroughs in fertilizers and genetic research also enable the growth of crops to be greatly accelerated. When working with a hydroponic farm, 2 is subtracted from the character's skill level (to a minimum of 1). A skilled character may always grow any plant (as long as he has the proper shoots or seeds) in an environ with arable land or in an established hydroponic garden. If the character wishes to grow a plant in a more exotic location or wishes to accelerate the growth of a crop, the GM should assign a base chance to the declared task. The character's Intelligence Rating and the square of his Skill Level are added to the base chance. As a guideline, the simplest of agriculture tasks would have a base chance of 95% while an attempt to grow a fruit tree in an arctic environment with a poisonous atmosphere would have a base chance of -5%. A robot with an agriculture system increases a character's skill level by 2.
A character who rolls a 0, 1, or 2 on either die when attempting an agriculture task receives an Experience Point.
asteroid miningThe character is familiar with the business and techniques of mining and processing resources from asteroids and small planetoids. The tasks and procedures of this skill are identical to those of the mining skill.
environsAs explained in character generation, each character receives positive or negative Skill Levels in all 33 environs shown on the Environ Skill Display. A character's Skill Level in the environ he is in is used during an encounter for the following:
The Experience Point system explained in 8.0 is
not used to improve Environ Skill Levels. Instead, the GM hands
out
Environ Skill Level increases. If a character spends one week
(give or take a day, at the GM's discretion) adventuring in a
particular environ away from urbanized areas, the GM should reward him
with a Skill Level increase of one in that environ. No single environ
skill may be increased beyond Level 6.
As explained in character generation, each character receives positive and negative Skill Levels in all four gravity types shown on the Gravity Skill Display. A character's Skill Level in the gravity type he is in is added to his Action Round Movement Rate (see 29.2).
A character's Gravity Skill Level also affects his chance of avoiding a gravity-related accident (see Adventure Guide 38.0).
Experience Points are not used to improve Gravity Skills Levels. If a character spends eight weeks (give or take a week, at the GM's discretion) adventuring in a particular gravity type, the GM should reward him with a Skill Level increase of 1 in that gravity type. No single gravity skill may be increased beyond Level 5.
miningThe character is familiar with the business and technique of planetary mineral and metal mining and processing. After a minable resource has been found in an environ (see the geology skill, 12.0), the character may attempt to separate a quantity of it from the ground in raw form. Simple digging tools, a rock blaster or a robot with a miner system are required. The latter two items provide the character with a Skill Level increase. After raw ore has been mined, the character may refine it if he has a robot with a miner system (the Skill Level increase applies). The character's Intelligence Rating and the square of his Skill Level are added to the base chance.
Each of these task requires 12 hours to attempt. This time may be reduced if the attempt is successful (see the task procedure in the chapter introduction). For every percentage point over the modified chance the dice result indicates, the amount of ore mined or processed is reduced by 5% (the time required is not increased). If the dice result is greater than the chance by 20 or more, the attempt fails completely.
The GM determines the quantity of ore that a character may mine in a single attempt as follows: locate the ore on the World Resource Table (25.8) and note the number of environs the Table states that the ore may appear in (if the ore is abundant on the world, double this number). The square of the number represents the number of kilograms of refined ore that may be mined in a single attempt (its actual weight in its raw form will be considerably more). Exception: If the World Resource Table states that the ore exists at a site only, one gram of the ore may be mined in a single attempt.
These tasks are not used when the character is dealing with larger mining facilities. In such a case, his Skill Level would effect the administration of the factory and the efficiency with which it operates.
A character who rolls a 0, 1 or 2 on either die when attempting to mine or process ores receives an Experience Point.
survivalThe character is experienced in living off the land
and staying
alive with a minimum of supplies in the wild. If the character is in a
party that has exhausted its supply of food and water, he may attempt
to forage for the basic necessities to sustain himself and his
comrades. The survival skill will not aid a party that has exhausted
its oxygen supply. A survival task takes 6 hours to conduct
and if successful, lasts for one full day (including the time spent
foraging). The character chooses the most favorable task listed below
that applies to the party's situation. He adds his Survival
Skill Level to the highest Environ Skill Level in the party and
squares the sum (a negative sum is considered 0 for
this purpose). The result of this calculation and his
Intelligence Rating are added to the base chance.
For every 10 (or fraction thereof) below the modified chance the dice result indicates, one character may be kept alive and well. If the dice result is over the modified chance at all, no characters receive the basic necessities of life. The GM determines the effect of lack of food and water, depending on the party's current situation.
A character who rolls a 0, 1 or 2 on either die when using his survival skill receives an Experience Point.
urbanA character may receive an Urban Skill Level during character generation. A character's urban skill is used and improved when the character is in a built-up area (an area where the natural features have been entirely replaced with artificial structures and technology) exactly as an environ skill is used and improved.