Skill level Easy Average Hard Very Hard Base-4 -- -- -- 0.5 Base-3 -- -- 0.5 1 Base-2 -- 0.5 1 2 Base-1 0.5 1 2 4 Base 1 2 4 8 Base+1 2 4 8 16 Base+2 4 8 12 24 Base+3 8 12 16 32 Base+4 12 16 20 40 Base+5 16 20 24 48 + per level 4 4 4 8This set of optional rules no longer incorporates a difference between Mental and Physical skills; all skills use the same table, give above.
Aiming (AI): This serves as skill base for all ranged weapons skills. Skill Base: (min(Vision,Perception) + Dexterity + 20)/4.
Animal (AN): Used for skills which require interaction with nonsentient beings. Skill Base: (Intelligence + Will + 20)/4.
Artistic (AR): Used for "image" art skills. Skill Base: (Dexterity + Will + 20)/4. Effective skills are penalized if character has uncorrected bad vision, or is colour blind (in cases where colour matters).
Athletic (AT): Used for all skills which involve macroscopic body movements but are not "combat" skills. Skill Base: (Dexterity 10)/2. Penalized for uncorrected bad vision.
Combat (CO): Used for all skills involving actual melee combat (this will also include some "sport" martial arts skills). The difference between this and Athletic is that the use of Athletic skills rarely involves an opponent doing his best to kill or disable you. Skill Base: (Dexterity + 10)/2. Penalized for uncorrected bad vision.
Crafts (CR): Used for all skills which involve doing fine work with one's hands or otherwise hand/eye coordination. Skill Base: (Dexterity + Intelligence + 20)/4. Penalized by 1 if Vision and/or general Perception is below 10. Also penalized for uncorrected bad vision, but only by half the normal amount.
Interpersonal (IN): Used for skills which involve interacting with other persons (sentient beings, usually of one's own or a similar species). Skill Base: (Intelligence + 10)/2. Effective skills are also affected by Appearance and Voice modifiers where applicable.
Knowledge (KN): Used as base for pure knowledge skills. Skill Base: (Intelligence + 10)/2. The advantage which increases this skill base is Eidetic Memory.
Linguistic (LI): Used as base for all language and language- related skills. Skill Base: (Intelligence + 10)/2. The advantage which increases this skill base is Language Talent. Some skills (those relying on verbal communication) are also penalized by Deafness, Hard of Hearing, and/or Mute.
Magical (MA): Used as base for magical skills (spells, mostly). Skill Base: (Intelligence + 10)/2. This skill base is increased by the Magery advantage, and is also affected by Magic Resistance and Magic Susceptibility, and somewhat by Eidetic Memory.
Musical (MU): Used as base for musical skills. Skill Base: (Intelligence + Dexterity + 20)/4. This skill base is affected by the Musical Talent advantage. Also, penalize effective skills for uncorrected Hard of Hearing, and by 1 per level of Hearing under 10. Voice bonus applies for Singing skill.
Mystical (MY): Used as a base for 'mystical' skills -- that is, anything 'supernatural' that doesn't really fit magic or psi (mostly, but not exclusively, cinematic martial-arts abilities). Skill Base: (Intelligence + Will + 20)/4.
Psionic (PS): Used as base for psi skills. Skill Base: (Intelligence + 10)/2. The advantage Psionic Talent increases this skill base; also, it gets the same bonuses for Eidetic Memory as does Magical skill base.
Science (SC): Used as base for "hard science" skills which require a lot of mathematics. Skill Base: (Intelligence + 10)/2 Also, increase SB as described under Memory and Mathematical Ability.
Skill Name SB =========================== Abacus SC Accounting SC Acrobatics AT Acting IN Administration IN, KN Agronomy KN Airshipman AT, CR Alchemy SC(*) Animal Care AN Animal Handling AN Anthropology IN, KN Appreciate Beauty KN Archaeology KN Architecture SC Area Knowledge KN Armoury CR Artificial Intelligence SC Artist AR Astrogation SC Astronomy SC Augury MY Autohypnosis MY Axe/Mace CO Axe Throwing AI, CO Ball Game (v) AT Bard IN, KN Bardic Lore (v) KN Bartender IN, KN Battlesuit AT, CR Beam Weapons (v) AI Begging IN Beverage Making CR, KN Bicycling AT, CR Biochemistry KN, SC Blackjack CO Black Powder Weapons(v) AI, CR Blacksmith CR Blind-Fighting MY Blinding Touch MY Blowpipe AI Board Games (v) KN Boating AT, CR Body Control MY Body Language (vis) KN Body Sense AT Boinger CO, AI Bolas AI, CO Botany KN Bow AI Boxing CO Brawling CO Breaking Blow MY Breath Control MY Broadsword CO Buckler CO Bun Fu (rabbits) CO Calligraphy Artist-2, SB-5; PR:Literacy AR / A Camouflage SB-4, Survival-2 CR, KN / E Captivate (rabbits) None IN / H Carousing SB-2 IN / A Carpentry SB-4 CR / E Cartography SB-5, Navigation-5 KN, SC / A Change Control None MY / H Chemistry SB-6 KN, SC / H Ch'i Treatment SB-6 MY / H Climbing SB-5 AT / A Cloak SB-5, Buckler-4, Shield-4 CO / A Computer Hacking Comp.Prog-4. SC / VH Computer Operation SB-4; Comp.Prog. KN / E Computer Programming Comp.Hack. SC / H Conspiracy Theory History-4, Occultism-4 KN / H Cooking SB-4 CR / E Courtesan SavoirFaire-5 IN, KN / A Criminology SB-4 KN / A Crossbow SB-4 AI / E Cryptography SB-6, Math-5 SC / H Cyberaxe (v) Same Instrument-4 MU / H Cyberdeck Operation SB-8, Comp.Op-6 KN, MY / VH Cyphering SB-2 SC / E Dancing SB-5 AT / A Darts SB-4, Thrown Wpn-2, Throwing AI / E Demolition SB-5, Engineer-3 CR, KN / A Demonology SB-6, Occultism-4 KN / H Dentistry Physician-5, Surgery-3, First Aid-7, SB-5. PR:DX 10 CR, KN / H Detect Lies SB-6, Psych.-4 IN / H Dexitroboping PR:Metabolic Hyperextension HT, MY / H Diagnosis SB-6, First Aid-8, Vet-5, Physician-4 CR, KN / H Diplomacy SB-6 IN / H Disguise SB-5 CR / A Dislocating PR:Escape 15 MY, CO / H Distilling SB-4 CR / A Dreaming SB-10 MY / VH Dreamlands Lore Dream Travel-5 KN / H Driving (v) SB-5 CR / A Drunken Fighting None MY, CO / H Dyeing SB-4 CR / A Ecology SB-6, Naturalist-3 KN / H Economics SB-6, Merchant-6 SC / H Electronics (v) (other)-4, same Photonics-4; PR:Mathematics,Physics SC / H Electronics Op. (v) SB-5, Electronics-3 CR, KN / A Emmfozing SB-6. PR: Palainian. AT, IN / H Engineer (v) Mechanic-6; PR: Varies SC / H Enigmas SB-6 KN / H Equestrian Acrobatics Acrobatics-3, Riding-3. PR:Riding. AT / H Erotic Art Acrobatics-5;PR:Sex Appeal 13 AT, IN / H Escape SB-6 AT / H Exoskeleton SB-6, Battlesuit-2 AT, CR / A Falconry SB-5 AN / A Fast-Draw (v) None CO, CR / E Fast-Talk SB-5, Acting-5 IN / A Featherworking SB-5 AR, CR / A Fencing SB-5 CO / A Fiber Crafts (rabbits) SB-5 CR / H Fire Eating None CR, MY / A Fire-Siphon SB-5 CO / A Fire Walking None AT, MY / H First Aid SB-5, Vet-5, Physiology-5, Physician CR, KN / E Fishing SB-4 CR / E Flail SB-6 CO / H Flight SB-4 AT / A Flower Arranging SB-4 AR / E Flying Fists PR:Karate 20.(Power Blow, Mental Strength, and Meditation) 16 MY / VH Flying Leap PR:Power Blow, Jumping MY / H Force Shield SB-4 CO / E Force Sword SB-5, other sword-3 CO / A Forensic Medicine Physician-4; PR:Physician CR, KN / H Forensics Criminology-4 KN / H Forgery SB-7, Artist-5 CR / H Fortune Telling Fasttalk-4, SB-5 IN / A Forward Observer SB-5 KN / A Free Fall SB-5 AT / A Freight Handling SB-5 CR, KN / A Gambling SB-5, Mathematics-5 IN, SC / A Gardening SB-4 AR, CR / E Garrote SB-5 CO / E Genetics Biochem.-5, Physiology-5 KN / VH Geology SB-6, Prospecting-4 KN / H Gesture (vis) SB-4, Sign Language LI / E Glassblowing SB-6 CR / A Gunner (v) SB-5, (other)-4 AI / A Guns (v) SB-4, (other)-4 AI / E Hand of Death PR:Breaking Blow 20, Pressure Secrets 20, Power Blow 20 MY / VH Hedgewise (rabbits) SB-5 IN / A Heraldry SB-5, SavoirFaire-3 KN / A Herbalism Botany-5, Physician(TL1-3)-3, Survival-5, SB-5. PR:Botany KN / H (VH for bunnies) Hidden Lore (v) None KN / A Hiking None AT / A History SB-6, Archaeology-6 KN / H Holdout SB-5, Sleight of Hand-3 CR / A Horse-Archery 2 pts. per pen. removed special Hydrology SB-8,(Meteorology or Planetology)-4 SC / A Hyperborean Baton None CO / H Hyperspace Physics PR:Mathematics 15,Physics 15, Nuclear Physics 15 SC / VH Hypnotic Hands PR: Hypnotism 15 MY / H Hypnotism None IN / H Illumination SB-5, Artist-2 AR / A Illusion Art SB-6, Artist-3 AR / H Immovable Stance None MY, CO / H Inertialess Agility None AT / H Integrating Calc. Op None SC / A Intelligence Analysis SB-6 KN / H Interrogation SB-5 IN / A Intimidation SB-5, Acting-3 IN / A Invisibility Art PR: Hypnotism 16, Stealth 16 AT, MY / VH Jeweler SB-6, Blacksmith-4 CR / H Jitte/Sai SB-5, Shortsword-3 CO / A Judo None CO / H Juggling Sleight of Hand-3 CR / E Jumping None AT / E Karate None CO / H Katana SB-5, Broadsword-2 CO / A Keneenk None MY / H Kiai None CO, MY / H Kite Flying SB-4 CR / E Knife SB-4, Main-Gauche CO / E Knife Throwing SB-4 AI, CO / E Kosho SB-3, Acrobatics-3 AT / A Kusari SB-5, Flail-2 CO / H Lance SB-6, Spear-3; PR:Riding CO / A Language (hrg) Varies LI / A (mostly) Languages! None LI / VH Lasso None AI, CO / A Law SB-6 KN / H Leadership SB-5 IN / A Leatherworking SB-5 CR / E Light Walk PR:Acrobatics 15, Stealth 15 MY / H Linguistics None KN, LI / VH Lip Reading SB-10 LI / A Literature SB-6 KN / H Lockpicking SB-5 CR / A Low-G Flight SB-6, Piloting(Hang Glider)-5 AT / A Low-Tech Physician {Midwifery, Vet}-3, {First Aid, L-T Surgery, Fast Talk, Occult, Theology, SB}-5 CR, KN / H Low-Tech Surgery {Midwifery, Vet}-3, {First Aid, L-T Physician, SB}-5 CR, KN / H Lucid Dreaming SB-4 MY / E Magic Breath SB-2 CO / E Magic Jet SB-4 CO / E Main-Gauche SB-5 CO / A Masonry SB-3 CR / E Masquerade (vampire) SB-4 AT / A Mathematics SB-6 SC / H Mechanic SB-5, Engineer-4, various CR / A Meditation SB-5 MY / VH Mental Strength None MY / H Merchant SB-5 IN, KN / A Metallurgy Blacksmith-8, Jeweler-8, Armoury-8, Chemistry-5 KN, SC / H Meteorology SB-5 KN, SC / A Midwifery Physician, Vet-2, L-T Physician -4, {Herbalism, First Aid, Child Rearing, SB}-5 KN, CR / A Mimic Non-Rabbit SB-6 MU / H Mimicry SB-5 MU / A Mind Block SB-4 MY / A Mortician SB-5 CR, KN / A Motorcycle SB-5, Bicycling-5 AT, CR / E Muscle Reading PR:Physiology,Psychology, Trained by a Master KN, CR / VH Musical Instrument (v) Similar Instrument-3 MU / H Mythos Lore Occultism-13 KN / VH Naturalist SB-6 KN / H Navigation Astronomy-5, Seamanship-5 SC / H NBC Warfare SB-5 KN / A Needlecraft SB-4 CR / A Nei Tan None MY / VH Net None CO / H Netmaking SB-6 CR / E No-Landing Extraction SB-6 KN / A Nuclear Physics None; PR:Physics 15, Math 15 SC / VH Nursing {Physician,Surgery}-2, Diagnosis -3, First Aid-4, SB-5 IN, KN / H Occultism SB-6 KN / A Orienteering SB-5 KN / A Packing SB-6, Animal Handling-6; PR:Animal Handling. AN, CR / H Parachuting SB-5 AT / E Paraphysics PR:Physics, Biochemistry SC / VH Parry Missile Weapons None CO / H Performance SB-5, Acting-2, Bard-2 IN, KN / A Persuade (rabbits) None IN / A Pharmacy Physician-2, {Alchemy, Biochem, Surgery, Nursing}-3, {Diagnosis, Poisons}-4, {Herbalism, First Aid}-5, SB-6 KN / H Philosophy SB-6, (other philosophy or theology)-2 to -4 KN / H Photography (vis) SB-5 AR / A Photonics (v) (other)-4, same Electronics-4. PR:Mathematics, Physics SC / H Physician SB-7, First Aid-11, Vet-5 CR, KN / H Physics SB-6 SC / H Physiology SB-7, any medical-5 KN / VH Pickpocket SB-6, Sleight of Hand-4 CR / H Picture-Writing (v) (other)-3 CR / H Piloting (v) SB-6, (other)-various CR / A (mostly) Piloting (Hangglider) SB-6, Piloting (Manned Kite)-1 CR, AT / A Piloting (Manned Kite) SB-6, Kite Flying-5, Piloting(Hangglider)-1 CR, AT / A Planetology (v) SB-5, Geology-4, Meteorology-4, (other)-3 KN, SC / A Poetry SB-5, Language-5 LI / A Poisons SB-6, Chem.-5, Physician-3 KN / H Polearm SB-5 CO / A Politics SB-5, Diplomacy-5 IN / A Pottery SB-5 CR / A Power Blow None MY / H Powerboat SB-5, Boating-3 CR / A Precognitive Parry PR:(Danger Sense or ESP 3), Precognition 15, Weapon 20 MY, PS / H Pressure Points Yin-Yang Healing-4 KN, MY / H Pressure Secrets PR:Pressure Points 18 KN, MY / VH Probability Physics PR:Mathematics 15, Physics 15, Nuclear Physics 15 SC / VH Prospecting SB-5, Geology-4 CR, KN / A Psionic Skills (v) None; PR: Psi power(v) PS / H (mostly) Psychiatry Physician-5, Psychology-15, SB-5. PR: Psychology IN, KN / H Psychology SB-6 IN, KN / H Punning Bard-3. PR:Language 13 IN / A Push None CO, MY / H Read Wathan None KN / VH Research SB-5, Writing-3 KN / A Riding SB-5, SB-3 AN, AT / A Ritual Magic (v) (other)-various MY / VH Running None AT / H Sacrifice Ritual PR:Theology KN / H Savoir-Faire (v) SB-4 IN / E Science! PR: Research 13, 2 pts in each of 2 sciences. May not exceed (second-highest sci. skill)-2 SC / VH Scrounging SB-4 CR, KN / E Scuba SB-5, Swimming-5 AT, KN / A Sculpting SB-5 AR / A Seamanship SB-4 AT, CR / E Sensie Interface Cyberdeck Op-3 AR, MY / H Sensitivity None MY, CO / VH Sex Appeal SB-3 IN / A Shadowing SB-3, Stealth-4 AT / A Shapeshifting None MY / H Shield SB-4, Buckler-2 CO / E Shipbuilding SB-6 CR, KN / H Short Staff SB-5, Staff-2 CO / H Shortsword SB-5, Broadsword-2, Forcesword-3 CO / A Shuriken SB-6, Throwing-2 AI, CO / H Sign Language (v) None LI / A Singing SB-4 MU / E Skating SB-6 AT / H Skiing SB-6 AT / H Sleight of Hand None CR / H Sling SB-6 AI / H Snake Charming Hypnotism-2, Animal Handling-4 AN / A Sonar Imaging PR:Sonar Vision(Active) MY / A Spear SB-5, Staff-2 CO / A Spear Thrower SB-4, Spear Throwing-4 AI, CO / A Spear Throwing SB-4, Spear Thrower-4 AI, CO / E Speed-Load (v) None CR / E Speed-Reading None LI / A Spells (v) None MA / (H/VH) Spell Throwing (v) SB-3, (other)-2, Throwing. AI / E Sphere skills (v) PR: Mage MY / VH Spin Operations SB-5 AT / A Sports (various) SB-5, various AT / A Staff SB-5, Spear-2 CO / H Stealth SB-5 AT / A Strategy (v) SB-6, Tactics-6, (other)-4 KN / H Streetwise SB-5 IN / A Style Analysis Body Language-6, Tactics(HtH)-6 KN, CR / H Suggest (rabbits) None IN / H Sumo Wrestling None AT, CO / A Surgery First Aid-12, Pysiology-8, Physician-5, Vet-5; PR: Physician, DX 12+ CR, KN / VH Survival (v) SB-5, Naturalist-3, (other)-3 CR, KN / A Sway Emotions (rabbits) None IN / A Swimming SB-5 AT / E Tactics SB-6, Strategy-6 KN / H Talisman Creation Prime skill-3. PR: Prime 3+ MY / VH Tanning SB-4 CR / A Tattooing SB-5, Artist-4 AR, CR / A Tea Ceremony SB-6, Meditation-2 IN, AR / H Teaching SB-5 IN / A Teamster Animal Handling-4, Riding-2; PR:Animal Handling AN, CR / A Telegraphy None LI, CR / E Temporal Electronics Temp.Op.-6, Electronics-5. PR: Temp.Phys. SC / H Temporal Operation Temp.Electronics-2 KN / A Temporal Physics Temp.Electronics-6, Physics-4. PR: Physics(TL9) SC / VH Thanatology Diagnosis-5, Psychology-5, Sociology-5, Mortician-3 KN / H Thaumatology SB-6 SC, SP / VH Theology SB-6 KN / H Throwing None AI, AT / H Throwing Art PR:Throwing 16 AI, MY / H Thrown Weapon (v) SB-4 AI, CO / E Tonfa SB-6, Shortsword-3 CO / H Tournament Law (v) SB-6, (other)-3 KN / E Tracking SB-5, Naturalist-5 CR, KN / A Traps SB-5, Lockpicking-3 CR / A Two-Handed Axe/Mace SB-5, Axe/Mace-5 CO / A Two-Handed Sword SB-5, Forcesword-3, Broadsword-5 CO / A Underwater Demolition Demolition-2; PR: Scuba and Engineering or Demolition CR, KN / A Vacc Suit SB-6; PR:Free Fall CR, KN / A Ventriloquism None MY / H Veterinary Animal Handling-5, Any Medical-5 AN, CR / H Vever Drawing Ritual Magic(Voodoo)-4 MY / H Video Production None KN, AR / A Walker Operation SB-6 AT, VE / E Weaving SB-4 CR / E Whip None CO / A Woodworking SB-5, Carpentry-3 CR / A Wrestling SB-5 CO / A Writing SB-5, Language-5 LI / A Xenobiology (v) None. KN / A Xenology SB-6 KN / H Yin-Yang Healing SB-6 KN / H Zen Archery PR:Bow 20 MY / VH Zoology SB-6, Animal skill-6 AN, KN / H Notes (*): May be replaced with MA, if alchemy is actually a magical ability. (vis): Penalized by bad vision. (hrg): Penalized by bad hearing. Beam Weapons, Black Powder Weapons, Guns, Gunner: The Intelligence bonus no longer applies (because the skill base now takes Vision into account). Combat/Weapon Art/Sport: For every unarmed or armed melee skill, there is a possible Art or Sport skill associated with it. This has the same difficulty and base, but is not intended for direct use in real combat -- defaults go both ways at "only" -3. Languages: You get your native language for free at Linguistics skill base level, and can increase your skill in this language only for 1 point per level.