Skills

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Acrobatics

Beloved by ninjas, circus performers, and anyone who enjoys not being pierced by sharp rocks, this is the ability to perform tumbles, somersaults and other complex maneuvers. It is also used to dodge attacks and perform other similar tasks of agility. Acrobatics can replace Sports for jumping or climbing (use the higher of the two skills).

Using Acrobatics:

Acrobatics is almost always used with Dexterity, including dodging attacks and performing precise maneuvers. When jumping or climbing, use Strength and Acrobatics.

Alchemy

As much of an art as it is a science, Alchemy is a method of imbuing everyday materials with ambient Essence, to produce minor magical effects.

Using Alchemy:

Creating a concoction or artifact uses Intelligence and Alchemy, while attempting to recognize a substance uses Perception and Alchemy. See Alchemy and Enchanting for details on the various items that can be created with Alchemy.

Arts

This skill covers any and all artistic endeavors: sculpting, dancing, blacksmithing, leatherworking, or stand-up comedy. When taking levels in this skill, decide what art your character is trained in - sorry, writing songs isn't going to make your character a better blacksmith.

Using Arts:

Creating art, either by creation or performance, can use a variety of attributes - writing, smithing, and painting use Intelligence; dancing and playing the piano use Dexterity; singing or playing a wind instrument use Constitution. To judge someone else's art, use Perception and Art.

Bow-fu

Bows don't kill people; people trained in this skill do. This skill covers pretty much all methods of (physically) injuring someone from a distance: shooting them with a bow or a gun, throwing a knife at them, or tossing a car at them.

Using Bow-fu:

Dexterity and Bow-fu are used for the majority of throwing and shooting attempts. Taking a few seconds to aim your shot allows you to roll Perception and Bow-fu, then add the success levels to your attack. (See Unknown for further details)

Combat

Kicks, punches, swords, chairs, daggers and bottles - all of these use the Combat skill if fighting someone up close. The melee sibling of Bow-fu, Combat handles most attacks made within arm's reach of the combatants (assuming they still have arms once all's said and done).

Using Combat:

Dexterity and Combat handle most attacks as well as parries. Feinting uses Intelligence and Combat, and is resisted with Perception and Combat (see Unknown).

Computers

The art of using one of humanity's greatest inventions to further the greater good. Or you know, for personal enjoyment. People don't need this skill to use a computer for most day-to-day purposes - just about anybody can find the "on" switch and find Wikipedia. This skill represents a deeper level of technical fluency, the ability to find online information efficiently, possibly the ability to write programs, and even some hacking knowledge.

Using Computers:

Intelligence is used for online searches, programming, and hacking. Attempting to hack into a secure system might require multiple checks or a higher number of Success Levels. Perception is used to diagnose software and hardware problems.

Crime

Used by thieves of all sorts, this skill covers picking locks and pockets, palming cards, sneaking down a crowded street, and most other sneaky activities. One doesn't need to be a criminal to know this skill: many policemen and investigators use this skill frequently as well. This skill can also be used to notice someone else being sneaky (in which case it replaces the Notice skill).

Using Crime:

Dexterity is used for sneaking around and picking locks or pockets. Perception can be used to notice someone else sneaking or using sleight of hand, or to find a good hiding place.

Doctor

People get hurt sometimes. Sorry, it's just a fact of life. This skill handles first aid, as well as full-on medical expertise. This skill allows one to patch up their allies and diagnose their ailments.

Using Doctor:

An Intelligence and Doctor Test is used to treat injuries; each Success Level restores one Life Point (only one roll can be made on a given person per day). If Successful, this can also stop bleeding and prevents infections. Perception and Doctor can be used to diagnose a medical problem, or determine the cause of death if arriving too late.

Earth

This skill handles all of your earthly trivia, from politics to Monty Python quotes. Any general earthling knowledge that doesn't fall under Science or Humanities probably lands here.

Using Earth:

This skill will probably only be rolled with Intelligence, but honestly, the world is weird and you can never know.

Humanities

If you're interested in sociology, psychology, theology, philosophy, linguistics, history, law, or any other human-y field of research, this is the skill for you.

Using Humanities:

As with other knowledge-y skills, this skill will mostly be used with Intelligence, but circumstances may vary.

Influence

Whether a politician or a poker player, this skill is all about your social abilities. Use this skill to get others to go along with what you say, or to tell when someone else is bluffing.

Using Influence:

Fast-talking, intimidation, seduction and negotiation all use Willpower and Influence, occasionally with a positive or negative modifier based on circumstance (no, you won't be able to convince the man you just stabbed that you're innocent). Recognizing someone else's deceit uses Perception and Influence.

Lucid Dreaming

Dreams are what give a person their identity - a person's dreams may reveal their greatest desires or most terrible fears. Some people can see the future through their dreams, others relive the past. Lucid Dreaming is the ability to control one's dreams, and even to manipulate the Realm of Dreams itself.

Using Lucid:

There are many uses for Lucid Dreaming, usually with either Willpower or Perception. See Lucid Dreaming for further details.

Nature

This skill covers your basic nature lore and survival skills. Recognize that bird? Check. Forage non-poisonous mushrooms within a cursed swamp? Yup. Find a safe route across a hostile volcanic island mid-eruption while evading enemy encampments? You Betcha!

Using Nature:

Finding or recognizing something in the wild uses Perception and Nature. Knowing or inferring something about the local terrain uses Intelligence and Nature. Getting an animal to do what you want uses Willpower and Nature, or occasionally Dexterity for things like riding a trained horse.

Notice

While having keen eyes helps in finding important clues, it's of little use if you don't know how to use them properly. This skill represents a character's attention to minute details when perceiving the world around them.

Using Notice:

This skill will almost always be used in tandem with Perception, but special circumstances may apply.

Occultism

Even on earth, myths and legends contain a grain of truth about the mystical and the divine. This skill includes knowledge of supernatural creatures, magical effects, and magical history.

Using Occultism:

Perception and Occultism are used to recognize a supernatural creature or effect. Researching a topic is handled with Intelligence, as is performing rituals.

Science

The crunchy sibling of the Humanities skill, this one handles all you biology, chemistry, physics, maths, and engineering geeks. Basically, this skill covers anything sciency that isn't computers or medicine (as those are dealt with under Computers and Doctor, respectively).

Using Science:

Intelligence and Science is used for most things, from remembering a what mitochondria are to mixing a chemical formula. Rare circumstances may call for other attributes, though.

Sports

Climbing a mountain, fording a stream, and doing other things that don't involve the Austrian Alps. All sports are covered by this skill, except boxing, martial arts, or fencing - which are covered by Combat; or gymnastics - which is covered by Acrobatics. In a pinch, Sports can serve instead of other skills, such as when swinging a baseball bat at a monster's face.

Using Sports:

Depending on the nature of the sport, any one of the three physical Attributes may be used. Activities requiring coordination or agility (live throwing a ball into a net) use Dexterity, activities requiring brute force (like weight lifting or high jumps) use Strength, and endurance sports (like running a marathon) use Constitution.

Terra

Like Earth covers all of an earthling's common knowledge, this skill covers all of a Terran's. Knowing the local politics and geography, historical events, and general gossip are all handled here.

Using Terra:

As with other knowledge-ish skills, the vast majority of rolls will use Intelligence and Terra.

Wild Card

When you have a niche idea that just doesn't fit neatly into any one skill, this is the place for you. This skill can potentially cover anything, with one caveat. The Wild Card skill cannot be broader than any pre-existing skill. Wild Card (Weapons) can't be used to replace both Combat and Bow-fu, but Wild Card (knives) could handle both stabbing with knives throwing them around. Another example would be Wild Card (Hunting), which would cover both tracking and killing wild game.