Skills
Skills are used to make general checks to accomplish tasks throughout the game as well as resolve combat. You can upgrade a skill by paying (skill ranks)*5 experience. Note that this is ranks not total score, so you do not have to pay for the multiplier from racial, equipment, or attribute bonuses. Each skill has a base attribute they are associated with and it gains that attribute's modifier added to it. There are also a few blank lines on character sheets to write in specific niche skills that you might wish your character to have, talk to the GM about doing that if you have something in mind.
When making a skill check you will generally roll against your own skill and try to roll lower then it. Some checks might have a difficulty modifier or an opposed check. Difficulty modifiers are at the discretion of the GM. Opposed checks happen when you are trying to do something that can be resisted, such as trying to deceive another character. They will get to make a perception check to see if they can see through your lie. You will roll against your own deception skill and they will roll against their perception skill.
Athletic
Block
Casting
Convince
Computer
Crew
Deception
Dodge
Drive
Intimidate
Knowledge
Mechanics
Melee
Natural
Pilot
Ranged
Repulse
Science
Stealth
Spellcraft
The athletic tree is a series of physical abilities not really related to fitness specifically. Fitness is a measure of raw strength and endurance for the body, but a light and graceful character can still jump and run just as quickly, maybe even quicker.
Jump
Jumping is the character's attempt to jump. This is usually rolled when trying to jump to a high object to grab on, or across various chasms. This can also be applicable for character's who utilize the "Free Runner" talent to move fluidly through areas.
Sample Check: Jumping a 2 meter distance is a simple 60%, but 4 meters would be
20%
Speed
Speed is your ability to move quickly. This directly affects your base move speed at a rate of 1 meter for every 10 points. You're athletics primary does not apply to changing your base move speed but is added to speed checks.
Sample Check: Attempting to push your limits and chase someone faster then your base speed out of combat would be a 60%
Swim
Swimming is pretty self explanatory. You never know if you will even need this, but having a strong swim could save you if you're trying to carry someone to shore after a crash landing in an ocean.
Sample Check: Staying afloat in rushing rapids would be 20% and carrying someone through calm water would be 50%
Computer skills are a necessity for complex computer use. It is assumed that if you are just trying to browse a desktop that you only need to roll a perception check to find the right file if at all. Computer skills are more based around setting up complex systems for your devices or hacking through others. Computer checks are very difficult by nature, those without a solid understanding of them will barely be able to do anything. To that end a lot of investment is needed to be a strong computer expert.
Hardware
Physically re-wiring something or modifying it's parts to increase or decrease its productivity falls to the task of hardware. Hacking into special areas of systems not meant for general use usually requires finding where in the hardware to plug in your devices. This is also needed when assembling your own computer controlled devices.
Sample Check: Breaking open a door's retina scanner and hooking into it for hacking would be 20% Changing a harddrive would be 70%
Networking
Remote accessing anything requires a network of some form. Using this you can trace remote signals, set up your own encrypted communications, or reroute information to yourself.
Sample Check: Tracing remote signals would be 20%, looking up how big a ship's computer network is would be 40%
Software
Changing how programs work or hacking passwords is the job of software experts. This is one of the most necessary parts of the computer skill. This allows you to hack through security (sometimes after finding how to plug in to the hardware with the hardware skill). Software checks will usually be used in combination with the other two computer skills to create a full effect unless you are just working on a local computer device.
Sample Check: Hacking through a highly protected system: 5% hacking a guys password: 30%. Programming you're own robot quickly is around 50%.
The crew skill relates to being a crew-member of a vessel requiring more then one man to operate. If you are the navigations officer or port side gunner you use your crew skill, this skill is applied for vessels large and small. You're crew skill itself confers to ship action points for ship warfare which is explained in further detail in the ship rules. Technically crew would also be used for airships or ground based super tanks.
Engineering
Fixing stuff and keeping it all working. This is the most catch-all of the crew skills, applicable to fixing engines, rerouting power from the bridge, or just working the hangar doors.
Sample check: Operating the hangar door is around 70%, fixing the ships engines comes to about 10%.
Gunnery
Applicable to manning the weapon systems of a ship, also includes the ability to fix them (both engineering and gunnery are applicable, whichever is higher). Gunnery specialists typically man the mounted weapons to shoot down other ships or control entire broadsides from the bridge controls.
Sample Check: Repair a turret 50%, firing is at 60% (plus applicable modifications during ship combat specifically).
Navigation
Highly specific, navigation is used to direct the ship into the right direction, a high navigation is needed to plot new routes by looking at planetary orbits, obstacles, and other variables. With enough time Navigation officers could figure out most routes, but in mid combat it becomes significantly harder.
Sample Check: Escape route to anywhere safe: 30%, finding a shortcut between galactic travel in a few hours is about 40%. Getting from one planet to another in the same system is around 60%
Concentration doesn't have any specialties but it does have an important purpose. Anyone attempting to perform a task while under stress, whether that be combat or an imminent crash landing, needs to make concentration checks. This can range from channeling a spell between rounds in combat, trying to hack a doorway or deploy a turret in combat, or trying to fix the ship's engines as you fall toward the planet.
Sample check: Hacking a door while being shot at 40%, fixing an engine while crashing 50%, deploying robotics in mid combat 70% GMs will generally only call for this roll if they feel its appropriate as it could bog down intense moments a lot if it was rolled for every little thing you did.
Sometimes getting around without paying for a cab means driving yourself. Driving calmly down the streets like a good citizen doesn't even need a roll, things get tricky when you start using bigger vehicles and try to drive around at top speeds in mid combat. The heavy and light vehicle skills aren't actually used for rolls, they're used as pre-requisites to operate certain vehicles beyond simple transportation (these requirements are listed in the vehicles profile).
Heavy Vehicle
This applies to things like tanks and semi trucks (mechs are under the pilot skill however). The different physics require a different type of driving skill to avoid accidents with these and properly navigate them in difficult situations. Driving across flat road at high speed is no problem, it's when its bumpy and you're trying to dodge mortar shells that you need to pay attention. This is not the same as terrain and road checks, it is just a prerequisite to see if you even are allowed those checks in this vehicle. It does not use checks, vehicles in the heavy vehicle section list their requirements to be properly operated. Improperly operated they can go from Point A to B but can't fully utilize their potential.
Light Vehicle
Similar to heavy vehicle, this covers civilian cars, motorcycles, and race cars. It is also explicitly used for making full use of the vehicle's potential, listed by each vehicles requirements. Without making the requirement you cannot operate them beyond simple transportation and less then top speed.
Street
This is a check needed to speed through open roads. When the challenge at hand is moving around cars and avoiding a crash a street check is needed. Depending on the speed which you are going and how many obstacles there are to your driving maneuvers how difficult the check will be. If the road is free and clear you're good to go at top speed, but in the midst of traffic while running from the cops...not so easy.
Sample Check: High speed-major roads 20%, extreme speed on major roads 10%, medium speed through suburbs 50%
Terrain
When the challenge is potruding rocks, holes in the ground, trees, and basically just stationary obstacles on already rough terrain you need to make Terrain check. The big difference between terrain and street is that when the ride is smooth like on roads with mobile obstacles like cars you would use street, when it is bumpy and stationary objects that can totally stop your vehicle it is time for terrain.
Sample Check: Medium speeds through a forest 20%, high speed through rocky area 30%, high speed through rubble 30%
This is for tinkering with things that work on a physical method instead of digitital or magical. Repairing a vehicle or unlocking a physically locked door is going to require mechanics. Many simple devices around the world use mechanical principals to work instead of ethi, for example the average house will have a simple mechanical lock instead of a magically locked portal. Mechanics is also the most useful skill for modifying and building your own devices.
Design
Understanding how something works is a skill of itself. This skill lets you look at something and figure out how it works, what it's intended purpose is, and how durable it is. Design is important if you want to be knowledgeable about the devices you see on your adventure, it is also one of the most important skills for creating your own devices.
Sample check: Figuring out how the door works (magnetic, bolted, etc.) 70%, finding the weak spot in a mech 30%
Devices
This is the art of understanding what something is made of, how those materials are behaving, and what types of components are involved. Knowing that a design is a watch from is one thing, but devices is needed to tell what that part that counter-acts gravity is. In construction of new toys a good devices skills helps to add features beyond the basic goal, if you wan't to make an automated turret design can come up with the idea but devices will be needed to select appropriate materials and components. This can also be good for finding anomalies within a machine, like figuring out what part isn't doing what its designed for but is instead an explosive trap hidden as a part.
Sample check: Analyzing a moderately complex machine (car) for anomalies to its design purpose 40%
Implementation
How it all comes together and goes into use is the work of Implementation. Just because you know that part in the door is technically a lock doesn't mean you fully grasp how to tinker with it. Implementation is used when you wan't to make things behave the way you desire, or break things the way you think will best benefit you. This is the skill for picking locks, sabotaging cars, or putting your design together for a great big shebang.
Sample check: Undoing a civilian door lock 80% loosening a tank's treads so it falls of when it moves 30%
This skill is to measure your chance to hit in melee combat. It should be noted that "thrown" objects are actually considered brawling unless you are throwing a very specific weapon. For example, the sword you use everyday is Melee: Sword and you can use that to throw it since you are already innately familiar with handling such a weapon.
Brawling
Brawling is the art of fisticuffs, sometimes you don't have a weapon or you just happen to get into a bar fight. Brawling is your attack skill when not using anything other then your fists (some weapons apply to brawling instead of weapon styles).
_________
The blank line on the character sheets are to be filled in with whatever melee weapon style you want to become proficient in upon taking the talent for it. Thrown weapon styles and magic touch attack spells can also be included here. You do not need to take a proficiency for each kind of spell, just "Touch magic" will suffice for all touch cast spells.
Natural covers the basic aspects of surviving the natural world. It is a good skill to have if you find yourself wandering the jungles of some uncolonized planet or face to face with some weird creatures you've never seen before.
Animal
This is for all things relating to animals of all sorts. This helps you to understand what kind of creature it is, if it is hostile, if it is particularly vulnerable to something, and also it allows you to try and interact with them or train your pets new tricks. Tricks are pretty much one word commands and single gestures.
Sample: Identify animal 70%, figure out temperament 60%, train an animal in a task 20% (assuming for a newly encountered animal, if you have a pet dog that follows you everywhere that just takes a bit of time but is a given)
Survival
This is a skill to keep yourself alive and live off the land. Helps to find non-poisonous plant and hunt various animals with makeshift traps.
Sample Check: find food 50%, set up traps 30%
Tracking
Sometimes your target escapes into the jungle and you need to track them down, or you're looking for a rare animal somewhere for its pelt to sell to a weird old hermit you met. Tracking helps you stalk your prey through natural areas, not effective in densely populated areas. Empty areas of cities or entirely abandoned cities would use this as well though.
Sample Check: Dense jungle 70%, Arid desert 40%, back alleys 20%
Generally attempting to keep an eye out for things falls under the skill of perception. Useful for looking around for various things and spotting something important that would otherwise escape notice. Perception is typically rolled as whatever sense would actively pick up whatever the check was rolled for. While specifically searching for something it is generally assumed sight will be used. Though when scanning the room vaguely the GM may sometimes call for the primary stat of perception itself to be rolled.
Hearing
Just because you have an eye out doesn't mean something won't sneak up on you from behind. Hearing directly counters the stealth "silence" skill.
Motive
Motive is used specifically to counter the "lying" skill. You may call for a motive check against people you're talking to to see if you can sense any falsehood behind their words. If a statement is truly ludicrous no matter how high their lying skill is you will generally not believe it, even if you fail to sense motive you will just assume they earnestly believe it and are crazy. The GM does not have to tell you what number you need to beat, just tell you whether or not you sense they are purposefully omitting information or outright lying. If you failed the roll you are simply alerted you sense no such thing.
Sight
The typical roll to spot something in the distance or find something you are looking for that happens to be laying around. This counters the hide and disguise skills from the stealth tree.
Smell/taste
The two senses are closely tied together and are considered of the same skill. For most this skill won't prove to be all that useful but certain races start with a large enough bonus to use this as a method of detection. Most smell checks will be around 1-5% for purposes of tracking but races like Gnolls have a large enough bonus to pull it off.
Similar to the rules of driving, pilot allows you to command complex vehicles particularly that feature more systems then an average vehicle. This particular skill is not very intuitive, untrained people should not be in control of these vehicles. A trained character has the ability to fly from point A to B with little trouble and doesn't need a roll for a smooth trip, but an untrained one will not only need a roll but the check that is ignored for a trained pilot is 50% (since untrained is -30% this is easily disastrous).
Control
The control feature represents your ability to command your craft and push its limits to achieve your desires. Heavy, light, and mechanized skills simply determine if you are qualified to operate the craft. Control is used to actually put them through their paces, if you are trained in piloting you can fly on a smooth safe route. If you are trained in control, you can do a barrel roll, streak between skyscrapers, and gain a measure of control in crash landings to save yourself. Control is the important stat for doing heavy duty piloting, whereas mere training is all you need for shuttling people around in safe environments.
Sample check: Pulling out of a deadly nose dive to make a safe(r) crash landing 30% barrel roll 80% back-flip a heavy mech 15%.
Heavy
This covers crafts generally not suited to complex maneuvering and are built more so to withstand a beating. Generally these will be shuttles, dropship transport types, and frigates (anything larger then frigate takes more then one person to control and goes under the crew skill). Technically, this also covers commercial style airline planes and cargo planes if the situation to pilot one should ever come up.
Light
For nimble craft with very little room for cargo or people. This would be hover-bikes, jet fighters, two-man bombers, Vtols, and helicopters. The light skill covers the proficiency to operate systems and fly them safely, but the Control skill is still needed to take them into combat effectively.
Mechanized
Same as heavy and light, mechanized is for proficiency to operate mechanized vehicles. Typically qualified by the use of segmented limbs to achieve movement instead of treads, tires, or hover tracks. Again, as with light and heavy mechanized does not qualify you as a fully combatant pilot, that is control. This simply means you know how to operate your systems and get around. Sure you could point your gun at a doorway but it might take you embarassingly long to key in the controls.
Presence determines your type of attitude you generally present yourself with. The highest one is the one that applies, attempting to pose as another will result in making an opposed roll against yourself (roll for both, factor in bonuses to increase your roll and see which one came out higher) to change your outlook temporarily. Disguise can be substituted to change your presence instead, rolling it opposed to your currently highest presence effect. Certain races give off certain presence effects and attributes do as well. You can invest points into them to change which one is your highest, the higher they get the more powerful the effect. Not many characters will need this, but entire battles can be avoided if your intimidation is high enough or social endeavors can go much more favorably if people think you look trustworthy. The presence section of your character sheet is just a few blank lines for you to write it in as you gain them (for example racial presences) and your next highest ones as determined by attribute or points you spend. Roleplay-heavy groups may also enjoy using this to fully craft their character.
Typical presences are called:
disgusting, intimidating, innocent, intelligent, mysterious, trustworthy
More might appear or you may come up with your own idea to write in and put points into.
This skill covers your ability to use ranged weapons. This covers bows, rifles, pistols, rocket launchers, and mortars for example. However, it should be noted that thrown weapons are actually under melee and large scale artillery would be under Crew: Gunnery. Magic spells cast at range for attacking are a proficiency covered under this primary skill. You do not need to take a proficiency for each individual spell, just "Ranged magic" will suffice for all ranged attack spells.
This skill is the speed of your reactions. This is a very frequently called for check to see if you react in time to various stimuli. It also increases your AC/TAC by an amount equal to half your reflex skill (though armor may cap how much actually goes through reflex is still good for reacting to a variety of challenges).
While a lot of things could be technically qualified as science in this case it refers to a basic area of study. While yes physics could technically apply to engineering we have left that to another specialty. Here are the basic areas it covers, if a check is in the grey area between science, mechanic, and computer (hardware) it will be left to GM discretion.
Biology
The particular study of things like anatomy or cellular functions. This is particularly used to identify new species and how they work with their environment, not so much how to fix them if they're broken.
Chemistry
Chemistry isn't just the study of chemicals, its the study of all matter and particularly its interaction with each other. Chemical is particularly useful for helping to design weird devices combined with mechanics, checking for contaminents, and creating poisons or healing chemicals.
Medical
This is particularly about application to animals (including humanoids for the purposes of this reference). A combination of biological and chemical knowledge will help you invent new healing chemicals and work out delivery methods but medical is needed to gain the raw skills to apply them, especially surgically. This is also good for patching up allies and keeping them from dying in the field of combat.
Social covers your skill with words and ability to navigate a conversation favorably. This is used when talking to other characters and trying to get them to react the way you like, whatever that may be.
Diplomacy
The act of convincing and negotiating on even terms. Diplomacy works best when you want to convince someone to see things your way or give you a good deal at the store.
Disguise
The art of disguising yourself to pose as someone else is mostly a social skill. Changing your behavior to mimic what you are disguising yourself as, putting on the appropriate attire is the easy part but really selling the part takes a disguise check.
Intimidate
When speaking softly and diplomatically fails, carrying a big stick or at least alluding to it is the next step naturally. Intimidation can be used to many similar purposes to diplomacy but based on a very different reaction. When trying to get out of an imminent bar fight, being intimidating will usually work better then being diplomatic. If you are really good at either one you could theoretically cover each ones strengths with just one skill, but sometimes it just helps to be one or the other. Also some hard headed characters might not be so open to diplomacy but fear is a language they understand very well, by that token some people are outright scarier then you or nearly impossible to intimidate due to status and power.
Lying
When diplomacy fails and intimidation fails, it may well be time to tell something other then the truth. Lying goes directly against someones "motive" (under perception) skill.
We've come a long way since the medieval era when magic was just a collection of strange abilities that you had to jump a few hoops to utilize. Now days we have a deep understanding of how it works once put under a microscope, spellcraft is a measure of your ability to understand and utilize various magic. While you may specialize in a particular one through talents to gain bonuses to understanding them, spellcraft covers a general amount of all magic and is needed to work with ethi devices. It should be noted that magic attacks for combat are considered weapon proficiencies (melee for touch, ranged for ranged spells). This is for more of the utility aspects.
Understanding
Before you can truly work with magic you need to understand it. Understanding is used to identify magical origin (arcane, psionic, incarnum, pandem, etc.), effect, potency, and basically everything you could need to know about a magical spell or enchantments property. This will be most frequently used to identify what kind of magic is going on.
Manipulation
Once you understand what something does and how it works you can begin to manipulate it. Manipulation allows you to modify spells of your own or enchantments others have cast. This allows you to undo magical locks, change a wands spell cast, or other similar actions.
Utilization
This is used to make use of things already in place or create your own devices. Utilization can be used to drain magical energy from one device to feed yourself or be placed into another object. It could also be used to apply your own enchantments to devices up to a certain level depending on your skill, where you could then manipulate the energies to specify the spell. Utilization is primarily used to shift energy around and enchant things on your own.
Stealth covers acts of trickery and remaining hidden. The only arguable one is the lack of Disguise, hiding in plain sight like that is considered a social trick more so then a stealth ability.
Hide
Hiding is the art of remaining unseen. This goes against sight rolls to avoid being spotted while you hide or attempt to sneak through the shadows.
Silence
Being quiet is good when trying to move past an area without alerting attention. Sometimes both hide and silence must be rolled but this is typically used when attempting to do anything while out of sight. It goes agaisnt a character's hearing skill to avoid being detected.
Sleight of Hand
Sneaking up and grabbing an object off of the table while no one is looking is one thing, but stealing it right out of a man's hand is another. Sleight of hand is used to sneak things around unseen and unfelt.