Skill List

Air Vehicles (Dexterity): Flying an airplane, jet, hot-air balloon or even a hang glider uses the air vehicles skill. Identifying or repairing these vehicles uses Mind + air vehicles. Air vehicles cannot be used unskilled.

Alteration (Mind): Magical energy that converts existing matter and energy into different forms is controlled via alteration magic. See Spells for more information on magic and casting. Alteration cannot be used unskilled.

Apportation (Spirit): Spells that move, hasten, or slow objects or beings are called apportation magic. See Spells for more information. Apportation cannot be used unskilled.

Beast Riding (Dexterity): Beast riding is the ability to ride horses, camels, and other mounts. When mounting a creature for the first time a rider should test using the animal's Spirit as the DN. If the test fails, the beast may refuse to move or even buck the stranger with a particularly low total. Test again any time the user attempts a difficult maneuver with the creature, such as running down a slippery slope or jumping over a gap or obstacle. A rider’s mount moves on his turn. If it runs, the rider suffers the usual –2 penalty for running as well. A successful melee weapons attack while mounted on a running beast causes +2 damage.

Computers (Mind): Computers are ubiquitous from Tech Level 23 onward, and most everyone knows how to use computers and electronics for the purpose they were intended. Basic computer use can be attempted unskilled. Programming, hacking, or engineering cannot.

Conjuration (Spirit): Conjuration magic brings new matter, energy, or material into existence. See Spells for more information on magic and casting. Conjuration cannot be used unskilled.

Divination (Mind): Divination magic gleans information from objects, beings, or events. It is the magic of knowledge. See Spells for more information on magic and casting. Divination cannot be used unskilled.

Dodge (Dexterity): Dodge is generally a passive skill and is the Difficulty Number attackers must use to hit the character with ranged attacks. Sometimes this reflects the actual ability to dodge a projectile (particularly slow ones), but is more often a measure of how well the character uses natural cover or movement to avoid being hit.

Energy Weapons (Dexterity): Blasters, plasma guns, lasers, and other beam or energy weapons use this skill. It is most often found on characters from high-tech cosms.

Evidence Analysis (Mind): Finding clues is typically a use of the find skill, but knowing what you’re looking at (or finding out) is evidence analysis. A detective might find a bloody knife, a bootprint, and a handkerchief at a scene. Evidence analysis might reveal that the knife is the type used by local butchers, the mud from the bootprint is only found at the local quarry, and the handkerchief is from a local shop.

Faith (Spirit): Some priests, holy warriors, and other blessed souls have the ability to channel supernatural power from divine sources. The source may be a god or pantheon of deities, or it may be faith in the world or humanity itself. Faith is required for those who wish to call for power or aid directly from their deities. Usually this is done via the Miracles Perk, but the ward enemy miracle is available to all faithful of generally good religions. Unlike magic or psionic skills, faith may be used unskilled.

Find (Mind): Find allows a character to spot hidden objects, detect concealed persons, or notice something out of the ordinary. The difficulty in finding an object depends on how well hidden or concealed it is, the clutter around it or the space it might be found in, and available light. Detecting hidden characters or creatures is a contest of find versus stealth. Apply darkness penalties if illumination is poor. Note that if an adventure hinges on clues the player characters should always find them somehow. A poor find total may mean it takes a little longer or there’s some obstacle to get at it, but Game Masters should never allow bad die rolls to stop a tale dead in its tracks.

Fire Combat (Dexterity): Fire combat covers the use of firearms such as pistols, rifles, shotguns, and assault rifles. The DN to hit an individual is usually his dodge skill.

First Aid (Mind): Where medicine is used to diagnose and treat ailments, first aid covers treating the traumatic injuries represented by [[Wound]]s. Healing Wounds generally takes 10 minutes, though the GM may alter this as fits the particular circumstances. The DN is Standard (DN 10) plus the patient’s current Wound penalty. A Standard success removes one Wound and the KO condition. A Good success removes two Wounds, and an Outstanding success removes three. Each healer may only attempt first aid on a victim’s wounds once, and only within an hour of the injury. She can try to remove any new wounds should they occur, however. To speed along a patient’s natural healing, analyze injuries, diagnose and treat diseases, etc., use the medicine skill.

Heavy Weapons (Dexterity): This category of weaponry includes cannons, heavy (mounted) machine guns, vehicle mounted guns, missiles, mortars, and the like.

Intimidation (Spirit): Intimidation rattles opponents in combat or social conflicts. Intimidation may also be used to interrogate a subject. The victim must be cornered, bound, blackmailed, or otherwise in some sort of real or imagined social or physical danger to be effective. (Interrogation by less hostile means is a normal use of persuasion instead.) The questioner’s intimidation is pitted against the victim’s intimidation or Spirit as usual, and suffers a penalty if the questions are particularly sensitive, or a bonus if the subject has little personal stake in his revelations (GM’s call). If the test is failed, the victim refuses to speak, lies, or otherwise holds out for the remainder of this scene. The questioning may be tried again later depending on the circumstances (GM’s call). If the interrogator is successful, the amount of information revealed depends on his success level:

• Standard: The target confirms information he believes is likely already known.
• Good: The captive reveals significant information, but omits key details.
• Outstanding: The prisoner tells his captor everything he knows.

Kinesis (Spirit): Those with the Psionics Perk use kinesis for powers that move matter or energy. Kinesis cannot be used unskilled.

Land Vehicles (Dexterity): This is the ability to drive a car, tractor, tank, motorcycle or other land-based vehicle. It includes most hovering vehicles as well, as long as they’re basically earthbound. The GM should ask for a land vehicles total anytime the driver has to attempt a tricky maneuver. See [[Chase]]s for information on collisions.

Language (Mind): A character always speaks, reads, and writes his native language fluently (assuming it has a written component). Storm Knights also speak, read, and write English, the default language of the Delphi Council. Additional languages can be taken as skills. With one add in a language, the character can carry on general conversation. At two adds he can read and write and communicate complex concepts. At three adds he’s reasonably fluent and can detect and mimic local dialects. Language cannot be used unskilled.

Lockpicking (Dexterity): The ability to open mechanical and electronic locks and safes requires some knowledge of lockpicking. A character must also have lockpicks or other tools relevant to the particular type of security system. Makeshift tools can be used in a pinch, but typically incur a -4 penalty. The penalty of some sample locks is listed below. Lockpicking cannot be used unskilled.

Maneuver (Dexterity): Maneuver is an interaction attack used in personal combat to feint, fake, outmaneuver, or tire out an opponent. It is not used between vehicles—use stunts instead. The target of a maneuver must generally be in reach (GM’s call).

Medicine (Mind): Medicine allows doctors and other healers to diagnose disease or injury, analyze the wounds of living or dead victims, and treat lingering wounds. Diagnosing disease, poison, or illness is modified as the Game Master sees fit for the rarity of the ailment. Analyzing a victim or corpse is modified by the strangeness of the injuries, and reveals information based on the success level. Medicine can’t remove Wounds (see first aid), but eliminates one point of Wound penalties for each level of success when healing naturally. Medicine cannot be used unskilled.

Melee Weapons (Dexterity): The ability to handle oneself in a fight when your handgun disconnects from a more advanced reality has become very important in the Possibility Wars. Melee weapons covers swords, knives, maces, hammers and anything else that can be used as a hand weapon. The DN to hit an opponent is his melee weapons skill if he’s wielding a melee weapon, or unarmed combat if he’s bare-handed (most creatures).
*Missile Weapons (Dexterity): Any non-powered projectile weapon, such as bows, thrown knives or axes, and slings, uses the missile weapons skill. The attacker compares his skill total versus the opponent’s dodge to hit.

Persuasion (Charisma): Persuasion gets a nonplayer character to grant a favor of some sort (player characters make their own decisions and aren’t subject to persuasion). The DN is the target’s persuasion or Mind if it’s a matter of logic, or willpower or Spirit if the attempt is an emotional appeal. This is almost always a contest. If attempting to persuade a group, the character can either use the Combined Actions rules or the willpower or Spirit of the leader in hopes he can sway his followers. The Game Master should modify the result by circumstance, such as a bonus to persuade someone to do something that is obviously in their own best interest. A clever ruse, heartfelt present, or even a stirring performance might also grant a bonus. Conversely, persuasion should be penalized if the character is an outsider or stranger, or if the request is particularly egregious to the target. If the persuading character is haggling to buy or sell goods, the Game Master should modify the total by the scarcity of item or risk in providing the service. The level of success determines the other character’s reaction:

• Standard: The target agrees to some or all of the request but the price is very steep in terms of actual money, a reciprocal favor, or some far more personal fee.
• Good: The target agrees to the basic proposition but only in exchange for something of relative worth, or perhaps even at a slight disadvantage (though it might not be immediately obvious).
• Outstanding: The target agrees to the basic proposition as long as it has some value to him or doesn’t cost him much in material or prestige. If the individual is friendly to the character or her cause, he goes above and beyond the request.

Precognition (Mind): Powers that detect or glimpse possible futures use the precognition power, which can only be taken by those who have the Psionics Perk. Precognition cannot be used unskilled.

Profession (Mind): Journalism, photography, masonry, acting, business, or any other skill not otherwise covered in this list falls into this general category, and should be noted as profession (web designer) or whatever is appropriate on the character sheet. Knowledge and use of the profession is tied to Mind, though some applications of it may use other attributes. Performing a play, for example, uses Charisma for the actual performance, while Mind-based tests are used for knowledge of the theater and related fields. A particular profession isn’t likely to come up in the cinematic adventures of Torg Eternity, so this is a skill players might want to think about more proactively. A reporter might use profession (journalist) to research information on a killer in Orrorsh, for example.

Reality (Spirit): The reality skill allows Storm Knights to resist the transformation that accompanies invading axioms, and remain connected to her own cosm. Having adds in reality allows Soaking Damage, Reconnection, and other world-bending abilities described in [[Reality]] section. Reality may not be used unskilled, but all Storm Knights begin with at least one add in the skill.

Scholar (Mind): Scholar measures a character’s knowledge of the liberal arts—history, literature, arcane lore, and so on.

Science (Mind): The science skill indicates knowledge of scientific processes, such as astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and so forth.

Stealth (Dexterity): Stealth is used to sneak up on opponents, slip past sentries, move quietly, hide, or generally avoid detection. Stealth is opposed by the opponent’s Mind or find. If there is more than one individual searching, use the Combined Actions rules. The Game Master should apply modifiers to the character’s stealth test (or to opponents’ find totals) as appropriate. Darkness, obstructed areas, soft ground, and other circumstances all affect one’s ability to move quietly and remain hidden from view. Striking someone while undetected usually means they’re [[Flat Footed]]. If the entire group manages to beat their foes’ find the Storm Knights gain the advantage of Surprise.

Streetwise (Charisma): Working an area for information is often a critical part of the Storm Knights’ missions. Whether it’s scrounging up supplies, avoiding gospog swarms, or finding key people, items, or stelae, this is the skill a character uses. The DN is modified by how hard the information is to retrieve—how much people are willing to talk about it, how commonly it’s known, and so on. Additional success levels generally shorten the time needed to find the info, reveal more details, or some combination of the two. Failure might mean the basic information is found but costs significant funds—or the investigator comes back with a few bumps and bruises!

Survival (Mind): Finding shelter, food, and water, navigating wilderness, and avoiding disease, sunstroke and other environmental hazards are all uses of the survival skill.

Taunt (Charisma): Belittling an opponent might enrage him so much he makes a mistake—or puts his tail between his legs and runs. Taunt is an interaction attack designed to make an opponent commit a critical error or open himself up to a more deadly attack. Taunt is pitted against an opponent’s taunt or Charisma.

Telepathy (Charisma): Telepaths use this skill to read minds, detect emotions, or perceive the world outside their own five senses. Telepathy cannot be used unskilled.

Tracking (Mind): Most anyone can follow footprints in mud or snow, but a skilled tracker can follow other signs and detect the most likely path of whatever it is she’s stalking. The Game Master should add any bonuses or penalties depending on the situation. Tracking in fresh mud or snow might be worth a +4 bonus, while following a path in the rain is a -4. If the target is deliberately trying to cover her tracks, the test is opposed by his Mind or tracking.

• A Standard success follows the path to any natural break points, such as streams, roads, or other terrain that doesn’t leave imprints. Picking up a trail requires a new test and some amount of time depending on the circumstances.
• A Good success finds tracks and reveals how many individuals are in the group (to within about 10%).
• An Outstanding success determines the number of individuals being tracked, whether or not they were running or walking, and if they were carrying anything heavy.

Trick (Mind): Characters use trick to fool their opponents and throw them off-guard, or to bluff them into believing some temporary ruse. Trick is primarily a distraction tactic. Convincing someone of a lie is covered by persuasion.

Unarmed Combat (Dexterity): Martial arts, animal attacks, and plain old bare-knuckle brawling are covered by unarmed combat. The DN is the opponent’s unarmed combat if he’s similarly unarmed, or melee weapons if he’s wielding an appropriate weapon. An unarmed fighter’s damage is his Strength.

Water Vehicles (Dexterity): This skill covers the ability to steer, pilot, and repair boats, ships, submarines, jet skis, and any other watercraft. Repairing such vehicles is a function of Mind + water vehicles.

Willpower (Spirit): Willpower is mental discipline used to resist fear and certain magical, psionic, or spiritual attacks. Nonplayer characters also use willpower to resist persuasion attempts based on an emotional appeal. It can be used actively in a contest or as a defense.