Skills

Heroes sneak into the closely guarded lairs of criminal masterminds, infiltrate alien computer systems, and build devices beyond the understanding of modern science. They can piece together obscure clues to a villain's latest plot, run along tightropes, and pilot vehicles through obstacle courses, all in a day's work. In this game they do so through the use of various skills.

Skill Basics

Skills are learned abilities, a combination of training (the skill) and natural talent (an ability rank). Each skill has a rank, used as a bonus to the dice roll when using the skill. To make a skill check, roll:

The total value before rolling is limited by power level limitations even if multiple skills were used. For details on each part see the sections below.

Example: A power level 10 character with Swimming (Str) 18 and Athletics (Str) 3 and a Strength of 5 wants to swim. Athletics is a -5 away from swimming so add them up as follows: max(Swimming-distance, 0)+max(Athletics-distance, 0)+Strength = 18+0+5 = 23 but this is too high for his power level limitation so instead he gets only a +20 to his roll. Notice that he didn't receive a penalty from having Athletics.

Skill Rank

Your rank in a skill, based on the points you have invested in that skill. If you have ranks in a skill you're considered trained in that skill. You can use some skills even if you don't have any ranks in them, known as using a skill untrained. Some skills may not be used untrained.

Ability Modifier

Each skill has an ability modifier applied to the skill's checks. Each skill's ability modifier is noted in its description and on Table: Skills. If you use a skill untrained, the ability modifier still applies to the skill check.

The ability listed in the skill description is only for generalized use and may change based on the situation. For example Athletics (Str) can be used for Climbing (Str), Sprinting (Agl), or Long Distance Running (Sta).

Mental based skills like Knowledge checks might change the mental ability used but can't use physical abilities. Any of the application skills (anything that doesn't use Int) can be used as a Knowledge skill with an Int ability to answer some questions about whatever skill it is. For example Swimming (Str) can be used as Knowledge: Swimming (Int) to answer the question "what is a butterfly stroke?" but on the other hand Knowledge: Swimming (Int) can't be used as Swimming (Str) although a successful Knowledge check might give a circumstance bonus due to knowing how to do such as stroke. For another example Knowledge: Investigation can represent experience in the field and thus a successful roll can explain where the best places to start looking for evidence providing a +1 bonus to the following Gather Evidence check.

Distance Penalty

Due to an unlimited number of skills existing there is the ability to use related skills with a penalty based on how unrelated they are. The exact penalty is determined by the Gamemaster but can never be a bonus. When determining distance penalties compare not only the difference between the ideal skill and the one in question but also consider the task itself for other relevant fields. For example a character can use Athletics for swimming or climbing with a -5 distance penalty but Swimming can't be used for climbing at all. The distance penalty is either 0 for the ideal skill, -2 for a closely related skill, or -5 for a distant but acceptable skill. The penalty maxes out at -5, any skill less related can't be used at all.

Each of the broad skills have a distance penalty of -5 for each of the things they can do as listed below (for example using Athletics for swimming or climbing) however some of the skills below are not broad (such as Knowledge). Buying a specific skill such as Swimming will not provide a penalty when swimming but can't be used for things like climbing therefore consider whether a specific skill or a broad skill is more appropriate (or perhaps raw ability).

Example: The question was asked "What is the average wingspan of an English Sparrow?" To answer this Knowledge: Birds is the ideal skill (no distance penalty) although this particular question would have a DC of around 5 anyway. The skill Knowledge: Animals (aka Zoology) having a penalty of -2 and Knowledge: Biology a penalty of -5. The skills Knowledge: Sparrows and Knowledge: English Sparrow Wings although also have no distance penalty are much less useful then Knowledge: Birds and thus the system discourages overly specific skills.

It is possible to use multiple skills when rolling for a task, in which case, for each skill, get the difference of (skill rank - distance penalty) with a minimum of 0 since more skills can't hinder you. Add together each skill total then add 3dF + ability modifier + miscellaneous modifiers so that the dice, ability, and miscellaneous are only added once, use the ability of the ideal skill.

Miscellaneous Modifiers

Miscellaneous modifiers to skill checks include modifiers for circumstances, and bonuses from advantages or powers, among others.

The higher the total, the better the result. You're usually looking for a total that equals or exceeds a particular difficulty class (DC), which may be based on another character's traits.

Acquiring Skills

When choosing skills try to pick useful categories and the ability most related. It is recommended to take at least one Expertise due to being versatile in a specific field. Provided below is a list of skills that may be used; it is not exhaustive but has some useful and common ones. The Gamemaster should check over all skills to make sure they aren't too broad, narrow, or suspicious (such as Kowledge: Gamemaster you little muchkin).

Give your hero skill ranks by spending character points: 2 skill ranks per character point. Skill ranks do not all need to be assigned to the same skill. You can split them between different skills, thus allowing you to have two skills with an odd number of ranks as long as the total of all skills is even. Characters can perform some tasks without any training, using only raw talent (as defined by their ability ranks), but skilled characters are better at such things. Those with the right combinations of skills and advantages can even make them as useful as super-powered characters although very rarely will a superpowered combat-based villain lose to a hero without powers.

You may use Enhanced Trait to raise a skill which would have the same effect except that it is considered the result of powers and not experience and thus can have modifiers and be lost during a power loss complication etc.

How Skills Work

When you use a skill, make a skill check to see how you do. Based on the circumstances, your result must match or beat a particular number to use the skill successfully. The harder the task, the higher the number you need to roll. (See Checks, for more information.)

Untrained Skill Checks

If your (skill rank - distance penalty) total is 0 or less then the roll is considered untrained with a skill rank and distance penalty of 0 each. Generally, if you attempt a task requiring a skill you don't have, you make a skill check as normal. Skill rank doesn't apply because you don't have any ranks in the skill. You do get other modifiers, however, such as the skill's ability modifier.

Many skills can only be used if you are trained in them. Skills that cannot be used untrained are marked with a "No" in the "Untrained" column on Table: Skills and listed as "Trained Only" in their descriptions. Attempts to use these skills untrained automatically fail. In some cases, a skill may have both trained and untrained aspects; if you do not have any ranks in that skill, you can only use the untrained ones.

Interaction Skills

Certain skills, called interaction skills, are aimed at dealing with others through social interaction. Interaction skills allow you to influence the attitudes of others and get them to cooperate with you in one way or another. Since interaction skills are intended for dealing with others socially, they have certain requirements.

First, you must be able to interact with the subject(s) of the skill. They must be aware of you and able to understand you. If they can't hear or understand you for some reason, you have a -2 circumstance penalty to your skill check (see Circumstance Modifiers in The Basics).

Interaction skills work best on intelligent subjects, ones with an Intellect rank of -3 or better. You can use them on creatures with less Int, but again with a -2 circumstance penalty: they're just too dumb to get the subtleties of your point. You can't use interaction skills at all on subjects lacking one or more mental abilities such as trying to convince a rock to be your friend or to be afraid of you.

You can use interaction skills on groups of subjects at once, but only to achieve the same result for everyone. So you can attempt to use Deception or Persuasion to convince a group of something, or Intimidation to cow a crowd, for example, but you can't convince some individuals of one thing and the rest of another, or intimidate some and not others. The GM decides if a particular use of an interaction skill is effective against a group, and may apply modifiers depending on the situation. The general rules for interaction still apply: everyone in the group must be able to hear and understand you, for example, or you suffer a -2 on your skill check against them. Mindless subjects are unaffected, as usual.

Manipulation Skills

Some skills, called manipulation skills, require a degree of fine physical manipulation. You need prehensile limbs and a Strength rank or some suitable Precise power effect to use manipulation skills effectively. If your physical manipulation capabilities are impaired in some fashion (such as having your hands tied or full use of only one hand), the GM may impose a circumstance modifier based on the severity of the impairment. Characters lacking the ability to use manipulation skills can still have ranks in them and use them to oversee or assist the work of others (see Team Checks).

Skill Benchmarks

You can get a general idea of just how good a particular character's skill bonus is using the general difficulty class guidelines given in The Basics along with the rules for routine checks (see Routine Checks).

For example, a +5 total skill modifier means the character can routinely achieve a result of 5 (a tough task). Safe to say the character is a pro, able to routinely handle tasks that would prove too much for someone less skilled. A character with a +10 skill modifier achieve a DC 10 (challenging task) on a routine basis, a real level of expertise, while a +15 modifier can routinely complete DC 15 (formidable) tasks. At the high end, a +30 skill modifier can routinely accomplishing the nigh impossible (DC 30 tasks)!

Skill Descriptions

This section describes the skills available to characters, including their common uses and modifiers. Characters may be able to use skills for tasks other than those given here. The GM sets the DC and decides the results in those cases. The format for skill descriptions is given here. Items that do not apply are omitted from the skill's description.

Table: Skills

Skill Name

The skill name line and the line below it contain the following information:

Skill Name: What the skill is called. GMs may feel free to change the names of some skills to better suit the style of their game, if desired.

Ability: The ability that applies a modifier to the skill check.

Trained Only: If "Trained Only" is included on the line below the skill's name, you must have at least 1 rank in the skill in order to use it. If "Trained Only" is absent, untrained characters (those with 0 ranks in the skill) may use it. Some skills may have trained only aspects, in which case this notation is still listed, and the untrained aspects are called out in the skill description.

Finding The Skill You Want

If you don't find a particular skill on the list, like climbing, bluffing, or search, remember that each skill covers a lot of ground. So, you'll find climbing isn't its own skill, but is listed as part of Athletics, while bluffing and search are under Deception and Investigation, respectively. When in doubt, read through the skill you think is most similar to what you're looking for.

• Interaction: If "Interaction" is included on the line below the skill's name, it is an interaction skill.
• Manipulation: If "Manipulation" is included on the line below the skill's name, it is a manipulation skill.
• Requires Tools: If "Requires Tools" is included on the line below the skill's name, you need to have the proper tools to use the skill. Not having the proper tools is a -2 circumstance penalty to the skill check (see Circumstance Modifiers).

The skill name line is followed by a description of the skill and how it is used.

Acrobatics

Use Acrobatics to flip, dive, roll, tumble, and perform other acrobatic maneuvers, as well as keeping your balance under difficult circumstances. Some things can be done untrained, see descriptions below, for all other cases it generally can't be done untrained at the GM's discretion.

Balancing

You can use this untrained. You can keep your balance and move along a precarious surface at your ground speed minus 1 rank with a successful Acrobatics check against the surface's DC. A degree of failure indicates you spend your move action just maintaining your balance and do not actually move, while two or more degrees of failure means you lose your balance and fall.

You are vulnerable while balancing. If you accept a +2 increase to the Acrobatics DC, you are not vulnerable.

If you fail a defense check while balancing, make another immediate Acrobatics check against the original DC to avoid falling.

Maneuvering

Some maneuvers can be done untrained at the GM's discretion. You can make Acrobatics checks for various acrobatic stunts or maneuvers, from back flips to jumping over an opponent (to get behind them), flipping up onto a ledge, tumbling through obstacles, and so forth. The GM sets the DC. Success means you accomplish the maneuver, while failure means you do not, and two or more degrees of failure usually means you slip and end up prone (and may suffer additional effects, depending on the stunt). A successful acrobatic maneuver may provide you a circumstance bonus on certain follow-up actions, if the GM sees fit.

Standing

You can't do this untrained. You can make a DC 10 Acrobatics check to go from prone to standing as a free action rather than a move action. A failed check means you remain prone.

Tumbling

You can't use this untrained. You can make an Acrobatics check (DC -5) as a free action to lessen damage from a fall, reducing the damage by 1 per degree of success. A fall reduced to rank 0 damage does no damage and you quickly roll to your feet. Otherwise, you are prone at the end of a fall.

Athletics

Use Athletics for physical feats like climbing, jumping, riding animal mounts, and swimming.

Climbing

With a successful Athletics check, you can climb along a slope, wall, or other steep incline at your ground speed rank minus 2 as a move action. A perfectly smooth, flat, vertical surface can't be climbed without the Wall-crawling effect of Movement (see Powers).

A failed Athletics check indicates you make no progress, and two or more degrees of failure means you fall from whatever height you attained (unless you are secured with a safety harness or other equipment). Make an Athletics check to catch yourself (DC equal to the initial check + 3). Someone else within arm's reach can also make an Athletics check to catch you with the same DC. If your attempt to catch someone else gets more than one degree of failure, you fall as well.

Since you can't easily move to avoid attacks, you are vulnerable while climbing unless you accept a +2 increase in the DC. Any time you fail a defense check while climbing, make an immediate Athletics check against the DC of the climb. Failure means you fall.

At the GM's discretion, certain kinds of climbing attempts might require tools like ropes, pitons, harness, and so forth. Attempting such a climb without tools incurs a -2 circumstance penalty.

You get a bonus or penalty based on your weight rank which is (2 - your weight rank)*4. (See Gameplay Rules: Relative Size Rules).

For falling damage see Gameplay Rules: Falling.

Jumping

The result of an Athletics check is the distance (in feet) you can clear in a running long-jump. If you make a standing jump, divide the distance in half. If you make a vertical jump (straight up) divide the distance by 5, and if you make a standing vertical jump, divide it by 10.

Your Athletics bonus is the base distance you can jump under routine circumstances. So a hero with a +20 Athletics bonus can make a routine long-jump of 20 feet, a standing long-jump of 10 feet, a vertical jump of 4 feet, and a standing vertical jump of 2 feet on a routine basis.

You get a bonus or penalty based on your weight rank which is (2 - your weight rank)*4. (See Gameplay Rules: Relative Size Rules)

If you want your hero to jump tens, hundreds, thousands of feet, or even miles, see Leaping effect.

Sprinting

You can make a DC 5 Athletics (Str) check as a free action to run faster: one or more degree of success increases your ground speed rank by +1 for one round. However doing this for more than one move action in a row is likely to require some kind of Stamina check.

Swimming

A successful DC 0 Athletics check allows you to swim your ground speed rank minus 2 as a move action. If the check fails, you make no progress through the water during the action. With more than one degree of failure, you go under. If underwater, you must hold your breath to avoid drowning (see Suffocation).

Swimming can't be performed untrained, however it can be performed to a lesser degree with Extra Effort (for a Victory Point you can gain the full benefits see Heroic Feat). If you use Extra Effort then a DC 5 Athletics (Sta) check allows you to swim your ground speed rank minus 3 as a standard action in order to dog paddle or tred water.

Table: Swimming Difficulties

Close Combat

You're trained with a particular type of close attack, giving you a bonus to your attack checks with it equal to your skill rank (see Attack Check). Each close attack is a separate Close Combat skill with its own rank, and encompasses a single weapon or power, although an array may be considered one power, at the Gamemaster's discretion (see Arrays in Powers).

So a hero might have Close Combat: Swords, but Close Combat: Melee Weapons is too broad. Close Combat: Unarmed is an option, meaning skill with unarmed strikes like punches and kicks. However, this bonus does not apply to other forms of unarmed combat maneuvers, including, but not limited to, grabbing or tripping.

The bonus from a Close Combat skill applies only to attack checks with the particular attack, not to defenses, countering, power checks, or other uses. Keep in mind that the skill distance penalty in this case is an attack penalty (not damage). In this system any weapon can be used untrained as a +0 skill modifier.

Here is a list of some common types of Close Combat: Improvised Weapons, Swords, Spears, Clubs, Daggers, Tonfa, Nunchaku, Sythe, Flamethrower, Chainsaw, and Halberd.

Common Knowledge

Also known as common sense. This skill is much like Knowledge but can be used untrained to an extent and covers more basic things. Common Knowledge is specific to the time period and culture and can only be used untrained if you have lived in that culture (during that time period).

This area covers simple living knowledge. For example in modern United States it is common knowledge that Milk needs to be kept refrigerated (even if you don't know why it goes sour), and that a stitch in time saves nine. It is understood that the most common language is English, the drinking age is 21, knowing how close people are to each other when talking, and how to be polite.

Although the DCs tend to be low the reason why this skill exists is to emphasize the cultural differences across time and place. For example in the southern United States in the 1860s (the time of the civil war) it is common knowledge that black people were inferior to white people although in modern times United States that is no longer the case (as common knowledge anyway since you can still believe that independently). More examples are that blood letting and witch burning were common in the Middle ages in Europe, when and how to sacrifice to Zeus was common in ancient Greece, and how deeply to bow is common in Japan.

Unless otherwise stated any Common Knowledge has a default time period the same as the time period of the setting.

Some more examples of Common Knowledge are: Earth, Mars, 1940s Southern United States Black Community, and rural community in Kentucky.

Deception

Deception is the skill of getting others to believe what you want them to believe. It covers things like acting, bluffing, fast-talk, trickery, and subterfuge.

Deception takes as long as it takes to spin-out your story. Uses of Deception in action rounds are generally standard actions, although you can attempt to deceive as a move action by taking a -2 penalty to your check.

Deception is usually opposed by the target's Insight check but may also be opposed by Deception (Int) to recognize deceptive techniques being used.

Table: Deception Modifiers

Bluffing

Make a Deception check to tell a believable lie or get someone do go along with you. Note that believability and risk are according to the character you are trying to deceive.

A bluff is opposed by the target's Insight check. Favorable and unfavorable circumstances weigh heavily on the outcome. Two circumstances can work against you: the deception is hard to believe, or what you ask goes against the target's self-interest, nature, or personality. Ordinary deception can only do so much, for anything beyond this you will need the powers of either Mind Control or Mental Transform. In the case of the last row on the above table even if telling the truth people might not believe you. However if the existence of super powers is well known then there are many circumstances that might not seem so unbelievable.

Example: The sorcerer Tim leads a group of knights to a cave guarded by a terrible monster who has slain dozens of knights. Upon arrival Tim points to an ordinary looking bunny and tells them that it is the monster. Despite being the truth the knights refuse to believe it, charge in, fight a hopeless battle losing several men, and retreat. Maybe if Tim explained that the bunny was not ordinary the knights would have considered it.

If it's important, you can distinguish between a deception that fails because the target doesn't believe it and one that fails because it asks too much. For instance, if the target gets a +4 bonus to resistance because the deception demands some kind of risk, and the defense check succeeds by 4 or less, then the target doesn't so much see through the deception as prove reluctant to go along with it. If the target's Insight check succeeds by 5 or more, he has seen through the deception, and would have refused even if it had not placed unusual demands on him (that is, even without the +4 modifier).

Disguise

You can use makeup, costumes, and other props to change your appearance. Your Deception check result determines the effectiveness of the disguise, opposed by others' perception check results. The GM makes the Deception check secretly so you are not sure exactly how well your disguise holds up under scrutiny.

Disguise is heavily dependent on circumstances: favorable ones include appropriate costuming and a subject resembling your normal appearance, while unfavorable circumstances include disguising yourself as a member of a different race or sex, or not having sufficient props (which can be up to a -2 modifier). If you are impersonating a particular individual, anyone who knows that individual gets a circumstance bonus to the Perception check: regular associates get a +1, while friends get a +2 and intimate loved ones a +4.

Successfully acting like who you appear to be may also require a Deception check with a DC equal to the observer's Insight check, modified by familiarity if the observer knows the subject well, as mentioned previously.

A disguise normally requires at least 10 minutes of preparation. The GM makes Perception checks for those who encounter you immediately upon meeting you and each hour or day thereafter, depending on circumstances.

Feinting

You can use Deception as a standard action to mislead an opponent in combat. Make a Deception check as a standard action opposed by your target's Insight. If your Deception check succeeds, the target is vulnerable against your next attack until the end of your next turn (see Vulnerable condition).

Not to be confused with fainting, although playing dead is a possible deception for which you'll need to fall prone regardless of your check and need to stay that way for a round.

Innuendo

You can use Deception to send covert messages using word-play and double-meanings while apparently talking about other things. The DC for a basic message is 0. Complex messages or messages trying to communicate new information have DCs of 5 or 10, respectively. The recipient of the message must make a Insight check against the same DC to understand it.

Table: Innuendo Difficulties

Anyone listening in on your innuendo can attempt a insight check against the message DC. If successful, the eavesdropper notices a message hidden in your conversation. If the eavesdropper gets at least two degrees of success, he also understands the message. Whether trying to send or pick up on a message, more than one degree of failure on the check means the receiver misinterprets the message in some fashion.

Tricking

You can use Deception to mislead an opponent into taking a potentially unwise action, such as trying to hit you while standing in front of an electrical junction box or at the edge of a precipice. If your Deception check opposed by Insight succeeds, your opponent is heedless of the potential danger and may hit the junction box or lose his balance and fall, if his attack against you fails. (On the other hand, if the attack succeeds, it might slam you into the junction box or send you flying off the edge. You're taking a risk.)

More than one degree of failure on the Deception check means you put yourself in a bad position; you are vulnerable against the target's attacks for 1 round!

Expertise

Expertise is a broad skill encompassing knowledge and training in a variety of specialized fields, particularly professional disciplines and scholarship. The field of expertise does not need to be one that is considered a profession but must involve a skill set or lifestyle of some kind. Each is considered a separate skill and training in each is acquired separately, so a former police officer turned district attorney might have Expertise: Police Officer and Expertise: Law, each with their own ranks, for example.

If you are trained in an Expertise, you can practice and make a living at it. You know how to use the tools of that trade, perform the profession's daily tasks, supervise untrained helpers, and handle common problems. For example, someone trained in Expertise: Sailor knows how to tie basic knots, tend and repair sails, and stand a deck watch at sea. The GM sets DCs for specific tasks using the guidelines provided in The Basics under Checks, keeping in mind that most job-related checks should be considered routine (see Routine Checks).

You can also make Expertise checks to see if your character knows the answer to a particular question related to the area of expertise, such as a scientist confronted with a technical issue, or a lawyer considering a legal question. The DC is 0 for easy questions, 5 for basic questions, and 10 or higher for difficult questions. You can usually answer questions as a routine check, and the GM may make a check for you in secret, so you won't know whether or not your character's skill is entirely up to the task.

The ability modifier for Expertise is typically Intellect, but some areas of expertise may call for different abilities, perhaps depending on the task involved. For example, a technical expert might rely on Intellect to answer questions and handle day-to-day procedures, but need Dexterity to perform the actual functions of the job. Performance skills, such as acting or music, may rely on Presence. The GM sets the ability modifier as needed for the specific Expertise check.

Characters with expertise in a profession are also assumed to be licensed or certified to practice it, if necessary. Problems like licensing issues, professional rivalries, and so forth can be handled as complications (see Complications).

The GM may allow some Expertise checks to be made untrained, especially for "unskilled" areas, measuring broad general knowledge and life experience, but even then an untrained Expertise check cannot be routine, and the character can only handle easy or basic tasks or questions (DC 0 to 5).

Insight

You can tell someone's true intentions and feelings by paying attention to things like body language, inflection, and your own intuition.

A successful Insight check allows you to resist the effects of some interaction skills, becoming aware of the other person's true intent. You can also use the skill to tell when someone is behaving oddly or for assessing trustworthiness.

Detect Illusion

The GM makes a secret Insight check to determine if your hero senses the true nature of an illusion (DC = Illusion rank). Success means you pick up on a flaw in the illusion, sensing it is not real which allows a Will defense check to overcome it. Insight itself can't be used to overcome an illusion. See Illusion effect for details.

Detect Influence

You can make a Insight check to notice someone acting under outside influence. The DC is equal to the rank of the effect or skill affecting the subject. If you succeed, you notice the subject is not acting entirely of his or her own will. Three or more degrees give you a general idea of what is influencing them (and perhaps even whom, depending on the situation and the Gamemaster's judgment).

Evaluate

With an Insight check, opposed by Deception, you can tell if someone is trustworthy and honorable (or not) upon meeting them. You can also make an Insight check (DC 10) to evaluate a social situation, getting a feel for the overall mood and prevailing attitudes. Two or more degrees of failure on either check mean you misinterpret the signs, so the GM may make these checks for you in secret.

Innuendo

You can use Insight to pick up on hidden messages sent via the Deception skill.

Resist Influence

Make an Insight check when called to do so to resist or overcome the effects of certain interaction skills, such as Deception or Intimidation. If the result of your check exceeds your opponent's, you are unaffected by their attempt to influence you.

Intimidation

You know how to use threats (both real and implied) to get others to do what you want.

Coercing

Make an Intimidation check, opposed by the target's insight or Will defense (whichever has the highest bonus). If your check succeeds, you may treat the target as friendly, but only for actions taken in your presence. That is, the target retains his normal attitude, but will talk, advise, offer limited help, or advocate on your behalf while intimidated. The target cooperates, but won't necessarily obey your every whim or do anything that would directly endanger him.

If you perform some action that makes you more imposing, you gain a circumstance bonus on your Intimidation check. If your target clearly has a superior position, you suffer a circumstance penalty.

With more than one degree of failure on your check, the target may actually do the opposite of what you want! Succeed or fail, a target's true attitude towards you generally becomes hostile after you attempt an Intimidation check, even if they go along with you for the moment.

Demoralizing

You can use Intimidation in combat as a standard action to undermine an opponent's confidence. Make an Intimidation check as a standard action. If it succeeds with 1 or 2 degrees of success, your target is impaired (a -1 circumstance penalty on checks) for 1 round. With 3 or more degrees of success, the target is disabled (a -2 penalty) instead.

Intimidating Minions

You can intimidate a whole group of minions--who can all see and hear you--with a single check. If the group has you at a disadvantage, you suffer the usual circumstance penalty on your check. Compare your check result against a single defense check made by the GM for the entire group. Your Intimidation check must have the same effect on every member of the group (that is, you cannot demoralize some and coerce others, for example).

Example: The Rock is facing down Packrat in one of his many bolt holes around Capital City when the big rat commands a pack of his street thieves to keep The Rock from following him. The gang of kids steps forward to get in The Rock's way. The Rock has no interest in hurting a bunch of kids, so he bellows, "Get outta the way or I'll knock your blocks off!" and his player decides to use The Rock's routine Intimidation check of 8 to attempt to coerce the entire group of minions into moving out of his way. The street kids are all Thugs, so they have a resistance rank of 0 (their Insight and Will ranks are tied). Since Rocky is attempting the same effect on every member of the group, he makes a single opposed check. Unfortunately, the GM can't roll high enough to beat The Rock's 8. The street kids know The Rock won't actually hurt them, but they dive out of the way anyway as The Rock bulls past.

Investigation

You know how to search for and study clues, gather information through interviews and surveillance, and analyse evidence to help solve crimes. The GM may make investigation checks for you in secret, so you do not know exactly what you have found, or if you may have missed something.

Search

You can search an area for clues, hidden items, traps, and other details. Perception allows you to immediately notice things, while an Investigation check allows you to pick up on details with some effort.

Table: Search Difficulties

To determine how long it takes to search a given area, take the total area measurement (in square feet, yards, or miles), find the time measurement for that distance, and add 2. So searching 60 square feet (roughly an 8 ft. by 8 ft. room) takes the time rank of 60 feet (rank 1), plus 2, or 1 minute (time rank 3). Searching a square mile takes the time rank of 1 mile (rank 8), plus 2, or two hours (time rank 10).

The DC for an Investigation check to find a concealed object is usually opposed by the Stealth or Sleight of Hand check of the character who hid it.

Searching an area will have a DC that depends on your size see Gameplay Rules: Relative Size Rules for more details.

Gather Evidence

To collect a piece of evidence for analysis, make an Investigation check (DC 5). If the check succeeds, the evidence can be analyzed (see Analyze Evidence.) If the check fails, an analysis can be done, but with a -2 penalty for highly unfavorable circumstances. With more than one degree of failure, the evidence is ruined and no analysis can be done. On the other hand, two or more degrees of success provide a +1 circumstance bonus to later analysis.

Analyze Evidence

You can make an Investigation check to apply forensic knowledge to evidence. This function of Investigation does not give you clues where none exist. It simply allows you to extract useful information from evidence and clues you have found.

The base DC 5, modified by the time elapsed since the evidence was left, and whether or not the scene was disturbed. Success gives you information based on the clue (and determined by the GM). Two or more degrees of failure may provide misleading or confusing evidence, also at the GM's discretion.

Evidence Difficulties

Gather Information

You know how to make contacts, collect gossip and rumors, question informants, and otherwise get information from people.

By succeeding at a DC 0 Investigation check taking at least an hour, you get a feel for the major news and rumors in an area. This assumes no obvious reasons exist why information would be withheld. The degree of the check result determines the completeness and detail of the information. Information ranges from general to protected, and the DC increases accordingly for the type of information, as given on the table.

Table: Gather Information Results

General information concerns local happenings, rumors, gossip, and the like.

Specific information usually relates to a particular question.

Restricted information isn't generally known and requires you to locate someone with access to the information.

Protected information is even harder to come by and might involve some danger, either for the one asking the questions or the one providing the answers.

Failure on the Investigation check means you waste time turning up nothing of value. An additional degree of failure means you also alert someone who may be interested in your inquiries, perhaps even someone you are investigating!

Surveillance

You can set up surveillance of a particular area, watching from a stationary location. The DC of the subject's Stealth check to evade your notice is equal to the result of your Investigation check. For actively following a subject, see Tailing in the Stealth skill.

Knowledge

Knowledge is a broad skill encompassing a variety of specialized fields. Each is considered a separate skill and knowledge in each is acquired separately, so a person might have Knowledge: Nature and Knowledge: Forests, each with their own ranks, for example.

The reason why a character would put ranks in Knowledge instead of Application (or rather in addition to) is because Knowledge is above and addition to Application in that when wanting to roll Knowledge use both skills (and possibly more) including the distance penalty as normal but if the Knowledge and Application are of the same things then there is 0 distance. Since application is always more useful then knowledge there is no mechanical reason to buy a knowledge skill that could instead be an application skill although there may be a roleplay reason in that the knowledge represents knowing more than you have experienced such as a student. Although if the Knowledge skill + application skill of same name + Int is more than the power level limitations will allow then the Knowledge skill should be lowered.

All other skills, including Expertise, can have a Knowledge equivalent. The following are other examples of suitable areas of Knowledge. This list is by no means exhaustive, the GM should feel free to add to or modify this list as needed to suit the game and the characters in it.

Knowledge: Trivia: This represents a collection of random facts that are commonly used in trivia contests. None of them should be obvious and few of them useful.

Knowledge: Jokes: Much like trivia above this is a collection of commonly told jokes. It is important to make the distinction between jokes and riddles since they are completely different mind sets and some words are defined following. The following definitions may not match dictionary results exactly but these are useful in order to differentiate between them since these definitions are unique and don't overlap. Joke: A question (or statement) often involving a pun whose purpose is humorous. Riddle: A serious of statements posed as an intellectual puzzle that uses unusual descriptions and phrases to describe a common object (see example below). Paradox: a situation set up in a self-contradicting way in order to demonstrate a logical flaw. Conundrum: a series of statements ending in a question that are problematic or unusual that are told in order to invoke thinking and discussion of topic.

Paradox Example: The time paradox is sometimes stated as a reason why time travel into the past is impossible. The set up is simple but lengthy: a man (A) goes back in time and kills himself (B) in the past but by doing so it ensures that the present (A) versions can never come to exist and thus he (A) never existed to be able to travel back in time. And since he (A) never got the chance to travel back in time then that means that he (A) could not have killed himself (B) in the past. And since the past version (B) wasn't killed the present version (A) is able to exist and thus able to travel back in time and causing an infinite loop. Some people provide a reason why time travel backwards is able to exist without causing any time paradoxes such as the alternate timeline theory. It states that any time you change anything in the past it creates a separate timeline branch off thus you can't change any events in your own timeline but can still create alternate outcomes.

Conundrum Example: I still have my grandfather's axe. I've taken good care of it even replacing its handle twice and its head three times. But is it still my grandfather's axe or something new?

For those of you who want to know the answer to the riddle above, it is the eighth in the list: heaven, clock, rainbow, dragon, teeth, man, mountain, egg, death, fog, mirror, time, ring, shadow, snowman, treasure, human life, chicken, axe, river, waterfall, moss, elevator, stairs, the sun, the moon, and kings.

Memory

This is your ability to remember past events. This can be used untrained to represent that anyone with intelligence can remember to some degree. Memory checks only apply to remembering events that have been established by backstory or gameplay but does not allow you to use this skill in place of a Knowledge check.

The DC of remembering depends on many factors such as: how important the event was to you, how involved you were, how much you saw and understood, how recent the event was, how much detail you are trying to recall, whether you were actively trying to remember it, etc. If the player can remember the information then their character can remember it too (assuming their character experienced it) without the need of a Memory check unless there are penalties such as head trauma or exhaustion.

Note that Mind Reading allows a DC 0 to read your own mind with perfect clarity, thus automatically passing any possible memory check.

Perception

Use this skill to notice and pick up on things. Discerning details--such as clearly hearing conversation or reading fine text--requires at least three degrees of success on the Perception check.

In general, you have a -1 circumstance penalty to Perception checks for every 15 feet between you and what you are trying to perceive. So hearing a noise from 60 feet away is a -4 modifier to your Perception check, for example.

The GM usually makes Perception checks secretly so you don't know whether there was nothing to notice or you simply failed to notice it. The common sorts of Perception checks are:

Hearing

Make a check against a DC based on how loud the noise is or against an opposed Stealth check. Normal conversation or unarmed combat is DC -10, a soft noise DC 0, a loud noise is DC -20 such as metal striking metal, and a very loud noise such as a gun shot is DC -30. The DC gets a +2 per inch of material that is in the way such as a door or solid wall in addition to the -1 per 15 ft distance penalty (not to be confused with the skill distance penalty). While you're asleep, hearing something well enough to wake up is +5 DC (see conditions for more information on sleep).

Seeing

Make a check against a DC based on how visible the object is or against an opposed Stealth check. Something in plain sight is DC -10, while something subtle or easily over-looked may be DC -5, 0 or more. Visual perception is also used to detect someone in disguise (see the Deception skill) or to notice a concealed object (see the Sleight of Hand skill).

Other Senses

You can make Perception checks involving other sense types as well (see Powers for more on sense types). Noticing something obvious to a sense is DC -10. Less obvious things are DC 0 or so, hidden things DC 10 or more, and discerning details requires at least three degrees of success, as usual.

You can make a Perception check every time you have the opportunity to notice something new. As a move action, you can attempt to notice something you failed (or believe you failed) to notice previously.

Various sensory effects provide modifiers on Perception checks (see Powers).

Persuasion

You're skilled in dealing with people, from etiquette and social graces to a way with words and public speaking, all of which helps to get your point across, make a good impression, negotiate, and generally win people over to your way of seeing things.

In negotiations, all participants roll Persuasion checks to see who gains the advantage. Opposed checks also resolve cases where two advocates plead opposing cases before a third party.

Non-player characters each have an initial attitude towards you or your cause. The GM chooses the character's initial attitude based on circumstances. Most of the time, people are favorable or indifferent toward heroes, but a specific circumstance or complication may call for a different attitude. Attitude may also change over time. Additionally the average person is rarely, if ever, hostile since most people have some kind of moral or social standard.

You can improve others' attitudes with a DC 5 Persuasion check. Success improves the subject's attitude by one step, while every two additional degrees of success improve it by another step (so two steps at three degrees, three steps at five degrees, and so forth). Failure means no change, and more than a degree of failure worsens the subject's attitude by one (and only 1) step! In the case of a hostile subject, they may outright attack or otherwise interfere with you if their attitude worsens.

Table: Attitudes

Persuading someone is at least a standard action, usually quite a bit longer. The GM decides if you can persuade at all once a conflict has broken out! Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character can only be persuaded so far; you can try again in the same scene, but you check against the subject's initial attitude, and may end up worsening it rather than improving it!

Example: The heroes must convince the imperious King of Atlantis that the surface world is not responsible for recent attacks against his kingdom in order to avert a war. The king's attitude is unfavorable towards these surface-world interlopers to begin with. The team's spokesperson makes a Persuasion attempt and gets a check result of 12, a success with two degrees total. That shifts the king's attitude one step, to indifferent. He's inclined to continue negotiating with the heroes and willing to place the assault on the surface world on-hold for the time-being. The heroes try to convince the king further, but any additional checks need at least the same degree of success as the first to get his attitude to favorable, where he is willing to call off the attack, and more than one degree of failure on any check moves his attitude to hostile, where he orders the intruders arrested and the attack to begin at once!

If a Persuasion check fails, trying again is futile; the subject is too set against your arguments. At the GM's discretion, you can try again when the situation changes in some way: you find a new approach to your argument, new evidence appears, and so forth. The GM may consider you at a disadvantage in further negotiations, imposing a circumstance penalty as well.

Ranged Combat

You're trained with a particular type of ranged attack, giving you a bonus to your attack checks with it equal to your skill rank (see Attack Check in The Basics and in Gameplay Rules). Each ranged attack is a separate Ranged Combat skill with its own rank, and encompasses a single weapon or power, although an array may be considered one power, at the Gamemaster's discretion (see Alternate Effects in Powers for more information).

So a hero might have Ranged Combat: Small Arms or Ranged Combat: Fire Control (a ranged damage power), but Ranged Combat: Powers is too broad. Ranged Combat: Throwing is an option and includes both thrown weapons and objects a character simply picks up and throws.

The bonus from a Ranged Combat skill applies only to attack checks with the particular attack, not to defenses, countering, power checks, or other uses. Keep in mind that the skill distance penalty in this case is an attack penalty (not damage). In this system any weapon can be used untrained as a +0 skill modifier.

Here is a list of some common types of Ranged Combat: Small Arms, Throwing, Pistols, Rifles, Shotguns, Sniper Rifles, Bows, Crossbows, and Slings.

Sleight Of Hand

You can perform dexterous feats of legerdemain such as palming small objects, picking pockets, slipping out of restraints, and so forth. Stage magicians use Sleight of Hand legitimately as a performance skill, but it is most commonly known for its criminal applications.

Concealing

You can use Sleight of Hand to conceal a small item on your person, making your check result the DC of an Investigation or Perception check to find it.

In order to conceal a small item it must be possible to hide it somewhere. For example if you are stripped naked and have no hidden compartments then hiding a baseball sized item would be rather impossible. Or if you are trying to hide an orb of fire and your clothes are not fireproof enough, even if you are, then hiding the object won't be so simple.

You can also make a Sleight of Hand check to plant a small object on someone, slip something into their pocket, drop something into their drink, place a tiny radio tracer on them, and so forth. To plant the object, you must get a check result of 10 or higher, regardless of the opponent's check result. The opponent notices the attempt if his check result beats yours, whether you succeed in planting the item or not.

Contorting

You can use Sleight of Hand to contort your body. Make a DC 20 Sleight of Hand check to fit through a tight space wide enough for your head but too narrow for the width of your shoulders, or to reach through an opening wide enough for your hand, but too narrow for your arm.

Escaping

Make a Sleight of Hand check to slip out of various restraints. This takes at least a minute per check.

Table: Escaping Difficulties

Legerdemain

Minor feats of sleight of hand on a small item, such as making a coin or playing card "vanish," have a DC of 0 unless an observer is focused on noticing what you are doing. When you perform this skill under observation, your check is opposed by the observer's Perception check to see if they notice the trick.

If you pass the DC 0 the difference in success counts towards Concealing the object (see above) however if anyone's Perception beat your result that person may find the item without needing to roll.

Stealing

To covertly take a small item from another person make a Sleight of Hand check (DC 10). Your target makes a perception check and notices the attempt if his check result beats yours, whether you succeed in taking the object or not. If you fail by one degree you aren't able to take the item but if you fail by two degrees or more then you are noticed (DC -10) by the character you are trying to steal from.

Example: The Elastibandit is robbing a museum of some of its valuables when a security guard passes by while making his rounds. The bouncing Bandit has no fear of the rent-a-cop, so he decides to have some fun. He has Skill Mastery for his Stealth and, unsurprisingly, the guard doesn't notice him slither closer, but then Elastibandit decides to try and steal the guard's gun without being noticed. Bandit has Sleight of Hand +12 and adds that to the roll of the dice. A whopping 19 plus 12 for a total of 31! The guard, with a Perception skill of only +5, doesn't have a prayer of noticing his gun being eased out of its holster, but the GM rolls anyway and gets a total of 20. A good roll, but no enough.

Stealth

You're skilled in going unnoticed. While using Stealth, you can move at your speed rank minus 1 with no penalty. Faster than that, up to your full speed, you take a -2 circumstance penalty to your Stealth checks.

Hiding

If you have cover or concealment, make a Stealth check, opposed by an observer's Perception check, to hide and go unnoticed.

If others are aware of your presence, you can't use Stealth to remain undetected. You can run around a corner so you are out of sight and then use Stealth, but others know which way you went. You can't hide at all if you have absolutely no cover or concealment, since that means you are standing out in plain sight. Of course, if someone isn't looking directly at you (you're sneaking up from behind, for example), then you have concealment relative to that person.

If you have the ability to cause a momentary distraction (such as a smoke pellet or flash bang) then you can make a Stealth check while people are aware of you. When others turn their attention from you, make a Stealth check if you can reach cover or concealment of some kind. Just like for Dodging area effects you must be close enough to the cover that you can move there within 1 second (speed - 2). This check also has a -2 penalty because you have to move quickly.

Tailing

You can use Stealth to tail someone at your normal speed. This assumes you have some cover or concealment (crowds of people, shadows, fog, etc.). If the subject is worried about being followed, he can make a Perception check (opposed by your Stealth check) every time he changes course (goes around a street corner, exits a building, and so on). If he is unsuspecting, he only gets one Perception check for the scene. If the subject notices you, you may make a Deception check, opposed by Insight. If you succeed, you manage to pass off your presence as coincidence and can continue tailing. A failed Deception check, or being noticed a second time, means the subject knows something is up and reacts accordingly.

Strategy

The ability to create plans, methods, or series of maneuvers for obtaining a specific goal or result (thank you Dictionary). You can have strategy in general or be skilled in particular types of strategy such as those that follow.

Military Strategy

This involves keeping track of your units, how to deploy them safely, where to position units and how to react to enemy forces.

For other related skills in this set such as estimating enemy forces, keeping secrects, negotiating peace etc see Expertise: Military above.

Board Games

Choose a specific board game. If you have at least one rank in it then you know the rules and have at least some understanding on how to play effectively. The game (board, card or otherwise) must have strategy involved, so that Strategy: Chess is appropriate but Strategy: Slap Jack is not.

Board Game strategy can be perfromed untrained only after you know how to play.

Technology

Technology covers operating, building, repairing, and generally working with technological devices and equipment. Without the proper tools or equipment, you take a -2 penalty to Technology checks for highly unfavorable circumstances. Various Expertise such as Criminal, Scientist, Engineer etc include technology but you can still take Technology as the skill itself. Technology often uses Dexterity for applications.

Operating

Most routine operations of technological equipment don't require a skill check and can be done untrained. Using an unfamiliar device does require a check, with the DC determined by how foreign or unusual the device is, from simple (DC 0) to highly advanced (DC 15 or more).

Building

The difficulty and time required to make an item depends on its complexity, as shown on the Building Items table. If your Technology check succeeds, you have made the item after the necessary time. If the check fails, you did not produce a usable end result, and any time and materials are wasted. More than one degree of failure on the check may produce an accident or other unfortunate side-effect at the GM's discretion.

Table: Building Items

Repairing

You can also use Technology to repair damaged items, with a -5 to the DC to build the item and -2 to the time rank required. So you can perform repairs on a complex item in eight hours (time rank 12) with a DC of 10. Failure on the check means you spend the time, but make no progress. Two or more degrees of failure may indicate further damage to the item or an accident similar to building it.

You can reduce the time rank to build or repair an item by 1 by taking a -5 penalty to your skill check.

Jury-rigging

You can also attempt jury-rigged, or temporary, repairs. This uses some rules for repairing (see above) but repair DC is reduced by an additional 5 (for a total of -10 to the DC to build the item), and allows you to make the Technology check as a standard action. However, a jury-rigged repair can only fix a single problem, and the repair only lasts until the end of the scene. The jury-rigged item must be fully repaired thereafter, and cannot be jury-rigged again until it is fully repaired.

Demolitions

Careful placement of an explosive against a fixed structure can maximize damage by exploiting vulnerabilities in the structure. This requires at least a minute and a DC 0 Technology check. The GM makes the check, so you don't know exactly how well you have done until the explosive goes off. For every two full degrees of success, the explosive deals +2 damage to the structure. Failure means the explosive does not go off as planned, while more than one degree of failure means the charge goes off while you are setting it! In all cases, the explosive deals normal damage to all other targets.

You can make an explosive device more difficult to disarm. To do so, choose a disarm difficulty class before making your check to set the detonator. Your DC to set the detonator is the desired disarm DC. Failure means the explosive fails to go off as planned. Two or more degrees of failure mean the explosive goes off as the detonator is being installed!

Disarming an explosive also requires a Technology check. The DC is usually 0, unless the person who set the detonator chose a higher disarm DC (previously). If you fail the check, you do not disarm the explosive. With more than a degree of failure, the explosive goes off. Setting or disarming a detonator is a standard action.

Inventing

You can use Technology to create inventions, temporary devices. See Gadgets & Gear: Inventing for details.

Security

You can use Technology to disarm or sabotage various security devices, including locks, traps, and sensors. This takes at least a minute, possibly longer, at the GM's discretion. The GM makes your Technology check secretly so you don't necessarily know right away if you have succeeded. The Gamemaster sets the DC of the check based on the level of security:

Table: Security Levels

Failure on your skill check means nothing happens, but you can keep trying. More than one degree of failure sets off the security or trap, if it is possible to do so. You may increase the DC by 2 for preventing your tampering from being noticed.

The DCs listed for prisons are for the inmate to escape, the DC for an outside force breaking someone out might be different depending on circumstances.

Super-max security (aka a super-prison) is a maximum security prison designed to hold super villains. Power negation is standard along with higher than maximum security protocols which makes escape impossible. It is not uncommon for such a prison to also have a super hero (or super technology) to flawlessly monitor all activity or predict the next escape attempt etc.

Tracking

You can follow trails and track using your senses. If you are tracking a living being in an atmosphere, and are not using any exotic senses, then smell (Olfactory) is the only trail directly left behind with a base DC of 0. You move at your ground speed - 1, for DC +2 you can move at full speed. Foot prints can also be left behind directly under certain circumstances, such as snow or mud, but may be false. Following a sent trail (if your sense of smell is acute) or following correct foot prints only requires Tracking (Awe). Following foot prints that are not easy to see, get interfered with by another's foot prints or are false is a higher DC of Tracking (Awe). Following footprints or a sent trail can be done untrained.

For other clues, such as broken twigs, you see them as a result of something travelling but they might not be helpful. This can't be done untrained. Following small clues of a trail might require periodic Perception (Awe) checks and Tracking (Int).

Treatment

You're trained in treating injuries and ailments. Unless otherwise stated you are assumed to be trained with modern (and local) medical knowledge. The check DC and effect of Treatment depend on the task:

Table: Treatment Difficulties

If you do not have the appropriate medical equipment and supplies, you take a -2 circumstance penalty on your check. If your subject has a particularly unusual biology (an alien, for example) you may also suffer a circumstance penalty.

You can use the Treatment skill on yourself, but only to diagnose, provide care, or treat disease or poison. You take a -2 circumstance penalty on checks when treating yourself.

Diagnosis

You can diagnose injuries and ailments with an eye toward further treatment at a DC 0. This takes at least a minute. At the GM's discretion, a successful diagnosis provides a +1 bonus for favorable circumstances on further Treatment checks.

Provide Care

Providing care means treating an injured patient for a day or more. If successful, the patient further reduces the recovery time by 1 rank (see Recovery in Gameplay Rules). You can provide care for up to your Treatment rank in patients at one time each at a DC 5.

Stabilize

As a standard action, a successful DC 5 Treatment check stabilizes a dying character.

Treat Disease And Poison

You can treat a character afflicted with a disease or poison. Each time the character makes a defense check against the ailment, you make a Treatment check DC 5. 1 or 2 degrees of success provides the patient with a +1 circumstance bonus to the defense check, 3 or more degrees of success provides a +2 circumstance bonus.

Vehicles

Use this skill to operate vehicles, from ground vehicles like cars to boats, planes, or even spaceships! See Vehicles in Gadgets & Gear for details.

Routine tasks, such as ordinary operation of known vehicles, don't require a check and may even be done untrained for some vehicles, particularly common ones like cars. Make a check only when operating the vehicle in a stressful or dramatic situation like being chased or attacked, or trying to reach a destination in a limited amount of time.

You can also make Vehicle checks to perform various maneuvers with a vehicle:

Table: Vehicles Difficulties

Note that the Vehicles skill does not cover riding animal mounts. For that, use the Expertise: Riding skill, based on Agility, with the same guidelines as given for Vehicles skill checks. At the Gamemaster's discretion, skills like Athletics can serve for riding mounts (perhaps with a circumstance penalty), especially if riding is a fairly uncommon skill, as it is in the modern world.