Zoology (Knowledge)

Academic.

Defaults to: Biology

This is the study of animals.

Techniques

Techniques are a way to specialise within a skill. Generally they are the result of specialist training rather than experience, so will mark the difference between the talented amateur and the professional. Some techniques allow you to perform actions which are not possible without the technique.

A technique may be learnt when the skill it is based on (which may be a group of skills) reaches the level of the technique. The cost to learn the technique is equal to its level, and any prerequisite techniques must have already been purchased.

Techniques are purchased from the same experience point pool that skills are purchased from.

Academic Techniques

The Academic techniques cover the sciences and other areas of knowledge. Generally, each is a specialisation within a subject - so the Physics skill will have techniques for Nuclear Physics, Relativity etc.

A specialisation technique halves the difficulty of tasks within the specialisation. If a technique for a specialisation doesn't exist, then make it up. Most academic specialisations are level 4. Those which are for cutting edge specialisations might be 6 or 8.

Summary

Descriptions

Biochemistry (Cost 4): Chemistry.

A study of the organic chemistry of compounds and processes within living organisms, attempting to understand biology using chemistry.

Bioengineering (Cost 6): Biology.
Prerequisites: Genetics.

Building on your knowledge of genetics, you have considerable experience with the design and growth of artificial biological organisms, including clones, specifically bred tissues and bio-enhancements.

Biowarfare (Cost 4): Biology.
Prerequisites: Biochemistry.

You are experienced in the field of biological warfare, and have a good understanding of how biological agents can be 'weaponised', how they disperse through the environment, and how to combat them.

Can be combined with Bioengineering to make viruses which target those with a specific genetic identifier (races, families or even individuals).

Cybernetics (Cost 4): Medicine.

You are experienced in the medical field of cybernetics.

Diagnosis (Cost 2): Medicine.

You are especially experienced at diagnosing the cause of a patient's illness or injury based on knowledge of the symptoms.

Disease (Cost 4): Medicine.

You have specific knowledge of diseases and how they effect people. You are skilled at curing them (at least those there are cures for), and for plotting the spread of them through a population.

Genetics (Cost 4): Biology.
Prerequisites: Biochemistry.

You have a detailed knowledge of genetics. You understand the theory of DNA and genetic inheritance, as well as having experience in identifying and extracting DNA, and making modifications to the genetic information of living creatures.

Jump physics (Cost 6): Physics.
Prerequisites: Relativity.

You have a detailed knowledge of jump space, and know how (at the theoretical level) jump drives work.

Nuclear physics (Cost 4): Physics.

Specialist knowledge of the field of nuclear physics. You have experience in setting up and interpreting experiments in this field, and can perform such tasks as working out energy from nuclear reactions, how best to shield from and handle radioactive material, and how to design nuclear power stations and weapons.

Poisons (Cost 4): Medicine.

You have specific knowledge of poisons, including both on how to cure them, and how to administer them.

Quantum gravity (Cost 6): Physics.
Prerequisites: Quantum mechanics.

You have a detailed knowledge of quantum gravity, how it describes the universe, and a good theoretical understanding of how grav technology really works.

Quantum physics (Cost 4): Physics.

You have a detailed knowledge of quantum physics, including the behaviour of particles at the quantum scales.

Relativity (Cost 4): Physics.

Knowledge of both special and general relativity.

String theory (Cost 6): Physics.
Prerequisites: Quantum physics.

Knowledge of the various versions of String theory. This isn't much practical use, though is useful if you have a job as a theoretical physicist.

Xenobiology (Cost 4): Biology.

You are well read on a variety of alien biologies, and do not suffer penalties for having to deal with unusual xenomorphs. A truly exceptional biology might be difficult to understand at first, but you'll be far better equipped to deal with it than someone without your expansive knowledge.

Combat Techniques

Summary

Descriptions

Ambush (Cost 2): Stealth.

Allows the character to make an attack against an unsuspecting target, bypassing armour. If an attack is made with the brawl skill against a target who is both unware of the attack and also not in combat, then the attack ignores all armour. If the target is wearing fully enclosed armour, and the attacker couldn't possibly get through the soak normally, then the Ambush has no effect. If the armour grants a vitals bonus, then each point of bonus raises the attack difficulty by +5.

An ambush is a slow attack, and the ambusher is considered to be using the focused stance. May be combined with other techniques and/or manoeuvres.

Blind fighting (Cost 4): Awareness.

The character is trained to fight in conditions where vision is restricted. Gain a +1 bonus to Perception for every four points of Awareness when it is used to cap skills in darkness. Automatic.

Brute force (Cost 4): Brawl.

When making an attack roll, you may use strength instead of agility. However, doing so uses up one defence slot and you may not use the defensive stance.

Close combat (Cost 2): Brawl.

When attempting a grapple or trip attack, you can ignore the free strike against you caused by such an attack (though still suffer strikes caused by reach or attacking an armed foe for example).

Combat ambush (Cost 4): Stealth.
Prerequisites: Ambush.

As for Ambush, but may be performed at any time the defender is not aware of the attacker (even if the defender is in combat).

Combat reflexes (Cost 2): Brawl, Melee.

You have a bonus to your initiative equal to your best of Brawl and Melee.

Dirty fighting (Cost 4): Brawl.

When making an attack with a martial weapon, after the damage roll you may opt to re-roll the damage and do stun damage at the same bonus. Represents hitting the target with the hilt of the sword, or head butting them, after the primary attack fails to get through their armour.

Disabling attack (Cost 6): Brawl.
Prerequisites: Disabling hold.

An attack which aims to temporarily disable a foe by striking at pressure points on the body. It is an open hand attack that does not use a weapon.

Must be declared with the aggressive stance, and requires a good attack. On a successfull attack which causes damage, the target must make a health x 4 check against 10 + 5 x stuns or loose the rest of their attacks and defences that round. On an excellent attack, the target also gains fatigue levels equal to the number of stuns taken and is unable to cry out.

Disabling hold (Cost 4): Brawl.
Prerequisites: Close combat.

When performing a grapple manouevre, you can apply pain to the target through knowledge of pressure points, preventing them from acting or crying out. Any time you inflict a -2 penalty to the target for the initial grapple check, then they are disabled and cannot act (even to try to escape or cry out) all the time you have them held.

Hard to kill (Cost 2): Brawl.

You gain a bonus equal to your Brawl skill to checks to remain conscious and alive because of being fatally wounded or stunned. This applies all the time, even when not using this skill.

Secondly, you get the option to re-roll any soak rolls you make, at the cost of one fatigue. A single soak test can only be re-rolled once, and you may take the highest of the two rolls.

Ignore pain (Cost 4): Brawl.
Prerequisites: Hard to kill.

You may reduce the penalty to actions caused by wounds and stuns (not fatigue) by one level each, so being fatally wounded will give a -25 penalty.

At a Brawl of 8+, the penalty is reduced by two levels for each of wounds and stuns.

Improved damage (Cost 8): Melee.
Prerequisites: Opportunity attack.

Automatic technique which allows you to focus your attacks in order to cause maximum harm to your foe. You may add your skill to any damage done for all melee attacks.

Multiple attacks (Cost 10): Melee.
Prerequisites: Improved damage.

Aggressive stance. You may attack multiple times each round with a penalty of -15 per extra attack to all attacks. The maximum number of attacks you can make is one per five levels of skill (so 2 attacks, or 1 extra attack, at level 10). When declaring use of this technique, the first attack is fast, the second slow and the third is normal.

Opportunity attack (Cost 6): Melee.
Prerequisites: Reflex dodge.

Your training enables you to take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves, rather than having to plan ahead. Whenever you make a good attack or better, you may choose to use a manouevre as long as other requirements (such as stance) are met. Automatic.

Out of reach (Cost 4): Brawl.
Prerequisites: Close combat.

You have some experience fighting against opponents who have a greater reach than you. For every four points of Brawl skill, you may ignore one point of reach of the defender's weapon when making an attack. This can never give you a bonus, but may reduce the penalties you suffer for attacking someone with a longer reach.

This technique is automatic, and applies whichever melee skill you are using.

Reflex dodge (Cost 4): Melee.
Prerequisites: Combat reflexes.

Automatic technique which raises the base target number to hit you by your best melee skill whenever you defend against an attack (i.e., it raises your minimum defence roll, but not the defence roll itself). If you don't declare a defence against that attack, then your base defence is unmodified.

Since your base 'to be hit' number is unaffected by the number of defences you make, or by attacks from missile weapons which halve your dodge, this technique is mostly of use when you are outnumbered or dodging arrows and bullets.

Sudden death (Cost 8): Stealth.
Prerequisites: Combat ambush.

As for Ambush, but applies whenever your target is not defending against your attack, even if they are aware of you. May be used with either an aggressive or a normal stance.

Surprise attack (Cost 2): Tactics.

When you have surprise against someone, you gain a bonus equal to your Tactics to all melee attack, defence and damage rolls. For ranged attacks, you have a bonus to your attack roll.

Secondly, you may exert yourself to gain the initiative. When you come to declare your actions for the round, you can gain a level of fatigue and double your initiative score for that round, changing both when you have to declare and when you act.

Tactical move (Cost 4): Tactics.
Prerequisites: Surprise attack.

You are highly trained in combat, and can understand and react to events much better than people who don't have your training. When determining initiative, you may use your agility x Tactics instead of agility x 4.

You may also ignore a fumbled initiative roll, simply treating the result as a '1' rather than inaction in the first round.

Tough (Cost 6): Brawl.
Prerequisites: Ignore pain.

You gain a bonus to your basic soak against mixed and stun damage equal to your Strength. This applies all the time, even when not using this skill.

If you have a Brawl of 8+, then the bonus applies against wound damage as well.

Unarmed combat (Cost 4): Brawl.
Prerequisites: Close combat.

You have some experience fighting armed opponents using unarmed attacks. You may ignore the free strike caused by not using a martial weapon, though still suffer strikes due to reach or other circumstances. This technique is automatic as long as you are using Brawl or a skill associated with it.

Firearms Techniques

Summary

Descriptions

Awkward shot (Cost 4): Firearms.
Prerequisites: Quick load.

You can ignore a level of penalty for firing from awkward positions (such as whilst hanging on a rope, clinging to a windowsill, or on an unstable platform).

Concentrated fire (Cost 4): Heavy weapons.

When using a heavy weapon to lay down automatic fire, damage bonus gained for hitting with multiple bullets can go above +10. The limit is raised by +5 for every 4 points of skill (e.g. 15 at 4, 20 at 8 etc).

Controlled fire (Cost 4): Firearms.
Prerequisites: Quick load.

When using automatic fire to shoot at a single target, you can fire subsequent bursts at different targets. All targets must be declared at the start of the round, and each extra target gives you a -10 penalty to all bursts fired. The number of extra targets you can fire at is equal to 1 per 4 levels of skill.

Fire on the run (Cost 4): Firearms.
Prerequisites: Quick load.

You can ignore the usual penalty of doubling target distance when firing a gun whilst running.

Heavy fire (Cost 4): Heavy weapons.

When using a vehicle scale weapon you can lay down an accurate burst of fire, increasing the Size of the weapon by +5 for purposes of what you can damage.

Improved automatic fire (Cost 6): Firearms.
Prerequisites: Controlled fire.

Using automatic fire against an area normally doubles the effective distance. With this technique, you can ignore this penalty.

Marksman (Cost 6): Rifle.
Prerequisites: Sharp shooter.

With the Marksman technique you are specialised in firing accurately at long range, often with specialist sniper rifles. If you take an aimed shot, then you quarter the distance to the target (rather than thirding it).

Multiple targets (Cost 4): Firearms.
Prerequisites: Quick load.

When firing multiple shots (as single shots, not using automatic fire), you may split your shots between multiple targets. For every full four points of skill, you may fire at one additional target each round. Each extra target gives you a -10 penalty to all shots fired, and the targets must be declared at the start of the round.

Quick draw (Cost 2): Pistol.
Prerequisites: Quick load.

You can draw and fire a pistol in the same round without any penalty, as long as it is readily available (e.g. in a holster or belt).

Quick load (Cost 2): Firearms.

You can change the cartridge on an auto loading gun quickly and reliably. Reduce the load time of a gun by 1, plus a further 1 per full 4 levels of skill.

Selective fire (Cost 6): Firearms.
Prerequisites: Controlled fire.

When using automatic fire against an area, the first target of each burst may be chosen from any of the available targets. Targets after that start from the nearest. That target is not selected a second time in the burst, even if they are the next nearest target.

Sharp shooter (Cost 4): Firearms.
Prerequisites: Quick load.

You are experienced with firing a gun accurately, and can double the range increment of your weapon when firing. This is separate from, and stacks with, the modifiers to the effective range for aiming or careful shots. Effectively, a careful shot is now effective out to four times the range, and an aimed shot out to six times.

Sniper (Cost 8): Rifle.
Prerequisites: Marksman.

When making an aimed shot at medium or long range, you gain the attack bonus of the weapon, and reduce the fumble chance by your Rifle skill. The fumble chance can be reduced to less than 1, removing all chance of fumbling.

Triple shot (Cost 6): Firearms.
Prerequisites: Sharp shooter.

A technique involving three shots targeted at the target's vitals. It is a single attack which may be a snapshot, normal or careful shot. Only one Triple shot action may be made each round.

The effective distance to the target is tripled, and on success any wounds caused are tripled. Any Health checks must be made at +10 difficulty.

Two guns (Cost 6): Pistol.
Prerequisites: Sharp shooter.

You can fire two guns at once without suffering the penalty of doubled distance.

Physical Techniques

Summary

Descriptions

Acrobatic talent (Cost 4): Athletics.

Your aptitude with athletics enables you to perform better at other physical skills. All melee combat attack and defence rolls, as well as stealth, dance, swim and ride gain an automatic bonus equal to half (round down) of your athletics skill. With an athletics skill of 8 or more, the bonus is equal to your full skill.

Arctic survival (Cost 4): Survival.

You have experience with surviving in arctic conditions. If you do not have this technique, then there is an additional -30 penalty when using the Survival skill in the arctic.

Climbing (Cost 4): Athletics.

Double basic movement whilst climbing.

Contra gravity (Cost 2): Athletics.

You have been trained in the use of a grav-belt or battlesuit, and can perform athletic manouevres whilst under contra-gravity conditions. This is similar to the Zero gravity technique, but assumes that there is a gravity field, you just happen to be mostly ignoring it.

Desert survival (Cost 4): Survival.

You have experience with surviving in desert conditions. If you do not have this technique, then there is an additional -30 penalty when using the Survival skill in the desert.

Direction sense (Cost 2): Navigation, Survival.

You are an expert navigator, and halve all penalties due to bad circumstances when trying to determine position, or plotting a course.

Hiking (Cost 4): Survival.

You are an experienced hiker, and can move across country at a faster pace. When walking long distances (using the overland movement rules), you can add your survival skill to their base movement.

Juggling (Cost 2): Sleight.

You are adept at juggling. The difficulty to juggle simple objects such as balls is 5 * number of balls. Add +5 to the difficulty for clubs, +10 for more complex objects. If you don't have the technique then halve your roll.

Jungle survival (Cost 4): Survival.

You have experience with surviving in jungle conditions. If you do not have this technique, then there is an additional -20 penalty when using the Survival skill in the arctic.

Light Sleeper (Cost 4): Awareness.

The character is good at reacting to things when asleep. With this technique, awareness rolls are only halved when fully asleep, and unaffected if dozing. Automatic.

Pick pocket (Cost 4): Sleight.

You are adept at lifting items from a person without them noticing. Use your dexterity x Sleight when making the attempt, generally against a static difficulty. If you don't have this technique, the base difficulty is the target's perception x Awareness.

Running (Cost 4): Athletics.

You are an experienced long distance runner, and can add your athletics score to your total movement each round when running. You also gain less fatigue, and can increase the time between gaining fatigue by a multiple for every 4 points of athletics skill (x2 at 4, x3 at 8 etc). This technique does not affect sprinting.

Silent running (Cost 4): Stealth.

You can move twice as quickly as normal before receiving a penalty for trying to be stealthy.

Sprinting (Cost 6): Athletics.
Prerequisites: Running.

You are an experienced sprinter, and gain fatigue only half as often as other people when sprinting.

Sure footed (Cost 4): Athletics.

The character has a good sense of balance, and gets a bonus to athletic rolls when balancing on narrow ledges or when on uneven or unsteady surfaces. In such situations, their agility attribute gets a +1 bonus.

Swimming (Cost 2): Athletics.

You have trained at swimming.

Underwater swimming (Cost 4): Athletics.
Prerequisites: Swimming.

You have trained at swimming underwater, and only have to make fatigue checks at twice the normal interval.

Zero gravity (Cost 2): Athletics.

You are experienced in operating in zero or micro gravity environments. You do not suffer space sickness and can ignore most penalties due to very low gravity environments.

Social Techniques

Summary

Descriptions

Brainwashing (Cost 4): Psychology.

You know how to alter a person's personality to make them think and act in a certain way. Outlawed in many civilised societies, it is however sometimes taught by religious cults, terrorist organisations and, it is rumoured, some black ops agencies within the government.

Carousing (Cost 2): Social.

The character is a party animal, and gets on very well with people in a party environment. Any circumstance penalties such as the character not being welcome, or people the character wants to talk to being busy, are halved.

Cold reading (Cost 4): Guile.

A cold reading is when you give a person the impression of knowing far more about them than you actually do. Generally, you start with vague statements which are refined based on the reactions of the target. When using this technique, make an empathy x Guile> check against either a base difficulty of 10 if the target is cooperative (or has no reason to be suspicious), or against their will x Guile if they aren't.

On a moderate success, you don't make a fool of yourself, but aren't that impressive. On a good success, you can give the impression of knowing more than you should, and an excellent success is very impressive.

The difficulty is doubled if you don't have this technique. This technique is useful for conning people, but can be a useful interrogation technique as well.

Courtly dancing (Cost 2): Dance.

Courtly dancing involves knowledge of, and the skill to perform, the type of dances favoured amongst the nobility and upper classes. With this technique, as long as you make a moderate skill check, you get a +1 reaction bonus in a courtly situation.

Disguise (Cost 2): Guile.

When trying to disguise yourself you may use either Intelligence or Empathy, and anyone trying to see through the disguise may only use empathy x Guile to spot it. People only get a check to notice you if there is a good reason to do so (you don't have quite the right clothing, or you don't look like anyone they know).

The viewer gets half the original difficulty as a bonus, and even then only if you didn't have sufficient time to plan the disguise.

Fashion (Cost 2): Etiquette.

You know what the latest fashions are, and how to make best use of them in order to look good. With this technique you are very unlikely to wear something which is either out of date or would cause embarressment (unless of course you don't have a choice).

When you get a chance to dress for the occassion, then you get a +1 to your attribute for social skills against those that would be impressed.

Flirt (Cost 4): Etiquette.
Prerequisites: Carousing.

Flirt with a person in a socially acceptable manner. This allows the character to make a seduction attempt in polite company, even if the spouse of the enticed is present, without other people really being sure about what is going on. In a court situation, flirting can be common and acceptable, as long as it doesn't actually lead to anything.

Folk dancing (Cost 2): Dance.

Folk dancing gives knowledge of the types of dances performed in rural villages and the like, as well as the ability to dance them. This technique provides a +1 reaction bonus in such situations as long as a moderate skill check is achieved.

Hidden insult (Cost 6): Etiquette.
Prerequisites: Flirt.

Insult someone in a way that is polite and difficult to respond to. If done cleverly, the target of the insult may not even be sure that they have been insulted, which makes it doubly difficult for them to respond.

High fashion (Cost 4): Etiquette.
Prerequisites: Fashion.

You are at the cutting edge of fashion, always one step ahead of the crowd. When amongst those that would consider themselves fashionable, then any that try to compete against you socially do not get the benefits of the Fashion technique, unless they also have High Fashion.

Passionate speaker (Cost 4): Perform.

You are a gifted orator, and gain a +1 to your empathy when giving a speech.

Poet (Cost 4): Perform.

You are a skilled poet, having the skill to invent new poems with wit and speed. Gain a +1 intelligence bonus when composing poetry.

Propaganda (Cost 4): Marketing, Psychology.

You are skilled in the art of persuading entire populations of an idea.

Scandalous fashion (Cost 4): Etiquette.
Prerequisites: Fashion.

You are on the bleeding edge of fashion, somehow managing to wear what on others would be scandalous but pulling it off with such style and grace that it actually looks good. This technique does not confer any direct bonus, but you will gain a reputation since your clothing style will be the talk of the town for a while to come.

If you are female, and have the Good looking or Sexy advantage, then you get a further +1 bonus if trying to seduce or attract someone. It's probably not so much what you're wearing, but what you're not wearing that draws attention.

Seduction (Cost 4): Social.
Prerequisites: Carousing.

The character is experienced in talking people into going to bed with them. Any circumstance penalties are halved.

Sensual dancing (Cost 2): Dance.

This provides the skill of dancing in an erotic and sensual manner, in an attempt to arouse those watching. Provides a +1 reaction bonus to those who find you sexually attractive as long as you make a moderate skill check. This bonus can be applied to later seduction attempts against the same people.

Shadowing (Cost 4): Streetwise.

You are trained in following people without being noticed in an urban environment. Unlike pure stealth, where you try not to be seen at all, shadowing is about not being noticed. If you have this technique, you may use Streetwise instead of Stealth or Awareness to shadow someone or to spot someone shadowing you.

If you have this technique, and your target doesn't, then you only need to make a skill check if the target is specifically checking to see if they are being followed, or if the situation is difficult. If somebody is following you, and they don't have this technique, then they must use the lowest of their Stealth and Streetwise.

Technical Techniques

Summary

Descriptions

Aircraft (Cost 4): Engineering, Mechanics.

You have experience with repairing aircraft.

Boats (Cost 2): Engineering, Mechanics.

You have experience with repairing boats.

Cars (Cost 2): Engineering, Mechanics.

You have experience with repairing cars and other wheeled ground vehicles.

Computer forensics (Cost 4): Computer operation.
Prerequisites: System administration.

You have experience with examining computer systems for hidden or deleted files, examining logs for signs of messages or other evidence. You can also use this knowledge to hide information on a system so that it cannot be retrieved. Note that though encrypted information can be found, you may not be able to decrypt it.

Computer intrusion (Cost 4): Computer operation.
Prerequisites: System administration.

Knowledge of how to break security on computer systems, gain passwords and otherwise compromise a system's security. If you have this technique, then you can halve the difficulty of any tasks related to trying to compromise the security of a computer system.

Computer programming (Cost 4): Computer operation.

Knowledge of and experience with programming a computer system. Needs to be taken for each type of computer platform that can be programmed. If known, it halves the difficulty of programming related tasks.

Computers (Cost 2): Engineering, Mechanics.

Experience with fixing, maintaining or building the physical aspect of computer systems.

Computer security (Cost 4): Computer operation.
Prerequisites: System administration.

Knowledge of how to secure a computer network.

Cryptanalysis (Cost 4): Computer operation, Cryptography.

Knowledge of encryption and decryption software and methodology. Experience with such makes it much easier when trying to access encrypted data.

Grav tech (Cost 4): Engineering, Mechanics.

You have experience with fixing and designing grav technology such as reactionless thrusters, artificial gravity and the like.

Improved psionic block (Cost 4): Psionic Block.

You are experienced enough with using a psionic block that you can almost perform it unconsciously. You still have to think about it, but the penalty to other skills is only -10 whilst doing it, and somebody in conversation with you may notice that you seem somewhat distracted.

Jump drive (Cost 6): Engineering, Mechanics.
Prerequisites: Spaceships.

Experience with fixing and building jump drives.

Medical (Cost 2): Computer operation, Engineering, Mechanics.

Experience with fixing, maintaining or building medical systems (life support, scanners etc).

Power plants (Cost 4): Engineering, Mechanics.

Experience with fixing, maintaining or building power plants.

Sensors (Cost 2): Computer operation, Engineering, Mechanics.

Experience with fixing, maintaining or building sensor and communication systems.

Spaceships (Cost 4): Engineering, Mechanics.

You are experienced with fixing, maintaining and designing spacecraft - from orbital shuttles to jump capable star cruisers. When used with the appropriate skills, this technique enables you to improvise fixes for spaceships, and make improvements.

System administration (Cost 2): Computer operation.

Provides experience in the maintenance and design of a particular type of computer system. Allows networks to be configured and optimised, users to be managed and file systems and services to be configured.

In the modern world, this would need to be taken once for each of UNIX/Linux, Microsoft Windows, OS/360, VMS etc. All subtypes are covered. Having this technique halves the difficulties of any Computer operation tasks when administring a computer system.

Unconscious block (Cost 8): Psionic Block.
Prerequisites: Improved psionic block.

You are able to keep up a permanent psionic block, even whilst asleep. You suffer no penalty from using it whilst performing other actions, and it will not be noticed by other people.

Vehicle Techniques

There are a small number of basic vehicle skills, and familiarity is required for specific vehicle types. For example, Pilot will enamble you to fly any type of aircraft, though your skill roll is halved if you aren't familiar with a particular type.

Familiarity is gained by purchasing a technique, so many of the vehicle techniques are for familiarity. If you aren't familiar with a type of vehicle, then you cannot use any techniques with that vehicle.

Summary

Descriptions

Aircraft familiarity (Cost 2): Pilot.

This technique needs to be taken to be familiar with anything other than the standard type of aircraft (small low-performance aircraft). This is a different technique for each type of aircraft.

Large aircraft

You have experience with flying large aircraft such as cargo planes or jumbo jets.

Passenger jet

You have experience with flying small passenger jets, such as a Learjet.

VTOL

You are familiar with VTOL aircraft. You need to be familiar with VTOL aircraft in order to avoid penalties when trying to make use of their VTOL capability.

Supersonic

You have experience with flying aircraft at supersonic speeds.

Aerospace

You have experience with flying aircraft at very high altitudes where the atmosphere is incredibly thin. You require this familiarity to properly control aircraft in such conditions.

Driving familiarity (Cost 2): Drive.

This technique needs to be taken to be familiar with anything other than the standard type of vehicle (small passenger car). There is a different technique for each type of vehicle.

HGV

You are familiar with driving large lorries, and do not suffer a penalty when doing so.

Tracked

You are familiar with driving tanks, half trucks and other vehicles which use tracks. You do not suffer the familiarity penalty when driving such vehicles.

Motorbike

You are familiar with riding motorbikes and similar small unbalanced powered personal vehicles.

Buggy

You have experience with driving small powered vehicles such as go-carts, dune buggies or trikes. Anything which is little more than an engine with a seat and basic controls is covered by this.

Emergency re-entry (Cost 4): Spaceship piloting.

You have practised emergency re-entries.

High speed driving (Cost 4): Drive.

You have been trained in driving fast in dangerous situations, such as along winding roads and whilst avoiding obstacles. Reduce the difficulty increase for each level of speed by 5 points.

Can only be used if you are familiar with the type of vehicle.

Hotshot pilot (Cost 4): Pilot.

Add +1 to the effective Agility of your aircraft when you are flying it. Only applies if you are familiar with the aircraft you are flying.

Hotshot space pilot (Cost 4): Spaceship piloting.

You are highly skilled at handling a spaceship and pushing it to the limit of its ability. You may add +1 Agility to the craft.

Ice driving (Cost 4): Drive.

You have extensive experience with driving on ice. Halve all extra difficulties for driving on ice (only +5 normally, plus each speed step adds an extra +5 when on ice).

Can only be used if you are familiar with the type of vehicle.

Off-road driving (Cost 4): Drive.

You are experienced with driving in off-road conditions. You can reduce the penalty for driving in difficult or unsuitable terrain by one level.

Can only be used if you are familiar with the type of vehicle.

Precision shots (Cost 4): Spaceship gunnery.

You know how to precisely target large vessels in order to cause maximum damage. When firing, your weapon counts as +5 size levels larger than it actually is per 4 full points of skill that you have.

Spaceship familiarity (Cost 2): Spaceship systems.

You have familiarity with handling various types of spacecraft. There is one version of this technique for each type of spacecraft. By default, everyone automatically has familiarity with ships up to 1,000t in displacement designed for private use.

Medium ships

Any type of ship from 1,000t to 10,000t in size.

Large ships

Any type of ship more than 10,000t in size.

Cargo Transport

Familiarity with systems commonly found on transport vessels, such as loading/unloading systems, cargo protection and distribution.

Passenger ships

Familiarity with liners and other ships designed for moving large numbers of people in comfort.

Military ships

Military and other fighting ships. This includes any ship with military systems and weapons (the presence of advanced sensors, ECM systems, more advanced damage control etc make such vessels different from civilian ones).

Science vessels

Science and survey vessels.

Tugs

Familiarity with tugs and tenders.

You may require familiarity with several types of ship to be able to operate one - for example a 20,000t military ship would require Large ships and Military ships. Lack of familiarity will not necessarily mean that you suffer a penalty for everything you do, but large vessels can be overwhelming to operate unless you know how best to delegate responsibility, and make best use of the ships automated systems, and ships of a particular role will require familiarity to make use of ship systems which are unique to that role.

Stunt driver (Cost 4): Drive.

Add +1 to the effective Agility of your vehicle when you are driving it. Only applies if you are familiar with the vehicle.

Top gun (Cost 6): Pilot.
Prerequisites: Hostshot pilot.

You are skilled at dogfighting in aircraft. When trying to manouevre for a clear shot, you can fire at half skill with a single success, and full skill with two or more successes.

Experience and Advancement

Over the course of your adventures, you will gain the opportunity to learn new skills and improve existing ones. Some of this improvement will come directly from adventures, but most of it will be gained during downtime with training and learning.

Experience

Whilst performing exciting acts of heroism (or dasterdly acts of greed, your choice), you may get the opportunity to improve an existing skill or learn a new one.

If you currently have no score in a skill, but get the opportunity to try the skill, then you may gain a single point of experience in that skill. This may only be done with skills which could reasonably be improved through exposure in this way. Firing a gun (pistol), trying to find a black market dealer (streetwise) or applying bandages (first aid) are all skills which a little bit of practise can get you started.

If you already have a skill, but it is at a level of 4 or less, then it could also improve. If you use the skill extensively, or use it in an ingenious way, then you can also gain a point of experience in it.

Skills about 4 very rarely improve in the field.

Training

It is assumed that most characters spend most of their characters not actually in 'adventures'. Much of this downtime will be spent performing their normal daily routine jobs, relaxing or training. If the party are merchant traders, then this time will probably be spent shipping routine goods. If they are part of a military organisation, then they are probably on routine duty, training, or catching up on R&R.

If time is spent training, then a typical training session is assumed to take a month. A month of training will be in a single skill. Intensive training may reduce the time to as little as a week (some military training may be like this). Few people can put up with this sort of intensive training for more than a few sessions of this sort of intense effort however. If you want, assume that a month of training consists of some intensive training plus routine downtime.

Score	Check	Gain
0-2	20	3
3-4	25	3
5-6	30	2
7-9	35	2
10+	40	1

After a session of training, make an Intelligence check, at a target difficulty depending on your current score in the skill being trained. If you succeed, then you gain twice the experience listed on the table above. If you fail, then you gain the listed experience. If you fail by more than 10, then the amount gained is the listed gain minus 1.

The above assumes that you have a competent trainer. If your trainer is poor quality then add +5 to the difficulty. If you have a good quality trainer, then reduce the difficulty by 5. If you have good training facilities, reduce the difficulty by another 5.

For purely physical skills (e.g. athletics, but not pistol or piloting) you may substitude Health for Intelligence.

Learning Techniques

Techniques may be learnt in a similar fashion. An Intelligence check is made at a level equal to 5 times the level of the technique being taught (modified by training quality). On success, the technique is learnt, on failure half the XP is gained. On a bad failure, only 1 XP is gained.

For every XP you already have in the technique, reduce the difficulty by 3.

A specialist training course may teach multiple techniques. In this case, add up the total of all the techniques and treat them as a single roll. The lowest level techniques are always learnt first. No more than 1 technique per 2 levels of Teach skill can be taught.

Typical NPCs

The Imperium is populated with a wide range of character types, some of which are listed below. These are examples of a typical member of a profession, and most of them are far less experienced than player characters will be.

Individual NPCs will likely have some hobby and secondary skills as well - only those skills related to the profession are listed. Other skills are unlikely to be higher than 2.