Page 7 - Skills

Skills[]

Skills represent your character's abilities to perform certain actions. Non Social Skills have a cap based on Years of Experience of a character. This affects general skills and specific ones. Merits do not put you over the cap unless specifically stated. Instead the benefit of merits granting you skills is that you may spend points to become more versatile and well rounded. If you have a flaw that reduces the value of a skill that value is reduced until the flaw is removed. The same is true if a merit bonuses a skill and for any reason you decide to remove it.

Years of Experience	Rookie	Experienced	Seasoned	Veteran
Skill cap	15	25	35	40

Overcap[]

A skill can sometimes overcap based on a merit which explicitly allows it. When a skill is in the overcap state it can only be increased via specialized training, until the cap for that skill is above the current skill value. This changs at Seasoned which allows you to put points in the skill up to the base cap of 35 with Veteran allowing a further +5 to bring the base of the skill to 40.

Social Skills[]

Artistic Expression (Define) - This skill encompasses fine arts, and applied arts. Training is a combination of guided practice in technique and instruction in theory and important contributions to the field.
Cultural Literature (Define Focus) - References the characters knowledge level of a specific area of cultural literature, which would allow a character to remember facts if relevant to a narrative beat.
Dancing - This skill represents formal training in dance. Characters with this skill may have knowledge in many types of dance styles and can explicitly dance in that style. General dancing simply requires a character to find the beat or not… freeform dance is also dancing.
Gaming (Define) - References the knowledge necessary to play a specific game, this can be anything from chess to Klingon Warrior Crash.
History (Define Focus) - References the characters knowledge level of a specific area of history, which would allow a character to remember facts if relevant to a narrative beat.
Humor - Unfortunately taking this skill doesn’t mean your character has a sense of humor, this skill specifically references a character's knowledge of how humor functions. The nature of build up and punchline or other disciplines of comedy. It would be utilized when performing stand-up comedy or other theatrical pursuits.
Musical Instrument (Define) - This skill represents competency in a musical instrument, Unlike most skills a character cannot perform with a musical instrument without the skill to do so.
Singing - This skill represents a character's ability to sing well. Usually indicating some training or natural ability. All Characters may sing at any time. They may even sing well but a challenging song will be hard to perform without this ability.
Sport (Define) - This skill represents knowledge and ability of a specific sport. If that sport is related to combat such as Wrestling or Fencing, it specifically bonus’s actions taken in a sport context. For actual combat actions the maximum bonus this might apply is equal to the skill cap maximum of a character.
Story Telling - This skill determines a character's ability to tell a good story, either improvisational or from memory. A good storyteller can captivate the audience by inspiring thought or provoking discord.
Trivia (Define Focus) - References the characters knowledge level of a specific area of trivia, which would allow a character to remember facts if relevant to a narrative beat.
Custom - If you can think of it you can take it. Custom social skills are infinite, but subject to DGM approval. For example a skill in “Breaking the fourth wall” would likely not be allowed.

Languages[]

Languages represent the languages your character can speak without the aid of a universal translator. A player character will always speak federation standard as it is required by the academy unless the species cannot speak due to a lack of vocal processing, in that case they will be assumed to have a method of communication that allows them to process federation standard (which is english), after that your character will also speak the language of your species origin in the case of humans, that would be a ethnic language of their choice. After that the character will learn one other language while at the academy as an elective. If your character has the polyglot merit they can learn another two languages. Finally your character may speak one additional language per five skill points in linguistics.

It is also possible with a good narrative reason to add a one language at the DGM’s discretion if a good reason exists for it.

A character with the default language choices at the end of character creation will speak at least Three languages, Federation Standard, Species Languages (in the case of hybrid), Studied Language at Starfleet Academy.

Pre Academy Skills[]

Pre-academy skills represent any pursuits or interests a character may have had in their upbringing; these skills are limited to a Maximum of +15 at character creation, must have a narrative reason to exist subject to DGM approval and must be increased using a training merit or through narrative advances. When performing a combat action Security General can be bonused with the relevant combat skill in place of the relevant specific security.

Archaic Weaponry ( Melee)- This covers all bladed, blunt, or otherwise melee weapons from history. If similar enough to a modern weapon this skill may be averaged to gain increased competency. For example a skill in d’tagh fighting would bonus Melee(Armed) Since that references the use of a combat knife. A cultural weapon like a Batleth, however, would replace that skill roll as Bat'leth fighting is not taught by starfleet security training.
Archaic weaponry (gunpowder) - This refers to all gunpowder or projectile weapons that rely on kinetic energy generated by propellant. Magnetic or Gravity accelerated projectile weapons fall under modern weapons.
Archaic Weaponry (non-gunpowder) - This skill refers to bows, spears, or any ranged weapon that would be considered archaic by the 25th century.
Hunting - Represents skill in tracking, trapping and knowledge of Game hunting as well as subsistence.
Martial Arts (Specify) - This skill represents dedication to a specific martial art. These martial arts may also have special characteristics as determined by the DGM when selection occurs. For example Martial Arts (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) may be determined to only apply to grappling.
Vehicle operation (specify) - This skill represents a character's ability to operate a vehicle such as a motorcycle, or drive a car. It may also be used to know how to fly archaic flying machines. Or drones.

Starfleet Skills[]

Starfleet Skills represent the skills taught at Starfleet Academy to ready cadets to perform their duties within starfleet. As such these skills also represent starfleet values of Truth, Compassion, and Peaceful coexistence as well as defense. Skills represent a character's training above the base level competency expected of all Starfleet officers.

General Skills[]

General Skills represent overall starfleet training in the different disciplines above base competency.

Engineering - This skill is used for all Engineering actions and added to specific skills when performing skill checks. Engineering General is used for Damage Control actions.
Medical - This skill is used for all medical actions and added to specific skills when performing skill checks. It assumes a basic knowledge in first aid already exists.
Science - This skill is used for all Science actions and added to specific disciplines and subdisciplines when performing skill checks. Science General is used for any basic analysis.
Security - This skill is used for all Security actions and added to specific skills when performing skill checks. Security general is also used to operate basic ship offensive and defensive systems such as shields and weapons as well as the configuration and operation of personal shields.

Command Skills[]

Command skills represent a subset of skills related to the leadership of people or the command of starships in combat. These skills are taught mostly in higher level training though all cadets receive a base level instruction in these aspects of Starfleet service.

Diplomacy - This skill is utilized when performing an opposed action to persuade an entity to see things your way. This may be through intimidation, persuasion or Compromise. Though Starfleet does not condone intimidation in most situations.
Inspiration - This skill represents that ability of a character to inspire or instruct other characters. Successful applications of this skill may add a bonus equal to the skills value to the skill check of another character. Or a group's check in the case of a group action.
Modern Grand Strategy - This skill is not taught to cadets and can only be used by characters who have attended command college. This skill represents a character's ability to understand theater level combat actions and logistics deployments.
Starship Combat Tactics - This skill is utilized when performing starship actions to determine the efficacy of tactics involved. Successful skill checks lower the difficulty of any particular opposed action.

Engineering[]

Engineering skills represent a character’s ability to manufacture, repair, or modify starship systems or personal devices. These skills represent further specialization from the standard engineering training all cadets must pass and are added to Engineering General when performing skill checks.

Personal Device Engineering - This skill represents a character’s efficacy in building, repairing and deploying personal equipment from personal shields, transporter enhancers and inhibitors and explosives.
Starship Computer Systems - This skill represents the character's efficacy in working on Computers, Sensor Systems Communication systems and holodeck systems. This also controls a character’s ability to physically configure Probes.
Starship Defensive Systems - This skill represents the character's efficacy in working on Deflector Shields, cloaking devices and countermeasure systems.
Starship Offensive Systems - This skill represents the characters efficacy in working on starship weapon, targeting and tractor beam systems.
Starship Power Systems - This skill represents a character’s efficacy in working on reactors of all types as well as power transfer systems including their ability to creatively reroute emergency power.
Starship Propulsion Systems - This skill represents a character’s efficacy in working on all forms of starship propulsion ranging from RCS thrusters to Experimental Warp systems.
Transporter Systems - This skill represents the character's efficacy in working on Transporters both personnel and cargo as well as their targeting sensors.

Operations[]

Operations skills represent a character's ability to perform actions on a starship or personal device. All cadets receive a baseline qualification on every system on a starship. These skills add to relevant general skills when performing skill checks.

Starship Computer Operation - This represents a character's efficacy in avoiding PEBKAC errors. This skill is used when performing analysis tasks utilizing the main computer as well as programming the computer to perform a specific task. It is also used when cleaning up communications or attempting to perform EWAR and ELINT activities during combat.
Starship Helm Operation - This skill reflects specialized focus in the operation of modern pilotable craft. This is utilized when flying a Starship or a shuttlecraft.
Starship Sensor Operation - This skill represents a character’s efficacy in operating starship sensor systems, this includes programing probes and tasking sensor arrays to search for specific objects or parameters. The operation of Tactical Sensor arrays also falls under this skill. When performing a Sensor operation skill check it is bonused by the relevant General Skill. Tactical Sensors are bonused by Security. Science station scans are bonused by Science General, and Life Signs are bonuses by medical general.
Starship Tactical Systems Operation - This skill represents a character’s efficacy in operating starship grade directed energy weapons, projectile weapons, tractor beams, mines and shield systems. This skill is bonuses by the Security General skill.
Transporter Operation - This skill represents a character’s efficacy in utilizing transporter targeting sensors to retrieve targets with the transporter. It is bonused by the Engineering General skill or Security General skill whichever is higher.
Tricorder Operation - This skill represents the character's efficacy in utilizing the tricorder. It is bonused with the general skill relevant to the action being performed. Medical general for medical actions, science for analysis, engineering for damage assessment, security for combat information. The DGM may also determine what if any bonus exists at the time based on further skills.
Zero-G Operation - This Skill represents the character’s efficacy in operating in a zero-g environment, both inside and in extravehicular activities. This skill may be bonuses with Security General when performing Zero-G combat actions.

Medical[]

Medical Skills represent a character's ability to perform medical related actions, these are skills taught in starfleet medical schooling to prepare Starfleet doctors for duty. All starfleet doctors have a general training in all of these fields but often specialize in one or two. These skills are bonuses with the Medical General skill, they may also be bonused with a relevant Biological Science skill.

Diagnostics - This skill represents a character’s efficacy and diagnosing ailments, reflecting their knowledge and recall ability as well as their research ability in medical matters, it is often also bonused with a relevant biological science skill.
Epidemiology - This represents a character’s efficacy in studying infectious disease. Bonused with Biological Sciences, Biology or Sociology
Prosthetics - This represents a character’s efficacy in attaching and configuring prosthetics. This skill bonuses with Engineering General.
Psychiatry - This skill represents a character's ability to prescribe medication to deal with mental illness. This skill is bonused with Psychology and Social Science.
Surgery - This skill represents the character's efficacy at programing surgical procedures into the medical systems as well as performing surgery with analog equipment.

Science[]

Science skills represent a character’s knowledge in the different disciplines of scientific pursuit. All cadets graduate with a basic understanding of scientific principles with science focused cadets receiving a more specific but still broad education in the sciences. From there the cadets often choose specialities and continue down that path until obtaining doctorates. Science skills are different from other skill categories in that there exists a science general, a science discipline and a science specialization within that discipline. Science skill checks are bonused by the addition of all three skills.

When adding science skills to a character:[]

Biological Sciences is the Science Discipline.
Biology is the Science Specialization.

It is written in a skill sheet as Biological Sciences (Biology).

Biological Sciences - Biological sciences represents a character's broad knowledge across all of the specializations of biological sciences. This skill is bonus’d by Science General. Unless the Medical general skill is higher than fifteen and is the higher of the two.
- Biology - Represents the character’s understanding of biological processes, microbiology, zoology, xenobiology and botany
- Cybernetics- Represents the character’s understanding of the application of cybernetics. This is often cross disciplined with engineering, as well as Prosthetics. It includes the study and understanding of Cybernetic life forms.
- Genetics - Represents the character’s understanding of genetics, heredity, genetic engineering, and evolution
- Organic Chemistry - Represents the character’s understanding of organic chemistry including chemical processes, reactions, synthesis and deconstruction of carbon containing compounds. This skill is often used in drug synthesis when combined with medical skills for carbon based life.
Computer Sciences - Computer Sciences represents a character’s broad knowledge in the application of mathematics to the creation of logical discrete and quantum computer systems as well as Artificial Intelligence. This is often used to bonus Engineering skill checks related to computer systems. And to bonus Intrusion actions in combat.
- Artificial Intelligence - Represents the character’s understanding of the creation, maintenance, training and prevention of artificial intelligence as well as holographic intelligence.
- Cryptography - Represents the character’s understanding of encryption, decryption and computer security practices.
- Machine Language - Represents the character’s understanding of communication and languages used to interface with computers. Would be used to create a new language for humanoid computer interaction ro decode an unknown alien one.
- Systems Design - Represents the character’s understanding of computer system design such as OS’s and specialized software. Is used in the creation of specialized programs that are not AI based.
Physical Sciences - Physical sciences represents a character’s broad knowledge of the physical world ranging from the subatomic all the way to advanced material structure.
- Inorganic Chemistry - Represents the character’s understanding of inorganic chemistry, metallurgy, and compounds used in materials synthesis. This skill is also used in bonusing medical skills for non carbon based life. And to bonus engineering skills related to manufacturing and repair.
- Materials Science- Represents a character’s understanding of material science specifically the creation of macro materials and advanced polymers and alloys. This is the primary discipline of a materials engineer but may also aid engineering and medical skill checks.
- Particle Physics- Represents the character’s understanding of atomic and subatomic systems. This is often used to bonus engineering skill checks for power systems as well as weapons.
Planetary Sciences- This discipline is often used when performing analysis of planets and other rocky structures as oceans and plate tectonics.
- Ecology - Represents the character’s knowledge of Ecosystems and their formation as well as maintenance of artificial systems.
- Geology - Represents the character’s understanding of structure and history of planetary features, rocky features, and the inorganic ecosystem development as well as mining, extraction and its effects.
- Oceanography - Represents the character’s understanding of bodies of waters, ocean systems and biomes.
- Volcanology - Represents the character’s understanding of plate tectonics, magma flow and ecological fallout of volcanic activity.
Social Sciences - Social Sciences represents a character’s broad knowledge across the disciplines related to researching and understanding the cultures, peoples and customs of the galaxy as well as the individual. Social Science can be used to bonus medical skill checks related to epidemiology and psychiatry.
- Archeology - Represents the character’s understanding of archeological practices, comparative archeology and lived histories. As well as the study of the effects of the environment on the development of cultures.
- Linguistics - Represents the character’s understanding of languages and the ability to learn them.
- Psychology - Represents the character’s understanding of the principals of the mind, as well as comparative psychology between species.
- Sociology - Represents the character’s understanding of how cultures and groups affect one another as well as how knowledge and practices spread across cultures.
Stellar Sciences - Stellar Sciences represents a character’s ability to apply the principles of stellar based phenomena and perform analysis within that realm of the sciences. This skill represents a general understanding of all aspects of stellar sciences.
- Astrogation - represents a character's ability to chart courses through the stars for warp travel as well as mapping.
- Astrophysics - refers to the characters knowledge of the stars and how they behave at a macro level as well as the forces of the universe this also includes wormholes.
- Orbital Dynamics - Represents a character's specialization in orbital dynamics or the study of how orbital bodies interact often at the system and subsystem level. Orbital dynamics can aid in the targeting of weapons as well as the detection of threats.
- Temporal Science - Represents the character’s understanding of time travel, time phenomena, chroniton behavior and temporal causality.
- Warp Theory - Represents a character’s knowledge of warp fields and Faster than light methods of travel.

Security[]

Security skills represent a character’s ability to utilize starfleet combat training to address dangerous situations where force is required. Security procedures and federation laws are covered in detail for all cadets and security minded cadets are considered knowledgeable in all matters of the Starfleet codes by the time they graduate. Security checks are bonused by the Security General Skill.

Cover Principles - Represents a character’s ability to find cover and avoid ranged weapon fire.
Melee Combat (Armed) - Represents a character’s knowledge and ability to employ the Standard issue Starfleet Stun baton and Combat knife in Melee Combat, as well as close quarters combat with a phaser rifle as a melee weapon.
Melee Combat (Unarmed) - Represents a character’s knowledge and ability in utilizing the Starfleet Combatives and Deterrent System. (SCADS) which is a martial arts system developed from the martials arts of the member species of Starfleet to address the needs of Starfleet security in apprehension actions and diffusing of hostile situations without weapons.
Modern Heavy Weapons Marksmanship - Represents a character’s accuracy with heavy weapons such as energy mortars, mounted phaser cannons and pulse wave weapon systems.
Modern Small Arms Marksmanship - Represents a character’s accuracy with hand phasers, phaser rifles and modern projectile weapon systems.
Small Unit Tactics - Represents a character's ability to lead groups of Starfleet personnel at the unit level and plan and execute assaults, recoveries and defenses of key objectives.