TECHNICAL

    Art: The ability to draw or paint or sculpt, or do craft-work. Taken as an O.C.C. skill, art training indicates a professional quality, while a secondary skill indicates a talented amateur. Taking this skill reduces the cost of improving I.Q. by 10%. Base Skill is 35%+5% per level of experience.

    Carpentry: A fundamental knowledge of working with wood. The character knows how to prepare, treat, and preserve wood, recognize quality craftsmanship, can repair damaged wood and wood items, and build (chests, chairs, tables, cabinets, houses, etc.). Bonus: Adds a special one time bonus of+5% to boat building skill if taken. Base Skill is 25%+5% per level of experience.

    Computer Operation: A knowledge of how computers work, along with the skills to operate peripherals like keyboards, printers, and modems. Characters can follow computer directions, enter and retrieve information, and similar basic computer operations. However, this does NOT include programming or hacking. Base Skill is 40%+5% per level of experience. Requires: Literacy.

    Computer Programming: Advanced computer knowledge that includes designing, programming, debugging, and testing computer programs and software. Hacking is possible, but at a penalty of -40% unless the character also has computer hacking skill (see Rogue Skills). Base Skill is 30%+5% per level of experience. Requires: Computer operation and literacy.

    Demolitions: This skill provides the character with an advanced knowledge in the use and workings of explosives and detonation devices for the purpose of blowing up bridges, buildings, and sabotage. This includes all types of explosives, such as mines, dynamite, plastics, nitro, blasting caps, etc. It also includes a basic understanding of the strategic placement of mines and booby traps. This will increase the character's awareness of suspicious rope, string, and wire (+5 to PF when it applies). A failed roll means a dud; no explosion. Base Skill is 60%+3% per level of experience.

    Demolitions: Disposal: This skill enables the character to safely defuse unexploded mines, bombs, explosive booby traps, dud artillery rounds, dud explosive charges, or any other explosive device. A failed roll means the item has exploded without warning. Base Skill is 60%+3% per level of experience.

    Hunting: The skill of killing and preparing an animal for food. Bonuses: +2% prowl, +5% track animals, +5% skin animals, +5% wilderness survival, and +5% to cook the catch only. No base skill.

    Identify Plants & Fruits: Training in the recognition of the many different types of plants and vegetation and where they grow. The emphasis is placed on edible, herbal, and poisonous plants. Base Skill is 25%+5% per level of experience.

    Journalism: The style and approach of journalistic writing is very different from writing prose and fiction. One must present facts and information in a particular order and style. This skill also includes journalistic writing, editing and reporting techniques for newspapers, radio and television, as well as the ability to type. The writing and reporting quality is professional quality if taken as an O.C.C. skill, but only a talented amateur if selected as a secondary skill. Base Skill is 25%+5% per level of experience. A failed roll means the article is poorly written and is boring or offensive to its readers, possibly difficult to understand. Try again. Requires: Literacy.

    Navigation: Land: This skill allows a person to stay on course, while traveling over land, by means of observation. This includes mentally marking/recognizing geographic landmarks, estimating distance and movement, recognizing sounds and other navigational tricks. Techniques include night travel. The player should roll once for approximately every three miles traveled. A failed roll means the group is drifting off course by 200-2000 yards (roll 2D10X100 yards). Do not roll again until the next three miles. A successful roll at that time will allow the character to recognize his or her error and correct it. Of course, errors mean lost time and traveling through unknown or potentially dangerous areas. A second (and third) failed roll means the team continues to travel 2D10X100 yards further off course. All failed rolls are cumulative unless corrected.
    Note: A group of average men can cover approximately 5 miles an hour at a brisk, but relaxed pace, through grasslands, along dirt roads or paved streets. Travel through dense forest or jungle at a cautious pace, with eyes open for danger, is about one mile per hour. At this pace, one can easily watch for booby traps, snipers, ambushes, wild animals, tracks, clues and other observations, without fear of traveling too fast (and missing them). Only at a faster pace will one begin to miss details and court death. Base Skill is 35%+5% per level of experience.

    Language: All characters are automatically able to speak their native language (98%). Characters with a language skill can understand and speak in a language other than their own native tongue. Language is one of a few skills that can be selected repeatedly in order to select several different languages. Each selection gives the character knowledge of a different language and costs one skill selection each time. Among the major languages are English, French, Spanish, German, Japanese, Chinese, and Zentraedi. Base Skill is 50%+5% per level of experience.

    Literacy: All professional characters are automatically literate (98%); meaning they can read and write their native language. However, not all characters, most notably Zentraedi refugees, are literate and must learn to read and write. Likewise, a literate character might elect to learn to read and write languages other than their native tongue. Each language counts as a separate skill selection. Base Skill is 40%+5% per level of experience.

    Photography: Training in the art of still photography, the use of lighting, cameras, lenses, filters, and other camera equipment, as well as storage, development, enlargement, and duplication of film/photos. Base Skill is 35%+5% per level of experience. Akso see T.V./Video under communication.

    Research:Training in the use of methods, techniques, and locations for finding information, including public records, libraries, federal information services, computer services, data bureaus, demographic charts, trade journals and legal searches, as well as conducting interviews and surveys. This skill is helpful in locating information about people, places, things and events. The Gamemaster will ultimately determine what information is available at any given time and where. Base Skill is 35%+5% per level of experience.

    Writing: The ability to write prose (stories), poems, and so on. O.C.C. training indicates a professional quality, while the secondary skill indicates a talented amateur. A failed roll means an awkward and poorly written work that is boring and difficult to understand. Base Skill is 25%+5% per level of experience. Requires: Literacy.

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