Skills

Character skills are their ability to perform trained actions. This can be any number of things such as firing a weapon, evading an attack, hacking a computer or piloting a starship. Characters are given a number of skill points to allocate per level based on their attributes. Higher attributes means more skill points for that category of skills. The number of points in a skill is called the Skill Level, which acts as a prerequisite for many Abilities and Advanced Skills.

A skill's level determines what modifier a character gets on a Skill Roll while performing that skill. By default, all Skill Levels start at 0 unless otherwise determined by a character's race or other features. Skills have a limit of how high they can go, called the Skill Cap. The Skill Cap is calculated by the Character Level + 4.

When performing a Skill Test, add the level of the skill to the Skill Roll to get the total Skill Test result. Skillfully, of course.

An Attribute Test is like a Skill Test, but only uses the modifier of the player's attribute to determine success. A character trying to break down a door, for example, would perform a Strength Test as there's very little skill that goes into performing that action other than brute force. Strength Tests are for situations that require the application of brute force to accomplish a task, Intelligence Tests are used for reasoning and problem solving, and Perception Tests are for being aware of details within the character's surroundings or discerning lies or manipulation. The only attribute which does not have a specific test is Dexterity simply because the skills therein thoroughly cover any situations where Dexterity might be tested.

Fortitude
The ability to withstand physical adversity through high amounts of damage or from performing strenuous actions.

Grappling
The ability to grab onto an opponent, pin them or otherwise render them unable to fight properly.

Jump
The ability to leap great distances or heights.

Melee Block
The ability to block damage from a melee attack by using the character's weapon or shield to stop an attack outright. Only valid if an attack is declared to hit. Melee Block mitigates damage.

Melee Damage
The effectiveness of striking as damage using any part of a character's body, weapon or item being held.

Swim
The ability to swim in dangerous waters or swim for an extended amount of time without resting. Also indicates the character's ability to bear loads while treading water.

Acrobatics
The ability to tumble, jump, swing or move fluidly through an environment with little hindrance.

Climb
The ability to scale vertical surfaces. Also indicates the character's ability to bear loads while climbing tall surfaces as well.

Evasion
The ability to dodge or evade incoming attacks or hazards.

Locksmithing
The ability to manipulate locks on doors, vehicles or other places that have been secured by a physical device.

Melee Attack
The ability to strike a target and effectively land a blow. The character can also use this skill in an attempt to deflect or parry an enemies melee attack before it hits. Melee Block can be used in conjunction with a Melee Attack parry so long as different items are used for each test. For example, a character cannot both block and parry with the same melee weapon, but a character holding a shield can parry with their weapon and block with the shield. A character may only block or parry one attack each at a time.

Ranged Attack
The ability to hit targets at a range using a variety of weapons including rifles, energy weapons, bows and thrown weapons.

Ride
The ability to maneuver on land while riding a creature or straddled vehicle such as a hoverbike.

Sleight of Hand
The ability to perform feats of mischief using misdirection and hand skills to manipulate objects without others noticing. Can also be used for pick pocketing against the opponents Observation skill or can be used to steal a weapon from an enemy during an unarmed parry maneuver.

Stealth
The ability to move under cover without being seen or heard.

Appraisal
The ability to accurately estimate the appropriate value of an item.

Astrogation
The ability to navigate through interstellar distances and accurately plot courses.

Chemistry
The ability to apply chemical knowledge in creating new compounds and substances. Can also be used to create poisons.

Demolition
The ability to safely utilize, handle and detonate explosive ordinance.

Engineering
The ability and knowledge to operate and service mechanical objects such as starships, robots and weapons.

Forgery
The ability to falsify documents or information in a fashion that appears true or unchanged.

Land Navigation
The ability and knowledge to navigate terrain accurately. Also defined cartography for mapping and other plotting techniques.

Linguistics
The ability to understand and speak a different language.
 * Venican - Also known as Galactic Common, it's the capital language used by Humans and many intelligent species.
 * Ascarian - Known for its throaty pronunciations, it's the native language of the Ascari.

Lore
The knowledge and expertise in regards to a specific subject of study.
 * Architecture - The creation and history of Man-made structures.
 * Astronomy - Charted positions and folk understandings of stars and cosmos.
 * Biology - Anatomy and Physiology of living organisms.
 * Botany - Physiology of plant life.
 * Ecology - The general ecology of an area or planet.
 * Geology - The topography of a planet surface.
 * History - The past events of a civilization or culture.
 * Modern - The current events of a civilization or culture.
 * Religion - Faiths and spiritual rituals of cultures and societies.
 * Spellcraft - Magic and magical creatures.
 * Technology - Mechanical devices, computers, weaponry, armor and anything else that qualifies as technology.

Medical
The ability to provide medical attention and utilize medical devices and drugs safely.

Technology
The ability to manipulate modern technology via software such as cryptography and communication.

Diplomacy
The ability to persuade or coerce others through fluent communication. Is combat by Perception or Intelligence (whichever is higher) in cases where the subject is being lied to, bartered with or otherwise persuaded into believing something other than the total truth.

Disguise
The ability to change your appearance to hide your true identity from others. Is combat by Perception.

Initiative
The ability to process and react to situations that occur spontaneously, such as combat or traps. This can be a determining factor in whether or not the character receives an additional skill test to avoid the hazard. Characters that succeed on a high Initiative test at the beginning of combat can potentially receive up to a second for surprise actions that can be performed before main combat starts.

Intimidate
The ability to harass or bully others into submission through fear.

Survival
The ability to survive by using the land or area in as advantageous way as possible. This includes hunting, foraging and finding sources of potable water.

Willpower
The ability to withstand mental adversity. Combats assaults such as intimidation, fear effects and psychic attacks.