SKILLS

 

 

A skill is the ability to do something well that arises from finesse, adroitness, and experience.  There are 20 basic skills available to characters.     Not all skills are available to every character vocation, and your game master (GM) might allow or create skills not described in this chapter.

 

Total number of skills acquired by a character may not exceed the average of his current level and his intelligence score. All skills require time for training (about four weeks for swimming and one year for scroll) whether formal or self-taught.

A character’s skill rank in a known skill is based upon his current level within his vocation or class regardless of when he acquired the skill. Admittedly, this is not a realistic approach, but this method greatly facilitates ease and speed of play.   Skill checks and saving throws are made against a Difficulty Class (DC) whose value is determined by the GM; often  DC = 10 + current encounter level.

 

DC                       Description   

 8                          Easy

10                        Routine

12                             Hard                         

15                           Challenging

18                        Impressive

24                         Formidable            

30                         Preposterous

       40              Impossible              

 

            When rolling skill checks, ADD character’s Key Ability modifier, skill rank,  and Armor Penalty and other GM/ situational modifiers to the die result.     

 

To succeed with a skill throw; the result of your die throw plus skill rank plus key ability modifier must exceed the assigned DC.   

 

If the total is exactly equal to the assigned difficulty level, the character succeeds at the task, but with minor reservations as determined by the GM (usually you drop an item/ piece of equipment; aka evidence).  

 

If this total is less than the assigned difficulty class, the character fails at the attempted task without injury or negative consequences.

A newly-generated 2^nd level PC selects one    (two skills iff criminal) skill allowed to his vocation.  AFTER each game session, a skill may be increased either randomly or by player choice as determined by the Experience Table (p.19).  If a character rolls a skill that he already possesses, the character may opt to be cross-trained.

 

 Cross trainING allows a character to select a skill not usually allowed to his class (p.45).  Skill rank is calculated in the usual manner; however, cross-trained characters roll d12 instead of d20 when determining skill resolution. To distinguish between class OR RACE skills and cross-trained skills on the character sheet use Capital and small letters, respectively.

            Certain races have an natural aptitude with certain skills as indicated on Table 6.1.  To reflect this natural or innate ability, when that character is cross-trained with the designated skill, he rolls d20 for task resolution.  One still rolls d12 for task resolution with a racial skill when making an untrained check.

            A character’s skill rank is zero for those skills in which he has received no training. Regardless of whether a skill belongs to a character’s class or racial allotment; if a character is attempting to use a skill which he is not trained with, then to determine outcome; roll d12 ADDing  appropriate Key Ability modifier, and Armor Penalty and situational modifiers to the die result, but skill rank equals zero.     

 

concentration:  If a character allots sufficient time (1 xat), removes his helmet, and acts in a prudent manner, roll 2d10 instead of the d20 for skill resolution.  If using a cross-trained or untrained skill, then the character would roll 2d6 instead of d12 when concentrating.  If character is injured during the same time period he is attempting a skill throw, then DC is increased by the number of hit points of damage received while attempting the task or skill.

 

     Red Planet has greatly simplified character generation; therefore, there are no modifiers to skill throws based upon species.  The character’s race and class determines which skills are available without the cross-training penalty (d20à d12).  There is no need for multi-classed characters or switching classes as it is easy for players to customize their player characters (PCs).

 

 

 

miniatures from REAPER

painted by MidwestMiniatureGuy