SKILLS

There are 13 different skills that a player character can learn. These 13 skills are organized into three Primary Skill Areas (PSAs): Military, Technological and Biosocial.

Military skills deal with combat. There are seven different Military skills: Beam Weapons, Demolitions, Gyrojet Weapons, Martial Arts, Melee Weapons, Projectile Weapons and Thrown Weapons.

Technological skills deal with various types of machines. There are three different Technological skills: Computer skill, Robotics and Technician.

Biosocial skills deal with the intelligent races and their surroundings. There are three different Biosocial skills: Environmental, Medical and Psycho-Social.

At the start of the game, each character must choose one Primary Skill Area as his career. The player then chooses two skills for his character. One skill must be from the character's PSA, but the other can be from any PSA. The character starts with Level 1 experience in both skills.

Learning Skills

To learn new or higher-level skills, characters must spend experience points. The experience point cost depends on the skill's level and PSA. The Skill Cost Table shows the costs for each level of skill in the different PSAs. If the skill is from the character's Primary Skill Area, the cost is the number in the column. A character can learn skills from other PSAs, but must pay twice as many experience points for them. Doubled costs are shown in parentheses.

SKILL COST TABLE

A character can learn only one skill level at a time. Skipping levels is not allowed, even if the character has enough experience points to do so.

EXAMPLE: Brango O'Bourke, a Human, has accumulated 10 experience points on adventures. The player decides to spend these experience points to increase Brango's Gyrojet Weapons skill from level 2 to level 3. Brango's Primary Skill Area is Military, so the new level costs him 9 experience points. The player increases Brango's Gyrojet Weapons skill level from 2 to 3 on the character sheet, and subtracts 9 from his experience point total. Brango has 1 experience point left.

Training. When characters learn new skills or increase a skill level, they must be trained somehow. Three methods are described below.

HYPNO-TRAINING. Hypno-training is a teaching system that involves hypnotism, memorization and the use of drugs that improve the mind's ability to learn. A character with enough experience points can learn a new skill or skill level at a hypno-training center in five days (100 hours) for 100 Cr.

TEACHERS. A character with enough experience points can learn a new skill or skill level from another character. The teacher's skill level must be at least two levels higher than the pupil's. A character can learn a new skill or skill level from a teacher in one month.

PRACTICE. Characters with enough experience points can learn new skills or skill levels simply by practicing. This is not always possible, however, especially with skills that require special equipment.

All three of these methods are optional. Some referees may want to ignore this rule, and simply allow players to pick new skills when their characters have earned enough experience points. Training is more realistic, but also more complicated.

Using Skills

Each skill is divided into subskills. Subskills define exactly what types of things a skill lets a character do. For example, Demolitions skill has two subskills: set charges and defuse charges. This means a character with Demolitions skill can set and defuse explosive charges according to the rules listed under those subskills. When a character learns a skill, he automatically learns all of its subskills.

Success Rates. Each subskill has a success rate. The success rate consists of a basic chance to succeed, plus modifiers for the character's skill level. If the success rate for a subskill is "40% + skill level," then the character's chance to use the subskill successfully is 40% plus 10 x his/her skill level.

Some success rates have a second modifier, such as ''60% + skill level - robot level." A character's chance to use this subskill successfully is 60% plus 10 x his/her skill level, minus 10 x the level of the robot he is working on.

Repair

Computer, Robotics and Technician skills allow characters to repair damaged equipment. The success rates vary depending on what is being repaired, but the procedure is the same for all three skills.

If the damaged equipment is repaired in a shop, there is no chance it will break down again on its own. When a repair is made away from a shop ("in the field") with a personal toolkit, there is a chance that the device will break down again. This chance accumulates from day to day; a device has a 10% chance to break down in the first 20 hours, 20% in the second 20 hours, 30% in the third, and so on. When something breaks down, the referee must decide whether the damage is minor, major or total. A minor repair takes 1 d10 minutes, a major repair takes 1d10 hours and a total repair takes 1d10 x 10 hours.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:41, Fri 07 May 2021.

MILITARY SKILLS

There are seven different Military skills. Five of them involve the use of weapons. Demolitions covers the use of explosives, and Martial Arts covers fighting without weapons or with melee weapons.

Weapon Skills

Success rate: 1/2 DEX + skill level

All weapons skills work the same way. Each level of skill adds 10% to the character's chance to hit with that type of weapon. A roll of 96-00 always misses, however, no matter what the character's modified chance to hit is. Each type of weapon has its own skill, and characters must increase their scores separately in each. When a character uses experience points to increase one weapon skill, his other weapon skills are not affected.

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BEAM WEAPONS skill applies to electrostunners, heavy lasers, laser pistols, laser rifles, sonic devastators, sonic disruptors and sonic stunners.

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GYROJET WEAPONS skill applies to gyrojet pistols, gyrojet rifles, grenade rifles, grenade mortars and rocket launchers.

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MELEE WEAPONS skill applies to axes, brass knuckles, chains, clubs, swords, electric swords, sonic swords, knives, sonic knives, vibroknives, nightsticks, polearms, shock gloves, spears, stunsticks and whips.

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PROJECTILE WEAPONS skill applies to automatic pistols and rifles, bows, muskets, needler pistols and rifles, machine guns and recoilless rifles.

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THROWN WEAPONS skill applies to all grenades and thrown axes, knives and spears.

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Demolitions Skill

There are two subskills to the demolitions skill: set charge and defuse charge. Only a character with demolitions skill can legally buy or use explosives or detonators. Tornadium D-19, sometimes called kaboomite, is the standard explosive.

SETTING CHARGES

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

Only characters with demolitions skill can set charges. The number of turns needed to set a charge is the character's skill level subtracted from seven. At 1st level, a character needs six turns to set a charge, but at 6th level he needs only one turn.

If a character fails the skill check to set and detonate the charge, the charge has not exploded and must be re-set. The referee should feel free to have the charge explode prematurely or late.

Charges can be detonated by timer, radio signal or weapon fire. A timer lets the character set a time when the charge will explode. The timer can be adjusted to delay from 1 second to 60 hours. If a chronocom or subspace radio is available, charges can be set to explode when a particular signal is beamed at them. The chance to explode a charge with a radio beam is 10% less than normal. Demolitions experts also can set off a charge with a laser. If the expert hits the charge, it explodes.

DEFUSING CHARGES

Success Rate: 50% + [diffuser's] skill level - [setter's] skill level

A demolitions expert can try to defuse a charge that was set by another expert. Defusing a charge takes one turn, no matter what level the expert is. The expert's chance to succeed is modified by subtracting 10 x the skill level of the person that set the charge. A character can defuse one of his own charges automatically.

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Martial Arts

Success Rate: 1/2 DEX or 1/2 STR + skill level

Martial Arts skill makes a character a better fighter in melee. A character with Martial Arts skill can add 10% per level to his basic chance to hit with his bare hands in melee. The skill also increases the damage caused by a successful bare-hands attack, adding one point of damage per level.

Martial Arts skill also gives the character three subskills: tumbling, defensive throws and nerve combat. Tumbling reduces damage from falling by -1 point of damage per skill level. Defensive throwing lets the character inflict damage when breaking out of a hold. When a character with Martial Arts skill breaks out of a hold, he automatically knocks his opponent down, causing damage equal to his punching score. Nerve combat increases the character's chance to knock out his opponent. The opponent must be one of the four major races. The attacker gains a +1% chance to knock out the opponent per skill level on each attack. Thus, a character with 4th level skill in unarmed combat and a Dexterity score of 40 would knock his opponent unconscious on a roll of 01-06, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 or 60.

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TECHNOLOGICAL SKILLS

There are three Technological skills: Computer skill, Robotics and Technician.

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Computer Skill

There are eight separate subskills to Computer skill: Operate Computer, Write Programs, Defeat Security, Bypass Security, Display Information, Manipulate Programs, Interface Computers and Repair Computers.

Computer programs have levels from 1 to 6, depending on their complexity. Computers also have levels from 1 to 6, depending on what programs they hold. These levels are explained in the descriptions of computers in the Equipment section.

Computer specialists get only one chance to try a subskill on a computer. Success is automatic for some subskills under certain conditions. If the computer was built by aliens (not Dralasites Humans, Vrusk or Yazirians) the success rates for the subskills are modified by -20%.

OPERATING COMPUTERS

Success Rate: 100% + skill level - computer level

Before he can use any other subskill, the computer specialist must be able to operate the particular type of computer he is working on. The chance to successfully operate a particular type of computer is 100% plus 10 x the expert's level, minus 10 x the computer's level. A roll of 96-00 is not automatic failure. Once a specialist has operated a computer successfully, he can operate that computer anytime, unless it is modified.

WRITING PROGRAMS

Success Rate: special

Computer specialists learn to write their own programs. For every skill level the specialist gains, he learns how to write one computer program. The player should pick a program from the list of programs in the Equipment section. When a specialist writes a program, its level is the same as his current level, no matter when he learned the program. For example, a computer specialist that learned the Installation Security program at 1st level can write a 4th level Installation Security program when he reaches the 4th skill level. A specialist can continue learning new programs after he reaches 6th level; each additional program costs 4 experience points to learn.

A specialist that knows how to write a particular program can buy that program at half-price for his own computer. He gains a 20% bonus when trying to manipulate that program or detect security on it in any computer.

DEFEATING SECURITY

Success Rate: 60% + skill level - program level

If a computer has a Computer Security program, characters must break or bypass this program before they can perform any other subskill except repair. Defeating a security program involves a decoding process that can take a long time. Characters trying to break security must spend 1-10 hours working at the computer.

Also, before a specialist tries to manipulate a program, he must find out whether the program itself has any security overrides. A security override will sound an alarm if anyone tries to run, alter or purge the program without first defeating or bypassing the security override. A security override is the same level as the computer's security program. The referee should make the roll to detect a security override secretly, since many programs have no overrides on them.

BYPASSING SECURITY

Success Rate: 30% + skill level - program level

A computer specialist can bypass a security program manually by rewiring the computer. This takes only 1dl0 minutes, but has several disadvantages: the chance for success is lower, it requires a robcomkit, and failing the roll will set off every alarm the computer has.

DISPLAYING INFORMATION

Success Rate: 80% + skill level - computer level

A specialist can use this skill to display any information in the computer's memory. It is especially useful for getting lists of programs that are stored in the computer, personal records, and raw, unprocessed data that is loaded and waiting to be fed into a program. A specialist gets a +20 modifier if he is trying to display information about a program he knows. He can automatically display information about programs he wrote in the computer. If a specialist displays an item successfully, he never needs to roll to display it again.

MANIPULATING PROGRAMS

Success Rate: 50% + skill level - program level

A computer specialist has a chance to successfully run a program, change it or purge it from the computer. The normal chance of success is 50% plus 10 x the character's level, minus 10 x the program's level. If the program is one that the character has learned, he gets a +20% bonus.

A specialist can run a program automatically if it is one he programmed into the computer himself, or if he has run it successfully in this computer before.

A specialist may want to alter a program before running it. For example, a life support program will not let someone shut down the life support system or release a poison into the air. The program could be altered, however, so it would let the operator do either of those things. The referee should note that a character usually must run the program successfully after altering it before the changes will have any effect.

This subskill also lets a specialist try to wipe out a program from a computer's memory, either to destroy the program or to make room for a different program. A character can purge a program automatically if he wrote it in the computer.

INTERFACING COMPUTERS

Success Rate: 30% + skill level - computer level

This subskill lets a character try to link two computers together, either by connecting them with wires or through some communication system such as phone lines or a radio link. Once the two computers are linked, the computer specialist can perform all subskills (except bypass security and repair) from either computer. The chance to successfully interface two computers is 30% plus 10 x the specialist's level, minus 10 x the highest of the two computers' levels.

REPAIRING COMPUTERS

Success Rate. 40% + skill level

When computers break down or are damaged, they can be repaired only by a computer specialist. The level of the computer does not affect the specialist's chance to repair it. Computers are repaired according to the standard repair rule.

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Robotics Skill

A robotics expert specializes in robots. Robots are complex. mobile machines that are designed to perform specific jobs. Many types of robots are available. Eight common types are described in the Equipment section. The referee can create new types if he wants them.

The robotics skill has nine subskills: Identify, Add Equipment, Repair, Activate/Deactivate, Remove Security Lock, List Functions, Alter Function and Alter Mission.

If the robot is an alien design, then the robotics expert has a -20% modifier on his rolls to perform these subskills. A character must have a robcomkit to work on a robot.

Robot Levels. There are six levels of robots. A robot's level indicates how complex it is. High-level robots can perform more complicated jobs.

Level 1 robots can do only simple jobs. They have been pre-programmed for some specific job and usually can not do any other job. They can not communicate, and often are nothing more than moving, self-operated appliances. An example of a level 1 robot is a maintenance robot that washes and waxes the floors of a building each night.

Level 2 robots can handle several simple jobs. They can receive and follow radio commands in binary machine language sent from some other machine, such as a robot brain or a computer. An example of a level 2 robot is a heavy machine that digs into and smashes up rock, then separates out flecks of gold.

Level 3 robots can do more complicated jobs. In addition, all robots that arc level 3 or higher can talk and follow verbal instructions. If these instructions disagree with the robot s programming, it will ignore the orders.

Level 4 robots can act semi-independently. Their programs are flexible, letting the robot accomplish specific goals using different methods. When asked, "How do I get to the starport?" one level 4 service robot might give verbal directions, while another might photocopy a city map and mark the proper route on it.

Level 5 robots can act independently and give orders to other robots (level 6 robots can do this also). For example, a level 5 security robot might decide to stop chasing a criminal because the criminal left victims tied up in a burning house. The robot could organize a rescue mission of other robots.

Level 6 robots are self-programming. They can change the methods they use and even their goals to account for changing conditions. They are almost, but not quite, living machines. A robot brain that runs an automated manufacturing plant and alters the manufacturing process in response to changing economic conditions is an example of a level 6 robot.

Missions. All robots have a mission. A mission is a set of rules that tell the robot what its job is. A robot's mission is the most important order it has, and overrides any orders that conflict with it.

Functions. All robots have several functions that tell them how to accomplish their mission. Low-level robots cannot make decisions, so their functions must be very specific statements. Higher-level robots can make decisions for themselves, so their functions can be more general statements.

For example, a level 3 security robot might have the mission: "Stop all unauthorized personnel from entering this building." Its functions could define "stop" as giving intruders a warning, then using the Restrain program to keep them from entering. "All unauthorized personnel" could be defined as any person or machine that is not wearing a special badge. The robot must be given a function that defines "this building," and another that tells it what areas it must patrol to look for intruders. Another function could instruct it to call the police and report the break-in after an intruder has been restrained.

IDENTIFICATION

Success Rate: 100% + skill level - robot level

A robotics expert has a chance to determine a robot's type and level simply by looking at the robot. The chance is 100% plus the specialist's level x 10, minus the robot's level x 10. Once a robot has been successfully identified, the expert can always identify that robot (unless its appearance is changed).

ADDING EQUIPMENT

Success Rate: 100%

A robotics expert can install new equipment on a robot himself and save the 10% installation fee.

REPAIRING ROBOTS

Success Rate 40% + skill level - robot level

Only robotics experts can repair robots. Robots are repaired according to the standard repair rules.

ACTIVATE/DEACTIVATE

Success Rate: 100%

A robotics expert can deactivate (turn off) a robot regardless of its level. The expert also can activate robots that have been deactivated.

However, before a robotics specialist can deactivate the robot, list its functions, remove its security lock or alter its functions or mission, he must get at the robot's internal circuitry. This requires removing a protective plate, which takes one turn. (The plate can be removed in one turn even if the robot is fighting the character, but the character probably will take damage before he gets the plate off.) Once the plate is off, the robot can be deactivated in one turn.

REMOVING SECURITY LOCKS

Success Rate: 70% + skill level - robot level

If a robot has a security lock, the lock must be removed before someone can list the robot's functions or alter its functions or mission. A robot can be deactivated before the security lock is removed. Once a security lock has been removed it can not be used again.

LISTING FUNCTIONS

Success Rate: 90% + skill level - robot level

A robotics expert can learn a robot's exact mission and functions, as well as get a list of all the programs in the robot, by using this subskill.Once a character has successfully listed the robot's function's, he can always list that robot's functions.

ALTERING FUNCTIONS

Success Rate: 60% + skill level - robot level

A robotics expert can change one of a robot's functions at a time. The character must roll separately for each function altered. Changing an altered function back to the original also requires a new roll. Changing a function takes 1 d10 minutes. If the new function violates the robot's mission or requires programs the robot does not have, the robot will ignore the new function.

ALTERING MISSION

Success Rate: 50% + skill level - robot level

A robotics expert can try to alter a robot's mission. This takes 1d10 minutes plus the robot's level. Changing the robot's mission does not affect its functions; these must be altered individually. Once a mission has been changed, changing it back to the original mission requires another roll. If the new mission requires programs the robot does not have, the robot will still try to follow its new mission however it can.

MALFUNCTIONS

If a character fails a roll to remove a security lock or alter a robot's function or mission, the robot can malfunction. When this happens, the referee should roll d100 on the Malfunction Table.

MALFUNCTION TABLE Die Roll Effect
01 - 25 No Malfunction
26 - 50 Program Destroyed
51 - 75 Short Circuit
76 - 90 Haywire
91 - 00 Explosion

No Malfunction -- The robot continues to function normally.

Program Destroyed -- One of the robot's programs (picked randomly by the referee) has been destroyed. The robot can not perform any functions requiring that program. If all The programs in a robot are destroyed, the robot shuts itself off.

Short Circuit -- The robot is still operating, but has been damaged. For example, a robot with a short circuit might stop suddenly every other turn, or rattle and spark while it works.

Haywire -- The robot is completely out of control. It might attack at random, spin in circles, recite the Gettysburg Address, or do anything else the referee thinks fits the situation.

Explosion -- The robot's parabattery explodes, causing 2d10 points of damage multiplied by the parabattery's type to the robotics expert.

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Technician Skill

There are five Technician subskills: Operate Machinery, Repair, Detect Alarm/Defense, Deactivate Alarm/Defense and Open Locks. A techkit is needed for all these subskills except Operate Machinery.

OPERATING MACHINERY

Success Rate: 50% + skill level

Operating a vehicle includes starting it, driving it and using it to do anything it was designed to do. The chance to succeed includes the possibility that the technician may need to bypass a locked ignition to start the vehicle. Obviously, if the vehicle is damaged or out of fuel, it will not start until it is repaired or refueled.

A technician gets one chance to operate an unfamiliar vehicle. If the technician has driven this type of machine before, he can start it and drive it automatically. A technician can try to operate any ground or water vehicle, regardless of his level. At 2nd level he can fly a jetcopter. At 4th level he can fly an aircar, and at 6th level he can operate rocket-powered machines.

REPAIRING MACHINERY

Success Rate: 40% + skill level

Technicians can repair vehicles, large and small machines, and electrical equipment (including video and communication devices). They can not repair computers or robots. Technicians use the standard repair rule.

Besides repairing vehicles that have been damaged in combat, the referee can include mechanical breakdowns on random encounter tables. This is recommended if the characters are on a long cross-country journey, where a breakdown is likely and the nearest repair shop is several hundred kilometers (or light-years) away. When a vehicle breaks down, roll 2d10 on the following table to determine what has happened:

VEHICLE BREAKDOWNS Dice Roll Problem
2 broken axle or hoverfan*
3-5 broken driveshaft or transmission*
6-10 minor engine failure
11-15 minor drive train failure
16-17 broken suspension
18-19 major engine failure, repairable*
20 blown engine, unrepairable**
* This breakdown takes twice as long to repair as a normal breakdown.
**
A blown engine can not be repaired in the field. In a shop, it takes
four times longer to repair than a normal breakdown.

DETECTING ALARMS/DEFENSES

Success Rate: 60% + skill level - alarm level

Technicians have a chance to detect security alarms and defenses. The following table lists the types of alarms and traps and their levels. This same table is used with the Open Lock and Deactivate Alarm/ Defense subskills.


DEACTIVATING ALARMS/DEFENSES

Success Rate: 40% + skill level - alarm level

Once a technician has detected an alarm or defense, he can try to deactivate it. If the character fails, the referee must decide whether the alarm goes off; if the roll was missed by only a small amount, the alarm might not have been triggered.

OPENING LOCKS

Success Rate: 50% + skill level - lock level

A technician can try to open locks without the necessary "key." The level of a lock usually is the same as the level of any nearby security devices, but the referee may change this. The referee should reduce the chance to succeed if the lock is on a safe or security vault.

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BIOSOCIAL SKILLS

Biosocial skills involve the sciences, life and health. There are three Biosocial skills: Environmental, Medical and Psycho-Social.

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Environmental Skill

Environmental Skill deals with relationships between intelligent life and nature. An environmental specialist has training in astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, ecology and geology. There are nine Environmental subskills: Analyze Samples, Analyze Ecosystem, Find Direction, Survival, Make Tools/Weapons, Tracking, Stealth, Concealment and Naming.

When an environmentalist is dealing with an alien or unknown environment, he has a -20 modifier on his rolls to analyze samples or the ecosystem, find direction, track or use survival.

ANALYZE SAMPLES

Success Rate: 50% + skill level

An environmental specialist can analyze atmospheric, biological or geological samples.

An environmental specialist can use a vaporscanner to analyze atmospheric samples. If the analysis succeeds, the vaporscanner will indicate whether the air is breathable or poisonous, and what gases. are present.

The specialist needs a bioscanner to analyze a biological sample. If the analysis succeeds, the bioscanner will indicate what type of plant or animal the sample was, and whether it is edible or poisonous.

A geoscanner can be used to analyze geological samples. If the analysis succeeds, the geoscanner indicates what minerals are present in the sample and the possibility of finding rich ore or gas in the area.

ANALYZING ECOSYSTEMS

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

An ecosystem is the combination of all the plants and animals that make up the local environment, and their relationships to each other. If an ecosystem is upset or thrown out of balance, entire species can become extinct and whole regions devastated by floods, droughts or other natural disasters. One of the environmental specialist's jobs is to analyze local ecosystems and determine whether they are balanced and, if not, to determine what can be done to restore balance. An environmentalist must spend at least 200 hours studying the area to use this subskill.

FINDING DIRECTIONS

Success Rate: 50% + skill level

An environmental specialist can try to find directions in a wilderness without a compass or other aid. If the specialist makes a map or marks a trail (by cutting notches in trees or lining up rocks), his chance to find a direction on that path is increased 30%.

SURVIVAL

Success Rate: 40% + skill level

This subskill gives a specialist a chance to do several things related to survival: find food or water (if any is available in the area), find or improvise shelter, and set or avoid traps. If a trap is set in a built-up area (city, farm community, etc.), there is a 50% chance it will be noticed. This subskill also lets the environmental specialist make a special Intuition check to predict natural disasters.

MAKING TOOLS/WEAPONS

Success Rate: 100% if materials are available

An environmental specialist can make tools and weapons out of stones, sticks, cords, and other natural materials. Only bows, axes, clubs, knives and spears can be made. Only the spear can be balanced well enough to use as a thrown weapon. The referee may allow an environmentalist to improvise tools and weapons from wreckage and scrap parts.

TRACKING

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

An environmental specialist has a chance to follow a creature, person or machine by watching for its trail. This skill works only in the wilderness, not in settled areas. The specialist also can use this subskill to cover his own tracks.

STEALTH

Success Rate: 20% + skill level

Stealth is the ability to move without being seen or heard. This ability is useful for stalking animals, but also can be used to sneak up on guards of follow suspects.

CONCEALMENT

Success Rate: 10% + skill level

Concealment is the art of hiding in natural cover. Once concealed there is an 80% chance the specialist will not be seen as long as he does not move or make noise.

NAMING

Success Rate: 100%

One of the benefits of being an environmental specialist is that when he discovers a new plant, animal, mountain range, sea, etc., he is allowed to name the new discovery.

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Medical Skill

A character that has Medical skill is called a medic. Medics need a medkit to use their skill. Medics diagnose ailments, heal wounds, control infections, neutralize poisons, cure diseases, wake up unconscious individuals and prevent tissue deterioration.

There are nine Medical subskills: Administer Drugs, Diagnosis, First Aid, Minor Surgery, Major Surgery, Control Infection, Cure Disease, Neutralize Toxins and Activate Freeze Field.

If a patient is treated in a hospital or sick bay all Success Rates are increased 20%. If the patient is an animal or an unfamiliar alien, all Success Rates are reduced 20%. These two modifiers are cumulative, so the chance to perform major surgery on an unfamiliar alien at a hospital is normal.

ADMINISTERING DRUGS

Success Rate: 100%

Three drugs are covered under this subskill: stimdose, staydose and telol.

A medic can use one dose of stimdose to wake up an unconscious or stunned character, or to restore 10 Stamina points to a character that was poisoned or contracted a disease or infection. Stimdose can only be given by a medic. If more than one dose is given in a 20-hour period, the second dose has no effect.

A medic can use one dose of staydose to place an individual in a state of arrested animation. A character whose Stamina has been reduced to 0, but not below -30, will be brought back to life by the drug if it is injected within one minute (10 turns) after death. The staydose slows down the character's heartbeat and breathing so he can survive with no Stamina points. If the character's Stamina is brought back above 0 within 24 hours, he will live. If not, the character dies. Only one dose of staydose can be given to a character, until his Stamina is raised above 0.

Telol is a truth drug. Only a medic can administer it correctly. There is an 80% chance the telol will work. If it does, the injected character will answer up to five simple questions, using simple answers. An injected character passes out for 1d10 hours, whether the drug works or not.

DIAGNOSIS

Success Rate: 60% + skill level

A medscanner will give a medic a brief diagnosis. This diagnosis will outline the patient's general symptoms and will identify the ailment as a wound, a disease, a poison or an infection.

Once the medic has a general diagnosis, he can use this subskill to get a specific diagnosis. If he passes the skill check, the medic knows exactly what the ailment is. With this information, the medic can use one of his other subskills to heal the wound, control the infection, cure the disease or neutralize the toxin.

Without a specific diagnosis, a medic can not use a subskill to treat a victim. However, the medic can use the medscanner's general diagnosis as a guide to which drug the victim needs. After the medic gives the injection, the victim must roll his current Stamina or less on d100 to overcome the effect of the poison, disease or infection. If the victim fails this roll, the drug has no effect. A second dose given within 20 hours automatically has no effect.

FIRST AID

Success Rate: 100%

A medic can heal 10 points of wound damage automatically by using one dose of biocort plus any appropriate items from the medkit (local anesthetics, plastiflesh spray, etc.) Only one shot of biocort can be given to a character in a 20-hour period. If a second shot is given within 20 hours, it has no effect. If a character suffered more than 10 points of damage, the medic must use major or minor surgery to heal him completely. Biocort has no effect on poisons, infections or diseases.

MINOR SURGERY

Success Rate: 40% + skill level

Minor surgery can heal up to 20 points of damage. This is in addition to the 10 points that can be healed with first aid. For every 10 points of damage (or fraction of 10 points) that is healed, an additional dose of biocort is required. Minor surgery also uses one dose of anesthetic. If the surgery fails, the patient does not recover any Stamina points and one dose of biocort is used.

MAJOR SURGERY

Success Rate: 20% + skill level

Major surgery can heal any amount of damage to a character. For every 10 points of damage (or fraction of 10 points) healed, a dose of biocort is used. The only limit to the amount of damage that can be healed is the patient's original Stamina and the supply of biocort. If the operation fails, the patient does not recover any Stamina points and one dose of biocort is used up. The medic can try minor surgery on the same patient, if he has not already. Major surgery also requires one dose of anesthetic.Major and minor surgery are effective only on wounds. They can not be used to heal damage from infections, diseases or poisons.

CONTROLLING INFECTION

Success Rate: 50% skill level

Controlling infection requires a dose of omnimycin. If the attempt fails, the omnimycin is used up and the infection is out of control. Infections are rated by their infection strength (S) and duration (D). The infection causes a specific amount of damage every 10 hours. For example, an S6/D8 infection causes six points of damage every 10 hours for 80 hours if it is not controlled.

CURING DISEASES

Success Rate: 40% + skill level

Curing a disease requires a dose of antibody plus. If the attempt fails, the antibody plus has been used up and the disease has not been cured. Diseases are rated according to how they modify ability checks, how long the modification lasts and whether the disease is fatal. The modifier is a negative number and the duration is in 10-hour periods. If the duration is followed by an exclamation mark, the disease will kill anyone it has infected after that length of time unless the disease is treated at a hospital. For example, a -10/D10! disease modifies every ability check the character makes by -10 for 100 hours. The victim will die after 100 hours unless he is treated successfully at a hospital.

NEUTRALIZING TOXINS

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

Neutralizing a poison inside a victim's body requires a dose of antitox. Poisons are rated like infections, according to how much damage they cause and for how long. Poison damage is inflicted every turn instead of every 10 hours, and the duration is in turns. An S7/T9 poison will cause 7 points of damage every turn for 9 turns. Neutralizing a poison stops the poison from causing any more damage, but does not heal damage the poison caused on earlier turns

ACTIVATING FREEZE FIELDS

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

A freeze field is a device that places a body in stasis and preserves it until it can be revived. Only a medic can activate a freeze field correctly. A freeze field must be activated within two minutes (20 turns) after death, or the body can not be revived. Activating the field takes five turns. The process can be interrupted, as long as the field is completely activated within the two-minute time limit. If the medic does not pass his skill check and there is at least one minute left in the time limit, he has two options: he can make a second attempt to activate the field, or he can inject the body with staydose. If the second attempt to activate the field fails, the body can not be revived.

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Psycho-Social Skill

Psycho-Social skill gives a character an advantage when dealing with individuals or groups of intelligent beings. The skill can be used when dealing with any of the major races as well as any other intelligent species the character encounters.

T here are five Psycho-Social subskills: empathy, persuasion, communication, hypnosis, and psycho-pathology. Racial Bonuses. Because Vrusk have the racial ability of Comprehension, they gain +5% on all rolls involving Psycho-Social skill. Dralasites get a bonus of +10 when using empathy, because of their racial ability to detect lies. These modifiers apply only if the character has Psycho-Social skill.

EMPATHY

Success rate: 10% + skill level

Empathy allows a character to get a general impression of the mood and intentions of individuals or groups. In order to use this skill, the specialist must be able to see or hear the individual or group.

The information that a character gains by using this skill is very vague and non-specific. The referee should use descriptions like hostile, curious, cautious, helpful, neutral, etc.

Empathy can be used by a character only once per encounter. If two characters in the group have Psycho-Social skill, each can try to use their empathy subskill.

PERSUASION

Success rate: 10% + skill level

Persuasion lets a character try to convince a person or group to follow a reasonable course of action suggested by the character. The character must explain his plan to the group or person being persuaded. If the character must use a translator, he has a -10% modifier.

A character can try to persuade a group or individual only once. If the character misses his roll by 50 points or more, his audience will get mad and might try to do something that is the opposite of what the character wanted.

COMMUNICATION

Success rate: 40% + skill level

This subskill can be used when a character must communicate with a creature whose language he does not speak or understand. If the character uses this subskill successfully, he can communicate using very simple messages. The referee might force players to use simple messages by restricting them to two-word phrases.

HYPNOSIS

Success rate: 15% + skill level

In order to hypnotize a character, the hypnotist must be able to speak to the subject in a common language without a translator.

If the person being hypnotized is willing, this is the only requirement. If the subject does not realize he is being hypnotized, he gets to make an Intuition check. If he passes the check, the subject realizes what is happening and can not be hypnotized. If he fails the check, he can be hypnotized normally. No one can be hypnotized against his will if he realizes he is being hypnotized.

A character may try to hypnotize only one subject at a time. Hypnotizing someone takes 1d10 minutes. The hypnotist can try to hypnotize a willing subject a second time if the first attempt fails. If the subject is unwilling, the hypnotist gets only one chance to hypnotize him. If the attempt fails, the subject gets to make another Intuition check to realize what has happened.

Hypnosis can be used to give a character a +10 modifier on all rolls to hit in melee. This effect lasts one hour, and can be used on a character only once every 20 hours.

Hypnosis also can be used as an anesthetic. A wounded character that is hypnotized can ignore the wound modifier in combat. This effect lasts 1d10 hours and can be used on a character only once every 20 hours.

A hypnotist's most powerful ability is suggestion. A hypnotized subject will believe almost anything the hypnotist tells him. The hypnotized character will not do something that is against his moral code or religion, but he can be tricked into doing things he would not normally do. The hypnotist must give the subject a good reason to do something unusual, or convince him that the situation is not exactly as it seems. For example, a hypnotized guard will not let unauthorized persons into a restricted area. If the hypnotist tells the guard that he is authorized but has forgotten his pass, the guard will let him in.

PSYCHO-PATHOLOGY

Success Rate: 30% + skill level

Psycho-pathology subskill lets the specialist try to help characters or creatures that are psychologically disturbed. Extreme fright, isolation, or even unusual air and food chemistry can seriously affect an explorer's mental condition. A psycho-pathologist can help characters recover their confidence or forget their traumatic experiences. The specialist also can determine what will reassure or frighten an alien or primitive.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:44, Fri 07 May 2021.

THE SPACESHIP SKILLS

Characters in a Knight Hawks games can develop their skills in several areas related to spaceship operations. A character must have a good foundation in technological or military skills before advancing to the skills described in this section.

Spaceship skills are divided into four areas: Piloting, Astrogation. Spaceship Engineering and Gunnery. Gunnery is further divided into Energy Weapon and Rocket Weapon fields. Unlike the skills in STAR FRONTIERS game, spaceship skills are not classified by Primary Skill Areas. Characters from any PSA can learn Starship skills if they have the necessary basic skills.

Qualifications For Spaceship Skills

The qualifications needed to obtain a 1st level spaceship skill are listed on the Skill Foundations Table. A character must have achieved the indicated levels in all required skills before he can learn one of the spaceship skills. These requirements never increase; once a character has the minimum qualifications for a spaceship skill, he can learn higher-level spaceship skills without increasing his basic technological or military skill levels.

Like other skills, no spaceship skill can ever be increased above level 6.

SKILL FOUNDATION TABLE

Acquiring Spaceship Skills

The Spaceship Skill Cost Table lists the number of experience points needed to earn each level of the different spaceship skills. Spaceship skills are a lot more expensive, in terms of experience points, than skills from the STAR FRONTIERS game. This reflects the high degree of training a character needs in order to understand and use complex spaceship systems.

SPACESHIP SKILL COST TABLE

Using Skills

Most spaceship subskills are used the same way computer, medical or other subskills are; the subskill has a success rate and a modifier based on the character's skill level. The player must roll d100, and if the result is lower than or equal to the success rate, the skill is used effectively.

Some spaceship subskills, however, are used only as modifiers and have no success rate. These modifiers are used as bonuses to dice rolls that have been explained in the boardgame rules. For example, pilots use their evasion subskill only to modify the chance they will be hit by enemy fire.

Piloting Skill

Piloting skill allows a character to fly a spaceship. Rising levels of piloting skill represent both an improvement in flying ability and the ability to handle larger craft. The Pilot Certification Table lists the types of ships that can be operated by pilots at various levels.

PILOT CERTIFICATION TABLE

Level Ship Types
1 System ships of all sizes
2 Starships of hull size 3 or smaller
3 Starships of hull size 6 or smaller
4 Starships of hull size 12 or smaller
5 Starships of hull size 15 or smaller
6 All starships

EVASION  Modifier: +3% x skill level

The pilot of a fighter or assault scout can increase the ship's inherent ability to avoid enemy fire. As explained in the boardgame rules, fighters and scouts can try to evade enemy torpedos by using their full maneuver rating to dodge. Besides the enemy's usual modifier for shooting at an evading target, there is an additional modifier of -3% x the evading pilot's skill level.

EXAMPLE: Jason Rhegra is a 2nd level fighter pilot. If he evades, the total modifier is-31%: -25% because the fighter has an MR of 5, and (-3% x 2 =) -6% because of Rhegra's pilot skill.

INCREASE ACCURACY OF FORWARD FIRING WEAPONS  Modifier: +5% x skill level

The pilot of a ship that carries assault rockets, a laser cannon or a disruptor beam cannon can add 5% x his skill level to that weapon's chance to hit. This reflects the pilot's skill in lining up the weapon for an accurate shot.

INCREASE MANEUVER RATING  Success Rate: 10% x skill level

On a given turn, a pilot has a chance to turn his ship more than its MR will allow. This chance is 10% per level of the pilot. If the skill check is successful, the pilot can make an additional 60 degree (one hexside) facing change during that movement. This subskill and the evasion bonus cannot be used during the same turn.

This subskill cannot be used by a pilot whose ship has no MR points (due to damage, etc.).

Astrogation Skill

Characters trained in astrogation can make the complicated calculations required to take a starship on a safe course through the Void. Astrogators also have a chance to pinpoint their location in the galaxy if, for some reason, an interstellar jump deposits them somewhere other than their intended
destination.

Astrogators of all levels can perform all astrogation subskills.

PLOT INTERSTELLAR JUMPS  Success Rate: 100% on charted route with proper preparation

A ship that makes an interstellar jump must carry an astrogator, or the pilot will not be able to predict where the ship will exit the Void. The time needed to make course calculations increases for long jumps, because even small errors become very serious as the distance increases.

Normal plotting time for a jump is 10 hours for each light-year that will be jumped. For example, an astrogator plotting an 8 light-year jump must spend 80 hours performing calculations before the ship could accelerate to jump speed. This time must be spent actually making calculations; the referee should remember that astrogators need to sleep sometime. (If a player wants to work without sleeping, the referee can make a secret
Stamina checkif the character fails, his calculations are wrong and the ship will drift off course.)

If a jump is made along one of the established travel routes marked on the Frontier Sector map, and the astrogator spends 10 hours per light-year making the proper course adjustments, there is no risk that the ship will leave the Void anywhere other than its planned destination.

RISK JUMPING  Success Rate: 10% x skill level + 10% per hour

If for some reason an astrogator does not spend the full 10 hours plotting each light-year of an interstellar jump, there is a chance the ship will drift offcourse. Jumping without sufficient preparation is called Risk Jumping, or "smoking the jump."

The chance that a ship will reach its destination without sufficient course preparation depends on both the astrogator's skill level and the amount of time he spends planning the ship's course. To determine the exact percentage chance that the jump will be successful, follow the procedure below:

Divide the total number of hours the astrogator spent preparing the course by the number of light-years in the jump.
Add the astrogator's skill level to the result from step 1.
Multiply the sum from step 2 by 10%. The result is the chance that the jump will besuccessful and the ship will arrive at the target system.

The astrogator rolls d100, and if the result is equal to or less than the chance that the jump will succeed, then the ship arrives at its planned destination. Otherwise, the ship has exited the Void somewhere else (see Fix Location subskill).

Two restrictions apply to this process. First, if the astrogator spends fewer than 10 hours plotting each light-year, a roll of 96-100 always means the ship misses its mark, even if the astrogator's modified chance to succeed is above 100. Second, if the astrogator spends fewer than two hours plotting each
light-year, the ship will misjump automatically.

If the astrogator is using high-quality astrogation equipment (described in the Equipment section), he can add 5% to his chance to lay the course properly. This applies only to the most expensive equipment available.

EXAMPLE: Solleran is a 3rd level astrogator. His ship is carrying a desperately needed serum from Prenglar to the outpost at Dixon's Star. He wants to get the medicine there as soon as possible, so he spends only 25 hours plotting the 5 light-year course. The chance that Solleran's ship will actually arrive at Dixon's Star is (25 / 5 + 3) x 10, or 80%.

FIND LOCATION  Success Rate: 30% + 10% x skill level

When a ship misjumps, either because the astrogator spent too little time plotting the jump or because the ship was following an uncharted route, the ship will emerge somewhere other than its intended destination (see Misjumps in the Ship Movement section). The astrogator then must try to figure out where the ship is. The astrogator can determine his position easily if the ship enters a colonized system, because all of the inhabited systems are charted in detail. The astrogator will recognize a charted system after only 1d10 hours of calculation.

A very simple way for a ship to find out whether a system is colonized is to broadcast a normal radio message. If anyone answers, the characters know there are intelligent creatures around. Unless the ship is very near a planet, however, the radio message may take several hours to reach a possible colony, and the reply will take just as long to return. Of course, any intelligent creatures who answer the message will also know that the characters are insystem . . .

If the system is uncharted, the stars will appear in unfamiliar patterns and will be difficult to recognize. Unless the astrogator can determine the ship's position, the crew may never see home again.

Determining the ship's position in an uncharted system takes 2d10 x 10 hours of calculations. The referee rolls d100. If the result is equal to or less than the astrogator's success rate for this subskill, the astrogator will know exactly where the ship is when he finishes his calculations. Like course calculations, these 2d10 x 10 hours do not include time for sleep.

If the astrogator does not pass the skill check, the referee must consider how close the roll was. If the roll was reasonably close, the astrogator will realize that he cannot locate the ship. If the roll was very much higher than the astrogator's success rate (at least 30 or 40 points higher), the referee may decide to tell the astrogator where the ship is, but deliberately give him false information.

If the astrogator cannot fix the starship's position, the ship can jump to another star and try again. The referee should simply move the ship to another randomly chosen star, because it will misjump automatically. The astrogator has a -10% penalty on his location roll at the new system and, if the ship must jump blind again, an additional -10% for each new system it enters. (Bymaking blind jumps, the ship's position becomes more and
more confused.) The referee should feel free to expand the Frontier map if a ship jumps off the edge.

An astrogator using high-quality equipment gets an additional +5% bonus when trying to fix the ship's position.

If a ship misjumps to a star system that has never been explored, the route to that system is not considered charted or explored. Even if the astrogator locates the ship's position, he must also successfully chart a new route out of the system in order to leave safely.

CHART NEW ROUTES  Success Rate: 50% + 10% x skill level -5% x light-years

An astrogator has a chance to chart a new route to a system. New routes may be shortcuts between inhabited systems that are not directly connected (Prenglar and White Light, for example), or they may be routes to unexplored star systems.

If an astrogator guides a ship successfully on an uncharted route, that astrogator can regard that route as charted if he ever travels it again. However, the route is charted in only one direction. To completely chart the route, the astrogator must guide the ship back to its starting point along the same path.

If the astrogator fails this subskill check, the ship misjumps (see Misjumping in the Ship Movement section).
Astrogators do not get a bonus for using high-quality navigation equipment when trying to chart a new route.

If the astrogator chooses to tell the UPF about the route, the information will be fed into the Federation's computer banks and within a week the route will be considered as marked on the UPF astrogation charts.

The UPF pays a standard bonus of 100,000 Cr for information on new travel routes. By custom, this money is divided equally among the crew of the ship,:as they all shared the risks of the jump.

The Interstellar Distance Table. When an astrogator tries to chart a new route to a star, players need to know the distance between the origin and destination stars. The referee can use the Interstellar Distance Table to find this distance easily. To use the table, count the number of squares that separate the stars vertically, and the number of squares separating them horizontally. Find these numbers on the table. The number at the intersection of those two entries is the actual distance between the two stars, in light-years.

EXAMPLE: The horizontal separation between Prenglar and Dixon's Star is 4 squares. The vertical separation is 3 squares. Checking the Interstellar Distance Table, the number at the intersection of the "3" column and the "4" row is 5, so the stars are 5 light-years apart.

Spaceship Engineering Skill

Spaceship engineers are trained in the construction, maintenance and repair of spaceships. A skillful engineer often can save a damaged ship from destruction. The Engineering sub-skills are: Ship Design, Damage Control and Stress Analysis.

SHIP DESIGN  Success Rate: 100%

A spaceship engineer must draw up plans and blueprints for a spaceship before a construction center can begin building it. If a character who is not an engineer wants a custom-built ship, an engineer must be hired to do the technical design. The referee must determine whether any NPC engineers are available for hire and how much they get paid; 500 Cr per point of hull size is standard, but this can vary with the number of engineers at the station and the amount of work available to them.

As an engineer reaches higher levels, he can design larger ships. The Ship Design Qualification Table lists the types of ships an engineer can design at various skill levels.

SHIP DESIGN QUALIFICATION TABLE

Engineer's Level Qualified to Design
1 Shuttles of all types
2 System ships of all types
3 Starships of hull size 3 or smaller
4 Starships of hull size 6 or smaller
5 Starships of hull size 15 or smaller
6 Starships of all sizes

An engineer must spend 10 days x the hull size of the ship to complete the design. The entire design of a ship must be done before construction work can start.

DAMAGE CONTROL  Modifier: +10% x skill level (added to ship's DCR)

An engineer can greatly aid the crew of a ship in repairing damage caused by combat or accidents. The engineer effectively increases the ship's Damage Control Rating (DCR).

The engineer's addition to the DCR equals 10x his skill level. For example, a 3rd level engineer aboard an assault scout (DCR 30) increases the ship's Damage Control Rating to 60.

Unlike the ship's regular DCR, which can be divided among as many repairs as a player wants, the engineer can use his repair ability on only one repair per repair turn (he can oversee only one thing at a time). Otherwise, the engineer's damage control points are used the same way as the ship's inherent DCR.

All or part of a ship's DCR can be combined with the engineer's damage control points to make a repair. Any part of the ship's DCR that is not combined with the engineer's ability can be used for other repairs.

In order to use his damage control ability, the engineer must be working on the repairs during all three turns (30 minutes) preceding the repair turn. For example, a character who serves as both a ship's pilot and engineer cannot be flying the ship and making repairs at the same time.

If a ship is carrying more than one engineer, each can be working on a separate repair at the same time.

STRESS ANALYSIS  Modifier: -5% x skill level (to ship breakup percentage)

Because of their keen understanding of the forces at work on the hull of a spaceship, engineers can advise a pilot on how to accelerate and maneuver a damaged ship without tearing the hull apart with excess stress.

Having an engineer on board a ship modifies the chance that the ship will break apart when damaged. The player controlling the ship multiplies the engineer's skill level by 5, and subtracts the result from the normal chance that the ship will breakup.

EXAMPLE: Doc Evanson is a 3rd level engineer. His assault scout has taken 13 hull hits in combat. This is 6 hits above the 50% mark for the 15-hull point ship. In order to get away, the pilot uses full acceleration (5) and makes one turn. The chance that the ship will break apart is (5 + 1) x 6% = 36%. Doc's advice reduces this by (3 x 5% =) 15%, so the actual chance the ship will break up is only 21 %.

An engineer cannot use this subskilt during a turn when he is making or overseeing repairs.

Gunnery Skill

A ship's weapons can be fired by the ship's computer if no characters with Gunnery skill are aboard, but ship gunners increase a spaceship's effectiveness in combat. The gunnery subskills are: Improve Accuracy and Selective Targeting.

When a character spends experience points for Gunnery skill, he must specify whether he is learning Energy Weapon or Rocket Weapon Gunnery. The weapons covered by these two skills are listed below:

Energy Weapons  Rocket Wepons
Laser Cannons, Batteries Torpedos
Proton Beam Batteries Assault Rockets
Electron Beam Batteries Rocket Batteries
Disruptor Beam Cannons

IMPROVE ACCURACY  Modifier: +5% x skill level

This subskill gives agunner a better chance to hit a target with ship-mounted weapons. A gunner can apply this subskill to only one weapon per turn. The bonus can be combined with the pilot's Forward Firing Weapons bonus, however.

When player-character gunners are onboard spaceships, use the lower percentages in the shaded columns of the Advanced Game Combat Table. The higher, unshaded percentages are adjusted to reflect the skills of NPC gunners onboard military ships.

SELECTIVE TARGETING  Modifier: -30%

This subskill lets a gunnery expert shoot at a specific system on an enemy ship. External systems only (those visible from outside the ship) can be attacked, so Life Support systems, astrogation controls, damage control equipment, computers and electrical systems cannot be targeted selectively.

To use this subskill, the attacking ship and its target must be in the same hex. The gunner declares what system he is targeting, and rolls to hit with a -30% modifier, in addition to all other modifiers that apply. The gunner can use his Improve Accuracy subskill with Selective Targeting. If the shot hits, the damage is applied directly to the targeted system as described on the Advanced Game Damage Table.

If the shot misses, it is considered a clean missand causes no damage.

If the system that is hit can receive several grades of damage on the Advanced Game Damage Table, a random die roll should be used to determine how badly the system is damaged. If the ship's hull is hit, there is a 50% chance itwill suffer double damage.

EXAMPLE: A gunnery expert using selective targeting hits the drive of an enemy ship. According to the damage table, this can reduce the ship's ADF by 1, by half of its total, or completely to 0. In this case, the referee decides that the gunner must roll 1d10. A result of 1-3 means 1 ADF is lost, 4-6 means one-half
of the ship's ADF is lost, and 7-9 means the entire ADF is lost. A 0 is ignored and re-rolled.