Skills

[Note: This page is in alpha. Many of the details of how skills work are open to change.]

Skills in Underspire, alongside Attributes, are the two most important defining feature of a character's capabilities.

Your level in a skill is indicated by its alphabetical level, with A being the highest and U (Unsound) being the lowest. Under the hood, this translates to a 1-100 range.

Most all skill uses/rolls are influenced by 2 or more of the six attributes. These influences aren't identical across skills; some rely on attributes more than others. See the list below for some guidance as to which skills use which attributes.

STARTER SKILLS

In chargen, you will pick one primary skill and two secondary skills to define your character, but note this doesn't keep you from training other skills at any point in play.

Your primary skill will start at Kludgy (K) and your secondary skills at Oafish (O). This sounds low, but you'll be able to do basic starter tasks for your character's career off the bat, and skill progression is pretty quick and easy.

IMPROVING SKILLS

Speaking of skill progression: skills are trained not by use but by XP investment. You can keep raising a skill as often as you like, as long as yuo still have XP to spend. See help @xp for more information on the commands/process, or the Quick Guide to Play.

THE DEPTH POOL

A character can raise/train as many skills as they want, but only to Kludgy (K). You have a limited number of points available for skills above this rank - your depth pool. Every PC gets one 'Master' skill (i.e., a skill that can go as high as they want); beyond that, a PC's depth pool have a number of additional ranks that depends on your Intellect and Presence.

For example, most characters will have around 140 points in their depth pool - i.e., a total of 140 ranks above Kludgy. A character who wants to be a diver might choose Systems to be their Master slot, so they can raise it as high as they want. If they truly wanted to be the best diver around, they could raise Security up to Master-level at A too, but that'd take up a lot of their depth pool. They'd still be able to have workable professional levels in three or four other skills, though - they just wouldn't be among the best of the best.

On the other hand, someone who wants to be a jack-of-all-trades combat type might be able to get reasonably proficient with every weapon under the sun. They won't ever be able to rival the specialist in their chosen field, but sometimes versatility is a benefit of its own!

SKILL LIST

Combat

• Blades: Swords, knives, and axes. Needs quick reflexes and delicate precision, with enough raw strength to cut deep.
• Bludgeons: Hammers, clubs, and blunt weapons. Relies on raw strength to deliver heavy impacts, with quick reflexes to land the swing.
• Unarmed: Hand-to-hand brawling, throws, and holds. Demands a mix of raw strength and quick reflexes.
• Sidearms: Pistols and revolvers at close range. Favors fast reflexes on the draw and keen eyesight under pressure.
• Longarms: Rifles, shotguns, and long-range firearms. Relies on keen eyesight and steady hands over fast reflexes.
• Gunnery: Heavy ordnance, vehicle turrets, and mounted weapons. Needs technical know-how to run the system and sharp awareness to track targets.
• Dodge: Evading attacks and getting out of danger. Relies on quick reflexes to move and sharp awareness to see attacks coming.
• Conditioning: Stamina, endurance, and recovering from injury. Pure raw strength and physical toughness along with an awareness of your own body.

Technical

• Sneaking: Moving silently and staying hidden. Takes sharp awareness to spot danger and quick reflexes to break line of sight.
• Sleight of Hand: Picking pockets, palming objects, and manual misdirection. Needs delicate hands and close observation of the mark.
• Systems: Matrix navigation, writing code, and digital operations. A matter of technical know-how and pure mental sharpness.
• Security: Cracking authentication locks, and fighting or escaping the systems that defend them. Combines technical know-how with sharp awareness for hidden traps.
• Driving: Operating ground vehicles under pressure. Needs quick reflexes behind the wheel and sharp awareness of the road.
• Piloting: Flying aircraft, rotorcraft, and drones. Demands constant spatial awareness and fast reflexes in the cockpit.
• Forensics: Analyzing crime scenes, physical evidence, and cause of death. Combines mental deduction with keen eyesight for small details.

Craft

• Weaponsmithing: Forging, modifying, and repairing weapons. Needs delicate hand control for fine parts and raw strength at the forge.
• Armorsmithing: Crafting, fitting, and repairing armor. Takes raw strength to shape heavy plates and careful handiwork to fit them right.
• Mechanics: Repairing engines, vehicles, and mechanical hardware. Combines delicate hand control with raw strength for heavy parts.
• Electronics: Wiring circuits, soldering, and repairing electronics. Relies on technical know-how and steady, delicate hands.
• Medicine: First aid, trauma care, and administering drugs. Requires medical knowledge backed by steady hands under stress.
• Cyber Surgery: Installing, repairing, and removing cyberware. Demands razor-steady hands and deep technical know-how.
• Cooking: Preparing food and meals. Balances delicate knife work with keen taste and smell.
• Brewing: Fermenting and distilling drinks. Relies on keen senses to judge the batch and technical know-how to run the process.
• Alchemy: Synthesizing compounds, reagents, and drugs. Needs technical know-how for recipes and delicate precision when measuring.
• Perfumery: Extracting scents and blending fragrances. Combines technical know-how with keen senses to balance aromas.
• Jewelcraft: Cutting gemstones and setting fine jewelry. Demands delicate hand control and keen eyesight for tiny details.
• Glasswork: Blowing, shaping, and cutting glass. Requires delicate movement to shape hot glass and raw physical endurance near the furnace.
• Woodwork: Carpentry, carving, and joinery. Needs delicate hand control for clean cuts and raw physical strength for the heavy work.
• Tailoring: Cutting patterns and sewing clothing. Demands delicate handiwork with a needle and a sharp eye for proper fit.
• Artistry: Painting, sculpture, and decorative crafts. Combines delicate manual technique with personal presence and expression.
• Lore: History, occult knowledge, and forgotten secrets. Pure book learning, memory, and mental sharpness.
• Ritual: Inscribing runes and casting ritual workings. Demands strong force of will to hold the power, guided by mental study.
• Trade: Appraising goods, bargaining, and working markets. Needs market know-how and sharp awareness to read the person across the table.
• Performance: Playing music, singing, and entertaining a crowd. Relies on force of personality to hold the room, with delicate technique to back it up with instruments.
• Subterfuge: Lying, wearing disguises, and maintaining your cover. Takes force of personality to sell the lie and mental acuity to keep the story straight.

Survival

• Scavenging: Stripping wrecks, finding scrap, and butchering game. Sharp awareness to spot value, with raw strength to haul it away.
• Mining: Excavating stone and extracting ore. Takes raw strength to swing a pick and keen eyesight to follow mineral seams.
• Cultivation: Farming, tending crops, and harvesting. Needs sharp awareness of plant health and delicate hands to avoid damaging the yield.
• Husbandry: Handling, breeding, and trapping animals. Demands sharp awareness to read animal behavior and raw strength to manage them.