Skills

Skill represent a character's invested training and representation of natural ability. Throughout a game, a player is able to use skills to accomplish various tasks based on dice rolls called "Skill Checks".

A Skill Check is a set number that must be matched or surpassed by a dice roll. To make a Skill Check, roll 3d6 and add skill ranks and any appropriate modifiers. If this total surpasses the Overseer's number (the Skill Check), it is considered a success.

A Skill Check's difficulty is dependent on the action. For example, repairing a simple weapon would require a low Skill Check using the Engineering Skill, while swimming against rapids would require an extremely high Athletics Skill Check.

Some Skill Checks are hidden from the player at the discretion of the Overseer, who rolls for them or witholds the Skill Check difficulty or successes/failure.

Each skill lists its associated SPECIAL in parentheses and has several entries for sample task difficulties.

Skills

Animals (CH)

This is your ability to identify, tame and socialize with animals and simple minded creatures (such as feral ghouls). Ranks in this can allow you to tame animal companions and stave off attacks. Generally, the higher your skill, the more exotic creatures you can interact with and the more you can do with them.

Athletics (ST)

Jump, Climb, Swim: if its a physical exertion that's not solely running or throwing then it is classified under the athletics skill. It also allows you to to be prolific at sports such as wrestling. Higher levels will allow you to jump impossible distances or climb the most difficult surfaces.

Deception (CH)

Deception is you ability to deceive and beguile others. Its is also your ability to tell when you are being lied to and makes bartering easier. Those with a strong investment in Deception can get away with atrocious fallacies or disguise themselves effectively. Each rank of this skill sways a transaction 1% in your favor.

Detection (PE)

Detection is your ability to notice and find things around you. It helps you gather information, spot hidden objects and foes, and discern lies. A high Detection level would allow you to spot a hidden land mine or loot cache, or tell whether you're being snuck-up on or lied to.

Electronics (IN)

Your ability to program and hack computer devices, as well as deal with artificial intelligence routines. Having a high rank in this skill can allow you to program robots, work on computers and energy weapons, and accesses hidden information.

Engineering (IN)

Engineering covers knowledge for all sorts of mechanical and electrical devices. It's used to deal with everything from vehicles to weapons to elevators and architecture. It also allows you to design new weapons and explosives.

Intimidation (ST)

Intimidation is your ability to verbally (or physically) coerce individuals into complying. It also allows you to draw aggravation away from allies in combat or provide suppressing fire for allies to move unmolested in combat. Higher levels will have groups of raiders dropping their guns in surrender or allow you to draw sniper fire from a friend. Intimidate also lets you insult people more effectively. It is also a representation of your bravery. It can be used to negate fear effects, do wildly stupid ideas, resist speech attempts and resist torture and other intimidation.

Medic (IN)

The medic skill covers everything from the knowledge of creature anatomy to hands-on proficiency at treating wounds, healing broken limbs, and dealing with toxins/disease. A character with high medic heals more hit points and can take care up to 5 patients over the course of 16 hours and add half their medic skill to their patient's healing rate. Various checks are made based on treating wounds. There are also other check to be made, such as:

• Healing (Variable DC): When performing Healing with a medicine, such a stimpack or dose of healing powder, your Medic skill is added to the check to consider how much HP was healed. Different medicines cause your medic skill to trade off for HP at different rates. An example would be for a Stim-Pack, which heals 1d10 + Medic Skill in HP. So on a roll of 8 and having a medic skill of 7, a stimpack would heal 15 HP.
• First Aid (DC 20) To stop Bleed Out a medic must administer First Aid to a patient. First Aid requires five successful DC 20 Medic checks. Each check that passes keeps the patient from losing health and brings them a bit closer to becoming Stable. The successful checks need not be in order, continuous or even by the same Medic, the patient simply needs to have been treated successfully for 5 rounds. Once treated, the patient is Stable (not Bleeding Out), but still Bloodied. Certain objects can drastically benefit First aid, but are exhausted upon stabilization. Using Stimpacks for First Aid grants a +5 to Medic and a successful check instantly stabilizes the patient and heals them to 1d10 HP, a failed check results in the patient not bleeding out for that round, but wasting the Stimpack. Using healing powder grants a +10 Medic bonus to First Aid. A First Aid Kit grants a +5 bonus to Medic when performing First Aid. Without any of these items, a Medic cannot perform First Aid on themselves. 
• Set a Crippled Limb (DC 25) This allows you spend 1 hour treating a limb and preparing it for healing. It takes 168 Hours for a limb to heal (7 Days) but basic treatment will allow you to directly subtract your Medic Roll from this time. Having a Doctor's Bag doubles this reduction, and a Splint-Boy triples it.

Outdoorsman (EN)

This skill covers scouting and survival in the wilderness. It allows you to mix poisons and makeshift medicines as well as track foes and prey in varying environments. It allows you to train and recognize animals and find safe water and vegetation in the wild.

Pilot (AG)

Pilot allows you to operate vehicles of all kinds as well as heavy machinery and ride animals. Higher ranks allow you to perform evasive maneuvers, drive faster and pilot more skillfully, particularly making vehicular combat easier. Some machines cannot even be operated without a high enough pilot skill, such as tanks, cranes and airships.

Security (AG)

This catch-all skill encompasses lock picking, hacking and dealing with traps. While Detection is used for locating traps of all sorts, Security must be used to disarm or otherwise neutralize a trap once it has been found. Lower levels can be used to pick locks, and higher levels can be used to hack computers with the proper equipment.

Science (IN)

The broad Science skill covers knowledge of mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology. It allows you to craft poisons, chems and useful compounds.

Sneak (AG)

Sneak is the ability to perform actions without being noticed, stealing or killing silently, be it while hiding or in plain sight. A sneak check is placed directly against a target's Detection skill.

Speech (CH)

Speech is used to come to peaceful agreements, diffuse situations, bribe, barter and give speeches. For every point of the skill you have, trade deals will sway in your favor by 1%. Higher levels allow for first time meetings with new groups (including hostile ones) to end in your favor with or without combat. It also allows you to demand better rewards for tasks.

Tactics (PE)

Tactics is a catch all skill. When used, it allows the Overseer to make a hidden roll on behalf of the player. Doing so revels possible courses of actions the player could perform. This can include options for achieving their goal, new sudden variables appearing to aid them in combat or even being flat-out told the outcome to some actions they are thinking of doing. Characters with high tactics make strong leaders, as they can asses the battlefield quickly and determine possible outcomes.