Skills

A character's Skill rating represents a combination of their natural ability and specific training. Skill Checks are called for for almost all actions outside of combat where there is a chance of failure. To make a Skill Check, roll 3d6 and add skill ranks and any appropriate modifiers. If this total matches or surpasses the Overseer's number (the Difficulty Class), it is considered a success.

A Skill Check's Difficulty Class and the skill called for are dependent on the action. For example, repairing a simple weapon would require a low Skill Check result 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 withholds the difficulty and whether or not the character has succeeded.

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

Spending Skill Points

At level 1, a character begins with no skill points to spend (unless they trade a Combat Perk for them). Every time a player levels up, they gain 10 Skill Points to spend on the skills they desire. All skills begin with a number of ranks equal to the SPECIAL statistic associated with it (for example:Perception 4 gives 4 starting ranks of Detect).

Purchasing ranks costs more Skill Points the higher the rank. As with most point-buy systems in SIMPLE, raising a skill's rank to a positive number costs a number of Skill Points equal to the new rank, and raising it from a negative number costs a number of Skill Points equal to the absolute value of the old rank.

Designating a skill as a Tag! skill makes it 1 Skill Point cheaper to raise every rank.

A skill at Rank 10 cannot be raised higher by skill points. However temporary bonuses, such as equipment, chems, and other effects, can raise its effective rating above 10.

Skills

Athletics (ST)

If it's a physical exertion that's not running, throwing, or attacking, then it's under the Athletics skill. Athletics allows a character to reach places other people can't, and keep them safe from drowning and long falls.

For Climbing, the DC depends on the surface or object in question. Here are some examples:

• DC 5 - Quickly climb a ladder
• DC 10 - Scale a wall with a rope. Climb a chain-link fence.
• DC 15 - Climb a rock wall
• DC 20 - Climb a rocky surface with only a few hand holds
• DC 25 - Climb a brick wall

Horizontal Jumps require an Athletics Check with a DC equal to the distance jumped in feet. Vertical jumps require an Athletics check with a DC equal to the distance jumped in feet, times four. At the Overseer's discretion, a near miss on a Jump check might indicate that a character succeeded in the jump, but landed badly, leaving them prone and potentially causing them to take damage.

Landing is an action players take when falling from a height greater than 10 feet. A character can reduce their effective falling distance (in feet) by half the result of an Athletics Check. A player takes 1d6 damage for every 10 ft they fall, rounded down. Characters must be prepared for the fall in order to roll to reduce landing damage.

If a player's Athletics is below 5, they must make a DC 10 Athletics check when swimming each round or start to drown. Drowning deals 1d4 damage per turn, and reduces the players Athletic Skill by 2 for an hour. If a character is not using all their limbs to swim, they take a -2 penalty to Athletics for each occupied limb. If this reduction drops a character's Athletics below 5, they must begin to roll against drowning. A player's Athletics Check is also the maximum distance in feet they can dive before drowning. A player moves at one-quarter speed while swimming, but can move 1/2 speed by succeeding at a DC 15 Athletic check. A character may roll this check once an hour.

Deception (CH)

Deception is a character's ability to lie convincingly, to notice lies told by others, and disguise themselves convincingly. It also plays a role in determining trade prices: each rank of this skill makes merchant buying prices 5% higher.

Disguising oneself is easier the less precise the disguise must be, the less scrutiny it will be under, and the better the equipment at their disposal. The default DC for a Deception Check used to disguise oneself is 10. This DC is then modified by the following factors.

Precision:

• -4 to impersonate "anyone but yourself"
• 0 to impersonate a member of a particular faction
• +4 to impersonate a faction member of some standing (a Liberators officer, a Commission buttonman)
• +8 to impersonate a specific person

Scrutiny:

• -4 if attempting to pass casual observation in a crowd
• 0 if attempting to pass standard inspection
• +4 if attempting to pass extreme scrutiny

Tools:

• -4 with specialized tools (like pre-War costume makeup) and extensive prep time
• 0 with a stolen uniform or other relevant outfit
• +4 with an improvised disguise (a Liberators uniform made by smearing charcoal over a tee-shirt)
• +8 with no tools (attempting to pass using only demeanor and speech)

Lying is an opposed Deception check. If a character beats their opponent's check result, the opponent believes that the character is telling what they think to be the truth. Deception checks can't convince a character of something patently untrue, but might make them think that the liar is honestly insane.

Detection (PE)

Detection is a character's ability to notice unusual things. This includes detecting when they're being snuck up on, finding clues and secret passages, and detecting land mines and other traps. Most Detection rolls are done in secret by the Overseer.

Spotting a sneaking character is an opposed check between the sneaking character's Sneak and the other character's Detection.

Every trap has a listed DC to detect (if properly concealed). These DCs can be found in the equipment pages or in the text of the adventure that introduces the trap. When in doubt, consult these common DCs and adjudicate appropriately:

• DC 6: A land mine placed in a well-lit hallway
• DC 10: A buried landmine with obvious mound
• DC 16: A well-made tripwire or pressure-plate.

Players may choose to roll Detection when investigating a crime scene, a secret hideaway, or other such thing. Higher rolls indicate more and more obscure clues exposed. Prewritten adventures will usually have Detection DCs in place for appropriate scenes.

Electronics (IN)

Electronics is a character's ability to build, repair, and modify high-tech equipment using electricity or nuclear material. It's also the skill that governs a character's ability to write functional computer code (distinct from hacking).

Electronics is used to Repair energy weapons, Power Armor, computers, and other high-tech devices. Given a sufficient supply of scrap and a suitable collection of tools, it can also be used for Crafting these items.

Electronics is used in place of Medic when repairing robots.

Programming or reprogramming a robot is a high-level task in a world where no code is documented and even having access to a functioning computer is a rare privilege. Reprogramming a robot is a DC 20 task that can take days or even weeks depending on the extent of the changes. Success on this roll indicates that the changes went through; these can range from fiddling with a Mister Handy's accent to programming a Sentry Bot to perceive itself as a mild-mannered intellectual. Programming a robot from scratch is an even longer process, with even more powerful potential results.

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 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.

• Taunt: Taunting is a DC 10 Intimidation check with a penalty equal to the target's Intimidation Skill. If successful, the target focuses their attack on the taunter, ignoring their allies. Penalties may apply to draw focus away from a melee attacker, or if communication with the target is impaired. Feral Ghouls and robots cannot be taunted.

Medic (IN)

The medic skill covers everything from the knowledge of anatomy to hands-on proficiency at treating wounds, healing broken limbs, and dealing with toxins and disease. A character can tend to up to 5 non-critical patients for 16 hours a day to increase their healing rate by half their Medic skill, rounded up. Treating wounds requires various skill checks.

• Stabilize: Stimpack (DC 10)
• Stabilize: First Aid Kit (DC 15)
• Stabilize: Improvise (DC 20)
• Fix Limb: Surgery w/ Medical Equipment (DC 20)
• Fix Limb: Quick Fix w/ Stim & First Aid (DC 25)

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.

A character can provide food and water in a wilderness situation for a number of people equal to their Outdoorsman skill by succeeding in a DC 15 Skill Check. Modifiers may apply if the environment is especially habitable (Zion) or especially inhospitable (the Glow).

Do This Later

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.

Science (IN)

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

Security (AG)

This catch-all skill encompasses lock picking, pick-pocketing, hot wiring and the arming and disarming of bombs and 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.

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 reveals 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.