POWERS THAT BE

Skill Aptitudes are all a direct roll based on a relative stat and the skill bonus. Most skill aptitudes are 100 xp for a +5 bonus to the total score, though some skills (known as Niche skills) cost 50 xp for the same bonus. Generally all skill apts are limited at two of the specific skill per tier. For example a character could only take Knowledge: Biology twice per tier. The Narrator will usually allow skills to be used in concert, by either adding up the bonus or allowing more than one roll. The numbers in parenthetical below are the relatives, aside from Knowledge Apts as they generally all have the relatives of Memory. If there are two relatives it usually depends on the situation.

 

Social: These skills are based on interpersonal relationships. All initial difficulties are based on the character’s Appearance stat. Aside from that all Social skills are based on Boldness and/or Charisma.

 

General:

Deception (rel: Bold): believably lie or mislead. It is generally contested by Intuition/ Sense Motive skill apt.

Diplomacy (rel: Cha): to try and win someone over or calm them down.

Niche:

Haggling (rel: Cha): to try and argue the price of a good or service.

Salesmanship (rel: Cha/Bold): to try to convince someone to purchase something or become similarly interested.

Flirting (rel: Cha/Bold): to try to gain the affections of another in some way or another.

 

Knowledge: These skills are based on the retention of learning, no matter what the source. As such they all have the primary relative of Memory. In some cases it is a matter of applying what they know or extrapolating from what they know, in these cases the relative is Reason. It is possible for a character to have a niche knowledge without having the related knowledge, as sometimes people just have very focused interests.

Examples (by no means a complete list)

General: Law, Botany, Biology ,Geography, History, Theology, Cinema, Music, Civics, Empowered Culture, Hidden (creature) Lore, Pop Culture,Occult Lore Engineering, Electronics, Plumbing, Wilderness Survival, Mechanics, Physics.

Niche: Astrology, Specific Era, Specific Region, Specific Religion, Specific Movie, Genre, Specific Celebrity, Specific Hidden Type,

 

Trivia (cost- 100/ rel- Mem): This is basically a knowledge aptitudes that is a catch all for knowing a little bit about everything. A character with this apt tends to take interest in a variety of things and spends a great deal of time picking up the odd fact of tid-bit of information. This grants a +2 bonus to all Knowledge checks.

 

Languages: There is generally no limit to the number of languages a character can learn but the Narrator may place a limit based on Reason or Memory, such as one for every 2 points above ten. The cost of languages 50xp per language, though the Narrator may up the cost of more obscure or difficult languages. The Narrator's may also make optional to split the cost for written and spoken at 25xp each. Additionally the Narrator may allow 25xp for crude understanding, 50xp to be passingly fluent, 75xp for fluency, and 100xp to speak without any accent as if it was their first language. The last option is helpful for an established character to learn a language in a more realistic incremental way. With incomplete fluency the Narrator may occasionally do a secret Reason check to determine any possible communication confusion. In addition to all the obvious languages there is also Morse Code, Sign Language, Braille (requires See through touch apt), Semaphore, various cultural slang that can be used in other languages, and other oddities. The other folds of the world could also be a place to learn languages of magic creatures. Hidden tend to know the language of their kind automatically, though not always right away.

 

Increased Skill Critical (500): With most non-combat or power aptitudes with a skill based roll the critical counts as one lower, so 7 on an d8 and 9 on a d10. Additionally 6 on a d6. This can also be applied to Awareness, Movement, and Vehicle skill based aptitudes. Must be taken separately for each specific skill based apt.

 

Skill Certainty (200): With most non-combat or power aptitudes with a skill based roll the character can reroll one botched die per roll. This aptitude can be take once per tier for each specific skill based apt type. This can also be applied to Awareness, Movement, and Vehicle skill based aptitudes. Must be taken separately for each specific skill based apt. Must be taken separately for each specific skill based apt.