AI:L Skill List
v.0.40
Skills
Skills are the abilities a character learns over the course of their lifetime. Skills add bonuses to specific rolls. A skill is rolled in conjunction with the relevant Stat. For example, a character would roll Senses + Firearms + 1d10 to fire a pistol, or Intellect + Conversation + 1d10 to attempt to sway a crowd.
Most people will have values of 1-5 in a skill. Skills cannot naturally be raised higher than 5 unless a character possesses Hero levels. 10 is the maximum natural value for a human Skill, however values can be raised above this with Traits and other enhancements. Many Traits also require levels in specific skills.
A character can attempt a roll for a skill they do not possess, however they can only roll 1d6 in this case. Once a character reaches level 10 in any skill they are considered to have mastered it. This allows them to choose to automatically score a 10 on one die of any roll involving that skill. If this option is chosen, the roll cannot critically succeed. This option costs one point of the appropriate Exploit.
Skills are listed below broken down into rough categories based on their primary area of usefulness. These categories have no in-game effect and are only for convenience of organization.
Core Skills
Alertness: Alertness is used for awareness of a character’s surroundings. It is rolled with Senses. It is rolled for initiative with ranged weapons, and can also be used for initiative with any weapon in the first round of combat.
Athleticism: Athleticism is used for an array of physical actions, including running, dodging, and throwing. It is rolled with Physique. It is rolled for initiative with close combat weapons, and can also be used with any ranged weapon if the character starts the round locked in close combat.
Concentration: Concentration is used for routine technical actions taken under pressure, such as quickly switching out praxis wafers, performing complex mathematics while in a distracting environment, or operating complex equipment. It is rolled with Intellect. It is rolled for initiative when using technical actions or equipment, including the casting in combat of most Thaumatech praxi.
Intuition: Intuition is a general social awareness of what makes people “tick;” what motivates them, frightens them, what they like and what they don’t. It is useful for sensing lies, detecting personality quirks, and grasping the nature of a social situation. It is rolled with Intellect, and is used for initiative in social conflicts.
Aether Channel: Ether Channel determines how skilled a character is at directing aether (aether is energy within, ether the energy without) flows through their body. It is an important skill for all forms of magical power, although it is particularly valuable for willwork and sorcery. It is rolled with Spirit, and is rolled for initiative when using willwork or sorcery.
Combat Skills
Archery: Archery is for all forms of bow use, which require specific training (this skill). The skill also involves the maintenance of bow, and the creation of arrows. It is rolled with Physique.
Firearms: Firearms covers all forms of personal firearms, including pistols and rifles, but also including larger weapons such as machineguns and rocket launchers. Additional traits can provide bonuses to a character’s preferred weapons. It is rolled with Senses.
Melee Weapons: Melee weapons include the full range of hand to hand weapons, including knives, clubs, spears and swords. It is a general proficiency, however special talent with particular weapons can be purchased as Traits. It is rolled with Physique.
Tactics: Tactics is knowledge of practical combat drills, as opposed to the more cerebral Military Theory. It can be used to set up bonuses before a battle begins, and to call on additional resources during combat. It is rolled with Intellect, and is used for initiative in tactical battles.
Unarmed: Unarmed is for hand-to-hand combat. It can be complementary to the use of Melee Weapons. It is a general proficiency, however specific martial arts forms can be further purchased as Traits. It is rolled with Physique.
Leadership: Leadership is a short round social conflict action used in combat to direct and inspire those on your own side. It is rolled with Intellect or Physique.
World Skills
Navigation: Navigation is the ability to find your way from one place to another, even without specialized equipment. Although modern equipment will often do basic navigation for the user, Navigation allows for the character to anticipate hazards, or plot better routes. It is rolled with Intellect.
Construction: Construction is used for creating buildings and other structures. A rating in this skill means a character understands both how to design and how to build. Aside from mundane construction, it is useful when performing transmutation effects. It is rolled with Intellect.
Ecology: Ecology is the understanding of the ecosystem, including plants and animals. It is commonly used for farming, but is also heavily used in magic, as well as by snake eating survivalists. It is rolled with Intellect.
Local Knowledge: Local Awareness is a characters general understanding of commonly available facts about the region they are in. It does not provide any insight into secret information, but it does mean the character will be aware of the regional history, current events, and in some cases, juicy gossip.
Vehicle Skills
Weapon Systems: Weapon Systems are usually large and remotely operated weapons where the character does not physically hold and control the weapon themselves. This is usually the case for heavy vehicle mounted weapons. It is rolled with Senses.
Technical Systems: Technical Systems is the operation of various other systems for complex mechanical equipment, such as sensors, engines, and retractable cup holders. It is rolled with Intellect, although some traits allow it to occasionally be rolled with Physique.
Drive: Drive is used for the direct operation of ground vehicles. It is generally rolled with Senses. Some classes of vehicles such as TrackIrons and Autoclaires require specific traits to operate, or operate without penalty. Some advanced ground vehicles link the user directly with the machine and bypass the need for this skill.
Pilot: Pilot is used for the direct operation of flying vehicles. It is rolled with Senses. Most flying vehicles require specific traits to operate or operate without penalty, such as Stratodynes, Aerodynes, or Kerajan. Some advanced flying link the user directly with the machine and bypass the need for this skill.
Ride: Ride is used for all riding animals, and involves actually getting them to do what you want, as well as properly caring for them. It applies to riding land, water, and air based animals, although certain exotic creatures require an additional trait to ride effectively. Ride is rolled with Physique.
Covert Skills
Stealth: Stealth is used for sneaking around and hiding yourself and evidence of your presence from detection. It is rolled with Physique.
Deception: Deception is used to fool others into believing a character is someone they are not. In benign usage it can be used for acting, but it can also be used to infiltrate social gatherings, or to disguise a character as someone else, or to avoid notice by being overlooked. Stealth and Deception can easily be used to support each other. Deception is rolled with Intellect.
Investigation: Investigation is the knowledge of formalized techniques to uncover evidence. It is a long round action and can be rolled in place of alertness, or can sometimes be rolled as a supporting action for alertness. In involves the knowledge of forensic practices like fingerprinting, blood spatter, and psychometry. It is rolled with Intellect.
Legerdemain: Legerdemain covers things from slight of hand magic tricks to pick pocketing. It can be used to palm small items without notice, or the reverse. It is often rolled with Deception in support. It is rolled with Physique.
Codes: Codes is used to create, use and decode various ciphers. It is also used for special languages, both verbal and non-verbal. Each level in codes allows the character to learn either a general type of code, or a specific coded language. These include text ciphers, numeric ciphers, machine ciphers, etheric ciphers as well as code languages like Bip Code, and Zenith battle mudras.
Social Skills
Graces: Graces influences how adept a character is at using social graces to their benefit, such as putting on a stunning appearance, or adopting impressive mannerisms. At root, it’s the art of looking good. Graces is usually rolled with Physique, but it can also be used with Intellect with certain social traits. It can be used for initiative in the first round of social conflict (first impressions).
Languages: This is the knowledge of common languages. Each level equals another language known. It does not include the knowledge of Thaumatechnical and magical languages which require specific Traits. Languages include Jibrilite (the “common” language of most of the world), Imperial Zenith (the common tongue of the Empire), Oldbold (the old Kobold language), Onigo (the language of the ogres), Alfar (the elvish common tongue), and a multitude of local Heylel, Rafaelan and Mikealan dialects.
Social Circles: Social Circles is a measure of how many social circles your character commonly moves in or is familiar with. Each level equals another social circle. Social Circles are useful for rolling for acceptance, information, or even allies from the selected group. Possible circles include Streetrats, Military Soldiers, Military Officers, Nobles, Merchants, Academics, and Criminals, but others can be added. Social circles are nation specific, although there is often crossover between them. For example, “Coreve Nobility,” “Endus Nobility,” and “Zenith Imperial Nobility,” would all have be taken separately, however Coreve Nobility might in some cases be rolled in place of Endus Nobility, since both are Jibrilite nations. It would be less likely for any Jibrilite noble circle to be able to substitute for Zenith Imperial Nobility, however. Circles are rolled with Intellect.
Conversation: Conversation is used for long round social conflict, and can be used to convey ideas to other characters, or to manipulate them. Although most uses of Conversation are verbal, the skill does include non-verbal elements. Conversation is rolled with Intellect.
Interrogation: Interrogation can be used for long round social conflict when the target is under your physical control. It can be just a very stern discussion, or it can escalate to outright torture. Interrogation can be rolled with Intellect, Physique, or in some cases, Spirit.
One-Liners: One liners are a short round social conflict action used to throw off witty quips and vicious put downs. These can be used to distract or dishearten the enemy, or to gain bonusses to the actions of the character and their allies. One-Liners are rolled with Intellect.
Technical Skills
Theory: Theory is an advanced understanding of the inner workings of a discipline. For each level of Theory a character can select one skill. The character now knows the theoretical underpinnings of this discipline, which can provide situational bonuses. Note that Ethertech Theory and Thaumatech Theory are somewhat interchangeable, however the former focuses more on the theory behind the building of Thaumatech devices, while the latter deals more with the theory of the spells themselves.
Legalese: Legalese is the knowledge of rules and laws. It allows a character to understand the regulations which govern a group or organization. It also allows the character to speak in barely comprehensible legal terms or bureaucratic buzz words.
Critical Thinking: The character is a practiced critical thinker, able to logically structure a problem and attack it from multiple angles. This skill is rolled for general intellectual problems, such as trying to crack a simple cipher, solve a riddle, or create a logic problem.
Electrotech: Electrotech is used for building and maintaining mechanical and electronic based technology. These technologies are most common in Mikeala, the Kobold Isles, and the Darklands. More advanced uses of this skill can be accessed with Theory.
Ethertech: Ethertech is used for building and maintaining ether based technology. This includes not just Jibrilite Thaumatech, but also Zenith Machina. This skill does not give the character access to actual Thaumatech Praxis. More advanced uses of this skill can be accessed with Theory.
Medicine: Medicine covers the provision of medical aid to living creatures. It can be used with first aid, or with the use of Theory, and/or advanced etheric practices can also be used for more complex operations. It is rolled with Intellect.
Etheric Skills
Thaumatech: Thaumatech is a skill required to actually create magitech spells, rather than just use them. It involves the knowledge of the various Thaumatechnic coding languages. It should be noted that many Thaumatech praxis do not require this skill to operate. Thaumatech is rolled with Intellect, and is required for characters taking the Thaumatechician Trait.
Read Auras: Read Auras allows a character to interpret the flow of Ether through the world, and is useful for detecting Etherically active individuals, and seeing etheric workings. It is rolled with Senses. The skill does not, on its own, allow a character to actually see Ether, which is an ability that must be taken as a trait or activated with a spell.
Sorcery: Sorcery is a skill required to use sorcerous magic. It determines how skilled a character is at sorcerous workings. It also involves the knowledge of how to communicate with etheric beings from across the Veil. It is rolled with Spirit and is required for characters taking the Sorcerer Trait.
Willwork: Willwork is a skill required to use Wild Magic. Although Willwork is not a pre-requisite for either Thaumatech or Sorcery, it does allow several useful supporting abilities, and sorcerers in particular commonly use it for supporting rolls. It is rolled with Spirit and is required for characters taking the Magi Trait.
Exotic Skills
Fortuna: Skill at various forms of furtune telling like omens, astrology or tarot cards.
Dreaming: Skill at interpreting and controlling dreams.
Medium: Skill at interacting with spirits and those beyond.