Base Chance: 30% (present day or futuristic settings), INT x 1%
(historical or fantasy settings) Category: Mental
This skill represents knowledge of triage and rudimen-tary medical care. Use it to stop bleeding, bandage wounds and treat minor burns, set a broken limb,
resus-citate someone who’s drowning, or revive an uncon-scious person. First Aid has no effect on poisons, dis-eases, or subtle physical ailments: these must be treated with the Medicine skill. This skill takes a full combat round to perform, and cannot normally be undertaken while in the midst of combat. If the character attempt-ing the First Aid attempt is interrupted, the gamemas-ter may declare that the attempt must be restarted, or that the interrupted attempt inflicts 1 point of damage upon the intended recipient, directly to the wounded hit location if that optional system is being used.
Effects: Following are the results for different degrees of success:
FUMBLE: Rough treatment or indelicate probing hurts the patient more: the patient takes 1 general hit point of damage, and his or her condition remains unchanged.
FAILURE: Attempted treatments have no effect. The patient’s condition does not change, and your character must wait one full turn before he or she can try to attempt the First Aid skill again.
SUCCESS: The treatment takes hold, with one of the fol-lowing effects:
A single wound or injury heals 1D3 hit points.
If the treated character reached 0 or negative hit points in this or the previous round, he or she can be restored to life if a successful First Aid roll brings his or her hit point total to 1 or higher.
An unconscious character is revived.
Bleeding damage from a bleeding special success can be stopped, as can any ongoing damage from extreme damage to a hit location (see “Hit Points per Hit Location”, page 29).
SPECIAL: As above, but a wound or injury heals 2D3 hit points.
CRITICAL: As above, but a wound or injury heals 3+1D3 hit points.
Setting Notes: This skill appears in all settings, though specific techniques and knowledge will vary from era to era. Historical or fantasy characters must often have a specialized background (monk, midwife, scholar, physik) to learn this skill at all.
System Notes: Each application of First Aid applies to a single wound: once that injury has been treated, additional First Aid rolls have no effect. Other wounds however, can be treated. Hazardous or unsanitary con-ditions may be Difficult actions, at the gamemaster’s discretion. Your character may add 1/2 of his or her Medicine skill rating and 1/5 of his or her Science (Pharmacy) skill rating as a temporary bonus to First Aid rolls. Special equipment (pain killers, bandages, or medicine) may add up to a +15% bonus to skill rat-ings, while futuristic medical technology (artificial
spray skin, medical scanners, nanotech healers) can make all First Aid rolls Easy.
Fly
Base Chance: DEX x4 for winged creatures; 1/2 DEX for all others who have some means of aerial movement (the Fly power, special equipment, etc.).
Category: Physical
This skill allows beings with wings, appropriate gear (antigravity belt, rocket boots, etc.), or powers, to maneuver in the air without a vehicle. Use a Fly check to perform aerial maneuvers or acrobatics without los-ing control, outmaneuver a foe in aerial combat, or fly
in poor weather conditions. The spot rules on “Aerial Combat” on page 212 cover use of this skill in combat conditions.
Effects: Following are the results for different degrees of success:
FUMBLE: Aerial turbulence and poor judgment result in a disastrous stall; if winged, your character must make a successful Stamina roll or suffer 1D3–1 points of damage from a sprain or strain. If flying using a device, it either stalls or fails, and cannot keep your character aloft. The flyer is in free fall; he or she will fall one round per altitude level above the ground (see “Chases” on pages 216-217 for more information). Your character must make a Difficult Fly roll to stay aloft—if the roll fails, he or she crashes hard. See “Falling” on page 223 for information about falling damage.
FAILURE: Your character misjudges an updraft or is too slow to react. He or she fails to make the desired
maneuver, and runs into some kind of trouble. See “Chases” on pages
216-217 for more information.
SUCCESS: Your character completes the desired
maneu-ver, or holds his or her posi-tion in a chase. See
“Chases” on pages 216-217 for more information about maneuvers.
SPECIAL: Your character easi-ly completes the desired
maneu-ver, and gains a bonus of +10%
to the next Fly roll or attack roll made in aerial combat, if still
aloft.
CRITICAL: Steely nerves and expert reflexes push wind and wing to their limits. Your character completes the desired maneuver with dazzling grace, and gains a bonus of +25% to the next Fly roll or attack roll made in aerial combat, if still aloft.
Setting Notes: Winged beings are usually only found in fantas-tic or futurisfantas-tic settings, or su-per hero adventures. Actual device-assisted flight is rare in modern era settings, but is a staple of pulp adventure, super hero, and science fiction settings. For jet packs, hang-gliders, etc. use the Pilot skill on page 72.
Each wound suffered in a combat can individually be treated using First Aid (successful skill use restores 1D3 hit points). Additionally, each may also be treated with the Medicine skill and a Heal spell. The gamemaster might judge
that each claw of the critter above does four wounds.
System Notes: Short, uneventful flights under normal or moderate conditions are Automatic tasks and do not require skill rolls. The “Weather Conditions” spot rules on page 181 contain information about penalties that may affect flight. Normal flight does not expend fatigue points, while maneuvering or stressful flight is a strenu-ous activity. Flying while wearing armor or heavy gear incurs a penalty equal to your character’s current ENC total. See “Encumbrance” on page 180 for more infor-mation.
Stamina rolls are required for long-range flights, with the characteristic multiplier decreasing by one every four hours or fraction thereof spent in the air.
For example, A four-hour flight would require a CON x 5 roll, while the next four hours would require a successful CON x 4 roll, then four hours later, a CON x 3 roll, etc.
A flying character carrying a heavy object must match his or her STR against the SIZ of the carried object on the resistance table to stay aloft. See “Aerial Combat”
on page 212 and “Chases” on pages 216-217 for more information.
Gaming
Base Chance: INT + POW as a % Category: Knowledge
This skill covers all manner of games and diversions, from ordinary contests of chess or backgammon to gam-bling contests involving cards, dice, or other games.
Quick wits and decision-making are essential, and knowledge of the rules of the game and the odds involved is vital. Gamblers make their living using this skill, but to most others it is merely a source of enter-tainment. At the gamemaster’s discretion, you may add 1/5 of your Strategy skill as a temporary bonus to your Gaming skill if you are playing a game where strategy and tactical decision-making are a component.
Effects: Following are the results for different degrees of success:
FUMBLE: Your character performs horribly, making gaffes and losing the game in dismal fashion. If the game is a gambling contest, he or she loses the entire stake, and ends up owing additional debts equal to 1D6 x 10% of his or her stake if failing a Luck roll.
FAILURE: Your character performs badly, losing the game. If the game is a gambling contest, he or she loses half of their original stake, and loses an additional 1D4 x 10% of his or her stake if a Luck roll is failed.
SUCCESS: Your character performs well, winning the game if his or her roll beats all other characters’ rolls. If the game is a gambling contest, your character breaks even, and wins an additional 1D4 x 10% of the original stake if succeeding at a Luck roll.
SPECIAL: Your character performs exceptionally well, winning the game if his or her roll beats all other charac-ters’ rolls. If the game is a gambling contest, your character breaks even, and wins an additional 1D6 x 10% of his or her original stake if succeeding at a Luck roll.
CRITICAL: Your character dazzles other characters with his or her skill and panache. Your character wins the game if his or her roll beats all other characters’ rolls. If the game is a gambling contest, your character wins an amount equal to double his or her original stake, and wins an addi-tional 1D4 x 10% of the original stake if he or she suc-ceeds at a Luck roll.
Setting Notes: Games can be found in all but the most primitive settings, and so this skill is appropriate to most settings and eras.
System Notes: To resolve games of chance or skill, all players involved will roll Gaming. The highest roll within the best degree of success wins. If the game involves betting or bluffing, your character may add 1/5 of his or her Insight or Fast Talk skill (whichever is higher) to his or her Gaming skill temporarily. To cheat, use Sleight of Hand or Fast Talk skill, opposed by Observe or Insight. To resolve betting on other things, use opposed Luck rolls.
Grapple
Base Chance: 25%
Category: Combat
This unarmed weapon skill covers any special attack used for wrestling, from Greco-Roman holds and pins, sumo-style pushing and unbalancing, to judo throws or even brute strangulation. Grapples are usually used to subdue a target without causing harm. If your character wants to cause harm, however, brutal wrestling moves, throws, and strangle holds can be lethal.
Effects: Following are the results for different degrees of success:
FUMBLE: Your character slips, stumbles, or misjudges his or her opponent. Roll on the “Natural Weapons Fumble Table” on page 195 for results.
FAILURE: The target eludes your character’s hold, or your character loses his or her hold. Grapple attack misses, or a hold ends.
SUCCESS: Your character grabs the target and can apply one grapple effect next round if he or she can keep the hold.
SPECIAL: Your character manages to grab a pressure point, or seize a special advantage over the target. Your character automatically succeeds in his or her next Grapple roll to maintain the hold, and gains a +3 charac-teristic bonus on any resistance rolls for grapple effects made this round.
CRITICAL: Your character pinches a nerve, finds a pres-sure point, or otherwise completely overpowers the target.
The attacker automatically succeeds in his or her next Grapple roll to maintain the hold, and the target’s charac-teristics are halved in any resistance rolls for grapple effects during the remainder of that combat round.
Setting Notes: This skill appears in all settings and eras. Some races might be better at this skill than oth-ers, having higher base chances.
System Notes: Your character must make a successful Grapple roll to establish a hold on his or her foe.
Successful Grapple attacks grab a random hit location (if that system is used). Grapple attacks can be parried using the Grapple skill: if the defender parries with a weapon or shield, your character automatically grabs
the weapon arm or shield arm if the Grapple roll is suc-cessful. Once a hold is established, your character must make a successful Grapple check each round to main-tain the hold. Taking any action other than one of the grappling effects below breaks a hold.
Once held, a defender can attack your character if he or she has any free limbs, using Brawl (punches or head butts only) or any small weapon (knives or hand-guns). If two hands are free, the target can attempt to Grapple back.
Multiple attackers can attempt to grapple a single target, though no more than two attackers can hold any one location. Combine the STR ratings of both attack-ers in all contested tests.