Splicers Skills

[The Galactus Kid]

So in one of the upcoming Rifter articles that I'm going to be working on I wanted to present additional skills that Splicers characters can select. Some of the skills already exist, Like Sharpshooting, but others will need to be developed either from existing skills (like Lore Great House X or History: Great House Y), and even entirely new skills. My question is this: What skills do you use in your games that you would like to see in print? What skills do you think need to be brought into the Splicers world?

[Guy_LeDouche]

Funny you should ask; I have a 57 page (!) docuement detailing Splicer skills. If you need help, just let me know.

Here's an extremely partial list:

Clowning
Encryption
Flag Signaling
Performance
Drawing: Pencil/Ink/Chalk
Leather Worker
Meteorology
Mountaineering
Genetics Engineer
Mining Engineer
Fieldcraft
Lip Reading
Logging
Masonry
Medical Diagnostic
Field Surgery
Falconry
Combat Sniper
Fortifications
Strategy and Tactics
Marathon
Juggling
Bargain/Bribe
Streetwise - Con Games
Streetwise - Long Cons
Streetwise - Sleight of Hand
Streetwise - Gambling
Cartography
Geophysics
Horticulture
Psychological Warfare
Antiquarian
Fashion Tools and Weapons
Gem Cutting
Gemology
Lore: Bio-technology
Lore: Great Houses
Lore: Preserves
Lore: "Time of Man"
Hand-to-Hand: Brawling
W.P. Improvised Weapons
Weapon Mastery
Tame Animals

[The Baron of chaos]

Clowning
Encryption
Flag Signaling
Performance
Drawing: Pencil/Ink/Chalk
Leather Worker
Meteorology
Mountaineering
Genetics Engineer
Mining Engineer
Fieldcraft
Lip Reading
Logging
Masonry
Medical Diagnostic
Field Surgery
Falconry
Combat Sniper
Fortifications
Strategy and Tactics
Marathon
Juggling
Bargain/Bribe
Streetwise - Con Games
Streetwise - Long Cons
Streetwise - Sleight of Hand
Streetwise - Gambling
Cartography
Geophysics
Horticulture
Psychological Warfare
Antiquarian
Fashion Tools and Weapons
Gem Cutting
Gemology
Lore: Bio-technology
Lore: Great Houses
Lore: Preserves
Lore: "Time of Man"
Hand-to-Hand: Brawling
W.P. Improvised Weapons
Weapon Mastery
Tame Animals

The colored ones struck me as weird for splicer setting. Expecially clowning! I think one should detail the occasion these skill come up in Splicer gloomy world..(hey there is an army of killer robot zombies and a pack of psychotic biotic on the other side....is clowning time!!)

[Shark_Force]

as i recall, english is not his first language... it could possibly be that it was intended to read "cloning" (though it is equally possible that he really did intend it to be clowning as well)

[The Galactus Kid]

Funny you should ask; I have a 57 page (!) docuement detailing Splicer skills. If you need help, just let me know.

Here's an extremely partial list:

Clowning
Encryption
Flag Signaling
Performance
Drawing: Pencil/Ink/Chalk
Leather Worker
Meteorology
Mountaineering
Genetics Engineer
Mining Engineer
Fieldcraft
Lip Reading
Logging
Masonry
Medical Diagnostic
Field Surgery
Falconry
Combat Sniper
Fortifications
Strategy and Tactics
Marathon
Juggling
Bargain/Bribe
Streetwise - Con Games
Streetwise - Long Cons
Streetwise - Sleight of Hand
Streetwise - Gambling
Cartography
Geophysics
Horticulture
Psychological Warfare
Antiquarian
Fashion Tools and Weapons
Gem Cutting
Gemology
Lore: Bio-technology
Lore: Great Houses
Lore: Preserves
Lore: "Time of Man"
Hand-to-Hand: Brawling
W.P. Improvised Weapons
Weapon Mastery
Tame Animals

Some of these I think would make interesting additions to the Splicers setting. Some I think are covered pretty well in other skills.

[Guy_LeDouche]

Some of these I think would make interesting additions to the Splicers setting. Some I think are covered pretty well in other skills.

I'm hanging my head in shame. So, does that mean you want the entire 151 page "Master Skills" list?

[The Galactus Kid]

Some of these I think would make interesting additions to the Splicers setting. Some I think are covered pretty well in other skills.

I'm hanging my head in shame. So, does that mean you want the entire 151 page "Master Skills" list?

hahaha. 151 pages of skills!?! Thats a TON. I'm just saying that some of these things are already covered.

Military Sniper and Fortifications are covered by Sniper and Military Fortifications, for example.

[Guy_LeDouche]

Clowning
Lip Reading
Antiquarian
The colored ones struck me as weird for splicer setting. Expecially clowning! I think one should detail the occasion these skill come up in Splicer gloomy world..(hey there is an army of killer robot zombies and a pack of psychotic biotic on the other side....is clowning time!!)

The Splicer world is gloomy; its a perfect time for clowns!!

Here you go. As always, constructive feedback is always welcome:

Clowning: One of the most free and open art forms, the profession of the clown is an ancient one, with most known cultures having clowns of some sort. Throughout history, clowns have served as historians, storytellers, fools, jesters, and even religious figures. Often the only person with the freedom to critizie or mock the ruling class, clowns played an important role in the social and religious life of a community, and some were believed to be able to cure diseases.

Clowning is more than just a costume and makeup; clowns are often gifted performers who create special "characters" or alter egos to spread their message. In the world of Splicers, clowns are not necessarily always funny (although they do get laughs). Their acts, skits and play are firmly rooted in the history of a long forgotten time. Often serving a dual purpose, a clown's humor often teaches lessons, lost history, calls needed attention to aspects of daily life, and can sometimes help heal troubled souls. A character with the clown skill will have a working knowledge of theatrical make-up and wigs, pratfalls, slapstick, and physical comedy, and the basics of performing for an audience.
Bonuses: +5% for each of the following skills: Acting, Disguise, Lore: Great Houses, and Lore: "Time of Man".
Base Skill: 20%+4% per level of experience.

Lip Reading: The character knows how to interpret the spoken word by observing the movement of the mouth. This is a difficult skill to master and requires that the character be able to observe the subject(s) mouth from a distance. In order to successfully read lips, the mouth must be visible, in line of sight and completely unobstructed. The character can attempt to read lips if the subject is only partially obscured, however, GMs should apply appropriate penalties. This skill requires the character to speak the language he is attempting to lip read with at least an 80% proficiency. Base Skill: 20% + 5% per level of experience

Antiquarian: The character has made a serious study of and posses a working knowledge of historical and ancient artifacts. This gives the character the ability to accurately appraise or tell if an item is a true artifact, an original edition, a recent copy (which may be just as good from an information point of view) new or used, defective, or incomplete or censored, a forgery, etc. In addition, the character can make reasonable guesses to the value, use, or origin of ancient items. This includes a basic understanding of precious stones and metals.
Base Skill: 40% + 5% per level of experience.

[Guy_LeDouche]

Some of these I think would make interesting additions to the Splicers setting. Some I think are covered pretty well in other skills.

I'm hanging my head in shame. So, does that mean you want the entire 151 page "Master Skills" list?

hahaha. 151 pages of skills!?! Thats a TON. I'm just saying that some of these things are already covered.

Military Sniper and Fortifications are covered by Sniper and Military Fortifications, for example.

Well, truly the 151 page "Guy Master Skill List" is a compilation of a lot of the Palladium settings (Robotech, TMNT, Nightsp...bane, etc.), combined with tons of skills various player groups and I felt were missing. Before my life seems anymore bankrupt then it already sounds, keep in mind it was several years in the making.

The original docuement I referenced was a "Splicer"-ized version; I yanked out a lot of the skills I didn't think fit into the setting. Still, at 57 pages, its a hefty reference document.

[The Galactus Kid]

Would it be possible to see your descriptions for Lore: Time of Man and Lore Preserves? I'm compiling the skill list to send to my players since we are starting our Splicers game up again on the 26th.

[Guy_LeDouche]

Would it be possible to see your descriptions for Lore: Time of Man and Lore Preserves? I'm compiling the skill list to send to my players since we are starting our Splicers game up again on the 26th.

Of course. Would you like them on the boards or PM? (Not sure what you have in store for the players.)

[The Galactus Kid]

Boards is fine. Thanks a ton.

[Guy_LeDouche]

Boards is fine. Thanks a ton.

Happy to help. Here you go:

Lore – Preserves: A specialized skill that provides in-depth knowledge of the Preserves and its exotic flaura and fauna. This includes an understanding of the Preserves ecology, nature, and common hazards and animals. Range of knowledge includes animals’ habits, species, typical diet and habitat, recognition of tracks, spoor, or other signs (this does not include the ability to track), and value of meat, hide, teeth, bones, and so on. NOTE: This skill cannot be chosen as a secondary skill. Base Skill: 20%+5% per level of experience.

Lore - "Time of Man": This is the study of stories, myths, documents and artifacts pertaining to the history of humankind before the war with N.E.X.U.S. This includes a working knowledge of theories concerning the Machine, a reasonable (though not always historically accurate) knowledge of how the world was before, the ability to identify and appraise artifacts (though may not be able to verify authenticity) and make reasonable guesses as to the use of items, vehicles, buildings, etc. Base Skill: 25% + 5% per level of experience.

[The Galactus Kid]

Guy, as opposed to me asking for individual skills from this list, do you mind sending me the complete 151 page list that you have? You can e-mail it to me if you'd like.

[NMI]

I'll take an email copy of that master 151 page skill list too!
nmi@thedeificnmi.com

[Guy_LeDouche]

Guy, as opposed to me asking for individual skills from this list, do you mind sending me the complete 151 page list that you have? You can e-mail it to me if you'd like.

I'll take an email copy of that master 151 page skill list too!
nmi@thedeificnmi.com

Hey guys, I'm in NC for a few days dealing with a few issues on Mrs LeDouche's side of the family. As soon as I get back to my PC, I'll send it over.

[abtex]

I'll take an email copy of that master 151 page skill list too!
nmi@thedeificnmi.com

abtex@ix.netcom.com will a copy of the Splicer list and being greedy a master list as well. Please

[The Galactus Kid]

Guy, as opposed to me asking for individual skills from this list, do you mind sending me the complete 151 page list that you have? You can e-mail it to me if you'd like.

I'll take an email copy of that master 151 page skill list too!
nmi@thedeificnmi.com

Hey guys, I'm in NC for a few days dealing with a few issues on Mrs LeDouche's side of the family. As soon as I get back to my PC, I'll send it over.

Thanks man. I hope all is going well with you and yours.

[9voltkilowatt]

How in the hell, with all that time we spend corresponding did I not get this list?

[The Galactus Kid]

lol. I would still LOVE to have the full skill list.

[Guy_LeDouche]

With father-in-law LeDouche finally out of the woods, I'm getting back into the normal routine. I'm sorry this took so long to send out. Check your respective e-mails, you should see something from my Yahoo box.

How in the hell, with all that time we spend corresponding did I not get this list?

Because I'm a moron and wasn't even thinking of it. At least, that's my guess. But, its on its way!

[The Galactus Kid]

Sweet. Thanks guy.

[The Galactus Kid]

Guy, I'm sending you a PM regarding some of your skills.

[TechnoGothic]

I prefer less skills to be honest. Too many damned skills as is already IMHO.

[krate]

I prefer less skills to be honest. Too many damned skills as is already IMHO.

I'll second this.

[Lord Z]

It's a matter of personal preference. As I age as a gamer, I grow to appreciate a shorter list of broader skills. Other gamers prefer a full page or more of highly specialized skills, especially when some of those skills over unique benefits like attribute boosts or combat bonuses. I can see both sides, but I tend to favor what TechnoGothic and krate are saying.

If you are going to expand the skill list and perhaps the number of skills a PC gets, I highly suggest streamlining the skill selection process. Looking up and copying skill percentages onto a character sheet is already the most tedious part of character creation for me. Filling a couple of pages this way seems more like punishment than a game to me.

Lord Z's streamlined skill system: All skills have percentages, even the physical skills and W.P.s. All skills have a base percentage of 25%. All skills improve at 5% with each additional level of experience, thus a 15th level character will have 100%. IQ bonuses, if you have any, still apply to all non-physical and non-WP skills. Class bonuses still apply to specific skills. Yes, this can boost skills above 100% for highly experienced characters, but skill performance penalties can still pull the required roll down to challenging levels in some situations.

[Jedrious]

Honestly the skill selection I made for a Splicers character that received the most, "oh, cool!" response from the group is Military Fortification, I belive the exact response was: Military Fortification? Seriously? Nice!

[The Galactus Kid]

Guy, FYI, I didn't end up adding any of the skills into the article as it didn't quite seem to fit the theme that we were going for. I'll hit you up next time if that is a direction the next article goes.

[Guy_LeDouche]

Guy, FYI, I didn't end up adding any of the skills into the article as it didn't quite seem to fit the theme that we were going for. I'll hit you up next time if that is a direction the next article goes.

No worries; I can dig it. As long as the Splice flows, I'm a happy Guy.

[The Galactus Kid]

Guy, FYI, I didn't end up adding any of the skills into the article as it didn't quite seem to fit the theme that we were going for. I'll hit you up next time if that is a direction the next article goes.

No worries; I can dig it. As long as the Splice flows, I'm a happy Guy.

As long as I'm writing, you have my guarantee that the Splice will flow.

[Guy_LeDouche]

As long as I'm writing, you have my guarantee that the Splice will flow.

Mine as well. I had to take a bit of a hiatus from Splicer-related stuff; now trying to catch up on a backlog of rough and half formed ideas; "Robots of the Wastes" for example.

[boxee]

Would love to see an alternate skill list for classes that double up on the same skill.
Would love to see saints get hth-basic.