General Skills (GS) represent a character's learned abilities and specialised knowledge, allowing them to apply their natural attributes to specific tasks. Unlike raw Creature Attributes, which determine innate capability, General Skills define what a character can do with those abilities in real-world situations. These skills cover a vast range of disciplines, from practical trades like smithing and carpentry to intellectual pursuits such as philosophy and engineering. They also include combat techniques, social manipulation, and even esoteric knowledge.
Characters improve General Skills by spending Experience Points (XP) at a rate of 1 XP per GS, but progression is not immediate—advancement requires in-game justification, such as training, study, or practice under the right conditions. Advanced General Skills require a certain level in the prior skill, marked in parenthesis. The higher a character's proficiency in a skill, the more capable they become at performing complex or difficult tasks within that field.
The following is a comprehensive list of General Skills:
First Aid (1-5) - Skill at treating different forms of trauma, such as gunshot wounds and cuts.
- (3) Medicine (1-10) - Familiarity with the human body, its illnesses, and various treatments.
- (5) Neurology (1-3) - Familiarity with the most complex machine in the universe; the brain.
Labour (1-3) - Skill at working with one's own hands.
- (1) Survival (1-10) - Skill at employing Oceanyka's fauna and flora to not die.
- (1) Farming (1-5) - Skill at sowing and reaping the Earth's bountiful harvest.
- (1) Mining (1-5) - Skill at pillaging the Earth's subterranean riches.
- (2) Animal Handling (1-5) - Skill at handling and caring for animals.
- (2) Riding (1-5) - Skill at riding animals such as equines and klongen.
- (2) Carpentry (1-5) - Skill at cutting, carving and shaping wood.
- (3) Leatherworking (1-5) - Skill at cutting, drying, tanning and working animal leathers.
- (3) Masonry (1-5) - Skill at cutting, carving and shaping stone.
- (3) Smithing (1-10) - Skill at working a variety of metals using ancient techniques.
Languages - Skill at learning and retaining knowledge of different languages.
- (Each point allows learning an additional language.)
Mechanics (1-5) - Skill at operating and repairing machinery; a critical skill in the industrial world.
- (1) Driving (1-10) - Skill at driving motor vehicles.
- (1) Lockpicking (1-5) - Skill at opening through locks of all kinds.
- (2) Sailing (1-10) - Skill at sailing boats.
- (2) Scavenging (1-5) - Skill at selecting and retrieving parts and loot from junk and ruins.
- (3) Piloting (1-10) - Skill at flying aircraft.
- +1 modifier to own Air Superiority when Dogfighting.
- (3) Machining (1-5) - Skill at shaping metal using modern industrial machinery.
Body Training (1-3) - Skill at employing one's body.
- (1) Brutality (1-10) - Skill at fighting using sheer strength.
- +1 modifier to STR-based melee skill checks.
- (1) Finesse (1-10) - Skill at fighting using speed and agility.
- +1 modifier to DEX-based melee skill checks.
- (2) Parrying (1-10) - Skill at brushing aside enemy attacks.
- -1 modifier to enemy melee skill checks.
- (2) Stealth (1-5) - Skill at passing by watchful eyes undetected.
- (3) Acrobatics (1-5) - Skill at moving with grace.
- +1 modifier to DEX saving throws.
- (3) Brawling (1-10) - Skill at unarmed combat.
- +1 d6 Damage Roll for unarmed attacks (add STR to the total).
- This includes butt stroking, pistol whipping, and any such attack with anything that isn't meant to be a melee weapon!
Mental Training (1-3) - Skill at employing one's mind.
- (1) Literacy (1) - The basic ability to read and write.
- (1) Speech - (1-10) - Skill at employing a silver tongue to persuade others.
- (1) Barter - (1-10) - Skill at gauging prices and striking the best deal.
- (2) Intimidation - (1-5) - Skill at striking fear into the minds of others.
- (2) Seduction (1-5) - Skill at sexually enticing others.
- (2) Investigation - (1-5) - Skill at piecing together puzzles to shed light on the truth.
- (3) Etiquette - (1-5) - Skill at navigating complex social circumstances across cultures and classes.
- (3) Tactics - (1-5) - Skill at employing a combat force to strike victory in the field.
- (3) Strategy - (1-5) - Skill at accomplishing one's objectives by thorough planning.
Weapons Training (1-3) - Skill at operating ranged weapons.
- (1) Small Guns (1-10) - Skill at operating lighter weapons, typically pistol calibre.
- +1 modifier to hit rolls with Bow 🏹, Handgun ⚡, Carbine ⚡ and Submachinegun ⚡.
- (1) Medium Guns (1-10) - Skill at operating two-handed long guns, typically intermediate or rifle calibre.
- +1 modifier to hit rolls with Musket ⚡, Shotgun ⚡, Bolt-Action Rifle ⚡, Assault Rifle ⚡ and Battle Rifle ⚡.
- (2) Big Guns (1-10) - Skill at operating very large guns, typically crew served. +1 modifier to hit rolls.
- +1 modifier to hit rolls with Anti-Materiel Rifle 🧿, Light Machinegun ⚡, Heavy Machinegun ⚡ and Autocannon ⚡.
- (2) Destructive Weapons (1-10) - Skill at operating guns that can more often than not kill the user.
- +1 modifier to hit rolls with Flamethrower 🔥, Anti-Tank Launcher 🚀, Energy Weapon 💡, Grenade Launcher 💣 and Grenade 💣.
- (3) Gunnery (1-10) - Skill at operating very large weapons systems.
- +1 modifier to hit rolls with Field Artillery 💥, Fire Support Weapon 💥, Anti-Tank Gun 💥, Mortar 💥, Naval Gun 💥, Tank Gun 💥 and Ordnance 💣.
Formal Sciences (1-5) - Knowledge of logic, mathematics and the theoretical world.
- (1) Electronics (1-3) - Familiarity with electronic devices.
- (1) Statistics (1-3) - Familiarity with data recollection, organisation and analysis.
- (3) Computer Science (1-3) - Familiarity with computer systems.
- (3) Game Theory (1-3) - Familiarity with strategic decision-making.
- (5) Cryptography (1-3) - Familiarity with the creation and breaking of secret codes.
- (5) Artificial Intelligence (1-3) - Familiarity with artificial neural networks.
Natural Sciences (1-5) - Knowledge of the real, perceivable world.
- (1) Geoscience (1-3) - Familiarity with the Earth, its composition, its phenomena and the flows of its systems.
- (1) Physics (1-3) - Familiarity with the laws that tie our reality together.
- (1) Biology (1-3) - Familiarity with the mysteries of life.
- (3) Chemistry (1-3) - Familiarity with the molecular building blocks of all that is.
- (3) Astronomy (1-3) - Familiarity with the wider cosmos.
- (3) Engineering (1-3) Familiarity with the design and construction of machinery and structures.
- (5) Nuclear Physics (1-3) - Familiarity with the primordial building block of nature, the atom.
- (5) Genetics (1-3) - Familiarity with the secret codes of nature.
Social Sciences (1-5) - Knowledge of the world built by men.
- (1) Anthropology (1-3) - Familiarity with the mankind's essence.
- (1) Psychology (1-3) - Familiarity with the human psyche.
- (1) Political Sciences (1-3) - Familiarity with the nature of power.
- (3) Economy (1-3) - Familiarity with the productive forces of men.
- (3) Finance (1-3) - Familiarity with the ebbs and flows of money.
- (5) Law (1-3) - Familiarity with the rules of society, particularly Oceanykan law.
- (5) Archaeology (1-3) - Familiarity with the ancient history of Oceanyka and the legacy of its people.
Humanities (1-5) - Knowledge of human culture borne from a critical approach.
- (1) Theology (1-3) - Familiarity with the study of the divine.
- (1) Oceanykan History (1-3) - Familiarity with Oceanyka's history and the lore of the land.
- (1) World History (1-3) - Familiarity with the history of mankind, geopolitical conflicts and global trends.
- (3) Visual Arts (1-3) - Familiarity with art made into static images; painting, sculpting and photography.
- (3) Performing Arts (1-3) - Familiarity with art borne from the moment; music, theatre and dance.
- (3) Literature (1-3) - Familiarity with the art of printing one's soul into written words.
- (5) Oratory (1-3) - Familiarity with the art of persuading the masses.
- (5) Philosophy (1-3) - Familiarity with the quest for the final truth.
Occultism (1-5) - Knowledge of a world veiled in shadows and uncertainty.
(This General Skill can only be obtained under very special circumstances.)
- (1) Psionic Insight (1) - Must be Psychic. Allows a natural Psychic to modify their own Psionic Engine.
- (1) Cryptozoology (1-3) - Familiarity with the creatures that lurk in the dark.
- (1) Secret History (1-3) - Familiarity with a version of history that has otherwise been erased from the books.
- (3) Psionic Theory (1-3) - Familiarity with the Dreamspace and psionic energy in general.
- (3) Oneirology (1-3) - Familiarity with Living Dreams, also known as an Eldritch Creature 👾 when in realspace.
- (3) Witch-Hunting (1-10) - Skill at employing special techniques to combat Psychics and Sorcerers.
- -1 modifier to enemy spell hit rolls and skill checks against this creature.
- (5) Ritualism (1-3) - Familiarity with the significance and power of rituals.
- (5) Symbol Drawing (1-3) - Familiarity with the drawing of symbols, runes and psionic circuitry.
- (5) Psionic Engineering (1) - Allows for the construction of an artificial Psionic Engine, becoming a Sorcerer.