Skills are used primarily for non-combat rolls, but there are situations you may use a Skill roll in combat in order to accomplish something a typical combat move won’t allow.
Each Skill is associated with one of the fundamental Stats: BODY, MIND, or WILL.
Your GM may call for a skill roll whenever they deem it appropriate – you don’t need to roll unless you’re told to. Typically, if you’re versed in a skill and have the time, you can accomplish what you wish without a roll.
NOTE: When you make a SKILL roll, you will use one of your fundamental stats along with the relevant SKILL. You’ll never make a SKILL roll that doesn’t use a fundamental stat.
A Skill roll will most often use the Stat associated with that Skill, but there might be exceptions. For instance, BODY + ARTS in order to imitate a dance someone shows you.
Skills also don’t have to be used against living or sentient targets – the environment can be your target…mostly. You can use BODY + STAMINA to move a boulder blocking the path, but you probably can’t COERCE a blizzard into going a different way.
You roll as many dice for a Skill roll as you have in the appropriate Stat + Skill (plus any modifiers). If you have 2 WILL and 1 PERFORM, you would roll 3 dice whenever a PERFORM roll is called for.
IMPROVING SKILLS
Every point you invest in a fundamental stat gives you two points to spend on that stat’s skills. However many points you invest in a Skill determines how many dice you add to your Skill roll.
EXAMPLE
You have 3 BODY. This gives you six points to invest in Body skills. If you put 2 of those points in Stealth, you would roll 5 dice on a Stealth skill roll (3 Body dice + 2 Stealth dice).
You cannot put more points into a Skill than you have in that fundamental Stat – it represents the limit of your capabilities in that Stat. So if you have 3 Body and 2 Stealth, you could invest one more point into Stealth…but then no more until you raise Body. This is the only limit on the points you can put into your Skills. Some powers, origins, or other factors may remove this limitation.
BODY
Stamina – tough, can keep going at a physical activity for a long time, or at least know how to pace yourself. Stamina has no combat impact (that would be DEFENSE), but there are a lot of things we encounter that require us to demand more of our body or put up with grueling conditions.
Move – increase move speed. You can move one additional space per point invested in Move when you MOVE.
Dexterity – fine control tasks, including surgery. Grab something without being noticed. Dance on a high wire.
Sneak – get somewhere quietly, put something where it doesn’t belong or take it
Sense – unncover information about the physical world and beings around you
MIND
Research – figure shit out
Observe – uncover information about the way beings are acting around you
Arts – create something
Connect – charm or develop a relationship with another being
Resist – they can’t touch your beautiful mind! You can’t be convinced away from what you know is the truth!
WILL
Endure – this will pass, you won’t break, you will maintain who you are
Instinct – uncover information about Anomalies
Perform – lie, hide your feelings, be other than what you are
Coerce – get your way no matter the cost, no matter the method
Rewrite – Reality is mutable. Yours will win.