Talent: Alertness

This talent specifically describes how attuned your character is to watching their natural surroundings. Things that can be seen, heard, touched, smelled, or tasted can all fall under the range of this talent as long as they are "natural" (i.e. not supernatural, magical, or spiritual). Alertness is used frequently in combat situations for determining initiative. When an action scene begins, players should roll Wits + Alertness [Difficulty = 6] to determine who gets to go first. During rounds 2-5 of a combat scene, sizing up the battlefield and responding to the tides of conflict is more important than simple reflexes so the roll shifts to Perception + Alertness [Difficulty = 6] to determine who goes first.

Ability Level:

0	Abysmal: You frequently miss the big picture and subtle nuances usually take you totally by surprise.
1	Novice: You are alert to the sensory data around you, and you tend to notice when big things are happening.
2	Practiced: You are decent at eavesdropping, and you learn quickly whom to keep an eye on.
3	Competent: You pick up on subtlety well, and you frequently notice even slight changes to your environment.
4	Expert: Very little gets past your vigilance, even when you are distracted or preoccupied.
5	Master: You are forever watching your back and few natural occurrences can take you by surprise. You are usually first to respond to anything.

Possessed by:

Bodyguards, Hunters, Thieves, Spacers, Wild Animals, Technologists, Security Personnel, Professionals, The Paranoid.

Sample Specialties:

Ambush Detection, Paranoia, Traps, Scents, Combat Reflexes. etc.
Players may choose a specialty at level 4 and another specialty at level 5.