Body Skills

Athletic

Acrobatics (DX/Hard)

Default: DX-6

A skill for performing gymnastic stunts, roll, and mitigate falling damage, etc. Every trick performed requires a separate roll with possibly different penalties. In some Dexterity rolls, you can replace your DX with Acrobatics if you want. You can roll acrobatics to reduce damage from a fall. If lying prone, you may make an Acrobatics roll to come to a standing position in one second, bypassing any kneeling, crawling, or sitting posture first. And finally, training in this skill allows you to attempt an Acrobatic Dodge. This skill is called Aerobatics for flight, and Aquabatics for swimming. (BS175)

Modified by: +1 for Perfect Balance

Breath Control (HT/Hard)

Defaults: None

This is the ability to breathe at maximum efficiency. A successful skill roll lets you increase the time you can hold your breath, for any reason, by 50%, or regain 1 FP in only two minutes (does not stack with magical FP regeneration). (BS182)

Climbing (DX/Average)

Default: DX-5

This is the ability to climb mountains, rock walls, trees, the sides off building, etc. For climbing speeds and other details, go here. (BS183)

Modified by: +3 for Flexibility, +5 for Double Jointed, +1 for Perfect Balance, a penalty equal to your encumbrance level.

Escape (DX/Hard)

Defaults: DX-6

This is the ability to slip out of ropes, handcuffs, and similar restraints. First attempt takes a minute, subsiquent attempts take 10 minutes a piece. (BS192)

Modified by: +3 for Flexibility, or +5 for Double-Jointed

Fast-Draw (DX-Easy)

Defaults: None

This skill lets you quickly draw a weapon from its holster, sheath, or hiding place. A successful roll means you ready the weapon or item instantly. This does not count as a combat maneuver. Your can use the weapon to attack on the same turn. On a failure, you ready your weapon normally but may do nothing else on your turn. A critical failur means you drop the weapon.

You must specialize by weapon type. Weapon types include Knife (for any short bladed weapons), Long Arm (for long firearms), Pistol (for...pistols), Sword (for any long bladed weapons), Two-Handed Weapon (any long weapon that requires two hands to use), Clubs (any one handed weapon that does not have a blade), or Ammo (for any arrows, bolts, pellets, bombs, or flasks). (BS194)

Hiking (HT/Average)

Default: HT-5

This skill represents training for endurance walking, hiking, and marching. A successful roll increases the distance travelled when going long distances by 20%. If the party is traveling together, all party members must make the Hiking roll in order to get the increased distance. (BS200)

Holdout (IQ/Average)

Defaults: IQ-5, Sleight of Hand-3

This is the skill of concealing items on your person or on other people (usually with their cooperation). An item's size (PIN THIS TO STRIKING AT WEAPONS TOPIC) and what you're wearing can help influence this roll. (BS200)

Jumping (DX/Easy)

Defaults: None

This skill represents trained jumping ability. When attempting a difficult jump, roll vs the higher of DX or Jumping skill. You may use half you Jumping skill (round down) instead of Basic Move when calculating jumping distance. (BS203) (Should there just be a MOVEMENT article?)

Knot-Tying (DX/Easy)

Defaults: DX-4, Climbing-4

This is the ability to tie a wide variety of knots quickly and efficiently. If you bind someone using this skill, they must win a Quick Contest between your their Escape vs your Knot-Tying skill to free themself. (BS203)

Modified by: +1 per level of High Manual Dexterity, -3 per level of Ham-Fisted

Lockpicking (IQ/Average)

Default: IQ-5

This is the ability to open locks without the key or combination. Each attempt requires one minute. If you make the roll and open the lock, each point by which you succeeded shaves five seconds off the required time. Note, if the lock has a trap or alame attached, you must make a separate Traps roll to circumvent it. (BS206)

Modified by: Equipment Modifiers, -5 if working by touch (like in total darkness), this should be a DX-based skill for some more particularly delicate locks

Mimicry (IQ/Hard)

Defaults: IQ-6, Naturalist-6

This is the ability to imitate voices. Voice gives you a +2 to skill. You must specialize between Animal Sounds and Bird Calls.

Animal Sounds lets you emulate the call of any animal you're familiar with. This skill can be used to attract animals of type mimicked or the predators that normally hunt those animals. To fool people, you must win a Quick Contest between your Mimicry vs the listener's Naturalist-3 or Perception-6

Bird Calls allows you to reproduce the whistles, chirps and other sounds made by birds. Otherwise, this works the same as Animal Sounds. (BS210)

Mount (DX/Average)

Default: DX-5

This is the trained ability to serve as a mount for a rider. If your Mount skill exceeds your rider's Rider level, they may use the average of the two skills (rounded up) whenever they must make a Riding roll. To throw an unwelcome rider, win a Quick Contest of your Mount skill vs their Riding skill. (BS210)

Riding (DX/Average)

Defaults: DX-5 of Animal Handling (same)-3

This is the ability to ride a particular kind of mount. Make a skill roll when you first try to mount a riding animal, and again each time something happens to frighten or challenge the creature (like a jump).

You must specialize by creature and defaults between species are the same as the defaults listed in Animal Handling. (BS217)

Modified by: +5 if the animal knows and likes you, +1 or more for a mount with the Mount skill, -10 if the animal has not been trained for riding

Running (HT/Average)

Default: HT-5

This skill represents training in both sprints and long-distance running. Roll against the higher of Running or HT to avoid fatigue or injury due to running. When racing someone of equal Move on foot, roll a Quick Contest of Running skills to determine the winner. (BS218)

Shadowing (IQ/Average)

Defaults: IQ-5, Observation-5, Stealth-4 (on foot only)

This is the ability to follow another person through a crowd without being noticed. Roll a Quick Contest every 10 minutes of your Shadowing vs the subject's Vision roll. If you lose, you lost the subject. If you lost by more than 5, you were seen.

Once the subject is aware you are shadowing them, roll a Quick Contest every 5 minutes. Your Shadowing skill vs their Shadowing or Stealth skill. If they win, they elude you. If they lose by more than 5, they think they eluded you. If you critically fail, you lose him and follow the wrong person. (BS219)

Modified by: -3 if the subject know you, a penalty applied for distinctive appearance, -3 if you aren't a common race in the crowd, -your Size modifier difference between you and the crowd.

Sleight of Hand (DX/Hard)

Default: None

This is the ability to "palm" small objects, do coin and card tricks, pick pockets, etc. Roll against this skill to do a simple bit of stage magic. A failed roll means you blew the trick. When you use this to steal, you must win a Quick Contest of Sleight of Hand vs the Vision roll or Observation skill of potential witnesses to perform the theft unnoticed.

To use this skill to pick somebodies pocket, you must win a Quick Contest of your Sleight of Hand vs the higher of their Perception or Streetwise skill. (BS221)

Modified by: +3 against any Vision rolls in dim light, +4 if you have a confederate to distract attention, +10 to picking pockets if the target is asleep or drunk, -5 if the target is in an inner pocket, and up to -10 for any ring or similar jewelry, add any levels of High Manual Dexterity or Ham-Fisted.

Stealth (DX/Average)

Defaults: DX-5 or IQ-5

This is the ability to hide and to move silently. A successful roll lets you conceal yourself anywhere except in a totally bare room, or move so quietly that nobody will hear you, or follow someone without being noticed (see Shadowing if you want to do this through a crowd).

If someone is specifically on the alert for intruders, the GM will roll a Quick Contest between your Stealth and the sentinel's Perception or Observation. (BS222)

Modified by: a penalty equal to your encumbrance level. -5 to hide in an area without "natural" hiding places, +3 or more if there are many hiding places, -5 to move silently if you are moving faster than Move 1, -5 to fool those with Discriminatory Smell

Swimming (HT/Easy)

Default: HT-4

This is the skill of swimming (whether on purpose or to keep afloat in emergencies) and lifesaving. Roll against the higher or Swimming or HT to avoid fatigue while swimming or injury due to aquatic misfortunes.(BS224)

Throwing (DX/Average

Default: DX-3 or Dropping-4

This lets you throw any small, reletively smooth object that fits in the palm of your hand. If your Throwing is at DX+1 add +1 to ST when figuring distance (not damage). Add +2 to ST for Throwing at DX+2 or better.