Streetwise

General Skill (Cunning)

Life on the galaxy's fringe - and in the less savoury portions of the Core Worlds - is filled with treachery. A stranger can seldom be trusted, and a friend might turn traitor for the right compensation. Those who manage to survive in such an environment soon learn to recognize the warning signs that come with danger as well as those that might signal an opportunity. Knowing where to go for help when times are hard can be just as important as knowing how to avoid an unwinnable confrontation.
The Streetwise skill represents the instinctive understanding that comes from a lifetime of such experiences. While a few manage to learn the signs and develop a gut instinct through careful study and association with those who have lived this hard life, most come about this information through the school of hard knocks. If a character expects to thrive within the complex network of the criminal underworld, they must learn to speak its language and recognize the roles of those involved.

• If a character is looking for a merchant who specializes in unsavoury goods or illicit services, such a merchant may be located through a Streetwise check.
• Streetwise represents a character's instinct for how to pick up on subtle cues from the language and attitudes of those who operate outside of legal structures. It may be used to understand subtle references within conversations.
• When dealing with criminals or underworld elements, knowing how to approach them and open a conversation without coming across as a threat uses Streetwise.

Generally, Knowledge (Underworld) governs specific information and facts involving criminals and underworld elements. Streetwise governs how to use that information effectively, and how to operate in any criminal environment. Extra on a Streetwise check may be used to reduce the time or funds required to obtain the item, service, or information sought.
may reveal additional rumours or alternative sources that can be used to find something. may be spent to earn the character a semi-permanent contact on the street, someone to whom the character may turn for information regularly with a reasonable assurance of trust.
The GM may spend generated during a Streetwise check to seed the gathered information with minor falsehoods, representing the ever-changing nature of information passed by word of mouth on the street. may be spent to represent a character letting slip details about themselves or the information they seek - information that may be picked up by an adversary.

Visit the General Skills page for details on General Skills, or the main Skills page for a table of all skills.