Question of Skills and DMs

[Galahad68]

this is going to sound like a very basic question...but the book states that Skill level 0 give you no -DMs, while not having a skill gives the character a -3 to a roll.

Further, a character that chooses a level on some skills must choose it for a specialty. Any rolls with the specialty gives the character a bonus equal to the level + what ever Stat DM that applies, but only for that specialty. Anything else rolled for is as if the skill is at level 0.

Now, my question is...a skill at level 0, do you get to add the DM for the applicable Stat?

 

[TrippyHippy]

The applicable Stat bonuses/penalties always apply.

Skill 0 indicates that you may make skill check, without the normal unskilled -3 penalty, although there are no other bonuses gained.

Skills with specialities have a level 0 transfer onto other specialities within the broad skills umbrella, but the full value of the skill level is reserved for just that speciality selected.

 

[Emperor Herdan]

What he said so elegantly (points upward)

Take Care

E.Herdan

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

Along a similiar line of thought:

When a character gets a skill that has specialisms, am I right in thinking that the player chooses the speciality straight off (like we did with the old late-CT/MT cascade skills)? To clarify:

A player rolls Enginerring skill during chargen (he's never rolled this skill before during chargen).

So does that skill count as Engingeering 0? Or Enginerring 1? Or does the player have to specify the specialism straight off i.e. Enginerring (Electronics) 0? Or shold that be Engineering (Electronics) 1?

Hope you can help,

A mildly confused CT/MT grog Hiver

 

[Shiloh]

Along a similiar line of thought:

When a character gets a skill that has specialisms, am I right in thinking that the player chooses the speciality straight off (like we did with the old late-CT/MT cascade skills)? To clarify:

A player rolls Enginerring skill during chargen (he's never rolled this skill before during chargen).

So does that skill count as Engingeering 0? Or Enginerring 1? Or does the player have to specify the specialism straight off i.e. Enginerring (Electronics) 0? Or shold that be Engineering (Electronics) 1?

Hope you can help,

A mildly confused CT/MT grog Hiver

I think the first time a skill gets rolled as part of a career, it grants *level 1* in that skill, and a specialisation needs to be picked. If you're getting the Basic Training skills, or background skills, they are at level zero and you don't need to have a specialisation.

 

[ZobMan]

Along similar lines I have a question. I know you can have a 'stat test', such as rolling and adding your endurance DM to hold your breath, with no skill DM added. But when rolling a skill-based check, do you always add an appropriate stat? In the example given under the skills section there always seems to be a stat associated as in:

Trade Skill - speciality biologicals
Successfully growing a pumpkin: 1-6 months, Intelligence, Routine (+2)

Terrible example I know. However, in many other places, the rules seem to just call for a 'difficult pilot (grav) check' , or 'average sensors check'. Is it unspoken that an appropriate stat DM will be applied? I ask mainly because assuming positive DMs for players' key stats, the rolls will be significantly more difficult if only the skill DM is used.

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

OK, I think I've finally got my head round this skills thing:

DMs and SKILLS
No skill = -3 DM
Level 0 = +0 DM
Level 1+ = + skill level DM

LEVEL 0 SKILLS
Skills that give only Level 0 skill level are shown in the chargen tables as the skill name followed by a zero e.g. Admin 0.
Acquiring a skill at Level 0 more than once does not increase skill level:

Admin 0 + Admin 0 = Admin 0
Admin 0 + Admin 0 + Admin 0 = Admin 0
etc etc.

MOVING FROM LEVEL 0 SKILL TO SKILL LEVEL 1 OR HIGHER

SKILLS WITHOUT SPECIALISMS
To go from Level 0 to Level 1 in a skill your character needs to acquire the skill as a non-Level 0 skill.
Skills that give an increase in skill level are shown in the chargen tables by just the skill name without a number following e.g. Admin.
Each acquisition of a non-Level 0 skill increase the skill level by 1.

Example: A character with Admin 0 needs to gain Admin from the CharGen tables to go from Admin 0 to Admin 1.
Further acqusitions of Admin skill increase the character's skill level by one e.g.

Admin 0 + Admin = Admin 1
Admin 1 + Admin = Admin 2
Admin 2 + Admin = Admin 3
etc etc

SKILLS WITH SKILL SPECIALISMS
Skills with specialisms can be chosen when the character's skill achieves Level 1:

Enginerring 0 = no specialism.
At Level 0 all skill checks for all spcialisms within the skill are made with +0 DM.

Engineering 1 = player chooses a skill specialism from those available within the skill e.g. Engineering (Electronics) 1.

At Level 1 all skill checks for the chosen spcialism within the skill are made with +1 DM.
Skill checks for other (unchosen) specialisms within the skill are made at +0.

If the character has a Level 1 specialism skill, on the next acqusition of the skill the player has a choice:

a) Increase the level of the current skill specialism e.g. Engineering (Electronics) 1 becomes Engineering (Electronics) 2.
Skill checks using the chosen skill specialism are made at the current skill specialism level e.g. Enginerring (Electronics) 2 gives +2 DM to skill checks.
Skill checks using the (unshcosen) specialisms within the skill are made at +0;

b) Choose another speciliasm within the skill.
Example: A character that already has Engineering (Electronics) 1 that gains another level of Engineering skill can use the new skill level to gain:
Engineering (M-Drive) 1
or
Engineering (J-Drive) 1
or
Engineering (Life Support) 1
or
Engineering (Power) 1.

...I think that's right, anyway.... :shock:

 

[Jame Rowe]

Trade Skill - speciality biologicals
Successfully growing a pumpkin: 1-6 months, Intelligence, Routine (+2)

Personally, I would call that a "Trade Skill Specialty: Farming" roll myself.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Gruffty, you have it right, with one exception.

Jack of All Trades.

The rules specifically state that JOT starts at Level 0 with your first awarded level and then goes up to 1 then 2 then 3. JOT 0 and JOT 4+ are worthless, since JOT is used as a + DM against the unskilled roll.

See the TMB page 55 and 56.

 

[Gruffty the Hiver]

Gruffty, you have it right, with one exception.

Jack of All Trades.

The rules specifically state that JOT starts at Level 0 with your first awarded level and then goes up to 1 then 2 then 3. JOT 0 and JOT 4+ are worthless, since JOT is used as a + DM against the unskilled roll.

See the TMB page 55 and 56.

Ah yes, Grasshopper

 

[Shiloh]

Gruffty, you have it right, with one exception.

and one omission/over-specificity, for completeness sake...

There are also some Level-1 skills on offer, from rank skill, mostly, IIRC.

These, like Level-0 skills are non-cumulative.

The first of a specific skill is another way for a skill to go from 0 or unskilled to level 1, and its associated need for choosing a specialisation.

Subsequent "level-1" skills don't increase the rank of any existing skill, but can provide level 1 in a new specialisation.

So if a char has Admin 1 (or higher) and gets Admin 1 as a result of a rank skill, there's no change. But if they had Gun Combat (Slug throwers) 1 (or higher), gaining "Cun Combat 1" as a rank skill could let them add "Gun Combat (energy Weapons) 1"