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Guide to Skills

Blue is a Must Have,
Green is a useful and has a place,
Orange is extremely situational
Red has no real use.

As with all skills there are those times when circumstances are "unique" and suddenly the skill equivalent of the "Wave of Frost" (6) spell or the Water Warlock's "Color Water" (2) could actually be used to advance the story or win an encounter without fighting. IF you want to play that way with longshot skills you may never use then that's how you play. You do you. It is just that IF the GM or player does not recognize the skills usefullness in game, well taste that flavor.

Communication Skills
Tech centered but a part of any civilization that want to be advanced in tech or magic.

Ad-Lib :

Barter: Limited to adventurers but could be good for some $ or places where credits are not worth anything.

Creative Writing. : Flavor skill. Few are literate on Rifts Earth.
Cryptography: IF you interpret this like it is solving riddles like Batman it is good. To use it with notes and radio messages would require a lot of messages to decipher the pattern.

Electronic Countermeasures: Use Tech to block other people tech. Sounds good when you can cut off a CS patrols ability to radio for help. Also, if you can send fake message about their location, search results, etc. Would allow a party to eliminate a CS patrol without alerting their command. Then they could send a fake message to CS command asking for help/reinforcements to a place that is an ambush. That or let's the party impersonate the CS patrol. Also, may have the potential to determine the location of the CS patrol based on their radio communications. Really depends on how your GM runs the game and allows.

Language: Native Tongue & Language: Other: The only reason for having a % for this is to speak in such a way to camouflage what they are saying or to sound smart by using exotic words.

Laser : In theory, a great long distance communication and data transfer method. Never seen it used in game. I think it requires satelites or at least some vehicle up in the air to bounce lasers off of to someone else with high tech laser comms.

Literacy: Native Tongue & Literacy: Other: Incredibly useful if you have a great spell on a scroll you want to cast. Situationally you can read stories to illerate peasants to entertain them and they might be less likely to snitch on you for a reward.

Optic Systems : Not sure I ever understood this skill. Do you need it to use bionoculars and night vision googles? I figured night vision was a switch and see unlike a rifle that takes some skill to shot the bullseye of a paper target down-range. Best guess, if you "Optics" gets damage the skill lets you repair them. Update - Someone pointed out optic systems applies to scopes on rifles and maintaining them and using them quickly and correctly. So important if you are a sniper or spotter. I'd think the same about spying on others using electronic optic systems (not TW) to inturpret the infrared or whatever images one is looking at. Tech dependent.

Performance : I guess you could entertain othes for money or a distraction. Good for a skill buff to "Undercover Ops" and "impersonation"

Public Speaking : Story skill. In game, if persuasion is needed most players roll with M.A. (Mental Affinity). Just so a thing from someone about Rifter #19. Includes the option to reward players who pick this skill with a +1 bonus to M.A. Makes sense to me and I agree. Consult your GM before adding. IF you increase you M.A. it is more valuable as a skill if you play to its strength.

Radio: Basic: Hard to beat given its range and battery life. I interpret it to also encompass morse code which could be useful in special situations.

Sensory Equipment : For doctors looking at monitors, along with security guards, and interogators watching lie detecter machines. Possible a tech watching a radar screen or such.
Update: This can be a tremendously useful skill for surveillance, searching, and detecting threats. Ever watch the movie Aliens, where they have scanning equipment to locate life forms and such? You can do that stuff in Rifts. The Portable Scan Dihilator on p264 of RUE can identify, locate the source, and record with radar, sonar, heat, infrared, UV, microwave and "energy sensitive instruments." Seriously, I don't know why I don't see people using that gizmo and this skill all the time. If I was in charge of a military in Rifts I'd put one in every infantry platoon; hell, I might even put one in every squad. Fail a tracking skill roll? Try the scanner.

Sign Language : Great potential for two agents to secretly communicate with one another

Sing : Soothe some nerves and score a free drink on open mic night.

Social Etiquette :

Surveillance : Great in theory but tech dependent unless you are just tailing someone. I also, recognize this as players having the knowledge of how they may be overheard and watch tech wise. So they have better perception rolls on detecting when somebody is using surveillance on them and finding cameras and listening devices.

T.V./Video : Great for replaying for yourself and others. See is believing.

Cowboy Skills

Branding : Flavor / Profession skill.

Breaking/Taming Wild Horse : You know that day your lost your ride. So your walking and you come along some wild horses. You think free ride if I can catch and brake one. How often does that happen?

Herding Cattle : Flavor / Profession skill

Horsemanship : Cowboy : minor buff to initiative and parry/dodge while on horseback.

Horsemanship: Exotic Animals : Thank Hotrod! BUT highly dependent on actually having an exotic animal to ride and what it is.

Lore: American Indians : Unless you are dealing with Native Americans this is a story skill.

Lore: Cattle & Animals : What they eat, where they live in the wild, means of defense, the value of their meat, fur, hides and horns. So Great if you are a Necromancer or Wilderness Scout. Story wise, helpful if you are living in the wild or crossing the wild on foot. Overlaps well with hunting and track and trap animals. Great when it comes to taking care of your horse or other animal you ride.

Roping : Potential to capture a target

Trick Riding : Flavor skill for showing off, like at a rodeo.

W.P. Rope : Potential to capture a target

Domestic Skills

Brewing : Flavor skill. Also skill buff for Holestic Medicine

Cook : Flavor skill but very practical.

Dance : Flavor skill. Can use to make $
Rifter #19. Includes the option to reward players who pick this skill with a +1 bonus, WHILE DANCING (you HAVE to dance) and immediately afterwards, to M.A. Consult your GM before adding.

Fishing : In theory, a good survival skill and way to make a living selling fish.

Gardening : Flavor / profession skill. Maybe work on a farm. Update: Handy if you're into mystic herbology, holistic medicine, or the making/use of toxins/poisons. Granted, you either need your own place or else some kind of hydroponic mobile greenhouse, but building up a stock of ingredients is critically important for those classes, and being able to grow your own can be quite helpful.

Housekeeping : Read somewhere, not only can you be a janitor / hotel work but it is also good for sanitizing where you have been. Cleaning up your tracks, fingerprints, DNA, etc. Guessing it is good against the skill Crime Scene Investigation, Detect Concealment, and Forensics. Might even help you find surveillance devices.
Update: Credit to Grazzik:
* Notice when things are out of place
* Know good places to hide people or cache items
* Recognize dangerous combinations of cleaning products
* Know how to effectively Wipe down fingerprints / remove stains on fabric or carpets

Play Musical Instrument : Flavor skill. Minor potential to earn $.
Rifter #19. Includes the option to reward players who pick this skill with a +1 bonus to M.E. Makes sense to me and I agree. Consult your GM before adding. Increase this skill color by one if you character is empowered by this M.E.

Recycle : be a vulter of the battlefield and make some coin.

Sewing/Tailoring : Make your own clothes. Repair clothes. Make clothes for impersonation or just stitch in a listening device into someones clothes to spy on them or the areas they go.

Sing : Flavor skill. see communication skill.

Wardrobe & Grooming : Buff skill

Electrical Skills

Basic Electronics: Useful if you want to hotwire a car or such. Also, a prerequiste for a few other skills.

Computer Repair : You never use it. Update. IF no operator is around or they are too busy, you can advertize yourself and have a High M.A. or are known to be a goodie two shoes then strangers will let you "fix" their computer. Totally tech dependent.

Electrical Engineer: In theory, it should help disabling alarms and security systems.

Electricity Generation : Story flavor. Basically your character will never build or repair a generator and if they tried to they would NEED parts. Psychics could try to cheat this with Telemechanics.

Robot Electronics : IF you have a power armor/robot and a workshop to do your own repairs you might use this. Story wise there are speciallist who can do this for you.

Espionage Skills

Binding : The art/science of tying someone up so that they would have a REALLY hard time escaping the knots you tied. So few people take prisoners and those who do use cuffs or something. I see this as an almost Batman villain skill to tie up a hostage for him to rescue before bomb goes off or something.

Detect Ambush: Like a skill substitute for Sixth Sense when actively used but without the bonuses. Look for where you can be ambushed and expect it and you won't be surprised.

Detect Concealment: Great for searching for things and people hiding.

Disguise : Like prowl only in plain sight. Camo when you want to blend into a crowd. How to look like you belong or at least that you are not what you are but what you dress yourself to be. Basically only good outside of combat. In another way, a step or two down from invisibility. Walk in a bathroom, walk out in different shoes, clothes and hat. Put on Dead Boy armor and make your way through a CS camp.

Escape Artist: Too many player feel capture = death. So, they fight to the death. At worst the gamers I have played with fought to the death and best they ran away. Talking with some, they could only imagine "being taken alive" IF they had total control. Guard was under they mind control. They had MD weapons concealed on them. They have supernatural strength and the cuffs or bars are SDC. I guess it feels terrible to be compliant or lickspittle until the guard needs to use the bathroom and you can escape the cuffs and do some kung fu on them, swap uniforms or something to conceal you exit. I don't know how to get players to want to play anyone other than Darth Vader or Superman (Baby-Dragon)

Forgery : Never seen it used. Other players tell me $ skill.

Impersonation: No body use it. Update. For those one player games with people who want to James Bond 007 an adventure this can be fun.

Intelligence : Update: Credit to Grassik. Can be applied not just in a military context, but also in terms of figuring out the players in an urban landscape (like streetwise, but not as comprehensive), simply gathering info on a threat or opponent, and doing basic threat-risk analysis such as will those Simvan spotted earlier double-back and rustle the herd tonight? What do I know about this dude and where he might go?

Interrogation : Most games players intimidate / torture or no one is left alive to interrogate or they don't care to ask questions just beat and blast.
Update: In theory, this skill includes asking the right questions, trick questions, and elementary lie detection based on face-reading, tone of voice, and spotting inconsistencies in a person's answers.

Observation (Espionage/Secondary) : Pick out details from the general information, and to correlate those details in the spur of the moment. Play Sherlok Holmes.
If an O.C.C. Skill, +5% to Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment, Tracking, Trap/Mine Detection, Find Contraband, Photography, and Track Animals.

Pick Locks : Most break the lock or door down. For 007 finesse games and cat burglar thiefs to get in and out without anyone hearing or knowing until after you are gone.

Pick Pockets: Everyone is too afraid of failing and getting caught. Update: At low skill levels, yeah, no-one uses it. If it gets high enough to where it's a viable option, it's handy. That doesn't make it useless; it's just more of a high-level tool.

Psychological Fortification :

Sniper: Take as a Related OCC pick at higher level.

Tracking: Humans & Robots : Situationally useful.

Undercover Ops: Like Prowl only in plain sight. I suppose as disguise can camo your appearance, this skill helps you to bluff your words and behavior to send false vibes/signals that you are one of them or at least not an enemy or spy (one of them, an innocent bystander, etc.). I guess it is really an Acting skill.

Wilderness Survival: Short term living off the land to include getting water, food, shelter and I assume some of the basics of avoiding, preventing, dealing with hazards of the environment such as wildlife (snake, spiders, etc), deydration/heat-stroke, bad water, bad weather, poison ivy, etc.

Horsemanship Skills

Horsemanship: General
Horsemanship: Cowboy
Horsemanship: Cossack
Horsemanship: Cyber-Knight
Horsemanship: Equestrian
Horsemanship: Exotic Animals: Thanks to Hotrod's insight. This is a good skill IF you can actually have a good steed and not lose them.

Mechanical Skills

Aircraft Mechanics : Important if you want to repair your skycycle
Automotive Mechanics : In theory, useful to maintain your car but never used. Update: Useful as money-maker

Basic Mechanics : Flavor Skill. Update: Useful as money-maker.

Bioware Mechanics : Profession skill. Other poster claims this skill is big when it comes to repairing bionics/cybernetics. Two issues I'd have with it are: One how does one make up or parts? Unless it is just accepted as a "thing" like healing and that the character can fix things "because" players are dependent on parts they have to steal or pay for. Two it takes time to repair unless it is a thing that the player can "just" repair it. IF the player/GM can get behind the you have the skill you repair it camp the skill is BLUE and indispensible for those bionic types like Manhunters and such.

Locksmith : Profession skill with good potnential for a heist story

Mechanical Engineer : In theory, in game adventuring this is used to sabotage without explosives. In a broad sense, one with this skill could do a lot more. This includes design and construction of machines (vehicles, fire-arms, bionics, body-armor, ships/boats, wagons, weapons). ALL of which take time, materials, tools, and the right working conditions to repair or complete their contruction. Game-wise most players will blast something with an energy weapon. Second option is demolitions. Sabotage is about finesse or at least working without the advantage of explosives and such. So an undercover saboteur could disable a robot, vehicle, power armor, generator, bionics, etc. while appearing to repair or service it. Of course, such sabotage may not result in an explosion just that it won't start or if it does it may "stale" soon afterwards.
So it is a situational skill akin to being a medical doctor or saboteur of machines which almost never happens during an adventure but works as a profession/career.

Robot Mechanics: Same as robot electronics

Vehicle Armourer : Profession Skill. Does have some nice bonuses. Basic Mechanics and can operate military vehicles and trucks at the base skill for that vehicle type. Update: If your party has a "party wagon" vehicle, this skill should be blue, as it will help the group's mobile base survive fights.

Weapons Engineer : Ability to service, repair, weapons. Is an expert welder. Every merc outfit needs someone with this skill. Profession and story wise it is great. Using it in game, well, it does have a +1 to stike

Medical Skills

Animal Husbandry : On its own, not so important. It's importance is in caring for your horse or mount.

Brewing: Medicinal : See Brewing Domestic

Crime Scene Investigation : Potential to learn clues

Cybernetic Medicine : Story flavor. Players never use. Update: Under a rare set of circumstances with GM's and Players cooperation, a character can be saved after taking MD damage beyond their ability to survive thanks to cybernetic medicine. How the adventure works out in terms of how long it takes for the player rejoin the adventure after surgery is left up to the GM.

Dentistry : Should be great for profession. Can id people from dental records. Should be good for taking teeth out (gold fillings) with the least amount of damage. Install tracking device in a persons teeth. Poison tooth like in the film Dune. Recognize when someone has had dental work. Specialized CSI in comparing bite marks on predators victims. Still it is ALL very specialized
Update: Credit to Grazzik:
* Again... vampires and analysis of bite marks.
* However, dentistry could also be about providing basic healthcare/wound dressing.
* In the old days, if there were no doctors around, you'd go to the barber who often doubled as a dentist.
* The ability to carve or make replicas of small items made of wood, ivory, clay, etc. might come in handy for things other than dentures.
* Dentistry could also give some knowledge of pain medication.
* Dentistry might also come in handy when dealing with working with gold, silver or mercury compounds.

Entomological Medicine: Unless you create a new insecct D-Bee its only good for Xiticix. Story element for keep one of them alive in a lab for a test or something.

Field Surgery : When there is no GI Joe rule or avoiding MD damage over what the character can survive. You can save the character. Then they can get a limb replaced (bionics or other magical replacement). IF the player like the character enough to play them again; modified.

First Aid : Better to have it and not need it.

Forensics : Along with CSI, this skill helps you collect evidence and clues.

Hollistic Medicine : Better than first aid.

Juicer Technology : So I guess this is for when you want to convert someone to a juicer or detox them or salvage / repair a juicer harness. In theory, people with this skill may be able to disable a juicers harness if they have time and can do it quickly and subtle (perhaps with pick pockets or psionic powers. As a perk for this skill, I'd grant a bonus for a successful roll if the player used this skill regularly with a juicer patient to fine tune them on a daily. The juicer patient might get their last call postponed by the percent of this skill for fine tuning 300+ days a year. I'd also say they can help them get and stay asleep. Speed up their healing via the harness. Not every GM may feel this way but I would reward the Juicer if the skill is correctly performed on them almost every day. Bonuses for Detox

Medical Doctor : In theory, great. Problem is the time it takes for to heal. Great for $

Mortuary : WB 30, pg 160. It's under the RCC skills list of the Posluznik. Most adventure parties blow away people and move on. I supposed being able to perform mortuary services in preparing the bodies for a funeral, wake, and such could have a lot of STORY potential. Traveling Mortician? Opportunities for Necromancers, Smugglers, escapes from prison and such. A lot of potential for a licenced Mortician. IRL death is a booming business and funeral homes are profitable.
Update: Credit to Grazzik
* Okay, maybe relevant when on an adventure involving mummies, zombies or vampires. Is that corpse really dead?
* Working with dead bodies to preserve parts, perhaps for transport, as in proof for bounty.
* Preparing dead people/animals to look life-like either for presentation to fool or distract others.
* Disposing of bodies... in ways that can't be traced.

Paramedic : Better than first aid

Pathology : Players never use. Profession / Story skill

Psychology : Should have great potential for curing insanities, hypnotizing people, profiling people to determine alignment, detect lying, figure out a persons fears, motivations and plant suggestions into a persons mind. That is some real next level Anthony Hopkins "Silence of the Lambs" Dr. Hannibal Lecter ability. At least someone would finally get and use this skill, maybe.

Sea Holistic Medicine : Holistic Medicine is good. This is for when you are out to sea. That's about how good this skill is.

Veterinary Science : Flavor / Profession skill. Update: I'm told, In Real Life, this is a big $. Feedback is telling that people play the game a lot different than run and gun.

Military Skills

Camouflage : Not many of the characters like to hide but thanks to Hotrods insights hiding can be great when you are a sniper or setting a trap or just want to hide something.

Demolitions : The potential of this skill is literally explosive.

Demolitions Disposal : Potential to salvage and use explosives or sell them.

Demolitions: Underwater : When do people have underwater adventures?

Desensitization (Military and Secondary) : Situational. About as useful as the frequency of having to make saving throws vs Horror Factor. You watch so many horror movies and seen so many dead bodies nothing scares you. +1 vs Horror Factor at levels 1, 4, 7, 10 and 13. If O.C.C. Skill, also gets bonuses from M.E. against Horror Factor

Field Armourer & Munitions : Profession skill. IF Weapons Engineer is a Medical Doctor this skill is paramedic and basic mechanics is first aid. Update - This skill can repair MD to armor - up to 30. For those with MD armor this is worth it. Not sure if W.P. means you can maintain and basic repair the weapon. I guess it all depends on your GM and how they maintenance and damage. I figure this is like Military Etiquette. All military people have at least a little of it but not necessarily enough to be an honor guard. Figure all Man-at-Arms know just enough to take care of their own armor weapons, and issued gear unless it is damaged.

Find Contraband : So many characters loot. Trading or paying for illegal goods/serivces is not something they are enthusiastic about.

Forced March : Attribute skill

Leadership : M.A. Buff

Military Etiquette : Flavor skill. Could be useful for disguise

Military Fortification : Takes forethought. Players enjoy more of the run and gun. I have great respect for those planners who took down my monsters with a trap / ambush. Superior cover when fighting directly and against tech like the CS. Those who use it wisely should have the advantage in defense and surprise in offense. I guess it works Armor Rating, like with cyber-knight armor, if you have a fox-hole or trench, maybe the AR is adjusted by level and skill roll. I'd highly reward the player character with high MD protection.

Naval History
Naval Tactics

NBC Warfare : Most games these kinds of attacks don't occur. Closest one comes to it are one of the kind that come from magic spells that a cloud of sorts. The few that do have armor with Environmental seals.

Parachuting

Recognise Weapon Quality : Profession skill

Robot Drone Command : Speicalized skill for the efficienty use of drones.

Theater Warfare :

Trap Construction : In theory, great when you have time to prepare an ambush.

Trap/Mine Detection : In theory, helps when you are trying to sneak into a place protected by traps.

Physical Skills

Acrobatics : Most take for the bonuses to stats and Climbing/Stealth.

Aerobic Athletics : Disarm bonus is nice

Athletics (general)

Body Building & Weight Lifting : Normal PS and SDC don't make a lot of difference in stat

Boxing : Most take for the +1 extra attack per melee

Climb : Never had to use it. A lot of players get around it with flight/flying by one means or another. The skills is for patient people who want to be stealthy. NOT superman who can fly. Boba Fett who can Jet-Pack. Super jumping.

Fencing : Buff to Sword/knife fighting.

Forced March : Attribute Buff

Gymnastics : See Acrobatics

Ice Skating : Bonuses: +1 to P.E., +1D4 to Spd., and +1D6 to S.D.C. Plus Pre-Req for more advance skating skills

Figure Skating : +1 to P.P. and P.E., +2 to Spd., +1D4 to S.D.C., +5% to dance skill,

Hockey Skating : +1 to P.S. and P.E., +1D4 to Spd., 2D6 to S.D.C., +1 to damage in hand to hand combat, +2 to roll with punch, fall, or impact, +2 to maintain balance, and gets W.P. Staff/Hockey Stick

Speed Skating : +1 to P.S., +1 to P.E., +1D6 to Spd., +1D6 to
S.D.C.

Hand to Hand : Assassin
Hand to Hand: Basic
Hand to Hand: Commando
Hand to Hand: Expert
Hand to Hand: Martial Arts

Juggling : initiative bonus

Kick Boxing : P.E. bonuses deserve higher ranking.

Deadball : knows W.P. Deadball plus Speed buff with a dodge bonus.

Juicer Football : This sports skill teaches the character the rules of the game, basic tactics and combat elements, not recommended for ordinary humans.
Good for knocking smaller people to the ground

Murderthon : Another sports skill usually reserved for Juicers. Bonuses for strike & Dodge

Outdoormanship : Skill Buff. The +1 P.E. bonus make this rewarding

Physical Labour :

Prowl : Essential for stealthing about unless you have a spell substitute.

Running : Attributes

S.C.U.B.A. : Those few time anyone goes underwater on purpose while probably be an emergency to salvage something or rescue someone. If you have time to prepare one would use a "Swim" spell.

Snow Skiing : +1 to P.E. and +1D6 to S.D.C. Pre-Req for other skiing skills

Downhill Speed Skiing : +1 to P.P., +1 to P.E., +1 to initiative

Cross Country Skiing : +1 to P.S., +2 to P.E., +1D4 to Spd, +1D6 to S.D.C.

Snow Boarding & Jump Skiing : +1 to P.P., +1D6 to S.D.C.

Swimming: See SCUBA.

Wrestling :

Pilot Skills
Everyone should be able to ride or drive or pilot something.

Aerobatics : Stunt or exhibition pilots. Half penalties for airborne stunts & maneuvers.

Combat Flying : Similar to the skill Combat Driving. Basically you have to have a flying fight in the air so dog fighting

Airplane :

Automobile :

Bicycling :

Boats: Motor & Hydrofoils
Boats: Paddle Types
Boats: Sail Types
Boats: Ships: Basically, I never had or heard of an adventure to use these skills

Combat Driving : Great STORY element. Limited to ground vehicles thou. A skill that begs for a chase scene in an adventure with fighting betwee two or more cars or beings on foot. Highly limited in opportunities to use but not as expensive as robots or power armor. A parties car might be a generic one they boosted from the bad guys camp (fleet of identical vehicles) so the chased and chaser are limited to the same max speed, armor and weapons (if any). Might be better to limit the players to SDC guns or the chase could be over in 1 round.

Flight System Combat : Specialized and limited to Juicers and such. Expensive and maybe over powered.

Helicopter : I wonder why people would use a helicopter over a hover-vehicle. What's the advantage?

Hover Craft: Ground :
Hovercycles / Skycycles / Rocket Bikes :
Jet Aircraft :

Jet Packs : Seriously, jet packs are freaking awesome. They're cheap, light, and fast. Even if you don't use them in combat, they're an outstanding way to travel quickly over difficult terrain. See climbing

Jump Bike Combat
Military: Combat Helicopter
Military: Jet Fighter
Military: Submersibles
Military: Tanks & APCs
Military: Warships & Patrol Boats

Motorcycles & Snowmobiles

Robots & Power Armour
Robot Combat: Basic
Robot Combat: Elite: These things are expensive but powerful until they are damaged. Then they are expensive again. These flying machines are more for WAR then adventuring.

Tracked & Construction Vehicles :

Truck : In story, their are a lot of truck to haul loot, troops, to steal the truck, ram through a wall, tow something, etc.

Water Scooters
Water Skiing & Surfing: Flavor

Pilot Related Skills

Navigation: In theory, essential for reading and interpreting a map. It's nice to know how far away you are from where you want to go.

Sensory Equipment : See communication skills

Weapon Systems : If you have a vehicle or power armor/robot.

Rogue Skills

Cardsharp :

Computer Hacking: So rare its more for story than use.

Concealment : Companion skill for pickpocketing and having a card up your sleave

Find Contraband : In theory, this skill is good for selling or trading stolen goods. Kind of selling from whom you buy illegal goods. Spreading the word around that some "thing" is for sale. IF you need to fense loot this can be important. Also, if you are looking for something stolen.

Gambling: Standard : Tough one to call. Great role-playing.

Gambling: Dirty Tricks : Basicaly how to cheat at cards. Using it is pretty much evil like picking someones pocket to steal their money because you like money. Like pick pockets most players are too afraid of getting caught to use.

Fortune-telling :

I.D. Undercover Agents : In theory, it's what you would use to figure out who is the CS spy in Tolkeen and such. Most GM's I know wouldn't make it as easy as a skill roll.

Imitate Voices & Sounds : Basically a Buff skill for impersonating someone.

Palming : Skill Buff. As important as the use of the skill you want to buff. Magic act potential.

Pick Locks : Good if you can conceal some lock pick tools on you.

Pick Pockets : See Espionage.

Prowl : See physical skills but basically all good adventures should have some sneaking around scenes.

Roadwise : Great on those rare occasions one would plan their getaway or where they want to do a car jacking / armored car robber.

Safe-Cracking : Most will destroy the safe with an MD weapon. Update - Player pointed out the contents could be destroyed if the brute force approach is used.

Seduction : Low % and awkwardness make this one of the many used skills

Short Con : Quick confidence schemes, usually requiring no more than one or two people to execute, for small sums of money

Streetwise : Help you figure out when someone is trying to con you or when people are working together who are trying to disguise it. I think of it like Wilderness survival for an urban / city environment. Update - credit to Grand master Zob also good for getting the "word on the street" and gathering information from underworld sources (City-Rats? Black Market? etc.). I guess it comes with a sort of etiquette of who to ask and how to ask them so you don't come across like an undercover law enforcement or a rival.

Tailing : In theory, IF you can follow someone without them knowing about it, it is really great for investigation and finding you people to destroy.

Science Skills

Anthropology : Good for skill buff. In theory, it is great for learning about the people and customs of a town.
Archaeology : Skill Buff

Artificial Intelligence : In theory, Operators and Rogue Scientist OCCs should be able to make "things" with AI like a Techno Wizard does with magical TW devices. I think the challenge is not to let them get out of control over powerful. I imagine a box or robot head power by e-clips that can perform skills with spell / psionic like results. Maybe like "Alexa" from amazon prime but better. Translates all spoken and written languages (like Tonuges or Eyes of Thoth)
Do Math 100%
Lore Skills = to % of the programmer automatic / ISP free Total Recall.
No matter how fast the computer it's answers are only as good as the data/information it has to work with (Garbage in - Garbage out)
Depending on the Sensors/camares it may come with an AI would make a good "Watchguard" Spell.
Remember the characters who can take this skill are like Rogue Scientist, not Juicers

Astronomy & Navigation : Most GM's will have the characters roll Land Navigation. Update - This is important for navigation at night on land, flying (at night and maybe during the day too), on bodies of water to navigate. Probably helps when you don't have a calendar. Also, with the "right" instruments, might help you figure out where you are on the map.

Astrophysics : Outer-space skill.

Biology : Pre-requisite for some Medical skills. Probably helps when you are cutting up the cow. I imagine a necromancer would have this skill when they are mining for "parts."

Botany : Story skill. In the long game, in theory, you could grow new herbs and plants.

Chemistry : Pre-req for the chem you can do stuff with.
Chemistry: Analytical : In theory, chemistry skills are good for making you own Acid, Addictive Drugs, Explosives, Glue, Gunpowder, and Poisons.
Chemistry: Pharmaceutical : Recongnize medication and drugs. Make medicine potentially.

Civil Engineering :
Credit to Grazzik
* Build a wall around a village to withstand a zombie horde.
* Build a dam to redirect a river.
* Build a bridge to rescue people on the other side.
* Dig a canal or construct an aqueduct to bring water to fields in a drought ravaged region.
* Determine the age of a bunker the party is about to enter.
* Is that path along the cliff face structurally sound?

Marine Biology : I guess the Medical Doctor skill for creatures of the sea. I don't know what that gets you or how you find a sick sea creature that you can contain, diagnose and treat.

Mathematics: Advanced: Mostly a pre-requiste
Rifter #19. Includes the option to reward players who pick this skill with a +1 bonus to I.Q. Makes sense to me and I agree. Consult your GM before adding. Raise one color if it give your character what they need to play their OCC or give them the skill bonus from having a high I.Q.

Mathematics: Basic : Pre-req for Math: Adv.

Meteorology: This skill allows for the prediction of upcoming weather within 5D6% accuracy on a successful skill roll. If taken as a cultural skill this skill represents weather prediction based on signs from nature and other methods handed down from person to person. Add 5% to the skill if traditional weather prediction equipment is available, such as barometers, wind gauges, and thermometers. Add 10% if modem computerized measurement devices are available. Base Skill: 15% +5% per level of experience.

Undersea Farming : Story and Profession skill. In theory, skills like this could save hundreds from famine as sure as slaying demons would save them from violent death.

Xenology : Exists so a Body Fixer can work on a D-Bee.

Zoology : I guess an improved version of Lore: Cattle & animals.

Technical Skills

Advanced Fishing : Commerical Fishing. Story and Profession skill. Domestic fishing is enough to feed yourself and your party. This skill is for feeding a village when you have a fishing boat and equipment for the job.

Appraise Goods: Good for sizing up the value of Loot. Update - Need to take the skill twice for the good stuff. NOT sure how this compares with "Recognize Weapon Quailty"

Art : Possibility of making a drawing of someones face to use with the psionic power "Remote Viewing." Also, helps when you need to show others a picture to ID the guy (wanted posters and such).
Rifter #19. Includes the option to reward players who pick this skill with a +1 bonus to M.E. Consult your GM before adding.

Begging : Only saw one player ever use this and with much reluctance. Couldn't get the cash without stealing and the sort of monk principled alignment he played had an easier time begging then stealing. Super rolls (under 05) got all the charity he needed in under 1 hour. Still, he hated it just agreed it was what his character would do and that he had a high percentage. I awarded him a lot of XP! Leveled up.

Breed Dogs : Thanks to Hotrod! for the insights on having a good dog around to warn you and find things.
* There could be adventure scenarios that require judging the qualities of a dog for labor, temperament, or even food.
* The skill could also be handy in evaluating the value of a dog/wolf/etc. for trade goods.
* Engaging in diplomatic missions with Free Born or Feral Dog Boy communities
* Helping feral Dog Boys adjust to new cultures and unfamiliar situations
* Possibly even relationship counselling for Wolfen...
Credit Grazzik

Calligraphy : Flavor skill. When you want to look cool signing.
* Perhaps the quality of writing could be a factor in a scroll's effectiveness?
* Recognize particular style and technique to identify the author of something
* Impress a deity or deity wanna-be by producing a piece of work glorifying them in order to earn a favor

Computer Operation : Operate some basic and common tech

Computer Programming: Pre-req for other skill. Potential if you have the opportunity to re-program a droid or such.

Cybernetics: Basic : In theory, this skill explains how you know of bionics, what they do and how you know them when you see them.

Excavation : Situational. Helps in scavenging

Firefighting : Profession skill

Gemology : So you know if you are getting riped off on "fakes" or the price is too high. Still only good for Techno Wizards and pawning stones.

General Repair & Maintenance : Most players and GM's are never critical about the care of their equipment. This skill is as important as your equipment is to maintain.

History: Post-Apocalypse
History: Pre-Rifts

Jury-Rig : The way I figure it, this skill is good for two things. Taking something that doesn't work and making it work temporarily using "other" parts or working it in a way the manufacturer never intended. Second, using two or more things and puting them together to do something. So like the TV show McGuiver. In theory, it should be great for adventure as it is an improvisational skill. In gameplay, most players just fight or do what they know. While GM's can feel reluctant to "give" players a solution to a problem they can't kill with basic tech. The safest option is to make one of the many "thing" work. So this is a good companion skill if your car breaks down and you don't have the "right" parts. Just now I can think of, jury rigged MD armor for when your groups cyborg has MD damaged and can't fix it until he gets back to the city.

Law (general) : Knew you are breaking the law before you commit the crime. Defend yourself before the lynch mob. Fast talk the judge.

Leather Working : Depends on the usefulness of leather armor

Lore: American Indians :

Lore: Cattle & Animals : See Cowboy

Lore: D-Bee : The cultures of D-Bees. Should help when dealing with them in terms of trust or intimidation as well as knowledge about their strengths, weaknesses, motivations and personalities. Helps in seeing through disguises or in crafting them if you want to disguise yourself as a D-Bee.

Lore: Demons & Monsters : In theory, essential to id vampires and zombies and such. Understanding what works to kill them and what they can do to you. A lot of players just ignore this and sort of meta knowledge their way through it.

Lore: Faerie & Creatures of Magic : If Faeries are an ally or enemy this should help when dealing with them. Knowing the various kinds of faeries and what they can do. And their food can do. Should help in knowing where to look for them and what they like (bait) if you are looking/hunting for them.

Lore: Juicers :

Lore: Magic :

Lore: Psychics & Psionics :

Masonry : Profession
* Similar to civil engineering, but specific for stone
* Identify the weak point in a stone structure
* Improvise alternative tools when normal stonecutting tools aren't available
* Determine the nature of cuts in stone (natural, tool or ... claws?)
* The knowledge of mason guilds it provides opens up a number of commercial scenarios


Meditation : Trained Psychics get this for free supposedly.
Rifter #19. Includes the option to reward players who pick this skill with a +1 bonus to M.E. Consult your GM before adding.

Mining : Profession skill

Mythology : Skill Buff

Philosophy : Red on its own. Blue if, from Rifter #19, players have the option to add +1 bonus to I.Q. and +1 bonus to M.E. Consult your GM before adding.

Photography : This or video is essential depending on your GM. Ask any law enforcement if pictures are needed of the crime scene and for jury trials.

Prospecting : Profession skill

Recycle : Useful to looting, scavengers and the tech oriented but for story and profession purposes

Research : Skill Buff. In theory, great for investigations and espionage work. Again, most players won't use it.

Rope Works : Might only use it to tie people up or in the making of a trap

Salvage : I am not sure how how this is different from the looting that everyone does.

Undersea Salvage : How often do adventureres salvage from the sea?

Ventriloquism : Maybe you can make the skill check and throw your voice behind someone.

Whittling & Sculpting : Mentioned a lot in shaping wood and bone weapons and such that ought to be "useful" in damaging them. Because silver bullets are expensive.

Weapon Proficienies (Ancient)

W.P. Archery : Great if you are trying to stake a vampire and can't afford or all out of silver. Flavor skill for hunting. No MD laser weapons on the bunny rabbit. Nothing will be left to skin or eat but a piece of burnt carbon.

W.P. Axe : Might use if you get your hands on some specialized magic weapons

W.P. Blunt :

W.P. Chain :

W.P. Forked :

W.P. Grappling Hook :

W.P. Knife : Although knife fighting sound cool, if you had to fight with a melee weapon swords do more damage and there are spells, magic weapon and Psi-swords that do more for you. Just ask yourself, what can you do with a knife better than you can do with a sword? Update: insight. You can hide a knife on yourself but not a sword.

W.P. Net : Strike/entangle +1 at levels 2, 5, 8, 11, 15. Parry +1 at 2, 4, 6, 9, 12. Snare weapon on N:18-20. Under-rated tool for capturing people alive. As a GM I'd give a bonus too for use on spells like "Magic Net" (7). Really it is more of a non-spell casters way to going Magic Net.

W.P. Paired Weapons : Excellent for a melee fighter

W.P. Polearm :

W.P. Quick Draw : A duelists friend during a suprise.

W.P. Rope :

W.P. Shield : Parry's don't cost melee attacks and this skill gives you bonuses. I don't believe there are any against energy attacks but its a good defense against monster types that prefer their claws and such.

W.P. Spear :

W.P. Staff : This "might" be redundant as a staff might be considered a "Blunt" weapon.

W.P. Sword: A lot of Spells, magic weapons make this WP useful

W.P. Targeting : Great with telekinesis and perhaps some spells if the GM allows it, otherwise most will rely on energy pistols.

W.P. Tomahawk (throwing axe) : What is the difference between "this" and an Axe

W.P. Whip : Only advantage I can see are the bonuses to disarm. There are only a few magic weapons that come close to making this W.P. worthwhile.

Weapon Proficiencies (Modern)

W.P. Handguns : In story, handguns make sense to shoot animals for food, regular SDC people and D-Bees. You can hurt vampires with silver bullets when energy pistols won't harm them. In game mechanics, players almost always fire energy weapons or spells or psionics. A player character should have it for story purposes because recharging E-clips is expensive.

W.P. Bolt Action Rifle (hunting/sniping/shotguns)

W.P. Energy Pistol
W.P. Energy Rifle

W.P. Harpoon & Speargun : Too situational. An over the top 007 weapon to kill flambouyantly

W.P. Heavy Military :

W.P. Heavy M.D. : A few high damage weapons here if you can start with one and afford the ammo.

W.P. Military Flamethrowers : Seriously! A flamethrower! Who would you fight with this weapon. It does no MD damage. You'll burn the house down. Start a forest fire. Ruin your kill's gear and equipment. It will all be burnt after the fire is out. Doesn't work on vampires. I guess it can "santize" a crime scene and maybe mask you scent.

W.P. Rifles :

W.P. Sharpshooting

W.P. Shotguns :

W.P. Sub-Machineguns : Only use in an SDC world

Wilderness Skills

Blend : Skill buff. The ability to fade into underbrush and remain unseen. +4% to Prowl, +4% at night. Aboriginals & Native Americans +10%.

Boat Building :

Carpentry :

Dowsing : Never seen it used. What do you do? Drill till you hit a water table?

Fasting :

Hunting: Skill Buff

Identify Plants & Fruits : Vital to Holistic Medicine and long term living off the land

Land Navigation: Don't get lost. The idea is you recognize you have been this way before so you know you are going in circles and go left instead of right.

Preserve Food : Really depends on your GM and circumstances. Basically if you ate through you food and had to hunt and gather but save some for later and have the time

Skin & Prepare Animal Hides : Good if you are a Necromancer or want to sell some bones to one. Trapper?

Spelunking : Extremely specialized. You'd have to be adventurering in a cave to use this skill.

Track & Trap Animals :

Underwater Navigation : Highly situational, so much so one could never use this skill. Made for under-water adventurers.

Wilderness Survival : See Espionage skills

So, basically CS soldiers, officers and wilderness scouts...

-STS

These are the blue ones I agree with.
Radio: Basic
Wilderness Survival:
First Aid
HTH….have one
Prowl

Then add in Cooking. as a secondary is okay.

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:These are the blue ones I agree with.
Radio: Basic
Wilderness Survival:
First Aid
HTH….have one
Prowl

Then add in Cooking. as a secondary is okay.

Drewkitty,

What else do you believe deserves to be BLUE or vital?


2. What do you see as BlUE that should NOT be?


I see vital skills as ones we pretty much use during a normal gaming session.
Perception is big in my games. Medical skills to treat NPC's for XP.

I know a lot of GM's and gamers center they sessions around combat but there can be a lot more to it than just fighting.

Part of it is going from location A to B and the adventure is the people and places inbetween. Detecting who is what and how to help them with their problems or discover / reveal them for the villainry that they do.
Sometimes it is about diplomacy. Other times its stealth. Then there is investigating the crime scene for the offender.

A huge part of the game is what sort of characters you have. A wilderness game is super different than one set in the 'burbs or Chi-Town with a bunch of city rats. Run it just like Shadowrun with bigger guns and more fascism. That should be what determines what skills are good vs bad. Most Rifts games are heavy on travel and combat, but that isn't what it has to be.

-STS

Land Navigation comes into play a bunch. At least in the games I have been in.

Vital skills...I did forget:
Language (have one the other chars can understand)

#2...I believe I covered this.
It might be that I used the actual meaning of the word vital to comment on your list.

Perception...*shrugs* unless you are using it as a attribute, like it was presented in the Protoculture Addicts fanzine (err...it was in one of the single digit issues), it pretty much an everybody rolls it.

Land Navigation....*nods* but it's more of a char concept skill. But Wilderness survival sort of covers it...sort of.

I don't think I've ever played in an actually skills-heavy Rifts game. Or any other game, for that matter. Everything devolves into all combat, all the time, with the only exception being the shopping trip every few levels for new gear.

EDIT: Pardon, there was one. A one-on-one game I had with a friend where we traded off being the GM every other time we played. He played a Rogue Scholar inspired by Indiana Jones, I played an Infantryman (Merc Soldier) that was his muscle/Dr. Who-girl. It was only after we finished character creation that I noticed I'd forgotten to take a literacy skill. I did a fairly god job of faking it with "functional illiteracy" by knowing what stop signs and such looked like, but only being able to write out her name and a few other simple phrases. When it came out she couldn't actually read or white, the Scholar was downright horrified and planned to teach her.

Then 2020 happened, and we both got jobs with grueling hours afterwards.

Highlord,

I too have played many games that got lost in the combat. Dice rolling and accounting. Flat battles with no personality. Just overpowered. No James bond.

It got boring and tired. overpowered players killing stormtroopers.

Sad. If they couldn't kill it they didn't want anything to do with it.

I suspect part of the problems was that players didn't know how to "play" when it came to skills. Everyone has Hand to Hand combat and some weapon whether it was an energy rifle, spell, psionic power, or super-strength.

BUT skills. It felt like the one or two people with the story skill made the "one" roll.

IF more than one player had "the SKILL" they had the one with the highest precentage make the roll. Without the roleplay they characters are not really invested in the skill rolls.
While the rest of the table sits around watching "the ONE" player make rolls.

It's like they are all on the same hover-craft with only one of them can and does do the piloting.

IF I can't include the other players in the skills performance or involve them in the process before during and after the other players are just spectators.

I supposed because combat is detailed out with initiative, distance and melee weapons, rolls to strike, dodge parry and saving throws ALL the players can take their turns.

Skill rolls?

Maybe if they are all flying hover-craft through an obstacle course.
Build a cabin?

Not much of a skill roll unless you are in a rush or working conditions are poor.
skills don't get exiting without rush, risk, and reward. And for a group of players they ALL need something to do or some way (magic, psionics, Skills or special abilities) to take their turn to do "the thing" or at least contribute to some part of it.

"Hey, follow that guy or car! But don't let them notice you."

So everyone gets on their radios or messaging system and takes turns tailing the target right?

Meh, I'm bored. I run up to him and punch him in the face.
Roll for initiative. Combat beings. Guy I intend for you to follow dies as the players go around the table killing him in less than 1 round.

Fights over.

Rob him. Toruture him until he tells us where X is located, and who their leader is, oh and then kill him; I mean arrest him. Never mind the law or a trial or anything like that. Oh, wait. We killed him.

Oh well, we are the good guys.

Heroes are above the law anyones elses ideas of Right or Wrong.

Now lets loot the evil guys goods instead of returning them to whomever he stole them from or turning them into law enforcement.

Manhunter, your turn. "I take the bionics off of him. <Drill sound>

Necromancer? FREE BONES! Skin the hides and and de-bone him. Sculpting. I start making something out of bones. Oh, Wait. I'll wear his face and eat his eyes and brain so I can impersonate him. Alright!. Now, wearing his face and knowing what he knows. I led the party to location X. No plan or no prepare. Are we there yet?
Okay roll for initiative. We are back to combat!

Isn't it great to be the good guy cyber-knight?

Um... oh...kay. Sounds like the GM went to buy a newspaper during gameplay and the players ran amok. An experienced GM should have easily defused the situation without having to resort to GM fiat. Please, let me explain... but other GMs may have different strategies and that's cool.

EVERYONE has skills. There may be a "story skill" that only one or a few players have, granted, but GMs need to consider the fuzzy edge of their story.

Ex. PCs (a desert scout and two bookworms) need to cross a desert. Only the scout has land nav. However at each distance check, perhaps have the bookworms roll for a lore (to throw up a factoid that may alter their course) or history (a factoid about failed desert crossings that raises anxiety in the team, roll for ME) or simply math (constantly trying to figure out how far to go but without the understanding of terrain, talking about it may temporarily lower their MA). These skills, as well as attributes, may have a significant impact on choices made, perhaps adding to the distance travelled.

As their food and water dwindles in the crossing, the scout may rely on desert survival or dowsing. However, the bookworms may have mining (at least a theoretical level), biology, botany, chemistry, etc. This could lead to lots of doom-scroll complaining or innovative ideas on where to find water and their next meal.

Failed rolls are always fun. Eat the wrong thing and diarrhea in the middle of the desert can easily kill.

If two PCs have the same skill but one fails their roll, this can lead to heated arguments. As the argument develops, have multiple skill rolls. Or the one who failed could charm or intimidate the rest of the party to go with their incorrect idea. The trope of the experienced old dog storming off thinking the rest are fools. Lots of ME or MA attribute challenges all around, and even a few IQ rolls for critical thinking.

Ex. An experienced hovercar pilot with a bookworm flying through a ley line storm. The pilot rolls for a maneuver to avoid debris. The bookworm panics, fails their pilot skill or ME roll, and grabs the steering wheel/pushes buttons. Or simply screams in the pilots ear or vomits violently, introducing a skill modifier for the next maneuver. Shouldn't have had second helpings of the refried beans...

Composite tasks that take time require multiple skill rolls and since each player is likely doing their own component, as no one person can do it all, it is likely they aren't the expert and may fail rolls on the regular.

Ex. A carpenter and a city rat have decided to fix a cabin to serve as a base for their current mission. The carpenter may handle some of the structural elements since they have the skill or perhaps just the higher percentage of the two. Each element - the roof, flooring, door/windows, etc. - is a separate roll and introduces a potential for failure and injury. The city rat is handed some sandpaper to smooth down some finishings, but with a failed roll may get grit in their eye, not wear a mask and cough from the dust, or even get a bright idea to use their laser scalpel to get a nice smooth finish... burning down the cabin, unless the carpenter wins a skill or perception roll to stop the city rat.

The rest of the scenario re tailing, interrogation and looting is an epic fail of the GM since there are no consequences to actions.

Player boredom - roll ME attribute checks to see if the PC feels the same way. If they fail, let them attack. If they pass, see if it is in the nature/alignment of the PC. But if they still attack when everything says not to, DEDUCT EXP FOR BAD ROLEPLAYING. Unlike other exp that rely on the actions of the PC, exp earned for roleplaying is dependent on the player themselves, not the lived experience of the PC. In my mind, this RP exp can be granted and taken away if the player is being a... buffoon. Or simply have them suffer major penalties due to indecision and guilt/a feeling that their action is wrong, so that their victim can easily overcome the attack and escape. That'll calm sh*t down fast.

Looting when Good. I have no problem with this. That's life on Rifts Earth. However, if in an urban setting, bystanders may see what happened and think it is just a robbery and call the police. Or maybe they want the loot themselves. Or the local gang sees this as an invasion of their turf. Or... so many consequences. Put a high bounty for murder on the PCs and see if they kill someone in public again despite being the "good guys". Oh, and if the victim has bionics, that's a heavy corpse to carry. Cutting out biomech in public or implants with a distinct design - CYBERSNATCHER!!! The lowest of the low. Mega-bounty. Try buying supplies in that town again... I dare you.

Looting bionics and wearing peoples' faces is just plain nasty. So, if not an evil alignment, roll for ME. Fail, impose penalties. If they go through with it, despite failing, think about downgrading their alignment. Also, perhaps the rest of their team has a problem with this behavior. Have them roll for ME too. If they fail, have them develop a negative MA modifier toward the offending PC. Get a low enough MA and the offending PC may be kicked out of the group until they redeem themselves.

With time, perhaps continued unacceptable behavior earns the PCs a reputation/horror factor and they find people running screaming from the streets as they approach... even though they think they are the good guys. Even a HF of 2 could lead to interesting scenarios.

As you can see, this is where the GM earns respect as a storyteller. Always have a consequence, good or bad, for each action or inaction.

Hi Grazzik

Watching YouTube I heard the term Murder Hobo.

Some players in my group have little patience and change characters every game session.

Consistent traits of their characters. Over-powered.

They like the idea of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson portrayal of the DC character "Black Adam"
Basically, a Magic Version of Superman with no Morals or ethics.
Kills people with lightening. Breaks through walls instead of using the door. Drops people from great heights and lets them die.

They like playing "Superman" without playing NICE or law biding.

They don't respect anyone they can easily kill and don't take on anyone (like an Adult Dragon) who can kill them. IF they can't kill it or rob it, they don't want anything to do with it. That includes dropping their mission or employer and going back to the city, like Lazlo, to gamble to pass the time. Envisioning that they will make contacts by winning and getting important people to owe them money and favors.

The session ended on that note.

I remember asking the one guy why he played a Cyber-knight. Commenting that he does NOT act like one in game. Vengful. Steals clohtes. Drops his mission. Refuses to help fellow cyber-knights when the ask him for help.
I am guessing he is more like "black guard?"

What do cyber-knights do to police each other?

I mean what happens when a cyberknight kills people instead of arrests them?

At one point, he abandoned some NPC civilians who needed protection to run off to hunt and kills some CS grunts. Asked him, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

He was pretty much blinded by rage

darthauthor wrote:Hi Grazzik

Watching YouTube I heard the term Murder Hobo.

Some players in my group have little patience and change characters every game session.

Consistent traits of their characters. Over-powered.

I get it. We've all murder hobo'd once or twice. Some more than others. Sometimes it is simply the thrill of being destructively dramatic or dramatically destructive. I just get a sense from your other posts that you want the opportunity to use other game mechanics from time to time to spice things up.

They don't respect anyone they can easily kill and don't take on anyone (like an Adult Dragon) who can kill them. IF they can't kill it or rob it, they don't want anything to do with it. That includes dropping their mission or employer and going back to the city, like Lazlo, to gamble to pass the time. Envisioning that they will make contacts by winning and getting important people to owe them money and favors.

If you as GM are cool with it, good. If not, this goes back to what I said about consequences. Though admittedly, it is harder if players drop PCs as one-offs all the time. The easiest approach is to talk with the players and find a good middle ground. Otherwise...

I remember asking the one guy why he played a Cyber-knight. Commenting that he does NOT act like one in game. Vengful. Steals clohtes. Drops his mission. Refuses to help fellow cyber-knights when the ask him for help.
I am guessing he is more like "black guard?"

What do cyber-knights do to police each other?

I mean what happens when a cyberknight kills people instead of arrests them?

I've never been a fan of cyberknight style PCs, so don't know much of their lore off the top of my head, but I know there is a lot there. Definitely, this player likes the Blackguard type and probably in line with my own tastes if I were to play a CK, so I get it. All the power, none of the responsibility.

At one point, he abandoned some NPC civilians who needed protection to run off to hunt and kills some CS grunts. Asked him, "Are you sure you want to do that?"

He was pretty much blinded by rage

LOL, I hope it was the PC in a blind rage and not the player in response to your question

You did right to ask for motivation. If it is simply a primal rage and that's what the player wants, then work with it. A video game-esque style of play may get boring after a while for both of you, so as a GM I'd start to turn the tide little by little.
I hope this gives an alternative approach to running murder hobo campaigns, but if the blind rage approach is your thing, feel free to ignore.

What is Vital is determined by the character you are playing.

There is no really "generically vital" skills imo.

It was the player character who was blinded by rage.

He actually described it as an awesome session.

The CS had killed his favorite nutty professor Rogue Scholar so he wanted to slaughter them all like Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader on Tantoonie Star Wars style on the Tuskan Raiders.

Problem was the CS had already taken heavy losses and withdrew to a hover vehicle and took off.

NO tracks (it hovers). They planned their escape route. Left in one direction. Changed directions twice when they were out of sight. Waited for the cyberknight in ambush (just in case) then returned to base. CK didn't have anyway to track or follow them. No particular psionic power to locate them. He just ran in one direction and kept running.

I told him it is possible to find the CS just not the way he was doing it. Running in one direction without stopping. He was an OP power player who used his Supernatural strength instead of his skills and the other players. Basically role-play in town talking to people. Its just that he basically intimidated everyone so people were terrified of him. Everyone stayed away from the Hulking D-Bee throwing his weight around. He was NOT subtle or diplomatic. When he flashed around CS stuff they were afraid of the CS too but at least saw some good the CS were doing eradiating monsters. More than anything else, the people didn't want to get involved at least NOT until the CK earned their trust or at least helped the people with their problems.
Blide Rage remember. Tunnel vision with killing the CS.

On the alternative, I don't consider being a GM a licence to torture the player characters.

The villains and law enforcement authorities (local heroes also) have to do their homework too. NO convenient appearing out of nowhere knowing things about the players they have no rational reason to be able to find out and if they did how and why would they know where the players are or are going to be. Of course the villains can set a trap and the local marshal can arrest them, IF he can find them. In other words, if the CK takes off running SUPERNATUAL P.E. he can run for hours non stop. By the time the Marshall found out the CK as more than 50 miles away and neither of them know were he was. There was just no reason he could know where he was going and the marshal was scared of the CK.
I did have the CS put out bounty posters on the CK with a reward for proof of death. Still, the CK was running around so much "Remote Viewing" only showed where he was, no one could anticipate where he was going. Had a Shifter NPC who worked for the CK order. His job was to open rifts to transport CK's to different regions. When the player decided he was bored with the adventure he ordered the shifter to send him back to Lazlo. The CK was all over the place and kept abandoning his mission and duties. Unpredictable and unexpected for a "good" cyber-knight. I reasoned that local bounty hunters were not going to travel hundreds of miles to attack him in Lazlo while he was staying with half a dozen other cyberknights and their support personnal in a city that adores cyber-knights even for crimes WAY WAY outside their borders for a CS bounty.

I am saying, "I tried to ambush and arrest this player character (but I couldn't without doing things against him that were almost impossible in-game/story)." There is no motivation for a Godling or such to appear out of nowhere and punish a player character cyber-knight he's never met or heard of and has never done the Godling wrong.

darkauthor wrote:I did have the CS put out bounty posters on the CK with a reward for proof of death. Still, the CK was running around so much "Remote Viewing" only showed where he was, no one could anticipate where he was going. Had a Shifter NPC who worked for the CK order. His job was to open rifts to transport CK's to different regions. When the player decided he was bored with the adventure he ordered the shifter to send him back to Lazlo. The CK was all over the place and kept abandoning his mission and duties. Unpredictable and unexpected for a "good" cyber-knight. I reasoned that local bounty hunters were not going to travel hundreds of miles to attack him in Lazlo while he was staying with half a dozen other cyberknights and their support personnal in a city that adores cyber-knights even for crimes WAY WAY outside their borders for a CS bounty.

Did you have the NPC Shifter (unbeknownst to the player CK of course) consider sending the CK to the wrong place? As for why, well you've got:
-CS Bounty (possibly others who have put a bounty out)
-Cyper-Knight response (they don't have to have the wayward CK killed, just removed from their normal area of operations)
-they pissed off the Shifter (for some reason)
-they pissed off someone(s) else (they did intimidate town's people)
-someone(s) wanted to meet with the CK (for good or ill)
-could also be thrown off course by a sudden Ley Line Storm (3d6x100miles for "Rift Teleportation" spell, not sure if this is what they are using OR some ability of a Shifter off hand).

darkauthor wrote: There is no motivation for a Godling or such to appear out of nowhere and punish a player character cyber-knight he's never met or heard of and has never done the Godling wrong.

The Godling/such could have been in town (in disguise) and is acting in response to the CK actions to win the town's praise/worship/good-will/etc (they might even think the guy is a poser-CK)? Psi-Stalkers (and similar) might find a CK a tasty meal normally (6d6 PPE plus ISP), so don't need a real reason to want to attack one other than they are hungry, and there could be a group of them (the CS may have been taken by surprise, but these guys would want to get in close).

There are other ways to counter them than with the direct RAW might approach. You've got non-corporal entities (this limits what can actually harm them), seduction to put them off guard and away for their gear, someone(s) who has done their homework (and has counters the CK's abilities and gear), etc.

Did you have the NPC Shifter (unbeknownst to the player CK of course) consider sending the CK to the wrong place? As for why, well you've got:
-CS Bounty (possibly others who have put a bounty out)
-Cyper-Knight response (they don't have to have the wayward CK killed, just removed from their normal area of operations)
-they pissed off the Shifter (for some reason)
-they pissed off someone(s) else (they did intimidate town's people)
-someone(s) wanted to meet with the CK (for good or ill)
-could also be thrown off course by a sudden Ley Line Storm (3d6x100miles for "Rift Teleportation" spell, not sure if this is what they are using OR some ability of a Shifter off hand).

You have some points.

The NPC Shifter is "Principled" and has served the Cyber-Knight order faithfully for years. Being a spell caster he has no love for the CS. While the CS putting a bounty out on a CK is something he would eventually see, believing the CK had done anything wrong is something else. The CS lies. The CS wants to eradicate spell casters and D-Bees. So the Shifter is NOT going to trust the CS or believe what a CS bounty poster says. Besides, being a Shifter, the CS would never pay him. Also, the way the Shifter creates rifts he goes along with the CK. So he goes where the CK goes. No sending him to Hell, especillay with nothing left in the PPE tank to get back himself. Besides that the CK didn't treat the Shifter badly. Nor did the Shifter witness any of the CK's mis-deeds.

While from the Shifters point of view taking the CK back to Lazlo is bringing him back to the Cyber-Knight order where he can explain himself to his fellow knights. The Shifter is agreeable to that.

The CK did scare people but so do a lot of others, like vampires, and demons, etc. The CK is just here this hour and gone the next. He never really stayed in one place for very long.

The shifter, having been to so many other dimensions and such was not afraid of the D-Bee CK based on his looks.

While Psi-Stalkers and such, well, they had to find him too. Sir Sapien or whatever his name was, had PPE and ISP but not as much as a Ley Line Walker. Sir Sapien was a Seljuk, I believe. Not supernatural but had supernatural strength anyway. With ALL his bonuses, over a supernatural PS of over 51. He wanted to be the strongest

1D6 times 10 MD per melee attack. 10 foot tall, 1000 lb, Man-Dinosaur. I thought, being a CK, he was going to play "nice" I had arranged for a vampire to fight with him. Given his punches couldn't hurt a vampire (he wasn't supernatural). But he kept running outside of their territories before night came and the vampire had no idea where the CK was relative to his lair/grave/coffin.

He the player played the way that was FUN for him.

The point of the game is FUN.

IF a player wants to play GRAND THEFT AUTO style RIfts. I can write a narrative.
I guess I'm not as good at improvisation because the player liked to jump the adventure rails and run wild across the country.

Understand, this player changed characters every session. NO attachment. New character and he washes his hands of the consequences of the last character.

I just didn't know why he bothered saying he want to be a CK.

It seemed like it would be more honest if he said he wanted to play "the Incredible Hulk" SMASH!

Overall, there are some good points on the OP's list, and I think it's worth noting that many of these skills were imported from other Palladium RPGs, where some of them are more and less useful. A few notes on the list:

Horsemanship and Breed Dogs are quite useful, as both of these animals offer large detection radii against supernatural enemies. Granted, detection mechanics get kind of screwy in practice, but in the rules as written, they make it much harder for supernatural enemies to make surprise attacks. Horsemanship also offers some nice combat bonuses. Not as nice as power armor, but still nice.

Exotic horsemanship can be particularly useful if your mount has some potent combat moves.

Camouflage is quite handy for ambushes and sniper builds.

If you're a melee fighter, W.P. Paired Weapons is a powerhouse of a skill.

Thank YOU Hotrod!

I stand corrected and WILL correct teh skills you have pointed out.

IF you have any more insights, please, share.

Very Respectfully,

Brett

Right, the skills. A very subjective rating depending on play styles, but my choices for edits would be:

Optic Systems - green/orange - primarily used for calibrating optics packages on weapons to ensure they are accurate after some rough handling and setting up optics nets around campsites while in the wild, especially if there aren't enough in the group to have proper perimeter patrols.

Wardrobe & Grooming - green - there is the buff, but heroes should also look the part. The skill doesn't disguise the PC, but informs their choice in attire so that they can stand out / blend in depending on their objectives and the local tastes and social mores. Ex. when an Elf wants to hide their ears and not attract attention from ISS patrols in a Burb when visiting, they may want to be astute enough to opt for a longer hairstyle rather than an odd looking headband.

Electrical Engineer / Electricity Generation - green - if involved in charging e-clips safely, salvaging batteries or nuclear power plants from vehicles/robots, maintaining the upkeep of solar panels on vehicles or in rural villages, address or enhance the effects of EMP, etc. Lots of uses in a world filled with nuclear powered robots/vehicles firing laser rifles and full of gadgets and gizmos. Basic electronics just doesn't cut it when it matters.

Intelligence - blue - hands down the best skill for figuring out what the heck is going on. Can be applied not just in a military context, but also in terms of figuring out the players in an urban landscape (like streetwise, but not as comprehensive), simply gathering info on a threat or opponent, and doing basic threat-risk analysis such as will those Simvan spotted earlier double-back and rustle the herd tonight?

Tracking humans - green - how are you going to find someone if you don't go looking for them? Whether they are missing persons, bandits known to be in the area, escaped fugitives, a team member who got lost in the tunnels, figure out you've been following your own tracks, or simply to tell how much foot traffic there's been in the area recently so you can gauge whether or not it is a place to ambush, be ambushed or do something while being (or not) observed. Not to mention the counter tracking to help one escape. Lots of uses.

Horsemanship needs a rethink, as many is the time my lower level PC fell off a horse in combat. Also had them fail in the upkeep of the horse while trekking through wilderness (inadequate water and feed, overburdened with loot) and had to put the horse down. Horses are still cheaper than any modern vehicle and essentially offroad and double as food in an emergency, so they factor prominently in non-urban campaigns, which is most. Green.

Again, in a non-urban campaign, the various vehicle-based mechanic skills are important when you factor in dust, determining found fuel quality, replacing broken parts, salvaging parts, upgrading performance, patching a tire, and understanding the capabilities of the vehicle on different terrain. These factor frequently in games as PCs travel from place to place rooting out evil and face the perils of the road. So green/orange depending on GM.

Bioware mechanics - green/orange - important to any cyborg interested in self-care and save on some operator fees.

Same with vehicle armorer. Your basic mechanic isn't going to know to take a golf cart and a fireworks factory and make a tank, like the A-Team always seemed to do. Orange at least.

Camouflage - blue - always used whether to observe and report or first strike.

Field armorer - blue - minimum for field stripping looted armor and replacing plates/patching body armor while on campaign. It might be days or weeks before PCs could find the next NG Retail Outlet. Fail means the repair/patch didn't take. Same with charging e-clips - a fail is the procedure wasn't done right or the e-clip was overcharged possibly leading to a clip meltdown or explosion, possibly with secondary effects on whatever they used to charge the clip, whichever makes most sense for the story. Same with maintaining weapons. If players don't roll occasionally, those natural 1s can lead to jammed weapons at the most inopportune time. Usually I'm pretty lenient with nat 1s if players make an effort from time to time. Also useful for assessing looted ammo to ensure it is usable and appropriate for the PCs' weapons.

Recognize weapon quality - blue - most players loot and this tells them whether it is worth the effort taking the loot and if there are any gems they may want to keep rather than sell.

Climb - green - use it frequently to scale walls and climb cliffs. The double roll mechanic is good for building player tension. Even if wearing EBA, you still don't want to fall from a 40ft cliff face.

Pilot Tank - orange - which I guess is pretty true for all pilot skills. I ran a couple games of tanker crews - one was a Tolkeenite crew using a hijacked CS tank and the other was an CS tank with a hybrid human/skelebot crew that got rifted to Chaos Earth while clearing out a cemetery of necromancers, demons, and ghouls. Both great games, but lots of complaints that loot kept being blasted off the netting hung on the outside, since it was so cramped inside. Modern tanks aren't slow and lumbering - they are high speed and require skill to drive at speed.

The problem with Appraise Goods is that for any meaningful loot category, the skill has to be taken twice. Easier to take gemology (primarily for gold and silver which still circulate as a non-cash currency in my games, though sometimes gems for non-magical trade), recognize weapon quality (for looted weapons), and barter (for the extra credits).

Photography - orange at best. Point and press the button. Hasn't factored ever in my games.

Grazzik wrote:Right, the skills. A very subjective rating depending on play styles, but my choices for edits would be:
...
Optic Systems - green/orange - primarily used for calibrating optics packages on weapons to ensure they are accurate after some rough handling and setting up optics nets around campsites while in the wild, especially if there aren't enough in the group to have proper perimeter patrols.
...
Photography - orange at best. Point and press the button. Hasn't factored ever in my games.

As you write, depending on play styles. Most of my players don't have the patience for maintenace on their tech, social skills, or animal care.

As you say, "Hasn't factored ever in my games."

At first glance, I compare your description of optics systems with photography. I picked photography because as a technical skill it can be selected as a secondary skill. A lot of communication skills are limited for various O.C.C.'s. Smarter characters use video recording. Still, my point being, as you say, "point and press the button," I and other players see optic systems as wear and watch. Like looking through binoculars. Perhaps it is not that but perhaps photography is not as easy as "point and press" maybe some people think the same about guns. I can't say it works that way or that it does not, just that there is a skill for it. Like, "wardrobe and Grooming" some players imagine it differently and that they don't need it to put a headband around their elf's ears.

Field armorer and Recognize Weapon Quality: Some are of the opinion that having the W.P. in the weapon is enough to Recognize its quality and perform all the necessary maintenance for that weapon alone.

Part of doing this guide to skills is to establish what a player can and can't do without certain skills. This is the right "place" to bring it up.

So, assume you are correct about everything?

Nightvision:
A. Googles/sunglasses: Can't use without the skill Optic systems?
B. bionic eyes with nightvision: can use without skill?
C. Psionic and Spell versions of nightvision - can use without skill?
D. Racial / natural ability nightvision. Can use without skill?
Photography:
A. If you have a camera: You can use without skill? point and click?

In my experience no two Rifts games are alike. Most games I have player or GM'd skills play a large part of the game, including planning and preparing for combat.

First, dance and sing? These are gold - challenge the big bad to a dance off? You do know vampire intelligences can sing, right? Distraction with a singing voice? I guess you haven't seen the Robotech series?

Escape Artist isn't just escaping from handcuffs, ropes - it is understanding the skill involved; think modern day magician. A spell caster keeping their hands out of sight while casting? And just because your players don't sound like they are playing a real character; that is not the case in my experience. Most people don't want to die. Heck most fights end in one side or the other surrendering in my experience; sure demons, vampires and certain extremists might fight to the death but most try to escape.

Forgery / Impersonation have got many players past Coalition troops without combat. Remember avoiding combat means avoiding unnecessarily killing and possibly avoiding your own deaths.

Interrogation is necessary. Torture doesn't actually work - people will say anything to make it stop? How do you know what they say is the truth? Well that is what the interrogation skill does. Spot the lies.

Personally every skill is useful - as GM your job is to make the skills the party have useful in your game.

BUT overall "know your players" - if your groups wants to play a combat heavy game (and you want to GM that sort of game) then do that. For me I don't run games where the party are evil. A cyberknight breaks his code? He immediately loses the ability to summon his psi-sword, and probably most other powers too. Even if he atones he will have a lot explaining to the council. Anyhow appreciate what you are trying to do but Rifts is far too diverse to say some skills are not needed, it depends on the imagination of the players and GM. All my opinions, have fun.

darthauthor wrote:As you write, depending on play styles. Most of my players don't have the patience for maintenace on their tech, social skills, or animal care.

As you say, "Hasn't factored ever in my games."

At first glance, I compare your description of optics systems with photography. I picked photography because as a technical skill it can be selected as a secondary skill. A lot of communication skills are limited for various O.C.C.'s. Smarter characters use video recording. Still, my point being, as you say, "point and press the button," I and other players see optic systems as wear and watch. Like looking through binoculars. Perhaps it is not that but perhaps photography is not as easy as "point and press" maybe some people think the same about guns. I can't say it works that way or that it does not, just that there is a skill for it. Like, "wardrobe and Grooming" some players imagine it differently and that they don't need it to put a headband around their elf's ears.

Field armorer and Recognize Weapon Quality: Some are of the opinion that having the W.P. in the weapon is enough to Recognize its quality and perform all the necessary maintenance for that weapon alone.

Part of doing this guide to skills is to establish what a player can and can't do without certain skills. This is the right "place" to bring it up.

So, assume you are correct about everything?

Nightvision:
A. Googles/sunglasses: Can't use without the skill Optic systems?
B. bionic eyes with nightvision: can use without skill?
C. Psionic and Spell versions of nightvision - can use without skill?
D. Racial / natural ability nightvision. Can use without skill?
Photography:
A. If you have a camera: You can use without skill? point and click?

The comparison between optics and photography is apt and you have a good point there. Both can be taken as secondary skills. But they also raise the nub of the question - what can't you do without the skill? Point and click, wear and watch - the thing of the matter is that consumer level products (whether googles, binoculars, phones, cameras, translators, laptops, etc.) are made to be somewhat idiot proof for the most part. IRL no one trained me on the use of my smart phone. However, I had to develop the skill to build my own apps for that phone in order to use it beyond the baseline consumer suite of capabilities. The same is true with optics and cameras. Need a picture, point and click. Need a picture for a forensic investigation which is not something most people do, then use the skill - orange. Need to look at a bird through binoculars - look and see. Need to calibrate a telescopic rifle scope to target a marker 500 yards out which is not what most people need to do, then use the skill - orange. However, given the prevalence of and need for weapons carried by PCs, I suggested possibly green for optics as perhaps there is greater need for the skill in the world of Rifts than IRL.

The reference to elf ears and a headband is in a similar vein. Anyone can put on a hat, wig or headband to hide ears, but it is the knowing of when and how to do so or not to do so that is the essence of the skill. For example, in one of the Trek movies Spock hides his ears with a headband and attracts undue attention. However, in the TV show, he often dons a wool hat and doesn't attract any attention. It could be argued he tried to use commonsense as he saw it and got it wrong. But had he the skill, in the movie the hedband would have indicated he failed his roll.

WPs are another great example. They allow for maintenance and use with bonuses. No WP, no maintenance or bonus, but you can still use the weapon (RUE pg 328). However, RWQ goes that much beyond and is not limited by weapon type. It allows for assessing the quality of production, whether there are any flaws that might lead to catastrophic failure, whether it is traceable/stolen, and what it's value is. None of which can be done without the singular RWQ skill or a combination of other skills. The WPs don't cover this either.

There is no skill other than some of the advanced mechanics skills that allow for repairs to armor. That alone makes field armorer somewhat necessary for those not mechanically inclined. It also allows for a variety of tasks in relation to ammo and explosives that would also require a combination of skills to cover.

So, RWQ and field armorer are composite skills that are important as they simplify/reduce skill rolls and free up skill slots for a number of skill selections without compromising the coverage of essential knowledge in those areas specific to arms and armor.

Comparison of skills to "natural" abilities is a bit of a non sequitur. Those born to those abilities either have them listed in the books or simply do them, no different than putting on a jacket or walking a couple miles down the road. Psi/magical abilities are learned as part of learning/practicing the spell/power to get to the initial level of ability.

Acquired abilities, like cyber eyes, take time to adjust. Like a smart phone, where one can easily make a call but may not necessarily know how to transfer files between two phones by touching them together, bioware should have an intuitive aspect as well as an adjustment aspect. So walk on new cyber leg or see through a cyber eye, easy. Use the auto ejector upgrade to shoot a grappling hook from a secret compartment on your hip, needs practice. SB5 pg 66 goes into this in more detail.

hup7 wrote:Personally every skill is useful - as GM your job is to make the skills the party have useful in your game.

BUT overall "know your players" - if your groups wants to play a combat heavy game (and you want to GM that sort of game) then do that. For me I don't run games where the party are evil. A cyberknight breaks his code? He immediately loses the ability to summon his psi-sword, and probably most other powers too. Even if he atones he will have a lot explaining to the council. Anyhow appreciate what you are trying to do but Rifts is far too diverse to say some skills are not needed, it depends on the imagination of the players and GM. All my opinions, have fun.

This sentiment exactly

Hup7,

Very well written.

Its my experiences with whom I am playing or GMing that have shaped the way I view things.

The skill guides colors are like Ratty's guide to spells.
Some spells, like "armor of Ithan" are used more than others like "Death Trance." Not only are they used more their uses make a bigger difference.

So too, some skills are used more than others and make a bigger difference.

With both skills and spells we only have so many we get to pick as our OCC Related and Secondary. Then we have to wait for level advancement like a Mystic spell caster wait for their next level to come into a new spell.

Even IF there is some rare set of circumstance when certain skills can be used to succeed on the mission most, if not all, of the gamers I game with won't pick them or use them. So much so that one in particular forgot he even had the skills until after the session.

As a GM my players are changing characters every session and their skills with them. I've had to re-write locations and villians because of how times a player came to the game with a different character from the last session. Was going on a Rift adventure to the "Splicers" dimension then one of the players showed up with a mining cyborg who would be dead in a minute if he set foot in a world of nano-machines that merged with metal killed humans who came in contact with it.

Likewise, virtually all of the time, my fellow players and GM's never surrender or retreat. Subtle infiltration is not their thing. That includes asking questions. It's like they don't ask or they torture and that's when they take someone alive.

The party never sees itself as EVIL.

More like the worst version of Han Solo from star wars but less subtle. Han Shot first

By the power of selective and subjective memory, the player's descriptions of events are colored over with intentions and beliefs.
While the cyber-knight council are not all seeing gods who know what the player character has been doing. If the character believes what he's telling and forgets to mention he gave no warning, warning shot, used excessive force, took no prisoners and took what he wanted calling it 'commandeering' and never returns it or its destroyed, he doesn't think he's EVIL.

He thinks he's Han Solo or something.

I think he would have played more in character as a Anarchist "Crazy" but I think he liked the "idea" that he was a knight even though he didn't play like one.

Anyhow appreciate your opinions

darthauthor wrote:Thank YOU Hotrod!

I stand corrected and WILL correct teh skills you have pointed out.

IF you have any more insights, please, share.

Very Respectfully,

Brett

Sure.


Sensory Equipment: This can be a tremendously useful skill for surveillance, searching, and detecting threats. Ever watch the movie Aliens, where they have scanning equipment to locate life forms and such? You can do that stuff in Rifts. The Portable Scan Dihilator on p264 of RUE can identify, locate the source, and record with radar, sonar, heat, infrared, UV, microwave and "energy sensitive instruments." Seriously, I don't know why I don't see people using that gizmo and this skill like all the time. If I was in charge of a military in Rifts I'd put one in every infantry platoon; hell, I might even put one in every squad. Fail a tracking skill roll? Try the scanner.

Horsemanship: I saw the edits you made, and I think it's worth noting that all horsemanship skills (including general and exotic) provide bonuses while on horseback, and this applies to bionic and robotic horses and arguably horse-like debees as well, making this skill somewhat superior to comparable vehicles like motorcycles.

Gardening: This can actually be quite handy if you're into mystic herbology, holistic medicine, or the making/use of toxins/poisons. Granted, you either need your own place or else some kind of hydroponic mobile greenhouse, but building up a stock of ingredients is critically important for those classes, and being able to grow your own can be quite helpful.

Dance and Sing: In the interest of consistency, I think it's worth pointing out that characters could make money from both of these, the same as they could from playing a musical instrument.

Computer Repair and Electricity Generation: Similar to the above, it's quite possible to make money from these. "The town generator's out" or "sorry, the computer's on the fritz" are both viable scenarios in which this skill could come in handy. Granted, the GM has to be a little accommodating here, but these shouldn't be all that weird or rare. Having lived and worked in places without reliable power, I can attest to how important this can be in real life.

Escape Artist: Your objection to this skill seems borne of a "defeat = death" mindset that I see a lot in tabletop RPGs. I'd encourage you to incorporate surrender and/or disablement/capture more into your games, both for and against players. Then this skill becomes much more important.

Forgery: Even if you don't use it as a plot point (it's handy for infiltration adventures), you can always make money with it.

Impersonation: Infiltration adventures can be a lot of fun. You should try one sometime. This is as useful as Undercover Ops.

Interrogation: Yeah, this tends to get roleplayed, but it provides an additional means of extracting information (M.A. intimidation/trust being another).

Pick Pockets: At low skill levels, yeah, no-one uses it. If it gets high enough to where it's a viable option, it's handy. That doesn't make it useless; it's just more of a high-level tool.

Mechanics skills: Automotive and Basic are useful as money-makers, even if they don't come in handy as plot points. Bioware Mechanics is important for repairing damaged cybernetics and bionics. If your group has a borg, this skill should be important for sustaining that character's combat abilities. Robot Mechanics should be orange according to your color code, just as Robot Electronics is.

Vehicle armorer should be orange or green, in my opinion. If your party has a "party wagon" vehicle, this skill should be blue, as it will help the group's mobile base survive fights.

Cybernetic Medicine is important for Cyber-Docs; if a party member takes and M.D.C. shot and isn't insta-killed, this usually means that a limb or major organ is gone, and this skill is what can restore the player character's ability to function. I wouldn't make it red.

Veterinary Science can be a money-maker. I wouldn't have it as a red skill.

For physical skills, I'd consider making *any* skill with a P.E. bonus a green skill. P.E. bonuses mean more P.P.E. for magic users, and getting a character's P.E. above 16 confers some nice saving throw bonuses against magic.

For climbing, it's not useless per se, but there are *so* many different ways to get around needing this skill: jet packs, grappling hooks/winches... it's rare that a character will need it, though it can be useful for stealth builds infiltrating buildings/walled compounds. I'd make it orange.

Juggling should be orange or green, if only for the initiative bonus (not a lot of sources for initiative bonuses, and getting the first shot in can make a big difference). It could also be a minor money-maker.

Kick boxing should be green. It's a nice combat skill to have, especially for player characters with robot/supernatural strength that's too low to allow them to punch with the same damage they can achieve with a roundhouse kick. The stat bonuses are nice too, especially the P.E.

Running in particular should be green or blue. If you let characters roll skills and assign them to attributes, a handy trick is to assign your lowest attribute to Speed and then select running. Throw in the P.E. bonus? Yeah, this one's a blue for me.

SCUBA is especially useless since anyone in EBA doesn't need it anyway.

Swimming is situational; I'd make it orange.

I'd make Wrestling a green, possibly a blue. Its knockdown attack is very handy, and it's got that P.E. bonus I like so much.

I'd make most piloting skills orange. Being able to drive a given type of vehicle is going to be handy for some situation, and if the player character chooses to use a specific type of vehicle, that piloting skill just became important.

Paddle boats and sailboats should stay red, though. These are useful in low-tech settings only.

Water skiing and surfing should stay red. There's no practical use for these skills.

Jet packs should be blue. Seriously, jet packs are freaking awesome. They're cheap, light, and fast. Even if you don't use them in combat, they're an outstanding way to travel quickly over difficult terrain.

Weapon Systems should be green or blue. This isn't just for pilots; it's for anyone who wants to man a turret or weapon, and the bonus is quite nice. It's also handy for rapid reloading.

I'd make Computer Hacking orange. It's highly situational, but I've seen a player use this skill a lot for breaking into captured/wrecked enemy vehicles onboard computers to get information (hey, they have a full dossier on us!), access base security systems whilst infiltrating, and create all kinds of havoc.

Concealment should be orange or green. Having a concealed weapon is nice.

I'd make safe-cracking orange. While M.D. weapons or cutters can open a safe, they'll often destroy its contents if those contents are SDC.

Seduction: Frankly, I find it hilarious every time this skill gets used. It doesn't mean you have to move right into a collaborative improvised erotic scene; it means the other person is extra distracted and vulnerable.

Astronomy & Navigation: To me, this is just as viable as the Navigation skill. It has a higher base and per-level % than Land Navigation, and just 5% lower than the Navitation skill. This skill may be the best of the three for OCCs with high Science skill bonuses.

Astrophysics: This could be useful for space-based games in the Three Galaxies

Botany: See Gardening. This can be a very important skill for characters who use herbal medicine, magic, and/or poisons/toxins.

Chemistry skills can be money-makers, especially the pharmaceutical. I'd make them orange.

I'd make Math: Basic a green skill, maybe even a blue one. Some GMs are sticklers about this for characters who are making basic business deals. Sure, there are ways around this, but basic math is pretty important in real life.

Computer programming is required for hacking. It's also handy of you want to custom make or modify tech to perform certain functions. Plus there's always the money-making aspects as well. I'd make it orange.

History: pre and post apocalypse should be orange. Pre is important for exploring and understanding old ruins and the significance/value of pre-Rifts artifacts. Post is handy as an all-around lore skill for Rifts Earth with an additional specialty.

Leather Working could be a green skill if the GM allows a player to make armor out of M.D.C. leather. Otherwise it's a minor money maker.

I'd make most Lore skills orange.


I'd make all W.P.s at least orange by default.

Archery should be green. There is a wide variety of magic and high-tech arrowheads that make bows incredibly versatile as weapons and tools. Plus they're very quiet.

For your question on W.P. knife, my answer is, "conceal it."

W.P. Targeting is also important for throwing hand grenades. I'd make it green.

W.P. Shotgun also allows player characters to use a wide variety of different munitions, making it handy as a tool and weapon. (see the Wilderness Scout NPC Generator in the link on my sig below for some examples of this)

Hope this helps!

One useful way of thinking about skills is, "what skills might I apply when I need to do XXX?"

For example, let's say you need to find an N.P.C. You might use:
Track Humanoids
Track & Trap Animals (with a penalty)
Read Sensory Equipment (with a portable scan dihilator)
Intelligence (What do I know about this dude and where he might go?)
Crime Scene Investigation (did he leave something behind that could clue me in?)
Interrogation (I saw you meeting with him. Where would he go?)
Surveillance (he'll likely come back here, this will let me know when he does)
Breed dogs (OK, Sparky, this is the smell you're looking for. Find him!)
Roadwise (I can take this shortcut and head him off)
Streetwise (I'll ask around)
Seduction (Baby, I can't believe that scrub dumped you and never paid you back. I should go pay him a visit. Where would he be now?)
Lore (Ok, this guy is a ____, and they tend to congregate in places like _____)
Photography (I got a good-quality picture of him. Time to make a wanted poster!)
Research (Let's look up his local records and see where he might have gone)
W.P. Archery (I hit him with a tracer bug!)
Hunting (for the tracking animals bonus)

A lot of players focus on combat, and understandably so, but in many cases there are lots of ways in which characters can apply skills to solve their problems, and the more different approaches you have, the more likely you are to succeed at what you're trying to do. This becomes even more of a factor if your character has special abilities to meet a certain kind of need. For example, in the above case, a Dog Boy could bring in scent tracking and supernatural tracking (if the quarry is psychic or a magic user), plus an extra sensitive power to boot like Object Read, or Remote Viewing in addition to many of those skills above.

It occurs to me now that since characters in Rifts Earth could have come from other dimensions like Heroes Unlimited, Ninjas and Superspies, Mystic China, Nightbane, Beyond the Supernatural, andn Palladium Fantasy the skills in those books could be including in "this" skill ranking.

The difference, I feel, is that the chance to use the skills are limited by technology, materials, time, and relevance. An obscure board game from Japan or China you have to teach someone how to play to have someone to play with in Rifts Earth Minnesota.

From Palladium Fantasy 2nd Ed:

Breed Humanoids : Someone pointed this out. It is from The Rifter 38? In the section on slavery in Palladium fantasy. There is slaver in Rifts Earth and not just the Splugorth Slavers. So the skill is basically the humanoid equal of Breed Dogs. Story / Profession skill. Basically a villain skill. Counted as both a science skill and technical skill. In theory, the skill would be very useful for a villain who wanted to create a slave army or slaves with certain psychic powers. Also, in theory, would be useful in trianing humanoids. No one beats the Rogue Scholar when it come to educating but that does not mean others can not use skill(s) to control and command others. Granted, any ethical person would not take a slave or keep one, slavery can have some overlap with keeping prison convicts. In the history of slavery, which covers a lot of human history, people could sell themselves as slave for lack of jobs and food. Criminals were sold as slaves with the money going to their victims or the slave had to work for the one they stole from or injured for a number of years decreed by a village leader or judge.
Still, the use of this skill at the game table, other then by a villain is not advised. Player characters are notorious (where I play) at not taking anyone alive. Although, PC's could have a mission to free slaves. What then would they do with those who take humaniods as slave and those who brake people to be slaves? Is it ethically better to kill these people or put them in prison? Make them slaves to pay for their crimes? I doubt any Tolkeenites or retribution squads from Tolkeen would object to taking CS military as slaves or selling them as such. I don't know how this would work with a Shifter who sort of has an ability to summon and "recruit" beings to serve them. Depending on the terms of service (some shifters can be supernatural or magically in ways that give them longevity compared to other species), their recruit will live their whole life and die before the Shifter has to release them. Summary - slavery bad. Making people make up for their crimes good. Training, good when the "student" wants to learn and what you have to teach them empowers them (self sufficiency, will make you money or such). Many a humanoid "committed" themselves to a "master" to learn Temporal Magic in exchange for years of their faithful "service." I guess it's not slavery if, at any time, you can quit and walk away. Although, the master might be a bit "upset" if their "apprentice" ran away before they "served" the years they had agreed to after learned the magic spells they wanted.

Blacksmithing & Metalwork : Has a wild wild West feel. Someone has to make horse-shoes. A knight's armor does not make itself. As an adventurer's skill? Basic Repair & Maintenance should take care of when your horse loses a shoe. This is a profession skill. Playing in the New West this skill would seem appropriate. Compete in the "Forged in FIre" show.
I imagined, in Rifts Earth, there are factories that churn out armor, bullets, knives, swords, etc. Basically, this skill only has value where trade with cities does not exist or is too expensive. In short, smithing's value increase the farther one gets from civilizations and trade with them.

Falconry : I guess its like a hunting dog but with less versitility. Might be good for distracting a spell caster, flying in the face of an opponent and slash at him with its claws for up to two attacks. But, so is shooting the spell caster. In theory, I could imagine these birds have "silver talons" to attack with.
As a GM, I'd allow the character to use this skill to train and send birds or other birds as message carriers. Real life pigeons without magic or whatever avion suitable substitute that would do.
Just for laughs and fun, I would also allow the character to train chickens to fight.
Under certain conditions this skill could be used by spy / espionage types to carry information undectable via detect magic or technological means and would not be blocks by jamming spells or their techno equivalent.

Locate Secret Compartments/Doors : A specialized version of Detect concealment. Practically a pre-req for a theif or spy/operative who wants to search a place for valuables or secrets that someone would not put in an obvious metal safe. Should work on clothes and such like finding a secret compartment on a coat or heel of a boot.

Use & Recognize Poison : People with this skill are trained in the use of poisons and toxins of all types. This includes the use and preparations of poison from plants, roots, mushrooms, animals and insect venom, and other deadly substances, as well as antidotes.
A lot of potential if you are playing undercover and can put poison in someones food or drink. Dip your arrows in poison and make your victims roll a save.

Lore — Geomancy or Ley Lines : Seems logical in Rifts Earth that multiple guilds, organizations, and such would have records on the features, history, and whereabouts of all the Ley Lines they know of and have heard about. Maybe think of it like streetwise for Ley Lines and their history and areas around them. As the Shifter has Lore : Dimensions I imagine a Ley Line Walker would choose this as one of their 4 Lore OCC skills to select from.

Lore — Religion : Immediately I can think of vampires and the character who has this can turn water into Holy Water. Also, might be fun to perform a wedding and funeral services. Could be a great story way to get people to open up about the goings on in small villages. Might have instant credibility and trust with some people.

Ninjas and Superspies:

Go : An intellectual game of the East, like Chess is in the Western world. Flavor Skill.

Desert Survival : Situational. On character creation, I imagine, a player should pick the survival skill that reflects their environment. There are a lot of ways in which "Wilderness Survail" is the same as the other "survival" skills. For example, the dangers of deydration. What is different is which environment / elements one is accustomed to exposure from among other things.
I don't believe desert survival is idential to Wilderness Survival. If this group could reach an agreement about the various survival skills it would be better than guessing.

Floral Arrangement : The artful and creative arrangement of flowers. Flavor skill.

Mountaineering : Unlike a climber, a mountaineer is experienced in the use of specialized mountain climbing gear and also knows all the skills of survival in the rugged high-altitude environment. Situational.

Poetry : Creating good, and sometimes inspirational, poetry. Flavor skill.

Sports : Can include any team sport such as Baseball, Basketball, Football, Hockey, or Soccer. Adds 2D4 S.D.C. and + 1 to roll. NICE flavor skill. I can imagine a crazy or a Juicer who would want to be a sports star.

Mystic China

Chinese Classical Studies : Expert on ancient chinese classics. Flavor skill. Appropriate for a Rogue Scholar. Value depends on the situation and what the GM will allow.

Writing : The ability to write prose (stories), poems or journalistically (articles/news). In Rifts most are illiterate. A skill for reporters and authors. Profession skill. Can be used for undercover work.

Role-Playing Game Design : Gives characters the ability to drive themselves beyond exhaustion, and to keep incredible hours without food or sleep. Attribute Bonus: + 1 to P.E. Flavor Skill but it comes with a P.E. bonus
* Could be used to allow limited metagaming if PC travels to a dimension that reflects a RPG they play - maybe treat as a lore skill
* Figure out puzzles based on models seen in games
* Storytelling to keep people engaged / distracted
* Come up with catchy names for creatures or phenomena they encounter and catalog

Geomancy : This allows the character to evaluate the exact amount of Chi in any area. Basically useless without chi powers. I read some-where chi can be gotten out of ley lines and everyone can "see" those.

Shell Game : It's the same the world over. All the character needs is a flat surface, three shells (or cups, or bowls), a pea, and a gullible customer. Flavor skill like gambling Dirty Tricks

Splicers

Vital Points : Incredible skill that costs two attack melee actions to get "one" bonus, they must call before rolling, from the following: +3 to strike on a "Called Shot," or +3 to disarm, or +4 to pin and incapacitate, or knockout/stun on
an unmodified roll of 16-20 to organic opponents, or a Critical Strike on a Natural, unmodified, roll of 18-20.

Dentistry : Profession skill
* Again... vampires and analysis of bite marks.
* However, dentistry could also be about providing basic healthcare/wound dressing.
* In the old days, if there were no doctors around, you'd go to the barber who often doubled as a dentist.
* The ability to carve or make replicas of small items made of wood, ivory, clay, etc. might come in handy for things other than dentures.
* Dentistry could also give some knowledge of pain medication.
* Dentistry might also come in handy when dealing with working with gold, silver or mercury compounds.

Toxicology : poisons, venoms and toxins, their manufacture, composition and antidotes.

Blind Fighting : Basically if you lose your sight from the "Blinding Flash" spell or "Cloud of Smoke" you suffer only half the penalties. Get some nice bonuses with body fighting

Resist Torture : A weak Buff skill. Since most of the players I know give up and want a new character after being captured this skill is useless, to them. A James Bond 007 character would have this to hold out until they escape or are rescued.

Trap Construction : In theory, great when you have time to prepare an ambush.

Teamster : If having a horse or such is good, this goes along with it. The character can skillfully drive a wagon or other vehicles drawn by a team of animals. A lot of Flavor here if you are playing in Rifts New West. Not as free as riding a single horse but good for a party of adventurers when you run out of gas or such.

Sleight of Hand : Buff skill for Thieves and Rogues. Minor escape artist.

Genetics : A story / profession skill. IF allowed, with the right equipment this skill is almost too good as it may be possible to duplicate the advantages of genetic manipulation cilivization had during the Golden Age of Man before the coming of the Rifts. See Chaos Earth.

W.P. Armor : Training in use of armor one is wear to strike others in melee combat; especially if the armor has spikes. Almost everyone is going to wear MD armor when they are not under the protection of "Armor of Ithan." I admit no one would use this when they can blast or have a sword or something. Its good for when you are "out" (PPE, ISP, E-clip) and for some reason you have lost your sword or knife. Damage: 1D6 S.D.C. or M.D. damage based on their construction. Bonuses: + 1D6 damage (added to normal punch or Splicer P.S. damage) at levels two and eight.

W.P. Reverse Stroke : A practiced combat move in which the character learns to strike an opponent behind him, without first turning around to meet his attacker, using anyone-handed weapon or with the butt of a spear, pole arm or other twohanded weapon in which the character has a Weapon Proficiency.

Looking for skills to add to the list.

Can anyone think of a skill they would like to see or use in Rifts Earth?

When in a pinch and the players are trying to do something we usually stretch their existing skills or make an attribute roll or they just can't do it.

I guess it is about what you want to accomplish and how you want to get it done.

WP Knife is also used for vibro-claws which can do the same damage or even better than a vibro sword.

Surveillance Systems and Electrical Engineer together are an important combination of skills to bypass alarms and other security systems. Very important in my games at least, whether you're looking to escape a CS prison, sneak though a military facility or break into a bank vault.

Pick locks seems like a no brainer to be at least green, unless that's only because Locksmith is better.

Streetwise is an amazing skill! Maybe it has to do with the kind of games I run, but having a skill that allows players to access the black market , hear street chatter and rumours, etc. is very useful and can help move the sorry forward.

Thanks Grand Master Zob,

I completely did not know about the vibro-claws; like wolverine I suppose.

Question. Should I list the Streetwise : Drugs as a skill or should it all be just Streetwise?

darthauthor wrote:W.P. Reverse Stroke : A practiced combat move in which the character learns to strike an opponent behind him, without first turning around to meet his attacker, using anyone-handed weapon or with the butt of a spear, pole arm or other two-handed weapon in which the character has a Weapon Proficiency.

The above text describes a Material Arts move or technique or kata, not a WP.

drewkitty ~..~ wrote:

darthauthor wrote:W.P. Reverse Stroke : A practiced combat move in which the character learns to strike an opponent behind him, without first turning around to meet his attacker, using anyone-handed weapon or with the butt of a spear, pole arm or other two-handed weapon in which the character has a Weapon Proficiency.

The above text describes a Material Arts move or technique or kata, not a WP.

Thanks Drewkitty.

How should I handle it though?

I found it in Palladium Splicers as a W.P.

So...

I guess the designer intended it to be a skill you could have at 1st level instead of waiting until you are high enough in Hand to Hand: Martial Artist.

So I guess it is reduntant?

What do you think, Drewkitty, is the best way to handle it?

Ignore it?

Only works in "Splicers" Dimension?

darthauthor wrote:Thanks Grand Master Zob,

I completely did not know about the vibro-claws; like wolverine I suppose.

Question. Should I list the Streetwise : Drugs as a skill or should it all be just Streetwise?

Streetwise: Drugs is it's own skill I believe that appears in Juicer Uprising and is a lot less useful. Generally I would tell a player to take Streetwise and assume that will also suit if they really need drugs for some reason.

Friend told me about some skills I missed:

Desensitization (Military and Secondary) : You watch so many horror movies and seen so many dead bodies nothing scares you anymore. +1 vs HF at lvls 1, 4, 7, 10 and 13. If O.C.C. Skill, also gets bonuses M.E.

Observation (Espionage/Secondary) : Pick out details from the general information, and to correlate those details in the spur of the moment. Play Sherlok Holmes.
If an O.C.C. Skill, +5% to Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment, Tracking, Trap/Mine Detection, Find Contraband, Photography, and Track Animals.


Manipulation (Rogue/Secondary) : Play Good Cop Bad Cop. Get someone to trust you are fear you in a short short period of time.

Information Management (Espionage) : spread information through public and covert channels, you may use this to pass disinformation. Basically marketing and advertizing but maybe at an underworld/spy-world level.

The 1st thing to remember that that skill is a part of the Splicers Game. Having it restricted to that Game is the thing to do. Unless you have the GM's permission to bring it into some other of the PB games.

You could treat is like a weapons Kata, where you gain it at the cost of a OCC Related skill slot. Might have it restricted to chars of L5 or L7. Or maybe having it restricted to those chars with a +5 to perception.

Me looking at it as a GM looking for reality, I'd use the perception restriction. If I was going to allow it to be brought into an other PB Game I was GMing.

The point of the skill review is to highlight the skills most frequently used and which have the greatest usefulness in a "normal" game session.

Part of my assumption is that skills in one Palladium game is good to use in another.

The limitations being relevance.
So underwater navigation is not going to be relevant in role-playing in a bar, tracking and sneaking up on a CS search and destory squad, jamming their radios before the attack, how to retreat to camo MD fortifications when the tide turns, etc.

When things get too complicated I believe it is best, as you suggest, to leave it out.

Sea Holistic Medicine 20% + 5% from the Coalition Navy

Juicer Technology 40% + 5% from Juicer Uprising
So I guess this is for when you want to convert someone to a juicer or detox them or salvage / repair a juicer harness.

Carpentry is a great skill for a group that has a TW Lumber Mill (especially if it has an Ironwood option) print boards of MDC material & make ablative wood plating for your vehicle, make quick overnight fortifications, board up an exit, build a house, reinforce a town you are defending. An MDC tatami mat made with MDC wood & fibers is incredibly versatile.

Wood can be carved, lathed, whittled, joined, fashioned, & worked with than steel in a lot of ways, & if you can print out MDC versions for free then it's even better. Make a traditional wagon & hide some hover jets under it & you have a vehicle you can repair easily & modify for use. Make something like a snow fence from MDC wood & concertina wire to toss around your camp at night. Jam doors with wedges, etc. Wood is a fantastic material. You can build all kinds of thinks with it

I missed a few skills from the GM's Guide

From the Domestic tree:

Bonsai - 50%+4%; So this skill is basically useless for combat and almost anything else. I'd say it would mean something to another bonsai enthusiast. As a GM I'd have to offer a stat bonus to M.E. of +1 but it is not in the book.

Floral Arrangement (Ikebana) - 30%+3%; Again another flavor skill. If it is your profession you could justify it. The flower business is profitable for a few. As a GM I would off a first impression charm bonus to the recipent on those who do a really good job on flowers. Well, you could have someone put them together for you. I'd also say you could identify flowers, some traditions behind them (yellow roses are for friendship), and which are safe to eat. Probably how to grow some also.

Go - 30%+5%; I guess the Chess game of the East. Flavor but as a GM I'd give an I.Q. +1 it is a game of strategy. Other than that it is a flavor/story skill.

Poetry (Haiku) - 35%+5%; Poetry is poetry. It is flavor but it is story rich. The text say, "In North America, City Rats have taken to writing Haiku and other forms of poetry." I don't do it but I imagine to write good poetry is challenging. I think there should be a bonus for those you succeed at it but a temporary affect that boost your M.A. or P.B. charm. The opportunities to use this may be few and that is why I would give a bonus for its success.

Cyberjacking (Criminals only) - 50+3%: Basically it lets the character operate, program and hack a computer 10 times faster than someone can with a keyboard and mouse. With the challenges that come with the psionic use of the power "Machine Ghost." The skill requires the character to have Computer Operations. I imagine it is like astral projection in that the rest of the party is left out of their adventure and is more of a side quest for them. In theory, if a connection could be made the hacker could hijack a skel-bot or something. I would probably treat it like the Necromancer spell that lets them possess a zombie or animated dead and pilot the corpse. Highly situational and totally dependent on a computer or robot around worth hacking.

Lore: The Cities: 20% +5% : I believe this skill comes form the character having lived in a city or at least being trained by those who have. It includes the location of one or more of the major cities lived in, it's common laws, operating procedures, celebrities, customs, politics, populary sports teams, and even fashions, dress, appearance of city dwellers. Includes how to spot out of towners in your city or when out of town the clothes and body language of those from your city. Where to find legit stores and services in the city and clues about illicit or illegit business. The player will also know people in the city whom they have done business with or have social relations (good contacts who won't report them, may take them in for a day or two, can inform them of current events and trends in the city). Examples include the CS: Chi-Town, Tolkeen, Free Quebec, FoM: City of Brass, Atlantis, Berlin, etc.

Man would I like to finally get a book on Chi-Town.
That and a half a dozen other books in that have supposedly started but not finished.
Lazlo
New Lazlo
Federation of Magic
Silvereno
Chaos Earth: First Responders and Psychic Scream
Antarctica
Living Nowhere