TEXT: Design Contributions:
  Charles Rice
  Chris Davis
  Dominic Covey
  Cover:
  Jeremy Simmons
  Interior Art:
  John Longenbaugh
  V Shane
  Joseph Wigﬁeld
  Chris Martinez
  The following material except for material deﬁned 
  as product identity (see license at end of book) is 
  Open Game Content, and is licensed for public use 
  under the terms of the Open Game License v1.0a. All 
  illustrations, pictures, and diagrams are Product identity 
  and property of RPGObjects™.
  www.RPGObjects.com
  
  The�modern�system�
  Page 2
  Introduction
  Welcome to RPObjects’ Modern System
  RPGObjects has been designing modern 
  system products for some time now.  In essence, 
  modern is the corner stone of our game lines.  
  As one of the ﬁrst and leading publishers for the 
  modern system, we felt it was time to give our 
  own personal vision of this great system.
  The goal of this book is to provide a deﬁnitive 
  source for all of our general, non-FX modern 
  rules.  It is essentially an alternate modern 
  core rulebook, or to put it another way, it 
  is RPGObjects’ Modern System Reference 
  Document.
  If you have many of our modern books, 
  this supplement will give you one convenient 
  source for all the general material likely to see 
  play in your modern games along with most of 
  the material in the Modern System Reference 
  Documents. If you don’t have all the Blood books 
  (shame on you ﬁrst of all) this book will give you 
  a glimpse at some of the quality material you’ve 
  missed. 
  Either way, all the information you’ll need to 
  play modern games will be collected in this one, 
  searchable format. With information on character 
  generation and a sample, annotated character 
  sheet this also makes a great guide for new 
  modern players and gamemasters. 
  And since we’re not dead yet, as our catalogue 
  expands this book will continue to grow and 
  evolve, showing the limitless possibilities of 
  modern system gaming.
  -Chris Davis & Charles Rice
  CHAPTER 1: CHARACTERS 
  4
  Ability Scores 
  4
  Ability Modiﬁers 
  4
  Use Of Ability Scores 
  4
  Changing Ability Scores 
  4
  Generating Ability Scores 
  5
  Class and Level Beneﬁts 
  6
  Basic Character Classes 
  6
  The Strong Hero 
  7
  The Fast Hero 
  8
  The Tough Hero 
  10
  The Smart Hero 
  11
  The Dedicated Hero 
  13
  The Charismatic Hero 
  15
  Multiclass Characters 
  17
  Starting Occupation 
  18
  Academic 
  18
  Adventurer 
  18
  Astronaut Trainee 
  19
  Athlete 
  19
  Blue Collar 
  19
  Celebrity 
  19
  Colonist 
  19
  Creative 
  19
  Criminal 
  19
  Dilettante 
  20
  Doctor 
  20
  Drifter 
  20
  Gladiator 
  20
  Heir 
  20
  Emergency Services 
  20
  Entrepreneur 
  21
  Investigative 
  21
  Law Enforcement 
  21
  Military 
  21
  Outcast 
  21
  Religious 
  21
  Rural 
  21
  Scavenger 
  22
  Student 
  22
  Technician 
  22
  Transporter 
  22
  White Collar 
  22
  Action Points 
  22
  Allegiances 
  23
  Pledging Allegiance 
  23
  Allegiances And Inﬂuence 
  23
  Reputation 
  23
  Fame And Infamy 
  24
  Using The Reputation Bonus 
  24
  Allies 
  24
  CHAPTER 2: SKILLS 
  26
  Skill Basics 
  26
  Getting Skills 
  26
  Using Skills 
  26
  Acquiring Skill Ranks 
  26
  Skill Checks 
  26
  Skill Descriptions 
  28
  CHAPTER 3: FEATS 
  54
  Feat Descriptions 
  54
  Feat Name 
  54
  Feats 
  54
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  
  1. GENERATE ABILITY SCORES
  Use one of the methods outline 
  in Chapter 1 to generate your 
  starting ability scores.
  2. CHOOSE CLASS
  Choose your starting base class from 
  one presented in Chapter 1.
  15. SELECT TALENT
  Select your ﬁrst talent from a talent 
  tree of your chosen base class.
  3. HIT POINTS
  Select your ﬁrst talent from 
  a talent tree of your chosen 
  base class.
  4. DEFENSE
  Calculate your character’s defense:
   10 + class bonus + Dex modiﬁer
  6. SPEED
  Human characters 
  have a base speed 
  of 30ft.
  10. BASE ATTACK BONUS
  Your chosen base class  (see 
  class table) determines your 
  base attack bonus.
  5. INITIATIVE
  You characters initiative modiﬁer 
  equals you Dex modiﬁer. 
  8. REPUTATION
  Your chosen base class (see class table) 
  determines your Reputation bonus.
  9. SAVING THROWS
  Calculate your character’s saving 
  throws.  Your chosen base class 
  (see class table) determines your 
  base saves and modiﬁed by your 
  ability scores.
  Fortitude = base + Con Modiﬁer
  Reﬂex = base + Dex Modiﬁer
  Will = base + Wis Modiﬁer
  11. MELEE ATTACK BONUS
  Calculate your character’s melee attack bonus.
  Melee = base attack + Str Modiﬁer
  12. RANGED ATTACK BONUS
  Calculate your character’s ranged attack bonus.
  Ranged = base attack + Dex Modiﬁer
  7. ACTION POINTS
  Your character receives 
  5 action points.
  13. CHOOSE OCCUPATIONS
  Choose your starting occupation from 
  one presented in Chapter 1.
  14. SPEND SKILL POINTS
  Spend your starting skills points, 
  determined by your chosen base class 
  and intelligence modiﬁer.  See Chapter 
  2 for rules on spending skill points.
  16. SELECT FEATS
  All human characters start with two 
  feats.  Some characters gain a bonus 
  feat from their occupation.  Choose 
  feats from Chapter 3.
  17. CALCULATE WEALTH AND BUY GEAR
  All human characters start with two feats.  
  Some characters gain a bonus feat from their 
  occupation.  Choose feats from Chapter 3.
  CREATING YOUR MODERN CHARACTER
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  Ability Scores
  Every character has six basic Ability Scores:
  Strength (STR)
  Dexterity (DEX)
  Constitution (CON)
  Intelligence (INT)
  Wisdom (WIS)
  Charisma (CHA) 
  The Score of these Abilities ranges from 0 to inﬁnity.  
  A limit, if any, will be speciﬁed in the rules.  The 
  normal human range is 3 to 18. It is possible for a 
  creature to have a score of “none”.  A score of “none” 
  is not the same as a score of “0”.  A score of “none” 
  means that the creature does not possess the ability at 
  all.  The modiﬁer for a score of “none” is +0.
  A character with a CON of 0 is dead.  A 0 in any 
  other score means the character is helpless and cannot 
  move.
  Keeping track of negative ability score points is 
  never necessary. A character’s ability score can’t drop 
  below 0. 
  Ability Modiﬁers
  Each ability will have a modiﬁer. The modiﬁer can be 
  calculated using this formula: 
  (ability/2) -5 [round result down] 
  The modiﬁer is the number you add to or subtract 
  from the die roll when your character tries to do 
  something related to that ability. A positive modiﬁer 
  is called a bonus, and a negative modiﬁer is called a 
  penalty. 
  Use Of Ability Scores
  Strength
  Any creature that can physically manipulate other 
  objects has at least 1 point of Strength. 
  A creature with no Strength score can’t exert force, 
  usually because it has no physical body or because 
  it doesn’t move. The creature automatically fails 
  Strength checks. If the creature can attack, it applies 
  its Dexterity modiﬁer to its base attack instead of a 
  Strength modiﬁer. 
  Dexterity
  Any creature that can move has at least 1 point of 
  Dexterity. 
  A creature with no Dexterity score can’t move. If it 
  can act, it applies its Intelligence modiﬁer to initiative 
  checks instead of a Dexterity modiﬁer. The creature 
  fails all Reﬂex saves and Dexterity checks. 
  Constitution
  If a character’s Constitution changes enough to alter 
  his or her Constitution modiﬁer, his or her hit points 
  also increase or decrease accordingly at the same time. 
  Any living creature has at least 1 point of 
  Constitution. 
  A creature with no Constitution has no body or no 
  metabolism. It is immune to any effect that requires 
  a Fortitude save unless the effect works on objects. 
  The creature is also immune to ability damage, ability 
  drain, energy drain, and massive damage, and always 
  fails Constitution checks. 
  Intelligence
  Any creature that can think, learn, or remember has at 
  least 1 point of Intelligence. 
  A creature with no Intelligence score is an 
  automaton, operating on simple instincts or 
  programmed instructions. It is immune to all mind-
  inﬂuencing effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, 
  patterns and morale effects) and automatically fails 
  Intelligence checks. 
  Wisdom
  Any creature that can perceive its environment in any 
  fashion has at least 1 point of Wisdom. 
  Anything with no Wisdom score is an object, not a 
  creature. Anything without a Wisdom score also has 
  no Charisma score, and vice versa. 
  Charisma
  Any creature capable of telling the difference between 
  itself and things that are not itself has at least 1 point 
  of Charisma. 
  Changing Ability Scores
  There are several ways for ability scores to change. 
  Ability scores can increase with no limit. 
  • 
  Every four levels, your character may raise an 
  ability score by one point. 
  • 
  Poisons, diseases, and other effects can cause 
  temporary ability damage. Ability points lost to 
  damage return naturally, typically at a rate of 1 
  point per day for each affected ability.
  • 
  As a character ages, some ability scores go up and 
  others go down. When an ability score changes, 
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  Dice Basics
  DICE NOTATION
  These rules use the following die notations:
  d4 = four sided die
  d6 = six sided die
  d8 = eight sided die
  d10 = ten sided die
  d12 = twelve sided die
  d20 = twenty sided die
  d% = percentile dice
  Die rolls are expressed in the format:
  [#] die type [+/- modiﬁers]
  Example: 3d6+2 means: “Roll 3 six sided dice. Add 
  the result of the three dice together. Add 2.”
  ROUNDING FRACTIONS
  In general, if you wind up with a fraction, round 
  down, even if the fraction is one-half or larger.
  Exception: Certain rolls, such as damage and hit 
  points, have a minimum of 1.
  MULTIPLYING
  Sometimes a special rule makes you multiply a 
  number or a die roll. As long as you’re applying a 
  single multiplier, multiply the number normally. 
  When two or more multipliers apply, however, 
  combine them into a single multiple, with each 
  extra multiple adding 1 less than its value to the 
  ﬁrst multiple. Thus, a double (x2) and a double (x2) 
  applied to the same number results in a triple (x3, 
  because 2 + 1 = 3).
  BASIC TASK RESOLUTION SYSTEM
  These rules assume a standardized system for 
  determining the success or failure of any given task. 
  That system is:
  d20 + Modiﬁers vs. Target Number
  The Modiﬁers and Target Number are determined 
  by the type of task.
  If the result of the d20 roll + the Modiﬁers equals 
  or exceeds the Target Number, the test is successful. 
  Any other result is a failure.
  A “natural 20” on the die roll is not an automatic 
  success. A “natural 1” on the die roll is not an 
  automatic failure, unless the rules state otherwise.
  the modiﬁer associated with that score also 
  changes.
  Generating Ability Scores
  Ability score generation should be done with an eye 
  toward the feel of the campaign. Characters with 
  lower ability scores will tend to be more “human” and 
  less heroic than a character with high ability scores. 
  Each method below is given a descriptive name in 
  keeping with the type of campaign that would use 
  such a method. These names are only guideline to 
  help the GM ﬁnd the right ability generation method 
  for his campaign. 
  True Grit
  Life is cheap in the true grit campaign and characters 
  have to take what they get. 
  Ability Generation: Roll 3d6 for each ability and 
  then assign the ability scores in the order that they 
  were rolled.
  Why do it? Use this method if you want the player 
  characters to be normal men and women thrust into 
  extraordinary circumstances of if you simply prefer a 
  more realistic, difﬁcult campaign. 
  Why not do it? Most of your players are ordinary 
  people and game for an escape from the real world. 
  Some players will also ﬁnd the lack of choice over 
  their character classes frustrating (a character who 
  loves Smart Heroes but rolls an 18 Strength and 7 
  Intelligence will have the dice steer him away from 
  his preferred class).
  Modern
  The modern campaign is the style of most games 
  where characters are clearly heroic but far from 
  superhuman.
  Ability Generation: Roll 4d6 for each ability, drop 
  the lowest die and then assign the ability scores in the 
  order of your choice.  If your total modiﬁer is 0 or 
  less, or if you do not have an ability over 13, you may 
  roll again.
  Why do it? Use this method if you want characters 
  to be above average but still have a signiﬁcant chance 
  to have a below average ability or two. This gives 
  each character a chance to have some strong ability 
  scores but also some weak ones, which encourages 
  role-playing and gives each character a better chance 
  to ﬁnd a niche.
  Why not do it? The only reason not to use this 
  method is if you want something more or less 
  powerful in keeping with the campaign’s theme.
  Point Buy (Modern)
  In the point buy system the players determine their 
  ability scores.
  Ability Generation: All abilities start at 8. Players 
  have a pool of 30 points to spend on abilities.
  Raising abilities between 9 and 14 costs 1 point 
  per ability point (for example, an ability score of 10 
  would cost 2 points while a 12 would cost 4 points). 
  Raising abilities above 14 costs 2 points per point 
  (for example, an ability to 16 would cost a total of 10 
  points; 6 points to raise to 14, 4 points to raise to 16).
  Why do it? Each player will have the character he 
  wants. If a player has an idea for a character that is 
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  strong and tough but dumb as a bag of hammers, he 
  can easily generate that character under this system. 
  Why not do it? Sometimes a player doesn’t have a 
  strong idea for his character. Some players also prefer 
  to let character creation be a spontaneous process and 
  allow the character to develop in play as he interacts 
  with the other characters. New players especially 
  might ﬁnd this ability generation method confusing or 
  overwhelming. Finally this method frequently takes 
  longer than other methods while players think about 
  the character they want and try to optimize the points 
  to represent their concept. 
  Cinematic
  In the cinematic game characters are almost too good 
  to be true and have few weaknesses. 
  Ability Generation: All abilities start with a value 
  of 8 plus 1d10. Assign the ability scores in the order 
  of your choice. 
  Why do it? If you like the idea of stories about 
  truly larger than life heroes this is the style for you. 
  Characters generated with this method will have 
  a wide range of potent ability scores, allowing for 
  characters that are smart, tough and good looking all 
  at once. If you want to run a campaign reminiscent 
  of 50’s serials such as Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers 
  where the heroes are seemingly perfect, then the 
  cinematic method is a good way to achieve that.
  Why not do it? Playing characters with weaknesses 
  is good for both the GM and the player. Having a 
  weak spot allows the GM to design an encounter to be 
  especially challenging for a PC while the player can 
  use his weak area as a great “hook” to role-play.
  Point Buy (Cinematic)
  The cinematic point buy works just like the modern 
  one only the player gains 38 to 45 points to spend 
  on abilities. The amount of the pool is up to the GM 
  depending on how cinematic he wants the campaign 
  to be. 
  Class and Level Beneﬁts
  As a character advances in level he gains a number 
  of beneﬁts from his character classes; however, some 
  beneﬁts are gained by a character regardless of their 
  class. The following table summarizes those beneﬁts 
  that all character gain as they advance in level.
  XP: This is the amount of experience need to 
  achieve that level.
  Class Skill Max Ranks: The maximum ranks of a 
  class skill.
  Cross Class Skill Max Ranks: The maximum 
  ranks of a cross class skill.
  Feats: The number of general feats the character 
  receives.  Note that non-human’s gain only one feat at 
  ﬁrst level.
  Ability Increases: The level that character’s raises 
  an ability score.
  Basic Character Classes
  Basic Class Descriptions
  Ability
  This entry tells which ability is typically associated 
  with that class.
  Hit Die
  The die type used by characters of the class to 
  determine the number of hit points gained per level.
  A player rolls one die of the given type each time 
  his or her character gains a new level. The character’s 
  Constitution modiﬁer is applied to the roll. Add the 
  result to the character’s hit point total. Even if the 
  result is 0 or lower, the character always gains at least 
  1 hit point. A 1st-level character gets the maximum hit 
  points rather than rolling (although the Constitution 
  modiﬁer is still applied).
  Action Points
  The number of action points gained per level.
  Class Skills
  This section of a class description provides a list of 
  class skills and also gives the number of skill points 
  the character starts with at 1st level and the number of 
  skill points gained each level thereafter. A character’s 
  Intelligence modiﬁer is applied to determine the 
  total skill points gained each level (but always at 
  least 1 point per level, even for a character with an 
  Intelligence penalty).
  A 1st-level character starts with 4 times the number 
  of skill points he or she receives upon attaining each 
  level beyond 1st. The maximum ranks a character can 
  have in a class skill is the character’s level +3.
  A character can also buy skills from other classes’ 
  skill lists. Each skill point buys a half rank in these 
  TABLE 1-1: LEVEL DEPENDANT BENEFITS
  Character 
  Level
  XP
  Class 
  Skill Max 
  Ranks
  Cross-Class 
  Skill Max 
  Ranks
  Feats
  Ability 
  Increases
  1st 
  0
  4
  2
  1st, 2nd 
  2nd 
  1,000
  5
  2.5
  3rd 
  3,000
  6
  3
  3rd 
  4th 
  6,000
  7
  3.5
  1st 
  5th 
  10,000
  8
  4
  6th 
  15,000
  9
  4.5
  4th 
  7th 
  21,000
  10
  5
  8th 
  28,000
  11
  5.5
  2nd 
  9th 
  36,000
  12
  6
  5th 
  10th 
  45,000
  13
  6.5
  11th 
  55,000
  14
  7
  12th 
  66,000
  15
  7.5
  6th 
  3rd 
  13th 
  78,000
  16
  8
  14th 
  91,000
  17
  8.5
  15th 
  105,000
  18
  9
  7th 
  16th 
  120,000
  19
  9.5
  4th 
  17th 
  136,000
  20
  10
  18th 
  153,000
  21
  10.5
  8th 
  19th 
  171,000
  22
  11
  20th 
  190,000
  23
  11.5
  5th 
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  cross-class skills, and a character can only buy up to 
  half the maximum ranks of a class skill.
  Starting Feats
  The feats gained at 1st level in the class.
  Class Table
  This table details how a character improves as he or 
  she attains higher levels in the class. It includes the 
  following information.
  Level: The character’s level in the class.
  Base Attack Bonus: The character’s base attack 
  bonus and number of attacks.
  Fort Save: The base save bonus for Fortitude 
  saving throws. The character’s Constitution modiﬁer 
  also applies.
  Ref Save: The base save bonus for Reﬂex saving 
  throws. The character’s Dexterity modiﬁer also 
  applies.
  Will Save: The base save bonus for Will saving 
  throws. The character’s Wisdom modiﬁer also applies.
  Class Features: Level-dependent class features, 
  each explained in the section that follows.
  Defense Bonus: The character’s bonus to Defense. 
  The character’s Dexterity modiﬁer and equipment 
  bonus also applies.
  Reputation Bonus: The character’s base 
  Reputation bonus. 
  Class Features
  This entry details special characteristics of the class, 
  including bonus feats and unique talents, that are 
  gained as a character attains higher levels in the class.
  Talents
  Every basic class offers a selection of talents to 
  choose from. A character gains a talent upon attaining 
  each odd-numbered level in a class (including 1st 
  level). Talents are considered to be extraordinary 
  abilities. Some talents have prerequisites that must be 
  met before a character can select them.
  Bonus Feats
  Every basic class offers a selection of bonus feats 
  to choose from. A character gains a bonus feat 
  upon attaining each even-numbered level in a class. 
  These bonus feats are in addition to the feats that all 
  characters receive as they attain new levels. Some 
  feats have prerequisites that must be met before a 
  character can select them.
  The Strong Hero
  Ability: Strength
  Class Information
  The following information pertains to the Strong Hero 
  base class.
  Hit Die: 1d8
  Action Points: Strong heroes gain a number of 
  action points equal to 5 + one-half their character 
  level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they 
  attain a new level in this class.
  Class Skills: The Strong hero’s class skills (and 
  the key ability for each skill) are: Climb (Str), 
  Craft (structural) (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Jump 
  (Str), Knowledge (current events, popular culture, 
  streetwise, tactics) (Int), Profession (Wis), Read/Write 
  Language (none), Repair (Int), Speak Language 
  (none), and Swim (Str).
  Also, the starting occupation selected can provide 
  additional class skills to choose from.
  Skill Points at 1st Level: (3 + Int modiﬁer)x4.
  Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 3 + Int 
  modiﬁer.
  Starting Feats
  In addition to the two feats all characters get at 1st 
  level, a Strong hero begins play with the Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency feat.
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the Strong hero.
  Talents
  At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the Strong hero 
  selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some 
  trees have a set order that must be followed, while 
  others provide a list to choose from. As long as the 
  hero qualiﬁes, he or she can select freely from any and 
  all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than 
  once unless expressly indicated.
  Extreme Effort Talent Tree
  A Strong hero can push him or herself to make an 
  extreme effort. The effort must relate either to a 
  Strength check or a Strength-based skill check. You 
  must decide to use this ability before making the 
  check.
  Extreme Effort: The effort requires a full-round 
  action and provides a +2 bonus on the check.
  Improved Extreme Effort: The effort requires a 
  full-round action and provides a +2 bonus that stacks 
  with the bonus provided by extreme effort (+4 total).
  Prerequisite: Extreme effort.
  Advanced Extreme Effort: The effort requires a 
  full-round action and provides a +2 bonus that stacks 
  with the bonuses provided by extreme effort and 
  improved extreme effort (+6 total).
  Prerequisites: Extreme effort, improved extreme 
  effort.
  Ignore Hardness Talent Tree
  The Strong hero has an innate talent for ﬁnding 
  weaknesses in objects. This allows a Strong hero to 
  ignore some of an object’s hardness when making a 
  melee attack to break it.
  Ignore Hardness: The Strong hero ignores 1 point 
  of an object’s hardness.
  Improved Ignore Hardness: The Strong hero 
  ignores 1 additional point of an object’s hardness (for 
  a total of 2).
  Prerequisite: Ignore hardness.
  Advanced Ignore Hardness: The Strong hero 
  ignores 1 additional point of an object’s hardness (for 
  a total of 3).
  Prerequisites: Ignore hardness, improved ignore 
  hardness.
  Melee Smash Talent Tree
  The Strong hero has an innate talent that increases 
  melee damage.
  Melee Smash: The Strong hero receives a +1 bonus 
  on melee damage.
  Improved Melee Smash: The Strong hero receives 
  an additional +1 bonus on melee damage (+2 total).
  Prerequisite: Melee smash.
  Advanced Melee Smash: The Strong hero receives 
  an additional +1 bonus on melee damage (+3 total).
  Prerequisites: Melee smash, improved melee 
  smash.
  Bonus Feats
  At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, the Strong hero 
  gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from 
  the following list, and the Strong hero must meet any 
  prerequisites.
  Animal Afﬁnity, Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Athletic, Blind-Fight, Brawl, Cleave, Combat Martial 
  Arts, Combat Reﬂexes, Great Cleave, Improved 
  Brawl, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Power Attack, 
  Weapon Focus.
  The Fast Hero
  Ability: Dexterity
  Class Information
  The following information pertains to the Fast Hero 
  base class.
  Hit Die: 1d8 
  Action Points: Fast heroes gain a number of action 
  points equal to 5 + one-half their character level, 
  rounded down, at 1st level and every time they attain 
  a new level in this class. 
  Class Skills: The Fast hero’s class skills (and the 
  key ability for each skill) are: Balance (Dex), Craft 
  (mechanical) (Int), Drive (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex), 
  Hide (Dex), Knowledge (current events, popular 
  culture, streetwise) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Pilot 
  (Dex), Profession (Wis), Read/Write Language (none), 
  Ride (Dex), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language 
  (none), and Tumble (Dex).
  Also, the starting occupation the character selects 
  can provide additional class skills to choose from.
  TABLE 1-2: THE STRONG HERO
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref 
  Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  Defense 
  Bonus
  Reputation 
  Bonus
  1st 
  +1
  +1
  +0
  +0
  Talent
  +1
  +0
  2nd 
  +2
  +2
  +0
  +0
  Bonus feat
  +2
  +0
  3rd 
  +3
  +2
  +1
  +1
  Talent
  +2
  +0
  4th 
  +4
  +2
  +1
  +1
  Bonus feat
  +3
  +0
  5th 
  +5
  +3
  +1
  +1
  Talent
  +3
  +1
  6th 
  +6/+1
  +3
  +2
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +3
  +1
  7th 
  +7/+2
  +4
  +2
  +2
  Talent
  +4
  +1
  8th 
  +8/+3
  +4
  +2
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +4
  +1
  9th 
  +9/+4
  +4
  +3
  +3
  Talent
  +5
  +2
  10th 
  +10/+5 
  +5
  +3
  +3
  Bonus feat
  +5
  +2
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  Skill Points at 1st Level: (5 + Int modiﬁer) x4.
  Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 5 + Int 
  modiﬁer.
  Starting Feats
  In addition to the two feats all characters get at 
  1st level, a Fast hero begins play with the Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency feat.
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the Fast hero.
  Talents
  At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the Fast hero 
  selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some 
  trees have a set order that must be followed, while 
  others provide a list to choose from. As long as the 
  hero qualiﬁes, he or she can select freely from any and 
  all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than 
  once unless expressly indicated.
  Defensive Talent Tree
  The Fast hero gains the ability to improve his or her 
  innate defensive talents as the hero attains new levels.
  Evasion: If the Fast hero is exposed to any effect 
  that normally allows a character to attempt a Reﬂex 
  saving throw for half damage, the Fast hero suffers no 
  damage if he or she makes a successful saving throw. 
  Evasion can only be used when wearing light armor or 
  no armor.
  Uncanny Dodge 1: The Fast hero retains his or her 
  Dexterity bonus to Defense regardless of being caught 
  ﬂat-footed or struck by a hidden attacker. (The hero 
  still loses his or her Dexterity bonus to Defense if the 
  hero is immobilized.)
  Prerequisite: Evasion.
  Uncanny Dodge 2: The Fast hero can no longer be 
  ﬂanked; the hero can react to opponents on opposite 
  sides of him or herself as easily as he or she can react 
  to a single attacker.
  Prerequisites: Evasion, uncanny dodge 1.
  Defensive Roll: The Fast hero can roll with a 
  potentially lethal attack to take less damage from it. 
  When the Fast hero would be reduced to 0 hit points 
  or less by damage in combat (from a ranged or melee 
  attack), the Fast hero can attempt to roll with the 
  damage.
  A Fast hero spends 1 action point to use this talent. 
  Once the point is spent, the hero makes a Reﬂex 
  saving throw (DC = damage dealt). If the save 
  succeeds, he or she takes only half damage. The Fast 
  hero must be able to react to the attack to execute a 
  defensive roll—if the hero is immobilized, he or she 
  can’t use this talent.
  Since this effect would not normally allow a 
  character to make a Reﬂex save for half damage, 
  the Fast hero’s evasion talent doesn’t apply to the 
  defensive roll.
  Prerequisites: Evasion, uncanny dodge 1.
  Opportunist: The Fast hero can spend 1 action 
  point to use this talent. Once the point is spent, the 
  hero can make an attack of opportunity against an 
  opponent who has just been struck for damage in 
  melee by another character. This attack counts as the 
  Fast hero’s attack of opportunity for that round. Even 
  a Fast hero with the Combat Reﬂexes feat can’t use 
  this talent more than once per round.
  Prerequisite: Evasion.
  TABLE 1-3: THE FAST HERO
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref 
  Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  Defense 
  Bonus
  Reputation 
  Bonus
  1st 
  +0
  +0
  +1
  +0
  Talent
  +3
  +0
  2nd 
  +1
  +0
  +2
  +0
  Bonus feat
  +4
  +0
  3rd 
  +2
  +1
  +2
  +1
  Talent
  +4
  +1
  4th 
  +3
  +1
  +2
  +1
  Bonus feat
  +5
  +1
  5th 
  +3
  +1
  +3
  +1
  Talent
  +5
  +1
  6th 
  +4
  +2
  +3
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +6
  +2
  7th 
  +5
  +2
  +4
  +2
  Talent
  +6
  +2
  8th 
  +6/+1
  +2
  +4
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +7
  +2
  9th 
  +6/+1
  +3
  +4
  +3
  Talent
  +7
  +3
  10th 
  +7/+2
  +3
  +5
  +3
  Bonus feat
  +8
  +3
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  Increased Speed Talent Tree
  The Fast hero can increase his or her natural base 
  speed.
  Increased Speed: The Fast hero’s base speed 
  increases by 5 feet.
  Improved Increased Speed: The Fast hero’s base 
  speed increases by 5 feet. This talent stacks with 
  increased speed (10 feet total).
  Prerequisite: Increased speed.
  Advanced Increased Speed: The Fast hero’s base 
  speed increases by 5 feet. This talent stacks with 
  increased speed and improved increased speed (15 
  feet total).
  Prerequisites: Increased speed, improved increased 
  speed.
  Bonus Feats
  At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, the Fast hero 
  gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from 
  the following list, and the Fast hero must meet any 
  prerequisites.Acrobatic, Combat Expertise, Combat 
  Driving, Combat Throw, Defensive Martial Arts, 
  Double Tap, Elusive Target, Evasive Maneuvers, 
  Focused, Improved Disarm, Mobility, Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Point Blank Shot, Stealthy, 
  Weapon Finesse.
  The Tough Hero
  Ability: Constitution
  Class Information
  The following information pertains to the Tough Hero 
  base class.
  Hit Die: 1d10
  Action Points: Tough heroes gain a number of 
  action points equal to 5 + one-half their character 
  level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they 
  attain a new level in this class. 
  Class Skills: The Tough hero’s class skills (and 
  the key ability for each skill) are: Climb (Str), 
  Concentration (Con), Craft (mechanical, structural) 
  (Int), Drive (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge 
  (current events, popular culture, streetwise) (Int), 
  Profession (Wis), Read/Write Language (none), Ride 
  (Dex), Speak Language (none), Spot (Wis), and 
  Survival (Wis).
  Also, the starting occupation the character selects 
  can provide additional class skills to choose from.
  Skill Points at 1st Level: (3 + Int modiﬁer) x4.
  Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 3 + Int 
  modiﬁer.
  Starting Feats
  In addition to the two feats all characters get at 1st 
  level, a Tough hero begins play with the Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency feat.
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the Tough 
  hero.
  Talents
  At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the Tough hero 
  selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some 
  trees have a set order that must be followed, while 
  others provide a list to choose from. As long as the 
  hero qualiﬁes, he or she can select freely from any and 
  all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than 
  once unless expressly indicated.
  Damage Reduction Talent Tree
  The Tough hero has an innate talent to ignore a set 
  amount of damage from most weapons, but not from 
  energy or special attack forms (which may or may not 
  exist, depending on the campaign). Before the hero 
  can select a talent from this tree the hero must have 
  previously selected at least one talent from the Energy 
  Resistance or Unbreakable Talent Tree.
  Damage Reduction 1/—: The Tough hero ignores 
  1 point of damage from melee and ranged weapons.
  Prerequisite: One other talent from either the 
  Energy Resistance Talent Tree or the Unbreakable 
  Talent Tree.
  Damage Reduction 2/—: The Tough hero ignores 
  an additional 1 point of damage from melee and 
  ranged weapons (DR 2/— total).
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  Prerequisites: Damage reduction 1/—, one other 
  talent from either the Energy Resistance Talent Tree or 
  the Unbreakable Talent Tree.
  Damage Reduction 3/—: The Tough hero ignores 
  an additional 1 point of damage from melee and 
  ranged weapons (DR 3/— total).
  Prerequisites: Damage reduction 1/—, damage 
  reduction 2/—, one other talent from either the Energy 
  Resistance Talent Tree or the Unbreakable Talent Tree.
  Energy Resistance Talent Tree
  The Tough hero is particularly resistant to certain 
  kinds of deadly energy effects. These talents can be 
  selected in any order.
  Acid Resistance: The Tough hero ignores 
  an amount of acid damage equal to his or her 
  Constitution modiﬁer.
  Cold Resistance: The Tough hero ignores 
  an amount of cold damage equal to his or her 
  Constitution modiﬁer.
  Electricity Resistance: The Tough hero ignores 
  an amount of electricity damage equal to his or her 
  Constitution modiﬁer.
  Fire Resistance: The Tough hero ignores an 
  amount of ﬁre damage equal to his or her Constitution 
  modiﬁer.
  Sonic/Concussion Resistance: The Tough hero 
  ignores an amount of sonic or concussion damage 
  equal to his or her Constitution modiﬁer.
  Unbreakable Talent Tree
  The Tough hero is particularly resilient thanks to the 
  following talents.
  Remain Conscious: The Tough hero gains the 
  ability to continue to perform actions when he or 
  she would otherwise be considered unconscious and 
  dying. When the Tough hero’s hit points reach –1, the 
  hero can perform as though he or she were disabled, 
  making either an attack action or a move action every 
  round until the hero reaches –10 hit points (and dies) 
  or the hero’s hit points return to 1 or higher. The hero 
  can choose to succumb to unconsciousness if he or 
  she thinks that doing so might prevent him or her from 
  taking more damage.
  Robust: The Tough hero becomes especially robust, 
  gaining a number of hit points equal to his or her 
  Tough level as soon as he or she selects this talent. 
  Thereafter, the hero gains +1 hit point with each level 
  of Tough he or she gains.
  Second Wind: The Tough hero can spend 1 action 
  point to gain a second wind. When the hero does 
  this, he or she recovers a number of hit points equal 
  to his or her Constitution modiﬁer. This talent does 
  not increase the Tough hero’s hit points beyond the 
  character’s full normal total.
  Stamina: The Tough hero recovers twice as 
  fast as normal. So, the hero recovers 2 hit points 
  per character level per evening of rest, 2 points of 
  temporary ability damage per evening of rest, and 
  awakens in half the normal time after being knocked 
  unconscious.
  Prerequisite: Robust.
  Bonus Feats
  At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, the Tough hero 
  gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from 
  the following list, and the Tough hero must meet any 
  prerequisites. Alertness, Athletic, Brawl, Conﬁdent, 
  Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Brawl, 
  Improved Bull Rush, Improved Feint, Knockout 
  Punch, Power Attack, Streetﬁghting, Toughness, 
  Vehicle Expert.
  The Smart Hero
  Ability: Intelligence
  Class Information
  The following information pertains to the Smart Hero 
  base class.
  Hit Die: 1d6
  Action Points: Smart heroes gain a number of 
  action points equal to 5 + one-half their character 
  level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they 
  attain a new level in this class. 
  Class Skills: The Smart hero’s class skills (and 
  the key ability for each skill) are: Computer Use 
  (Int), Craft (chemical, electronic, mechanical, 
  pharmaceutical, structural, visual art, writing) 
  (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Demolitions (Int), 
  Disable Device (Int), Forgery (Int), Investigate 
  (Int), Knowledge (arcane lore, art, behavioral 
  sciences, business, civics, current events, earth and 
  life sciences, history, physical sciences, popular 
  TABLE 1-4: THE TOUGH HERO
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref 
  Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  Defense 
  Bonus
  Reputation 
  Bonus
  1st 
  +0
  +1
  +0
  +0
  Talent
  +1
  +0
  2nd 
  +1
  +2
  +0
  +0
  Bonus feat
  +2
  +0
  3rd 
  +2
  +2
  +1
  +1
  Talent
  +2
  +1
  4th 
  +3
  +2
  +1
  +1
  Bonus feat
  +3
  +1
  5th 
  +3
  +3
  +1
  +1
  Talent
  +3
  +1
  6th 
  +4
  +3
  +2
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +3
  +2
  7th 
  +5
  +4
  +2
  +2
  Talent
  +4
  +2
  8th 
  +6/+1
  +4
  +2
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +4
  +2
  9th 
  +6/+1
  +4
  +3
  +3
  Talent
  +5
  +3
  10th 
  +7/+2
  +5
  +3
  +3
  Bonus feat
  +5
  +3
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  culture, streetwise, tactics, technology, theology and 
  philosophy) (Int), Navigate (Int), Profession (Wis), 
  Read/Write Language (none), Repair (Int), Research 
  (Int), Search (Int), and Speak Language (none).
  Also, the starting occupation the hero selects can 
  provide additional class skills to choose from.
  Skill Points at 1st Level: (9 + Int modiﬁer) x4.
  Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 9 + Int 
  modiﬁer.
  Starting Feats
  In addition to the two feats all characters get at 1st 
  level, a Smart hero begins play with the Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency feat.
  Class Features
  All of the following are class features of the Smart 
  hero.
  Talents
  At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the Smart hero 
  selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some 
  trees have a set order that must be followed, while 
  others provide a list to choose from. As long as the 
  hero qualiﬁes, he or she can select freely from any and 
  all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than 
  once unless expressly indicated.
  Research Talent Tree
  The Smart hero has a natural aptitude for study 
  and fact-ﬁnding. These talents can be selected 
  in any order.
  Savant: Select one of the skills listed in 
  the following paragraph. The Smart hero gets 
  to add a bonus equal to his or her Smart level 
  when making checks with that skill. A Smart 
  hero can take this talent multiple times; each time 
  it applies to a different skill. Computer Use, Craft 
  (any single skill), Decipher Script, Demolitions, 
  Disable Device, Forgery, Investigate, Knowledge 
  (any single skill), Navigate, Repair, Research, 
  Search. 
  Linguist: With this talent, the Smart hero 
  becomes a master linguist. Whenever the hero 
  encounters a new language, either spoken or 
  written, he or she can make an Intelligence check 
  to determine if he or she can understand it. The 
  check is made with a bonus equal to the hero’s 
  Smart level + the hero’s Intelligence modiﬁer. For 
  a written language, the bonus applies to a Decipher 
  Script check instead. 
  The DC for the check depends on the situation: DC 
  15 if the language is in the same group as a language 
  the hero has as a Read/Write Language or Speak 
  Language skill; DC 20 if the language is unrelated 
  to any other languages the hero knows; and DC 25 if 
  the language is ancient or unique.  With this special 
  ability, a Smart hero can glean enough meaning from 
  a conversation or document to ascertain the basic 
  message, but this ability in no way simulates actually 
  being able to converse or ﬂuently read and write in a 
  given language.
  Prerequisite: At least 1 rank in either Read/Write 
  Language or Speak Language for each of three 
  different languages.
  Strategy Talent Tree
  The Smart hero has the brainpower to see solutions in 
  most situations. These talents can be selected in any 
  order, but before the hero can select a talent from this 
  tree he or she must have previously selected at least 
  one talent from the Research Talent Tree.
  Exploit Weakness: After 1 round of combat, the 
  Smart hero can designate one opponent and try to 
  ﬁnd ways to gain an advantage by using brains over 
  brawn. The Smart hero uses a move action and makes 
  an Intelligence check (DC 15) with a bonus equal 
  to his or her Smart level. If the check succeeds, for 
  the rest of the combat the Smart hero uses his or 
  her Intelligence bonus instead of either Strength or 
  Dexterity bonus on attack rolls as the hero ﬁnds ways 
  to outthink his opponent and notices weaknesses in his 
  opponent’s ﬁghting style. 
  Prerequisite: One talent from the Research Talent 
  Tree.
  Plan: Prior to a dramatic situation, either combat- 
  or skill-related, the Smart hero can develop a plan 
  of action to handle the situation. Using this talent 
  requires preparation; a Smart hero can’t use this 
  talent when surprised or otherwise unprepared for a 
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  particular situation.
  The Smart hero makes an Intelligence check (DC 
  10) with a bonus equal to his or her Smart level. The 
  result of the check provides the Smart hero and allies 
  with a circumstance bonus. A Smart hero can’t take 10 
  or 20 when making this check.
  Check Result
  Bonus
  9 or lower
  +0 (check failed)
  10–14
  +1
  15–24
  +2
  25 or higher
  +3
  This bonus can be applied to all skill checks and 
  attack rolls made by the Smart hero and his or her 
  allies, but the bonus only lasts for the ﬁrst 3 rounds. 
  After that time, reduce the bonus by 1 point (to 
  a minimum of +0) for every additional round the 
  situation continues, as the vagaries of circumstance 
  begin to unravel even the best-laid plans.
  Prerequisite: One talent from the Research Talent 
  Tree.
  Trick: The Smart hero has the ability to temporarily 
  confuse a target (a GM character) through the use 
  of ploy and deception. The target must have an 
  Intelligence score of 3 or higher to be susceptible to a 
  trick, must be within 30 feet of the hero, and must be 
  able to hear and understand the hero.
  To play a trick on a target, the hero must use a full-
  round action and make an Intelligence check (DC 
  15), adding his or her Smart level as a bonus. If the 
  Intelligence check succeeds, the target can try to think 
  quickly and ignore the trick.
  The target resists the trick by making a Reﬂex 
  saving throw (DC 10 + Smart hero’s class level + 
  Smart hero’s Int bonus). If the saving throw fails, the 
  target becomes dazed (unable to act, but can defend 
  normally) for 1 round.
  A trick can only be played on a particular target 
  once per encounter. After the ﬁrst trick in an 
  encounter, whether the attempt succeeds or not, that 
  target becomes wary and immune to such ploys.
  Prerequisite: One talent from the Research Talent 
  Tree.
  Bonus Feats
  At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, the Smart hero 
  gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected from 
  the following list, and the Smart hero must meet any 
  prerequisites. Builder, Cautious, Combat Expertise, 
  Educated, Gearhead, Improved Disarm, Improved 
  Trip, Iron Will, Lightning Reﬂexes, Meticulous, 
  Studious, Vehicle Expert, Weapon Focus.
  The Dedicated Hero
  Ability: Wisdom
  Class Information
  The following information pertains to the Dedicated 
  Hero base class.
  Hit Die: 1d6
  Action Points: Dedicated heroes gain a number 
  of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character 
  level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they 
  attain a new level in this class.
  Class Skills: The Dedicated hero’s class skills 
  (and the key ability for each skill) are: Craft 
  (pharmaceutical, visual art, writing) (Int), Gamble 
  (Wis), Investigate (Int), Knowledge (arcane lore, art, 
  behavioral sciences, business, civics, current events, 
  earth and life sciences, history, physical sciences, 
  popular culture, streetwise, tactics, technology, 
  theology and philosophy) (Int), Listen (Wis), 
  Profession (Wis), Read/Write Language (none), Sense 
  Motive (Wis), Speak Language (none), Spot (Wis), 
  Survival (Wis), and Treat Injury (Wis).
  Also, the starting occupation the hero selects can 
  provide additional class skills to choose from.
  Skill Points at 1st Level: (5 + Int modiﬁer) x4.
  Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 5 + Int 
  modiﬁer.
  Starting Feats
  In addition to the two feats all characters get at 1st 
  level, a Dedicated hero begins play with the Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency feat.
  Class Features
  The following are class features of the Dedicated hero.
  Talents
  At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the Dedicated hero 
  selects a talent from the following talent trees. Some 
  TABLE 1-5: THE SMART HERO
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref 
  Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  Defense 
  Bonus
  Reputation 
  Bonus
  1st 
  +0
  +0
  +0
  +1
  Talent
  +0
  +1
  2nd 
  +1
  +0
  +0
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +1
  +1
  3rd 
  +1
  +1
  +1
  +2
  Talent
  +1
  +1
  4th 
  +2
  +1
  +1
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +1
  +2
  5th 
  +2
  +1
  +1
  +3
  Talent
  +2
  +2
  6th 
  +3
  +2
  +2
  +3
  Bonus feat
  +2
  +2
  7th 
  +3
  +2
  +2
  +4
  Talent
  +2
  +3
  8th 
  +4
  +2
  +2
  +4
  Bonus feat
  +3
  +3
  9th 
  +4
  +3
  +3
  +4
  Talent
  +3
  +3
  10th 
  +5
  +3
  +3
  +5
  Bonus feat
  +3
  +4
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  make a Will saving throw (DC 15). On a successful 
  save, the hero gets a hunch that everything is all 
  right, or the hero gets a bad feeling about a speciﬁc 
  situation, based on the GM’s best guess relating to the 
  circumstances. This talent is usable a number of times 
  per day equal to the character’s Dedicated level.
  Prerequisite: Empathy.
  Healing Talent Tree
  The Dedicated hero has a talent for healing.
  Healing Knack: The hero has a knack for the 
  healing arts. The hero receives a +2 bonus on all Treat 
  Injury skill checks.
  Healing Touch 1: The Dedicated hero’s ability to 
  restore damage with a medical kit or perform surgery 
  with a surgery kit increases by +2 hit points.
  Prerequisite: Healing knack.
  Healing Touch 2: The Dedicated hero’s ability to 
  restore damage with a medical kit or perform surgery 
  with a surgery kit increases by +2 hit points, which 
  stacks with healing touch 1 for a total of +4 hit points.
  Prerequisites: Healing knack, healing touch 1.
  Insightful Talent Tree
  The Dedicated hero’s innate insightfulness serves her 
  well.
  Skill Emphasis: The Dedicated hero chooses a 
  single skill and receives a +3 bonus on all checks with 
  that skill. This bonus does not allow the hero to make 
  checks for a trained-only skill if the hero has no ranks 
  in the skill.
  Aware: The Dedicated hero is intuitively aware of 
  his or her surroundings. The hero adds his or her base 
  Will saving throw bonus to Listen or Spot checks to 
  avoid surprise.
  Prerequisite: Skill emphasis.
  TABLE 1-6: THE DEDICATED HERO
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref 
  Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  Defense 
  Bonus
  Reputation 
  Bonus
  1st 
  +0
  +1
  +0
  +1
  Talent
  +1
  +1
  2nd 
  +1
  +2
  +0
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +2
  +1
  3rd 
  +2
  +2
  +1
  +2
  Talent
  +2
  +1
  4th 
  +3
  +2
  +1
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +3
  +2
  5th 
  +3
  +3
  +1
  +3
  Talent
  +3
  +2
  6th 
  +4
  +3
  +2
  +3
  Bonus feat
  +3
  +2
  7th 
  +5
  +4
  +2
  +4
  Talent
  +4
  +3
  8th 
  +6/+1
  +4
  +2
  +4
  Bonus feat
  +4
  +3
  9th 
  +6/+1
  +4
  +3
  +4
  Talent
  +5
  +3
  10th 
  +7/+2
  +5
  +3
  +5
  Bonus feat
  +5
  +4
  trees have a set order that must be followed, while 
  others provide a list to choose from. As long as the 
  hero qualiﬁes, he or she can select freely from any and 
  all talent trees. No talent can be selected more than 
  once unless expressly indicated.
  Empathic Talent Tree
  The Dedicated hero’s innate talents give him or her a 
  great capacity for empathy.
  Empathy: The Dedicated hero has a knack for 
  being sensitive to the feelings and thoughts of 
  others without having those feelings and thoughts 
  communicated in any objectively explicit manner. 
  This innate talent provides a bonus on checks 
  involving interaction skills (Bluff, Diplomacy, Handle 
  Animal, Intimidate, Perform, and Sense Motive), 
  provided the hero spends at least 1 minute observing 
  his or her target prior to making the skill check. The 
  bonus is equal to the hero’s Dedicated level.
  Improved Aid Another: The Dedicated hero’s 
  bonus on attempts to aid another increases by +1 
  on a successful aid another check. This talent can 
  be selected multiple times, each time increasing the 
  bonus by +1.
  Prerequisite: Empathy.
  Intuition: The Dedicated hero has an innate ability 
  to sense trouble in the air. The Dedicated hero can 
  
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  Faith: The Dedicated hero has a great deal of 
  faith. It might be faith in self, in a higher power, or 
  in both. This unswerving belief allows the Dedicated 
  hero to add his or her Wisdom modiﬁer to the die 
  roll whenever the hero spends 1 action point 
  to improve the result of an attack roll, skill 
  check, saving throw, or ability check.
  Prerequisite: Skill emphasis.
  Cool Under Pressure: The Dedicated hero 
  selects a number of skills equal to 3 + the 
  hero’s Wisdom modiﬁer. When making 
  a check with one of these skills, the 
  Dedicated hero can take 10 even 
  when distracted or under duress.
  Prerequisite: Skill emphasis 
  plus either faith or aware.
  Bonus Feats
  At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th 
  level, the Dedicated hero gains a 
  bonus feat. This feat must be from 
  this list, and the Dedicated hero must 
  meet any prerequisites. Advanced 
  Firearms Proﬁciency, Alertness, 
  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency, 
  Attentive, Blind-Fight, Cover Fire, 
  Deceptive, Educated, Far Shot, Iron 
  Will, Miracle Worker, Medical Expert, 
  Meticulous, Surgery, Teamwork, Track, 
  Weapon Focus.
  The Charismatic Hero
  Ability: Charisma
  Class Information
  The following information pertains to the 
  Charismatic Hero base class.
  Hit Die: 1d6
  Action Points: Charismatic heroes gain a number 
  of action points equal to 5 + one-half their character 
  level, rounded down, at 1st level and every time they 
  attain a new level in this class.
  Class Skills: The Charismatic hero’s class 
  skills (and the key ability for each skill) 
  are: Bluff (Cha), Craft (visual art, writing) 
  (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), 
  Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal 
  (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge 
  (arcane lore, art, behavioral sciences, 
  business, civics, current events, 
  popular culture, streetwise, 
  theology and philosophy) 
  (Int), Perform (act, dance, 
  keyboards, percussion 
  instruments, sing, stand-up, 
  stringed instruments, wind 
  instruments) (Cha), Profession 
  (Wis), Read/Write Language 
  (none), and Speak Language 
  (none).
  Also, the starting occupation the 
  hero selects can provide additional 
  class skills to choose from.
  Skill Points at 1st Level: (7 + Int 
  modiﬁer) x4.
  Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 
  7 + Int modiﬁer.
  Starting Feats
  In addition to the two feats all characters 
  get at 1st level, a Charismatic hero 
  begins play with the Simple 
  Weapons Proﬁciency feat.
  Class Features
  All of the following are class 
  features of the Charismatic hero.
  Talents
  At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level, the Charismatic 
  hero selects a talent from the following talent trees. 
  Some trees have a set order that must be followed, 
  while others provide a list to choose from. As long 
  as the hero qualiﬁes, he or she can select freely from 
  any and all talent trees. No talent can be selected more 
  than once unless expressly indicated.
  Charm Talent Tree
  The Charismatic hero has an innate talent for being 
  charming and captivating.
  Charm: The Charismatic hero gets a bonus on 
  all Charisma-based skill checks made to inﬂuence 
  members of his chosen gender. (Some characters are 
  charming to members of the opposite gender, others to 
  members of the same gender.) The bonus is equal to 
  the character’s Charismatic level.
  A Charismatic hero can only charm Gamemaster 
  characters with attitudes of indifferent or better. The 
  charm bonus can’t be used against characters who are 
  unfriendly or hostile.
  Favor: The Charismatic hero has the ability to 
  acquire minor aid from anyone he or she meets. By 
  making a favor check, a Charismatic hero can gain 
  important information without going through the 
  time and trouble of doing a lot of research. Favors 
  can also be used to acquire the loan of equipment or 
  documents, or to receive other minor assistance in the 
  course of an adventure.
  A Charismatic hero spends 1 action point to activate 
  this talent. To make a favor check, roll a d20 and add 
  the character’s favor bonus, equal to the character’s 
  Charismatic level. The GM sets the DC based on 
  the scope of the favor being requested. The DC 
  ranges from 10 for a simple favor to as high as 30 
  for formidable and highly dangerous, expensive, or 
  illegal favors. A Charismatic hero can’t take 10 or 20 
  on this check, nor can the hero retry the check for the 
  same (or virtually the same) favor.  Favors should help 
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  advance the plot of an adventure. A favor that would 
  enable a character to avoid an adventure altogether 
  should always be unavailable to the character, 
  regardless of the result of a favor check.
  The GM should carefully monitor a Charismatic 
  hero’s use of favors to ensure that this ability isn’t 
  abused. The success or failure of a mission shouldn’t 
  hinge on the use of a favor, and getting a favor 
  shouldn’t replace good roleplaying or the use of other 
  skills. The GM may disallow any favor deemed to be 
  disruptive to the game.
  Prerequisite: Charm.
  Captivate: The Charismatic hero has the ability to 
  temporarily beguile a target (a GM character) through 
  the use of words and bearing. The target must have an 
  Intelligence score of 3 or higher to be susceptible to a 
  captivate attempt, must be within 30 feet of the hero, 
  and must be able to see, hear, and understand the hero.
  To captivate a target, the hero must use an attack 
  action and make a Charisma check (DC 15), adding 
  his or her Charismatic level as a bonus. If the 
  Charisma check succeeds, the target can try to resist.
  The target resists the captivation attempt by making 
  a Will saving throw (DC 10 + Charismatic hero’s 
  class level + Charismatic hero’s Cha bonus). If the 
  saving throw fails, the hero becomes the target’s sole 
  focus. The target pays no attention to anyone else 
  for 1 round. This focusing of the target’s attention 
  allows other characters to take actions of which 
  the captivated target is unaware. The effect ends 
  immediately if the target is attacked or threatened.
  A Charismatic hero can concentrate to keep a target 
  captivated for additional rounds. The Charismatic 
  hero concentrates all his or her effort on the task, and 
  the target gets to make a new Will save each round. 
  The effect ends when the hero stops concentrating, or 
  when the target succeeds on the save.
  Prerequisites: Charm, Favor.
  Fast-Talk Talent Tree
  The Charismatic hero has an innate talent for bending 
  the truth and dazzling others with a combination of 
  words, mannerisms, and charm.
  Fast-Talk: The Charismatic hero has a way with 
  words when attempting to con and deceive. With this 
  talent, he or she applies his or her Charismatic level as 
  a bonus on any Bluff, Diplomacy, or Gamble checks 
  the hero makes while attempting to lie, cheat, or 
  otherwise bend the truth.
  Dazzle: The Charismatic hero has the ability to 
  dazzle a target (a GM character) through sheer force 
  of personality, a winning smile, and fast-talking. The 
  target must have an Intelligence score of 3 or higher 
  to be susceptible to a dazzle attempt, must be within 
  30 feet of the hero, and must be able to see, hear, and 
  understand the hero.
  To dazzle a target, the hero must use an attack 
  action and make a Charisma check (DC 15), adding 
  his or her Charismatic level as a bonus. If the 
  Charisma check succeeds, the target can try to resist.
  The target resists the dazzle attempt by making a 
  Will saving throw (DC 10 + Charismatic hero’s class 
  level + Charismatic hero’s Cha bonus). If the save 
  fails, the target receives a –1 penalty on attack rolls, 
  ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws for a 
  number of rounds equal to the character’s Charismatic 
  level.
  This talent can be selected multiple times, each time 
  worsening the dazzled penalty by –1.
  Prerequisite: Fast-talk.
  Taunt: The Charismatic hero has the ability to 
  temporarily rattle a target (a GM character) through 
  the use of insults and goading. The target must have 
  an Intelligence score of 3 or higher to be susceptible 
  to a taunt, must be within 30 feet of the hero, and must 
  be able to hear and understand the hero.
  To taunt a target, the hero must use an attack action 
  and make a Charisma check (DC 15), adding his or 
  her Charismatic level as a bonus. If the Charisma 
  check succeeds, the target can try to resist.
  The target resists the taunt by making a Will saving 
  throw (DC 10 + Charismatic hero’s class level + 
  Charismatic hero’s Cha bonus). If the save fails, the 
  target becomes dazed (unable to act, but can defend 
  normally) for 1 round.
  A taunt can be played on an opponent any number 
  of times.
  Prerequisites: Fast-talk, dazzle.
  Leadership Talent Tree
  The Charismatic hero has a talent for leadership and 
  inspiration.
  Coordinate: The Charismatic hero has a knack 
  for getting people to work together. When the hero 
  TABLE 1-7: THE CHARISMATIC HERO
  Level
  Base Attack 
  Bonus
  Fort 
  Save
  Ref 
  Save
  Will 
  Save
  Special
  Defense 
  Bonus
  Reputation 
  Bonus
  1st 
  +0
  +1
  +1
  +0
  Talent
  +0
  +2
  2nd 
  +1
  +2
  +2
  +0
  Bonus feat
  +1
  +2
  3rd 
  +1
  +2
  +2
  +1
  Talent
  +1
  +2
  4th 
  +2
  +2
  +2
  +1
  Bonus feat
  +1
  +3
  5th 
  +2
  +3
  +3
  +1
  Talent
  +2
  +3
  6th 
  +3
  +3
  +3
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +2
  +3
  7th 
  +3
  +4
  +4
  +2
  Talent
  +2
  +4
  8th 
  +4
  +4
  +4
  +2
  Bonus feat
  +3
  +4
  9th 
  +4
  +4
  +4
  +3
  Talent
  +3
  +4
  10th 
  +5
  +5
  +5
  +3
  Bonus feat
  +3
  +5
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  can spend a full round directing his or her allies and 
  makes a Charisma check (DC 10), the hero provides 
  any of his or her allies within 30 feet a +1 bonus on 
  their attack rolls and skill checks. The bonus lasts 
  for a number of rounds equal to the hero’s Charisma 
  modiﬁer.
  The hero can coordinate a number of allies equal to 
  one-half his or her Charismatic level, rounded down 
  (to a minimum of one ally).
  Inspiration: The Charismatic hero can inspire 
  his or her allies, bolstering them and improving 
  their chances of success. An ally must listen to 
  and observe the Charismatic hero for a full round 
  for the inspiration to take hold, and the hero must 
  make a Charisma check (DC 10). The effect lasts 
  for a number of rounds equal to the hero’s Charisma 
  modiﬁer.
  An inspired ally gains a +2 morale bonus on saving 
  throws, attack rolls, and damage rolls.
  A Charismatic hero can’t inspire him or herself. 
  The hero can inspire a number of allies equal to one-
  half his or her Charismatic level, rounded down (to a 
  minimum of one ally).
  Prerequisite: Coordinate.
  Greater Inspiration: The Charismatic hero can 
  inspire his or her allies to even greater heights, 
  bolstering them and improving their chances of 
  success. An ally must listen to and observe the 
  Charismatic hero for a full round for the greater 
  inspiration to take hold, and the hero must make 
  a Charisma check (DC 10). The effect lasts for a 
  number of rounds equal to the hero’s Charisma 
  modiﬁer.
  An inspired ally gains an additional +1 morale 
  bonus on saving throws, attack rolls, and damage 
  rolls, which stacks with the bonus from inspiration for 
  a total of a +3 morale bonus.
  A Charismatic hero can’t inspire him or herself. 
  The hero can inspire a number of allies equal to one-
  half his or her Charismatic level, rounded down (to a 
  minimum of one ally).
  Prerequisites: Coordinate, inspiration. 
  Bonus Feats
  At 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, the Charismatic 
  hero gains a bonus feat. This feat must be selected 
  from the following list, and the Charismatic hero must 
  meet any prerequisites. Agile Riposte, Black Market, 
  Creative, Deceptive, Dodge, Fixer, Frightful Presence, 
  Henchmen, Iron Will, Leadership, Lightning Reﬂexes, 
  Low Proﬁle, Midas Touch, Point Blank Shot, Renown, 
  Rumor Monger, Speed Dial, Tough Customer, Trusted 
  Associate, Trustworthy, Well-Connected, Windfall.
  Multiclass Characters
  A character may add new classes as he or she 
  progresses in levels, thereby becoming a multiclass 
  character. The class abilities from all of a character’s 
  classes combine to determine a multiclass character’s 
  overall abilities.
  Class and Level Features
  As a general rule, the abilities of a multiclass character 
  are the sum of the abilities provided by each of the 
  character’s classes.
  Level
  “Character level” is a character’s total number of 
  levels. It is used to determine when feats and ability 
  score increases are gained
  “Class level” is the character’s level in a particular 
  class. For a hero whose levels are all in the same class, 
  character level and class level are the same.
  Hit Points
  A hero gains hit points from each class as his or her 
  class level increases, adding the new hit points to the 
  previous total.
  Base Attack Bonus
  Add the base attack bonuses for each class to get the 
  hero’s base attack bonus. A resulting value of +6 or 
  higher provides the hero with multiple attacks.
  Base Attack Bonus
  Additional Attacks at
  +6
  +1
  +7
  +2
  +8
  +3
  +9
  +4
  +10
  +5
  +11
  +6/+1
  +12
  +7/+2
  +13
  +8/+3
  +14
  +9/+4
  +15
  +10/+5
  +16
  +11/+6/+1
  +17
  +12/+7/+2
  +18
  +13/+8/+3
  +19
  +14/+9/+4
  +20
  +15/+10/+5
  To use multiple attacks in the same round, a character 
  must use a full attack, which is a full-round action.
  Saving Throws
  Add the base save bonuses for each class together. 
  Defense Bonus
  Add the Defense bonuses for each class together. 
  Reputation Bonus
  Add Reputation bonuses together. 
  Skills
  A multiclass hero uses his or her character level to 
  determine the maximum ranks the hero can have in a 
  skill. If a skill is a class skill for any of a multiclass 
  hero’s classes, then use character level to determine a 
  skill’s maximum rank. (The maximum rank for a class 
  skill is 3 + character level.)
  When a multiclass hero gains a level in a class, he 
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  or she spends that level’s skill points as a member 
  of that class. Only that class’s class skills may be 
  purchased as class skills. All other skills, including 
  skills for another class the hero has levels in, are 
  considered cross-class skills when ranks in those skills 
  are purchased at this level.
  Class Features
  The character gets all class features (talents, bonus 
  feats, or other special abilities) of all classes for the 
  levels he or she possesses.
  Feats
  A multiclass character receives a new feat every three 
  character levels, regardless of individual class level. 
  Taking one level in a new class does not entitle a 
  character to receive the two feats that a beginning 1st-
  level character gets. 
  Ability Increases
  A multiclass character increases one ability score by 
  +1 every four character levels, regardless of individual 
  class level.
  Adding a Second Class
  When a character with one class gains a level, he or 
  she may choose to increase the level of his or her 
  current class or pick up a new class at 1st level. This 
  could be a basic class or, if the character qualiﬁes for 
  it, an advanced class.
  The character gains the 1st-level base attack bonus, 
  base save bonuses, class skills, other class features of 
  the new class, hit points of the appropriate die type, 
  and the new class’s number of skill points gained at 
  each additional level (not that number x4, as is the 
  case for a 1st-level character).
  Picking up a new class is not exactly the same as 
  starting a character in that class.  When picking up a 
  new class, a hero doesn’t receive maximum hit points 
  but should roll the new Hit Die.
  Advancing a Level
  Each time a multiclass character attains a new level, 
  the hero either increases one of his or her current class 
  levels by one or picks up a new class at 1st level.
  When a multiclass character increases one of his 
  or her class levels by one, the character gets all the 
  standard beneﬁts that characters receive for attaining 
  the new level in that class: more hit points, possible 
  bonuses on attack rolls, Defense, and saving throws 
  (depending on the class and the new level), a new 
  class feature (as deﬁned by the class), and new skill 
  points.
  Skill points are spent according to the class that 
  the multiclass character just advanced in. Skills are 
  purchased at the cost appropriate for that class.
  In general, a character can have levels in as many 
  different classes as there are classes.
  Starting Occupation
  A hero may hold other jobs as his or her career 
  unfolds, but the beneﬁts of a starting occupation are 
  only applied once, at the time of character creation.
  Many starting occupations have a prerequisite that 
  the character must meet to qualify for the occupation. 
  Each occupation provides a number of additional 
  permanent class skills that the character can select 
  from a list of choices. Once selected, a permanent 
  class skill is always considered to be a class skill for 
  the character. If the skill selected is already a class 
  skill for the character, he or she gains a one-time 
  competence bonus for that skill.
  Some starting occupations provide a Reputation 
  bonus or a bonus feat (in addition to the two feats a 
  1st-level character already receives). Finally, a starting 
  occupation increases the character’s Wealth bonus.
  Choose one occupation from the available 
  selections and apply the beneﬁts to the character as 
  noted in the occupation’s description.
  Academic
  Academics include librarians, archaeologists, 
  scholars, professors, teachers, and other education 
  professionals.
  Prerequisite: Age 23+.
  Skills: Choose three of the following skills 
  as permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a 
  +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill. 
  Computer Use, Craft (writing), Decipher Script, 
  Gather Information, Knowledge (arcane lore, art, 
  behavioral sciences, business, civics, current events, 
  earth and life sciences, history, physical sciences, 
  popular culture, tactics, technology, or theology and 
  philosophy), Research, or add a new Read/Write 
  Language or a new Speak Language.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +3.
  Adventurer
  Adventurers include professional daredevils, big-
  game hunters, relic hunters, explorers, extreme sports 
  enthusiasts, ﬁeld scientists, thrill-seekers, and others 
  called to face danger for a variety of reasons.
  Prerequisite: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character selects 
  is already a class skill, he or she receives a +1 
  competence bonus on checks using that skill.  Bluff, 
  Climb, Demolitions, Disable Device, Drive, Escape 
  Artist, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcane lore, 
  streetwise, tactics, or technology), Move Silently, 
  Pilot, Ride, Spot, Survival, Swim, Treat Injury.
  Bonus Feat: Select one of the following: Archaic 
  Weapons Proﬁciency, Brawl, or Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  Astronaut Trainee
  As scientists and pioneers, astronaut trainees have 
  prepared their minds and bodies for the rigors of 
  space travel and life in space. They are elite members 
  of a sophisticated space program, waiting for the 
  opportunity to hurl themselves into the void to 
  advance humanity’s understanding of science and 
  shed light on the mysteries of the universe.
  Prerequisite: Age 21+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill you select is already a 
  class skill, you gain a +1 competence bonus on checks 
  using that skill. 
  Computer Use (Int), Craft (electronic, mechanical, 
  or pharmaceutical) (Int), Knowledge (earth and life 
  sciences, physical sciences, or technology) (Int), 
  Navigate (Int), Pilot (Dex), Repair (Int), Survival 
  (Wis).
  Bonus Feat: Select either Aircraft Operation 
  (spacecraft) or Zero-G Training.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Athlete
  Athletes include amateur athletes of Olympic quality 
  and professional athletes of all types, including 
  gymnasts, weight trainers, wrestlers, boxers, martial 
  artists, swimmers, skaters, and those who engage in 
  any type of competitive sport.
  Prerequisite: Strength 13 or Dexterity 13.
  Skills: Choose three of the following skills 
  as permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a 
  +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill.  
  Balance, Climb, Drive, Jump, Ride, Swim, Tumble.
  Bonus Feat: Select either Archaic Weapons 
  Proﬁciency or Brawl.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Blue Collar
  Blue collar occupations include factory work, food 
  service jobs, construction, service industry jobs, taxi 
  drivers, postal workers, and other jobs that are usually 
  not considered to be desk jobs.
  Prerequisite: Age 18+.
  Skills: Choose three of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character selects 
  is already a class skill, he or she receives a +1 
  competence bonus on checks using that skill. Craft 
  (electronic, mechanical, or structural), Climb, Drive, 
  Handle Animal, Intimidate, Repair, Ride.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +2.
  Celebrity
  A celebrity is anyone who, for whatever reason, 
  has been thrust into the spotlight of the public eye. 
  Actors, entertainers of all types, newscasters, radio 
  and television personalities, and more fall under this 
  starting occupation.
  Prerequisite: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose one of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a 
  +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill.  
  Bluff, Craft (visual art or writing), Diplomacy, 
  Disguise, Perform (act, dance, keyboards, percussion 
  instruments, sing, stand-up, stringed instruments, or 
  wind instruments).
  Reputation Bonus Increase: +1.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +4.
  Colonist
  Colonists are wayfaring pioneers who set the 
  foundations of new societies on far-ﬂung continents, 
  planets, or moons. To survive in their new 
  surroundings, they learn to live off the land and 
  defend themselves against indigenous predatory life 
  forms and hostile forces of nature.
  Prerequisite: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill you select is already a 
  class skill, you gain a +1 competence bonus on checks 
  using that skill. 
  Computer Use (Int), Craft (electronic, mechanical, 
  or structural) (Int), Knowledge (earth and life sciences 
  or physical sciences) (Int), Navigate (Int), Repair 
  (Int), Survival (Wis).
  Bonus Feat: Select Builder, Guide, or Planetary 
  Adaptation.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Creative
  The creative starting occupation covers artists of 
  all types who fan their creative spark into a career. 
  Illustrators, copywriters, cartoonists, graphic 
  artists, novelists, magazine columnists, actors, 
  sculptors, game designers, musicians, screenwriters, 
  photographers, and web designers all fall under this 
  occupation.
  Prerequisite: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose three of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character selects 
  is already a class skill, he or she receives a +1 
  competence bonus on checks using that skill.  Bluff, 
  Computer Use, Craft (visual art or writing), Disguise, 
  Forgery, Knowledge (arcane lore or art), Perform (act, 
  dance, keyboards, percussion instruments, sing, stand-
  up, stringed instruments, or wind instruments), Spot.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +2.
  Criminal
  This illicit starting occupation reveals a background 
  from the wrong side of the law. This occupation 
  includes con artists, burglars, thieves, crime family 
  soldiers, gang members, bank robbers, and other types 
  of career criminals.
  Prerequisite: Age 15+.
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character selects 
  is already a class skill, he or she receives a +1 
  competence bonus on checks using that skill.  Disable 
  Device, Disguise, Forgery, Gamble, Hide, Knowledge 
  (streetwise), Move Silently, Sleight of Hand.
  Bonus Feat: Select either Brawl or Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Dilettante
  Dilettantes usually get their wealth from family 
  holdings and trust funds. The typical dilettante has 
  no job, few responsibilities, and at least one driving 
  passion that occupies his or her day. That passion 
  might be a charity or philanthropic foundation, an 
  ideal or cause worth ﬁghting for, or a lust for living a 
  fun and carefree existence. 
  Prerequisite: Age 18+.
  Skills: Choose one of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character selects 
  is already a class skill, he or she receives a +1 
  competence bonus on checks using that skill. Gamble, 
  Intimidate, Knowledge (current events or popular 
  culture), Ride, or add a new Speak Language.
  Reputation Bonus Increase: +1.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +6.
  Doctor
  A doctor can be a physician (general practitioner or 
  specialist), a surgeon, or a psychiatrist.
  Prerequisite: Age 25+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a 
  +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill.  
  Craft (pharmaceutical), Computer Use, Knowledge 
  (behavioral sciences, earth and life sciences, or 
  technology), Search, Treat Injury.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +4.
  Drifter
  Drifters are aimless wanderers and worldwise jacks-
  of-all-trades who move between cities or star systems, 
  working odd jobs until boredom or fate leads them 
  elsewhere. Along the way, they learn strange customs 
  and pick up interesting and diverse skills.
  Prerequisite: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose three of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill you select is already a 
  class skill, you gain a +1 competence bonus on checks 
  using that skill.
  Bluff (Cha), Decipher Script (Int), Disable Device 
  (Int), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gamble (Wis), 
  Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Knowledge 
  (streetwise) (Int), Navigate (Int), Sleight of Hand 
  (Dex).
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +2.
  Gladiator
  Gladiators have been ﬁghting all their lives, whether 
  on the streets or in some form of arena. They include 
  disenchanted youths and poverty-stricken hoodlums 
  looking to trade ﬁsts for cash, clones bred in secret 
  labs to ﬁght from birth, and low-ranking members of a 
  society’s warrior caste.
  Prerequisite: Age 18+.
  Skills: Choose one of the following skills as a 
  permanent class skill. If a skill you select is already a 
  class skill, you gain a +1 competence bonus on checks 
  using that skill.
  Balance (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge 
  (streetwise) (Int), Tumble (Dex).
  Bonus Feat: Select either Brawl or Combat Martial 
  Arts.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Heir
  Heirs are the elite sons and daughters of powerful 
  magnates, inﬂuential nobles, and imperial monarchs. 
  Unlike dilettantes, however, they are bound by their 
  lineage to certain responsibilities, with the assumption 
  that they might someday rise to lead their families into 
  the future . . . assuming the stars are properly aligned 
  and they do nothing to jeopardize their birthright.
  Prerequisite: Age 21+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill you select is already a 
  class skill, you gain a +1 competence bonus on checks 
  using that skill.
  Craft (visual art or writing) (Int), Knowledge 
  (art, business, civics, current events, or history) 
  (Int), Perform (act, dance, keyboards, percussion 
  instruments, sing, stringed instruments, or wind 
  instruments) (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis).
  Pre-Selected Feat: An heir must choose the 
  Educated feat as one of her starting feats at 1st level.
  Reputation Bonus Increase: +1.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +6. An heir may 
  permanently reduce her Reputation bonus by 1 to 
  increase her starting wealth bonus by an additional 
  +1d6; this expenditure must be made before the 
  character begins play. As long as her Reputation bonus 
  is +1 or higher, an heir’s wealth bonus can never drop 
  below 10.
  Emergency Services
  Rescue workers, ﬁreﬁghters, paramedics, hazardous 
  material handlers, and emergency medical technicians 
  fall under this category.
  Prerequisite: Age 18+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a 
  +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill.  
  Balance, Climb, Computer Use, Drive, Jump, 
  
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  Knowledge (behavioral sciences, earth and life 
  sciences, or technology), Search, Treat Injury, Swim.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +2.
  Entrepreneur
  Entrepreneurs have an obsession about being 
  their own boss. They believe in themselves, have 
  an abundance of conﬁdence, and the ability to 
  acquire the funds necessary to bankroll their newest 
  moneymaking venture. These small to large business 
  owners have a knack for putting together business 
  plans, gathering resources, and getting a new venture 
  off the ground. They rarely want to stick around 
  after the launch, however, as they prefer to put their 
  energies into the next big thing.
  Prerequisite: Age 18+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character selects 
  is already a class skill, he or she receives a +1 
  competence bonus on checks using that skill.  Bluff, 
  Diplomacy, Gamble, Knowledge (business, current 
  events, or technology).
  Reputation Bonus Increase: +1.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +4.
  Investigative
  There are a number of jobs that ﬁt within this 
  occupation, including investigative reporters, 
  photojournalists, private investigators, police 
  detectives, criminologists, criminal proﬁlers, 
  espionage agents, and others who use their skills to 
  gather evidence and analyze clues.
  Prerequisite: Age 23+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a 
  +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill.  
  Computer Use, Craft (visual art or writing), Decipher 
  Script, Forgery, Gather Information, Investigate, 
  Knowledge (behavioral sciences, civics, earth and 
  life sciences, or streetwise), Research, Search, Sense 
  Motive.
  Bonus Feat: Select either Brawl or Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +2.
  Law Enforcement
  Law enforcement personnel include uniformed police, 
  state troopers, federal police, federal agents, SWAT 
  team members, and military police.
  Prerequisite: Age 20+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a 
  +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill.  
  Diplomacy, Drive, Gather Information, Intimidate, 
  Knowledge (civics, earth and life sciences, streetwise, 
  or tactics), Listen.
  Bonus Feat: Select one of the following: Combat 
  Martial Arts, Light Armor Proﬁciency, or Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Military
  Military covers any of the branches of the armed 
  forces, including army, navy, air force, and marines, 
  as well as the various elite training units such as Seals, 
  Rangers, and Special Forces.
  Prerequisite: Age 18+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character selects 
  is already a class skill, he or she receives a +1 
  competence bonus on checks using that skill.  Climb, 
  Demolitions, Drive, Hide, Knowledge (tactics), Move 
  Silently, Navigate, Pilot, Survival, Swim.
  Bonus Feat: Select one of the following: Brawl, 
  Combat Martial Arts, Light Armor Proﬁciency, or 
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Outcast
  “Outcast” is not so much an occupation as a forced 
  way of life. Persecuted and exiled for being different, 
  outcasts are lone pariahs or shunned members of a 
  culture whose customs or characteristics society ﬁnds 
  deviant or abhorrent. Outcasts lurk on the fringes of 
  civilization. Some strive for acceptance, while others 
  are trapped by their own feelings of resentment, self-
  loathing, or hopelessness.
  Prerequisites: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose one of the following skills as a 
  permanent class skill. If a skill you select is already a 
  class skill, you gain a +1 competence bonus on checks 
  using that skill.
  Disguise (Cha), Hide (Dex), Knowledge 
  (streetwise) (Int), Search (Int), Survival (Wis), Treat 
  Injury (Wis). 
  Bonus Feat: Toughness.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Religious
  Ordained clergy of all persuasions, as well as 
  theological scholars and experts on religious studies 
  fall within the scope of this starting occupation.
  Prerequisite: Age 23+.
  Skills: Choose three of the following skills 
  as permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a 
  +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill.  
  Decipher Script, Knowledge (arcane lore, art, 
  behavioral sciences, history, streetwise, or theology 
  and philosophy), Listen, Sense Motive.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +2.
  Rural
  Farm workers, hunters, and others who make a living 
  in rural communities fall under this category.
  Prerequisite: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  
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  permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a 
  +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill.  
  Balance, Climb, Drive, Handle Animal, Repair, Ride, 
  Survival, Swim.
  Bonus Feat: Select either Brawl or Personal 
  Firearms Proﬁciency.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Scavenger
  Scavengers turn society’s wreckage and discarded 
  trash into useful tools or items for trade, and if they’re 
  lucky, their endeavors might even yield one or two 
  objects of special value. They effortlessly navigate 
  and strip clean the most treacherous places, and their 
  playgrounds are abandoned space stations, gutted 
  buildings, and smoking battleﬁelds.
  Prerequisites: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose three of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill you select is already a 
  class skill, you gain a +1 competence bonus on checks 
  using that skill.
  Decipher Script (Int), Disable Device (Int), 
  Knowledge (technology) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), 
  Repair (Int), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis).
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +2.
  Student
  A student can be in high school, college, or graduate 
  school. He or she could be in a seminary, a military 
  school, or a private institution. A college-age student 
  should also pick a major ﬁeld of study.
  Prerequisite: Age 15+.
  Skills: Choose three of the following skills 
  as permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives 
  a +1 competence bonus on checks using that 
  skill.  Computer Use, Knowledge (arcane lore, 
  art, behavioral sciences, business, civics, current 
  events, earth and life sciences, history, physical 
  sciences, popular culture, technology, or theology 
  and philosophy), Perform (act, dance, keyboards, 
  percussion instruments, sing, stand-up, stringed 
  instruments, or wind instruments), Research.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  Technician
  Scientists and engineers of all types ﬁt within the 
  scope of this starting occupation.
  Prerequisite: Age 23+.
  Skills: Choose three of the following skills 
  as permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives 
  a +1 competence bonus on checks using that 
  skill. Computer Use, Craft (chemical, electronic, 
  mechanical, or structural), Knowledge (business, earth 
  and life sciences, physical sciences, or technology), 
  Repair, Research.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +3.
  Transporter
  Skilled drivers and pilots, transporters move people, 
  information, and precious cargo safely from one 
  destination to another. They treat their vehicles as 
  extensions of their bodies and are most comfortable 
  behind the wheels of skycabs or the thruster controls 
  of cargo shuttles.
  Prerequisite: Age 18+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill you select is already a 
  class skill, you gain a +1 competence bonus on checks 
  using that skill.
  Craft (mechanical) (Int), Drive (Dex), Knowledge 
  (current events, popular culture, or streetwise) (Int), 
  Navigate (Int), Pilot (Dex), Repair (Int).
  Bonus Feat: Select either Spacer or Vehicle Expert.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +1.
  White Collar
  Ofﬁce workers and desk jockeys, lawyers, 
  accountants, insurance agents, bank personnel, 
  ﬁnancial advisors, tax preparers, clerks, sales 
  personnel, real estate agents, and a variety of mid-
  level managers fall within the scope of this starting 
  occupation.
  Prerequisite: Age 23+.
  Skills: Choose two of the following skills as 
  permanent class skills. If a skill the character 
  selects is already a class skill, he or she receives a 
  +1 competence bonus on checks using that skill.  
  Computer Use, Diplomacy, Knowledge (art, business, 
  civics, earth and life sciences, history, physical 
  sciences, or technology), Research.
  Wealth Bonus Increase: +3.
  Action Points
  Action points provide characters with the means to 
  affect game play in signiﬁcant ways. A character 
  always has a limited amount of action points, and 
  while the character replenishes this supply with every 
  new level he or she attains, the character must use 
  them wisely. A character can spend 1 action point to 
  do one of these things:
  • 
  Alter a single d20 roll used to make an attack, a 
  skill check, an ability check, a level check, or a 
  saving throw.
  • 
  Use a class talent or class feature during your 
  turn for which the expenditure of 1 action point is 
  required.
  When a character spends 1 action point to improve 
  a d20 roll, add 1d6 to the d20 roll to help meet or 
  exceed the target number. A character can declare the 
  use of 1 action point to alter a d20 roll after the roll is 
  made—but only before the GM reveals the result of 
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  that roll (whether the attack or check or saving throw 
  succeeded or failed). A character can’t use an action 
  point on a skill check or ability check when he or she 
  is taking 10 or taking 20.
  When a character spends 1 action point to use a class 
  feature, he or she gains the beneﬁt of the feature but 
  doesn’t roll a d6. In this case, the action point is not a 
  bonus to a d20 roll.
  A character can only spend 1 action point in a 
  round. If a character spends a point to use a class 
  feature, he or she can’t spend another one in the same 
  round to improve a die roll, and vice versa.
  Depending on the hero’s character level (see the table 
  below), he or she may be able to roll more than one d6 
  when spending 1 action point. If the character does so, 
  apply the highest result and disregard the other rolls. 
  Character Level
  Action Point Dice Rolled
  1st–7th
  1d6
  8th–14th
  2d6
  15th–20th
  3d6
  Allegiances
  A character may have up to three allegiances, listed 
  in order from most important to least important.  
  These allegiances are indications of what the 
  character values in life, and may encompass people, 
  organizations, or ideals. A character may have no 
  allegiances (being either a free spirit or a lone wolf) 
  or may change allegiances as he or she goes through 
  life. Also, just because the character ﬁts into a certain 
  category of people doesn’t mean the character has to 
  have that category as an allegiance.
  If the character acts in a way that is detrimental to 
  his or her allegiance, the GM may choose to strip the 
  character of that allegiance (and all its beneﬁts) and 
  assign an allegiance more suitable to those actions.
  Pledging Allegiance
  A hero’s allegiance can take the form of loyalty 
  to a person, to an organization, to a belief system, 
  to a nation, or to an ethical or moral philosophy. 
  In general, a character can discard an allegiance at 
  any time, but may only gain a new allegiance after 
  attaining a new level.
  Having an allegiance implies having sufﬁcient 
  intelligence and wisdom to make a moral or ethical 
  choice. As a result, a character must have Intelligence 
  and Wisdom scores of 3 or higher in order to select 
  allegiances.
  Allegiances include, but are not limited to, the 
  following examples.
  Person or Group: This includes a leader or 
  superior, a family, a group of linked individuals (such 
  as a band of adventurers or a cell of secret agents), 
  or a discrete unit within a larger organization (such 
  as members of the character’s squad or platoon, or 
  individuals whose safety the character is responsible 
  for).
  Organization: This may be a company or 
  corporation, a gathering of like-minded individuals, a 
  fraternal brotherhood, a secret society, a branch of the 
  armed forces, a local, state, or national government, 
  a university, an employer, or an otherwise established 
  authority. 
  Nation: This may or may not be the nation that 
  the hero currently resides in. It may be where the 
  individual was born, or where the hero resides after 
  emigrating to a new home.
  Belief System: This is usually a particular faith 
  or religion, but can also be a speciﬁc philosophy or 
  school of thought. Belief systems could also include 
  political beliefs or philosophical outlooks.
  Ethical Philosophy: This describes how one feels 
  about order, as represented by law and chaos. An 
  individual with a lawful outlook tends to tell the truth, 
  keep his or her word, respect authority, and honor 
  tradition, and he or she expects others to do likewise. 
  An individual with a chaotic outlook tends to follow 
  his or her instincts and whims, favor new ideas and 
  experiences, and behave in a subjective and open 
  manner in dealings with others.
  Moral Philosophy: This describes one’s attitude 
  toward others, as represented by good and evil. An 
  individual with a good allegiance tends to protect 
  innocent life. This belief implies altruism, respect for 
  life, and a concern for the dignity of other creatures. 
  An evil allegiance shows a willingness to hurt, 
  oppress, and kill others, and to debase or destroy 
  innocent life.
  Allegiances And Inﬂuence
  An allegiance can create an empathic bond with others 
  of the same allegiance. With the GM’s permission, the 
  character gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Charisma-
  based skill checks when dealing with someone of the 
  same allegiance—as long as the character has had 
  some interaction with the other character to discover 
  the connections and bring the bonus into play.
  Reputation
  Reputation is used to determine whether another 
  character (a GM character) recognizes a character.  
  Those who recognize the hero are more likely to 
  help the hero or do what he or she asks, provided the 
  reputation has a positive connotation to the character 
  that recognizes the hero. A high Reputation bonus 
  also makes it difﬁcult for the hero to mask his or her 
  identity.
  Most of the time, a hero doesn’t decide to use his 
  or her reputation. The GM decides when a hero’s 
  reputation can be relevant to a scene or encounter. 
  At the moment it becomes relevant, the GM makes a 
  Reputation check for a GM character who might be 
  inﬂuenced in some fashion due to the hero’s fame or 
  notoriety, as detailed below.
  
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  Fame And Infamy
  Most characters with a high Reputation bonus (+4 
  or higher) are considered well known within their 
  profession or social circle. Whether this has a positive 
  or negative connotation depends on the point of view 
  of the person who recognizes the hero. 
  When a character has a positive opinion of a hero’s 
  reputation, the hero is considered to be famous by that 
  character. Fame, when recognized, provides a bonus 
  to certain Charisma-based skill checks.
  When a character has a negative opinion of a hero’s 
  reputation, the hero is considered to be infamous by 
  that character. Also, at the GM’s option, a hero might 
  be considered infamous in certain situations due to 
  events that have transpired in the campaign.
  Infamy, when recognized, provides a penalty to 
  certain Charisma-based skill checks.
  Using The Reputation Bonus
  Whenever the GM decides that a character’s 
  reputation can be a factor in an encounter, the GM 
  makes a Reputation check (DC 25) for the GM 
  character involved. A Reputation check is 1d20 + 
  the hero’s Reputation bonus + the GM character’s 
  Int modifer. (Some Knowledge skill modiﬁers might 
  apply instead of the Int modiﬁer, if the hero would be 
  well known in the ﬁeld covered by the Knowledge 
  skill.) Modiﬁers to the Reputation check depend on 
  the hero and the GM character in question, as shown 
  below. Note that if the GM character has no possible 
  way of recognizing a hero, then the Reputation check 
  automatically fails.
  If the GM character succeeds at the Reputation 
  check, he or she recognizes the hero. This provides 
  a +4 bonus or a –4 penalty on checks involving the 
  following skills for the duration of the encounter: 
  Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Intimidate, and 
  Perform.
  Situation
  Reputation Check 
  Modiﬁer
  The hero is famous, known far and 
  wide with either a positive or negative 
  connotation
  +10
  GM character is part of the hero’s 
  professional or social circle
  +5
  The hero has some small amount of fame 
  or notoriety
  +2
  The GM must decide that a character’s fame or 
  infamy can come into play in a given situation to 
  make a Reputation check necessary. A character who 
  doesn’t know, or know of, the hero can’t be inﬂuenced 
  by his or her reputation.
  Allies
  This rule variant links Reputation with Allegiances. 
  Allegiances typically allow you to make a friend and 
  gain a reaction-bonus when dealing with that friend 
  (in other words with others who share the same 
  allegiance). However no rules are given as to exactly 
  how powerful those friends can be, and what they can 
  be expected to do for you other than take your calls 
  (sometimes not even that). 
  This system allows characters to pick allies within 
  larger organizations. The ally’s abilities will be 
  linked to the character’s Reputation - the higher your 
  Reputation, the more inﬂuential your allies. Allies are 
  broken down into the following categories: supply, 
  inﬂuence, knowledge and skill. 
  What each type of ally can provide is detailed 
  below.
  Gaining Allies
  Gaining an ally is a function of Reputation. When a 
  character gains a level he may attempt to establish 
  an ally within one of his Allegiances by making 
  a Reputation check (DC 20). Or in other words, 
  d20+Reputation, if the combined total is 20 or higher 
  the character has established the ally. 
  A character can have a maximum number of allies 
  equal to one-half his Reputation modiﬁer. 
  Losing Allies
  Allies are dependant upon allegiances. If a character 
  renounces an allegiance (or has it revoked by the 
  game master) he loses all allies tied to that allegiance. 
  Even if the character later regains the allegiance he 
  must reestablish his allies within that allegiance as if 
  they were totally new allegiances. 
  Supply
  Organizations frequently have full members that 
  they allow to requisition equipment in order to 
  further the aims of the organization. And all of those 
  organizations have people whose job it is to hand out 
  that equipment, make sure it all comes back in good 
  shape and maintain the storerooms of equipment not 
  in use to ensure that the equipment is maintained and 
  does not “walk away”. 
  Supply allies are usually very low on an 
  organization’s “totem pole”, not being the ones who 
  bark out orders or go hunt down vampires. However 
  these quiet paper-pushers have a lot of power, in that 
  they usually are the ones who decide if you get what 
  you have requisitioned. Even if a higher-ranking 
  member of the organization orders them to give you 
  something, well, sometimes things just get lost. And 
  anyone who has ever tried to ﬁnd something hidden a 
  stockroom knows that isn’t the way to go. 
  Supply contacts grant a bonus to Requisition skill 
  checks equal to your Reputation modiﬁer from the 
  agency in question.
  Inﬂuence
   Inﬂuence allies might not have skills or information 
  or the keys to the stockroom but they do have 
  valuable commodities that can aid the most powerful 
  
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  CHAPTER�1:�characters
  character: friends. Charismatic heroes begin play with 
  an inﬂuence ally already established so long as they 
  take an appropriate allegiance for the ally to belong 
  to (possibilities would be celebrities or members of a 
  political action committee or lobbying group). 
  When a character uses an inﬂuence ally to make 
  an introduction the initial attitude of the person he’s 
  introduced to is improved one step (if the party was 
  inclined to be Neutral to the character before the 
  introduction he will be friendly now and so forth).
  Knowledge
  Knowledge allies are specialists in various Knowledge 
  or Intelligence-based skills. Smart heroes may begin 
  play with one Knowledge ally already established, 
  so long as they take an appropriate allegiance for the 
  ally to belong to (possibilities would be academic 
  institutions or government think tanks).
  When a character calls on a knowledge ally he 
  gains a bonus to one Knowledge skill check equal to 
  his Reputation or a bonus to one Intelligence-based 
  skill equal to one-half his Reputation (the ally will not 
  show up to perform the skill for the character in the 
  middle of an adventure but will offer helpful advice to 
  give the character a bonus to his own skill check). 
  Skill
  Skill allies are specialists in skills based on abilities 
  other than Intelligence or Charisma. Strong, Fast, 
  Tough and Dedicated heroes may begin play with 
  one Skill ally already established so long as they take 
  an appropriate allegiance for the ally to belong to. 
  This ally’s chosen skill must be one of the class skills 
  for the character in question and represents a former 
  teacher or master of that skill. 
  When a character calls on a skill ally he gains a 
  bonus to the ally’s skill specialty equal to one-half 
  his Reputation bonus (the ally will not show up to 
  perform the skill for the character in the middle of 
  an adventure but will offer helpful advice to give the 
  character a bonus to his own skill check). 
  Calling On Allies
  No matter how many allies a character has there 
  is a limit to how many times he can use his allies 
  during an adventure. A character may automatically 
  call on one ally per allegiance during the course of 
  a single week of game time. A second call to an ally 
  of the same allegiance requires a Reputation check 
  (DC 20). The DC of this check increases by 5 for 
  each additional time during that week the character 
  attempts to call on allies from that allegiance. 
  If a character needs a rationale for this limit inform 
  him that his allegiances like him, they don’t work for 
  him. 
  Whether or not the character needs to make a check 
  to get in touch with his contact, it will take the contact 
  1-4 hours to get in touch with the character and/or 
  provide the needed assistance. 
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  Skill Basics
  Getting Skills
  At each level, a character gets skill points that 
  are used to buy skills. The character’s class and 
  Intelligence modiﬁer determine the number of points 
  received.
  If the character buys a class skill, he or she gets 
  1 rank in the skill for each skill point spent. If the 
  character buys a cross-class skill, he or she gets ½ 
  rank per skill point. The maximum rank in a class skill 
  is equal to character level + 3. The maximum rank in a 
  cross-class skill is one-half of this number.
  Using Skills
  To make a skill check, roll:
  1d20 + skill modiﬁer
  (Skill modiﬁer = skill ranks + ability 
  modiﬁer + miscellaneous modiﬁers)
  Skill Ranks
  A character’s ranks in a skill is based on the number 
  of skill points the character has invested in the skill. 
  Some skills can be used even if the character has no 
  ranks in the skill; doing this is known as making an 
  untrained skill check.
  Ability Modiﬁer
  The ability modiﬁer used in the skill check is 
  the modiﬁer for the skill’s key ability (the ability 
  associated with the skill’s use). The key ability of a 
  skill is noted in its description.
  Miscellaneous Modiﬁers 
  Miscellaneous modiﬁers include bonuses provided by 
  feats and class features, and penalties such as the ones 
  associated with the nonproﬁcient use of armor, among 
  others.
  Acquiring Skill Ranks
  Ranks indicate how much training or experience 
  a character has with a given skill. Each skill has 
  a number of ranks, from 0 (for a skill in which a 
  character has no training at all) to 23 (for a 20th-
  level character who has increased a class skill to 
  its maximum rank). When making a skill check, a 
  character adds his or her skill ranks to the roll as part 
  of the skill modiﬁer.
  The rules assume that a character can always ﬁnd a 
  way to learn any skill. However, the GM can impose 
  limits depending on circumstances and a given 
  situation.
  Class
  1st-Level
  Skill Points
  Higher-Level
  Skill Points
  Strong
  (3 + Int modiﬁer) x4
  3 + Int modiﬁer
  Fast
  (5 + Int modiﬁer) x4
  5 + Int modiﬁer
  Tough
  (3 + Int modiﬁer) x4
  3 + Int modiﬁer
  Smart
  (9 + Int modiﬁer) x4
  9 + Int modiﬁer
  Dedicated
  (5 + Int modiﬁer) x4
  5 + Int modiﬁer
  Charismatic
  (7 + Int modiﬁer) x4
  7 + Int modiﬁer
  Skill Checks
  Unlike with attack rolls and saving throws, a natural 
  roll of 20 on the d20 is not an automatic success when 
  making a skill check, and a natural roll of 1 is not an 
  automatic failure.
  Difﬁculty Class
  Some checks are made against a Difﬁculty Class 
  (DC). The DC is a number set by the GM (using the 
  skill rules as a guideline) that a character must attain 
  to succeed.
  Difﬁculty (DC)
  Example (Skill Used)
  Very easy (0)
  Notice something large in plain 
  sight (Spot)
  Easy (5)
  Climb a knotted rope (Climb)
  Average (10)
  Hear an approaching security 
  guard (Listen)
  Tough (15)
  Disarm an explosive 
  (Demolitions)
  Challenging (20)
  Swim against a strong current 
  (Swim)
  Formidable (25)
  Break into a secure computer 
  system (Computer Use)
  Heroic (30)
  Leap across a 30-foot chasm 
  (Jump)
  Superheroic (35)
  Convince the guards that even 
  though you’re not wearing an ID 
  badge and aren’t on their list, they 
  should let you into the building 
  (Bluff)
  Nearly impossible (40)
  Track a trained commando  
  through the forests of Brazil on a 
  moonless night after 12 days of 
  rainfall (Survival)
  Opposed Checks
  Some skill checks are opposed checks. They are 
  made against a randomized number, usually another 
  character’s skill check result. 
  For ties on opposed checks, the character with the 
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  higher key ability score wins.  If those scores are the 
  same, roll again.
  Task
  Skill
  Opposing Skill
  Sneak up on someone
  Move Silently
  Listen
  Con someone
  Bluff
  Sense Motive
  Hide from someone
  Hide
  Spot
  Win a car race
  Drive
  Drive
  Pretend to be someone 
  else
  Disguise
  Spot
  Steal a key chain
  Sleight of Hand
  Spot
  Create a fake ID
  Forgery
  Forgery
  Trying Again
  If a character fails on a skill check, he or she can 
  sometimes try again. Check the skill description to 
  ﬁnd out if, and under what circumstances, a character 
  can try again. Many skills, however, have natural 
  consequences for failing that must be accounted for. 
  Some skills can’t be tried again once a check has 
  failed for a particular task.
  If the use of a skill carries no penalty for failure, a 
  character can take 20 and assume that he or she keeps 
  trying until he or she eventually succeeds.
  Untrained Skill Checks
  Generally, if a character attempts to use a skill he or 
  she doesn’t have any ranks in, the character makes a 
  skill check as described. The character’s skill modiﬁer 
  don’t include skill ranks because the character doesn’t 
  have any. The character does get other modiﬁers, 
  though, such as the ability modiﬁer for the skill’s key 
  ability.
  Some skills can be used only if the character is 
  trained in the skill.
  Favorable And Unfavorable Conditions
  Some situations may make a skill easier or harder 
  to use, resulting in a bonus or penalty to the skill 
  modiﬁer or a change to the skill check’s DC. 
  The GM can alter the odds of success in four ways 
  to take into account exceptional circumstances:
  1. Give the skill user a +2 circumstance bonus to 
  represent conditions that improve performance, such 
  as having the perfect tool for the job, getting help 
  from another character, or working under conditions 
  that are signiﬁcantly better than normal.
  2. Give the skill user a –2 circumstance penalty to 
  represent conditions that hamper performance, such 
  as being forced to use improvised tools or possessing 
  misleading information.
  3. Reduce the DC by 2 to represent circumstances 
  that make the task easier, such as having a friendly 
  audience when making a Perform check or searching 
  for information on an extremely well documented 
  topic with a Computer Use check.
  4. Increase the DC by 2 to represent circumstances 
  that make the task harder, such as making a Perform 
  check in front of a hostile audience or searching for 
  information on a very poorly documented topic with a 
  Computer Use check.
  Conditions that affect a character’s ability to 
  perform the skill change the character’s skill modiﬁer. 
  Conditions that modify how well the character must 
  perform the skill to succeed change the DC. A bonus 
  on a character’s skill modiﬁer or a reduction in the 
  DC of the check have the same result—they create a 
  better chance for success. But they represent different 
  circumstances, and sometimes that difference is 
  important.
  Time and Skill Checks
  Using a skill might take a round, several rounds, or 
  even longer. It might take no time at all. Types of 
  actions deﬁne how long activities take to perform 
  within the framework of a combat round (6 seconds) 
  and how movement is treated with respect to the 
  activity.  See the skill description for speciﬁes on how 
  long a skill takes to use.
  In general, using a skill that requires concentration 
  while in close combat is dangerous. Nearby opponents 
  can make attacks of opportunity against a character 
  when he or she lets his or her guard down. 
  Tools
  Some skill applications require the use of tools. 
  If tools are needed, the speciﬁc items required are 
  mentioned in the skill description. If the character 
  doesn’t have the appropriate tools, he or she can still 
  attempt to use the skill, but the character takes a –4 
  penalty on his or her check.
  A character may be able to put together some 
  impromptu tools to make the check. If the GM allows 
  it, reduce the penalty to –2 (instead of –4) for using 
  impromptu tools. It usually takes some time (several 
  minutes to an hour or more) to collect or create a set 
  of impromptu tools, and it may require a skill check 
  as well.
  Checks without Rolls
  A skill check represents an attempt to accomplish 
  some goal, usually in the face of time pressure or 
  distraction. Sometimes, though, a character can use a 
  skill under more favorable conditions and eliminate 
  the luck factor.
  Taking 10
  When a character is not being threatened or distracted, 
  he or she may choose to take 10. Instead of rolling 
  1d20 for the skill check, calculate the result as if the 
  character had rolled a 10 (an average roll on a d20). 
  For many relatively routine tasks, taking 10 results in 
  a success.
  Distractions and threats make it impossible for a 
  character to take 10. A character also can’t take 10 
  when using a skill untrained, though the GM may 
  allow exceptions for truly routine activities.
  
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  Taking 20
  When a character has plenty of time, is faced with no 
  threats or distractions, and the skill being attempted 
  carries no penalty for failure, a character can take 20. 
  Instead of rolling 1d20 for the skill check, calculate 
  the result as if the character had rolled a 20.
  Taking 20 is the equivalent of attempting the check 
  over and over again until the character gets it right. 
  Taking 20 takes twenty times as long as making a 
  single check (2 minutes for a skill that can normally 
  be checked in 1 round). 
  Aiding Another
  In some situations, characters can cooperate to 
  accomplish a given task. One character is designated 
  as the leader in the effort, while the others try to aid 
  the character in his or her efforts. A character aids 
  another by making a skill check (DC 10). This is an 
  attack action, and the character can’t take 10 on this 
  check. If the check succeeds, the character’s ally gains 
  a +2 circumstance bonus to apply to his or her skill 
  check to complete the task. 
  In many cases, a character’s help won’t be 
  beneﬁcial, or only a limited number of characters 
  can help at the same time. The GM limits aid another 
  attempts as he or she sees ﬁt for the conditions.
  Skill Synergy
  Sometimes, the GM may decide that having one 
  skill provides a bonus when a character uses another 
  skill in certain situations. The character must have at 
  least 5 ranks in the related skill to gain this synergy 
  bonus, and the GM must agree that the two skills can 
  complement each other in the given situation. In such 
  cases, the character receives a +2 synergy bonus on 
  the skill check.
  Ability Checks
  Sometimes a character tries to do something to which 
  no speciﬁc skill applies. In these cases, the character 
  makes an ability Check: Roll 1d20 and apply the 
  appropriate ability modiﬁer. The GM assigns a DC, 
  or sets up an opposed check when two characters are 
  engaged in a contest using one ability against another. 
  In some cases, a test of one’s ability doesn’t involve 
  luck.  When two characters arm wrestle, for example, 
  the stronger character simply wins. In the case of 
  identical scores, make opposed Strength checks.
  Example Ability Check
  Key Ability
  Forcing open a jammed or locked door
  Strength
  Tying a rope
  Dexterity
  Holding one’s breath
  Constitution
  Navigating a maze
  Intelligence
  Recognize a stranger you’ve seen before
  Wisdom
  Getting yourself noticed in a crowd
  Charisma
  Modiﬁer Types And Stacking
  A modiﬁer provides a bonus (a positive modiﬁer) or a 
  penalty (a negative modiﬁer) to a die roll.
  Bonuses with speciﬁc descriptors, such as 
  “equipment bonus,” generally don’t stack (combine 
  for cumulative effect) with others of the same type. In 
  those cases, only the best bonus of that type applies. 
  The only speciﬁc bonuses that stack are dodge 
  bonuses, synergy bonuses, and sometimes 
  circumstance bonuses. Circumstance bonuses stack 
  only if they’re provided by differing circumstances; 
  if two circumstance bonuses caused by similar 
  circumstances apply, they don’t stack.
  Speciﬁc bonuses that don’t stack include 
  competence, cover, equipment, morale, natural armor, 
  and size.
  If the game setting includes magic or other 
  supernatural effects, there can also be deﬂection, 
  enhancement, enlargement, haste, inherent, 
  insight, luck, profane, resistance, and sacred bonus 
  descriptors. None of these bonuses stack.
  Any bonus without a descriptor (such as simply a 
  “+1 bonus”) stacks with other bonuses.
  All penalties stack, regardless of their descriptors.
  Skill Descriptions
  Skills are presented in alphabetical order, in the 
  following format. Entries that do not apply to a 
  particular skill are omitted in that skill’s description.
  Skill Name (Key Ability)
  Trained Only; Armor Penalty
  The skill name line and the line beneath it include 
  the following information:
  Key Ability: The abbreviation for the ability whose 
  modiﬁer applies to the skill check. Exceptions: Speak 
  Language and Read/Write Language have “None” 
  given as their key ability because the use of these 
  skills never requires a check.
  Trained Only: If “Trained Only” appears on the 
  line beneath the skill name, a character must have at 
  least 1 rank in the skill to use it. If “Trained Only” 
  is omitted, the skill can be used untrained. If any 
  particular notes apply to trained or untrained use, they 
  are covered in the Special section (see below).
  Armor Penalty: If “Armor Penalty” appears on the 
  line beneath the skill name, apply the armor penalty 
  for the armor the character is wearing to checks 
  involving this skill.
  Check: What a character can do with a successful 
  skill check, and the check’s DC.
  Try Again?: Any conditions that apply to repeated 
  attempts to use the skill for a particular purpose. 
  If this entry is omitted, the skill check can be tried 
  again without any inherent penalty other than taking 
  additional time.
  Special: Any particular notes that apply, such as 
  whether a character can take 10 or take 20 when using 
  the skill.
  Untrained: Any details about using a skill 
  untrained. If this entry doesn’t appear, it means the 
  skill works the same even when used untrained, or 
  that an untrained character can’t make checks with 
  this skill (true for skills that are designated “Trained 
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  Only”).
  Time: How much time it takes to make a check 
  with this skill.
  Balance (Dex)
  Armor Penalty
  Check: The character can walk on a precarious 
  surface. A successful check lets the character move 
  at half his or her speed along the surface as a move 
  action. A failure indicates that the character spends 
  his or her move action keeping his or her balance 
  and does not move. A failure by 5 or more indicates 
  that the character falls. The difﬁculty varies with the 
  conditions of the surface.
  Narrow Surface 
  DC*
  Difﬁcult Surface
  DC
  7–12 in. wide
  10
  Uneven or angled
  10
  2–6 in. wide
  15
  Slippery surface
  10
  Less than 2 in. wide
  20
  *Add +5 to the DC if the narrow surface is slippery 
  or angled; add +10 if it is both slippery and angled.
  Being Attacked While Balancing: While balancing, 
  the character is ﬂat-footed (the character loses his 
  or her Dexterity bonus to Defense, if the character 
  has one), unless the character has 5 or more ranks in 
  Balance. If the character takes damage, he or she must 
  make a Balance check again to remain standing.
  Accelerated Movement: The character can try to 
  cross a precarious surface more quickly than normal. 
  The character can move his or her full speed, but the 
  character takes a –5 penalty on his or her Balance 
  check. (Moving twice the character’s speed in a round 
  requires two checks, one for each move action.)
  The character can attempt to charge across a 
  precarious surface. Charging requires one Balance 
  check at a –5 penalty for each multiple of the 
  character’s speed (or fraction thereof) that the 
  character charges.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Balance check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Focused feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Balance checks.
  Time: Balancing while moving one-half the 
  character’s speed is a move action.
  Accelerated movement, allowing the character to 
  balance while moving his or her full speed, is also a 
  move action.
  Bluff (Cha)
  Check: A Bluff check is opposed by the target’s 
  Sense Motive check when trying to con or mislead. 
  Favorable and unfavorable circumstances weigh 
  heavily on the outcome of a bluff. Two circumstances 
  can work against the character: The bluff is hard to 
  believe, or the action that the bluff requires the target 
  to take goes against the target’s self-interest, nature, 
  personality, or orders.
  If it’s important, the GM can distinguish between a 
  bluff that fails because the target doesn’t believe it and 
  one that fails because it asks too much of the target. 
  For instance, if the target gets a +10 bonus because the 
  bluff demands something risky of the target, and the 
  target’s Sense Motive check succeeds by 10 or less, 
  then the target didn’t so much see through the bluff 
  as prove reluctant to go along with it. If the target’s 
  Sense Motive check succeeds by 11 or more, he has 
  seen through the bluff, and would have succeeded in 
  doing so even if it had not placed any demand on him 
  (that is, even without the +10 bonus).
  A successful Bluff check indicates that the target 
  reacts as the character wishes, at least for a short 
  time (usually 1 round or less), or the target believes 
  something that the character wants him or her to 
  believe. 
  A bluff requires interaction between the character 
  and the target. Targets unaware of the character can’t 
  be bluffed. 
  Example Circumstances
  Modiﬁer
  The target wants to believe the character. 
  –5
  The bluff is believable and doesn’t affect the 
  target much one way or the other.
  +0
  The bluff is a little hard to believe or puts the 
  target at some kind of risk.
  +5
  The bluff is hard to believe or entails a large risk 
  for the target.
  +10
  The bluff is way out there; it’s almost too 
  incredible to consider.
  +20
  Feinting in Combat: A character can also use Bluff 
  to mislead an opponent in combat so that the opponent 
  can’t dodge the character’s attack effectively. If the 
  character succeeds, the next attack the character 
  makes against the target ignores his or her Dexterity 
  bonus to Defense (if the opponent has one), thus 
  lowering his or her Defense score. Using Bluff in this 
  way against a creature of animal intelligence (Int 1 
  or 2) requires a –8 penalty on the check. Against a 
  nonintelligent creature, feinting is impossible.
  Creating a Diversion to Hide: A character can use 
  Bluff to help him or her hide. A successful Bluff check 
  gives the character the momentary diversion needed 
  to attempt a Hide check while people are aware of the 
  character. (See the Hide skill)
  Sending a Secret Message: A character can use 
  Bluff to send and understand secret messages while 
  appearing to be speaking about other things.  The 
  DC for a basic message is 10. Complex messages or 
  messages trying to communicate new information 
  have DCs of 15 or 20. Both the sender and the 
  receiver must make the check for the secret message 
  to be successfully relayed and understood.
  Anyone listening in on a secret message can attempt 
  a Sense Motive check (DC equal to the sender’s 
  Bluff check result). If successful, the eavesdropper 
  realizes that a secret message is contained in the 
  communication. If the eavesdropper beats the DC by 5 
  or more, he or she understands the secret message.
  Whether trying to send or intercept a message, a 
  failure by 5 or more points means that one side or the 
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  other misinterprets the message in some fashion.
  Try Again?: Generally, a failed Bluff check makes 
  the target too suspicious for the character to try 
  another bluff in the same circumstances. For feinting 
  in combat, the character may try again freely.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  bluff (except for feinting in combat), but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Deceptive feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Bluff checks.
  Time: A bluff takes at least 1 round (and is at least 
  a full-round action) but can take much longer if the 
  character tries something elaborate. Using Bluff as a 
  feint in combat is an attack action.
  Climb (Str)
  Armor Penalty
  Check: With each successful Climb check, the 
  character can advance up, down, or across a slope or 
  a wall or other steep incline (or even a ceiling with 
  handholds).
  A slope is considered to be any incline of less than 
  60 degrees; a wall is any incline of 60 degrees or 
  steeper.
  A failed Climb check indicates that the character 
  makes no progress, and a check that fails by 5 or more 
  means that the character falls from whatever height 
  he or she had already attained (unless the character 
  is secured with some kind of harness or other 
  equipment).
  The DC of the check depends on the conditions of 
  the climb. If the climb is less than 10 feet, reduce the 
  DC by 5.
  Since the character can’t move to avoid an attack, 
  he or she is ﬂat-footed while climbing (the character 
  loses any Dexterity bonus to Defense).
  Any time the character takes damage while 
  climbing, make a Climb check against the DC of the 
  slope or wall. Failure means the character falls from 
  his or her current height and sustains the appropriate 
  falling damage.
  Accelerated Climbing: A character can try to 
  climb more quickly than normal. The character can 
  move his or her full speed, but the character takes a –5 
  penalty on his or her Climb check. (Moving twice the 
  character’s speed in a round requires two checks, one 
  for each move action.)
  Making Handholds and Footholds: A character 
  can make handholds and footholds by pounding pitons 
  into a wall. Doing so takes 1 minute per piton, and one 
  piton is needed per 3 feet. As with any surface with 
  handholds and footholds, a wall with pitons in it has 
  a DC of 15. In similar fashion, a climber with an ice 
  axe or other proper implement can cut handholds or 
  footholds in an ice wall.
  Catching Yourself When Falling: It’s practically 
  impossible for a character to catch him or herself on a 
  wall while falling. Make a Climb check (DC equal to 
  wall’s DC + 20) to do so. A slope is relatively easier to 
  catch on (DC equal to slope’s DC + 10).
  Special: Someone using a rope can haul a character 
  upward (or lower the character) by means of sheer 
  strength. Use two times a character’s maximum load 
  to determine how much weight he or she can lift.
  A character can take 10 while climbing, but can’t 
  take 20.
  A character without climbing gear takes a –4 
  penalty on Climb checks. At the GM’s discretion, 
  certain kinds of climbing attempts might require only 
  a rope or some other implement, or even just one’s 
  hands and feet, rather than a full set of climbing gear 
  to avoid the penalty.
  A character with the Athletic feat gets a +2 bonus on 
  all Climb checks.
  DC Example Wall or Surface or Task
  0
  A slope too steep to walk up.
  5
  A knotted rope with a wall to brace against.
  10 
  A rope with a wall to brace against. A knotted rope. 
  A surface with sizable ledges to hold on to and stand 
  on, such as a rugged cliff face.
  15
  Any surface with adequate handholds and footholds 
  (natural or artiﬁcial), such as a rough natural rock 
  surface, a tree, or a chain-link fence. An unknotted 
  rope. Pulling yourself up when dangling by your 
  hands.
  20
  An uneven surface with just a few narrow handholds 
  and footholds, such as a coarse masonry wall or 
  a sheer cliff face with a few crevices and small 
  toeholds.
  25
  A rough surface with no real handholds or footholds, 
  such as a brick wall.
  25
  Overhang or ceiling with handholds but no 
  footholds.
  —
  A perfectly smooth, ﬂat, vertical surface can’t be 
  climbed.
  –10*
  Climbing inside an air duct or other location where 
  one can brace against two opposite walls (reduces 
  normal DC by 10).
  –5*
  Climbing a corner where a character can brace 
  against perpendicular walls (reduces normal DC by 
  5).
  +5* Surface is slippery (increases normal DC by 5).
  *These modiﬁers are cumulative; use any that apply.
  Time: Climbing at one-half your speed is a full-
  round action. Moving half that far (one-fourth the 
  character’s speed) is a move action.
  Accelerated climbing, allowing the character to 
  climb at his or her full speed, is a full-round action. A 
  character can move half that far (one-half his or her 
  speed) as a move action.
  Computer Use (Int)
  Check: Most normal computer operations don’t 
  require a Computer Use check (though a character 
  might have to make a Research check; see the 
  Research skill description). However, searching 
  an unfamiliar network for a particular ﬁle, writing 
  computer programs, altering existing programs to 
  perform differently (better or worse), and breaking 
  through computer security are all relatively difﬁcult 
  and require skill checks.
  
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  Find File: This skill can be used for ﬁnding ﬁles or 
  data on an unfamiliar system. The DC for the check 
  and the time required are determined by the size of the 
  site on which the character is searching.
  Finding public information on the Internet does not 
  fall under this category; usually, such a task requires a 
  Research check. This application of the Computer Use 
  skill only pertains to ﬁnding ﬁles on private systems 
  with which the character is not familiar.
  Size of Site
  DC
  Time
  Personal computer
  10
  1 round
  Small ofﬁce network
  15
  2 rounds
  Large ofﬁce network
  20
  1 minute
  Massive corporate network
  25
  10 minutes
  Defeat Computer Security: This application of 
  Computer Use can’t be used untrained. The DC is 
  determined by the quality of the security program 
  installed to defend the system. If the check is failed 
  by 5 or more, the security system immediately alerts 
  its administrator that there has been an unauthorized 
  entry. An alerted administrator may attempt to identify 
  the character or cut off the character’s access to the 
  system.
  Sometimes, when accessing a difﬁcult site, the 
  character has to defeat security at more than one stage 
  of the operation. If the character beats the DC by 10 
  or more when attempting to defeat computer security, 
  the character automatically succeeds at all subsequent 
  security checks at that site until the end of the 
  character’s session (see Computer Hacking below).
  Level of Security
  DC
  Minimum
  20
  Average
  25
  Exceptional
  35
  Maximum
  40
  Defend Security: If the character is the system 
  administrator for a site (which may be as simple as 
  being the owner of a laptop), he or she can defend the 
  site against intruders. If the site alerts the character 
  to an intruder, the character can attempt to cut off the 
  intruder’s access (end the intruder’s session), or even 
  to identify the intruder.
  To cut off access, make an opposed Computer Use 
  check against the intruder. If the character succeeds, 
  the intruder’s session is ended. The intruder might be 
  able to defeat the character’s security and access his 
  or her site again, but the intruder will have to start the 
  hacking process all over. Attempting to cut off access 
  takes a full round.
  One sureﬁre way to prevent further access is to 
  simply shut the site down. With a single computer, 
  that’s often no big deal—but on a large site with many 
  computers (or computers controlling functions that 
  can’t be interrupted), it may be time-consuming or 
  even impossible.
  To identify the intruder, make an opposed Computer 
  Use check against the intruder. If the character 
  succeeds, the character learns the site from which 
  the intruder is operating (if it’s a single computer, the 
  character learns the name of the computer’s owner). 
  Identifying the intruder requires 1 minute and is a 
  separate check from cutting off access. This check 
  can only be made if the intruder is accessing the 
  character’s site for the entire length of the check—if 
  the intruder’s session ends before the character 
  ﬁnishes the check, the character automatically fails.
  This application of the skill can be used to 
  intercept a cell phone conversation if the character 
  has a cellular interceptor. The DC is 35, or 25 if 
  the character  knows the number of the phone that 
  initiated the call.
  Degrade Programming: A character can destroy 
  or alter applications on a computer to make use of 
  that computer harder or impossible. The DC for the 
  attempt depends on what the character tries to do. 
  Crashing a computer simply shuts it down. Its user 
  can restart it without making a skill check (however, 
  restarting takes 1 minute). Destroying programming 
  makes the computer unusable until the programming 
  is repaired. Damaging programming imposes a –4 
  penalty on all Computer Use checks made with the 
  computer (sometimes this is preferable to destroying 
  the programming, since the user might not know that 
  anything is wrong, and won’t simply decide to use a 
  different computer).
  A character can degrade the programming of 
  multiple computers at a single site; doing so adds +2 
  to the DC for each additional computer.
  Scope of Alteration
  DC
  Time
  Crash computer
  10
  1 minute
  Destroy programming
  15
  10 minutes
  Damage programming
  20
  10 minutes
  Fixing the degraded programming requires 1 hour 
  and a Computer Use check against a DC equal to the 
  DC for degrading it + 5.
  Write Program: A character can create a program 
  to help with a speciﬁc task. Doing so grants the 
  character a +2 circumstance bonus to the task.
  A speciﬁc task, in this case, is one type of operation 
  with one target.
  The DC to write a program is 20; the time required 
  is 1 hour.
  Operate Remote Device: Many devices are 
  computer-operated via remote links. If the character 
  has access to the computer that controls such systems, 
  the character can either shut them off or change 
  their operating parameters. The DC depends on the 
  nature of the operation. If the character fails the 
  check by 5 or more, the system immediately alerts 
  its administrator that there has been an unauthorized 
  use of the equipment. An alerted administrator may 
  attempt to identify the character or cut off his or her 
  access to the system.
  Special: A character can take 10 when using the 
  Computer Use skill. A character can take 20 in some 
  cases, but not in those that involve a penalty for 
  failure. (A character cannot take 20 to defeat computer 
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  security or defend security.)
  A character with the Gearhead feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Computer Use checks.
  Time: Computer Use requires at least a full-round 
  action. The GM may determine that some tasks 
  require several rounds, a few minutes, or longer, as 
  described above.
  Type of Operation
  DC
  Time
  Shut down passive remote
  20
  1 round per remote
  (including cameras and door locks)
  Shut down active remote
  25
  1 round per remote
  (including motion detectors and alarms)
  Reset parameters
  30
  1 minute per remote
  Change passcodes
  25
  1 minute
  Hide evidence of alteration
  +10
  1 minute
  Minimum security
  –5
  —
  Exceptional security
  +10
  —
  Maximum security
  +15
  —
  Computer Hacking
  Breaking into a secure computer or network is often 
  called hacking.
  When a character hacks, he or she attempts to 
  invade a site. A site is a virtual location containing 
  ﬁles, data, or applications. A site can be as small as 
  a single computer, or as large as a corporate network 
  connecting computers and data archives all over 
  the world—the important thing is that access to the 
  site connects the user to everything within it. Some 
  sites can be accessed via the Internet; others are 
  not connected to any outside network and can only 
  be tapped into by a user who physically accesses a 
  computer connected to the site.
  Every site is overseen by a system administrator—
  the person in charge of the site, and who maintains its 
  security. Often, the system administrator is the only 
  person with access to all of a site’s functions and data. 
  A site can have more than one system administrator; 
  large sites have a system administrator on duty at all 
  times. A character is the system administrator of his or 
  her personal computer.
  When a character hacks into a site, the visit is called 
  a session. Once a character stops accessing the site, 
  the session is over. The character can go back to the 
  site in the future; when he or she does, it’s a new 
  session.
  Several steps are required to hack into a site:
  Covering Tracks: This step is optional. By making 
  a Computer Use check (DC 20), a character can alter 
  his or her identifying information. This imposes a –5 
  penalty on any attempt made to identify the character 
  if his or her activity is detected.
  Access the Site: There are two ways to do this: 
  physically or over the Internet.
  Physical Access: A character gains physical access 
  to the computer, or a computer connected to the 
  site.  If the site being hacked is not connected to the 
  Internet, this is probably the only way a character can 
  access it. A variety of skill checks may be required, 
  depending on the method used to gain access.
  Internet Access: Reaching a site over the net 
  requires two Computer Use checks. The ﬁrst check 
  (DC 10) is needed to ﬁnd the site on the net. The 
  second is a check to defeat computer security (see the 
  Computer Use skill description). Once a character has 
  succeeded in both checks, the character has accessed 
  the site.
  Locate What You’re Looking For: To ﬁnd the data 
  (or application, or remote device) the character wants, 
  make a Computer Use check. See Find File under the 
  skill description.
  Defeat File Security: Many networks have 
  additional ﬁle security.  If that’s the case, the character 
  needs to make another check to defeat computer 
  security.
  Do Your Stuff: Finally, the character can actually 
  do what he or she came to do. If the character 
  just wants to look at records, no additional check 
  is needed. (A character can also download data, 
  although that often takes several rounds—or even 
  several minutes, for especially large amounts of 
  information—to complete.) Altering or deleting 
  records sometimes requires yet another check to 
  defeat computer security. Other operations can be 
  carried out according to the Computer Use skill 
  description.
  Communication Systems
  The following uses are Trained Only.
  Send Transmission: This skill represents 
  familiarity with communication systems, from 
  backpack sized satellite radios to the satellites 
  themselves.  
  Unless there is severe weather, the character’s 
  transmitter is damaged, or an enemy is actively 
  jamming his signal, there is usually no need to make 
  a check.  If the character’s transmitter is damaged, 
  then the DC of her skill check is 10 + the amount of 
  damage the system has suffered.  If there is a storm, 
  the DC would be anywhere from 15 for an extremely 
  heavy thunderstorm to 30 during hurricane conditions.  
  If the PC is attempting to overcome enemy Electronic 
  Warfare, then the DC is usually a skill vs. skill 
  contest.  
  If the character rolls the DC needed exactly, then a 
  partial, garbled message gets through.
  Jamming:  Most of the time, this skill is not rolled 
  against a static DC, but rather rolled as a skill vs. skill 
  contest against the Computer Use of the character’s 
  opponent.  The character engaging in active jamming 
  rolls her skill check ﬁrst, which sets the DC for her 
  opponent’s Computer Use skill to successfully get a 
  signal through. 
  Transmission Interception:  If a signal is not 
  scrambled (meaning it is a general broadcast on an 
  unsecured frequency) then intercepting it requires 
  a Computer Use check (DC 10). If the signal is 
  scrambled (see below) it requires a successful skill vs. 
  skill contest against your opponents Computer Use 
  roll. 
  Transmission Triangulation:  Once a transmission 
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  has been intercepted, a character with this skill may 
  make another skill check (DC 5 higher than the check 
  required to intercept a signal) to determine where that 
  signal was broadcast. This grants a +5 bonus to any 
  active sensor scan to detect the target vessel.
  Scramble/Unscramble Transmission: Computer 
  use can be used to scramble a transmission. This is 
  done with an opposed Computer Use check between 
  the individual sending the message and anyone 
  attempting to intercept or unscramble it.  
  Retry: The character may retry the skill whenever 
  conditions improve.  If the storm lessens, or if her 
  transmitter is repaired (even partially), the character 
  may try again.  If the character is trying to pierce 
  enemy jamming operations, she may try every round.  
  In the case of documents coded with Cryptography, 
  the character may try again, but disposing of the 
  original becomes a serious security issue in such a 
  case.
  Concentration (Con)
  Check: A character makes a Concentration check 
  whenever he or she may potentially be distracted (by 
  taking damage, by harsh weather, and so on) while 
  engaged in some action that requires the character’s 
  full attention. Such actions include using skills that 
  provoke attacks of opportunity while in a threatened 
  square. In general, if an action would not normally 
  incur an attack of opportunity, a character doesn’t 
  need to make a Concentration check to avoid being 
  distracted.
  If the check succeeds, the character may continue 
  with the action. If the Concentration check fails, the 
  action automatically fails.
  The check DC depends on the nature of the 
  distraction.
  Try Again?: Yes, though a success doesn’t cancel 
  the effects of a previous failure, such as the disruption 
  of an action that was being concentrated on.
  Special: By making a check against DC 15, a 
  character can use Concentration to attempt an action 
  defensively, so as to avoid attacks of opportunity 
  altogether. This doesn’t apply to other actions that 
  might incur attacks of opportunity (such as moving). 
  If the Concentration check succeeds, the character 
  may attempt the action normally without incurring 
  any attacks of opportunity. A successful Concentration 
  check still doesn’t allow a character to take 10 on a 
  check when he of she is in a stressful situation; the 
  character must roll the check as normal.
  If the Concentration check fails, the related 
  action automatically fails (with any appropriate 
  ramiﬁcations), and the action is wasted, just as if the 
  character’s concentration had been disrupted by a 
  distraction.
  Special: Since Concentration checks are called for 
  in stressful situations, a character cannot take 10 or 
  take 20 on such checks.
  A character with the Focused feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Concentration checks.
  The concentration skill has further uses for 
  characters using magic or psionics.
  Time: Making a Concentration check doesn’t 
  require an action; it is either a reaction (when 
  attempted in response to a distraction) or part of 
  another action (when attempted actively).
  Distraction
  DC
  Damaged during the action 1
  10 + damage dealt
  Taking continuous damage during the 
  action2
  10 + half of 
  continuous 
  damage last dealt
  Vigorous motion (bouncy vehicle ride, 
  small boat in rough water, below decks 
  in a storm-tossed ship, riding a horse)
  10
  Violent motion (very rough vehicle ride, 
  small boat in rapids, on deck of storm-
  tossed ship, galloping horse)
  15
  Extraordinarily violent motion 
  (earthquake)
  20
  Entangled in net or snare
  15
  Grappling or pinned
  20
  Weather is a high wind carrying blinding 
  rain or sleet
  5
  Weather is wind-driven hail, dust, or 
  debris
  10
  1 Such as an activity that requires more than a single full-
  round action. Also from an attack of opportunity or readied 
  attack made in response to the action being taken (for 
  activities requiring no more than a full-round action).
  2 Such as from catching on ﬁre.
  Craft (Int)
  This skill encompasses several categories, each 
  of them treated as a separate skill: Craft (chemical), 
  Craft (electronic), Craft (mechanical), Craft 
  (pharmaceutical), Craft (structural), Craft (visual arts), 
  and Craft (writing).
  Craft skills are speciﬁcally focused on creating 
  objects. To use a Craft skill effectively, a character 
  must have a kit or some other set of basic tools. The 
  purchase DC of this equipment varies according to the 
  particular Craft skill.
  To use Craft, ﬁrst decide what the character is trying 
  to make and consult the category descriptions below. 
  Make a Wealth check against the given purchase 
  DC for the object to see if the character succeeds in 
  acquiring the raw materials. If the character succeeds 
  at that check, make the Craft check against the given 
  DC for the object in question. If the character fails the 
  check, he or she does not make the object, and the raw 
  materials are wasted (unless otherwise noted).
  Generally, a character can take 10 when using a 
  Craft skill to construct an object, but can’t take 20 
  (since doing so represents multiple attempts, and 
  the character uses up the raw materials after the ﬁrst 
  attempt). The exception is Craft (writing); a character 
  can take 20 because the character does not use up any 
  raw materials (and thus no Wealth check is required to 
  use the skill).
  
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  Craft (Chemical) (Int)
  Trained Only
  This skill allows a character to mix chemicals 
  to create acids, bases, explosives, and poisonous 
  substances.
  Acids and Bases: Acids are corrosives substances. 
  Bases neutralize acids but do not deal damage. A base 
  of a certain type counteracts an acid of the same type 
  or a less potent type.
  Purchase
  Type of Acid
  Craft DCs
  DC
  Acid Base
  Time
  Mild (1d6/1d10) 1
  8
  15
  10
  1 min.
  Potent (2d6/2d10)
  12
  20
  15
  30 min.
  Concentrated (3d6/3d10)
  16
  30
  20
  1 hr.
  1 The dice rolls in parentheses are typical splash damage/
  immersion damage caused per round of exposure to the acid.
  Explosives: Building an explosive from scratch is 
  dangerous. If the Craft (chemical) check fails, the raw 
  materials are wasted. If the check fails by 5 or more, 
  the explosive compound detonates as it is being made, 
  dealing half of its intended damage to the builder and 
  anyone else in the burst radius.
  If the check succeeds, the ﬁnal product is a solid 
  material, about the size of a brick. An explosive 
  compound does not include a fuse or detonator. 
  Connecting a fuse or detonator requires a Demolitions 
  check.
  TABLE 2-1: POISONS
  Poison 
  Save
  Type
  Initial
  DC
  Secondary
  Damage
  Purchase
  Damage
  Craft
  DC
  Restriction
  DC
  Time
  Arsenic
  Ingested
  15
  1d4 Str
  2d4 Con
  9
  Res (+2)
  24
  4 hr.
  Atropine
  Injury
  13
  1d6 Dex
  1d6 Str
  3
  Res (+2)
  14
  1 hr.
  Belladonna (plant)
  Injury
  18
  1d6 Str
  2d6 Str
  14
  Lic (+1) 
  n/a
  n/a
  Blue vitriol
  Injury
  12
  1d2 Con
  1d2 Con
  3
  Res (+2)
  9
  1 hr.
  Blue-ringed octopus venom
  Injury
  15
  1d4 Con
  1d4 Con
  14
  Lic (+1) 
  n/a
  n/a
  Chloral hydrate
  Ingested 1d3 hours
  18
  1d6 Dex
  Unconsciousness
  12
  Res (+2)
  28
  8 hr.
  Chloroform 1
  Inhaled 1d3 hours
  17
  Unconsciousness
  —
  9
  Res (+2)
  24
  4 hr.
  Curare (plant)
  Injury
  18
  2d4 Dex
  2d4 Wis
  15
  Res (+2) 
  n/a
  n/a
  Cyanide
  Injury
  16
  1d6 Con
  2d6 Con
  15
  Mil (+3)
  31
  15 hr.
  Cyanogen
  Inhaled
  19
  1d4 Dex
  2d4 Con
  12
  Mil (+3)
  28
  8 hr.
  DDT
  Inhaled
  17
  1d2 Str
  1d4 Str
  9
  Lic (+1)
  20
  4 hr.
  Knockout gas
  Inhaled 1d3 hours
  18
  1d3 Dex
  Unconsciousness
  12
  Res (+2)
  26
  8 hr.
  Lead arsenate (gas)
  Inhaled
  12
  1d2 Str
  1d4 Con
  6
  Res (+2)
  17
  2 hr.
  Lead arsenate (solid)  
  Ingested
  12
  1d2 Con
  1d4 Con
  6
  Res (+2)
  18
  2 hr.
  Mustard gas
  Inhaled
  17
  1d4 Con
  2d4 Con
  12
  Mil (+3)
  26
  8 hr.
  Paris green (gas)
  Inhaled
  14
  1d2 Con
  1d4 Con
  9
  Res (+2)
  20
  4 hr.
  Paris green (solid)
  Ingested
  14
  1d4 Con
  1d4 Con
  9
  Res (+2)
  24
  4 hr.
  Puffer poison (ﬁsh)
  Injury 2d6 minutes
  13
  1d6 Str
  Paralysis
  13
  Lic (+1) 
  n/a
  n/a
  Rattlesnake venom
  Injury
  12
  1d6 Con
  1d6 Con
  12
  Lic (+1)
  n/a
  n/a
  Sarin nerve gas
  Inhaled
  18
  1d4 Con
  2d4 Con
  15
  Illegal (+4)
  30
  15 hr.
  Scorpion/tarantula
  Injury
  11
  1d2 Str
  1d2 Str
  12
  Lic (+1) 
  n/a
  n/a
  venom
  Strychnine
  Injury
  19
  1d3 Dex
  2d4 Con
  9
  Res (+2)
  23
  4 hr.
  Tear gas
  Inhaled 1d6 rounds
  15
  Blindness
  -
  9
  Res (+2)
  21
  4 hr.
  VX nerve gas
  Inhaled
  22
  1d6 Con
  2d6 Con
  21
  Illegal (+4)
  42
  48 hr.
  1 Chloroform gives off vapor that causes unconsciousness. Applying chloroform to an unwilling subject requires a successful grapple check and pin.
  n/a: Certain poisons can’t be made with the Craft skill. Instead, such a poison must be obtained by extracting it from the creature in question.
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  Type of Scratch-Built 
  Explosive
  Purchase
  DC
  Craft
  DC
  Time
  Improvised (1d6/5 feet) 1
  6
  10
  1 round
  Simple (2d6/5 feet)
  12
  15
  10 min.
  Moderate (4d6/10 feet)
  16
  20
  1 hr.
  Complex (6d6/15 feet)
  20
  25
  3 hr.
  Powerful (8d6/20 feet)
  25
  30
  12 hr.
  Devastating (10d6/25 feet)
  30
  35
  24 hr.
  1 The ﬁgures in parentheses are typical damage/burst radius 
  for each type of explosive.
  Poisonous Substances: Solid poisons are usually 
  ingested. Liquid poisons are most effective when 
  injected directly into the bloodstream. Gaseous 
  poisons must be inhaled to be effective. The table 
  below summarizes the characteristics of various 
  poisons.
  Save DC: The Difﬁculty Class of the Fortitude save 
  to negate the effects of the poison.
  Initial Damage: The damage a character takes 
  immediately upon failing his or her Fortitude save.
  Secondary Damage: The damage a character 
  takes after 1 minute of exposure to the poison if the 
  character fails a second saving throw. Ability score 
  damage is temporary, unless marked with an asterisk, 
  in which case the damage is permanent ability drain. 
  Unconsciousness lasts for 1d3 hours, and paralysis 
  lasts 2d6 minutes.
  Purchase DC: The DC for the Wealth check 
  necessary to obtain the raw materials to craft the 
  poison, or to purchase one bottle of solid or liquid 
  poison or one high-pressure cylinder of gaseous 
  poison. A bottle holds four doses, while a cylinder 
  holds enough gas to ﬁll a 10-foot-radius area.
  Restriction: The restriction rating for the poison, 
  if any, and the appropriate black market purchase 
  DC modiﬁer. Remember to apply this modiﬁer to the 
  purchase DC when making a Wealth check to acquire 
  the poison on the black market.
  Craft DC: The DC of the Craft check to create a 
  quantity of the poison.
  Time: The amount of time required for the Craft 
  check.
  If the Craft check succeeds, the ﬁnal product is a 
  synthesized solid or liquid poison stored in a bottle 
  (containing 4 doses) or a gas stored in a pressurized 
  cylinder. When released, the gas is sufﬁcient to ﬁll a 
  10-foot-radius area and takes 1 round to ﬁll the area.
  Special: A character without a chemical kit takes a 
  –4 penalty on Craft (chemical) checks.
  A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on 
  all Craft (chemical) checks.
  Craft (Electronic) (Int)
  Trained Only
  This skill allows a character to build electronic 
  equipment from scratch, such as audio and video 
  equipment, timers and listening devices, or radios and 
  communication devices.
  When building an electronic device from scratch, 
  the character describes the kind of device he or she 
  wants to construct; then the Gamemaster decides 
  whether the device is simple, moderate, complex, or 
  advanced compared to current technology. 
  Type of Scratch-Built
  Electronics (Examples)
  Purchase
  DC
  Craft
  DC
  Time
  Simple (timer or detonator)
  8
  15
  1 hr.
  Moderate (radio direction ﬁnder, 
  electronic lock)
  12
  20
  12 hr.
  Complex (cell phone)
  16
  25
  24 hr.
  Advanced (computer)
  22
  30
  60 hr.
  Special: A character without an electrical tool kit 
  takes a –4 penalty on Craft (electronic) checks.
  A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on 
  all Craft (electronic) checks.
  Craft (Mechanical) (Int)
  Trained Only
  This skill allows a character to build mechanical 
  devices from scratch, including engines and engine 
  parts, weapons, armor, and other gadgets. When 
  building a mechanical device from scratch, the 
  character describes the kind of device he or she wants 
  to construct; then the Gamemaster decides if the 
  device is simple, moderate, complex, or advanced 
  compared to current technology.
  Type of Scratch-Built
  Mechanical Device (Examples)
  Purchase
  DC
  Craft
  DC
  Time
  Simple (tripwire trap)
  5
  15
  1 hr
  Moderate (engine component, 
  light armor)
  12
  20
  12 hr.
  Complex (automobile engine, 
  9mm autoloader handgun)
  16
  25
  24 hr.
  Advanced (jet engine)
  20
  30
  60 hr.
  Special: A character without a mechanical tool kit 
  takes a –4 penalty on Craft (mechanical) checks.
  A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on 
  all Craft (mechanical) checks.
  Craft (Pharmaceutical) (Int)
  Trained Only
  This skill allows a character to compound medicinal 
  drugs to aid in recovery from treatable illnesses. A 
  medicinal drug gives a +2 circumstance bonus on 
  Fortitude saves made to resist the effects of a disease.
  The Craft (pharmaceutical) check is based on the 
  severity of the disease to be countered as measured by 
  the DC of the Fortitude save needed to resist it.
  Disease Fortitude Purchase DC
  Craft DC
  Time
  14 or lower
  5
  15
  1 hr.
  15–18
  10
  20
  3 hr.
  19–22
  15
  25
  6 hr.
  23 or higher
  20
  30
  12 hr.
  Special: A character without a pharmacist kit takes 
  a –4 penalty on Craft (pharmaceutical) checks.
  A character with the Medical Expert feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Craft (pharmaceutical) checks.
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  Craft (Structural) (Int)
  This skill allows a character to build wooden, 
  concrete, or metal structures from scratch, including 
  bookcases, desks, walls, houses, and so forth, and 
  includes such handyman skills as plumbing, house 
  painting, drywall, laying cement, and building 
  cabinets.
  Type of Scratch-Built
  Structure (Examples)
  Purchase
  DC
  Craft
  DC
  Time
  Simple (bookcase, false wall)
  5
  15
  12 hr.
  Moderate 
  (catapult, shed, house deck)
  10
  20
  24 hr.
  Complex(bunker, domed ceiling)
  15
  25
  60 hr.
  Advanced (house)
  20
  30
  600 hr.
  When building a structure from scratch, the 
  character describes the kind of structure he or she 
  wants to construct; then the Gamemaster decides if the 
  structure is simple, moderate, complex, or advanced in 
  scope and difﬁculty.
  Fortiﬁcations (New Use):  Characters can make 
  fortiﬁcations to aid them in combat, from the simple 
  (yet effective) foxhole, to the bunkers described in 
  the Modern Core Rulebook.  Hasty Fortiﬁcations can 
  be constructed more quickly.  For each ﬁve points 
  by which the character’s skill check exceeds the DC, 
  reduce the construction time by one hour. Vehicles 
  in the new vehicles section can reduce many of these 
  times to minutes.
  Name
  DC
  Time
  Effect
  Dug In (Small Vehicle)
  5
  24 hrs.
  ¼ Cover
     Deep 
  5
  36 hrs.
  ½ Cover
  Dug In (Med. Vehicle)
  5
  36 hrs.
  ¼ Cover
     Deep
  5
  48 hrs.
  ½ Cover
  Dug In (Lg. Vehicle)
  5
  48 hrs.
  ¼ Cover
     Deep
  5
  72 hrs.
  ½ Cover
  Foxhole (shallow)
  5
  8 hrs. per man
  ¼ Cover
  Foxhole (deep)
  5
  12 hrs. per man
  ½ Cover
  Anti-Mobility Construction:  Fortiﬁcations are also 
  useful to deny an enemy the use of its vehicles in a 
  certain area or from a certain direction.
  Name
  DC
  Time
  Effect
  Road Break 
  (shallow) 
  5
  12 hrs per 4 
  feet
  Ditch (see vehicle 
  rules for gaps)
  Road Break 
  (deep)
  10
  18 hrs per 4 
  feet
  Culvert (see vehicle 
  rules for gaps)
  Mobility Construction:  The opposite of anti-
  mobility, allows you to get where you’re going faster, 
  land aircraft safely, and cross raging rivers. Again the 
  right equipment (such as a Bridgelayer) can reduce 
  construction times substantially.
  Name
  DC
  Time
  Effect
  Improvised Road
  15
  12/hrs per 
  mile
  Wheeled vehicles 
  move ¾ speed.
  Improvised 
  Runway
  15
  8 hrs.
  Aircraft may land (as 
  opposed to crash)
  Short Runway
  18
  12 hrs.
  Aircraft may land 
  more safely
  Runway
  20
  24 hrs.
  Aircraft may land 
  more safely
  Pontoon Bridge 
  (small river)
  15
  12 hrs.
  Vehicles may cross at 
  ½ speed.
  Pontoon Bridge 
  (med. river)
  15
  18 hrs.
  Vehicles may cross at 
  ½ speed.
  Pontoon Bridge 
  (lg. river)
  15
  24 hrs.
  Vehicles may cross at 
  ½ speed.
  Sectional Bridge 
  (small river)
  20
  18 hrs.
  Vehicles may cross at 
  full speed.
  Sectional Bridge 
  (med. river)
  20
  24 hrs.
  Vehicles may cross at 
  full speed.
  Sectional Bridge 
  (lg. river)
  20
  36 hrs.
  Vehicles may cross at 
  full speed.
  Special: A character without a mechanical tool kit 
  takes a –4 penalty on Craft (structural) checks.
  A character with the Builder feat gets a +2 bonus on 
  all Craft (structural) checks.
  Craft (Visual Art) (Int)
  This skill allows a character to create paintings or 
  drawings, take photographs, use a video camera, or in 
  some other way create a work of visual art.
  When attempting to create a work of visual art, the 
  character simply makes a Craft (visual art) check, the 
  result of which determines the quality of the work.
  Unless the effort is particularly elaborate or 
  the character must acquire an expensive piece of 
  equipment, the basic components have a purchase DC 
  of 5.
  Skill Check Result
  Effort Achieved
  9 or lower
  Untalented amateur
  10–19
  Talented amateur
  20–24
  Professional
  25–30
  Expert
  31 or higher
  Master
  Creating a work of visual art requires at least a 
  full-round action, but usually takes an hour, a day, or 
  more, depending on the scope of the project.
  Special: A character with the Creative feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Craft (visual art) checks.
  Craft (Writing) (Int)
  This skill allows a character to create short stories, 
  novels, scripts and screenplays, newspaper articles 
  and columns, and similar works of writing.
  When creating a work of writing, the player simply 
  makes a Craft (writing) check, the result of which 
  determines the quality of the work.
  No Wealth check is necessary to use this Craft skill.
  Skill Check Result
  Effort Achieved
  9 or lower
  Untalented amateur
  10–19
  Talented amateur
  20–24
  Professional
  25–30
  Expert
  31 or higher
  Master
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  Creating a work of writing requires at least 1 hour, 
  but usually takes a day, a week, or more, depending on 
  the scope of the project.
  Special: A character with the Creative feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Craft (writing) checks.
  Decipher Script (Int)
  Trained Only
  Check: A character can decipher writing in an 
  ancient language or in code, or interpret the meaning 
  of an incomplete text. The base DC is 20 for the 
  simplest messages, 25 for standard codes, and 30 
  or higher for intricate or complex codes or exotic 
  messages. Helpful texts or computer programs can 
  provide a bonus (usually a +2 circumstance bonus) on 
  the check, provided they are applicable to the script in 
  question.
  If the check succeeds, the character understands the 
  general content of a piece of writing, reading about 
  one page of text or its equivalent in 1 minute. If the 
  check fails, the GM makes a Wisdom check (DC 10) 
  for the character to see if he or she avoids drawing a 
  false conclusion about the text. (Success means that 
  the character does not draw a false conclusion; failure 
  means that the character does.)
  The GM secretly makes both the skill check and the 
  Wisdom check so the character can’t tell whether the 
  conclusion drawn is accurate or not.
  Try Again?: No, unless conditions change or new 
  information is uncovered.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Decipher Script check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Studious feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Decipher Script checks.
  Time: Decipher Script takes 1 minute or more, 
  depending on the complexity of the code.
  Demolitions (Int)
  Trained Only
  Check: Setting a simple explosive to blow up at a 
  certain spot doesn’t require a check, but connecting 
  and setting a detonator does. Also, placing an 
  explosive for maximum effect against a structure calls 
  for a check, as does disarming an explosive device.
  Set Detonator: Most explosives require a detonator 
  to go off. Connecting a detonator to an explosive 
  requires a Demolitions check (DC 10). Failure means 
  that the explosive fails to go off as planned. Failure 
  by 10 or more means the explosive goes off as the 
  detonator is being installed.
  A character can make an explosive difﬁcult to 
  disarm. To do so, the character chooses the disarm DC 
  before making his or her check to set the detonator (it 
  must be higher than 10). The character’s DC to set the 
  detonator is equal to the disarm DC. 
  Place Explosive Device: Carefully placing an 
  explosive against a ﬁxed structure (a stationary, 
  unattended inanimate object) can maximize the 
  damage dealt by exploiting vulnerabilities in the 
  structure’s construction.
  The GM makes the check (so that the character 
  doesn’t know exactly how well he or she has done). 
  On a result of 15 or higher, the explosive deals double 
  damage to the structure against which it is placed. On 
  a result of 25 or higher, it deals triple damage to the 
  structure. In all cases, it deals normal damage to all 
  other targets within its burst radius.
  Disarm Explosive Device: Disarming an explosive 
  that has been set to go off requires a Demolitions 
  check. The DC is usually 10, unless the person who 
  set the detonator chose a higher disarm DC. If the 
  character fails the check, he or she does not disarm 
  the explosive. If the character fails by more than 5, the 
  explosive goes off.
  Special: A character can take 10 when using the 
  Demolitions skill, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Cautious feat and at least 1 
  rank in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Demolitions 
  checks.
  A character without a demolitions kit takes a –4 
  penalty on Demolitions checks.
  Making an explosive requires the Craft (chemical) 
  skill. See that skill description for details.
  Time: Setting a detonator is usually a full-round 
  action. Placing an explosive device takes 1 minute or 
  more, depending on the scope of the job.
  Diplomacy (Cha)
  Check: A character can change others’ attitudes 
  with a successful check (see the table below. In 
  negotiations, participants roll opposed Diplomacy 
  checks to see who gains the advantage. Opposed 
  checks also resolve cases where two advocates or 
  diplomats plead opposing cases before a third party.
  Diplomacy can be used to inﬂuence a GM 
  character’s attitude. The GM chooses the character’s 
  initial attitude based on circumstances. Most of the 
  time, the people the heroes meet are indifferent toward 
  them, but a speciﬁc situation may call for a different 
  initial attitude. The DCs given in the accompanying 
  table show what it takes to change someone’s attitude 
  with the use of the Diplomacy skill. The character 
  doesn’t declare a speciﬁc outcome he or she is trying 
  for; instead, make the check and compare the result to 
  the table on the next page.
  Try Again?: Generally, trying again doesn’t work. 
  Even if the initial check succeeds, the other character 
  can only be persuaded so far. If the initial check fails, 
  the other character has probably become more ﬁrmly 
  committed to his or her position, and trying again is 
  futile.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Diplomacy check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Trustworthy feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Diplomacy checks.
  Time: Diplomacy is at least a full-round action. The 
  GM may determine that some negotiations require a 
  longer period of time.
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  Attitude
  Means
  Possible Actions
  Hostile
  Will take risks to hurt 
  or avoid you
  Attack, interfere, 
  berate, ﬂee
  Unfriendly
  Wishes you ill watch 
  suspiciously, insult
  Mislead, gossip, 
  avoid,
  Indifferent
  Doesn’t much care
  Act as socially 
  expected
  Friendly
  Wishes you well 
  limited help, advocate Chat, advise, offer
  Helpful
  Will take risks to help 
  you
  Protect, back up, 
  heal, aid
  Initial
  —— New Attitude ——
  Attitude
  Hostile
  Unf.
  Indif.
  Friendly Helpful
  Hostile
  19 or less
  20
  25
  35
  45
  Unfriendly
  4 or less
  5
  15
  25
  35
  Indifferent
  —
  0 or less
  1
  15
  25
  Friendly
  —
  —
  0 or less
  1
  15
  Bribery And Diplomacy
  Offering money or another form of favor can, in the 
  right situation, improve a character’s chances with a 
  Diplomacy skill check. Bribery allows a character to 
  circumvent various ofﬁcial obstacles when a person in 
  a position of trust or authority is willing to accept such 
  an offering. 
  An illegal act, bribery requires two willing 
  participants—one to offer a bribe and the other 
  to accept it.  When a character requires a bribe to 
  render services, then a hero’s Diplomacy check 
  automatically fails if a bribe isn’t attached to it. If a 
  bribe isn’t requires, a hero can add a bribe to get a 
  bonus on his or her skill check. This can backﬁre, as 
  some characters will be insulted by a bribe offer (their 
  attitude changes one step for the worse) and others 
  will report the hero to the proper authorities.
  To bribe a character, make a Wealth check. Typical 
  DCs are shown on below, but the GM may modify the 
  DC as he or she sees ﬁt. If the hero succeeds in the 
  check, he or she gains a +2 bonus on the Diplomacy 
  check. For every point by which the hero beats the 
  DC, increase the bonus by +1 (to a total maximum 
  bonus of +10).
  Bribe Target
  Purchase DC
  Bouncer
  6
  Bureaucrat
  10
  Informant
  7
  Police ofﬁcer
  10
  Disable Device (Int)
  Trained Only
  Check: The GM makes the Disable Device check 
  so that the character doesn’t necessarily know whether 
  he or she has succeeded.
  Open Lock: A character can pick conventional 
  locks, ﬁnesse combination locks, and bypass 
  electronic locks. The character must have a lockpick 
  set (for a mechanical lock) or an electrical tool kit (for 
  an electronic lock). The DC depends on the quality of 
  the lock.
  Lock Type (Example)
  DC
  Cheap (briefcase lock)
  20
  Average (home deadbolt)
  25
  High quality (business deadbolt)
  30
  High security (branch bank vault)
  40
  Ultra-high security (bank headquarters vault)
  50
  Disable Security Device: A character can disable 
  a security device, such as an electric fence, motion 
  sensor, or security camera. The character must be able 
  to reach the actual device. If the device is monitored, 
  the fact that the character attempted to disable it will 
  probably be noticed.
  When disabling a monitored device, the character 
  can prevent his or her tampering from being noticed. 
  Doing so requires 10 minutes and an electrical tool 
  kit, and increases the DC of the check by +10.
  Device Type (Example)
  DC
  Cheap (home door alarm)
  20
  Average (store security camera)
  25
  High quality (art museum motion detector)
  30
  High security (bank vault alarm)
  35
  Ultrahigh security (motion detector at Area 51)
  40
  Traps and Sabotage: Disabling (or rigging or 
  jamming) a simple mechanical device has a DC of 10. 
  More intricate and complex devices have higher DCs. 
  The GM rolls the check. If the check succeeds, the 
  character disables the device. If the check fails by 4 or 
  less, the character has failed but can try again. If the 
  character fails by 5 or more, something goes wrong. If 
  it’s a trap, the character springs it. If it’s some sort of 
  sabotage, the character thinks the device is disabled, 
  but it still works normally.
  A character can rig simple devices to work normally 
  for a while and then fail some time later (usually after 
  1d4 rounds or minutes of use).
  Disable Robot and Cybernetic: You can use 
  this skill to disable a robot or external cybernetic 
  attachment.
  Disabling a robot is a full-round action and requires 
  a successful Disable Device check (DC 30). The robot 
  must be pinned before the check can be made.
  Disabling an external cybernetic attachment is a 
  full-round action and requires a successful Disable 
  Device check (DC 30). The creature to which the 
  cybernetic unit is attached must be pinned before 
  the check can be made. You cannot disable internal 
  cybernetic attachments.
  A disabled robot or disabled external cybernetic 
  attachment can be re-enabled with a successful Repair 
  check (see Repair).
  Try Again?: Yes, though the character must be 
  aware that he or she has failed in order to try again.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Disable Device check. A character can take 20 to 
  open a lock or to disable a security device, unless the 
  character is trying to prevent his or her tampering 
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  from being noticed.
  Possessing the proper tools gives a character the 
  best chance of succeeding on a Disable Device 
  check. Opening a lock requires a lockpick set (for 
  a mechanical lock) or an electrical tool kit (for an 
  electronic lock). Opening a locked car calls for a 
  car opening kit. Disabling a security device requires 
  either a mechanical tool kit or an electronic toll kit, 
  depending on the nature of the device. If the character 
  does not have the appropriate tools, he or she takes a 
  –4 penalty on your check.
  A lock release gun can open a mechanical lock of 
  cheap or average quality without a Disable Device 
  check.
  A character with the Cautious feat and at least 1 
  rank in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Disable Device 
  checks.
  Time: Disabling a simple mechanical device is a 
  full-round action. Intricate or complex devices require 
  2d4 rounds.
  Disguise (Cha)
  Check: A character’s Disguise check result 
  determines how good the disguise is. It is opposed by 
  others’ Spot check results. Make one Disguise check 
  even if several people make Spot checks. The GM 
  makes the character’s Disguise check secretly so that 
  the character is not sure how well his or her disguise 
  holds up to scrutiny.
  If the character doesn’t draw any attention to him 
  or herself, however, others don’t get to make Spot 
  checks. If the character comes to the attention of 
  people who are suspicious, the suspicious person gets 
  to make a Spot check. (The GM can assume that such 
  observers take 10 on their Spot checks.)
  The effectiveness of the character’s disguise 
  depends in part on how much the character is 
  attempting to change his or her appearance.
  Disguise
  Modiﬁer
  Minor details only
  +5
  Appropriate uniform or costume
  +2
  Disguised as different sex
  –2
  Disguised as different age category
  –2 1
  1 Per step of difference between the character’s age category 
  and the disguised age category (child, young adult, adult, 
  middle age, old, or venerable).
  If the character is impersonating a particular 
  individual, those who know what that person 
  looks like automatically get to make Spot checks. 
  Furthermore, they get a bonus on their Spot checks.
  Familiarity
  Bonus
  Recognizes on sight
  +4
  Friend or associate
  +6
  Close friend
  +8
  Intimate
  +10
  Usually, an individual makes a Spot check to detect 
  a disguise immediately upon meeting the character 
  and each hour thereafter. If the character casually 
  meets many different people, each for a short time, 
  the GM checks once per day or hour, using an average 
  Spot modiﬁer for the group (assuming they take 10). 
  Try Again?: No, though the character can assume 
  the same disguise again at a later time. If others saw 
  through the previous disguise, they are automatically 
  treated as suspicious if the character assumes the same 
  disguise again.
  Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 when 
  establishing a disguise.
  A character without a disguise kit takes a –4 penalty 
  on Disguise checks.
  A character with the Deceptive feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Disguise checks.
  A character can help someone else create a disguise 
  for him or her, treating it as an aid another attempt.
  Time: A Disguise check requires 1d4 x10 minutes 
  of preparation. The GM makes Spot checks for 
  those who encounter the character immediately upon 
  meeting the character and again each hour or day 
  thereafter, depending on circumstances.
  Drive (Dex)
  Check: Routine tasks, such as ordinary driving, 
  don’t require a skill check. Make a check only when 
  some unusual circumstance exists (such as inclement 
  weather or an icy surface), or when the character is 
  driving during a dramatic situation (the character is 
  being chased or attacked, for example, or is trying to 
  reach a destination in a limited amount of time). When 
  driving, the character can attempt simple maneuvers 
  or stunts. See Driving a Vehicle for more details.
  Try Again?: Most driving checks have 
  consequences for failure that make trying again 
  impossible.
  Special: A character can take 10 when driving, but 
  can’t take 20.
  A character with the Vehicle Expert feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Drive checks.
  There is no penalty for operating a general-purpose 
  motor vehicle. Other types of motor vehicles (heavy 
  wheeled, powerboat, sailboat, ship, and tracked) 
  require the corresponding Surface Vehicle Operation 
  feat, or the character takes a –4 penalty on Drive 
  checks.
  Time: A Drive check is a move action.
  Escape Artist (Dex)
  Armor Penalty
  Check: Make a check to escape from restraints or 
  to squeeze through a tight space.
  Restraint
  DC
  Ropes
  Opponent’s Dex check +20
  Net
  20
  Handcuffs
  35
  Tight space
  30
  Grappler
  Opponent’s grapple check
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  For ropes, a character’s Escape Artist check is 
  opposed by the Dexterity check result of the opponent 
  who tied the bonds. Since it’s easier to tie someone up 
  than to escape from being tied up, the opponent gets a 
  +20 bonus on his or her Dexterity check.
  For a tight space, a check is only called for if the 
  character’s head ﬁts but his or her shoulders don’t. If 
  the space is long, such as in an airshaft, the GM may 
  call for multiple checks. A character can’t ﬁt through a 
  space that his or her head doesn’t ﬁt through.
  A character can make an Escape Artist check 
  opposed by his or her opponent’s grapple check to get 
  out of a grapple or out of a pinned condition (so that 
  the character is just being grappled). Doing so is an 
  attack action, so if the character escapes the grapple 
  he or she can move in the same round.
  Try Again?: A character can make another check 
  after a failed check if the character is squeezing 
  through a tight space, making multiple checks. If the 
  situation permits, the character can make additional 
  checks as long as he or she is not being actively 
  opposed.
  Special: A character can take 10 on an Escape Artist 
  check. A character can take 20 if he or she is not being 
  actively opposed (a character can take 20 if he or she 
  is tied up, even though it’s an opposed check, because 
  the opponent isn’t actively opposing the character).
  A character with the Nimble feat gets a +2 bonus on 
  all Escape Artist checks.
  Time: Making a check to escape from being bound 
  by ropes, handcuffs, or other restraints (except a 
  grappler) requires 1 minute. Escaping a net is a full-
  round action. Squeezing through a tight space takes 
  at least 1 minute, maybe longer, depending on the 
  distance that must be crossed.
  Forgery (Int)
  Check: Forgery requires materials appropriate to 
  the document being forged, and some time. To forge 
  a document the character needs to have seen a similar 
  document before.  The complexity of the document, 
  the character’s degree of familiarity with it, and 
  whether the character needs to reproduce the signature 
  or handwriting of a speciﬁc individual, provide 
  modiﬁers to the Forgery check, as shown below.
  Factor Document Type
  Check 
  Modiﬁer
  Time
  Simple (typed letter, business card)
  +0
  10 min.
  Moderate (letterhead, business form)
  –2
  20 min.
  Complex (stock certiﬁcate, driver’s 
  license)
  –4
  1 hr.
  Difﬁcult (passport)
  –8
  4 hr.
  Extreme (military/law enforcement ID)
  –16
  24 hr.
  Familiarity
  Unfamiliar (seen once for less than a minute)
  –4
  Fairly familiar (seen for several minutes)
  +0
  Quite familiar (on hand, or studied at leisure)
  +4
  Forger has produced other documents of same type
  +4
  Document includes speciﬁc signature
  –4
  Some documents require security or authorization 
  codes, whether authentic ones or additional forgeries. 
  The GM makes the character’s check secretly so the 
  character is not sure how good his or her forgery is.
  The Forgery skill is also used to detect someone 
  else’s forgery. The result of the original Forgery check 
  that created the document is opposed by a Forgery 
  check by the person who examines the document to 
  check its authenticity. If the examiner’s check result 
  is equal to or higher than the original Forgery check, 
  the document is determined to be fraudulent. The 
  examiner gains bonuses or penalties on his or her 
  check as given in the table below.
   
  Examiner’s Condition
  Check 
  Modiﬁer
  Type of document unknown to examiner
  –4
  Type of document somewhat known to examiner
  –2
  Type of document well known to examiner
  +0
  Document is put through additional tests 1
  +4
  Examiner only casually reviews the document 1
  –2
  1 Cumulative with any of the ﬁrst three conditions on the 
  table. Apply this modiﬁer along with one of the other three 
  whenever appropriate.
  A document that contradicts procedure, orders, or 
  previous knowledge, or one that requires the examiner 
  to relinquish a possession or a piece of information, 
  can increase the examiner’s suspicion (and thus create 
  favorable circumstances for the examiner’s opposed 
  Forgery check).
  Try Again?: No, since the forger isn’t sure of the 
  quality of the original forgery.
  Special: To forge documents and detect forgeries, 
  one must be able to read and write the language in 
  question. (The skill is language-dependent.)
  A character can take 10 when making a Forgery 
  check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Meticulous feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Forgery checks.
  A character without a forgery kit takes a –4 penalty 
  on Forgery checks.
  Time: Forging a short, simple document takes about 
  1 minute. Longer or more complex documents take 
  1d4 minutes per page or longer.
  Gamble (Wis)
  Check: To join or start a game, a character must 
  ﬁrst pay a stake. The character sets the purchase DC 
  of the stake if he or she starts the game, or the GM 
  sets it if the character joins a game. Stakes run from 
  penny-ante (purchase DC 4) to astronomical (purchase 
  DC 24). A character cannot take 20 when purchasing 
  a stake.
  If the stake is within the character’s means (it is 
  equal to or less than his or her Wealth bonus), the 
  character stands no chance of winning any signiﬁcant 
  amount. The character might come out ahead, but 
  the amount is not enough to affect his or her Wealth 
  bonus. Since paying the stake didn’t cost any points 
  of Wealth bonus, the character doesn’t lose anything 
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  either.
  If the stake is higher than the character’s Wealth 
  bonus (before applying any reductions from 
  purchasing the stake), the character gets a +1 bonus on 
  his or her Gamble check for every point the purchase 
  DC is above the character’s Wealth bonus.
  The character’s Gamble check is opposed by 
  the Gamble checks of all other participants in the 
  game. (If playing at a casino, assume the house has a 
  Gamble skill modiﬁer equal to the stake purchase DC. 
  Regardless of the stake purchase DC, the house does 
  not get a bonus on its Gamble check for the purchase 
  DC.) If there are many characters participating, the 
  GM can opt to make a single roll for all of them, using 
  the highest Gamble skill modiﬁer among them and 
  adding a +2 bonus to the check.
  If the character beats all other participants, he or she 
  wins and gains an increase to his or her Wealth bonus. 
  The amount of the increase depends on the difference 
  between the character’s check result and the next 
  highest result among the other participants.
  Check Result Difference
  Wealth Bonus Increase
  1–9
  +1
  10–19
  +2
  20–29
  +3
  30–39
  +4
  40 or more
  +5
  Try Again?: No, unless the character wants to put 
  up another stake.
  Special: A character can’t take 10 or take 20 when 
  making a Gamble check.
  A character with the Conﬁdent feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Gamble checks.
  Time: A Gamble check requires 1 hour.
  Gather Information (Cha)
  Check: By succeeding at a skill check (DC 10) and 
  spending 1d4+1 hours passing out money and buying 
  drinks, a character can get a feel for the major news 
  items in a neighborhood. This result assumes that 
  no obvious reasons exist why information would be 
  withheld. The higher the check result, the better the 
  information.
  If the situation doesn’t require the expenditure of 
  money, no Wealth check is necessary.
  Information ranges from general to protected, and 
  the cost and DC increases accordingly for the type of 
  information the character seeks to gather, as given in 
  the table below.
  Type of Information
  DC
  Purchase DC
  General
  10
  5
  Speciﬁc
  15
  10
  Restricted
  20
  15
  Protected
  25
  20
  General information concerns local happenings, 
  rumors, gossip, and the like. Speciﬁc information 
  usually relates to a particular question. Restricted 
  information includes facts that aren’t generally known 
  and requires that the character locate someone who 
  has access to such information. Protected information 
  is even harder to come by and might involve some 
  danger, either for the one asking the questions or 
  the one providing the answer. There’s a chance that 
  someone will take note of anyone asking about 
  restricted or protected information.
  The character can increase the amount of money 
  used to gather information, gaining a circumstance 
  bonus by effectively offering a bribe (though the 
  process might entail buying more expensive drinks, 
  not necessarily offering a character extra money). 
  Increase the Wealth check DC by 2 for each +1 
  circumstance bonus the character wants to add to his 
  or her skill check.
  Try Again?: Yes, but it takes 1d4+1 hours for 
  each check, and characters may draw attention to 
  themselves if they repeatedly pursue a certain type of 
  information.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Gather Information check, but cannot take 20.
  A character with the Trustworthy feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Gather Information checks.
  Time: A Gather Information check takes 1d4+1 
  hours.
  Handle Animal (Cha)
  Trained Only
  Check: The time required to get an effect and the DC 
  depend on what the character is trying to do.
  Task
  Time
  DC
  Handle an animal
  Move action
  10
  “Push” an animal
  Full-round action
  25 
  Teach an animal a trick
  1 week
  See text
  Train an animal for a purpose
  See text
  See text
  Handle an Animal: This means to command an 
  animal to perform a task or trick that it knows.  If 
  the animal is wounded or has taken any ability score 
  damage, the DC increases by +5. If the check is 
  successful, the animal performs the task or trick on its 
  next action. 
  “Push” an Animal: To push an animal means to 
  get it to perform a task or trick that it doesn’t know, 
  but is physically capable of performing. If the check is 
  successful, the animal performs the task or trick on its 
  next action. 
  Teach an Animal a Trick: The character can teach 
  an animal a speciﬁc trick, such as “attack” or “stay,” 
  with one week of work and a successful Handle 
  Animal check. An animal with an Intelligence of 1 can 
  learn a maximum of three tricks, while an animal with 
  an Intelligence of 2 can learn a maximum of six tricks.
  The character can teach an animal to obey only that 
  character. Any other person attempting to make the 
  animal perform a trick takes a –10 penalty on his or 
  her Handle Animal check. Teaching an animal to obey 
  only the character counts as a trick (in terms of how 
  many tricks the animal can learn). It does not require 
  a check; however, it increases the DC of all tricks 
  
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  the character teaches the animal by +5. If the animal 
  already knows any tricks, the character cannot teach it 
  to obey only that character.
  Possible tricks include, but are not limited to, the 
  following.
  Attack (DC 20): The animal attacks apparent 
  enemies. The character may point to a particular 
  enemy to direct the animal to attack that enemy. 
  Normally, an animal only attacks humans and other 
  animals. Teaching an animal to attack all creatures 
  (including unnatural creatures such as undead and 
  aberrations if they exist in your campaign) counts as 
  two tricks.
  Come (DC 15): The animal comes to the character, 
  even if the animal normally would not do so (such as 
  following the character onto a boat).
  Defend (DC 20): The animal defends the character 
  (or is ready to defend the character if no threat is 
  present). Alternatively, the character can command the 
  animal to defend a speciﬁc other character.
  Down (DC 15): The animal breaks off from combat 
  or otherwise backs down.
  Fetch (DC 15): The animal goes and gets 
  something. The character must point out a speciﬁc 
  object, or else the animal fetches some random object.
  Guard (DC 20): The animal stays in place and 
  prevents others from approaching.
  Heel (DC 15): The animal follows the character 
  closely, even to places where it normally wouldn’t go.
  Perform (DC 15): The animal does a variety of 
  simple tricks such as sitting up, rolling over, and so 
  on.
  Seek (DC 15): The animal moves into an area 
  and searches for something of interest. It stops and 
  indicates the ﬁrst thing of interest it ﬁnds. What 
  constitutes an item of interest to an animal can 
  vary. Animals almost always ﬁnd other creatures or 
  characters of interest. To understand that it’s looking 
  for a speciﬁc object, the animal must make an 
  Intelligence check (DC 10).
  Stay (DC 15): The animal stays in place waiting 
  for the character to return. It does not challenge other 
  creatures that come by, though it still defends itself if 
  it needs to.
  Track (DC 20): The animal tracks the scent 
  presented to it.
  Work (DC 15): The animal pulls or pushes a 
  medium or heavy load.
  Train an Animal: Rather than teaching an animal 
  individual tricks, the character can train an animal for 
  a general purpose. Essentially, an animal’s purpose 
  represents a preselected set of known tricks that ﬁt 
  into a common scheme. An animal can be trained 
  for one general purpose only, though if the animal 
  is capable of learning additional tricks (above and 
  beyond those included in its general purpose) it may 
  do so. Training an animal for a purpose requires fewer 
  checks than teaching individual tricks.
  Combat Riding (DC 20, 6 weeks): An animal 
  trained to bear a rider into combat knows Attack, 
  Come, Defend, Down, Guard, and Heel. An animal 
  trained in riding may be “upgraded” to an animal 
  trained in combat riding by spending three weeks 
  and making a Handle Animal check (DC 20). If the 
  animal was trained in other tricks (in addition to those 
  provided by training the animal for riding), those 
  tricks are completely replaced by the combat riding 
  tricks.
  Fighting (DC 20, 3 weeks): An animal trained for 
  combat knows the following tricks: Attack, Down, 
  and Stay.
  Guarding (DC 20, 4 weeks): An animal trained to 
  guard knows the following tricks: Attack, Defend, 
  Down, and Guard.
  Laboring (DC 15, 2 weeks): An animal trained for 
  heavy labor knows Come and Work.
  Hunting (DC 20, 6 weeks): An animal trained for 
  hunting knows Attack, Down, Fetch, Heel, Seek, and 
  Track.
  Performing (DC 15, 4 weeks): An animal trained for 
  performing knows Come, Fetch, Heel, Perform, and 
  Stay.
  Riding (DC 15; 3 weeks): An animal trained to bear 
  a rider knows Come, Heel, and Stay.
  Try Again?: Yes.
  Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 when 
  handling animals. 
  An untrained character uses Charisma checks to 
  handle and push animals, but he or she can’t teach or 
  train animals.
  A character with the Animal Afﬁnity feat and at 
  least 1 rank in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Handle 
  Animal checks.
  Time: See above. Teaching or training an animal 
  takes a number of days. The character does not have 
  to spend the entire time training the animal; 3 hours 
  per day is enough. (Spending more than 3 hours per 
  day does not reduce the number of days required.) The 
  character cannot spread the days out; if the character 
  does not complete the training during a period of 
  consecutive days, the effort is wasted.
  Hide (Dex)
  Armor Penalty
  Check: A character’s Hide check is opposed by the 
  Spot check of anyone who might see the character. 
  The character can move up to half his or her normal 
  speed and hide at no penalty. At more than half and 
  up to the character’s full speed, the character takes a 
  –5 penalty. It’s practically impossible (–20 penalty) to 
  hide while attacking, running, or charging.
  The hide check is also modiﬁed by the character’s 
  size:
  Size
  Modiﬁer
  Size
  Modiﬁer
  Fine
  +16
  Large
  –4
  Diminutive
  +12
  Huge
  –8
  Tiny
  +8
  Gargantuan
  –12
  Small
  +4
  Colossal
  –16
  Medium-size
  +0
  
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  If people are observing the character, even casually, 
  he or she can’t hide. The character can run around a 
  corner so that he or she is out of sight and then hide, 
  but the others then know at least where the character 
  went.
  Cover and concealment grant circumstance bonuses 
  to Hide checks, as shown below. Note that a character 
  can’t hide if he or she has less than one-half cover or 
  concealment.
  Cover or Concealment
  Circumstance Bonus
  Three-quarters
  +5
  Nine-tenths
  +10
  Creating a Diversion to Hide: A character can use 
  the Bluff skill to help him or her hide. A successful 
  Bluff check can give the character the momentary 
  diversion needed to attempt a Hide check while people 
  are aware of the character. While the others turn their 
  attention from the character, he or she can make a 
  Hide check if the character can get to a hiding place of 
  some kind. (As a general guideline, the hiding place 
  has to be within 1 foot for every rank the character 
  has in Hide.) This check, however, is at a –10 penalty 
  because the character has to move fast.
  Tailing: A character can use Hide to tail a person 
  in public. Using the skill in this manner assumes that 
  there are other random people about, among whom 
  the character can mingle to remain unnoticed. If the 
  subject is worried about being followed, he or she can 
  make a Spot check (opposed by the character’s Hide 
  check) every time he or she changes course (goes 
  around a street corner, exits a building, and so on). 
  If he or she is unsuspecting, he or she generally gets 
  only a Spot check after an hour of tailing.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Hide check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Stealthy feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Hide checks.
  Time: A Hide check is an attack action.
  Intimidate (Cha)
  Check: With a successful check, a character 
  can forcibly persuade another character to perform 
  some task or behave in a certain way. A character’s 
  Intimidate check is opposed by the target’s level 
  check (1d20 + the target’s character level or Hit Dice). 
  Any modiﬁers that a target may have on Will saving 
  throws against fear effects apply to this level check. If 
  the character succeeds, he or she may treat the target 
  as friendly for 10 minutes, but only for purposes of 
  actions taken while in the character’s presence. (That 
  is, the target retains his or her normal attitude, but will 
  chat, advise, offer limited help, or advocate on the 
  character’s behalf while intimidated.)
  Circumstances dramatically affect the effectiveness 
  of an Intimidate check. 
  There are limits to what a successful Intimidate 
  check can do. 
  The character can’t force someone to obey his or 
  her every command or do something that endangers 
  that person’s life.
  If the character fails by more than 5, the target may 
  actually do the opposite of what the character wishes.
  Try Again?: No. Even if the initial check succeeds, 
  the other character can only be intimidated so much, 
  and trying again doesn’t help. If the initial check fails, 
  the other character has become more ﬁrmly resolved 
  to resist the intimidator, and trying again is futile.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making an 
  Intimidate check, but can’t take 20.
  A character immune to fear effects can’t be 
  intimidated.
  A character may add a +2 bonus to his or her 
  Intimidate check for every size category the character 
  is larger than his or her target. Conversely, the 
  character takes a –2 penalty to his or her check for 
  every size category the character is smaller than his or 
  her target.
  A character with the Conﬁdent feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Intimidate checks and on level checks to resist 
  intimidation.
  Time: An Intimidate check is a full-round action.
  Investigate (Int)
  Trained Only
  Check: A character generally uses Search to 
  discover clues and Investigate to analyze them. If the 
  character has access to a crime lab, the character uses 
  the Investigate skill to collect and prepare samples for 
  the lab. The result of the Investigate check provides 
  bonuses or penalties to the lab workers.
  Analyze Clue: The character can make an 
  Investigate check to apply forensics knowledge to 
  a clue.  This function of the Investigate skill does 
  not give the character clues where none existed 
  before. It simply allows the character to extract extra 
  information from a clue he or she has found.
  The base DC to analyze a clue is 15. It is modiﬁed 
  by the time that has elapsed since the clue was left, 
  and whether or not the scene was disturbed.
  Circumstances
  DC Modiﬁer
  Every day since event (max modiﬁer +10)
  +2
  Scene is outdoors
  +5
  Scene slightly disturbed
  +2
  Scene moderately disturbed
  +4
  Scene extremely disturbed
  +6
  Collect Evidence: The character can collect and 
  prepare evidentiary material for a lab. This use of the 
  Investigate skill requires an evidence kit.
  To collect a piece of evidence, make an Investigate 
  check (DC 15). If the character succeeds, the evidence 
  is usable by a crime lab. If the character fails, a crime 
  lab analysis can be done, but the lab takes a –5 penalty 
  on any necessary check. If the character fails by 5 or 
  more, the lab analysis simply cannot be done. On the 
  other hand, if the character succeeds by 10 or more, 
  the lab gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its checks to 
  analyze the material.
  This function of the Investigate skill does not 
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  provide the character with evidentiary items. It simply 
  allows the character to collect items he or she has 
  found in a manner that best aids in their analysis later, 
  at a crime lab.
  Try Again?: Generally, analyzing a clue again 
  doesn’t add new insight unless another clue is 
  introduced. Evidence collected cannot be recollected, 
  unless there is more of it to take.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making an 
  Investigate check, but cannot take 20.
  Collecting evidence requires an evidence kit. If 
  the character does not have the appropriate kit, the 
  character takes a –4 penalty on his or her check.
  A character with the Attentive feat and at least 1 
  rank in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Investigate 
  checks.
  Time: Analyzing a clue is a full-round action. 
  Collecting evidence generally takes 1d4 minutes per 
  object.
  Jump (Str)
  Armor Penalty
  Check: The DC and the distance the character can 
  cover vary according to the type of jump the character 
  is attempting.
  The character’s Jump check is modiﬁed by his or 
  her speed. The DCs speciﬁed below assume a speed 
  of 30 feet (the speed of a typical human). If the 
  character’s speed is less than 30 feet, he or she takes a 
  penalty of –6 for every 10 feet of speed less than 30. If 
  the character’s speed is greater than 30 feet, he or she 
  gains a bonus of +4 for every 10 feet over 30. 
  If the character has ranks in the Jump skill and 
  succeeds on a check, the character lands on his or 
  her feet (when appropriate) and can move as far 
  as the character’s remaining movement allows. If 
  the character attempts a Jump check untrained, the 
  character lands prone unless he or she beats the DC by 
  5 or more. Standing from a prone position is a move 
  action. 
  Distance moved by jumping is counted against 
  maximum movement in a round. A character can start 
  a jump at the end of one turn and complete the jump at 
  the beginning of your next turn.
  Long Jump: This is a horizontal jump, made across 
  a gap such as a chasm or stream. At the midpoint of 
  the jump, the character attains a vertical height equal 
  to one-quarter the horizontal distance. The DC for 
  the jump is equal to the distance jumped (in feet) + 
  5.  The DCs for long jumps of 5 to 30 feet are given 
  in the table below. A character cannot jump a distance 
  greater than his or her normal speed.
  All Jump DCs covered here assume that the 
  character can move at least 20 feet in a straight line 
  before attempting the jump. If this is not the case, the 
  DC for the jump is doubled.
  Long Jump Distance DC  1
  Long Jump Distance
  DC 1
  5 feet
  10
  20 feet
  25
  10 feet
  15
  25 feet
  30
  15 feet
  20
  30 feet
  35
  1 Requires a 20-foot move. Without a 20-foot move, double 
  the DC.
  If the character fails the check by less than 5, he 
  or she doesn’t clear the distance, but can make a 
  Reﬂex save (DC 15) to grab the far edge of the gap. 
  The character ends his or her movement grasping the 
  far edge. If that leaves the character dangling over a 
  chasm or gap, getting up requires a move action and a 
  Climb check (DC 15).
  High Jump: This is a vertical leap, made to jump 
  up to grasp something overhead, such as a tree limb 
  or ledge. The DC for the jump is 2 + the height x4 (in 
  feet).  The DCs for high jumps of 1 to 8 feet are given 
  in the table below.
  All Jump DCs covered here assume that the 
  character can move at least 20 feet in a straight line 
  before attempting the jump. If this is not the case, the 
  DC for the jump is doubled.
  High Jump Distance
  DC  1
  High Jump Distance DC  1
  1 foot
  6
  5 feet
  22
  2 feet
  10
  6 feet
  26
  3 feet
  14
  7 feet
  30
  4 feet
  18
  8 feet
  34
  1 Requires a 20-foot move. Without a running start, double 
  the DC.
  If the character succeeds on the check, he or she can 
  reach the height. The character grasps the object he or 
  she was trying to reach. If the character wishes to pull 
  him or herself up, the character can do so with a move 
  action and a Climb check (DC 15). If the character 
  fails the Jump check, he or she does not reach the 
  height, and lands on his or her feet in the same square 
  from which the character jumped.
  The difﬁculty of reaching a given height varies 
  according to the size of the character or creature. 
  Generally, the maximum height a creature can reach 
  without jumping is given in the table below. (As a 
  Medium-size creature, a typical human can reach 8 
  feet without jumping.) If the creature is long instead 
  of tall, treat it as one size category smaller.
  Creature Size
  Maximum Height
  Colossal
  128 ft.
  Gargantuan
  64 ft.
  Huge
  32 ft.
  Large
  16 ft.
  Medium-size
  8 ft.
  Small
  4 ft.
  Tiny
  2 ft.
  Diminutive
  1 ft.
  Fine
  0.5 ft.
  Hop Up: The character can jump up onto an object 
  as tall as his or her waist with a Jump check (DC 
  10). Doing so counts as 10 feet of movement. The 
  character does not need to get a running start to hop 
  up (the DC is not doubled if you do not get a running 
  start).
  
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  Jumping Down: If the character intentionally 
  jumps from a height, he or she takes less damage than 
  if the character just falls. The DC to jump down from 
  a height is 15. The character does not have to get a 
  running start to jump down (the DC is not doubled if 
  the character does not get a running start).
  If the character succeeds on the check, he or she 
  takes falling damage as if the character had dropped 
  10 fewer feet than he or she actually did.
  Special: Effects that increase a character’s speed 
  also increase the character’s jumping distance, since 
  the check is modiﬁed by the character’s speed.
  A character can take 10 when making a Jump 
  check. If there is no danger associated with failing, the 
  character can take 20. 
  A character with the Acrobatic feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Jump checks. A character with the Run 
  feat gains a +2 competence bonus on Jump checks 
  preceded by a 20-foot move.
  Tumble can provide a +2 synergy bonus on Jump 
  checks (see Skill Synergy).
  Time: Using the Jump skill is either a move action 
  or a full-round action, depending on whether the 
  character starts and completes the jump during a 
  single move action or a full-round action.
  Knowledge (Int)
  Trained Only
  This skill encompasses several categories, each of 
  them treated as a separate skill. These categories are 
  identiﬁed and deﬁned below.
  The number of Knowledge categories is kept 
  purposely ﬁnite. When trying to determine what 
  Knowledge skill a particular question or ﬁeld of 
  expertise falls under, use a broad interpretation of the 
  existing categories. Do not arbitrarily make up new 
  categories.
  Check: A character makes a Knowledge check to 
  see if the character knows something. 
  The DC for answering a question within the 
  character’s ﬁeld of study is 10 for easy questions, 15 
  for basic questions, and 20 to 30 for tough questions.
  Appraising the value of an object is one sort of 
  task that can be performed using Knowledge. The 
  DC depends on how common or obscure the object 
  is. On a success, the character accurately identiﬁes 
  the object’s purchase DC. If the character fails, he or 
  she thinks it has a purchase DC 1d2 higher or lower 
  (determine randomly) than its actual value. If the 
  character fails by 5 or more, he or she thinks it has a 
  purchase DC 1d4+2 higher or lower than its actual 
  value. The GM may make the Knowledge roll for 
  the character, so he or she doesn’t  know whether the 
  appraisal is accurate or not.
  The fourteen Knowledge categories, and the topics 
  each one encompasses, are as follows.
  Arcane Lore: The occult, magic and the 
  supernatural, astrology, numerology, and similar 
  topics.
  Art: Fine arts and graphic arts, including art 
  history and artistic techniques. Antiques, modern 
  art, photography, and performance art forms such as 
  music and dance, among others.
  Behavioral Sciences: Psychology, sociology, and 
  criminology.
  Business: Business procedures, investment 
  strategies, and corporate structures. Bureaucratic 
  procedures and how to navigate them.
  Civics: Law, legislation, litigation, and legal 
  rights and obligations. Political and governmental 
  institutions and processes.
  Current Events: Recent happenings in the news, 
  sports, politics, entertainment, and foreign affairs.
  Earth and Life Sciences: Biology, botany, genetics, 
  geology, and paleontology. Medicine and forensics.
  History: Events, personalities, and cultures of the 
  past. Archaeology and antiquities.
  Physical Sciences: Astronomy, chemistry, 
  mathematics, physics, and engineering.
  Popular Culture: Popular music and personalities, 
  genre ﬁlms and books, urban legends, comics, science 
  ﬁction, and gaming, among others.
  Streetwise: Street and urban culture, local 
  underworld personalities and events.
  Tactics: Techniques and strategies for disposing and 
  maneuvering forces in combat.
  Technology: Current developments in cutting-
  edge devices, as well as the background necessary to 
  identify various technological devices.
  Theology and Philosophy: Liberal arts, ethics, 
  philosophical concepts, and the study of religious 
  faith, practice, and experience.
  Try Again?: No. The check represents what a 
  character knows, and thinking about a topic a second 
  time doesn’t let the character know something he or 
  she never knew in the ﬁrst place.
  Special: An untrained Knowledge check is simply 
  an Intelligence check. Without actual training, a 
  character only knows common knowledge about a 
  given subject.
  A character can take 10 when making a Knowledge 
  check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Educated feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on any two types of Knowledge checks.
  The GM may decide that having 5 or more ranks in 
  a speciﬁc Knowledge skill provides a character with a 
  +2 synergy bonus when making a related skill check. 
  Time: A Knowledge check can be a reaction, but 
  otherwise requires a full-round action.
  Knowledge (Technology) (Int)
  You can make a Knowledge (technology) check 
  to correctly identify starships, mecha, robots, and 
  cybernetic attachments, as well as identify unfamiliar 
  technological devices.
  Check: The DCs for identifying technological items 
  vary depending on the type of information required:
  Identifying a starship by its type and subtype, 
  identifying a mecha by its superstructure, or 
  
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  CHAPTER�2:�SKILLS
  identifying a robot by its frame: DC 10.
  Determining the function or purpose of a particular 
  mechanical system or cybernetic attachment: DC 15.
  Recalling the standard, factory-model design specs 
  of a particular type or class of starship, mecha, or 
  robot: DC 20.
  When confronted with an unfamiliar piece 
  of technology or alien artifact, you can make a 
  Knowledge (technology) check to correctly surmise 
  the primary (if not singular) purpose of the device. 
  A successful check result does not enable you to 
  activate the item, nor does it make you proﬁcient with 
  the item. The DC of the Knowledge (technology) 
  check depends on the item being identiﬁed and the 
  difference in Progress Level, as shown below:
  Unfamiliar Item
  DC
  Basic tool or instrument
  10
  Robotic or vehicular component
  15
  Cybernetic attachment
  20
  Alien weapon or nanotechnology
  25
  Alien artifact
  30
  Each step in Progress Level (up or down)
  +5
  Listen (Wis)
  Check: Make a Listen check against a DC that 
  reﬂects how quiet the noise is that a character might 
  hear or against an opposed Move Silently check.
  The GM may call for a Listen check by a character 
  who is in a position to hear something. A character 
  can also make a Listen check voluntarily if he or 
  she wants to try to hear something in the character’s 
  vicinity.
  The GM may make the Listen check in secret so 
  that the character doesn’t know whether not hearing 
  anything means that nothing is there or that the 
  character failed the check.
  A successful Listen check when there isn’t anything 
  to hear results in the character hearing nothing.
  DC
  Sound
  –10
  A battle
  0
  People talking
  5
  A person in medium armor walking at a slow pace, 
  trying not to make noise
  10
  An unarmored person walking at a slow pace, 
  trying not to make any noise
  15
  A 1st-level Fast hero sneaking up on someone 1
  20
  A tiger stalking prey 1
  30
  A bird ﬂying through the air
  +5
  Through a door
  +15
  Through a solid wall
  1 This is actually an opposed check; the DC given is a 
  typical Move Silently check result for such a character or 
  creature.
  Condition
  Check Penalty
  Per 10 feet of distance
  –1
  Listener distracted
  –5
  Try Again?: A character can make a Listen check 
  every time he or she has the opportunity to hear 
  something in a reactive manner. As a move action, the 
  character may attempt to hear something that he or she 
  failed (or believes he or she failed) to hear previously.
  Special: When several characters are listening to 
  the same thing, the GM can make a single 1d20 roll 
  and use it for all the listeners’ skill checks.
  A character can take 10 or take 20 when making a 
  Listen check. Taking 20 means the character spends 1 
  minute attempting to hear something that may or may 
  not be there to hear.
  A character with the Alertness feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Listen checks.
  A sleeping character can make Listen checks, but 
  takes a –10 penalty on the checks.
  Time: A Listen check is either a reaction (if called 
  for by the GM) or a move action (if a character 
  actively takes the time to try to hear something).
  Move Silently (Dex)
  Armor Penalty
  Check: A character’s Move Silently check is 
  opposed by the Listen check of anyone who might 
  hear the character. A character can move up to half 
  his or her normal speed at no penalty. At more than 
  half speed and up to the character’s full speed, he or 
  she takes a –5 penalty. It’s practically impossible (–20 
  penalty) to move silently while attacking, running, or 
  charging.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Move Silently check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Stealthy feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Move Silently checks.
  Time: Move Silently is a move action.
  Navigate (Int)
  Check: Make a Navigate check when a character 
  is trying to ﬁnd his or her way to a distant location 
  without directions or other speciﬁc guidance. 
  Generally, a character does not need to make a check 
  to ﬁnd a local street or other common urban site, or to 
  follow an accurate map. However, the character might 
  make a check to wend his or her way through a dense 
  forest or a labyrinth of underground storm drains.
  For movement over a great distance, make a 
  Navigate check. The DC depends on the length of the 
  trip. If the character succeeds, he or she moves via the 
  best reasonable course toward his or her goal. If the 
  character fails, he or she still reaches the goal, but it 
  takes the character twice as long (the character loses 
  time backtracking and correcting his or her path). If 
  the character fails by more than 5, the or she travels 
  the expected time, but only gets halfway to his or her 
  destination, at which point the character becomes lost. 
  A character may make a second Navigate check 
  (DC 20) to regain his or her path. If the character 
  succeeds, he or she continues on to his or her 
  destination; the total time for the trip is twice the 
  
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  normal time. If the character fails, he or she loses half 
  a day before the character can try again. The character 
  keeps trying until he or she succeeds, losing half a day 
  for each failure.
  Length of Trip
  DC
  Short (a few hours)
  20
  Moderate (a day or two)
  22
  Long (up to a week)
  25
  Extreme (more than a week)
  28
  When faced with multiple choices, such as 
  at a branch in a tunnel, a character can make a 
  Navigate check (DC 20) to intuit the choice that 
  takes the character toward a known destination.  If 
  unsuccessful, the character chooses the wrong path, 
  but at the next juncture, with a successful check, the 
  character realizes his or her mistake. 
  A character cannot use this function of Navigate to 
  ﬁnd a path to a site if the character has no idea where 
  the site is located. The GM may choose to make the 
  Navigate check for the character in secret, so he or she 
  doesn’t know from the result whether the character is 
  following the right or wrong path.
  A character can use Navigate to determine his or 
  her position on earth without the use of any high-tech 
  equipment by checking the constellations or other 
  natural landmarks. The character must have a clear 
  view of the night sky to make this check. The DC is 
  15.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Navigate check. A character can take 20 only when 
  determining his or her location, not when traveling.
  A character with the Guide feat gets a +2 bonus on 
  all Navigate checks.
  Time: A Navigate check is a full-round action.
  Perform (Cha)
  This skill encompasses several categories, each of 
  them treated as a separate skill. These categories are 
  identiﬁed and deﬁned below.
  The number of Perform categories is kept purposely 
  ﬁnite. When trying to determine what Perform skill 
  a particular type of performance falls under, use a 
  broad interpretation of the existing categories. Do not 
  arbitrarily make up new categories.
  Check: The character is accomplished in some 
  type of artistic expression and knows how to put on 
  a performance. The character can impress audiences 
  with his or her talent and skill. The quality of the 
  character’s performance depends on his or her check 
  result.
  The eight Perform categories, and the qualities each 
  one encompasses, are as follows.
  Act: The character is a gifted actor, capable of 
  performing drama, comedy, or action-oriented roles 
  with some level of skill.
  Dance: The character is a gifted dancer, capable of 
  performing rhythmic and patterned bodily movements 
  to music.
  Keyboards: The character is a musician gifted with 
  a talent for playing keyboard musical instruments, 
  such as piano, organ, and synthesizer.
  Percussion Instruments: The character is a musician 
  gifted with a talent for playing percussion musical 
  instruments, such as drums, cymbals, triangle, 
  xylophone, and tambourine.
  Sing: The character is a musician gifted with a 
  talent for producing musical tones with your voice.
  Stand-Up: The character is a gifted comedian, 
  capable of performing a stand-up routine before an 
  audience.
  Stringed Instruments: The character is a musician 
  gifted with a talent for playing stringed musical 
  instruments, such as banjo, guitar, harp, lute, sitar, and 
  violin.
  Wind Instruments: The character is a musician 
  gifted with a talent for playing wind musical 
  instruments, such as ﬂute, bugle, trumpet, tuba, 
  bagpipes, and trombone.
  Result Performance
  10
  Amateur performance. Audience may appreciate 
  your performance, but isn’t impressed.
  15
  Routine performance. Audience enjoys your 
  performance, but it isn’t exceptional.
  20
  Great performance. Audience highly impressed.
  25
  Memorable performance. Audience enthusiastic.
  30
  Masterful performance. Audience awed.
  Try Again?: Not for the same performance and 
  audience.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Perform check, but can’t take 20.
  A character without an appropriate instrument 
  automatically fails any Perform (keyboard), Perform 
  (percussion), Perform (stringed), or Perform (wind) 
  check he or she attempts. At the GM’s discretion, 
  impromptu instruments may be employed, but the 
  performer must take a –4 penalty on the check 
  because his or her equipment, although usable, is 
  inappropriate for the skill.
  Every time a character takes the Creative feat, he or 
  she gets a +2 bonus on checks involving two Perform 
  skills the character designates. See the feat description 
  for more information.
  Time: A Perform check usually requires at least 
  several minutes to an hour or more.
  Pilot (Dex)
  Trained Only
  Check: Typical piloting tasks don’t require checks. 
  Checks are required during combat, for special 
  maneuvers, or in other extreme circumstances, or 
  when the pilot wants to attempt something outside the 
  normal parameters of the vehicle. When ﬂying, the 
  character can attempt simple maneuvers and stunts 
  (actions in which the pilot attempts to do something 
  complex very quickly or in a limited space).
  Each vehicle’s description includes a maneuver 
  modiﬁer that applies to Pilot checks made by the 
  
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  operator of the vehicle.
  Adverse Conditions: Under most normal 
  circumstances (with characters being able to take 10 
  on piloting skill checks), there is no need to make 
  a skill check to land an aircraft.  However, pilots 
  conducting special operations rarely land at well-lit 
  airports during the day.
  Landing in Adverse Conditions
  DC
  Carrier Deck
  20
  Improvised Runway
  20
  Short Runway
  15
  Normal Runway
  10
  Mildly Adverse Weather (Thunderstorm)
  +5
  Adverse Weather (High Winds, Fog, Extreme Cold)
  +10
  Seriously Adverse Weather (Hurricane, Blizzard)
  +15 
  Mildly Crowded Airspace (Medium Airport)
  +5
  Crowded Airspace (Large Airport, Medium Airport 
  at Peak)
  +10
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Pilot check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Vehicle Expert feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Pilot checks.
  There is no penalty for operating a general-purpose 
  ﬁxed-wing aircraft. Other types of aircraft (heavy 
  aircraft, helicopters, jet ﬁghters, and spacecraft) 
  require the corresponding Aircraft Operation feat, or 
  else the character takes a –4 penalty on Drive checks.
  Time: A Pilot check is a move action.
  Profession (Wis)
  Check: A character makes Profession checks to 
  improve his or her Wealth bonus every time he or 
  she attains a new level. The DC for the check is the 
  character’s current Wealth bonus. If the character 
  succeeds at the Profession check, his or her Wealth 
  bonus increases by +1. For every 5 by which the 
  character exceeds the DC, his or her Wealth bonus 
  increases by an additional +1. A character can’t take 
  10 or take 20 when making a Profession check to 
  improve his or her Wealth bonus.
  How many ranks a character has in the Profession 
  skill (including ranks the character may have just 
  acquired after gaining a level) also adds to the Wealth 
  bonus increase the character receives upon gaining a 
  new level. In addition to the Wealth bonus increase a 
  character gains from your Profession check result (if 
  the check succeeds), the number of ranks the character 
  has in this skill increases his or her Wealth bonus as 
  follows.
  Ranks
  Wealth Bonus Increase
  1–5
  +1
  6–10
  +2
  11–15
  +3
  16–20
  +4
  21–23
  +5
  Special: If the Gamemaster deems it appropriate, a 
  character can add his or her Profession modiﬁer when 
  making a Reputation check to deal with a work- or 
  career-related situation.
  Every time a character takes the Windfall feat, he 
  or she gets a cumulative +1 bonus on all Profession 
  checks.
  Read/Write Language (None)
  Trained Only
  The Read/Write Language skill doesn’t work like a 
  standard skill.
  A character automatically knows how to read and 
  write his or her native language; the character does not 
  need ranks to do so.
  Each additional language costs 1 rank. When a 
  character adds a rank to Read/Write Language, he or 
  she chooses a new language that the character can 
  read and write.
  A character never makes Read/Write Language 
  checks. A character either knows how to read and 
  write a speciﬁc language or doesn’t.
  To be able to speak a language that the character 
  can read and write, he or she must take the Speak 
  Language skill for the appropriate language.
  A character can choose any language, modern or 
  ancient. (See below for suggestions.) The GM might 
  determine that a character can’t learn a speciﬁc 
  language due to the circumstances of the campaign.
  Language Groups
  There are thousands of languages to choose from 
  when a character buys ranks in Speak Language or 
  Read/Write Language. A few are listed here, sorted 
  into their general language groups.
  A language’s group doesn’t matter when a character 
  is buying ranks in Speak Language or Read/Write 
  Language. Language groups are provided because 
  they pertain to the Smart hero’s Linguist talent.
  This list is by no means exhaustive—there are many 
  more language groups, and most groups contain more 
  languages than those listed here.
  Algic: Algonkin, Arapaho, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, 
  Shawnee.
  Armenian: Armenian.
  Athabascan: Apache, Chipewyan, Navaho.
  Attic: Ancient Greek*, Greek.
  Baltic: Latvian, Lithuanian.
  Celtic: Gaelic (Irish), Gaelic (Scots), Welsh.
  Chinese: Cantonese, Mandarin.
  Finno-Lappic: Estonian, Finnish, Lapp.
  Germanic: Afrikaans, Danish, Dutch, English, 
  Flemish, German, Icelandic, Norwegian, Swedish, 
  Yiddish.
  Hamo-Semitic: Coptic*, Middle Egyptian*.
  Indic: Hindi, Punjabi, Sanskrit*, Urdu.
  Iranian: Farsi, Pashto.
  Japanese: Japanese.
  Korean: Korean.
  Romance: French, Italian, Latin*, Portuguese, 
  Romanian, Spanish.
  Semitic: Akkadian (aka Babylonian)*, Ancient 
  Hebrew*, Arabic, Aramaic*, Hebrew.
  
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  Slavic: Belorussian, Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, 
  Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovak, Ukrainian.
  Tibeto-Burman: Burmese, Sherpa, Tibetan.
  Turkic: Azerbaijani, Turkish, Uzbek.
  Ugric: Hungarian (aka Magyar).
  *This is an ancient language. In the modern world it 
  is spoken only by scholars, or in some cases by small 
  populations in isolated corners of the world.
  Repair (Int)
  Trained Only
  Check: Most Repair checks are made to ﬁx 
  complex electronic or mechanical devices. The DC is 
  set by the GM. In general, simple repairs have a DC 
  of 10 to 15 and require no more than a few minutes 
  to accomplish. More complex repair work has a DC 
  of 20 or higher and can require an hour or more to 
  complete. Making repairs also involves a monetary 
  cost when spare parts or new components are needed, 
  represented by a Wealth check. If the GM decides this 
  isn’t necessary for the type of repair the character is 
  attempting, then no Wealth check is needed.
  Repair Task (Example)
  Purchase 
  DC
  Repair 
  DC
  Time
  Simple (tool, simple weapon)
  4
  10
  1 min.
  Moderate (mechanical or 
  electronic component)
  7
  15
  10 min.
  Complex (mechanical or 
  electronic device)
  10
  20
  1 hr.
  Advanced (cutting-edge 
  mechanical or electronic 
  device)
  13
  25
  10 hr.
  Jury-Rig: A character can choose to attempt jury-
  rigged, or temporary, repairs. Doing this reduces the 
  purchase DC by 3 and the Repair check DC by 5, and 
  allows the character to make the checks in as little 
  as a full-round action. However, a jury-rigged repair 
  can only ﬁx a single problem with a check, and the 
  temporary repair only lasts until the end of the current 
  scene or encounter. The jury-rigged object must be 
  fully repaired thereafter.
  A character can also use jury-rig to hot-wire a car or 
  jump-start an engine or electronic device. The DC for 
  this is at least 15, and it can be higher depending on 
  the presence of security devices.
  The jury-rig application of the Repair skill can be 
  used untrained.
  Try Again?: Yes, though in some speciﬁc cases, 
  the GM may decide that a failed Repair check has 
  negative ramiﬁcations that prevent repeated checks.
  Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 on 
  a Repair check. When making a Repair check to 
  accomplish a jury-rig repair, a character can’t take 20.
  Repair requires an electrical tool kit, a mechanical 
  tool kit, or a multipurpose tool, depending on the task. 
  If the character do not have the appropriate tools, he 
  or she takes a –4 penalty on the check.
  Craft (mechanical) or Craft (electronic) can provide 
  a +2 synergy bonus on Repair checks made for 
  mechanical or electronic devices (see Skill Synergy).
  A character with the Gearhead feat and at least 1 
  rank in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Repair checks.
  Time: See the table for guidelines. A character can 
  make a jury-rig repair as a full-round action, but the 
  work only lasts until the end of the current encounter.
  Research (Int)
  Check: Researching a topic takes time, skill, 
  and some luck. The GM determines how obscure a 
  particular topic is (the more obscure, the higher the 
  DC) and what kind of information might be available 
  depending on where the character is conducting his or 
  her research.
  Information ranges from general to protected. Given 
  enough time (usually 1d4 hours) and a successful skill 
  check, the character gets a general idea about a given 
  topic. This assumes that no obvious reasons exist why 
  such information would be unavailable, and that the 
  character has a way to acquire restricted or protected 
  information.
  The higher the check result, the better and more 
  complete the information. If the character wants to 
  discover a speciﬁc fact, date, map, or similar bit of 
  information, add +5 to +15 to the DC.
  Try Again?: Yes.
  Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 on a 
  Research check. 
  A character with the Studious feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Research checks.
  Computer Use can provide a +2 synergy bonus on a 
  Research check when searching computer records for 
  data (see Skill Synergy).
  Time: A Research check takes 1d4 hours.
  Ride (Dex)
  Animals ill suited as mounts provide a –2 penalty 
  on their rider’s Ride check.
  Check: Typical riding actions don’t require checks. 
  A character can saddle, mount, ride, and dismount 
  without a problem. Mounting or dismounting an 
  animal is a move action. Some tasks, such as those 
  undertaken in combat or other extreme circumstances, 
  require checks. In addition, attempting trick riding or 
  asking the animal to perform an unusual technique 
  also requires a check.
  Guide with Knees (DC 5): The character can react 
  instantly to guide his or her mount with his or her 
  knees so that the character can use both hands in 
  combat or to perform some other action. Make the 
  check at the start of the character’s round. If the 
  character fails, he or she can only use one hand this 
  round because the character needs to use the other to 
  control his or her mount.
  Stay in Saddle (DC 5): The character can react 
  instantly to try to avoid falling when his or her mount 
  rears or bolts unexpectedly or when the character 
  takes damage.
  Fight while Mounted (DC 20): While in combat, the 
  character can attempt to control a mount that is not 
  
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  trained in combat riding (see the Handle Animal skill). 
  If the character succeeds, he or she uses only a move 
  action, and the character can use his or her attack 
  action to do something else. If the character fails, he 
  or she can do nothing else that round. If the character 
  fails by more than 5, he or she loses control of the 
  animal.
  For animals trained in combat riding, the character 
  does not need to make this check. Instead, the 
  character can use his or her move action to have the 
  animal perform a trick (commonly, to attack). The 
  character can use his or her attack action normally.
  Cover (DC 15): The character can react instantly to 
  drop down and hang alongside his or her mount, using 
  it as one-half cover. The character can’t attack while 
  using his or her mount as cover. If the character fails, 
  he or she doesn’t get the cover beneﬁt.
  Soft Fall (DC 15): The character reacts instantly 
  when he or she falls off a mount, such as when it is 
  killed or when it falls, to try to avoid taking damage. 
  If the character fails, he or she takes 1d6 points of 
  falling damage.
  Leap (DC 15): The character can get his or her 
  mount to leap obstacles as part of its movement. Use 
  the character’s Ride modiﬁer or the mount’s Jump 
  modiﬁer (whichever is lower) when the mount makes 
  its Jump check (see the Jump skill). The character 
  makes a Ride check (DC 15) to stay on the mount 
  when it leaps.
  Fast Mount or Dismount (DC 20; armor penalty 
  applies): The character can mount or dismount as a 
  free action. If the character fails the check, mounting 
  or dismounting is a move action. (A character can’t 
  attempt a fast mount or dismount unless he or she can 
  perform the mount or dismount as a move action this 
  round, should the check fail.)
  Special: If the character is riding bareback, he or 
  she takes a –5 penalty on Ride checks.
  A character can take 10 when making a Ride check, 
  but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Animal Afﬁnity feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Ride checks.
  Time: Ride is a move action, except when 
  otherwise noted for the special tasks listed above.
  Search (Int)
  Check: The character generally must be within 
  10 feet of the object or surface to be examined. A 
  character can examine up to a 5-foot-by-5-foot area or 
  a volume of goods 5 feet on a side with a single check.
  A Search check can turn up individual footprints, 
  but does not allow a character to follow tracks or tell 
  the character which direction the creature or creatures 
  went or came from.
  DC
  Task
  10
  Ransack an area to ﬁnd a certain object.
  20
  Notice a typical secret compartment, a simple trap, 
  or an obscure clue.
  25+
  Find a complex or well-hidden secret compartment 
  or trap; notice an extremely obscure clue.
  Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 when 
  making a Search check.
  A character with the Meticulous feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Search checks.
  Time: A Search check is a full-round action.
  Sense Motive (Wis)
  Check: A successful check allows the character to 
  avoid being bluffed (see the Bluff skill). The character 
  can also use the skill to tell when someone is behaving 
  oddly or to assess someone’s trustworthiness.
  In addition, a character can use this skill to make 
  an assessment of a social situation. With a successful 
  check (DC 20), the character can get the feeling from 
  another’s behavior that something is wrong. Also, 
  the character can get the feeling that someone is 
  trustworthy and honorable.
  Try Again?: No, though the character may make 
  a Sense Motive check for each bluff made on the 
  character.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Sense Motive check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Attentive feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Sense Motive checks.
  A character can use Sense Motive to detect that a 
  hidden message is being transmitted via the Bluff skill 
  (DC equal to the bluff check result of the sender). 
  If the character’s check result beats the DC by 5 or 
  more, the character understands the secret message as 
  well.  If the character’s check fails by 5 or more, the 
  character misinterprets the message in some fashion.
  Time: A Sense Motive check may be made as a 
  reaction to another character’s Bluff check. (When 
  that’s the case, the GM may roll the character’s Sense 
  Motive check in secret, so the character doesn’t 
  necessarily know someone’s trying to bluff him or 
  her.) Using Sense Motive to get a sense of someone’s 
  trustworthiness takes at least 1 minute.
  Sleight Of Hand (Dex)
  Trained Only; Armor Penalty
  Check: A check against DC 10 lets a character palm 
  a coin-sized, unattended object. Minor feats of sleight 
  of hand, such as making a coin disappear, also have 
  a DC of 10 unless an observer is concentrating on 
  noticing what the character is doing.
  When a character performs this skill under close 
  observation, the character’s skill check is opposed 
  by the observer’s Spot check. The observer’s check 
  doesn’t prevent the character from performing the 
  action, just from doing it unnoticed.
  When a character tries to take something from 
  another person, the character’s opponent makes a Spot 
  check to detect the attempt. To obtain the object, the 
  character must get a result of 20 or higher, regardless 
  of the opponent’s check result. The opponent detects 
  the attempt if his or her check result beats the 
  
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  character’s check result, whether the character takes 
  the object or not.
  A character can use Sleight of Hand to conceal a 
  small weapon or object on his or her body.
  Try Again?: A second Sleight of Hand attempt 
  against the same target, or when being watched by the 
  same observer, has a DC 10 higher than the ﬁrst check 
  if the ﬁrst check failed or if the attempt was noticed.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making a 
  Sleight of Hand check, but can’t take 20.
  A character can make an untrained Sleight of Hand 
  check to conceal a weapon or object, but must always 
  take 10.
  A character with the Nimble feat and at least 1 rank 
  in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Sleight of Hand 
  checks.
  Time: A Sleight of Hand check is an attack action.
  Speak Language (None)
  Trained Only
  The Speak Language skill doesn’t work like a 
  standard skill.
  A character automatically knows how to speak his 
  or her native language; the character does not need 
  ranks to do so.
  Each additional language costs 1 rank. When a 
  character adds a rank to Speak Language, he or she 
  chooses a new language that he or she can speak.
  A character never makes Speak Language checks. A 
  character either knows how to speak and understand a 
  speciﬁc language or doesn’t.
  To be able to read and write a language that the 
  character can speak, he or she must take the Read/
  Write Language skill for the appropriate language.
  A character can choose any language, modern or 
  ancient. (See the table accompanying Read/Write 
  Language for suggestions.) The GM might determine 
  that a character can’t learn a speciﬁc language due to 
  the circumstances of the campaign.
  Spot (Wis)
  Check: The Spot skill is used to notice items 
  that aren’t immediately obvious and people who 
  are attempting to hide. The GM may call for a 
  Spot check by a character who is in a position to 
  notice something. A character can also make a Spot 
  check voluntarily if he or she wants to try to notice 
  something in his or her vicinity.
  The GM may make the Spot check in secret so 
  that the character doesn’t know whether not noticing 
  anything means that nothing is there or that the 
  character failed the check.
  A successful Spot check when there isn’t anything 
  to notice results in the character noticing nothing.
  Spot is often used to notice a person or creature 
  hiding from view. In such cases, the character’s Spot 
  check is opposed by the Hide check of the character 
  trying not to be seen. Spot is also used to detect 
  someone in disguise (see the Disguise skill), or to 
  notice a concealed weapon on another person.
  A character’s Spot check is modiﬁed by a –1 
  penalty for every 10 feet of distance between the 
  character and the character or object he or she is trying 
  to discern. The check carries a further –5 penalty if the 
  character is in the midst of activity.
  Try Again?: A character can make a Spot check 
  every time he or she has the opportunity to notice 
  something in a reactive manner. As a full-round 
  action, a character may attempt to notice something 
  that he or she failed (or believe he or she failed) to 
  notice previously.
  Special: A character can take 10 or take 20 when 
  making a Spot check.
  A character with the Alertness feat gets a +2 bonus 
  on all Spot checks.
  Time: A Spot check is either a reaction (if called 
  for by the GM) or a full-round action (if a character 
  actively takes the time to try to notice something).
  Survival (Wis)
  Check: A character can keep his or herself and 
  others safe and fed in the wild.
  DC Task
  10
  Get along in the wild. Move up to half the character’s 
  overland speed while hunting and foraging (no food 
  or water supplies needed). The character can provide 
  food and water for one other person for every 2 points 
  by which the character’s check result exceeds 10.
  15
  Gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Fortitude saves 
  against severe weather while moving up to half the 
  character’s overland speed, or gain a +4 circumstance 
  bonus if stationary. The character may grant the same 
  bonus to one other character for every 1 point by 
  which the character’s check result exceeds 15.
  18 Avoid getting lost and avoid natural hazards, such as 
  quicksand.
  With the Track feat, a character can use Survival 
  checks to track a character or animal across various 
  terrain types.
  Special: A character can take 10 when making 
  a Survival check. A character can take 20 when 
  tracking, or if there is no danger or penalty for failure, 
  but not on periodic checks to get along in the wild.
  A character with the Guide feat gets a +2 bonus on 
  all Survival checks.
  Time: Basic Survival checks occur each day in the 
  wilderness or whenever a hazard presents itself. When 
  using Survival with the Track feat to track a character 
  or animal, checks are made according to distance, as 
  described in the Track feat.
  Swim (Str)
  Armor Penalty
  Check: A successful Swim check allows a character 
  to swim one-quarter his or her speed as a move action 
  or half the character’s speed as a full-round action. 
  Roll once per round. If the character fails, he or she 
  makes no progress through the water. If the character 
  
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  fails by 5 or more, he or she goes underwater.
  If the character is underwater (from failing a 
  swim check or because the character is swimming 
  underwater intentionally), the character must hold 
  his or her breath. A character can hold his or her 
  breath for a number of rounds equal to the character’s 
  Constitution score, but only if the character does 
  nothing but take move actions or free actions. If the 
  character takes an attack action or a full-round action, 
  the amount of breath the character has remaining 
  is reduced by 1 round. (Effectively, a character in 
  combat can hold his or her breath only half as long as 
  normal.) After that period of time, the character must 
  make a Constitution check (DC 10) every round to 
  continue holding his or her breath. Each round, the 
  DC of the check increases by 1. If the character fails 
  the check, the character begins to drown.
  The DC for the Swim check depends on the water:
  Water
  DC
  Calm water
  10
  Rough water
  15
  Stormy water
  20
  Each hour that the character swims, make a Swim 
  check against DC 20. If the character fails, he or she 
  becomes fatigued. If the character fails a check while 
  fatigued, the character becomes exhausted. If the 
  character fails a check while exhausted, the character 
  becomes unconscious. Unconscious characters go 
  underwater and immediately begin to drown.
  Try Again?: A new check is allowed the round after 
  a check is failed.
  Special: A character takes a penalty of –1 for every 
  5 pounds of gear he or she carries, including armor 
  and weapons.
  A character can take 10 when making a Swim 
  check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Athletic feat gets a +2 bonus on 
  all Swim checks.
  Time: A Swim check is either a move action or a 
  full-round action, as described above.
  Treat Injury (Wis)
  Check: The DC and effect depend on the task 
  attempted.
  Long-Term Care (DC 15): With a medical kit, 
  the successful application of this skill allows a 
  patient to recover hit points and ability points lost to 
  temporary damage at an advanced rate—3 hit points 
  per character level or 3 ability points restored per day 
  of complete rest. A new check is made each day; on 
  a failed check, recovery occurs at the normal rate for 
  that day of rest and care.
  A character can tend up to as many patients as he or 
  she has ranks in the skill. The patients need to spend 
  all their time resting. The character needs to devote at 
  least ½ hour of the day to each patient the character is 
  caring for.
  Restore Hit Points (DC 15): With a medical kit, if 
  a character has lost hit points, the character can restore 
  some of them. A successful check, as a full-round 
  action, restores 1d4 hit points. The number restored 
  can never exceed the character’s full normal total of 
  hit points. This application of the skill can be used 
  successfully on a character only once per day.
  Revive Dazed, Stunned, or Unconscious Character 
  (DC 15): With a ﬁrst aid kit, the character can remove 
  the dazed, stunned, or unconscious condition from a 
  character. This check is an attack action.
  A successful check removes the dazed, stunned, or 
  unconscious condition from an affected character. The 
  character can’t revive an unconscious character who 
  is at –1 hit points or lower without ﬁrst stabilizing the 
  character.
  Stabilize Dying Character (DC 15): With a 
  medical kit, a character can tend to a character who is 
  dying. As an attack action, a successful Treat Injury 
  check stabilizes another character. The stabilized 
  character regains no hit points, but he or she stops 
  losing them. The character must have a medical kit to 
  stabilize a dying character.
  Surgery (DC 20): With a surgery kit, a character 
  can conduct ﬁeld surgery. This application of the Treat 
  Injury skill carries a –4 penalty, which can be negated 
  with the Surgery feat. Surgery requires 1d4 hours; if 
  the patient is at negative hit points, add an additional 
  hour for every point below 0 the patient has fallen.
  Surgery restores 1d6 hit points for every character 
  level of the patient (up to the patient’s full normal 
  total of hit points) with a successful skill check.  
  Surgery can only be used successfully on a character 
  once in a 24-hour period.
  A character who undergoes surgery is fatigued for 
  24 hours, minus 2 hours for every point above the DC 
  the surgeon achieves. The period of fatigue can never 
  be reduced below 6 hours in this fashion.
  Treat Disease (DC 15): A character can tend to a 
  character infected with a treatable disease. Every time 
  the diseased character makes a saving throw against 
  disease effects (after the initial contamination), the 
  treating character ﬁrst makes a Treat Injury check 
  to help the diseased character fend off secondary 
  damage. This activity takes 10 minutes. If the treating 
  character’s check succeeds, the treating character 
  provides a bonus on the diseased character’s saving 
  throw equal to his or her ranks in this skill.
  Treat Poison (DC 15): A character can tend to 
  a poisoned character. When a poisoned character 
  makes a saving throw against a poison’s secondary 
  effect, the treating character ﬁrst makes a Treat Injury 
  check as an attack action. If the treating character’s 
  check succeeds, the character provides a bonus on the 
  poisoned character’s saving throw equal to his or her 
  ranks in this skill.
  Xenomedic: This skill can be used to treat members 
  of other species, provided they are neither constructs 
  nor undead.
  For all uses of this skill except surgery, the skill 
  check’s DCs are unchanged. Performing surgery on 
  creatures of a type different from your own carries a 
  –8 penalty. The Surgery feat reduces the penalty to –4, 
  while the Xenomedic feat negates the penalty entirely.
  
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  Try Again?: Yes, for restoring hit points, reviving 
  dazed, stunned, or unconscious characters, stabilizing 
  dying characters, and surgery. No, for all other uses of 
  the skill.
  Special: The Surgery feat gives a character the extra 
  training he or she needs to use Treat Injury to help a 
  wounded character by means of an operation.
  A character can take 10 when making a Treat Injury 
  check. A character can take 20 only when restoring 
  hit points or attempting to revive dazed, stunned, or 
  unconscious characters.
  Long-term care, restoring hit points, treating 
  disease, treating poison, or stabilizing a dying 
  character requires a medical kit. Reviving a dazed, 
  stunned, or unconscious character requires either a 
  ﬁrst aid kit or a medical kit. Surgery requires a surgery 
  kit. If the character does not have the appropriate kit, 
  he or she takes a –4 penalty on the check.
  A character can use the Treat Injury skill on his or 
  herself only to administer ﬁrst aid, treat disease, or 
  treat poison. The character takes a –5 penalty on your 
  check any time he or she treats his or herself.
  A character with the Medical Expert feat gets a +2 
  bonus on all Treat Injury checks.
  The Treat Injury skill cannot be used on nonliving 
  or inorganic creatures, such as constructs or undead.
  Time: Treat Injury checks take different amounts of 
  time based on the task at hand, as described above.
  Tumble (Dex)
  Trained Only; Armor Penalty
  Check: A character can land softly when he or she 
  falls, tumble past opponents in combat, or tumble 
  through opponents.
  Land Softly: The character can make a Tumble 
  check (DC 15) when falling. If the check succeeds, 
  treat the fall as if it were 10 feet shorter when 
  determining damage.
  Tumble past Opponents: With a successful Tumble 
  check (DC 20), the character can weave, dodge, 
  and roll up to 20 feet through squares adjacent to 
  opponents, risking no attacks of opportunity. Failure 
  means the character moves as planned, but provokes 
  attacks of opportunity as normal.
  Tumble through Opponents: With a successful 
  Tumble check (DC 20), the character can roll, jump, 
  or dive through squares occupied by opponents, 
  moving over, under, or around them as if they weren’t 
  there. Failure means the character moves as planned, 
  but provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.
  Try Again?: No.
  Special: A character with 5 or more ranks in 
  Tumble gains a +3 dodge bonus to Defense (instead 
  of the normal +2) when ﬁghting defensively, and 
  a +6 dodge bonus (instead of the normal +4) when 
  engaging in total defense.
  A character can take 10 when making a Tumble 
  check, but can’t take 20.
  A character with the Acrobatic feat and at least 
  1 rank in this skill gets a +2 bonus on all Tumble 
  checks.
  Time: A character can try to reduce damage from a 
  fall as a reaction once per fall. A character can attempt 
  to tumble as a free action that must be performed as 
  part of a move action.
  
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  Feat Descriptions
  Here is the format for feat descriptions.
  Feat Name
  Prerequisite: A minimum ability score, another 
  feat or feats, a minimum base attack bonus, and/or the 
  minimum ranks in a skill that a character must have to 
  acquire this feat. This entry is absent if a feat has no 
  prerequisite.
  A character can gain a feat at the same level at 
  which he or she gains all the prerequisites.
  A character can’t use a feat if the character has lost 
  a prerequisite.
  Beneﬁt: What the feat enables a character to do.
  Normal: What a character who does not have this 
  feat is limited to or restricted from doing. If there is 
  no particular drawback to not possessing the feat, this 
  entry is absent.
  Special: Additional facts about the feat.
  Feats
  Acrobatic
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Jump 
  checks and Tumble checks.
  Special: Remember that the Tumble skill can’t be 
  used untrained.
  Action Boost
  You have the ability to alter your luck 
  drastically in dire circumstances.
  Beneﬁt: When you spend an action point, 
  you roll d8s instead of d6s for the action result.
  Advanced Combat Martial Arts
  Prerequisites: Combat Martial Arts, Improved 
  Combat Martial Arts, base attack bonus +8.
  Beneﬁt: When the character scores a critical 
  hit on an opponent with an unarmed strike, the 
  character deals triple damage.
  Normal: An unarmed strike critical hit 
  deals double damage.
  Advanced Firearms 
  Proﬁciency
  Prerequisite: Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency.
  Beneﬁt: The character can ﬁre any 
  personal ﬁrearm on autoﬁre without penalty 
  (provided, of course, that it has an autoﬁre setting).
  Normal: Characters without this feat take a 
  –4 penalty on attack rolls made with personal 
  ﬁrearms set on autoﬁre.
  Advanced Two-Weapon Fighting
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, 
  Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus 
  +11.
  
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  Beneﬁt: The character gets a third attack with his or 
  her offhand weapon, albeit at a –10 penalty.  This feat 
  also allows the character to use a melee weapon in one 
  hand and a ranged weapon in the other.
  Agile Riposte
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Dodge.
  Beneﬁt: Once per round, if the opponent the 
  character has designated as his or her dodge target 
  (see the Dodge feat) makes a melee attack or melee 
  touch attack against the character and misses, the 
  character may make an attack of opportunity with a 
  melee weapon against that opponent. Resolve and 
  apply the effects from both attacks simultaneously.
  Even a character with the Combat Reﬂexes feat 
  can’t use the Agile Riposte feat more than once 
  per round. This feat does not grant more attacks of 
  opportunity than the character is normally allowed in 
  a round.
  Aircraft Operation
  Select a class of aircraft (heavy aircraft, helicopters, 
  jet ﬁghters, or spacecraft). The character is proﬁcient 
  at operating that class of aircraft.
  The heavy aircraft class includes jumbo passenger 
  airplanes, large cargo planes, heavy bombers, and any 
  other aircraft with three or more engines. Helicopters 
  include transport and combat helicopters of all types. 
  Jet ﬁghters include military ﬁghter and ground attack 
  jets. Spacecraft are vehicles such as the space shuttle 
  and the lunar lander.
  Prerequisite: Pilot 4 ranks.
  Beneﬁt: When operating an aircraft of the selected 
  type, you take no penalty on Pilot checks made when 
  operating the aircraft, and you also apply your full 
  class bonus to Defense to the aircraft’s Defense.
  Normal: Characters without this feat take a –4 
  penalty on Pilot checks made to operate an aircraft 
  that falls in any of these classes, and on attacks made 
  with aircraft weapons and you apply only one-half 
  your class bonus to Defense (rounded down) to the 
  aircraft’s Defense. There is no penalty when the 
  character operates a general-purpose aircraft.
  Special: The character can gain this feat multiple 
  times. Each time the character takes the feat, the 
  character selects a different class of aircraft.
  Alertness
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Listen 
  checks and Spot checks. 
  Alien Weapons Proﬁciency
  You are proﬁcient with alien weapons.
  Beneﬁt: You take no penalty on attack rolls when 
  using any kind of alien weapon.
  Special: A creature without this feat takes a –4 
  nonproﬁcient penalty when making attacks with an 
  alien weapon.
  Animal Afﬁnity
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Handle Animal checks and Ride checks. 
  Special: Remember that the Handle Animal skill 
  can’t be used untrained.
  Animal Companion 
  You have a special kind of sidekick, an unusually 
  intelligent animal that will accompany you on 
  adventures.
     Prerequisite:  Sidekick, Animal Handling 5 ranks
     Effect:  You have a normal animal instead of a 
  human sidekick.  Your bond with this animal is so 
  deep you gain a +10 on animal handling checks with 
  this animal.  This animal may have more HD than a 
  standard animal of its type, according to the maximum 
  level of Sidekick your leadership score allows you to 
  possess.
     Special:  Characters with the Mystic Encounter 
  origin may have mythical animals, such as a Pegasus 
  instead of a normal animal.  All mythical creatures 
  must meet with the GMs approval, and must be within 
  the allowed level range of a character’s Leadership 
  score.
  Animal Companion Basics: Use the base statistics 
  for a creature of the companion’s kind, but make the 
  following changes.
     Class Level: Your level. 
     Bonus HD: Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each 
  of which gains a Constitution modiﬁer, as normal. 
  Remember that extra Hit Dice improve the animal 
  companion’s base attack and base save bonuses. An 
  animal companion’s base attack bonus is the same as 
  that of a Brick of a level equal to the animal’s HD. 
  An animal companion has good Fortitude and Reﬂex 
  saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the 
  animal’s HD). An animal companion gains additional 
  skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for 
  advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.
     Natural Armor Adj.: The number noted here is an 
  improvement to the animal companion’s existing 
  natural armor bonus.
     Str/Dex Adj.: Add this value to the animal 
  companion’s Strength and Dexterity scores.
     Bonus Tricks: The value given in this column is 
  the total number of “bonus” tricks that the animal 
  knows in addition to any that the character might 
  TABLE 3-1: THE ANIMAL COMPANION
  Class
  Level 
  Bonus 
  HD 
  Natural 
  Armor 
  Str/
  Dex 
  Bonus 
  Tricks 
  Special
  1st–2nd 
  +0
  +0
  +0
  1
  Link
  3rd–5th 
  +2
  +2
  +1
  2
  Evasion
  6th–8th 
  +4
  +4
  +2
  3
  Devotion
  9th–11th 
  +6
  +6
  +3
  4
  Multiattack
  12th–14th 
  +8
  +8
  +4
  5
  15th–17th 
  +10
  +10
  +5
  6
  Improved 
  evasion
  18th–20th 
  +12
  +12
  +6
  7
  
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  choose to teach it (see the Handle Animal skill). 
  These bonus tricks don’t require any training time or 
  Handle Animal checks, and they don’t count against 
  the normal limit of tricks known by the animal. The 
  character selects these bonus tricks, and once selected, 
  they can’t be changed.
     Link (Ex): You can handle your animal companion 
  as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if 
  you don’t have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. 
  You gain a +4 circumstance bonus on all Handle 
  Animal checks made regarding an animal companion.
     Evasion (Ex): If an animal companion is subjected 
  to an attack that normally allows a Reﬂex saving 
  throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes 
  a successful saving throw.
     Devotion (Ex): An animal companion gains a +4 
  morale bonus on Will saves against mental powers 
  and effects.
     Multiattack: An animal companion gains 
  Multiattack as a bonus feat if it has three or more 
  natural attacks and does not already have that feat. 
  If it does not have the requisite three or more natural 
  attacks, the animal companion instead gains a second 
  attack with its primary natural weapon, albeit at a –5 
  penalty.
     Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an 
  attack that normally allows a Reﬂex saving throw for 
  half damage, an animal companion takes no damage 
  if it makes a successful saving throw and only half 
  damage if the saving throw fails.
  Antithesis 
  You have a deep hatred for one allegiance or group.
  Prerequisite:  Enemy (same group), BAB 9+
  Effect:  When you are combating minions or 
  representatives of your antithesis, you gain an 
  additional +2 bonus to attack rolls and skill checks.  
  You will not willingly deal with your antithesis on 
  friendly terms, and when you must deal with forces 
  friendly to them, you suffer a –4 penalty to all 
  Charisma-based skill checks.
  Special:  A character may only take this feat once.
  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency
  Beneﬁt: The character takes no penalty on attack 
  rolls when using any kind of archaic weapon.
  Normal: A character without this feat takes the 
  –4 nonproﬁcient penalty when making attacks with 
  archaic weapons.
  Armed to the Teeth
  You can ﬁght two-handed with ranged and melee 
  weapons
  Prerequisite: Two-Weapon Fighting.
  Beneﬁt:  When you ﬁght with two weapons, you 
  can use a ranged weapon in one hand and a melee 
  weapon in the other hand. 
  Normal: To gain the beneﬁt of the Two-Weapon 
  ﬁghting feat, your weapons must both be ranged or 
  melee weapons.
  Armor Proﬁciency (heavy)
  Prerequisites: Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor 
  Alternative Animal Companions
  You may, if sufﬁciently high level, 
  select your animal companion from 
  one of the following lists, with the 
  GM’s approval (extinct animals 
  especially require you to have a 
  suitable origin, such as being from a 
  “lost world” environment), applying 
  the indicated adjustment to your 
  level (in parentheses) for purposes 
  of determining the companion’s 
  characteristics and special abilities.  
  Only characters of the mystic 
  encounter origin can choose mythical 
  creatures as animal companions.
  4th Level or Higher (Level –3)
  Ape (animal) 
  Bear, black (animal) 
  Bison (animal)
  Boar (animal) 
  Cheetah (animal) 
  Crocodile (animal)1
  Dire badger 
  Dire bat
  Dire weasel
  Leopard (animal)
  Lizard, monitor (animal)
  Shark, Large1 (animal)
  Snake, constrictor (animal)
  Snake, Large viper (animal)
  Wolverine (animal)
  7th Level or Higher (Level –6)
  Bear, brown (animal) 
  Dire wolverine
  Crocodile, giant (animal) 
  Deinonychus (dinosaur) 
  Dire ape 
  Dire boar 
  Dire wolf 
  Elasmosaurus1 (dinosaur)
  Lion (animal)
  Rhinoceros (animal)
  Snake, Huge viper (animal)
  Tiger (animal)
  10th Level or Higher (Level –9)
  Bear, polar (animal) 
  Dire lion 
  Megaraptor (dinosaur) 
  Shark, Huge1 (animal)
  Snake, giant constrictor (animal)
  Whale, orca1 (animal)
  13th Level or Higher (Level –12)
  Dire bear 
  Elephant (animal)
  Octopus, giant1 (animal)
  16th Level or Higher (Level –15)
  Dire shark1 
  Dire tiger 
  Squid, giant1 (animal)
  Triceratops (dinosaur)
  Tyrannosaurus (dinosaur)
  1 Available only in an aquatic environment.
  
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  CHAPTER�3:�FEATS
  Proﬁciency (medium).
  Beneﬁt: See Armor Proﬁciency (light).
  Normal: See Armor Proﬁciency (light).
  Armor Proﬁciency (light)
  Beneﬁt: When the character wears a type of armor 
  with which the character is proﬁcient, the character 
  gets to add the armor’s entire equipment bonus to his 
  or her Defense. 
  Normal: A character who wears armor with which 
  he or she is not proﬁcient takes an armor penalty 
  on checks involving the following skills: Balance, 
  Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, and 
  Tumble. 
  Also, a character who wears armor with which he or 
  she is not proﬁcient adds only a portion of the armor’s 
  equipment bonus to his or her Defense.
  Armor Proﬁciency (medium)
  Prerequisite: Armor Proﬁciency (light).
  Beneﬁt: See Armor Proﬁciency (light).
  Normal: See Armor Proﬁciency (light).
  Armor Proﬁciency (powered)
  You are proﬁcient with powered armor.
  Prerequisites: Armor Proﬁciency ( light) , Armor 
  Proﬁciency (medium).
  Beneﬁt: When you wear powered armor, you 
  may add the armor’s entire equipment bonus to your 
  Defense.
  Normal: A character not proﬁcient with powered 
  armor adds only a portion of the armor’s equipment 
  bonus to her Defense.
  Athletic
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Climb 
  checks and Swim checks. 
  Attentive
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Investigate checks and Sense Motive checks. 
  Special: Remember that the Investigate skill can’t 
  be used untrained.
  Blind-Fight
  Beneﬁt: In melee combat, every time the character 
  misses because of concealment, the character can 
  reroll the miss chance roll one time to see if the 
  character actually hits.
  The character takes only half the usual penalty to 
  speed for being unable to see. Darkness and poor 
  visibility in general reduces the character’s speed to 
  three-quarters of normal, instead of one-half.
  Banter
  Prerequisite: Cha 13+, Bluff 5 ranks
  Effect: The character gains a Competence bonus 
  to his Defense against melee attacks equal to his 
  Charisma modiﬁer.  Any circumstance that causes the 
  character to lose his Dexterity modiﬁer to defense also 
  causes him to lose this bonus.
  Special: The bonus from Banter and Poise do not 
  stack, as they are both Competence bonuses.
  Black Market
  You are able to acquire illegal or restricted items more 
  easily through your allies.
  Prerequisite: At least one Supply ally, Reputation 
  6+
  Effect: When purchasing a restricted or illegal 
  item you may call on a supply ally to grant you a 
  limited access to an item of that type. This allows you 
  to ignore the Wealth increase due to the item being 
  restricted or illegal.
  Brawl
  Beneﬁt: When making an unarmed attack, the 
  character receives a +1 competence bonus on attack 
  rolls, and the character deals nonlethal damage equal 
  to 1d6 + his or her Strength modiﬁer.
  Normal: Unarmed attacks normally deal nonlethal 
  damage equal to 1d3 + Strength modiﬁer.
  Builder
  Beneﬁt: Pick two of the following skills: Craft 
  (chemical), Craft (electronic), Craft (mechanical), and 
  Craft (structural). The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  checks with those skills.
  Special: The character can select this feat twice. 
  The second time, the character applies it to the two 
  skills he or she didn’t pick originally. Remember 
  that Craft (chemical), Craft (electronic), and Craft 
  (mechanical) cannot be used untrained.
  Bull’s Eye
  Your attacks with ranged weapons are especially 
  deadly.
  Prerequisites:  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot.
  Beneﬁt:  When you threaten a critical hit with a 
  ranged weapon, you may spend an Action Point to 
  automatically conﬁrm the critical.
  Burst Fire
  Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency, Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency.
  Beneﬁt: When using an automatic ﬁrearm with at 
  least ﬁve bullets loaded, the character may ﬁre a short 
  burst as a single attack against a single target. The 
  character receives a –4 penalty on the attack roll, but 
  deal +2 dice of damage.
  Firing a burst expends ﬁve bullets and can only be 
  done if the weapon has ﬁve bullets in it.
  
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  Normal: Autoﬁre uses ten bullets, targets a 10-
  foot-by-10-foot area, and can’t be aimed at a speciﬁc 
  target. Without this feat, if a character attempts an 
  autoﬁre attack at a speciﬁc target, it simply counts as a 
  normal attack and all the extra bullets are wasted.
  Special: If the ﬁrearm has a three-round burst 
  setting, ﬁring a burst expends three bullets instead 
  of ﬁve and can be used if the weapon has only three 
  bullets in it.
  Called Shot
  You excel with one ranged weapon.
     Prerequisite:  Weapon Focus, Sharpshooter, BAB 
  7+
     Effect:  As a full round action, you may make a 
  called shot, taking a –2 to hit for a +1d6 damage 
  bonus.  This feat may be taken multiple times, its 
  effects stack (so a character that has this feat twice 
  would be able to take –2 to hit for +1d6 damage, or 
  –4 to hit for +2d6 damage).  This additional damage is 
  not multiplied on a critical.
  Cautious
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Demolitions checks and Disable Device checks.
  Special: Remember that the Demolitions skill and 
  the Disable Device skill can’t be used untrained.
  Charismatic Plus
  Advancements in science coupled with your drive to 
  excel enable you to progress faster toward becoming a 
  truly charismatic hero.
  Beneﬁt: You gain two talents from the Charismatic 
  hero’s talent trees. The talents must be selected 
  from the following list, you cannot select more than 
  one talent from a single talent tree, and you must 
  meet all the prerequisites of a talent to select it. 
  Favor, Captivate, Dazzle, Taunt, Inspiration, Greater 
  Inspiration.
  Special: You may select this feat multiple times. 
  Each time you select this feat, you must choose a 
  different pair of talents.
  Cleave
  Prerequisites: Strength 13, Power Attack.
  Beneﬁt: If the character deals an opponent enough 
  damage to make the opponent drop (either by 
  knocking the opponent out due to massive damage or 
  by reducing the opponent’s hit points to less than 0), 
  the character gets an immediate extra melee attack 
  against another opponent adjacent to the character. 
  The character can’t take a 5-foot step before making 
  this extra attack. The extra attack is with the same 
  weapon and at the same bonus as the attack that 
  dropped the previous opponent. The character can use 
  this ability once per round.
  Combat Driving
  You are highly skilled at using normal vehicles in 
  combat.
  Prerequisite: Drive 4 ranks
  Effect: When driving a normal wheeled vehicle you 
  add your class Defense bonus and Dexterity modiﬁer 
  to the defense of that vehicle.
  Normal: A character without this feat adds no 
  bonus to the Defense of a car that comes under attack.
  Combat Expertise
  Prerequisite: Intelligence 13.
  Beneﬁt: When the character uses the attack action 
  or the full attack action in melee, the character can 
  take a penalty of up to –5 on his or her attack roll and 
  add the same number (up to +5) to the character’s 
  Defense. This number may not exceed the character’s 
  base attack bonus. The changes to attack rolls and 
  Defense last until the character’s next action. The 
  bonus to the character’s Defense is a dodge bonus 
  (and as such it stacks with other dodge bonuses the 
  character may have).
  Normal: A character without the Combat Expertise 
  feat can ﬁght defensively while using the attack or full 
  attack action to take a –4 penalty on attacks and gain a 
  +2 dodge bonus to Defense.
  Combat Martial Arts
  Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.
  Beneﬁt: With an unarmed strike, the character deals 
  lethal or nonlethal damage (the character’s choice) 
  equal to 1d4 + the character’s Strength modiﬁer. 
  The character’s unarmed attacks count as armed, 
  which means that opponents do not get attacks of 
  opportunity when the character attacks them unarmed. 
  The character may make attacks of opportunity 
  against opponents who provoke such attacks.
  Normal: Without this feat, a character deals only 
  1d3 points of nonlethal damage. Unarmed attacks 
  normally provoke attacks of opportunity, and 
  unarmed combatants cannot normally make attacks of 
  opportunity.
  Combat Medic 
  Exposed to life-threatening battleﬁeld injuries and 
  combat-related wounds on an almost daily basis, you 
  have learned better ways to treat your patients.
  Prerequisite:  Treat Injury 8 ranks.
  Beneﬁt:  You can use the Restore Hit Points ability 
  an additional time each day on a character.
  Special:  This ability may be taken more than once.  
  Each time it is taken you may use the Restore Hit 
  Points ability one additional time per day.
  Combat Reﬂexes
  Beneﬁt: The maximum number of attacks of 
  opportunity the character may make each round is 
  equal to the character’s Dexterity modiﬁer + 1.  The 
  character can still only make one attack of opportunity 
  on a single opponent.
  
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  With this feat, the character may also make attacks 
  of opportunity when ﬂat-footed.
  Normal: A character without the Combat Reﬂexes 
  feat can make only one attack of opportunity per 
  round and can’t make attacks of opportunity when 
  ﬂat-footed.
  Special: The Combat Reﬂexes feat doesn’t allow a 
  Fast hero with the opportunist talent to use that talent 
  more than once per round.
  Combat Throw
  Prerequisite: Defensive Martial Arts.
  Beneﬁt: The character gains a +2 bonus on opposed 
  Strength and Dexterity checks any time the character 
  attempts trip or grapple attacks, or when the character 
  trys to avoid a trip or grapple attack made against him 
  or her.
  Conﬁdent
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Gamble checks and Intimidate checks, and on level 
  checks to resist intimidation.
  Coordinated Attack
  You have code words and hand signals allowing 
  precisely coordinated attacks in the heat of battle.
  Prerequisites:  Teamwork, BAB 5+
  Effect:  This feat requires both beneﬁting characters 
  to spend an action point to activate.  As a full-round 
  action, you and another character attack a common 
  target with such precision that the target is considered 
  ﬂanked.  Unlike normal ﬂanking attacks, you and your 
  partner do not need to be both threatening the target to 
  execute this maneuver, but you must both be able to 
  hit him with an attack.
  Cover Fire 
  You are highly skilled at providing cover ﬁre.
  Prerequisites:  Personal Firearms, Teamwork
  Effect:  You gain a 50% increase in cover ﬁre 
  bonuses (+3 or Dexterity modiﬁer x1.5 whichever is 
  higher).
  Creative
  Beneﬁt: Pick two of the following skills: Craft 
  (visual art), Craft (writing), Perform (act), Perform 
  (dance), Perform (keyboards), Perform (percussion 
  instruments), Perform (sing), Perform (stand-up), 
  Perform (string instruments), and Perform (wind 
  instruments). The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  checks with those two skills.
  Special: A character can select this feat as many as 
  ﬁve times. Each time, the character selects two new 
  skills from the choices given above.
  Dead Aim
  Prerequisites: Wisdom 13, Far Shot.
  Beneﬁt: Before making a ranged attack, the 
  character may take a full-round action to line up your 
  shot. This grants the character a +2 circumstance 
  bonus on his or her next attack roll. Once the character 
  begins aiming, he or she can’t move, even to take a 
  5-foot step, until after the character makes his or her 
  next attack, or the beneﬁt of the feat is lost. Likewise, 
  if the character’s concentration is disrupted or the 
  character is attacked before his or her next action, the 
  character loses the beneﬁt of aiming.
  Deceptive
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Bluff 
  checks and Disguise checks.
  Dedicated Plus
  Advancements in science coupled with your drive to 
  excel enable you to progress faster toward becoming a 
  truly dedicated hero.
  Beneﬁt: You gain two talents from the Dedicated 
  hero’s talent trees. The talents must be selected from 
  the following list, you cannot select more than one 
  talent from a single talent tree, and you must meet all 
  the prerequisites of a talent to select it. Improved Aid 
  Another, Intuition, Healing Touch 1, Healing Touch 2, 
  Aware, Faith, Cool Under Pressure.
  Special: You may select this feat multiple times. 
  Each time you select this feat, you must choose a 
  different pair of talents.
  Defensive Martial Arts
  Beneﬁt: The character gains a +1 dodge bonus to 
  Defense against melee attacks.
  Special: A condition that makes the character lose 
  his or her Dexterity bonus to Defense also makes the 
  character lose dodge bonuses. Also, dodge bonuses 
  stack, unlike most other types of bonuses.
  Dodge
  Prerequisite: Dexterity 13.
  Beneﬁt: During the character’s action, the character 
  designates an opponent and receives a +1 dodge bonus 
  to Defense against any subsequent attacks from that 
  opponent. The character can select a new opponent on 
  any action.
  Special: A condition that makes the character lose 
  his or her Dexterity bonus to Defense also makes the 
  character lose dodge bonuses. Also, dodge bonuses 
  stack with each other, unlike most other types of 
  bonuses.
  Double Tap
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Point Blank Shot.
  Beneﬁt: When using a semiautomatic ﬁrearm with 
  at least two bullets loaded, the character may ﬁre two 
  bullets as a single attack against a single target. The 
  character receives a –2 penalty on this attack, but 
  
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  CHAPTER�3:�FEATS
  deals +1 die of damage with a successful hit. Using 
  this feat ﬁres two bullets and can only be done if the 
  weapon has two bullets in it.
  Drive-By Attack
  Beneﬁt: The character takes no vehicle speed 
  penalty when making an attack while in a moving 
  vehicle. Also, if the character is the driver, he or she 
  can take his or her attack action to make an attack at 
  any point along the vehicle’s movement.
  Normal: When attacking from a moving vehicle, a 
  character takes a penalty based on the vehicle’s speed. 
  Passengers can ready an action to make an attack 
  when their vehicle reaches a particular location, but 
  the driver must make his or her attack action either 
  before or after the vehicle’s movement.
  Educated
  Beneﬁt: Pick two Knowledge skills. The character 
  gets a +2 bonus on all checks with those skills.
  Special: A character can select this feat as many as 
  seven times. Each time, the character selects two new 
  Knowledge skills. 
  Elusive Target
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Defensive Martial 
  Arts.
  Beneﬁt: When ﬁghting an opponent or multiple 
  opponents in melee, other opponents attempting to 
  target the character with ranged attacks take a –4 
  penalty. This penalty is in addition to the normal –4 
  penalty for ﬁring into melee, making the penalty to 
  target to character –8.
  Special: An opponent with the Precise Shot feat 
  has the penalty lessened to –4 when targeting the 
  character.
  Evasive Maneuvers
  You are a master of aerial acrobatics which make any 
  craft you pilot a hard target to latch onto in a dogﬁght.
  Prerequisite: Pilot 5 ranks, Aircraft Operation (any 
  type)
  Effect: When piloting a craft you have the Aircraft 
  Operation feat for you may take a –1 penalty to attack 
  rolls in return for raising the Defense of the craft you 
  are piloting by +1. 
  Special: This feat may not be used by ﬁghters in 
  a formation (those beneﬁting from the Formation 
  Flying or Wingman feats- they are too close together). 
  However on a free action one or more the craft may 
  break formation in order to use this feat. 
  Endurance
  Beneﬁt: The character gains a +4 bonus on the 
  following checks and saves: hourly Swim checks 
  to avoid becoming fatigued, Constitution checks 
  to continue running, Constitution checks to hold 
  the character’s breath, Constitution checks to avoid 
  damage from starvation or thirst, Fortitude saves to 
  avoid damage from hot or cold environments, and 
  Fortitude saves to resist suffocation or drowning.
  Also, the character may sleep in medium or light 
  armor without becoming fatigued.
  Normal: A character without this feat that sleeps in 
  armor is automatically fatigued the following day.
  Enemy 
  You detest one allegiance or group.
  Effect:  You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and skill 
  checks when combating your chosen enemy.  When 
  you must deal with your enemy peacefully, or when 
  you deal with groups allied with your enemy, you 
  suffer a –2 penalty to all Charisma-based skills.
  Special:  A character may take this feat more than 
  once.  Each time, it applies to a different group or 
  allegiance.
  Exotic Firearms Proﬁciency
  Choose a weapon type from the following list: 
  cannons, heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and 
  rocket launchers. 
  Prerequisites: Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency.
  Beneﬁt: The character makes attack rolls with the 
  weapon normally.
  Normal: A character who uses a weapon without 
  being proﬁcient with it takes a –4 penalty on attack 
  rolls.
  Special: A character can gain this feat as many as 
  four times. Each time a character takes the feat, he or 
  she selects a different weapon group.
  Exotic Firearms Proﬁciency 
  – Fixed Wing Vehicle Weapons 
  You are proﬁcient in Fixed-Wing mounted vehicle 
  weapons. This feat replaces the more generic Exotic 
  Firearms Proﬁciency- Cannon feat.
  Prerequisite:  Aircraft Operation (Jet Fighters)
  Effect:  You make attack rolls with the weapon 
  normally.
  Normal:  A character that uses a weapon without 
  being proﬁcient takes a –4 penalty to hit.
  Exotic Firearms Proﬁciency - 
  Helicopter Vehicle Weapons 
  You are proﬁcient in Helicopter mounted vehicle 
  weapons.  This feat replaces the more generic Exotic 
  Firearms Proﬁciency- Cannon feat.
  Prerequisite:  Aircraft Operation (Helicopters)
  Effect:  You make attack rolls with the weapon 
  normally.
  Normal:  A character that uses a weapon without 
  being proﬁcient takes a –4 penalty to hit.
  
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  Exotic Firearms Proﬁciency - 
  Tank/Apc Weapons 
  You are proﬁcient with large vehicle-mounted 
  weapons found on tanks and APCs. This feat replaces 
  the more generic Exotic Firearms Proﬁciency- Cannon 
  feat.
  Prerequisite:  Drive 5 Ranks, Surface Vehicle 
  Operation (Tracked)
  Effect:  You make attack rolls with the weapon 
  normally.
  Normal:  A character that uses a weapon without 
  being proﬁcient takes a –4 penalty to hit.
  Exotic Melee Weapon Proﬁciency
  Choose one exotic melee weapon from. The 
  character is proﬁcient with that melee weapon in 
  combat.
  Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.
  Beneﬁt: The character makes attack rolls with the 
  weapon normally.
  Normal: A character who uses a weapon without 
  being proﬁcient with it takes a –4 penalty on attack 
  rolls. 
  Special: A character can gain this feat multiple 
  times. Each time the character takes the feat, he or she 
  selects a different exotic melee weapon.
  Far Shot
  Beneﬁt: When the character uses a ﬁrearm or 
  archaic ranged weapon, its range increment increases 
  by one-half (multiply by 1.5). When the character 
  throws a weapon, its range increment is doubled.
  Fast Plus
  Advancements in science coupled with your drive to 
  excel enable you to progress faster toward becoming a 
  truly dexterous hero.
  Beneﬁt: You gain two talents from the Fast hero’s 
  talent trees. The talents must be selected from the 
  following list, you cannot select more than one talent 
  from a single talent tree, and you must meet all the 
  prerequisites of a talent to select it. Uncanny Dodge 
  1, Uncanny Dodge 2, Defensive Roll, Opportunist, 
  Improved Increased Speed, Advanced Increased 
  Speed.
  Special: You may select this feat multiple times. 
  Each time you select this feat, you must choose a 
  different pair of tale
  Fighter Escort 
  You are trained to protect larger, more valuable craft.
  As their ability to protect each other in air combat 
  became apparent, strategists also recognized the 
  Fighter’s ability to protect larger, more valuable craft.  
  Although a vital necessity at times due to the strategic 
  value of larger ships, ﬂying escort with a larger ship 
  is one of the most dangerous jobs a ﬁghter pilot can 
  have.
  Prerequisites: Teamwork, Aircraft Operation
  Effect: A craft Large or larger protected by a 
  ﬁghter escort gains a +1 Defense bonus for each 
  ﬁghter protecting him. If the ﬁghters ﬂying escort are 
  themselves are the target of an attack their pilots only 
  apply ½ their class bonus to the Defense of their craft.
  Fixer
  If the most powerful person is the one with the most 
  friends then you are a powerful person indeed.
  Prerequisite: Speed Dial, Well-Connected, 
  Reputation 9+
  Effect: You may have a number of allies equal to 
  your Reputation score. 
  Normal: Characters may normally possess a 
  number of allies equal to one-half their Reputation 
  scores.
  Formation Flying 
  You piloting skills allow you to ﬂy in close formation, 
  protecting your fellow pilots.
  As long as aircraft have been shooting each other 
  down pilots have known the advantages of ﬂying 
  in formation.  One craft covers for the other, and a 
  character’s wingman is usually the person he trusts 
  most in the world.
  Prerequisites: Teamwork
  Effect: All Fighters on the same side of a battle who 
  are ﬂying in formation with this feat gain +2 Defense 
  in vehicle combat by protecting one another. This 
  feat also grants a +2 bonus on Clear Your Six stunt 
  piloting checks.
  Focused
  Beneﬁt: The character gets get a +2 bonus on all 
  Balance checks and Concentration checks.
  Force Stop
  Prerequisites: Drive 4 ranks, Vehicle Expert.
  Beneﬁt: When the character attempts a sideswipe 
  stunt with a surface vehicle, the character can force 
  the other vehicle to a stop by nudging it into a 
  controlled sideways skid. In addition to the normal 
  requirements for attempting a sideswipe stunt, the 
  character must have sufﬁcient movement remaining 
  to move a number of squares equal to the character’s 
  turn number.
  After succeeding on the check to attempt the 
  sideswipe, the character makes a Drive check opposed 
  by the other driver. If the character succeeds, turn 
  the other vehicle 90 degrees across the front of the 
  character’s, so that they form a tee. Move them 
  forward a distance equal to the character’s turn 
  number. The vehicles end their movement at that 
  location, at stationary speed, and take their normal 
  sideswipe damage.
  
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  If the character fails the check, resolve the 
  sideswipe normally.
  Frightful Presence
  Prerequisites: Charisma 15, Intimidate 9 ranks.
  Beneﬁt: When the character uses this feat, all 
  opponents within 10 feet who have fewer levels than 
  the character must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 
  + ½ the character’s level + the character’s Charisma 
  modiﬁer). An opponent who fails his or her save is 
  shaken, taking a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saves, and 
  skill checks for a number of rounds equal to 1d6 + the 
  character’s Charisma modiﬁer. The character can use 
  the feat once per round as a free action.
  A successful save indicates that the opponent is 
  immune to the character’s use of this feat for 24 hours. 
  This feat does not affect creatures with an Intelligence 
  of 3 or lower.
  If the character has the Renown feat, the Will saving 
  throw’s DC increases by 5.
  Gearhead
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Computer Use checks and Repair checks. 
  Special: Remember that the Computer Use skill and 
  the Repair skill can only be used untrained in certain 
  situations.
  Great Cleave
  Prerequisites: Strength 13, Power Attack, Cleave, 
  base attack bonus +4.
  Beneﬁt: As Cleave, except that the character has no 
  limit to the number of times he or she can use it per 
  round.
  Great Fortitude
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Fortitude saving throws.
  Guide
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Navigate checks and Survival checks. 
  Hard-Eyed
  With a gun in your hand, you have an especially 
  dangerous aspect.
  Prerequisites:  Charisma 13, Intimidate 4 ranks.
  Beneﬁt:  You gain a +5 circumstance bonus on 
  Intimidate checks when aiming a ﬁrearm at the target 
  of your check.  The target must be within 30 feet, and 
  must be able to see you (and your ﬁrearm).  The target 
  does not have to be ﬂat-footed.
  This bonus does not stack with the +2 circumstance 
  bonus your GM might grant for threatening the target 
  with a gun, but it can stack with other circumstance 
  bonuses.
  Normal:  Circumstances such as holding a gun on a 
  ﬂat-footed opponent normally grant a +2 circumstance 
  bonus.
  Henchmen
  You have a group of followers.
  Prerequisite: You must be at least 3rd level.
  Beneﬁt: You have a group of followers who assist 
  you out of loyalty, serve you for pay, or obey you 
  from fear.
  Leadership Score: A character’s Leadership 
  score equals his level plus his Charisma modiﬁer. 
  TABLE 3-3: LEADERSHIP MODIFIERS
  General Leadership Modiﬁers
  The Leader Has a Reputation of
  Modiﬁer
  Great Success
  +2
  Great Failure
  -2
  Each +2 Reputation
  +1
  Follower-only Leadership Modiﬁers
  The Leader:
  Modiﬁer
  Has a base of operations
  +2
  Has a Headquarters
  +4
  Has the Home Turf feat
  +1 
  Moves around a lot
  -1
  Caused the death of other followers
  -1
  Sidekick-only Leadership Modiﬁers
  The Leader:
  Modiﬁer
  Recruits a sidekick of a different allegiance
  -1
  Caused the death of a sidekick
  -2*
  Each additional sidekick
  -4
  Cohort shares two Allegiances with character
  +1
  Cohort shares three Allegiances with character
  +2
  *Cumulative per cohort killed. This penalty does not apply 
  to Demagogues.
  TABLE 3-2: LEADERSHIP - HENCHMAN / SIDEKICK
  Score 
  Leadership
  Sidekick
  Number of Followers by Level2
  Level1
  1st
  2nd
  3rd
  4th
  5th
  6th
  1 or less
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  2
  1st
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  3
  2nd
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  4
  3rd
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  5
  3rd
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  6
  4th
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  7
  5th
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  8
  5th
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  9
  6th
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  10
  7th
  5
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  11
  7th
  6
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  12
  8th
  8
  -
  -
  -
  -
  -
  13
  9th
  10
  1
  -
  -
  -
  -
  14
  10th
  15
  1
  -
  -
  -
  -
  15
  10th
  20
  2
  1
  -
  -
  -
  16
  11th
  25
  2
  1
  -
  -
  -
  17
  12th
  30
  3
  1
  1
  -
  -
  18
  12th
  35
  3
  1
  1
  -
  -
  19
  13th
  40
  4
  2
  1
  1
  -
  20
  14th
  50
  5
  3
  2
  1
  -
  21
  15th
  60
  6
  3
  2
  1
  1
  22
  15th
  75
  7
  4
  2
  2
  1
  23
  16th
  90
  9
  5
  3
  2
  1
  24
  17th
  110
  11
  6
  3
  2
  1
  25+
  17th
  135
  13
  7
  4
  2
  2
  1 Requires Sidekick feat
  2 Requires Henchmen feat
  
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  CHAPTER�3:�FEATS
  In order to take into account negative Charisma 
  modiﬁers, the Leadership table allows for very low 
  Leadership scores, but the character must still be 6th 
  level or higher in order to gain the Leadership feat 
  and thus attract a cohort. Outside factors can affect 
  a character’s Leadership score, as detailed in the 
  Leadership Modiﬁers table.
  Number of Followers by Level: The character can 
  lead up to the indicated number of characters of each 
  level. 
  Followers: A leader attracts followers who share at 
  least one of the character’s allegiances. As the leader’s 
  Leadership rises, he can attract more followers. If his 
  Leadership goes down, followers may desert.
  Replacing Followers: If a leader loses a cohort or 
  followers, he can generally replace them, up to the 
  maximum allowed by his current Leadership score. It 
  takes time (1d4 months) to recruit replacements. If the 
  leader is to blame for the deaths of followers, it takes 
  extra time to replace them, up to a full year (and note 
  that the leader also picks up a reputation of failure, 
  which decreases his Leadership score).
  Heroic Surge
  Beneﬁt: The character may take an extra move 
  action or attack action in a round, either before or after 
  the character’s regular actions. The character may use 
  Heroic Surge a number of times per day depending on 
  his or her character level (as shown below), but never 
  more than once per round.
  Character Level
  Times per Day
  1st–4th
  1
  5th–8th
  2
  9th–12th
  3
  13th–16th
  4
  17th–20th
  5
  High Ready
  Prerequisite: Dexterity 13, Reactive Shooter.
  Beneﬁt:  You can use the Reactive Shooter feat with 
  a Large weapon.  To do so, you must ﬁrst have stated 
  that you are at the high ready position (on your feet, 
  with your weapon shouldered, ready to ﬁre).  You 
  can only move at half speed while prepared in this 
  manner.
  Home Turf 
  You know every nook and cranny of your home 
  territory, gaining advantages when ﬁghting to defend 
  it.
     Effect:  You gain a +1 to hit, and a +2 to the 
  following skill checks in your home territory: Gather 
  Information, Hide, Knowledge (streetwise, tactics), 
  Navigate, Spot, and Survival. This territory may be 
  an area as large as a small country (Israel, Palestine, 
  Great Britain).  For extremely large countries, a 
  portion of that country is the character’s home turf 
  (the state of Texas, and so forth).
  Improved Autoﬁre
  You lay down withering barrages of autoﬁre with 
  deadly precision.
  Prerequisites:  Personal ﬁrearms Proﬁciency, 
  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency.
  Beneﬁt:  When you use autoﬁre, the DC for the 
  Reﬂex save is increased by +5.
  Normal:  When you use autoﬁre, every creature 
  within the targeted 10-foot-by-10-foot area must make 
  a Reﬂex save (DC 15) to avoid being hit.
  Ideologue 
  You are able to impress your values on your followers.
  Prerequisite: Cha 15+, character level 7, 
  Henchmen, Inspired Leadership.
  Effect: For every eight ranks you have in 
  Diplomacy, your followers gain an allegiance in 
  common with you. If you have the Antithesis or 
  Enemy feats, all of your followers gain that feat as a 
  free feat. If you have the Faith’s Protection feat, all of 
  your followers gain that feat for free as well.
  Special: Any perceived wavering on the part of an 
  ideologue throws his followers into confusion and 
  may cause some followers to leave the ideologue’s 
  service. Any time a character with this feat changes 
  allegiances (whether voluntarily or because one of his 
  allegiances was revoked by the GM), his Leadership 
  score is penalized by two for each allegiance changed, 
  and his followers lose the beneﬁts of this feat for one 
  month.
  Improved Brawl
  Prerequisites: Brawl, base attack bonus +3.
  Beneﬁt: When making an unarmed attack, the 
  character receives a +2 competence bonus on his 
  or her attack roll, and the character deals nonlethal 
  damage equal to 1d8 + the character’s Strength 
  modiﬁer.
  Normal: Unarmed attacks normally deal nonlethal 
  damage equal to 1d3 + Strength modiﬁer.
  Improved Bull Rush
  Prerequisites: Strength 13, Power Attack.
  Beneﬁt: When the character performs a bull 
  rush, the character does not provoke an attack of 
  opportunity from the defender.
  Improved Combat Martial Arts
  Prerequisites: Combat Martial Arts, base attack 
  bonus +4.
  Beneﬁt: The character’s threat range on an unarmed 
  strike improves to 19–20.
  Normal: A character without this feat threatens a 
  critical hit with an unarmed strike only on a 20.
  
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  Improved Combat Throw
  Prerequisites: Defensive Martial Arts, Combat 
  Throw, base attack bonus +3.
  Beneﬁt: In melee combat, if an opponent 
  attacks and misses the character, the character may 
  immediately make a trip attack against the opponent. 
  This counts as an attack of opportunity.
  Special: This feat doesn’t grant the character more 
  attacks of opportunity than he or she is normally 
  allowed in a round.
  Improved Damage Threshold
  Beneﬁt: The character increases his or her massive 
  damage threshold by 3 points.
  Normal: A character without this feat has a 
  massive damage threshold equal to his or her current 
  Constitution score. With this feat, the character’s 
  massive damage threshold is current Con +3.
  Special: A character may gain this feat multiple 
  times. Its effects stack.
  Improved Dead Aim
  Your skill with ranged weapons is unmatched.
  Prerequisites:  Wisdom 13, Far Shot, Dead Aim.
  Beneﬁt:  The circumstance bonus on attack rolls 
  granted by the Dead Aim feat increases from +2 to +3.
  Improved Disarm
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, Combat Expertise.
  Beneﬁt: The character does not provoke an attack 
  of opportunity when the character attempts to disarm 
  an opponent, nor does the opponent get a chance to 
  disarm the character.
  Improved Feint
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, Brawl, 
  Streetﬁghting.
  Beneﬁt: The character can make a Bluff check in 
  combat as a move action. The character receives a +2 
  bonus on Bluff checks made to feint in melee combat.
  Normal: Feinting in combat requires an attack 
  action.
  Improved Initiative
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +4 circumstance 
  bonus on initiative checks.
  Improved Knockout Punch
  Prerequisites: Brawl, Knockout Punch, base attack 
  bonus +6.
  Beneﬁt: When making the character’s ﬁrst unarmed 
  attack against a ﬂat-footed opponent, treat a successful 
  attack as a critical hit. This critical hit deals triple 
  damage. The damage is nonlethal damage.
  Special: Even if the character has the ability to treat 
  unarmed damage as lethal damage, the damage from a 
  knockout punch is always nonlethal.
  Improved Overrun 
  You can overrun your opponents before they are able 
  to avoid you. 
  Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack.
  Beneﬁt: When you attempt to overrun an opponent, 
  the target may not choose to avoid you. You also gain 
  a +4 bonus on your Strength check to knock down 
  your opponent.
  Normal: Without this feat, the target of an overrun 
  can choose to avoid you or to block you.
  Improved Trip
  Prerequisites: Intelligence 13, Combat Expertise.
  Beneﬁt: The character does not provoke an attack 
  of opportunity when the character tries to trip an 
  opponent while the character is unarmed.
  If the character trips an opponent in melee combat, 
  the character immediately gets to make a melee attack 
  against that opponent as if the character had not used 
  his or her attack action for the trip attempt.
  Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, 
  base attack bonus +6.
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a second attack with his 
  or her offhand weapon, albeit at a –5 penalty.  Also, 
  this feat allows the character to use a melee weapon in 
  one hand and a ranged weapon in the other.
  Normal: Without this feat, a character can only get 
  a single extra attack with an off-hand weapon, and 
  both weapons must be of the same type (either both 
  ranged weapons or both melee weapons).
  Improvised Weapons 
  You are a walking disaster area.  In a ﬁght, you can 
  use anything you touch as a weapon.
  Prerequisite:  Brawl.
  Beneﬁt:  You can use any improvised weapon in 
  combat with no penalty to your attack roll.  You must 
  still learn how to use items designed as weapons in the 
  normal way.
  Normal: Using an improvised weapon incurs a -4 
  penalty to your attack roll.
  Information Network 
  Your extensive network of informants on the ground 
  can alert you of trouble.
  Prerequisite:  Henchmen.
  Effect:  Each follower you devote to the task 
  of keeping tabs on things grants you a +1 bonus 
  to Gather Information or Spot skill checks.  Note, 
  however, that some information is not free; you must 
  still pay any special costs or “fees” associated with 
  certain types of restricted information.
  
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  Inspired Leadership 
  You inspire your followers to work together 
  efﬁciently.
  Prerequisite: Cha 13+, character level 5, 
  Henchmen.
  Effect: All of your followers gain Teamwork as a 
  free feat when working together towards a common 
  goal. 
  Intuitive Mechanic
  You have a natural knack for ﬁxing mechanical 
  devices.
  Prerequisite: Intelligence 15
  Beneﬁt: Repair is considered a class skill for you.  
  In addition, you may always take 10 on Repair checks, 
  even if stress and distractions would normally prevent 
  you from doing so.
  Iron Will
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Will 
  saving throws.
  Jack Of All Trades
  You’ve picked up a smattering of even the most 
  obscure skills.
  Prerequisite: Character level 8th+.
  Beneﬁt: You can use any skill untrained, even 
  those that normally require training and those that 
  are exclusive to classes you don’t have. You cannot, 
  however, gain ranks in a skill unless you are allowed 
  to select it.
  Knockout Punch
  Prerequisites: Brawl, base attack bonus +3.
  Beneﬁt: When making the character’s ﬁrst unarmed 
  attack against a ﬂat-footed opponent, treat a successful 
  attack as a critical hit. This damage is nonlethal 
  damage.
  Special: Even if the character has the ability to treat 
  unarmed damage as lethal damage, the damage from a 
  knockout punch is always nonlethal.
  Lightning Reﬂexes
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Reﬂex 
  saving throws.
  Low Proﬁle
  Beneﬁt: Reduce the character’s Reputation bonus 
  by 3 points.
  Marksman 
  You are skilled at long-distance accuracy with one 
  weapon.
  Prerequisite: Weapon Focus (one ranged weapon), 
  Spot 5 Ranks.
  Effect: You may use up to one-half your Spot skill 
  to offset attack penalties due to range with one ranged 
  weapon (effectively allowing you to ignore one 
  penalty for range per 4 Ranks of Spot). This feat may 
  be taken multiple times.  Its effects do not stack.  Each 
  time the feat is taken (requiring Weapon Focus to be 
  taken again), it applies to a different weapon.
  Master Mechanic 
  More than any other, you are a master with tools and 
  repairing mechanical gadgets comes as second nature 
  to you.
  Prerequisite: Repair 8 ranks.
  Beneﬁt:  The amount of damage you repair by 
  using the Repair skill is doubled
  Mastercrafter
  You are adept at creating mastercraft electronic 
  and mechanical devices (including tools, vehicles, 
  weapons, robot manipulators, and armor).
  Prerequisites: Craft (electrical) 8 ranks, Craft 
  (mechanical) 8 ranks.
  Beneﬁt: When successfully completed, a 
  mastercraft electronic or mechanical object provides 
  an equipment bonus on skill checks made to use 
  the object (in the case of mastercraft vehicles, this 
  includes Drive or Pilot checks). A mastercraft weapon 
  provides a bonus on attack or damage rolls (your 
  choice). A mastercraft suit of armor improves the 
  armor’s equipment bonus to Defense. In each case, the 
  bonus can be +1, +2, or +3, and no single object can 
  have more than one mastercraft feature. (For instance, 
  you cannot build a mastercraft weapon that gains a 
  bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls.)
  On average, it takes twice as long to build a 
  mastercraft object as it does to build an ordinary 
  object of the same type. The cost to build a mastercraft 
  object is equal to the purchase DC for the object (or its 
  components) + the bonus provided by the mastercraft 
  feature (+1, +2, or +3).
  In addition to the Wealth check, you must also pay 
  a cost in experience points equal to 250 × the bonus 
  provided by the mastercraft feature. The experience 
  points must be paid before making the Craft check. If 
  the expenditure of these experience points would drop 
  you below the minimum needed for your current level, 
  then the experience points can’t be paid and you can’t 
  make the mastercraft object until you have sufﬁcient 
  experience points to remain at your current level after 
  the expenditure is made.
  Apply the following modiﬁers to the Craft check DC 
  for mastercraft items:
  Mastercraft Feature 
  DC Modiﬁer
  Mastercraft (+1) 
  +3
  Mastercraft (+2) 
  +5
  Mastercraft (+3) 
  +10
  You can add the mastercraft feature to an existing 
  ordinary object or a lower-grade mastercraft object 
  by making a Wealth check and then making the Craft 
  
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  check as though you were constructing the object 
  from scratch.
  Medical Expert
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Craft 
  (pharmaceutical) checks and Treat Injury checks.
  Special: Remember that the Craft (pharmaceutical) 
  skill can’t be used untrained.
  Meticulous
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Forgery checks and Search checks.
  Midas Touch
  Your Reputation for skillful business dealings makes 
  others much more willing to support your ventures.
  Prerequisite: At least one Inﬂuence ally, Wealth 6+, 
  Reputation 6+
  Effect: You may call on an inﬂuence ally to grant 
  a bonus to a Wealth check equal to one-half your 
  Reputation. While this could allow you access to 
  much more expensive items than you could normally 
  afford your Wealth is still reduced by the usual 
  amount, representing loans needed to purchase the 
  items in question. However characters with this feat 
  are much better able to live “above their means” than 
  other characters.
  Miracle Worker
  Your reputation for being a ﬂawless doctor actually 
  causes you to be a better doctor since your patients’ 
  faith in you enhances their bodies’ ability to heal.
  Prerequisite: Treat Injury 6 ranks, Reputation 6+
  Effect: You gain a bonus on all Treat Injury skill 
  checks equal to your Reputation.
  Mobility
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Dodge.
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +4 dodge bonus to 
  Defense against attacks of opportunity provoked when 
  the character moves out of a threatened square.
  Special: A condition that makes a character lose 
  his or her Dexterity bonus to Defense also makes the 
  character lose dodge bonuses. Also, dodge bonuses 
  stack with each other, unlike most other types of 
  bonuses.
  Mounted Archery 
  Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.
  Beneﬁt: The penalty you take when using a ranged 
  weapon while mounted is halved: –2 instead of –4 if 
  your mount is taking a double move, and –4 instead of 
  –8 if your mount is running.
  Mounted Combat 
  Prerequisite: Ride 1 rank.
  Beneﬁt: Once per round when your mount is hit in 
  combat, you may attempt a Ride check (as a reaction) 
  to negate the hit. The hit is negated if your Ride check 
  result is greater than the opponent’s attack roll.
  Nerve Pinch
  You can incapacitate foes with a vicelike pinch.
  Prerequisites: Combat Martial Arts, base attack 
  bonus +4.
  Beneﬁt: You make an unarmed attack against 
  a living creature. If the attack succeeds, the target 
  takes no damage but must succeed on a Fortitude 
  save (DC 10 + one-half your character level + your 
  Strength modiﬁer) or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. 
  If the target’s attack of opportunity hits you and deals 
  damage, the nerve pinch automatically fails.
  Special: This ability does not work on creatures 
  without nervous systems or discernible anatomies, 
  such as oozes and plants.
  Nimble
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Escape Artist checks and Sleight of Hand checks.
  Special: Remember that the Sleight of Hand skill 
  can’t be used untrained.
  Oathbound
  You swear undying allegiance to a person, group, 
  organization, nation, planet, stellar empire, ethical 
  philosophy, moral philosophy, or belief system. By 
  doing so, you can better inﬂuence others who share 
  your allegiance and more effectively oppose those 
  who don’t.
  Prerequisites: At least one declared allegiance.
  Beneﬁt: Choose one of your allegiances. The 
  allegiance you select becomes your primary allegiance 
  and cannot be broken, except by you. The strength 
  of your allegiance enables you to better assist other 
  beings who have the same allegiance; if your aid 
  another attempt succeeds, your ally gains a +3 
  circumstance bonus (instead of +2) on his skill check 
  result or attack roll. Your dedication also grants you a 
  +1 bonus on attack rolls made against creatures that 
  do not have this allegiance.
  Special: You cannot apply the beneﬁts of this feat 
  to multiple allegiances. If you break your oathbound 
  allegiance, you forever lose the beneﬁts of this feat 
  but may take the feat again and apply the beneﬁts to a 
  new allegiance.
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency
  Beneﬁt: The character can ﬁre any personal ﬁrearm 
  without penalty.
  Normal: Characters without this feat take a –4 
  penalty on attack rolls made with personal ﬁrearms.
  
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  Point Blank Shot
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +1 bonus on attack 
  and damage rolls with ranged weapons against 
  opponents within 30 feet.
  Poise 
  Prerequisite:  Wisdom 13+, Sense Motive 5 Ranks
  Effect:  The character gains a Competence bonus to 
  his Defense against melee attacks equal to his Wisdom 
  modiﬁer. 
  Special: The bonus from Banter and Poise do not 
  stack, as they are both Competence bonuses.
  Power Attack
  Prerequisite: Strength 13.
  Beneﬁt: On the character’s action, before making 
  attack rolls for a round, the character may choose 
  to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and 
  add the same number to all melee damage rolls. This 
  number may not exceed the character’s base attack 
  bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage 
  applies until the character’s next action.
  Precise Shot
  Prerequisite: Point Blank Shot.
  Beneﬁt: The character can shoot or throw ranged 
  weapons at an opponent engaged in melee without 
  penalty.
  Normal: A character takes a –4 penalty when 
  using a ranged weapon to attack an opponent who is 
  engaged in melee combat.
  Quick Draw
  Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.
  Beneﬁt: The character can draw a weapon as a free 
  action.
  A character with this feat may throw weapons at his 
  or her full normal rate of attacks.
  Normal: A character can draw a weapon as a move 
  action. If a character has a base attack bonus of +1 
  or higher, the character can draw a weapon as a free 
  action when moving.
  Quick Reload
  Prerequisite: Base attack bonus +1.
  Beneﬁt: Reloading a ﬁrearm with an already 
  ﬁlled box magazine or speed loader is a free action. 
  Reloading a revolver without a speed loader, or 
  reloading any ﬁrearm with an internal magazine, is a 
  move action.
  Normal: Reloading a ﬁrearm with an already 
  ﬁlled box magazine or speed loader is a move action. 
  Reloading a revolver without a speed loader, or 
  reloading any ﬁrearm with an internal magazine, is a 
  full-round action.
  Quick Treatment
  Perquisite: Treat Injury 5 ranks.
  Beneﬁt: If you successfully stabilize a dying 
  patient, you may move to another and make an 
  additional stabilizing attempt. You may continue 
  making stabilizing attempts until you fail a check or 
  cannot move anymore.
  Reactive Shooter
  Prerequisite: Dexterity 13.
  Beneﬁt:  If you have a Medium-size or smaller 
  ranged weapon in hand, you may act in the surprise 
  round even if you are surprised.  You roll initiative as 
  though you were not surprised.  The only action you 
  may take in the surprise round, however, is a single 
  ranged attack with the weapon in your hand.  You 
  make this attack at your highest attack bonus, but you 
  suffer a -5 penalty on the attack.  
  You are still considered ﬂat-footed during the 
  surprise round.
  Normal:  If you are surprised at the beginning 
  of combat, you cannot take any actions during the 
  surprise round.
  Renown
  Beneﬁt: The character’s Reputation bonus increases 
  by +3.
  Ride-By Attack 
  Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.
  Beneﬁt: When you are mounted and use the charge 
  action, you may move and attack as if with a standard 
  charge and then move again (continuing the straight 
  line of the charge). Your total movement for the round 
  can’t exceed double your mounted speed. You and 
  your mount do not provoke an attack of opportunity 
  from the opponent that you attack.
  Rip a Clip
  Prerequisite: Double Tap.
  Beneﬁt: This feat is similar to Cleave but applies 
  to ranged weapons rather than melee weapons. When 
  your ﬁrearm attack drops your opponent, you may 
  take an additional attack on another target within your 
  line of sight. You may not Rip a Clip when bursting or 
  straﬁng.
  Room-Broom
  Prerequisite: Point Blank Shot.
  Beneﬁt: A character with this feat can attack with a 
  ranged weapon in a threatened area and not provoke 
  an attack of opportunity.
  Rumor Monger
  Your friends have keen ears and tend to pass along 
  useful bits of information they come across to you. 
  Prerequisite: At least one Inﬂuence ally, Reputation 
  6+
  
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  Effect: You may call on your Inﬂuence ally for 
  information rather than making an introduction. This 
  grants you a bonus to a single Gather Information 
  or Knowledge (current events) check equal to your 
  Reputation. Use of an ally for rumors still counts as 
  contacting that allegiance for help and the character 
  must still pay the normal Wealth cost for making the 
  Gather Information skill check (his ally is simply 
  pointing him toward the information not providing it).
  Run
  Beneﬁt: When running, the character moves a 
  maximum of ﬁve times his or her normal speed 
  instead of four times. If the character is in heavy 
  armor, the character can move four times his or her 
  speed rather than three times. If the character makes a 
  long jump, the character gains a +2 competence bonus 
  on his or her Jump check.
  Sharpshooter 
  You are an expert shot with one weapon.
  Prerequisite: Base Attack Bonus 5+, Weapon 
  Focus (one ranged weapon).
  Effect: You gain +1 to hit, and +2 damage with the 
  chosen weapon.  This bonus stacks with any bonus 
  gained from the Weapon Focus feat or the Weapon 
  Specialization Soldier Advanced Class ability.  This 
  feat may be taken more than once.  Its effects do not 
  stack.  Each time you take this feat it applies to a 
  different weapon for which you have already taken 
  Weapon Focus.
  Shot on the Run
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Point Blank Shot, 
  Dodge, Mobility.
  Beneﬁt: When using an attack action with a ranged 
  weapon, the character can move both before and after 
  the attack, provided that the character’s total distance 
  moved is not greater than his or her speed.
  Moving in this way does not provoke an attack 
  of opportunity from the defender the character 
  is attacking (though it can provoke attacks of 
  opportunity from others, as normal).
  Sidekick
  You have a partner.
  Prerequisite: You must be at least 3rd level
  Beneﬁt: You have a loyal partner in your ﬁght 
  against crime.  
  Leadership Score: A character’s Leadership 
  score equals his level plus any Charisma modiﬁer. 
  In order to take into account negative Charisma 
  modiﬁers, Table: Leadership allows for very low 
  Leadership scores, but the character must still be 3rd 
  level or higher in order to gain the Sidekick feat and 
  thus attract a Sidekick. Outside factors can affect a 
  character’s Leadership score, as detailed in Table: 
  Leadership Modiﬁers.
  Sidekick Level: The character can attract a sidekick 
  of up to this level. Regardless of the character’s 
  Leadership score, he can’t recruit a sidekick of his 
  level or higher.
  Replacing Sidekicks: If a leader loses a Sidekick, 
  he can generally replace her, according to his current 
  Leadership score. It takes time (1d4 months) to recruit 
  and train a replacement. If the leader is to blame for 
  the death of the sidekick, it takes extra time to replace 
  them, up to a full year. Note that the leader also 
  picks up a reputation of failure, which decreases his 
  Leadership score.
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency
  Beneﬁt: The character makes attack rolls with 
  simple weapons normally.
  Normal: A character without this feat takes the 
  –4 nonproﬁcient penalty when making attacks with 
  simple weapons.
  Skip Shot
  Prerequisites: Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot.
  Beneﬁt: If the character has a solid, relatively 
  smooth surface on which to skip a bullet (such as a 
  street or a concrete wall), and a target within 10 feet of 
  that surface, the character may ignore cover between 
  the character and the target. However, the character 
  receives a –2 penalty on his or her attack roll, and the 
  character’s attack deals –1 die of damage. 
  Special: The surface doesn’t have to be perfectly 
  smooth and level; a brick wall or an asphalt road can 
  be used. The target can have no more than nine-tenths 
  cover for A character to attempt a skip shot.
  Smart Plus
  Advancements in science coupled with your drive to 
  excel enable you to progress faster toward becoming a 
  truly intelligent hero.
  Beneﬁt: You gain two talents from the Smart hero’s 
  talent trees. The talents must be selected from the 
  following list, you cannot select more than one talent 
  from a single talent tree, and you must meet all the 
  prerequisites of a talent to select it. Savant, Linguist, 
  Exploit Weakness, Plan, Trick.
  Special: You may select this feat multiple times. 
  Each time you select this feat, you must choose 
  a different pair of talents. The exception is the 
  savant talent, which you can select multiple times. 
  However, each time you select the savant talent, you 
  must choose a different skill (see the savant talent’s 
  description).
  Speed Dial
  People don’t just return your calls, they drop 
  everything to return your calls.
  Prerequisite: Well-Connected, Reputation 9+
  Effect: When you get in touch with an ally it only 
  takes 1-4 minutes for you to receive information or 
  assistance.
  
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  Normal: Allies normally take 1-4 hours to provide 
  assistance.
  Spirited Charge 
  Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat, 
  Ride-By Attack.
  Beneﬁt: When mounted and using the charge 
  action, you deal double damage with a melee weapon 
  (or triple damage with a lance).
  Spring Attack
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Dodge, Mobility, base 
  attack bonus +4.
  Beneﬁt: When using an attack action with a melee 
  weapon, the character can move both before and after 
  the attack, provided that the total distance moved is 
  not greater than the charater’s speed.
  Moving in this way does not provoke an attack 
  of opportunity from the defender the character 
  is attacking (though it can provoke attacks of 
  opportunity from others, as normal).
  A character can’t use this feat if he or she is 
  carrying a heavy load or wearing heavy armor.
  Super-Charismatic
  Beneﬁt: Whether as a merchant or leader, your 
  Charisma modiﬁer is doubled when you are dealing 
  with groups of 10 or more people. On an individual 
  basis, people can see right through you,.
  Special: This bonus applies not only to Charisma 
  checks, but also when determining your total 
  Leadership score with the Leadership feat.
  Stealthy
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Hide 
  checks and Move Silently checks. 
  Strafe
  Prerequisites: Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, 
  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency.
  Beneﬁt: When using a ﬁrearm on autoﬁre, the 
  character can affect an area four 5-foot squares long 
  and one square wide (that is, any four squares in a 
  straight line).
  Normal: A ﬁrearm on autoﬁre normally affects a 
  10-foot-by-10-foot area.
  Streetﬁghting
  Prerequisites: Brawl, base attack bonus +2.
  Beneﬁt: Once per round, if the character makes a 
  successful melee attack with an unarmed strike or a 
  light weapon, the character deals an extra 1d4 points 
  of damage.
  Strong Plus
  Advancements in science coupled with your drive to 
  excel enable you to progress faster toward becoming a 
  truly strong hero.
  Beneﬁt: You gain two talents from the Strong 
  hero’s talent trees. The talents must be selected from 
  the following list, you cannot select more than one 
  talent from a single talent tree, and you must meet 
  all the prerequisites of a talent to select it. Improved 
  Extreme Effort, Advanced Extreme Effort, Improved 
  Ignore Hardness, Advanced Ignore Hardness, 
  Improved Melee Smash, Advanced Melee Smash.
  Special: You may select this feat multiple times. 
  Each time you select this feat, you must choose a 
  different pair of talents.
  Studious
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Decipher Script checks and Research checks. 
  Sunder
  Prerequisites: Strength 13, Power Attack.
  Beneﬁt: When the character strikes an object held 
  or carried by an opponent, such as a weapon, the 
  character does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
  The character gains a +4 bonus on any attack roll 
  made to attack an object held or carried by another 
  character. The character deals double normal damage 
  to objects, whether they are held or carried or not.
  Normal: A character without this feat incurs an 
  attack of opportunity when he or she strikes at an 
  object held or carried by another character.
  Suppressive Fire
  Prerequisites:  Wisdom 13, Personal Firearms 
  Proﬁciency.
  Beneﬁt:  When you attack a target that is at least 30 
  feet away with a semiautomatic or automatic ﬁrearm, 
  you threaten the target’s square until your next action.  
  (If using autoﬁre, you threaten the targeted 10-foot-
  by-10-foot area).  You may make ranged attacks of 
  opportunity into that square.
  Suppressive ﬁre shoots ﬁve bullets (in addition 
  to the bullets ﬁred in your attack and any attack of 
  opportunity), and can only be used if the weapon has 
  ﬁve bullets in it.
  Surface Vehicle Operation
  Select a class of surface vehicle (wheeled, heavy 
  wheeled, powerboat, sailboat, ship, or tracked). 
  The character is proﬁcient at operating that class of 
  vehicle.
  The heavy wheeled class includes all kinds of 
  semi-trucks and tractor-trailers, as well as wheeled 
  construction vehicles (such as earth movers) and 
  wheeled armored vehicles (such as some armored 
  personnel carriers). Powerboats are engine-powered 
  water vessels designed for operation by a single 
  person and usually no more than 100 feet in length. 
  
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  Sailboats are wind-powered water vessels. Ships are 
  large, multicrewed water vessels. Tracked vehicles 
  include bulldozers and tanks and other military 
  vehicles.
  Prerequisite: Drive 4 ranks.
  Beneﬁt: When operating a vehicle of the selected 
  type, you take no penalty on Drive checks made when 
  operating the vehicle, and you also apply your full 
  class bonus to Defense to the vehicle’s Defense.
  Normal: Without this feat, you take a –4 
  nonproﬁcient penalty on Drive checks made to operate 
  a vehicle, and you apply only one-half your class 
  bonus to Defense (rounded down) to the vehicle’s 
  Defense.
  Special: A character can gain this feat as many as 
  ﬁve times. Each time the character takes the feat, he or 
  she selects a different class of surface vehicle.
  Surgery
  Prerequisite: Treat Injury 4 ranks.
  Beneﬁt: The character can use the Treat Injury skill 
  to perform surgery without penalty.
  Normal: Characters without this feat take a –4 
  penalty on Treat Injury checks made to perform 
  surgery.
  Tactician 
  You are a skilled leader, with a strong grasp of tactics 
  and an ability to make those around you better in 
  combat.
     Prerequisite: Int 13+, Cha 13+, Knowledge 
  (Tactics) 5 Ranks, Teamwork
     Effect:  Normally, when you roll a tactics skill 
  check, the beneﬁts apply only to you. This feat allows 
  you to grant the bonuses of a successful tactics skill 
  check to up to 2x Charisma modiﬁer allies (characters 
  who have the Teamwork feat for the same team) who 
  are ﬁghting with you.
  Teamwork 
  You have trained with a speciﬁc group and gain 
  bonuses when working with members of that group.
  Prerequisite:  Allegiance (Speciﬁc Team)
  Effect: Whenever you are working with someone 
  with the Teamwork feat for the same group (this could 
  be as small as one other person and as large a group 
  as a branch of the armed forces), he gains +2 to attack 
  and skill checks.
  Tough Customer
  Your reputation makes others tread lightly around you.
  Prerequisite: Reputation 6+
  Effect: You gain a bonus on Intimidate checks equal 
  to your Reputation.
  Tough Plus
  Advancements in science coupled with your drive to 
  excel enable you to progress faster toward becoming a 
  truly tough hero.
  Beneﬁt: You gain two talents from the Tough hero’s 
  talent trees. The talents must be selected from the 
  following list, you cannot select more than one talent 
  from a single talent tree, and you must meet all the 
  prerequisites of a talent to select it. Damage Reduction 
  2/—, Damage Reduction 3/—, Energy Resistance 
  (choose one energy type), Remain Conscious, Second 
  Wind, Stamina.
  Special: You may select this feat multiple times. 
  Each time you select this feat, you must choose a 
  different pair of talents.
  Toughness
  Beneﬁt: The character gains +3 hit points.
  Special: A character may gain this feat multiple 
  times. Its effects stack.
  Track
  Beneﬁt: To ﬁnd tracks or follow them for one mile 
  requires a Survival check. The character must make 
  another Survival check every time the tracks become 
  difﬁcult to follow.
  The character moves at half his or her normal speed 
  (or at the character’s normal speed with a –5 penalty 
  on the check, or at up to twice the character’s speed 
  with a –20 penalty on the check). The DC depends on 
  the surface and the prevailing conditions.
  Surface
   Track DC
  Very soft
  5
  Soft
  10
  Firm
  15
  Hard
  20
  Very Soft: Any surface (fresh snow, thick dust, wet 
  mud) that holds deep, clear impressions of footprints.
  Soft: Any surface soft enough to yield to pressure, 
  but ﬁrmer than wet mud or fresh snow, in which the 
  quarry leaves frequent but shallow footprints.
  Firm: Most normal outdoor or exceptionally soft or 
  dirty indoor surfaces. The quarry might leave some 
  traces of its passage, but only occasional or partial 
  footprints can be found.
  Hard: Any surface that doesn’t hold footprints at all, 
  such as bare rock, concrete, metal deckings, or indoor 
  ﬂoors. The quarry leaves only traces, such as scuff 
  marks.
  If the character fails a Survival check, he or she can 
  retry after 1 hour (outdoors) or 10 minutes (indoors) 
  of searching.
  Normal: A character without this feat can use the 
  Survival skill to ﬁnd tracks, but can only follow tracks 
  if the DC is 10 or less. A character can use the Search 
  skill to ﬁnd individual footprints, but cannot follow 
  tracks using Search.
  
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  Condition
  Modiﬁer
  Every three targets in the group being tracked
  –1
  Size of targets being tracked: 1
  Fine
  +8
  Diminutive
  +4
  Tiny
  +2
  Small
  +1
  Medium-size
  +0
  Large
  –1
  Huge
  –2
  Gargantuan
  –4
  Colossal
  –8
  Every 24 hours since the trail was made
  +1
  Every hour of rain since the trail was made
  +1
  Fresh snow cover since the trail was made
  +10
  Poor visibility: 2
  Overcast or moonless night
  +6
  Moonlight
  +3
  Fog or precipitation
  +3
  Tracked target hides trail (moves at half speed)
  +5
  1 For a group of mixed sizes, apply only the modiﬁer for the 
  largest size category represented.
  2 Apply only the largest modiﬁer from this category.
  Trample 
  Prerequisites: Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat.
  Beneﬁt: When you attempt to overrun an opponent 
  while mounted, your target may not choose to avoid 
  you. Your mount may make one hoof attack against 
  any target you knock down, gaining the standard +4 
  bonus on attack rolls against prone targets.
  Trusted Associate
  You are very highly regarded by a single Allegiance 
  and they are much more willing to help you then 
  normal.
  Prerequisite: The allegiance this feat is associated 
  with must be your ﬁrst Allegiance (allegiances 
  are listed in order from most to least important), 
  Reputation 6+
  Effect: Your gain a +4 bonus to your Reputation 
  when dealing with allies from the chosen allegiance. 
  You also gain a +4 bonus to all Requisition checks 
  from the chosen allegiance. 
  Trustworthy
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all 
  Diplomacy checks and Gather Information checks. 
  Two-Weapon Fighting
  Prerequisite: Dexterity 13.
  Beneﬁt: The character’s penalties for ﬁghting with 
  two weapons are lessened by 2.
  The weapons used must both be melee weapons or 
  both be ranged weapons (the character can’t mix the 
  types).
  Ultra Immune System
  You are less susceptible to the ravages of poison, 
  disease, and radiation poisoning.
  Prerequisite: Constitution 13.
  Beneﬁts: You gain a +2 bonus on Fortitude saving 
  throws to resist poisons, diseases, and radiation 
  sickness. Furthermore, any permanent ability drain 
  inﬂicted upon you is treated as temporary ability 
  damage instead.
  Unbalance Opponent
  Prerequisites: Defensive Martial Arts, base attack 
  bonus +6.
  Beneﬁt: During the character’s action, the 
  character designates an opponent no more than one 
  size category larger or smaller than the character. 
  That opponent doesn’t get to add his or her Strength 
  modiﬁer to attack rolls when targeting the character. 
  (If the opponent has a Strength penalty, he or hse still 
  takes that penalty.)
  The opponent’s Strength modiﬁer applies to 
  damage, as usual.
  The character can select a new opponent on any 
  action.
  Urban Tracking
  You can track down the location of missing persons or 
  wanted individuals.
  Beneﬁt: To ﬁnd the trail of an individual or to 
  follow it for 1 hour requires a Gather Information 
  check. You must make another Gather Information 
  check every hour of the search, as well as each time 
  the trail becomes difﬁcult to follow, such as when it 
  moves to a different area of town.
  The DC of the check, and the number of checks 
  required to track down your quarry, depends on the 
  community population and the conditions: 
  Population
  DC
  Checks Required
  Fewer than 2,000
  5
  1d4
  2,000–9,999
  10
  1d4+1
  10,000–49,999
  15
  2d4
  50,000–99,999
  20
  2d4+1
  100,000–499,999
  25
  3d4
  500,000+
  30
  3d4+1
  Condition
  Modiﬁer
  Every three creatures in the group being sought 
  –1
  Every 24 hours the quarry has been missing or 
  sought 
  +1
  Tracked quarry “lies low” 
  +5
  If you fail a Gather Information check, you can 
  retry after 1 hour of questioning. The GM rolls the 
  number of checks required secretly, so the player 
  doesn’t know exactly how long the task requires.
  Normal: A character without this feat can use 
  Gather Information to ﬁnd out information about a 
  particular individual, but each check takes 1d4+1 
  hours and doesn’t allow effective trailing.
  Special: You can cut the time per Gather 
  Information check in half (to 30 minutes per check 
  rather than 1 hour per check), but you suffer a –5 
  penalty on the check.
  
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  Vehicle Dodge
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Drive 6 ranks, Vehicle 
  Expert.
  Beneﬁt: When driving a vehicle, during the 
  character’s action the character designates an 
  opposing vehicle or a single opponent. The character’s 
  vehicle and everyone aboard it receive a +1 dodge 
  bonus to Defense against attacks from that vehicle or 
  opponent. The character can select a new vehicle or 
  opponent on any action.
  Vehicle Expert
  Beneﬁt: The character gets a +2 bonus on all Drive 
  checks and Pilot checks.
  Weapon Finesse
  Choose one light melee weapon, a rapier (if the 
  character can use it with one hand), or a chain.
  Prerequisites: Proﬁcient with weapon, base attack 
  bonus +1.
  Beneﬁt: With the selected melee weapon, the 
  character may use his or her Dexterity modiﬁer 
  instead of his or her Strength modiﬁer on attack rolls.
  Special: A character can gain this feat multiple 
  times. Each time the character takes the feat, the 
  character selects a different weapon.
  Weapon Focus
  Choose a speciﬁc weapon. A character can choose 
  unarmed strike or grapple for your weapon for 
  purposes of this feat.
  Prerequisites: Proﬁcient with weapon, base attack 
  bonus +1.
  Beneﬁt: The character adds +1 to all attack rolls he 
  or she makes using the selected weapon.
  Special: A character can gain this feat multiple 
  times. Each time the character takes the feat, the 
  character must select a different weapon.
  Well-Connected
  Your allegiances think very highly of you and are 
  willing to help you much more often.
  Prerequisite: At least two allies of any type, 
  Reputation 6+
  Effect: You can call on allies of each allegiance 
  three times per week before needing to make 
  Reputation checks to gain their aid.
  Normal: Characters can normally only call on 
  an ally within an allegiance once per week before 
  Reputation checks are required. 
  Whirlwind Attack
  Prerequisites: Dexterity 13, Intelligence 13, 
  Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Combat Expertise, 
  base attack bonus +4.
  Beneﬁt: When the character performs a full-round 
  action, the character can give up his or her regular 
  attacks and instead make one melee attack at the 
  character’s highest base attack bonus against each 
  adjacent opponent.
  Windfall
  Beneﬁt: The character’s Wealth bonus increases 
  by +3. Also, this feat provides a +1 bonus on all 
  Profession checks.
  Special: A character can select this feat multiple 
  times. Each time, both of its effects stack.
  Wingman 
  You are a pilot’s best friend; capable of watching his 
  back and making sure he makes it home from his 
  mission.
  Prerequisite: Teamwork, Formation Flying
  Description: You are a most valuable commodity: 
  an expert wingman.
  Effect: You grant your partner a +4 Def bonus in 
  vehicle combat. If a missile hits the plane you are 
  defending, you may attempt to shoot it down as an 
  attack of opportunity.  This feat grants a +2 bonus on 
  Clear Your Six pilot checks, which stacks with the 
  bonus granted by Formation Flying (for a total bonus 
  of +4).
  Xenomedic
  You know how to provide safe medical treatment to 
  alien life forms.
  Prerequisites: Knowledge (earth and life sciences) 
  6 ranks, Treat Injury 6 ranks, Surgery.
  Beneﬁts: You can, without penalty, use the Treat 
  Injury skill to perform surgery on a living creature 
  regardless of its type.
  Normal: Characters without this feat take a –8 
  penalty on Treat Injury checks (–4 if they have the 
  Surgery feat) when performing surgery on creatures of 
  a different type.
  Special: This feat cannot be used to heal or repair 
  nonliving or inorganic creatures such as constructs or 
  undead.
  
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  TABLE 3-4; FEATS
  Feat
  Perquisites
  Beneﬁts
  Acrobatic
  +2 on a Jump and Tumble checks
  Action Boost
  d8 for action points
  Aircraft Operation
  Pilot 4
  No –4 penalty to pilot or attack with selected aircraft
  Evasive Maneuvers
  Pilot 5 ranks, Aircraft Operation 
  -1 attack, +1 defense
  Fixed Wing Vehicle Weapons
  Aircraft Operation (Jet Fighters)
  No –4 penalty to attack
  Helicopter Vehicle Weapons
  Aircraft Operation (Helicopters)
  No –4 penalty to attack
  Fighter Escort
  Teamwork, Aircraft Operation 
  +1 Defense for target per ﬁghter 
  Alertness
  +2 on Listen and Spot checks
  Alien Weapons Proﬁciency
  Non –4 nonproﬁcient penalty
  Animal Afﬁnity
  +2 on Handle Animal and Ride checks
  Archaic Weapons Proﬁciency
  No –4 nonproﬁcient penalty
  Armor Proﬁciency (light)
  Add equipment bonus for armor type to your defense; no armor penalty 
  for skills
  Armor Proﬁciency (medium)
  Armor Proﬁciency (light)
  Add equipment bonus for armor type to your defense; no armor penalty 
  for skills
  Armor Proﬁciency (heavy)
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium)
  Add equipment bonus for armor type to your defense; no armor penalty 
  for skills
  Armor Proﬁciency (powered)
  Armor Proﬁciency (light), Armor Proﬁciency (medium)
  Add equipment bonus for armor type to your defense; no armor penalty 
  for skills
  Athletic
  +2 on Climb and Swim checks
  Blind-Fight
  Reroll miss chance
  Banter
  Cha 13+, Bluff 5 ranks
  Defense bonus against melee attacks equal to Cha modiﬁer
  Black Market
  One Supply ally, Reputation 6+
  Ignore the Wealth increase due to restricted or illegal
  Builder
  +2 on 2 Craft skills
  Brawl
  +1 attack, 1d6 + Str nonlethal damage
  Improved Brawl
  Brawl, BAB +3
  +2 attack, 1d8 + Str nonlethal damage
  Improvised Weapons
  Brawl
  No penalty to attack roll 
  Knockout Punch
  Brawl, BAB +3
  Nonlethal unarmed attack is automatic critical
  Improved Knockout Punch
  Brawl, Knockout Punch, BAB +6
  Nonlethal critical does triple damage
  Streetﬁghting
  Brawl, BAB +2
  +1d4 damage unarmed or light melee weapon attack
  Improved Feint
  Intelligence 13, Brawl, Streetﬁghting
  +2 Bluff check in combat as a move action
  Cautious
  +2 on Demolitions and Disable Device checks.
  Charismatic Plus
  Two Charismatic hero talents 
  Combat Driving
  Drive 4 ranks
  Add class bonus and Dexterity modiﬁer to the defense of vehicle
  Combat Expertise
  Intelligence 13
  -5 attack, +5 defense
  Improved Disarm
  Intelligence 13, Combat Expertise
  No attack of opportunity
  Improved Trip
  Intelligence 13, Combat Expertise
  No attack of opportunity
  Combat Martial Arts
  BAB +1
  1d4 + str lethal or nonlethal or damage, considered unarmed
  Improved Combat Martial Arts
  Combat Martial Arts
  Unarmed strike critical threat on 19 and 20.
  Advanced Combat Martial Arts
  Combat Martial Arts, Improved Combat Martial Arts
  Unarmed strike critical deals X3 damage
  Nerve Pinch
  Combat Martial Arts, base attack bonus +4
  Paralyze target for 1d4+1 (Fort save)
  Combat Medic
  Treat Injury 8 ranks
  Restore Hit Points an additional time each day 
  
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  CHAPTER�3:�FEATS
  TABLE 3-4; FEATS (CONT.)
  Feat
  Perquisites
  Beneﬁts
  Combat Reﬂexes
  Additional attacks of opportunity
  Conﬁdent
  +2 on Gamble checks and Intimidate checks
  Creative
  +2 on two Craft or Perform skill checks
  Deceptive
  +2 on Bluff and Disguise checks
  Dedicated Plus
  Two Dedicated hero talents 
  Defensive Martial Arts
  +1 Defense against melee attacks
  Combat Throw
  Defensive Martial Arts
  +2 Str, Dex to trips and grapples
  Improved Combat Throw
  Defensive Martial Arts, Combat Throw, base attack bonus +3
  Free trip attack
  Elusive Target
  Dexterity 13, Defensive Martial Arts
  -4 ranged attack against you while in melee
  Unbalance Opponent
  Defensive Martial Arts, BAB +6
  Opponent doesn’t get  Strength modiﬁer to attack
  Dodge
  +1 defense against one opponent
  Agile Riposte
  Dexterity 13, Dodge
  Attack of opportunity when opponent misses
  Mobility
  Dexterity 13, Dodge
  +4 to Defense against attacks of opportunity
  Spring Attack
  Dexterity 13, Dodge, Mobility, BAB +4
  Move before and after the attack
  Whirlwind Attack
  Dexterity 13, Intelligence 13, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Combat 
  Expertise, BAB +4
  Melee attack against each adjacent opponent
  Drive-By Attack
  No vehicle speed penalty
  Educated
  +2 on two Knowledge skills
  Endurance
  +4 on swim on Con checks
  Enemy
  +2 to attack and skill checks combating enemy
  Antithesis
  Enemy (same group), BAB 9+
  +2 bonus to attack rolls and skill checks
  Exotic Melee Weapon Proﬁciency
  No –4 penalty on attack roll for speciﬁc exotic melee weapon
  Far Shot
  Range increment increases by one-half
  Dead Aim
  Wisdom 13, Far Shot
  +2 ranged attack on full round
  Improved Dead Aim
  Wisdom 13, Far Shot, Dead Aim
  +4 ranged attack on full round
  Fast Plus
  Two Fast hero talents
  Focused
  +2 on Balance and Concentration checks
  Frightful Presence
  Charisma 15, Intimidate 9 ranks
  Shaken foes (Will save)
  Gearhead
  +2 on Computer Use and Repair checks
  Great Fortitude
  +2 Fortitude saving throws
  Guide
  +2 on Navigate and Survival checks
  Hard-Eyed
  Charisma 13, Intimidate 4 ranks
  +5 Intimidate checks
  Henchmen
  Level 3
  Group of followers
  Information Network
  Henchmen
  +1 Gather Information or Spot skill checks
  Inspired Leadership
  Cha 13+, character level 5, Henchmen
  Followers gain Teamwork feat
  Ideologue
  Cha 15+, level 7, Henchmen, Inspired Leadership
  Followers gain common allegiance
  Heroic Surge
  Extra action
  Home Turf
  +1 to hit, +2 to some skill checks in your home territory
  Improved Damage Threshold
  +3 massive damage threshold
  Improved Initiative
  +4 initiative
  Intuitive Mechanic
  Intelligence 15
  Repair a class skill; Can always take 10. 
  Iron Will
  +2 on Will saving throws
  
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  CHAPTER�3:�FEATS
  TABLE 3-4; FEATS (CONT.)
  Feat
  Perquisites
  Beneﬁts
  Jack Of All Trades
  Character level 8th+
  Use any skill untrained
  Lightning Reﬂexes
  +2 Reﬂex saving throws
  Low Proﬁle
  Reputation +3
  Master Mechanic
  Repair 8 ranks
  Repair double damage
  Mastercrafter
  Craft (electrical) 8 ranks, Craft (mechanical) 8 ranks
  Make mastercraft items
  Medical Expert
  +2 on Craft (pharmaceutical) and Treat Injury checks
  Meticulous
  +2 on Forgery and Search checks
  Midas Touch
  One Inﬂuence ally, Wealth 6+, Reputation 6+
  Wealth bonus equal to one-half Reputation
  Miracle Worker
  Treat Injury 6 ranks, Reputation 6+
  Treat Injury bonus equal to Reputation
  Mounted Combat
  Ride 1 rank
  Ride check to negate the hit on mount
  Mounted Archery
  Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat
  Penalty using ranged weapon mounted is halved
  Ride-By Attack
  Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat
  Charge attack and continue moving
  Spirited Charge
  Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat, Ride-By Attack
  Double damage with charge
  Trample
  Ride 1 rank, Mounted Combat
  Overrun target may not choose to avoid
  Nimble
  +2 on Escape Artist and Sleight of Hand checks
  Oathbound
  One declared allegiance
  +3 aid; +1 attack
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency
  Fire personal ﬁrearm without penalty
  Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency
  No –4 on autoﬁre
  Burst Fire
  Wisdom 13, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Advanced Firearms 
  Proﬁciency
  -4 attack, +2 dice damage
  Exotic Firearms Proﬁciency
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency
  Proﬁcient in speciﬁc exotic ﬁrearm.
  Improved Autoﬁre
  Personal ﬁrearms Proﬁciency, Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency
  Reﬂex DC +5
  Strafe
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Advanced Firearms Proﬁciency
  Autoﬁre area 5 by 20 ft. instead of 10 by 10 ft.
  Suppressive Fire
  Wisdom 13, Personal Firearms Proﬁciency
  Make ranged attacks of opportunity
  Point Blank Shot
  +1 attack and damage within 30 ft
  Double Tap
  Dexterity 13, Point Blank Shot
  -2 attack, +1 dice damage
  Rip a Clip
  Double Tap
  Cleave with ranged weapon
  Precise Shot
  Point Blank Shot
  Ranged attack target in melee without penalty
  Bull’s Eye
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
  Action point to conﬁrm critical
  Skip Shot
  Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
  Ignore cover, -2 attack, -1 die damage
  Rip a Clip
  Double Tap
  Cleave with ranged weapon
  Room-Broom
  Point Blank Shot
  No attack of opportunity ﬁring in melee
  Shot on the Run
  Dexterity 13, Point Blank Shot, Dodge, Mobility
  Move before and after the attack
  Poise
  Wisdom 13+, Sense Motive 5 Ranks
  Defense bonus against melee attacks equal to Wis modiﬁer
  Power Attack
  Strength 13
  Subtract from melee attack and add to damage
  Cleave
  Strength 13, Power Attack
  Extra attack after dropping an opponent
  Great Cleave
  Strength 13, Power Attack, Cleave, base attack bonus +4
  Unlimited cleave
  Improved Bull Rush
  Strength 13, Power Attack
  No attack of opportunity on bull rush
  Quick Draw
  BAB +1
  Draw weapon as free action
  Quick Reload
  BAB +1
  Reload as a free action
  Quick Treatment
  Treat Injury 5 ranks
  Stabilize more than one person per round
  Reactive Shooter
  Dexterity 13
  Act in surprise round even if surprised
  
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  CHAPTER�3:�FEATS
  TABLE 3-4; FEATS (CONT.)
  Feat
  Perquisites
  Beneﬁts
  High Ready
  Dexterity 13, Reactive Shooter
  Can Reactive Shooter with a Large weapon
  Renown
  Reputation +3
  Rumor Monger
  At least one Inﬂuence ally, Reputation 6+
  Gather Information or Knowledge (current events) bonus equal to your 
  Reputation
  Run
  Run x5 speed
  Sidekick
  Level 3
  Gain loyal partner
  Animal Companion
  Sidekick, Animal Handling 5 ranks
  Gain animal sidekick
  Simple Weapons Proﬁciency
  No nonproﬁcient penalty
  Smart Plus
  Two Smart hero talents
  Super-Charismatic
  Charisma modiﬁer doubled with groups of 10+
  Stealthy
  +2 on Hide and Move Silently checks
  Strong Plus
  Two Strong hero talents
  Studious
  +2 on Decipher Script and Research checks
  Surface Vehicle Operation
  Drive 4 ranks
  No –4 penalty on Drive checks with selected vehicle
  Tank/Apc Weapons
  Drive 5 Ranks, Surface Vehicle Operation (Tracked)
  No –4 penalty to attack
  Surgery
  Treat Injury 4 ranks
  Perform surgery without penalty
  Teamwork
  Allegiance
  +2 to attack and skill checks with shared allegiance
  Coordinated Attack
  Teamwork, BAB 5+
  Spend Action Point to ﬂank opponent
  Cover Fire
  Personal Firearms Proﬁciency, Teamwork
  50% increase in cover ﬁre bonuses
  Formation Flying
  Teamwork
  +2 Defense
  Wingman
  Teamwork, Formation Flying
  +4 Defense 
  Tactician
  Int 13+, Cha 13+, Knowledge (Tactics) 5 Ranks, Teamwork
  Grant tactics bonus to allies
  Tough Plus
  Two Tough hero talents
  Toughness
  +3 Hit Points
  Track
  Use Survival skill to track
  Trusted Associate
  Allegiance, Reputation 6+
  +4 to Reputation dealing with allies from the chosen allegiance
  Trustworthy
  +2 on Diplomacy and Gather Information checks
  Two-Weapon Fighting
  Dexterity 13
  Penalties ﬁghting with two weapons lessened by 2
  Armed to the Teeth
  Two-Weapon Fighting
  Can use a ranged weapon in one hand and a melee weapon in the other 
  hand
  Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
  Dexterity 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +6
  Second attack with offhand weapon
  Advanced Two-Weapon Fighting Dexterity 13, Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, 
  BAB +11
  Third attack with offhand weapon
  Ultra Immune System
  Constitution 13
  +2 on Fortitude saving throws to resist poisons, diseases, and radiation 
  sickness
  Urban Tracking
  Find people with Gather Information
  Vehicle Expert
  +2 on Drive and Pilot checks
  Force Stop
  Drive 4 ranks, Vehicle Expert
  Force a surface vehicle to stop
  Vehicle Dodge
  Dexterity 13, Drive 6 ranks, Vehicle Expert
  +1 dodge bonus to Defense
  Weapon Finesse
  Proﬁcient with weapon, BAB +1
  Dex modiﬁer on attack rolls
  Weapon Focus
  Proﬁcient with weapon, BAB +1
  +1 to all attack rolls
  Marksman
  Weapon Focus (one ranged weapon), Spot 5 Ranks
  Use Spot skill to offset attack penalties due to range
  
  The�modern�system�
  Page 77
  CHAPTER�3:�FEATS
  TABLE 3-4; FEATS (CONT.)
  Feat
  Perquisites
  Beneﬁts
  Sharpshooter
  BAB 5+, Weapon Focus (one ranged weapon)
  +1 attack, +2 damage for chosen weapon
  Called Shot
  Weapon Focus, Sharpshooter, BAB 7+
  –2 to hit for +1d6 damage
  Well-Connected
  At least two allies of any type, Reputation 6+
  Call on allies of each allegiance three times per week
  Speed Dial
  Well-Connected, Reputation 9+
  Contact with ally only takes 1-4 minutes
  Fixer
  Speed Dial, Well-Connected, Reputation 9+
  Number of allies equal to Reputation 
  Windfall
  +3 Wealth
  Xenomedic
  Knowledge (earth and life sciences) 6 ranks, Treat Injury 6 ranks, 
  Surgery
  Can perform surgery on living creature regardless of its type
  
  The�modern�system�
  Page 78
  OPEN GAME LICENSE
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  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/3rd Edition (3.x)/3rd Party/d20 Modern/3rd Party/RPG Objects/Modern System/Modern System - Characters (landscape).pdf